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[Euld]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Simon has magic drill power. Whut?

That was the same as in the actual series though.$

And  the new climax is awesome, if quite less SFW.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Note how his blood formed to make the drill?  His magic drill is literally his DNA.  That's my interpretation anyway.

[Chaoswizkid]

He was an average guy until he met an average girl, and they fell in love. Then, he was still an average guy, but she became the symbol of annihilation. And then you were sad.

Saikano?

Yep yep.


He was just an average shy boy with parental issues until his father wrote him to come to Tokyo.

[Vector]

Hah!  That one's Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[Chaoswizkid]

Good call. =)

Still, would some people refuse to watch it if it was written as such? Sounds pretty lame to me.


He was just an average guy until he got caught up in a terrorist attack and met a witch.

[Vector]

Frankly, I would've watched both Saikano and NGE with those descriptions, but then I am a sucker for daddy issues and symbols of annihilation =/

[Chaoswizkid]

Frankly, I would've watched both Saikano and NGE with those descriptions, but then I am a sucker for daddy issues and symbols of annihilation =/

Haha. I'm probably in the boat that I'd also watch whatever, regardless of description. However, unless something is immediately eye-catching, I usually hold off until I get the reviews on it.

[ToonyMan]

I can play this game!

He was an average guy who went to a family reunion and was laughed at repeatedly and he started to cry a lot.  Uu~  Uu~

[Neonivek]

Are Anime Main characters ever TRUELY losers with genuin flaws rather then transitory flaws?

I am sort of getting a bit "Come on" with these characters who we are "told" are losers... but who feature such a sizable will and insane endurance that honestly they are amazing it is just that no one realises it (or they do... they just still think that person is a loser).

Or heck lets say they don't have some sort of combat skill, lets say it is a drama or romance. In that case they will be good looking, because heaven forgive they look anything but absolutely beautiful, with some VERY superficial physical flaw (too short... in an anime where they arn't short) and often so kind they could be living saints.

Heck in both cases once the anime gets going we will find out their inability to have friends was either because
A) EVERYONE around them are jerks or insular
or B) He was considered so much of a loser that no one liked them.

Dear goodness anime... I bet it is the same for Manga too.

[ToonyMan]

This is why I wish Shinji Matou had an anime of his own.  He would be the best main character.
And then maybe some Issei and Ayako~

Well, I guess Fate/zero doesn't have a main character so Waver would work perfectly.

[Vester]

Are Anime Main characters ever TRUELY losers with genuin flaws rather then transitory flaws?

I am sort of getting a bit "Come on" with these characters who we are "told" are losers... but who feature such a sizable will and insane endurance that honestly they are amazing it is just that no one realises it (or they do... they just still think that person is a loser).

Well, Shinji Ikari is a horrible little louse of a person, and Light Yagami became the embodiment of selfish evil. So I guess if you count being an irredeemable mass murderer as a flaw...

[Leafsnail]

Are Anime Main characters ever TRUELY losers with genuin flaws rather then transitory flaws?

I am sort of getting a bit "Come on" with these characters who we are "told" are losers... but who feature such a sizable will and insane endurance that honestly they are amazing it is just that no one realises it (or they do... they just still think that person is a loser).

Well it's gonna be quite difficult to relate to a main character who's genuinely a loser or jerk.  Although after seeing dozens of generic main protagonists you kindof end up craving something different even if it means the main character is a murderer.

This is why I wish Shinji Matou had an anime of his own.  He would be the best main character.
And then maybe some Issei and Ayako~

Two annoying and boring main characters have three much more interesting and cool friends who vanish off the face of the earth halfway through the route.

[Neonivek]

Not hard to relate to a character who is a genuin loser or jerk... it is just that you can't get them to do exciting things.

However let me scale this down since we arn't going to find ANY genuin loser in anime who is also a main character.

How about overt character flaws that are genuin character flaws? (No I am not counting... for example... Luffy's Inability to swim)

One anime actually impressed me because the character's main flaw (in that she was inexperienced) actually stuck (until... the continuation... but lets ignore that) until the very end. While her main trait (Super taste) was actually played out less.

