[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnugiga

I used to wonder what Ryuki would be if it's more like your typical generic shounen anime, where Shinji eventually get most people to his side with the power of motivational Let's Be Friends speech; but at that point, it's not the Ryuki anymore, and definitely not the show I grew to love so much.

I always think there's something laudable about writing a flawed hero, even if it's not necessarily fun to watch. (But this is fun to watch, though!) To take steps to criticize a hero, to not build the world around him always being right, that's so much more challenging to land. It can make for stretches where you don't know why the character's doing something, or when it feels like they're being punished, but it can make for a much more rewarding experience in the long run.

There's a friend of mine who made a good point about music that maybe applies to characters like Shinji. He said that, when you listen to an album, your favorite song off of it probably isn't going to be the one you immediately enjoy. That one, you'll get tired of. Your favorite's probably going to be a song that didn't work for you right away, but after listening to it enough times it just clicks and you love it. The work you put in, the discovery, that's what makes you appreciate that song. I think it's that way for characters, too. Shinji maybe takes some work to enjoy, but I think he's worth it.