things in anime you get sick of seeing
- Thread starter Animefreak17
- Start date
Lutga
Mad Scientist
So, opening up a bit more - it's true though; 'Best Girl Never Wins'.
Like, why does it always happen that way? The childhood friend always loses out too.
I suppose it's natural to want to root for the underdog, but I have to admit it is odd sometimes when the main character goes so clearly in the wrong direction.
Like, why does it always happen that way? The childhood friend always loses out too.
I suppose it's natural to want to root for the underdog, but I have to admit it is odd sometimes when the main character goes so clearly in the wrong direction.
IncendiaryLemon
Captain Karen
Lutga said:
I'd disagree
IncendiaryLemon
Captain Karen
Lutga said:
I loved Shinobu too, but I also loved Karen, and outside of Nise, she didn't get enough screen time (Although the tooth brushing scene makes up for it in spades)
Anyway, the only straight up Romance show I've seen is Toradora and I was pretty satisfied with that outcome. The only time I think I've been dissatisfied was with Inou Battle, though I don't think the Andou and Tomoyo actually started dating. Hatako should have won
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From my experience the childhood friend types tend to be quite annoying. There's the feeling that on some level, they assume that because they've been there all that time they automatically deserve the guy/girl. They can't compete with the flashy newcomers, especially when the series is about one of those newcomers as they so often are. How long would it have taken the childhood friend to make a move if the exotic new girl hadn't shown up? Were they waiting for the lead to make the move? But the leads are always pathetic, so that would never have happened.
As for the others, they might be the best girl, but maybe they weren't right for the other lead? Meiko was the best girl in Marmalade Boy (stay with me) but I don't think she'd have been a good match for Yuu.
I'm actually usually quite satisfied with how shoujo couplings tend to work out. Perhaps it's because they don't tend to drag the decision out as long and make it into a weird contest (instead, they generate even more drama after they've hooked up.)
R
As for the others, they might be the best girl, but maybe they weren't right for the other lead? Meiko was the best girl in Marmalade Boy (stay with me) but I don't think she'd have been a good match for Yuu.
I'm actually usually quite satisfied with how shoujo couplings tend to work out. Perhaps it's because they don't tend to drag the decision out as long and make it into a weird contest (instead, they generate even more drama after they've hooked up.)
R
Rosencrantz
Dragon Knight
ilmaestro said:
'Best Girl' is too subjective though, you could argue forever for any given series which girl deserves this title.
Main girl seems to be quite obviously telegraphed in most shows and the fact she almost always wins is probably something we should be sick of seeing.
One thing that does grate me in anime is the idea that a fighter wearing an eye-patch is somehow more intimidating.
This is wrong for so many reasons, chief of which is that someone with only one functioning eye will have severely compromised depth perception and reduced peripheral vision. In other words, you as the opponent could easily move into their blind side and stay there as you rain punches and kicks their way.
This is wrong for so many reasons, chief of which is that someone with only one functioning eye will have severely compromised depth perception and reduced peripheral vision. In other words, you as the opponent could easily move into their blind side and stay there as you rain punches and kicks their way.
Just Passing Through
The Wildcard
But the eyepatch usually conceals a contract sealed with a devil butler, who will in turn kick everyone's ass, and then make tea.
One thing I see too much of in rom-coms, is the special day gift trope. Valentines/XMas/New Years is imminent, and boy suddenly decides to buy girl of his dreams an expensive gift, only to realise he's broke. one week to go, and he suddenly gets five part time jobs, works like a dog, doesn't eat, barely sleeps, collapses on the floor each night, managing to scrape up enough money to get the thing, only to find at the last minute someone else had bought it (bonus points if it's the girl he was going to give it to in the first place),
Just how easy is it to get a part time job in Japan? Walk in to a job centre and go "I'll have that one, that one, that one and that one. CVs and references are for idiots!"
One thing I see too much of in rom-coms, is the special day gift trope. Valentines/XMas/New Years is imminent, and boy suddenly decides to buy girl of his dreams an expensive gift, only to realise he's broke. one week to go, and he suddenly gets five part time jobs, works like a dog, doesn't eat, barely sleeps, collapses on the floor each night, managing to scrape up enough money to get the thing, only to find at the last minute someone else had bought it (bonus points if it's the girl he was going to give it to in the first place),
Just how easy is it to get a part time job in Japan? Walk in to a job centre and go "I'll have that one, that one, that one and that one. CVs and references are for idiots!"
