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Can one character make/break an entire series?

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Can one character make/break an entire series?
Jul 10, 2015 3:40 PM
#1

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Dec 2014
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Something I see a lot is that people will say a show got ruined when they introduced a single character (Zankyou no Terror is the only example of this I can think of at the moment, I heard that Five (I think it was her, dunno really) ruined the show for some people though I personally never seen ZnT so I can't judge fairly), or when others say a show is only worth watching due to one specific character. (Can't think of an example for this)

So, I want to ask, can just one character ruin a series or can just one character make a series worth watching? I really want to know.
Jul 10, 2015 3:46 PM
#2

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Apr 2013
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Absolutely.

For instance, Kaze no Stigma is worth watching to me because of Kazuma

On the other hand, Shinji ruined Evangelion for me
Jul 10, 2015 3:47 PM
#3

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Sep 2014
7339
Kaga Kouko carries the whole Golden Time
Jul 10, 2015 3:50 PM
#4
Sleepy

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Nov 2014
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Definitely. Mirai Nikki is the prime example of ruining the show.

On the other hand Yuuko from Dusk Maiden of Amnesia carries the show on her back because other characters are just... bland. Really bland.
Jul 10, 2015 3:53 PM
#5

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Jul 2014
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Imaishi said:
Kaga Kouko carries the whole Golden Time

truuuu

Jul 10, 2015 4:17 PM
#6
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May 2015
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Absolutely! I came to really dislike Yuka from Elfen Lied because she was so self-centered thinking everything had to be about her.
Jul 10, 2015 4:17 PM
#7
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Nov 2014
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Characters like Onizuka ( GTO ) and Lelouch ( Code Geass ) carried their own series single-handledly, so I definitely agreed with what you are saying OP.

And shit characters can also ruin a decent show. ( ZnT with Five )
Jul 10, 2015 4:38 PM
#8

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Nov 2014
615
Yes I like Fate/stay Night but not Shirou and yes Im a VN player .

For Fate I liked Saber only

for UBW I liked Archer much much more

for HF I liked Kotomine much much more

The whoe F/SN is focused on Shirou so I wont get the full enjoyment since I dont like him
Jul 10, 2015 6:51 PM
#9
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Jul 2014
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Yes. I dropped Sailor Moon for the sole reason, of, well, Sailor Moon. More specifically, I couldn't stand her hair. It was incredibly annoying flowing all over the place, I couldn't stand it. I do not know how people watch that anime.
.
Jul 10, 2015 6:53 PM

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Nov 2014
13311
Exanimem said:
Yes. I dropped Sailor Moon for the sole reason, of, well, Sailor Moon. More specifically, I couldn't stand her hair. It was incredibly annoying flowing all over the place, I couldn't stand it. I do not know how people watch that anime.
that's...a reason I guess


Jul 10, 2015 6:54 PM
News Team
YEEHAW

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Nov 2014
9463
Yes.
For example, Saekano would be more enjoyable if it wasnt for that shit MC, Tomoya.
On the other hand, Berg Katze in Gatchaman crowds saved me from dropping it. (at the end of the day the anime grew on me but still, thanks Katze.)
DatRandomDudeJul 10, 2015 6:59 PM
STOP SLEEPING ON ODD TAXI

Jul 10, 2015 6:55 PM
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Jonathan makes Glasslip more enjoyable.
Jul 10, 2015 7:00 PM

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Yes, couldn't finish Anohana because Menma was so goddamn annoying.
Jul 10, 2015 7:04 PM

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Imaishi said:
Kaga Kouko carries the whole Golden Time


lel I still remember that driving incident
All credit goes to Sacred.
Jul 10, 2015 7:06 PM

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Jul 2011
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I couldn't stand Naruto because Naruto
Jul 10, 2015 7:10 PM

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Jul 2013
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jayss said:
Yes, couldn't finish Anohana because Menma was so goddamn annoying.
what?

anyway I don't remember watching an anime where a single character carried the whole show but I do know some of those where a single character dragged the whole show down to hell like Accel World because the pig Arita and Mahou Sensou because of Takeshi
Jul 10, 2015 9:56 PM

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Oct 2014
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Exanimem said:
Yes. I dropped Sailor Moon for the sole reason, of, well, Sailor Moon. More specifically, I couldn't stand her hair. It was incredibly annoying flowing all over the place, I couldn't stand it. I do not know how people watch that anime.
that hair is iconic
Jul 10, 2015 9:57 PM
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gone bai bai
Jul 10, 2015 10:28 PM

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Feb 2013
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TheGalaxianMelon said:
Zankyou no Terror is the only example of this I can think of at the moment, I heard that Five (I think it was her, dunno really) ruined the show for some people though I personally never seen ZnT so I can't judge fairly
... and it's still a really good thriller.


