Worst protagonist ever?

Naw bruh let me cook. This man, Makoto, transformed from an insignificant figure to a morally questionable individual. He caused harm to others, sparked conflicts, deviated from the typical protagonist path, and essentially faced the consequences of his actions. Overall, witnessing his character development was challenging.

In contrast, Takemitchy evolves into a more significant and redeemable character, moving away from his initial lazy and indifferent demeanor. Unlike Makoto, who dug himself into increasingly deep holes until meeting a grim end, Takemitchy's journey offers a more positive trajectory. Makoto's story stands out as one of the least favorable character arcs in all anime.

What’s there to understand? Its message is overshadowed by immoral execution. What could’ve been a anime about sincere relationships takes a drastic shift with no warning. I think it’s you who doesn’t understand why the character is written this way because there was no set up to the abrupt change in makoto which resulted in the anime’s disruptive 180. Lelouch’s character arc was calculated unlike makoto’s who just became abusive outta nowhere.

Be that as it may, the change remains abrupt and seemingly out of place within the context of the anime we're discussing. Regardless of any warnings from other source material, the immoral nature of the latter half still overshadows the intended message, primarily due to Makoto's sudden character shift. This, objectively, places both the series and the character at the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality.

Compared to Takemitchy, Makoto can definitely be categorized as the worst anime protagonist unless there’s a protagonist worse than the school days protagonist.

Repeating? I like to use the phrase “doubling down” for cases like this. Also, for a claim to be a thesis, it needs to be substantiated with source material, which is the case here. Acknowledging that the comparison of anti-heroes to villains isn't entirely analogous, the incoherence of the anime itself supports this observation. Makoto's transformation from an indecisive character contemplating taking a picture to an abusive figure in his story hinders both the impact of his character and the overall Narritive. So yeah that shift was indeed sudden. Makoto was a wimp and did one wrong thing and suddenly that became his entirely personality until that boat ride with his psycho ex when he tried to switch back but you want to convince me people don’t reveal their bad sides at first? He was never bad to begin with which we both clearly agree on.

Dude, there are 12 episodes. I'm pretty sure I'm not missing anything, let alone ignoring the fact that the protagonist committed one inexcusable act and it defined his whole persona until he realized at the last moment that he messed up. Then he paid the price for it.

there was only one way that the story was going to end, and he was warned about his change too. As the audience, we saw it coming, so you can't even feel sympathy or satisfaction about his fate. Once again, he became a terrible person for no reason, and you can explain why, but that doesn't justify anything, especially when it cost him his life when it never even needed to go down that path in the first place. I semi-ignored your hidden tendencies point because he was a nobody whilst being portrayed as a standup guy but because the abrupt shift in the writing he became progressively worse out of nowhere and it begs the question what was the point of the story because wits one thing to differentiate and its another to depart from what the story tries to initially be. Point A made sense, couldn’t get to point ac because point B was all over the place and not because Eid hidden tendencies that’s for sure.

If I’m repeating myself that’s just a result of you not giving me much to elaborate on. You can start saying I’m arguing for the sake of arguing all you want but at least make reputable points first, you’re talking more along the lines of “what if” while I’m just grabbing from what’s in front of us.

All I did was draw from the anime; I don't understand why you feel the way you do. In the future, provide me with more details to elaborate on instead of useless semantics.

As a parting gesture, here are a couple of quotes:

“We should not be upset that others hide the truth from us, when we hide it so often from ourselves.”

“To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions”

@KobayashiChi I disagree, as at least Subaru isn't a total idiot like takemidtchy is

I see before worse, like Re Zero, this is a happy case, trust me

How about no and not even close to the worst protagonist. Get some eyes

I've seen this idiotic comments without any elaboration or explanation, that further validate my point, just like your blatant lack of media literacy.

I think the point of having him as a protagonist is to show that courage and tenacity can beat out a lot of other things like strength and intelligence.

He’s frustrating to watch since he is weak, but to quote Miley, “he hasn’t lost”

@Leon888 no point discussing it further...
do your research, but i'll let you know, Gokuu gave up against Cell.

definitely one of the worst. i didn't hate it during s1 but jesus, he's just pathetic s2 onwards. constant crying and getting his ass beat. i'm just watching for side characters because he's too far gone to redeem at this point it's just a sad sight.