Well with the jobs, there's a whole mini industry around these temporary part time jobs at peak times of the year. So it's not too implausible that there's a high demand for cheap no-strings-attached labour around big festivals. It does drive me mad when the male lead ignores his sweetheart for the entire time just to buy her some trinket which doesn't actually matter all that much.
I think the eyepatch trend is at least partly because a lot of badasses in Japanese history were famous for having only one eye and it's associated with being a cool fighter as a result (think Yagyu Jubei). If you can still beat people up with a handicap, you're automatically more awesome by default, right? And partly because, as Just Passing Through says, there's another weird trend of someone having a demonic/cursed/divine/life-draining/mystic glowing red eye hidden beneath which lets them get Serious and level up in the middle of a fight. It does annoy me when the eyepatch is purely ornamental though.
R
I think the eyepatch trend is at least partly because a lot of badasses in Japanese history were famous for having only one eye and it's associated with being a cool fighter as a result (think Yagyu Jubei). If you can still beat people up with a handicap, you're automatically more awesome by default, right? And partly because, as Just Passing Through says, there's another weird trend of someone having a demonic/cursed/divine/life-draining/mystic glowing red eye hidden beneath which lets them get Serious and level up in the middle of a fight. It does annoy me when the eyepatch is purely ornamental though.
R
Smeelia
Thousand Master
There's a pretty good line in Seven Samurai that's kind of related to the eyepatch thing "We want the one that give him those scars".
I think the part that bothers me about romances/harems with multiple "contestants" is the idea that those who don't get the guy "lose". It seems that these people all share the same true love and will only have one shot at happiness so if it doesn't work out then they're doomed for the rest of their lives. It would be nice if more shows made an effort to point out that life goes on for the "losers". As Rui mentioned, a lot of potential pairings probably wouldn't have been that good anyway so it might often be better for at least some of the "losers" than being stuck in a questionable relationship.
At the end of the day, if you like a character that isn't the main girl/guy (and sometimes even then) you're probably going to end up feeling short-changed.
I think the part that bothers me about romances/harems with multiple "contestants" is the idea that those who don't get the guy "lose". It seems that these people all share the same true love and will only have one shot at happiness so if it doesn't work out then they're doomed for the rest of their lives. It would be nice if more shows made an effort to point out that life goes on for the "losers". As Rui mentioned, a lot of potential pairings probably wouldn't have been that good anyway so it might often be better for at least some of the "losers" than being stuck in a questionable relationship.
At the end of the day, if you like a character that isn't the main girl/guy (and sometimes even then) you're probably going to end up feeling short-changed.
Rosencrantz
Dragon Knight
ilmaestro said:
This is what I get for posting quick b4 work, was pretty fun tho
Slightly back on topic, main girl seems to be telegraphed, and then you basically just know all these others are no hopers, regardless of what happens. Only shuffle comes to mind at the moment where it wasn't obvious who the lead would get together with.
Lutga
Mad Scientist
Also - while we're on the topic of relationships in anime, I have to admit, one thing I always find odd is that no matter how much fanservice you get, characters never seem to actually have sex.
Off the top of my head, the only shows I can remember where one of the main characters actually does the dirty are,
Mainly VN adaptations...
Tsukihime
Rumbling Hearts
The Fruit of Grisaia
Clannad
And weirdly:
Gundam SEED (and this is funnily enough this always struck me as the most explicit of them all in terms of what you 'see')
(obviously I'm not talking about hentai shows or things like Overfiend or Berserk here)
Off the top of my head, the only shows I can remember where one of the main characters actually does the dirty are,
Mainly VN adaptations...
Tsukihime
Rumbling Hearts
The Fruit of Grisaia
Clannad
And weirdly:
Gundam SEED (and this is funnily enough this always struck me as the most explicit of them all in terms of what you 'see')
(obviously I'm not talking about hentai shows or things like Overfiend or Berserk here)