This week's poll was suggested by kitty1826x. The wording is a bit confusing, so let me explain. Let's says mangaka 1 has series 1, which ends. This series has character A. Then he starts making series 2, which contains character B. Characters A and B look or look the same. Maybe they're both protagonists, and they start off basically doing the same thing. How do you feel about this kind of situation? Does it get boring? Repetitive? Maybe a little spoiler-ish since you're pretty sure the main character will get romantically paired up with basically the same person again?

You can submit poll ideas here (and try to keep them manga/anime-related)
http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=3903

Previous Poll Results:
Question: You are sent to a fantasy world. Your priority is...
Choices:
Food, water, and shelter - votes: 2858 (24.6%)
Look for a way back to the real world - votes: 753 (6.5%)
Obtain a harem - votes: 1781 (15.3%)
Beat the final boss (or best fighter) - votes: 253 (2.2%)
Take over the world - votes: 827 (7.1%)
Introduce technology - votes: 308 (2.7%)
Learn magic - votes: 3876 (33.4%)
Blend in with the locals and live a normal life - votes: 949 (8.2%)
There were 11605 total votes.
The poll ended: July 4th 2015

Magic first, basic survival second. You usually most want something you don't have right now...

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A just ruler amongst tyrants

I hope that the magic will immediately help to put food on the table and survive in a possibly hostile world or Darwin Awards will need to be handed out pretty fast to the "winners".

Perfectly fine about it as Guts himself is an expy of a sci-fi lead Miura wrote about when he was in high school / college even if i don´t count the prototype. He is also The Man with No Name on top and most writers re-use the whole buffalo when they write something new. I would too as basic similarities are only that. 1 to 1 clones that play it safe and sell out are inacceptable though. 2 people also asked me about my sci-fi over fantasy stance and i will explain it with this Orson Scott Card quote: "Science Fiction has rivets, fantasy has trees."

Most tales/heroes are Joseph Campbell´s Hero with a Thousand Faces anyway and the proof is always in the overall writing itself. International (comic) writers do the same trick too. Just ask Stephen King or my favorite mangaka Naoki Urasawa.

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For me, it's between Don't Care & Boring...I've encountered this kinda situation various times, so, I don't really care...
I don't believe any understanding person would vote for ' Ruins for me '...
It's just a matter of perspective...If the story rocks, then everything Rocks!^^

If people started to care about this things then, I believe production like Marvel(comics) would go down first...
About similarly, Hiro Mashima sensei's characters got many!
Similarities from Fairy Tail & Rave Master ~
Plu & Plu (Basically SAME, Plu in RM had more action though)
Lucy & Elie (Looks are same and characteristics are somewhat similar)
Gray & Musica (you can easily find similarities, The Cool Guys)
Jellal & Sieghart (Looks more or less same, they even got the same tattoos)
Natsus & Haru (the MCs, Similarities can be found)

We can even find a Vegita lookalike there too, but, leaving that for another time! Though, the old style drawing and new style drawings makes it differ a bit! But, I can live with that! ^^

As I see in everywhere, in a Fantasy World be a good guy or bad...you gotta be strong to survive!
So, magic coming first is somewhat given. Plus, from ancient times Magic directly or indirectly takes a huge role in basic human fantasy!!

Last edited by MinatoAce at 9:00 am, Jul 4 2015

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Tv Tokyo - Anime & Manga ~ MinatoAce

I am perfectly fine with it too.

I have been reading Hirunaka recently, and at some point in the early volumes the author explains how she played around with different scenarios until she eventually settled with what we've got.

I mean, authors may wish to tell a similar story, but tell it differently or better, using the experience they have gained...they may be thinking 'what if that character made different choices, or had different experiences'. I like that about manga, that you can look at an author's oeuvre over many series and see things evolving.

Last edited by mattfabb at 11:47 am, Jul 4 2015

I'm fine with it but I still find it confusing.

