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What Anime Character Trope Are You

Overused Anime Character Tropes

10 Tropes and Cliches found in EVERY Anime

Anime characters can be heavily reliant on tropes. Some anime character tropes, we love. Others are so overused.

Tropes refer to patterns found in a work of art therefore, character tropes point to a specific batch of characters who possess similar attributes and personalities. Avid anime viewers can spot a character trope from a mile away, which means it only takes looking at the cover design of a show to know what you’re in for.

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When it comes to tropes, fans can expect mandatory factors to crop up, such as the protagonist falling ill so that their love interest visits to take care of them. For identifying character tropes, personalities, expressions, actions, attire, and accessories all play a part in creating the foundation to detect a specific character type. With that in mind, it only stands to reason that over time beloved and overplayed character tropes will come to light.

Emotional Flashback Before Big Moment

Time and time again, anime has put us on the brink of something massive and then pulled us back for a mood-changing recollection. It could be a big reveal, a highly-anticipated battle, the introduction of a new character… you name it. It’s incredibly likely that a pause will occur beforehand for the sake of an emotional flashback.

These aren’t always pointless and they tend to cover a character’s backstory or the decisions that led them to their current state. They’ll occasionally draw tears from viewers and make their subject more relatable, which adds to the personality of the series as a whole.

The Generic Male Protagonist

New from Kawaiicorp! It’s Protagonist Boy! He has brown hair, no glasses, no hobbies, no special interests, and no defining characteristics! He’s basically Bella Swan with a penis! He’s as dull as dirt, but hot alien babes want to have his babies anyway! Say hello to the best protagonist you won’t have to write or think about! Call now!

I internally fume whenever I see a new anime pulling this crap. And it happens at least once every season. He’s an ordinary high school boy, and…that’s it.

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The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. revolves around Saiki Kusuo a seemingly average teenager, except that he has pink hair and antennas sticking out of his head. He also has psychic abilities like telekinesis and teleportation. But despite these powers, he cant stay away from the spotlight, as he inadvertently attracts the attention of his classmates who make it difficult to have an ordinary, hassle-free life.

While the anime is a comedy, and large chests are commonly used as a comedic tool, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. has barely any jokes involving breasts or exploit female characters for cheap laughs. Instead, the comedy comes from typical everyday situations like cultural festivals or summer trips. The series is good, clean fun that doesnt objectify women.

Oblivious Main Male Character

Which weirdly specific anime character trope are you?

Youd think that the main character of an anime would have some degree of intelligence. Instead, many main characters are inflicted with utter obliviousness.

Theyre completely clueless when it comes to girls who are interested in them and cant think for themselves. After a while, its frustrating to watch an anime with a main character who has no backbone.

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A World Without Anime Tropes

Anime is better off without tropes. While some anime manage to exclude tropes, many fall into the same, boring rut. We can only hope that well see more creativity and fewer tropes in the future.

Anime from the past and present fall victim to tropes. Although you might encounter some of the same themes, youll still want to check out the classics of anime:

Round Vs Flat Characters And Anime Stereotypes

Anime sometimes suffers from characters being stereotypes that hit the same note over and over again. These characters lack the psychological complexity that makes characters interesting and human-feeling. In literature, these are called flat characters. They are seen as “two-dimensional” because they’re not very life-like, much like how a sculpture of a person can look more real to us than a painted portrait. Like a sculpture, a “round” character is detailed to the audience from many different perspectives. The Joker from Batman is a round character, for example, because he is complex, changes over time, and can be interpreted in many ways. He’s like a sculpture in the round, that can be seen in different ways from different angles.

“Flat” characters certainly have their place. Unimportant supporting characters don’t need to be complicated to be effective, because their role in the narrative is more limited. A work of fiction can get kind of weighed down if it tries to make every character round. Les Misérables does this, for example, making the book excessively long. But, generally speaking, it’s good for at least the main protagonists and antagonists to be round characters with a lot of complexity to their identity.

