Forum - View topicA character who brings down an entire series for you?
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4576 |
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I was talking with a few friends about a series we were watching, and the topic came up of single characters who actively bring down the entire viewing experience of a series. It may be a new character whose introduction changes the tone of a series in a certain way, or a character who just kills your mood every time they're on-screen. I'm not sure if it's a universal experience, but I'd wager that most people have a character or two that are a total buzzkill on something they'd otherwise enjoy a lot.
The series in question for me is Demon Slayer. I found it generally enjoyable while watching it on Toonami, a solid shounen with a pretty anime adaptation, but I've never understood the massive record-setting hype that it's generated in Japan. It's fun, but it never struck me as anything spectacular. And as I thought about it more, I realized that a significant reason why I wasn't more enthusiastic about it came down to the introduction of a single character: Zenitsu. The first stretch of the series, with Tanjiro becoming a Demon Slayer and then doing his thing with Nezuko, is legitimately great...and then Zenitsu shows up with all the appeal of a wet fart. Insufferably whiny, incomprehensibly cowardly, and just hideously unlikable in general. His only redeeming moments happen when he's unconscious, unless you count the adorable little bird always pecking at him. Oh, and he chases after anyone with a vagina, including two girls that look like they're 10 or so. Terrific. He's not the only issue I have with the latter half of the first season (the recovery arc at Demon Slayer HQ lasts one or two episodes too long), but he's by far the biggest downer as far as I'm concerned. (The funny thing is that my initial reaction to Inosuke was almost as negative, but within an episode or two I loved my shouty murder pigboy.) A recent honorable mention goes to Tamaki from Fire Force. I've heard that the manga author has certain...tendencies that were significantly toned down in the BONES adaptation of Soul Eater, but boy howdy did DavidPro go all-in here. I'm not sure who exactly sees a character whose sole personality trait is an uncanny ability to trip her way out of her own clothing as a solid writing choice (other than horny 12-year-olds), but it sure as hell isn't me. She's absolutely cringe-worthy, and she's a substantial black mark on a show that's otherwise all about visually-stunning action setpieces and goofy fun. |
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CelestialEmpress
 Posts: 113 |
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I have an irrational hatred for Foxy in One Piece. I don't even know why at this point. He's only in like, ten episode of 950+ but I hate him more than every single villain in this series combined. I hate his obnoxious laugh. I hate his ugly face. I hate his gross, misshapen body.I hate his stupid crew. I hate his power. Literally the only good thing that came from his arc was the fight with Afro Luffy. He doesn't bring down the entire series, but he definitely ruins what was a fun arc up until that point.
Nothing triggers me into a state of pure, frothing rage like the sound of Silver Fox Foxy's nails-on-a-chalkboard laugh. |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11298 Location: Frisco, TX |
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There aren't a lot of characters that bug me. But ever since Psycho-Pass made Mika Shimotsuki a more prominent character in S2, I think it contributed to the disappointment of the entire series (well, that and the really bad writing and reliance on gore and violence, but that's for another thread). She's a total c-word that rhymes with punt. I'm okay with unlikable characters (as in not friendly, or even some that are d-bags), but I can't find a single redeeming quality about her, so I absolutely hate her guts. I also can't stand her self-righteous attitude or the annoying b-word that rhymes with witch faces that she makes because of something she disagrees with.
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23771 |
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My current example is Ramuda Amemura, leader of the Fling Posse in Hypnosis Mic - Division Rap Battle. I love the show to death but this character is like finger nails being dragged down a black board from me. Much of it is that Ramuda's seiyuu uses a "sing-song" inflection a lot of the time (Ramuda is a fashion designer and he has a faux "cheerful" persona where he uses the "sing-song" speech pattern) that just drives me crazy. I know I have no issue with his seiyuu's voice because when he voices Ramuda's inner thoughts, his voice sounds normal and there's nothing wrong with it.
But I also just don't like the character. That whole licking lollipops to try and act "young" is lame. |
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AkumaChef
Posts: 821 |
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I can only think of two:
Chu-Chu nearly ruined Utena for me, and I was not fond of Sumomo in Chobits either. |
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yuna49
 Posts: 3804 |
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I stopped watching Kimetsu no Yaiba at about the time Zenitsu appeared. I recall finding all the supporting cast uninspiring around this point in the story. I haven't picked the series up since, despite the absurd response the movie has gotten in Japan. |
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Top Gun
Posts: 4576 |
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...Chu-Chu the adorable little monkey-mouse? I'm not judging anyone's opinions, but I have to say that's not someone I'd expect to see. 
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stilldemented
 Posts: 232 |
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Jellal from Fairy Tail. He was great as a villain, but they attempted to give him a redemption arc a la Sasuke or Vegeta that had mixed reactions. You're either buying what the story is selling or you're not. And the story tries every trick in the book to try to get readers on board with forgiving Jellal.
Jellal was being mindcontrolled. He's been resurrected as a clean slate with zero knowledge of his past crimes. There's an alternate universe Jellal now. ...when the story finally decides that's all going to be a tough sell....now he's going to jail to atone for his crimes. A man he killed now has a sister so that the story can make a plot point out of addressing one of his more unforgivable sins. Do you forgive him yet? Do you now? How about now? I eventually dropped the series because these belabored attempts by the story to try to absolve him became too exhausting to tolerate. |
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AkumaChef
Posts: 821 |
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Yes, the one and the same. Normally I have no problem with cutesy mascot characters but for whatever reason Chu-Chu really rubbed me the wrong way. |
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phia_one
Posts: 1657 Location: Pennsylvania |
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Not entire series, but I would've enjoyed Classicaloid Season 2 a lot more if Wagner wasn't in it. He was too annoying for me and took up screen time from other characters.
I found the idea of Wotakoi appealing, but holy crap I found Narumi too obnoxious stick with the show. Same thing happened with the MC from Smile Down the Runway. In fact, I think that was the fastest I ever dropped a show. |
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