It wasn't something that was compensated, thrown into the background, or only convenient when the plot calls for it or more commonly "A possitive trait only treated as negative". It was an everconstant flaw that the character had to work around with great trouble. This was unusual.

The Mightiest Diciple actually outright annoyed me with the constant mention of how much of a loser the main character was... Inspite of the fact that through sheer will, determination, and Obvious Talent (that is ignored by the anime) he ends up the best anyway (even now I believe they HAD to have just said that so he wouldn't get pig headed). Heck the male lead of Oh My Goddess would also be in the same league where he was unliked and considered unattractive inspite of his great personality, good looks, and the fact that he genuinly doesn't seem to short most of the time.

seeing dozens of generic main protagonists you kindof end up craving something different even if it means the main character is a murderer.

I sort of wanted to see a character who wasn't either
A) A perfect character with flaws ("I have perfect emotional intelligence. What was that? I ignored my own feelings? Well because I am perfect I instantly cast off this flaw")
or
B) A perfect character who we are told has flaws. ("I have no talent for running, inspite of the fact that I run faster then all the other characters")
or
C) A perfect character who is just unlucky except when they are not ("Dang, because I was caught in the bathroom with those girls they think I am a pervert... good thing this won't prevent me from making them ALL fall for me")

Which are essentially the three types of anime "losers".

Edit Addition: I forgot D) A Perfect character who is disliked as their flaw ("I hate you for no reason!")

[Felius]

I'm pretty sure there are some exception, with "losers" which actually had actual flaws, and if lost them, it was due to actual character development. It's not the norm, but there are few. A couple examples could be: On Hoshi no Samidare, the protagonist had savere grand-father issues that were actually well integrated with the character. Gantz had the main protagonist actually start of as a loser and a coward, although he grew out due to the brutal situation he was in. And even in a boderline H manga, as Nana to Kaoru, the male lead actually has strong self esteem issues realistic worked on him.

[Micro102]

*snip*

Try reading manga. I don't know of any anime, but some manga has some really big losers as the main characters. I can't recall the names of any though. But for example.... well I can't really give an example because the guy never did anything good except realize how stupid he was.

Also, what about sayonara zetsubou sensei?

[Neonivek]

*snip*

Also, what about sayonara zetsubou sensei?

It is a Comedy and I agree it is sort of hillarious how things develop in that show. Nothing is actually accomplished from what I've seen so far... only moved. It is like watching the anime equivilant of someone trying to make his blimp fly higher by moving the cargo to different parts of the ship.

with "losers" which actually had actual flaws, and if lost them, it was due to actual character development

That falls under type A most of the time. Yes the flaw is genuin but is active with just the loosest of strands and cast off instantly when the character actually works on it thus sort of minimalising the entire point of it being a flaw... or HECK even being a benefit as once they cast of this flaw (usually in a single issue/episode) they will suddenly become even more amazing.

While it seems like character development it is often just reshuffling character traits until one trait destroys another (like deleting unused icons on a computer screen)

Such as in my example a character with super emotional maturity who doesn't realise they are ignoring their own feelings, which is insanely common. However once they realise that they have been doing so, or just realise that it is an actual flaw (assuming it was in the first place) then instantly their "Emotional maturity" trait insta-negates it.

It is like the character is the sun.

the guy never did anything good except realize how stupid he was

They don't have to be Total losers... but they just can't negate the fact that they are a loser by burning it off with character traits we ALL wish we had.

Like characters with such extreme kindness that they could burn off the "unliked trait"
Characters who look so good they burn off the "ugly trait"
Characters so strong willed they burn off "Any trait"
Characters with such emotional maturity that they burn off any negative character trait (even on other characters) insantly like they were some sort of living scouring pad.

Honestly THAT is something I'd like to be Parodies. Not a deconstruction of the overly possitive character... but playing it so straight that it becomes almost malicious

Someone who wipes the personality clean off other people just by talking to them. Someone who can't walk who just by exercising finds out he can move his legs with the blood flow in his body to simulate walking yet STILL says he can't walk. Heck a character beloved by all who everyone says they hate.