NEETaku Rants: Can We Have An Intelligent Shounen Hero For Once?

” But NEETaku..”

Me: ” Yes, Random Anime Fanboy?”

Random Anime Fanboy: ” There are quite a few shounen anime heroes that are very, very smart.”

Me: ” Very true. But, compared to the ones that are dumb as a pile of bricks, how many are there?”

Random Anime Fanboy: ” Uhhh….”

Me: ” Take your time. Take your time.”

All joking aside, go ahead and name as many main characters from a shounen series that you think of. I’ll do the same:

• Son Goku from Dragon Ball
• Yoh Asakura from Shaman King
• Luffy from One Piece
• Naruto from…Naruto, lol
• Natsu from Fairy Tail

I could go on and one but the point should be obvious by now. All of those characters have one thing in common: They have good hearts but are as bright as a wet match in a dark cave. And for the life of me I cannot understand how that sort of personality has become the standard for every hero/MC. I’m not saying you have to be Albert Einstein in order to be a hero. However, I question why I should follow behind the guy who can’t count to 10 unless he’s barefoot or wearing sandals!

Look, I’ve done my research on the subject. The shounen hero/MC’s purpose to grow throughout the manga/anime. If he’s too perfect in the beginning then kids/preteens  won’t be able to identify with them and be turned off by them. That’s all fine and good…

are you saying that kids/preteens can’t relate to someone of an average intelligence? Not the straight A student who gets all the accolades, but the kid who’s just smart enough not to fail. And what sort of makes things all the more annoying is that every antagonist/rival in these shows geniuses! Vegeta, Kaiba, Len. All of them are as smart as you can get, yet they are treated as evil, horrible and disgusting. EWwww…he actually uses that gray thing that’s banging around in his head. What a deplorable piece of garbage!! That’s a pretty big mixed message you’re sending children, don’t ya think?

Why are successful people painted as the bad guys? Why should they be punished for doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing? Even when a Kaiba or Len from Shaman King are given tragic back stories to justify they way the treat others the viewer is still expected to despise them. So sorry your Dad was disgusting, overbearing human being, but that’s no reason for you being such an egg head and jerk! Derpy Derp!

Another excuse I’ve seen as to why shounen main characters were dropped on their heads as kids is that they are underdogs, and EVERYONE  loves a good underdog story.

Hey..you know who else was an underdog? Kuroko from Kuroko no Basuke, Sena from Eyeshield 21, and even Ippo from Hajime no Ippo. All of them were counted out when it came to overcoming the odds, and every last one of them were just as smart as all those villains/rivals. See? It possible to be smart and likable! It’s possible, people!

Am I over thinking things again? Should I just enjoy the nonsensical tropes of anime and turn my brain off? You know what to do down below! Cause this is Just…My 2 Cents!!