Comments | hated_character: Shinji and Parn

sabonasi in hated_character

Shinji and Parn

May 13, 2004 12:42

What do Shinji from Evangelion and Parn from Record of Lodoss War have to do with each other? Not much, but I just finished the first graphic novels of both, and I will now be defending them at the same time. Or at least explaining why I like them.

ParnParn is a hero. ANd that's not a bad thing. He's not holier-than-thou or gary-stuish, but ( Read more... )

record of lodoss war, evangelion

Comments 25

glazius May 13 2004, 17:09:31 UTC

Shinji is the most misunderstood protagonist _ever_, or at least in the top 10.

It's vitally important to the theme of the story that he fail utterly and vitally important to the mechanics of the story that he force himself to be distant from other people.

--GF

The gulf between man and woman is as deep as the ocean and twice as wide, after all.

sir_hellsing May 13 2004, 17:38:44 UTC

I liked them both in the manga and inside the novels (in the case of Parn). Shinji was a bit... too annoying inside the anime (makes you want to slap him at times), in the manga he's stongrer. I love him.

I dislike Parn inside the OVA. A lot. Is quite irrational, I know.

vash_chan May 14 2004, 02:12:50 UTC

I've not read the Manga on both the series you mentioned however ( ... )

sabonasi May 14 2004, 15:23:50 UTC

Parn isn't perfect as a hero, but his heart is in the right place. He may not be able to immediately convince the villages of what they need to do, but he tries, and eventually succeeds.

sir_hellsing May 17 2004, 01:57:42 UTC

I do like Parn in everything outside the OVAs. He irritated me to no end. I mean, ASHRAM killed the bad guy and he was crowned hero and got the girl? Bah.

incisivis May 14 2004, 11:29:15 UTC

Manga Shinji...Ugggghhhhh....

Now, I absolutely adore Shinji in the anime, and hate to see him reduced to either a one-note whiner or an innocent victim. He's a fascinatingly complex anti-hero with a good side.

In the manga, well, there's that, but Sadamoto tones Shinji down too much. He seems too "normal", his angst too restrained. His attitude is different, with cold apathy being primary instead of just a part of larger experessions. I just don't like him in the manga, though everyone else seems to.

sabonasi May 14 2004, 15:25:27 UTC

Different appeals, I guess. I love Rishid in the manga and Japanese anime, but aren't too fond of his dub incarnation. I like Otogi and Shadi more in the manga. Same with Gouzaburou.

sir_hellsing May 17 2004, 01:59:33 UTC

Is because he's Anno's self insertion inside the anime. He's just telling his ANGST of being an oppressed otaku. Seriously.

incisivis May 17 2004, 12:25:16 UTC

Is because he's Anno's self insertion inside the anime. He's just telling his ANGST of being an oppressed otaku. Seriously.

Um...what does that have to do with Manga-Shinji vs. Anime-Shinji?

Thread 10

wrongly_amused May 15 2004, 17:08:25 UTC

I'm of the belief that the reason Shinji is so hated is because he doesn't fit the usual "macho male protagonist" stereotype. The detrimental flaws and openly emotional nature just seems to turn off people to the point where they aren't willing to look beyond face value to see what he actually accomplished. In particular, I notice that male fans of the series tend to loathe Shinji...while females generally tend to be little more sympathetic.

Personally, I really liked him, and I commend the creator of the series for daring to create such a unique and unexpected "hero."

(The comment has been removed)

sir_hellsing May 17 2004, 02:07:03 UTC

You don't often get strong females like Xena, Buffy, Sango, Sailorjupiter/Kino Makoto, which is a shame because it would break the stereotypical view of how the world sees women -- weak and damsel-like.

But they are another bad cliché: the Grr!Power girl. Honestly, you can be weak in body and a damsel and kick ass like Mina Murray in Dracula and her later role in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (comics, don't confuse with horrible film). She could teach Anita Blake or Buffy a lesson or two about being a good character without speeshful powers.

Makoto is a good example of good character (even if she's inside Sailor Moon), has a deeply female side but with strengh.

All stereotypes could be well written: Grr!Power girl and damsel in distress became one in the person of Sister Yumiko/Yumie Takagi, a nun from Hellsing that has slip personality. Everything will end up being a cliché, either way.

incisivis May 17 2004, 12:31:11 UTC

But they are another bad cliché: the Grr!Power girl. Honestly, you can be weak in body and a damsel and kick ass like Mina Murray in Dracula and her later role in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (comics, don't confuse with horrible film). She could teach Anita Blake or Buffy a lesson or two about being a good character without speeshful powers.

Indeed. I really liked Mina Murray in the orignal graphic novel; she worked realistically within the social confines of her time, but still managed to kick ass verbally.

Makoto is a good example of good character (even if she's inside Sailor Moon), has a deeply female side but with strengh.

I don't know...I'd be cautious about equating a "deeply female" side with not being an imperviously macho character. I don't think it's a matter of gender, but of allowing heroes of both sexes to have emotional lives.

Thread 9