+- Hack Forums (https://hackforums.net)
+-- Forum: General Topics (https://hackforums.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Forum: Entertainment (https://hackforums.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=446)
+---- Forum: Anime and Manga (https://hackforums.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=112)
+---- Thread: [Anime] Shinji Ikari is hands down the most pathetic male anime protagonist of all time. (/showthread.php?tid=6245345)
Shinji Ikari is hands down the most pathetic male anime protagonist of all time. - SkullTraill - Jun 30, 2023
Man, I've seen some pathetic MCs in all the years I've watched anime... Some examples:
- The MC from Sword Art Online
- The MC from Tower of God
- Yukki from Mirai Nikki
In fact, come to think of it, most male MCs from anime are pathetic, weakling losers... but at least in some cases, they start like that, and end up having character progression/development towards the end.
But Shinji from Evangelion... holy shit. From the start to the end, he is the literal embodiment of a pathetic waste of air.
I see so many people on the Eva subreddit defending him with typical soyboy loser arguments such as "he was only 14", "he was depressed uwu", "how many life threatening situations did you live through when you were 14", "people only hate him cause they see themselves in him". But all that's a bunch of cuckold excuses. Shinji is a loser and so is everyone who defends him.
Such a great series ruined.
RE: Shinji Ikari is hands down the most pathetic male anime protagonist of all time. - Vipеr - Jul 2, 2023
Yeah that's the only thing stopping me from watching Eva. Well, also the fact that I hate Mecha.
The mc from rent a girlfriend is insufferable.
RE: Shinji Ikari is hands down the most pathetic male anime protagonist of all time. - AiDenti - Jul 2, 2023
I think what you're pointing out is more of a problem with anime demographics than the character himself. Most anime, especially from the 90's, is targeted towards insecure teenage boys. The way he behaves is more of a reflection of a typical 14 year old. This is a coming-of-age anime about teaching anxious teenagers how to deal with stress and encountering problems they don't understand. Criticizing him for being weak and misguided is missing the point of the story. The story is literally about him learning to not be that way. It's character development. If he started out as a put-together person, the show would have no point.
The real problem with NVE is the complete lack of story telling in the first 18 episodes. They spend 18 episodes introducing characters and building relationships, then they crammed the entire story into the last 8 episodes.
(Jul 2, 2023 08:33 AM)Vipеr Wrote: Yeah that's the only thing stopping me from watching Eva. Well, also the fact that I hate Mecha.
The main reason I watched it is because I've never liked mecha. Everyone who likes mecha says it's the genesis of all the best mecha anime tropes. I figured that maybe watching it might open me up to more mecha in the future. It worked a little.
If you want a MC that isn't bitch-made, check out Vinland Saga. Shinji and Thorfin couldn't be more different characters.
RE: Shinji Ikari is hands down the most pathetic male anime protagonist of all time. - SkullTraill - Jul 2, 2023
(Jul 2, 2023 11:58 AM)AiDenti Wrote: I think what you're pointing out is more of a problem with anime demographics than the character himself. Most anime, especially from the 90's, is targeted towards insecure teenage boys. The way he behaves is more of a reflection of a typical 14 year old. This is a coming-of-age anime about teaching anxious teenagers how to deal with stress and encountering problems they don't understand. Criticizing him for being weak and misguided is missing the point of the story. The story is literally about him learning to not be that way. It's character development. If he started out as a put-together person, the show would have no point.
As I said, I don't usually mind that. But throughout the whole 26 episodes + EoE movie (I didn't watch rebuild) he never became less of a pussy, and that's my problem with it. That's why I call him pathetic.
There were some epidoses (between 18-24) where he actually did just about enough to no longer qualify as a whining vegetable, and I thought at least in EoE he would amount to something but it was just so insufferable to watch I had to stop.
From the start to the end, Shinji was a pathetic bitch boy who never really achieved anything. There was no character development to speak of, and honestly I think Anno just made this show to project his own views on anxiety and maybe seek approval from the masses... which obviously worked, I guess, but damn.
I actually (aside from Shinii and Asuka being obnoxious) kinda enjoyed the show, and how it explored some occult/deep psychological topics about humanity... but the cringe from watching Shinji being so pathetic was palpable enough to significantly take away from the overal enjoyment.
(Jul 2, 2023 08:33 AM)Vipеr Wrote: Yeah that's the only thing stopping me from watching Eva. Well, also the fact that I hate Mecha.
The mc from rent a girlfriend is insufferable.
Yeah man, just can not watch this kind of shit. After many discussions with hardcore anime enjoyers, I've slowly come to understand why the Japs lowkey project/enjoy/relate to pathetic male MCs and obnoxious loud female MCs, and I usually can come to terms with it and power through it IF there is a great story around it AND there's some character development where they go from pathetic -> strong... but Eva doesn't have that. Honestly shocked at how well received it is considering the lack of character development. It's no surprise most people view the non-MCs as the MCs/their fav characters.
Honestly, Rei/Asuka/Misato had better character development than Shinji.
Sad, because other than that, the series is pretty good.