Quote from Saexel

Main characters need room for character development, which would be pointless if they were already perfect.

But it works with Death note, Samurai Deeper Kyo and other...Also these mangas often are very popular.

That's why you've got a point with your complaint. I also dislike those stupid main characters who get beaten up by the side characters all the time.

.

maybe because...the mangakas cant think of such a great and complicated plot that would actually trip up and challenge the cool character, so they must resort to a lame character that goes up against regular problems. that's the way i see it, at least. it's why the really lame shoujo heroines ALWAYS have to battle some beyotch snob in school, or a love rival, or get kidnapped, or something that we've already seen millions of times.

i don't see a good reason for why mangaka can't make interesting main characters with just a few flaws instead of really lame characters that must overcome the basic stuff over the course of the story.

i mean, spike from cowboy bebop was easily one of the coolest characters in the series, and that anime wasn't boring at all.

;D

sometimes the manga characters/protagonists can't be the coolest characters in the story since the manga depends on the conflict of main characters versus the world...it is BECAUSE a protagonist is not the coolest that he/she must grow up through the conflicts and obstacles in the manga and prevails at the end as the most awesome & beloved character of the manga (in most cases)

The Deviant

Quote from Crowned_Cumber

Quote from lemondude

One piece -- luffy is awsome, but wouldn't shanks or law or white beard be more interesting?

Hell no, Luffy is 80% of the reason I read One Piece. Besides you have to think of the target audience, it would be unacceptable to have the main character killing people, so someone like Law wouldn't work. If you want f'd up main characters read seinen.

In response to the OP:

As several people have said, it's because the person reading the manga is likely not the coolest around either. The readers of shounen relate to these flawed and weak characters, and they enjoy reading about someone like them becoming 'cool'.

In response to the quote:

What's more messed up, is not killing someone who has killed or attempted to kill yourself, your friends, and/or your family, saying instead that killing is wrong and that it would bring you down to their level. Of course then, one of two (or both I suppose) scenarios occur:
The villain comes back only to attempt his evil plans again... With more innocent casualties in his wake.
The villain some reason is inspired by the main characters naivety and decides to become good, and everyone casually forgets all the atrocities they committed.

Seinen > Shounen.

Because....
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I thought so too until I tried writing a fan fiction then I realized only lacking characters make a story possible to move forward....really, look at any good story, flaws make it possible for a plot to develop..

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Quote from juliab

Because....
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Quote from BimboSilly

I thought so too until I tried writing a fan fiction then I realized only lacking characters make a story possible to move forward....really, look at any good story, flaws make it possible for a plot to develop..

I agree 100%. Stories are much better when the main character has flaws because it leaves room for character development and you also get to see the character grow as a person. Any other story with a character that seems to have no flaws or is perfect by the story's standards would be a boring story because when they get into a conflict, you'll know that they'll always be on the winning side in the end, so it's not even worth reading.

Quote from Klapzi

The cool part is that I never get tired of being deceived

Quote from tactics

Just because someone's head was chopped off doesn't mean they're dead. That's just silly.

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Quote from loosecannon504

Quote from juliab

Because....
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/atlantima/secretofanime-1.png[/img]

Quote from BimboSilly

I thought so too until I tried writing a fan fiction then I realized only lacking characters make a story possible to move forward....really, look at any good story, flaws make it possible for a plot to develop..

I agree 100%. Stories are much better when the main character has flaws because it leaves room for character development and you also get to see the character grow as a person. Any other story with a character that seems to have no flaws or is perfect by the story's standards would be a boring story because when they get into a conflict, you'll know that they'll always be on the winning side in the end, so it's not even worth reading.

Is it just not possible to have a really cool character with a more situational story?? I mean, the character is very powerful, and perfect, but it's the situation he is in, and how he gets out of it, is what the makes the story great.

Though I must also confess that the Manga (with cool lead roles) I've read till now may have flawless and perfect lead roles, but they have messed up pasts or ideals... Take for example, Train from [m] Black Cat, or Spike from the anime Cowboy Beebop.