Yuno for Mirai Nikki.
Light for Death Note.
Lelouch for Code Geass.

Disliked every character in Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis so I dropped it.

Generally speaking, if there is at least one good character, I'll probably continue watching.
Jul 10, 2015 10:29 PM

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_Charl said:
Jonathan makes Glasslip more enjoyable.

+1 Jonathan from Glasslip
MAL: A community that thinks every anime is bad, but rates everything a 7/10.
Jul 10, 2015 10:58 PM
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mochabearbruh said:
Exanimem said:
Yes. I dropped Sailor Moon for the sole reason, of, well, Sailor Moon. More specifically, I couldn't stand her hair. It was incredibly annoying flowing all over the place, I couldn't stand it. I do not know how people watch that anime.
that hair is iconic

It being iconic dosen't make it any better
.
Jul 10, 2015 11:04 PM

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Yes. Albert made gankutsuou suck. The Count reduced some of the damage though
Jul 11, 2015 8:31 AM

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Nope. A character is best when they have other characters to play off of, even if they aren't so good.
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Jul 11, 2015 9:02 AM

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Jonathan


the only interesting character from Glasslip
Twitter and it's consequences had been a disaster for the human race
Jul 11, 2015 9:08 AM

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I couldn't watch Guilty Crown without wanting to break something because every character was ... well, they were them. If they weren't entirely useless, they were overpowered and melodramatic. I especially hated Inori, and how all she seemed to do was sit around and sing most of the time. Great work, Inori, really you're a pal for helping out so much.
Jul 11, 2015 10:25 AM

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May 2015
16469
Yes, if said character is given too much attention. That's why the first season of Date A Live is so much better. The climax there is dominated by Tokisaki, while in the second it's Shido. Shido is boring as hell.
WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things
Jul 11, 2015 11:31 AM

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I'm a pretty tolerant person for the most part, and while there have been countless characters that have irritated the shit out of me, I don't think I've watched a series yet where a new character introduction ruined the entire enjoyment for me.
If a main character is irritating right from the first episode though, it can turn me off a series.

I'm currently watching the Melancholy of Haruhi, and I think I'd enjoy the series a lot more if Haruhi wasn't in it. It wouldn't bother me so much if it didn't have so much of a focus on her. She isn't a likable character in the slightest, which has definitely affected my overall enjoyment.
Jul 11, 2015 11:32 AM

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Exanimem said:
Yes. I dropped Sailor Moon for the sole reason, of, well, Sailor Moon. More specifically, I couldn't stand her hair. It was incredibly annoying flowing all over the place, I couldn't stand it. I do not know how people watch that anime.

i think it's rather because you watched sailor moon crystal instead of the superior 90s adaptation
Jul 11, 2015 11:34 AM

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Aug 2014
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Since I'm really tolerant when watching shows, no character can break the show for me. But some characters can definitely carry a show. Rider carried F/Z for me.
Jul 11, 2015 11:51 AM

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SnugglyWhuggly said:
I'm currently watching the Melancholy of Haruhi, and I think I'd enjoy the series a lot more if Haruhi wasn't in it. It wouldn't bother me so much if it didn't have so much of a focus on her. She isn't a likable character in the slightest, which has definitely affected my overall enjoyment.


You're not supposed to like Haruhi at first...that's part of the point. She's an unbearable, obnoxious brat at the start of the series, but she starts to change as she spends more time with the SOS Brigade and it begins humanizing her. Unfortunately, most of mellowed out!Haruhi is in the part of the books that didn't get animated, but by the later episodes, and definitely the movie, she is already getting better.

And to the poster's original question, I've never had an otherwise good series broken by one bad character (Louie in Rune Soldier came very close, but I wouldn't call that a good series anyway). I can think of a few series I would've dropped in a hurry if not for one good character, though. Megumi Kato singlehandedly made the first few episodes of Saekano watchable for me until the rest of the show picked up and started getting good, and I'm happy about that because I ended up really liking it. And Nagi Kodachi was the only reason I stuck with Daitoshokan all the way to the end - she was the one shining gem in an otherwise thoroughly generic show.
Jul 11, 2015 12:24 PM

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Oct 2014
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Anime,like almost every tale, is heavily influence by characters, if any. If a character is a main plot-device to the story, then the story collapses if that character turns out to be disappointing.
Similarly, anime can be 'made' by exceptional characters such as Johan Lieabert from Monste, and Gon Freecs from HxH, which receive massive development throughout their series making them deeper characters, respectively.
Answering your question, yes, characters do indeed influence the anime, especially if main.
Jul 11, 2015 4:03 PM

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Apr 2015
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Kumagawa Misogi. I was already enjoying Medaka Box, but he took a series that was a 6/10 and personally made it an 8/10.

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