Hi,
I'm currently studying why manga have so many fans around, and trying to understand the key elements readers are expecting from a manga.

Thank you in advance for your participations in my polls

First is about the age of the protagonist. At the beginning, I though it was something like an identification matter (I like this character because I would live his life). But there is more... How explain, for example, older readers really enjoying a "classic" shonen? That's also the Harry Potter phenomenon...

I prefer 18+, I can relate a little better and I don't feel as if I'm reading something geared towards kids.

well I'd agree with Raeryn If they are older I feel as I can relate better however my favorite shounen manga are with highschoolers. I think it's more their character than anything. Though I don't generally read shounen with manga characters that are young save for Kuroshitsuji (and that's not a favorite and i'm only there for the art)

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I like my shounen manga to be 18+ because well...hopefully, they'd be more mature that way. xD

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I like characters 20+ really ^^;; You don't end up with the same issues coming up again and again - the ones which make you painfully aware that you are reading a high school story in a different (ie ninja) setting.

Plus, I can cheer them on to do things I would do without superimposing more mature actions on children / young people younger than myself

I always prefer them to be older.
In shounen especially... 18+ 20+ ++
I don't like to read about little kids running around and shwoing off their crap.

Though in manga, age doesn't always matter...
An idiot can be an idiot in whatever age.
Take titles like Unbalanced x2 for example. He's 19 (or 18 or however they count their age there...), but he's an idiot.

Shounen titles with older main chars I liked: GTO.

I don't read a lot of shounen, but you know what? Maybe small children will make more sense there. haha...

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I don't read shounen and seinen looking for identification. Nor do I look for that from shoujo and josei. I am fine with any age. Interesing story and personalities matter more than age.

I don't usually like school life manga. I do think that there should be a better variety in main characters' ages when the story is not school life. I know shounen are geared towards boys but when I was a teenager, I didn't necessarily want to read/watch stories where the protagonist was the same age as I was. I actually preferred older. I don't see anything wrong with shounen/shoujo manga having protagonists older than 18 or 20.

*Sigh* My favourite shounen characters are like 16-18. I do wish them to be older. They act more mature than their set age (though such characters are not that common in shounen manga) - that's why I like them. But it would be better if they were actually older.

Last edited by base_coat at 1:22 pm, May 16 2009

My preference is usually between 16 & 18~
Unless their idiocy is uncurable.

14~16... It suits my mental age.

Edit: On second thought, my mental age is probably younger than that...

Last edited by sarcastigirl at 1:42 pm, May 16 2009

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i want them at an age where they're independent and mature.so i guess around 18+
however,i dont mind main characters around 16-18

16 to 18 years of age. I can relate to that group more.

18+
they can deal with more mature situations

Does it matter? It depends on the story.

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16-18...

because they are mature but not that mature...they still have room to grow and major character developments...

because if theyre older theyd be more stubborn, if theyre younger then also more stubborn so...yeah that...

but judging from appearance...well...people tend to look much older because of the muscles and the frown lines *ahemIchigoahem" *ahemonly15ahem*


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18+, definitely.

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