What makes a particular instance of a trope bad?

And here are my eight least favorite of cliché anime character types.

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The Annoying Talking Animal

A Fairly common anime staple, this character is always at the hero’s side. Often, they give expositions in info dumps. Or sometimes it’s subtle guidance they give main characters. They are cute, they are charming, they move merchandise and keep up brand awareness of the show. But they can also be annoying, because they ruin serious moments with bad comedy, their catchphrases and associated running gags quickly get stale, or their blunders make things harder for the protagonist. A good version of this character would be more competent, but not infallible. They wouldn’t know everything that happen. But neither would they always seem to be in the way, or always bumbling comedic relief.

* Please keep in mind that all text is machine-generated, we do not bear any responsibility, and you should always get advice from professionals before taking any actions.

* Please keep in mind that all text is machine-generated, we do not bear any responsibility, and you should always get advice from professionals before taking any actions

Anime Tend To Have Many Different Stereotypes Here Are Some That Apply To Most Anime Which One Are You Most Like

THE WORST ANIME CHARACTER TROPES [anime design pet peeves]

Are you a boy or a girl?

Girl

What grades do you get most often?

Why would I tell you?

Are you a good leader?

*Glares with a creepy look*

Choose one set of Japanese Kanji

What creature do you like the most?

The Hero

The Hero

You’re The Hero! Like Natsu, Luffy, and Naruto, you are most likely not so smart, funny, strong, and have a fiery temper if anyone messes with your friends or family.

The Weak-Then Strong Girl

The Weak-Then Strong Girl

You’re The Weak-Then Strong Girl ! Like Sakura, Nami, and Lucy, you are most likely weak, but then you got mad at yourself and became strong, smart, and you get really annoyed with The Hero..

That One Smart Guy

That One Smart Guy

You’re That One Smart Guy ! Like Wing-San and Light, you are most likely very smart, and you are very calm about things.

The Bad Villain

The Bad Villain

You’re The Bad Villan ! Like Buggy and Alvida, you are most likely annoying, not that smart or strong, but you are very persistent.

The Serious Cool Guy

The Serious Cool Guy

You’re The Serious Cool Guy ! Like Zolo, Grey, and Sasuke, you are most likely calm, cool, but you are also very chivalrous, but also heartless. You might have a very mysterious past.

The Destructive Villain

The Destructive Villain

You’re The Destructive Villain ! Like Pain, Hisoka, and Gajeel, you are most likely very strong, smart, and did a lot of damage to the hero’s home.

The Evil Mastermind

The Evil Mastermind

The One Scary Girl

The One Scary Girl

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Banging Your Head Off The Wall

One example is Inuzuka from Romeo X Juliet. Hes seen banging his head off a wall in the beginning. So much so youd expect blood to be dripping from his head.

Kuroko Shirai does this too in Railgun. Except she bangs her head off the table in frustration.

Thats what this trope is. Its about when youre angry as F or so frustrated that you feel like banging your head of a wall.

Why I Dislike This Type

If done poorly, she’s too perfect. She doesn’t seem like her actual canonical age. She seems like a very elegant and refined 30-something infiltrating the high school or middle school setting. This trope glamorizes richness, making it seem like rich people are totally flawless, god-like beings. It also can be a cheap way to create drama: the totally average male protagonist falling for the “dream girl” who is way out of his league.

Often, by the end of the anime, he is rewarded with affection for spending the whole anime as her dog, doing whatever she wants, and constantly white knighting for her. I get that it’s a thing because it’s a wish-fulfillment fantasy, but in real life, people like that are just annoyingly snooty. I definitely would not put up with elitist snobbery in real life, let alone find it attractive in a potential partner.

