| Also check out Akagi Shigeru from Akagi. The guy was being badass at the age of 13. Driving off a cliff and shitting on the Yakuza. 3 years younger than most of the common wimpy protagonists but 100 times cooler. |
Peten00b said: I don't mind wimpy characters unless they're like Shinji from NGE or Yuki from Mirai Nikki, who would shit themselves over a fucking snail (I'm assuming this). Yeah let me tell ya, Shinji is such a coward for piloting a huge mechanized weapon as a little kid against giant aliens that want nothing more than to rip his entire planet to pieces. Yep... Damn that Shinji! I think Shinji himself was a good character. The problem lies with the fact that he should never have been the main character of such a series. Though I guess his existence was to create psychological tension instead of just have a more heroic and older character who might have handled the situation a little better. (again though, who can keep a cool head when a giant alien is about to rape your planet) |
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| It offers a dynamic duo and I personally don't mind this. In fact, I have soft spot for "strong female leads". However, if the male character hardly grows out of it and is mostly static throughout the show, it takes away from my enjoyment. I love drastic changes in any character overall. Yuki from Mirai Nikki, yeah I understand his situation is hell, but Mirai Nikki Spoiler: |
 Just this once, I'll fulfill whatever your wish is. |
| They got tired of useless female leads? |
MSfanatic said: I've noticed that recently, this has been a rising trend in the anime recently. This can be seen in Guilty Crown, Deadman Wonderland, Mirai Nikki, Accel World. I was just wondering, why did the producers decide to make characters based on this archetype? Someone told me that it was because most (male) viewers can relate to the wimpy characters and can better empathize with the plot as if they are in the shoes of the main character. Honestly, I don't get this because this doesn't attract me at all. I get turned off my wimpy characters and would much rather watch a series with a heroic, badass protagonist. What are your thoughts on this? and if you disagree please tell me why. What shows have you been watching? Guilty Crown has no good characters. That show isn't something you should analyze or take anything from. Deadman Wonderland's not a wimp. He's just the only sane one. Mirai Nikki. You're right. Accel World. You're right again. That's it? Do you know how many awesome ass protagonists are airing this season and just last season. You must feel the whole wimp/strong thing only because of the shows you're watching. Just watch more anime. TheDevil69sg said: its due to a very strong and subtle feminism influence in japan... that Men are weaker and women are strong, which is why most male characters end up as being sissyboy types and will allow the female characters to walk all over them. Obviously this is a very dangerous brainwashing method they have decided to make use of and is working only too well... Japanese men are so feminine that they will SIT to take a piss... It just goes to show how much feminism is ruining this world... Why do you have to bring your feminist hating agenda in this? Men are weak and women are strong is not a recurring theme in anime. It barely happens. The most I see is that the women are as competent as the men. If it's ever the other way around it's because they're setting up the lead character to grow as a character while the girl remains static so you can gauge his change. |
| Usually the main character is who the audience is going to identify with, anime fans are predominantly male and therefore most protagonists are male in order to reach the largest demographic. A lot of shows have the protagonist experience an arc that takes them from one state of mind to another as events transpire, usually having them begin the series as weak and ending much stronger after conquering a bunch of obsticles. Weakness is a univerally relatable theme, regardless of gender, we've all had points in our lives where we've felt weaker than people around us and we've all conquered obsticles and felt better for it. It's just a pretty common character arc for protagonists, I don't think there's anything more to it. |
| strong femele lead is alredy been there and always been there since long time ago. i don't understand why people said "recently". even one of first series with femele mc is a mahou shoujo series with strong lead. as for "feminine" mele lead, lOl. again, ASIAN is not that fanatic with MUSCLE! stop using your standard. |
 "If taking responsibility for a mistake that cannot be undone means death, it's not that hard to die. At least, not as hard as to live on." |
| author want to deliberate us that wimpy, weak, undecisive, <insert bad personality here> male lead is as good as those perfect, badass, ikemen, strong guy, you know.. because "perfect" male lead is overrated, too good male lead cause the story is somewhat meh, and the author can't improve him...MAYBE. NAH, don't take it seriously, it just my random guess. i really doesn't know what the author thinking about this. I still prefer balanced character, a default wimpy chara is OK, as long he has self-insert (and the author want to change it), not wimpy for 10-ish eps, or even full 1 season. |
| I love wimpy male characters they're more realistic. |
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gladisr said: author want to deliberate us that wimpy, weak, undecisive, <insert bad personality here> male lead is as good as those perfect, badass, ikemen, strong guy, you know.. because "perfect" male lead is overrated, too good male lead cause the story is somewhat meh, and the author can't improve him...MAYBE. NAH, don't take it seriously, it just my random guess. i really doesn't know what the author thinking about this. I still prefer balanced character, a default wimpy chara is OK, as long he has self-insert (and the author want to change it), not wimpy for 10-ish eps, or even full 1 season. I don't think the 'whiny' character necessarily has to change. The show needs to address it though, be aware of it and find a way to make it necessary to the story. Don't make them whiny just so they'll be passive and observe the story. Future Diary does it right. |
| WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things |
| Wimpy male lead? have you read Sherlock Holmes? The point-of-view character, Dr. Watson, is exactly like that. And point-of-view characters are a necessity when you want to keep your main character mysterious. I think it's good that females can be main characters in shows meant for boys, like Mirai Nikki or Claymore. Slatrix said: But she is an awesome psychotic bitch who kicks a whole lot of ass and does what she wants to do. Strength doesn't need sanity.Another thing is, there's a strong female lead in Mirai Nikki? Last I checked, Yuno was a psychotic bitch acting like a psychotic bitch. miereneronaile said: As some people have already stated, becoming stronger and cooler is a popular thing in Japan. Battle shounen protagonists exemplify it best, but many other shows demonstrate this concept too, from the moe girl who finds the courage to talk to people and eventually confess her love, to Shinji who finds the courage and gets the skills to fight off giant alien enemies.For some reason wimpy useless males seem to be rather common. I assume for some reason the Japanese viewers enjoy it. Triple-A said: I think your statement is totally incorrect.Well, this trend is probably due to what I'd call "The NGE Propaganda Effect". Now, let me explain what does that mean. you see NGE was a very big hit ... but as you all know since all the Japanese men are virgins they let their fantasies take control of their lives, and then BOOM............ the Harem Genre was born. Tenchi Muyo (1992-1993) is considered the first harem anime. http://myanimelist.net/anime/539/Tenchi_Muyou_Ryououki It started with an ordinary schoolboy Tenchi, who got suddenly dragged into fights between space pirates, space princesses, space police, space super-scientists and space supervillains. Every one of them, except the supervillain, was female, beautiful and interested in Tenchi. At first, Tenchi could only run away from the space pirate, but by the end of 6-episode OVA, he gets to wield awesome powers and defeat the supervillain. NGE dates to 1995-1996. http://myanimelist.net/anime/30/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion |
| Yukiteru isn't even wimpy in the first place, as the "visions" of the first timeline show that he was actually a badass who did the stuff that Yuno had "taken over" from him in the second timeline. It's just that Yuno completely mindfucked and spoiled Yuki to the extent that he wasn't able to it all himself anymore... And add to that that in the first world Yuki probably was motivated to protect Yuno who was still more or less a "normal" traumatized girl at that point. But in the second world she was a NewGame+ character, so instead Yukiteru didn't even consider the possibility that he would have to protect Yuno in that timeline. The more I think about it, the more I want a "first timeline" series, just so we can see Yukiteru when he is serious aside from the very few segments where he was serious in the second timeline. I mean just imagine all the shit Yuno went through and think about how Yukiteru of all characters solves those situations one by one. It's actually quite impressive when you think about it. |
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| Can it really be called a "rising trend" when it's been going on for about 10 years now? |
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| It's been here for a while bro, i mean look at Shinji... I guess japanese otakus can relate more to wimpy people, thus = better sales. |
KawaiiiPotato said: ikr , i hate how girls are made to be braver than boys in anime he don't have a problem with strong female mc he just has a problem with fucking weak whining mc...you???why even post ? |
| I often find myself wishing for more normal characters, rather than going from one extreme to the other. What happened to the regular Joes? |
 It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether! It's an entirely different kind of flying. |
| NGE maybe? Whenever something gets pipular people like to copy it. I don't mind depending on the character. The difference between simone, and Yukiteru and Ganta is that Simone is likeable from the beginning. He has a great, memorable character design and they show that he as skilled at something (digging), so we feel like this guy is worth so.ething before he even begins to develop, and might actually be able to achieve something later in the story. Ganta and Yukiteru are intolerable shitbags from beginning to end. |
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merryfistmas said: NGE maybe? Whenever something gets pipular people like to copy it. I don't mind depending on the character. The difference between simone, and Yukiteru and Ganta is that Simone is likeable from the beginning. He has a great, memorable character design and they show that he as skilled at something (digging), so we feel like this guy is worth so.ething before he even begins to develop, and might actually be able to achieve something later in the story. Ganta and Yukiteru are intolerable shitbags from beginning to end. Why is it so important for a character to have a developed Skill Tree? You can have a wicked Skill Tree by hax. It doesn't require talent. Yukki actually gets developed, has an idea behind his character. Ganta is completely meaningless. Yukki is way more active than people give him credit. |
| WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things |
