Let's Talk About Something[By Hex]

LTA: Stop Self-Inserting yourself into Characters

Despite what the title may imply, this LTAS is gonna be a rant. 
I'm gonna rant about my problems with people who try to self-insert themselves onto characters, there are benefits as well but that can be done in part 2 if I ever come to that. 

Okay so let's just start from the beginning, what the hell am I ranting about exactly and what is this aimed towards?

I am particularly aiming this rant towards readers or watchers who try to self-insert themselves with the MC or the other characters in the anime, manga and other mediums for storytelling. 

I want to make a statement right now, YOU ARE NOT THE CHARACTER THAT YOU FOLLOW, so stop self-inserting yourself onto them.

How many times has there been that ONE GUY who hates a particular character because they don't act, think or feel the same way the viewer or reader does? How many times has the audience for an anime or manga shitted on a character who was "shy" and "Weak" because he or she was unrelatable to them?

Sometimes, instead of shitting on a character you can't relate to, how about you realize that you are not who they are and that what you would do in a particular situation is not something they would do in that particular situation. 

Let me give some examples, the best example is from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Everyone apparently hates Shinji Ikari because he is often depressed and runs away from his problems and doesn't get on the EVA. They always say, "If I was Shinji, I would have gotten my shit together and fought the Angels."

Yeah, if YOU were Shinji, you would.
BUT YOU are NOT SHINJI!

What's the point of Evangelion when the Shinji's arc doesn't even exist and he acts the same way every other anime MC would act?
He's supposed to be this way, he's neglected by his father and he never knew his mother, his life is fucked so how would he not be acting the way he does in the anime???

This is the problem I have with most viewers and readers who consume entertainment, if the character does not fit the reader/viewers own traits, then that character is shitted on. 

Now I wanna make some clarity here, unrelatable characters is not good for storytelling but there is a difference between a well-written character who does not fit into our own traits and a bland character who has zero personality. 

Guts from Berserk is an unrelatable character but he is well fucking written, we never got our arm torn off or was born from a dead mother who hanged herself yet he is still interesting to us and considered one of the best characters in the manga medium. 

Now I wanna give some context as to why I started this rant in the first place. Let me be real honest with you all, I like romance stories where the stereotypical roles for males and females is reversed. 
As in, the male character is submissive and weak while the female is dominant and strong, its a guilty pleasure of mine and I always like seeing stories with this archetype, its new and unique and dominating women are my kink (I'm sorry).

But what annoys me the most is how other people who read the same manga will shit on it because the male character isn't "superior" or a "chad". I've realized this problem is mainly aimed towards any male character in stories who has submissive traits. 

The best example of this that I can give is the manga 'Please don't bully me, Nagatoro'. 
To give some context, the first chapter introduces the MC drawing a manga with a Gyaru character walking by and then taking interest in it, she introduces herself as a Nagatoro looks at his work. What's really interesting is how introverted the MC is and how he has anxiety around other people, especially girls. Throughout the chapter, she criticizes the manga and says that it is unrealistic and the MC only drew it to satisfy his perverted fantasies. The conversation escalates as she mocks him for being perverted and disgusting, you can see that the MC becomes uncomfortable and embarrassed to look at her as his anxiety escalates as well and at the end, the MC ends up crying.

Its a strange tone for a romance story am I right? Almost fucked up. But when you think about it, all Nagatoro did was call him a pervert and criticized his story, this should have painted a clear picture that there is something wrong with the MC himself.

Follow it up with the next chapter where Nagatoro teases him harshly to the point where he cries again. 
But ya know what the best part was? The MC actually starts to get used to Nagatoro's teases and you quickly find out that she is inadvertently helping his anxiety by being so harsh towards him.  By the latest chapter, you can see that the MC can actually stand for himself and doesn't act introverted. It is one of the few good character developments I've seen in a romance manga. Nagatoro herself becomes less harsh and insulting towards the MC and begins to have a feeling for him which is cute. This whole manga is so goddamn wholesome and cute!

But ya know what most people said? Those who have ONLY read the beginning  2 chapters have shitted on the MC, calling him a pussy and weak. Saying that if they were the MC, they would've slapped the girl. They drop the manga because the MC was too much of a pussy. 

Again, YOU ARE NOT THE MC, so stop treating them like shit when they don't fit your taste.
 
Sometimes people need to understand, if a character doesn't relate to you, that doesn't automatically mean that they are shit. It simply means that they are supposed to be written differently for the sake of the story.
 
Would there ever be a story and romance between the MC and Nagatoro if the MC was a typical CHAD who is alpha all the time and gets all the pussy? Nah bitch, go read some other generic story for that. This story is uniquely written for the MC that has anxiety problems and is introverted. 

Conclusion: If a character is relatable to you, Good for you. 

But if the character is supposed to be written differently for the sake of the story that the author is trying to tell, then stop shitting on them and acknowledge that they are well written characters that are supposed to not be self-inserted into. 

To those who still think this way, go blow yourself!

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I'm sorry for how this rant turned out, I just wanted to vent because this has been frustrating me for sooooo long. 

The next few chapters will go back to normal writing, I promise.