Most importantly, this kind of character is just rarely interesting. You know she’s going to be heavily restricted by the bounds of propriety and honor, playing the “straight man” in contrast with wilder characters’ antics. She’s too honest and pure to do anything truly “outside the box.” In other words, she’s usually a Mary Sue and a Purity Sue type of character, too flawless to be genuine and human.

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The Cold Dandere Character

Danderes by their nature are cold hearted, aloof, and distance themselves from other people. Thats how theyre perceived.

Homura Akemi is one of those characters. Shes a tough nut to crack and doesnt show her good side to almost anyone.

Underneath that barrier though is a misunderstood girl whos warmer than she appears.

This trope is one of the most welcome there is. Its relatable as well.

Which Anime Character Are You

what anime character trope are you based on your childhood
  • step
  • step

Modern technology sure is crazy. It seems that within the next few decades, we may be able to explore what it really means to be a “cyborg”. Are you game?

  • Not my style…
  • Maybe… if someone else goes first!
  • I’m curious… very curious!

Are you more of a leader, or a follower?

  • Leader

True or false: Emotions are often an obstacle for you…

  • Yes 🙁
  • Nah… I’m in control!
  • I think this a far more complex question than it seems… because obstacles make us better!

Whats the secret formula to your own personal success in life?

  • Natural Talent + Inner Drive = Success!
  • Empathy + Curiosity = Success!
  • Learning From Mistakes + Discipline = Success!
  • Success? Honestly, I am not the best person to ask…

How do you defeat your enemies?

  • Electric shocks, obviously!
  • Honestly, I’d rather not fight but if I have to… beware!
  • Information…

Are you playing Pokemon GO?

  • Yes! Love it!
  • I’m offended that you even asked me this question! *Yawn*

Just how geeky can you get with computers?

  • I can barely turn the damn thing on…
  • I know my way around, but they are merely a means to an end
  • The digital world is one with endless possibilities…

Have you ever heard an anime characters name and thought about how beautiful or striking it was? Maybe youve wondered about what anime name would best suit you. Search no More > >

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Trope #: Invisible Parents

If anime is to be believed, it seems that every parent in Japan who has children is never there to take care of their kid due to work, social commitments, or in many instances, the parents are dead. Many anime feature the trope of nonexistent parents who let their kids run around getting themselves in unbelievable situations like fighting monsters or poking their nose where they shouldnt. Thankfully there are a few anime parents and guardians who are still around.

The Clueless Jerk Guy

Basically, the male version of the tsundere.

Hey, dumb crybaby! You’re a girl! Girls are weak and stupid. You should be like me and play sports karate action ball! Feelings are bad! Grr!

*female characters swoon*

Whatever, I have work to do, out of my way, ladies!

I know I’ve taken shots at many female character types, but there are bad male character types, too. They may not be as noticeable as the overly theatrical girl types like the yandere and tsundere, but are still annoying like them. This type is someone who shows up a lot in comedy, shounen, action, ecchi, harem, and romance shows. He is a total jerk who is indifferent to girls’ feelings, and/or totally oblivious to their expression of said feelings. And the panties drop for him anyway.

I think maybe it’s because a certain amount of jerkiness in the Japanese male is tolerated or even encouraged they are supposed to treat women like children, who need their authority and guidance in the form of punishment for bad behavior and rewards for being good. Punishment is often in the form of indifference or withdrawal the girl is desperate for the jerk to notice her, and he can use this to get her to do something he wants, to get her to stop doing something he doesn’t like, or to win an argument.

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Anime Personality Test: What Is Your Anime Personality

Every anime character we come upon has a specific characteristic that sets them apart from the others. We have learned to love to hate, whereas our love for others comes automatically. Do you know which Anime personality suits you? Below is just a normal to see what personality type you would have. Try it!

  • You wake up in the morning to your alarm. It’s 6:30, you…
  • A.& nbsp

    Press the off button and start to get dress. What else would I do?

  • B.& nbsp

    Hit the snooze button by accident, and in the middle of getting dress, it goes off again. You make this mistake one or two more times.