| Nothing wrong with wimpy boys because it's a more realistic portrayal of them. When you're a 12 year old with a phone that can only tell the future thrown into a killing game, you'll probably come to realize how screwed you are. What they need though, is to have some likable qualities. If they're weakness is being scared, then they must have some points where they shine to balance it out. |
| “Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. But the world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete..." -Alphonse Elric "Then and now, what I protect has never changed!" -Sakata Gintoki I'll take anything like The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. Anything as good as that. |
TheBrainintheJar said: He doesn't need a skill tree... That isn't what I said. Simone is shown from the beginning as being good at something. He has value to other characters in the story before he ever begins to develop. he has a purpose within the story and isn't just along for the ride fort he sake of having a wimpy MC to develop. Ganta is obviously awful, and Yukiteru is useless and pathetic, and doesn't give me any reason to care about him or his fate. What's worse is reaction towards anything sexual. He does "develop", I suppose, but the steps it takes to get there are unbelievable. He's bland and unlikeable with a future diary that tells you how bland and unlikeable he is, it's actually very meta.merryfistmas said: NGE maybe? Whenever something gets pipular people like to copy it. I don't mind depending on the character. The difference between simone, and Yukiteru and Ganta is that Simone is likeable from the beginning. He has a great, memorable character design and they show that he as skilled at something (digging), so we feel like this guy is worth so.ething before he even begins to develop, and might actually be able to achieve something later in the story. Ganta and Yukiteru are intolerable shitbags from beginning to end. Why is it so important for a character to have a developed Skill Tree? You can have a wicked Skill Tree by hax. It doesn't require talent. Yukki actually gets developed, has an idea behind his character. Ganta is completely meaningless. Yukki is way more active than people give him credit. |
merryfistmasFeb 13, 2016 12:23 AM
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| I don't have a problem with the "wimpy MC" or whatever but anime uses a lot of the same personalities for male leads. And out of all of them the "wimpy" ones are the most realistic even if they are a little exaggerated. If any, the perfect op ones are the most boring and annoying. The preachy self righteous ones are used the most imo. |
| I honestly don't mind wimpy characters. They're most of the time pretty relatable. |
| How fucking is this post?? Anyway, theres all these harems going on atm where the mc is such a fucking lil bitch I want to kill myself instead of finishing that animu. Dont get me wrong tho, some harems r fantastic if done right. |
| Its either the technique of the author that wants to show some hidden details or maybe what they want to portray is that female also has the power to change destiny |
mattao313 said: I don't have a problem with the "wimpy MC" or whatever but anime uses a lot of the same personalities for male leads. And out of all of them the "wimpy" ones are the most realistic even if they are a little exaggerated. If any, the perfect op ones are the most boring and annoying. The preachy self righteous ones are used the most imo. Characters that are easy to develop are more favourable by authors I guess. Unless your writing is super good it is hard to develop an already perfect character |
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| I've only seen this mostly in Ecchi, I think. Didn't know it was carrying over to regular Anime 0_0 Really though, I guess it depends on how wimpy the Male is compared to the Female and what circumstances they are in. Considering Yuki's situation and how batshit insane Yuno is, I didn't have too much of a problem with that at the time. Nowadays I look back at it and cringe at how useless Yuki really is, but it is still somewhat justifiable. |
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| Because modern feminism? Uh, I don't really see this as a problem as of now. You can't call it a cliché yet and in fact it's a breath of fresh air after seeing the way women were portrayed all these years.. Maybe I'll start complaining after about 5 years of this.. |
| Having a wimpy, cowardly, underpowered or timid MC isn't a bad thing as long as the story is done right. Don't know how much of a 'rising trend' this is, as its probably always been around but been gaining in popularity in recent years. If the story is done right, it can look amazing since there can be a lot of room for character development. But if done wrong, it can make the character look very annoying. Which makes Mirai Nikki interesting as the MC makes or breaks the anime for some people. |
Kreion said: ItsMaz said: I often find myself wishing for more normal characters, rather than going from one extreme to the other. What happened to the regular Joes? What are you talking about - normal people would probably run the fuck away or die because they weren't nice enough to have lots of people on their side. Also asking for more 'normal' people in a medium which is almost entirely about exaggeration somewhat misses the point, no? Not really. There are plenty of mundane slice of life shows that don't require exaggeration. And the idea that a normal guy is going to die whereas a super wimpy and weak person isn't going to die is inane. |
It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether! It's an entirely different kind of flying. |
| Why did I see it? Anywa, I guess people are tired of the usual gender roles, and want something new. |
 |