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Quote from Selenium_Glow

Quote from loosecannon504

I agree 100%. Stories are much better when the main character has flaws because it leaves room for character development and you also get to see the character grow as a person. Any other story with a character that seems to have no flaws or is perfect by the story's standards would be a boring story because when they get into a conflict, you'll know that they'll always be on the winning side in the end, so it's not even worth reading.

Is it just not possible to have a really cool character with a more situational story?? I mean, the character is very powerful, and perfect, but it's the situation he is in, and how he gets out of it, is what the makes the story great.

Even if they're in a tough situation that's well-written and they get out of it in a spectacular way, it's still anti-climatic because you know that they're gonna get out of it alive and win seeing how they're so perfect.

A good example is from Rosario + Vampire. Tsukune and both sides of Moka are considered perfect by the manga's standards (Tsukune with how he's a huge pacifist, the way that he acts almost like Jesus, and the fact that he's never wrong when it comes to the enemies. With Moka, it's how she's so beautiful that every male at the school wants her, how she's very strong (Vampires the the strongest monsters in their universe), and that she's at the top of her class in academics), And there have been situations where they should've died. But they've gotten out of all their conflicts alive and won most of the time by either Tsukune talking anyone into friendship, becoming a ridiculously overpowered ghoul, or Inner Moka coming out and kicking people into submission with her monstrous strength. A story becomes quite boring when you know that the protagonists will win no matter who they face or what kinds of conflict they go through.

Quote from Klapzi

The cool part is that I never get tired of being deceived

Quote from tactics

Just because someone's head was chopped off doesn't mean they're dead. That's just silly.

[img]http://oi44.tinypic.com/vzy2qv.jpg[/img]

Quote from loosecannon504

Even if they're in a tough situation that's well-written and they get out of it in a spectacular way, it's still anti-climatic because you know that they're gonna get out of it alive and win seeing how they're so perfect.

then this is just a flaw in creative storytelling. just...make it so that they don't get out alive and well. simple as that ;/

;D

Don't forget. Guts from Berserk and Sakata Gintoki from Gintama are the coolest main characters in the story. Seriously, Gintoki always places first in popularity contests in Gintama.

And this is actually true. I mean in Bleach, the coolest character is anyone BUT Ichigo. Those positions are reserved for the Captains and the Arrancar. And in One Piece, its someone else in the strawhat crew or the bad guys (like CP9) that get the spotlight of coolty.

Quote from gwkimmy

Quote from loosecannon504

Even if they're in a tough situation that's well-written and they get out of it in a spectacular way, it's still anti-climatic because you know that they're gonna get out of it alive and win seeing how they're so perfect.

then this is just a flaw in creative storytelling. just...make it so that they don't get out alive and well. simple as that ;/

Yeah, or have it to where they don't win the battles, but they win the war, so to say.

Quote from Klapzi

The cool part is that I never get tired of being deceived

Quote from tactics

Just because someone's head was chopped off doesn't mean they're dead. That's just silly.

[img]http://oi44.tinypic.com/vzy2qv.jpg[/img]

Quote from gwkimmy

maybe because...the mangakas cant think of such a great and complicated plot that would actually trip up and challenge the cool character, so they must resort to a lame character that goes up against regular problems. that's the way i see it, at least. it's why the really lame shoujo heroines ALWAYS have to battle some beyotch snob in school, or a love rival, or get kidnapped, or something that we've already seen millions of times.

i don't see a good reason for why mangaka can't make interesting main characters with just a few flaws instead of really lame characters that must overcome the basic stuff over the course of the story.

i mean, spike from cowboy bebop was easily one of the coolest characters in the series, and that anime wasn't boring at all.

Kimmy, you took the words right out of my mouth. IMO making lame main characters is an easy way out and usually makes all other characters fall into the usual archetypes.

I understand that it is hard to make a seemingly perfect hero/heroine seem interesting (one of the reasons a lot of people prefer Batman to Superman), but just an effort would be nice. Mains who are flawed but not completely pathetic work too (Kei from Gantz, Ed from FMA, Lelouche from Code Geass).

P.S. Sorry if my post incoherent. I'm sleep deprived. 🤢

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If they're coolest already then there can't be much change in them to make the story progress and change.
And most people aren't the "coolest" so it so that the reader can somewhat relate.

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