  • C.& nbsp

    Don’t realize it’s your alarm and begin yelling at your brother because you think his phone woke you up.

  • D.& nbsp

    Smile and turn off the alarm and start to think who you will buy homework off of.

  • E.& nbsp

    Woke up at 6 cause you wanted to make sure your homework was correct.

  • F.& nbsp

    Wake up in cold sweat because your dream was about a terrible past event.

  • 2. It’s time to go to school. How do you get there?
  • A.& nbsp

    You ride the bus but, when you get on your trip, stand up quickly and sit in the seat closest to you. You forget that you have a test today.

  • B.& nbsp

    Your parents drive you. On the way, you look over flashcards for the test you have that day even though you don’t have to. You know it.

  • C.& nbsp

    Gets on the bus, puts on headphones, and studies for the test in 4th period.

  • D.& nbsp

    Gets driven by your older brother. In a bad mood cause you are cramming for a test that you forgot about.

  • Character Unlocks Secret/forgotten Power Just Before Defeat

    Your Favorite Anime Tropes ft. CDawgVA and Akidearest | Netflix Anime Club | Netflix Anime

    This trope generally ties in with the previous three. The hero is exhausted, their powers are depleted, and they’re about to be defeated by the opponent who currently has the upper hand. Cue the emotional flashback that reminds the hero of who they are/where they come from/what runs in their blood… you get the idea.

    After that’s said and done, the opponent will likely hesitate instead of capitalizing on their opening and the hero will summon a chunk of adrenaline-fueled strength/a suitable skill that lay dormant until that very second. As common as this trope is, it always makes for an unforgettable fight sequence.

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    What Anime Character Trope You Are Based On Very Specific Questions About Your Childhood Quiz

    Many people across the world would love to take part on Quizzes that judge their personality on the internet. Even further, the anime fan base is the most prevalent when it comes to such personality quizzes. The What Anime Character Trope you are based on very specific questions about your childhood is all about judging which Anime character Trope you belong to in which is based entirely on a bunch of questions. We wouldnt say that it may be true but its fun to take part in the What Anime Character You Are quizzes if youre an anime aficionado.

    Sitting Near The Window In Class

    Have you noticed that in almost every high school anime, the main character sits next to the window? Everyone loves the window seat, but thats probably not the real reason why you see so many characters sit there.

    Artists likely place the main characters next to the window because its easiest to draw. That way, they dont have to worry about filling in the details of the classroom or other students.

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    Trope # : Big Breasts

    In many anime series about high school, theres often at least one female character whose chest defies gravity, biology, and even logic. Often, the main male character will either accidentally fall on them or make jokes about them. The breasts seem to exist purely for male characters to interact with. We get it, sex sells. But there are plenty of anime series that have succeeded without falling for this tired and overused trope.

    Why I Dislike This Type:

    Does something like the

    These characters tend to annoy me because they represent a larger problem within anime: sexualizing little girls. It’s weird, off-putting, gross, and makes me very uncomfortable. It’s not why I got into anime in the first place, definitely.

    But, in the story itself, the characters are often annoying because, as prodigies, they know a lot, but as children, they still act like conceited brats. They can often act like arrogant know-it-alls. Still being children, they tend to still have chaotic mood swings, and can immaturely over-react to slights and misunderstandings. This can be funny, but it can also get old quickly. They tend to be very prideful and defensive. This character can is often “flustered” or “frustrated”, because they have a huge psychological complex built around feeling inferior to everyone else because of their age. Or height, or breast size.

    So they act like the typical aloof, bitchy, tsundere princess . These characters usually pop in halfway through the anime like an unwanted guest, and they challenge the main character, but usually over issues that are completely shallow and meaningless. Expect them to hold their heads high and never admit they’re wrong, even when they are. Ever deal with a child you just wanted to punch? How “kawaii”!

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