merryfistmas said: TheBrainintheJar said: He doesn't need a skill tree... That isn't what I said. Simone is shown from the beginning as being good at something. He has value to other characters in the story before he ever begins to develop. he has a purpose within the story and isn't just along for the ride fort he sake of having a wimpy MC to develop. Ganta is obviously awful, and Yukiteru is useless and pathetic, and doesn't give me any reason to care about him or his fate. What's worse is reaction towards anything sexual. He does "develop", I suppose, but the steps it takes to get there are unbelievable. He's bland and unlikeable with a future diary that tells you how bland and unlikeable he is, it's actually very meta.Why is it so important for a character to have a developed Skill Tree? You can have a wicked Skill Tree by hax. It doesn't require talent. Yukki actually gets developed, has an idea behind his character. Ganta is completely meaningless. Yukki is way more active than people give him credit. Yuno isn't mean to be rational. She's not meant to love him for reasons you will love him. You're supposed to care about a character because they explore a certain personality type, that's it. Yukki is an observer on purpose, and his moments of activity show his development. Unlike Ganta, Yukki's traits are connected and make sense in the plot and how he reacts to the game. It does help that everyone around Yukki also has a personality which sets him apart. DMW doesn't have that. |
| WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things |
| It's not in just anime it's going in that direction in other medias as well. |
Kreion said: ItsMaz said: Not really. There are plenty of mundane slice of life shows that don't require exaggeration. And the idea that a normal guy is going to die whereas a super wimpy and weak person isn't going to die is inane. Most of these people AREN'T super wimpy - your basis for comparison is just off. They may not be the bravest people in the world but to be scared in a cataclysmic event makes more damn sense than to be aggressive. And also just...lol do you even watch SoL? They are some of the most OTT shows a lot of the time - anime almost by definition is exaggerated. The eyes and expressions are bigger so we get a better sense of emotion, the colours and clothes often add to the character and as something which is animated it will nearly always look over-the-top because that's how you get effective movement in animation really. Even shows like K-ON, Non Non byori or Silver Spoon which are simpler are still fucking way WAY over the top compared to real life, and shall we not speak of shows like Nichijou or Sayonara Zetsubou sensei? Anime is far more about exaggeration than it is about realism, which is why more realistic shows tend to stick out. When did I say anything about expecting a character to act aggressively? All I said was that I wish there wasn't two extremes - super weak and wimp, or perfectly OP Gary Stu. As for the rest - citing a few shows here and there doesn't prove your massive generalisation. |
It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether! It's an entirely different kind of flying. |
ItsMaz said: When did I say anything about expecting a character to act aggressively? All I said was that I wish there wasn't two extremes - super weak and wimp, or perfectly OP Gary Stu. As for the rest - citing a few shows here and there doesn't prove your massive generalisation. This season we have, Bubuki Buranki's protagonist who stands up for himself We have Luck And Logic's protagonist who's capable and stands up for himself. We have shoujou tachi's protagonist who is socially competent and stands up for himself. We have Grimgar's protagonist who has confidence issues but doesn't get pushed around either. We have Gundam's protagonists who are all badasses. We have Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi and he's a socially competent individual who doesn't get pushed around. We have Dimension W's protagonist who doesn't get pushed around. We have Active Raid where the girl wants to be taken seriously but get pushed around by her seniors instead. The lead male is pretty aggressive in that one. We have Ao No Kanata's protagonist and he doesn't get pushed around. Ajin's protagonist doesn't get pushed around by girls. This season we have Kazuma from Kono Suba. I don't see where you're coming from. This is just this season too. |
TitanAnteus said: ItsMaz said: When did I say anything about expecting a character to act aggressively? All I said was that I wish there wasn't two extremes - super weak and wimp, or perfectly OP Gary Stu. As for the rest - citing a few shows here and there doesn't prove your massive generalisation. This season we have, Bubuki Buranki's protagonist who stands up for himself We have Luck And Logic's protagonist who's capable and stands up for himself. We have shoujou tachi's protagonist who is socially competent and stands up for himself. We have Grimgar's protagonist who has confidence issues but doesn't get pushed around either. We have Gundam's protagonists who are all badasses. We have Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi and he's a socially competent individual who doesn't get pushed around. We have Dimension W's protagonist who doesn't get pushed around. We have Active Raid where the girl wants to be taken seriously but get pushed around by her seniors instead. The lead male is pretty aggressive in that one. We have Ao No Kanata's protagonist and he doesn't get pushed around. Ajin's protagonist doesn't get pushed around by girls. This season we have Kazuma from Kono Suba. I don't see where you're coming from. This is just this season too. Bear in mind the date this thread was made lol. My comment is in regards to the OP's particular qualm; nothing to do with this season. I'm quite happy with Winter 2016. |
It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether! It's an entirely different kind of flying. |
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