Through a debate on a popular comment forum in Japan, anime story must possess to become a success. The points discussed raise expectations and preferences of Japanese viewers regarding the narrative and character development in anime.
- 2nd season of “Cardfight!! Vanguard Divinez” gets new trailer
- Fans of the anime 'Zombieland Saga' are worried about a possible cancellation
Below you can read the points that the Japanese consider that makes an anime a big success.
- Give the protagonist a clear purpose from the beginning: Therefore, forum participants emphasized the importance of clearly establishing the protagonist's goal from the beginning of the story. A protagonist with a defined purpose provides a clear direction to the plot and helps maintain the viewer's interest from the beginning.
- Maintain the pacing at the beginning: The discussion also highlighted the importance of maintaining a dynamic pace at the beginning of the story. A slow start can diminish the viewer's interest, so maintaining a fast-paced and engaging narrative from the beginning is crucial.
- Avoid extensive explanations of the world or environment: Prefer to avoid long explanations of the world or environment in the first episodes. But instead, they suggested gradually introducing these elements throughout the story so as not to overwhelm the viewer with unnecessary information from the beginning.
Other points they took into consideration.
- Show the protagonist in action: One of the key points highlighted in the discussion was the importance of showing the protagonist in action from the beginning. The public wants to see the main character involved in the plot and facing challenges from the beginning.
- The protagonist is not the one who falls in love, but the one who makes the girls fall in love with him: Participants debated the role of the protagonist in romantic relationships within the story. They argued that an attractive and charismatic protagonist should be able to win the affections of other characters, rather than simply falling in love with them.
- A passive protagonist will never be well received: Hence the importance of having a decisive protagonist, albeit in contrast to a passive one who simply reacts to events. A protagonist with his or her own agency tends to be more attractive to the audience and can drive the development of the plot more effectively.
- Decide on a direction and stick to it (don't mislead the viewer): Otakus have emphasized the importance of having a clear direction and staying true to it. But sudden changes in tone or direction can confuse and reduce narrative coherence.
Real names, rushed development and unattractive characters were the last points:
- Avoid real names and do not reference real incidents: Avoid using real names or references to real-life events within the anime story.
- Not using the lowest form of comedy: Participants expressed their distaste for the use of parodies in anime stories, while considering them a lower form of comedy that can detract from the seriousness of the plot and characters.
- Keep the introduction as short as possible and quickly develop the characters: The discussion emphasized the importance of keeping the introduction concise and quickly developing the main characters to capture the viewer's attention and lay the foundation for the main plot.
- Viewers prefer attractive, charismatic characters over complex settings and heavy plots: Finally, otakus highlighted the public's preference for attractive, charismatic characters over complex, heavy plots. A cast of attractive, well-developed characters can be critical to the success of an anime story, attracting and maintaining viewer interest throughout the series.
In summary, the discussions offer insight regarding the quality and essential elements that an anime story must possess to satisfy.
Source: Yaraon!
