JimEis

Just curious: have you read the latest One-Punch Man in the original trip webcomic form? The conclusion to the Garou arc has genuine commentary on heroism. I can’t really discuss it without including spoilers, but it takes the manga much further than you’ve described it here, by completely attacking the idea that superheroes have any legitimacy in their actions.

First of all, as many people have stated, “body positivity” shouldn’t and can’t go so far as to reassure people that they should stay the way they are, if there are health risks associated with that. That’s why we don’t put cigarettes in many comics/games/movies any more. Of course, people should be accepting of themselves, but it’s more tricky than a blank cheque because there also needs to be incentives to lose or gain weight, or put on muscle, if your health demands it.

Being obese can be a tragic flaw, and there are books out there where the main character struggles with his/her weight. I think that’s great. There are also characters (often older males) who just “happen to be fat”, with little negative connotations. Perhaps, superheroes should only be fat if it serves a purpose?

Of course, there is also the fact that most people are between thin and average, so they more easily identify with a thin character. In fact, many overweight people want to lose weight, and as such enjoy putting themselves in the skin of a more average-sized hero.

Most of the time, fitting tightly into a cliche makes a story worthless. I think it’s all well and good to say that harem manga and anime can project harmful stereotypes to impressionable boys, but another crime is terrible manga and anime. The few harem manga that I’ve enjoyed were good *despite* the endless unrealistic drama. It’s a bad trope that occasionally works, and I now avoid it completely.

I think it’s important to think about why certain things are appealing. Low-level smut in manga and anime targeted at teenage males is there to keep them interested, basically. It can’t substitute for plot or interesting action. Manga which spend too much time on that sort of content might keep a viewer hooked, but it won’t teach anything or remain in their heads for very long.

By the way, I’m glad you cited Ai Kora because I think that’s just a great comedy manga, harem or not.

This article seems to me to be worded wrong. Using Aristotle to explain the fascination that fans of the show have with Walter White is more of a thought experiment than it is an answer to the first sentence. If you’re holding a hammer, Walter White probably looks like a nail, too.

There are many sides to a character that make him appealing, but popular anti-heroes are nothing new. The most obvious answer to why people sympathise with Walter: perspective. They’re being told “his” story. We’re used to feeling connected the main character, one way or another. You might not like Dorian Grey (The Picture of Dorian Grey) or Alex (A Clockwork Orange), but you feel for them all the same. Only in the least imaginative Hollywood films, only in the most formulaic pop fiction do you see purely evil antagonists.

Then, Walter fulfils a relatable fantasy: man who is bored of his everyday life and family, man who has nothing to lose anymore and does things he would never imagine doing. Most people get heart palpitations just by looking at a “no entry, staff only” sign on a door and imagining themselves opening it, and walking in.

I won’t even address the fact that you staple “evil” on the character, as if there was no nuance, as if everyone doesn’t commit minuscule acts of “evil” every day without thinking or caring.

My question is: what is gained by using Aristotle to explain Walter’s charm? What interesting conclusions do you draw from this? (genuine question, let me know).

Pokemon is a game marketed at young children. If taken at face value for adults, it’s not really defendable to have “friends” that you use to fight other creatures. The actual question is about how one can treat an animal, because Pokemon are the animals of that world. Is it wrong for the police to train dogs and use them to find narcotics? (Let alone breeding cows and using them for milk and meat).

That said, historically, animals have been used in war. The one difference is that, in Pokemon, the trainer never fights against creatures. Perhaps a similar game marketed at older players would have the animal and the trainer fighting together.