School Days MC say Hi!

Naw bruh let me cook. This man, Makoto, transformed from an insignificant figure to a morally questionable individual. He caused harm to others, sparked conflicts, deviated from the typical protagonist path, and essentially faced the consequences of his actions. Overall, witnessing his character development was challenging.

In contrast, Takemitchy evolves into a more significant and redeemable character, moving away from his initial lazy and indifferent demeanor. Unlike Makoto, who dug himself into increasingly deep holes until meeting a grim end, Takemitchy's journey offers a more positive trajectory. Makoto's story stands out as one of the least favorable character arcs in all anime.

Understanding frustration with a character is valid, but calling them the "worst protagonist ever" can be subjective and harsh. Protagonists can evoke various emotions; what one person dislikes, another might find relatable or even endearing.
Instead of focusing on negativity, let's explore the character's role and consider alternative perspectives:

1. Narrative Purpose:

• Character Growth: The constant crying and perceived uselessness may be part of the character's arc. They may be overcoming immense internal struggles or learning valuable lessons about resilience and perseverance. Judging them too harshly at the start might cause them to miss their growth potential.
  
• Foil to Others: Sometimes, a seemingly weak protagonist highlights other characters' strengths. Their vulnerability can create opportunities for others to shine and showcase their courage or leadership qualities.
  

2. Different Archetypes:

• Not all heroes are like Yukiteru or Rudeus. Some stories require protagonists who are more introspective, vulnerable, or reliant on others. Their struggles might resonate with audiences who haven't seen themselves reflected in traditionally "strong" heroes.
  
• Consider Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion. He's often criticized for his emotional outbursts and perceived cowardice. However, he represents a more realistic portrayal of teenage trauma and psychological burden, which resonated with many viewers.
  

Remember, diverse characters and their flaws can enrich a narrative. Judging them solely on traditional hero tropes might limit your appreciation for their unique journey and the story's message.

You're missing the point of Takemichi as a protagonist in a title like this. The point is that he must, no matter what, save his friends from a large-scale gang war and injury/death in bloody fights, without being a tough fighter or a charismatic commander. This is not a story about how cool it is to fight in street gang wars and punch bad guys in the face. This is a story about how to stop bloody violence without having enough physical strength to directly stop it.

@hazel87 Exactly. Once again, people completely ignore what the story is about and what messages it wants to convey, instead just complaining that the protagonist doesn't live up to some general abstract concept.

Leave Takemichy alone, bro has been catching strays since Tokyo Revengers started... Why not talk about the badly written villains in every season that are just clinically dense? Their motivations are stupid and make no sense. And ofc they all have a traumatizing backstory to perfectly explain why they're so "challenged".... Except Kisaki tho. He's just been lacking something since birth.

imagine how hard would Takemitchy cry if he saw this thread, cut the dude some slack will ya

Yeah but it's also the worst show ever

Sure he's really bad...but far from the worst. Subaru from Re:zero is way worse and so is Shinji from evangelion and so is Okabe from Steins gate

@Leon888 You're joking right?? Subaru is a complete idiot you must've skipped the entire first season. The dude is a massive goofball with lowest IQ ever

And you can be forgiven for being dumb if you have some badass moments like Takemichi has some moments where he fights and has massive balls

At least we can agree on one thing, but I have to disagree with the last part. While there's room for arguments about the plot, it essentially boils down to trial and error. Takemitchy reacts realistically to situations, portraying a protagonist who can be afraid, especially when faced with overwhelming challenges due to past abuse. Some events were beyond his control, but the unexpected alliances and confrontations with rival gangs aren't just coincidences—they contribute to shaping him into an excellent leader within both Toman and Black Dragon. Season 3 only scratches the surface of why Takemitchy is considered one of the best-written MCs in modern anime. The plot nor luck influence that.

It really depends on the person. At least Takemichi makes an effort and does his best considering his lack of ability and strength. I actually respect that a lot. There are so many other protagonists that have either a shitty attitude or don't make an effort, so I prefer Takemichi to those by a landslide.

@RobertBobert yes with time travel, I also say thank you of course, if you gave everyone this incredible power, you would see that there would be people much smarter than that stupid Takemitchy who could solve everything without being violent or charismatic leaders...