[Mesnick]

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

And Gentarou is one of the only boy scout main protagonists who is universally well-liked. Though it can feel to me that he's more well=liked due to his wild, larger than life, wacky, and exaggerated nature, rather than his morals (thus people'd tolerate the "boring" moral due to his memetic/larger than life character), due to how other characters get compared.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who think Gentaro is a joyful idiot, especially during the show's run. Do not forget that Fourze was an absolute failure in his time, and his fans fell in love only somewhere after Gaim. Now many fans love Fourze because they associate this show with childhood.
Also, Sota Fukushi is tritely charismatic and, by the standards of the main characters of these shows, definitely enters the top of the best actors. Or maybe even a five.

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Guess I mean in school, to make up for his embarassment in his class in this episode, particularly if he's established as more of a joke (not a nerd cuz he's stupid academical wise). Though perhaps my compatriots (who already mocked this series especially the MC before it airs) will never acknowledge that showings due to him being just a lil kid (and also his looks being so unremarkable in that).

I think he's more of a weird quiet guy. In any case, Hotaro has at least one friend, so he is clearly not a complete outcast.

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Softer side is guaranteed as someone in protagonist group, though it won't also erase their other bad impressing traits. But I thought, being professional is, or at least as most media made it, is almost automatically associated with being aloof and cold? This series also seem to paint alchemy job as a police/soldier-like (and seems to be a lighter tone series), so perhaps.... anyone who is a part of them would get any of their questionable or unlikable traits swept under the rug and get depicted as saints due to their occupation.... only a special case would be disqualifying like Isaac (but Reika can perhaps still get seen as just dutiful).

I think the reasons for Rinne's gloominess are not so much in alchemy itself, but in the fact that for her this is a family affair. Therefore, she feels a huge responsibility and cannot relax. Also, it can mean several options:
1) She does not like alchemy, but is forced to do it;
2) She loves alchemy, but "burned out" and stopped enjoying miracles;
3) Of all the alchemists, Rinne is the youngest. It is probably very difficult for her to fit in with the others and therefore she does not want to be treated like a child. Maybe that's why the appearance of newcomer Hōtaro will let her breathe easy.