CHARACTER STUDY OF PLASTIC IN RIBBON NO KISHI

"Plastic is an eighteen-year-old trapped in a toddler’s visage. Duralumin (his lord father) desires to give him the throne, but he is only interested in making mischief. However, upon gaining Sapphire’s boy heart, he becomes a confident and competent leader who desires to change the laws forbidding women from rule so Sapphire can take back the throne."
(The author does not elucidate that Plastic gains the boy heart at eighteen, as an adolescent on the cusp of adulthood -- though he still has this "toddler's visage")


Original Manga Plastic (toddler)


Original Manga Plastic (at 18, with the boy heart)
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Original Anime Plastic. Note the ahoge, squinting, and youthful freckles.






Takarazuka Plastic (at 18, played by an otokoyaku) - the make-up also has youthful freckles



Pink Hanamori's rendition of Plastic - is far more badass and eliminates the toddler or mini-moe aspect of the character, as well as that of him being mentally disabled.

Plastic

Voiced by: Chie Kitagawa (Japanese)

Appearances: 50's Manga | 60's Manga | TV Series

The mentally disabled son of Duke Duralmin.

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• Inadequate Inheritor: His father promotes him for the throne in Saphire's place, seeking to rule from behind the scenes.
• Took a Level in Badass: He starts of as dimwitted brat, who pees himself in his first appearance after laughing too hard, causing him to bawl his eyes out. Duralumin wanted to make him king so that he could exert control through him. After a couple of chapters, Plastic begins acting his age, defies his lord father, and installs rules that grants more rights to women, because he believes it to be just.
• Inadequate Inheritor: Duke Duralumin promotes his mentally disabled son, Plastic, for the throne in Saphire's place, seeking to rule from behind the scenes; since he plans to turn Plastic, the only available male heir, into his Puppet King. Subverted when Plastic becomes The Good King and gives women the right to inherit the throne.

Eventually, even the immature Plastic becomes The Good King and gets the parliament to unanimously agree to abolish that law, before giving Sapphire the crown and telling her she deserves to rule no matter what her gender.

Royals Who Actually Do Something:

• Plastic, immediately after he either gets shot with lightning in the 50's manga or swallows Sapphire's boy heart in the 60's manga. In fact, the first thing he does is start to undo his lord father's evil deeds, then changes Silverland's outdated laws for the better and finally, paves the way to reinstall Sapphire as the righteous king. All what he wants in exchange is mercy for his father.

Subverted at the end when Plastic becomes The Good King, gets all women in the kingdom equal rights and gives Sapphire the crown.

Some years after gaining the throne in the manga, in his twenties (Plastic's hair has grown a little, as you can see here), he falls victim to an assassination attempt and gets stabbed in the chest. Luckily, he recovers thanks to this healing herb!