I would love to see a perfect set of real, fleshed-out characters. Characters CARRY the story. They are the ones who make the decisions, decide to push that red button, save the girl, etc. And if the plot is cliche, fine. I don't care about the plot. It's the characters that matter.
“Can a magician kill a man by magic?” Lord Wellington asked Strange.
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. “I suppose a magician might,” he admitted, “but a gentleman never could.” — Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