The fact that so many mangakas resort to the same/similar weapons doesn't help. (PLEASE stop using Katanas as the ultimate, be-all-end-all uber weapon)

mattfabb wrote a nice contribution and i forgot to post the Osamu Tezuka's Star System.
If the highest regarded mangaka of all time used "clones" to unpreceded success and acclaim then what is the problem? His Hi no Tori is the 2nd best manga i ever read and the narrative was fuel by that very concept.

The image at the end is from one of the most memorable arcs of the New52 and had 4 Robin´s duking it out. The reception was strong and it got a quality sequel.
Even Batman (the most popular /marketable comic hero of our time) is hardy an original idea himself: http://dialbforblog.com/archives/391/
I am thus not only fine with the notion, i even welcome it if the actually writing (and art) can back up the intent. Literature as a whole would grind to a halt without "clones"...
Actual plagiarism is inexcusable of course.
http://whatchareading.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/robins2 -300x300.jpg

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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb

When I was reading Bakuman. and noticed that Akito Takagi looks like Light Yamgai from Death Note, only with glasses - I wasn't bothered at all. In this case, both of the mangas have the same exact writer/artist team. It also helped that it wasn't like everyone in Bakuman looked like someone from Death Note.

I find clones boring though is when everyone within the same manga all look like they were spawned out of the same clone factory to the point that the main character has the same exact face (just with different hair) as all potential love interests (regardless of gender), friends any anyone else that just randomly shows up. These types of clones just seem like poor artistic skills as body proportions tend to be off.

Clones in the sense that it looks like plagiarism of someone else's work is never acceptable.

Leave Akamatsu Ken alone. He has bills to pay.

It's somewhat annoying and reduces the appeal of the manga for me, because it creates an unfavorable impression of the creator from the outset. Of course, this is not a hurdle that cannot be overcome. If the quality of the work itself is good and is enjoyable then the clone takes the place of the original in my mind, or the original gets pushed out of my mind as the clone is a good enough character on its own. Still, it is a highly undesirable thing for characters to have too similar designs and personalities between series. There is no lack of series that achieved great success even with "clone" characters, but those must be considered exceptions. If the clones appear in a series that cannot overshadow the "original" then the series is bound to lose popularity early on. If the aim is to entertain the readers by capturing their interest and curiosity, it would certainly be unwise to present character designs and personalities that are anything but refreshing and engaging.

Decided not to vote.

If the author uses "character clones", to detect it you need to actually read all those series. This implies that the author is good enough to seek another of his works after reading the first one. And that quality is what's important, not the feelings from individual characters.

In short, this poll isn't worthy of being voted on. And you know what, I agree.
Not enough poll suggestions were even added to the poll.

I gave a poll suggestion 2 months ago. It was denied.
Silly me for even wasting my time giving out a thoughtful poll suggestion only to see polls like this were accepted instead.

Character Clones? How about Story Clones? How about authors who lack enough talent or ideas to think of something new and exciting? How about a poll like that? Let me stop typing before I break something.

"Depends on the author" would've been the best choice for me. Some "mangaka", if you can call the HMR/HYR people that, will abuse the heck outta such a situation. Not only do the characters look and act the same - the plots and settings are veeeryy similar, too. Learned to avoid any of their works like the plague.

But for most authors that I really like, I'm perfectly fine with it. Actually, it's really interesting to see how similar people can go down different paths depending on their environments, and role in the story. The main sandy-haired protagonists in 7 Seeds and Basara are pretty much the same and fall in love with similar men, but the plots are more than enough to keep me interested. Same goes to Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter.

Had to reply, were you actually denied or have the mods just not gotten to your post yet? There's a lot of backlog for polls and mods go by first come and whatnot. And also, maybe your poll just wasn't to their taste.

Anyway, chose a little confusing especially if I just finished the first and started the second. Otherwise I tend to be perfectly fine about it.

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If it's looks probably don't care or confusing/annoying, but it can even be cool. If it's acting and it's too stereotype or flat can be boring and eventually ruin it.

Haha, nice.

But I think the greatest offender is Adachi Mitsuru. However, unlike Ken, Mitsuru story is poised. It repeat the same style and joke over and over again, but they're done with a finesse I don't mind reading every bit of variation.

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grammar mistake is intentional, grammar nazis need their entertainment.