Anime Villains Are Becoming More Pathetic, They Claim

A blunt opinion has rocked commentary forums in Japan, sparking intense debate among anime fans. In a post that has gone viral, a user expressed his displeasure with the portrayal of villains in isekai and recent anime series.

The author of the opinion argues that the enemies that appear in these series seem to have lost their malevolent character and their ability to pose a real threat. Rather than being antagonists with complex motivations and an agenda that challenges the protagonist in a meaningful way, the current villains seem to be designed solely to serve as a springboard for the hero to demonstrate his or her might.

• "The enemies that appear in the isekai and recent anime series seem to exist with the sole goal of the protagonist showing their immense power and beating him easily, rather than being so evil as to actually threaten peace or people who think differently from them, which is sad. It's hard to put into words, but the anime's current villains only exist to show off the protagonist, and they're not a real threat. In the end, it seems that the protagonist is the real villain, a physical abuser who takes advantage of his immense power."

This critique raises concerns that conflicts in contemporary anime series have become predictable and devoid of emotional tension. According to the author, the antagonists lack depth and do not pose a genuine threat to the peace or integrity of the characters who oppose them.

The idea that the protagonists could be seen as the real villains is also highlighted in the opinion. The user suggests that rather than being heroes fighting evil, the protagonists could be interpreted as physical abusers who take advantage of their power to subdue their enemies with relative ease, raising questions about the morality of their actions and the message these narratives convey.

This reflection has generated a mixed response among anime fans, some agreeing with the critics and expressing their desire to see more complex and challenging villains in future series, while others defend the current direction of the genre and enjoy the focus on the protagonist's power:

• "After reading this, I'm convinced that there is no real villain today."
• "I don't think I've ever had contact with creative writing, let alone find something like that in anime."
• "In creative writing in general, how many stories do you remember where the villain succeeds until the end?"
• "What I'm saying is that he's a delusional idiot. But there's something about having an enemy that gets in the way of the protagonist over and over again that people don't like. If they don't beat them quickly, fans will think that the author is extending the story."
• "So you prefer a manga like Jujutsu Kaisen where Sukuna is killing everyone and every chapter is getting more and more repetitive?"
• "Generally, a story in which an unemployed person reincarnates always has the same development. It would be nice to have more stories where the protagonist really faces problems."
• "I guess they prefer shonen mangas where the protagonist keeps fighting an invincible villain until he magically receives powers to defeat him."
• "When the protagonist fights, he wins easily. Maybe you want a story where there's a depiction of how friends try to defeat the enemy until the protagonist arrives and solves everything."
• "Popular plays also don't have memorable antagonists, it's not something that only happens in isekai."
• "Honestly, it's true. Even in the story of Rimuru there are enemies of the vintage so that the protagonist can slaughter at will."

Source: Yaraon!