How To Create An Active PROTAGONIST / MAIN CHARACTER In Your Manga Story
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 มิ.ย. 2024
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In today's video, we will be discussing everything that has to do with creating protagonists for your comics, manga, and webtoon (manwha/manhwa) projects!
We will discuss heroic protagonists, anti-hero protagonists, and false protagonists! I will also be giving you FIVE TIPS For writing AMAZING PROTAGONISTS Plus Over TEN BONUS TIPS!
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0:00 Introduction
0:17 Skillshare
1:47 What Is A Protagonist?
2:43 Three Types of Protagonists
4:09 Tip 1: Avoid Extremes
5:28 Tip 2. Avoid Overpowered/Underwhelming Protagonists
6:44 Tip 3: Show Protagonist's Life BEFORE Conflict
8:05 Tip 4: Show How Your Protagonist FEELS
8:52 Tip 5: Avoid Making Your Protagonist PASSIVE
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Okay thanks for the information!
Protagonist need flaws, weaknesses and mix of good and bad points.
@@Coolgamer.. True!
the moment you realize saitama is the exact opposite of what makes a good protagonist but still is a good protagonist
He is definitely an exception done right!
Definitely, he was written very well still.
Yeah. In my opinion, it's genos that's the protagonist of the show. Saitama is just there😂 he still contributes to the storyline a lot though.
Truly indeed. ONE really created a storyline which moves around him very well
Well the reason he works is because everyone else looks like a protagonist except him
"avoid overpowered and underwhelming protagonists"
solo-leveling fans: _no_
LOL
I’m thinking about takemichi, the man got too much hp, too op
**Laughs in Overlord**
HE JUST KEEPS GETTING MORE OP!!!
@@farmermaggot992 LOL A walking tank!
"There is only 1 protagonist"
JoJo: Am I a joke to you?
When I say that I mean "at one specific time." It's completely fine to switch protagonists for chapters centering on that character in your stories! JoJo is a good example of changing character roles, demoting former protagonists to main characters and giving the protagonist role to someone else!
He means per story/part
Then there's Baccano
That's why I can't get into JoJo tbh
Kamen Rider and Super Sentai/Power Rangers would like to have a chat with JoJo
Your section on overpowered characters is a bit misguided. If the character is overpowered then the goal of the writer should be to focus the stakes on something else. The stakes within overlord are not combat related. Instead they're focused on things like solving the mystery of the world he's in. How did he get there did anyone else get sent with him? As well as watching him as he slowly loses what remains of his sanity as little by little he fully slips into being the emotionless Overlord. Thats whats at stake. A character being overpowered doesn't take away from the stakes if whats at stake has nothing to do with their power.
Exactly
True
My favorite op mc is anos voldigoad from misfit of demon king academy. Whenever hes in a fight my main thought is "I cant wait to see how he flexes this time." Anytime he lets people make him stronger I'm like "he doesnt even need this hes just doing this to make a point."
@@xmant8842 Can't wait for season 2 even more flexing
Yea, but it's executed poorly, with focus on the said battles and wars (not counting on fan-services and constantly simping nps' around him) and EVERYTHING ELSE but the said topics of who he is, where he from and such.
I'm gonna be honest, i stopped reading after lizard people ark , but all i've seen feels like shitty false depth power fantasy and not what you OP described.
Tip 3 isn’t necessary. I’ve seen countless amazing shows and one shots where the story is already in motion while carefully showing signs of the characters story, past, motives, ect.
That is true! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! I agree that some shows and books can pull it off really well! For most amateurs, though it can get messy really quickly though. If you're able to do it though, it'll definitely stand out!
@@MonitorComics he doesn't know what he's talking about
"avoid overpower"
Sitama: And I took that personally
Consecutive Normal Punches!
“Avoid overpowered protagonists”
Gojo Satoru: And I took that personally
That's why he's kinda boring thought
first of all.... not a protagonist,
and secondly @snake 7 he is not boring. you just don't like him
@@jushijureview620
Still boring thought.
Even op protagonist such as saitama or ip man still have inner conflict and make them interesting rather than muh op boring guy like gojo does lol.
@@snake7257 that means you don't like him, If you're uninterested in a character you'll feel bored just by watching him, it's not like his super op like saitama which i find more boring than gojo, gojo has more personality than saitama who always looks uninterested (its probably why you like saitama you have the same personality)
@@jushijureview620
What stupid logic is that lol.
Since when liking character mean you share same personality with them?.
Also who the fuck talking about personality lol, we talk about how they play in the story. Look at how interesting ip man with his "perfect but still flawed" storyline that's make him really good protagonist despite being perfect in the first place.
Meanwhile gojo, did he ever feel powerless and can't do nothing? Even the author say he just want to seal gojo because he to op and to make other characters received development, not because the sake for his own lol.
For passive characters, I feel like they could be interesting. For instance, the reason why he/she does what other characters tell them to do is because the protagonist themselves aren’t in any position to make their own choices or voice their own opinions.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! At the end of the day it all comes down to execution so you would be right! However, at that point, a reader might ask "why not just make the character who CAN do something the main character instead."
Your protagonist is meant to be your central character and the last thing you want is for your reader to question why they are even there
Like I said though, it's a case-by-case thing. Some stories can make it work while others cant
@@MonitorComics What do you think of Aot where the main plot is the center of the story instead of the protagonist?
@@adyan4010 Eren is the entire story what do you mean lol
People have always told me my side characters feel more like main characters due to how much focus and development I put on them.
Protagonists have always been my weak point, this helps out a ton, thanks mate.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment I really appreciate it! I RELATE entirely! I used to have that same problem! Best of luck with your story!
Give yourself a protagonist, write the side characters, and then just transition the story to be about them instead. If that's your problem, doing that might help, idk, I'm not a professional writer though.
@@_..Evangelion.._ Thank you for taking the time to share some tips!
@@MonitorComics All good, thanks for the heart.
AP-Paralax
Huh, pretty neat actually, kinda reminds me of AOT Season 1-3 Eren Jaeger as the protag.
The story revolved around him yes, but we definitely watched the show for the expanded world and characters revolving around Eren.
Naruto is very very relatable actually, not because of his kindness, but because he is a rejected untalented child everyone avoids, yet he has high ambitions and hopes and refuses to give up on them no matter what. His optimistic determination is very motivating for every child who wants to be acknowledged and respected - which is every teenager ever. There’s a reason we all rooted for him and pretty much grew up with him. Your advice still stands though, I remember being so annoyed as a child watching Strawberry Shortcake, she’s way too extreme, she’s like your kindergarten teacher always telling everyone right from wrong, she’s practically Jesus in the form of a little girl… such characters can’t even work on tiny children, let alone more mature audiences. It’s just that Naruto isn’t one of those characters. :)
Very good points! After reading a few arguments relating to my Naruto example, I have to agree! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights! I really appreciate it!
Not every teenager, and not even most
There's one thing that really irks me. When the protagonist or other character over-explains their lifestyle or superpower to the viewer. Every time that happens I'm like "thanks for telling the audience that." It's just annoying to me. Show don't tell folks.
Great points Nooby! That stuff also annoys me haha. Thank you for checking out this video and taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
when i read this i thought of mha lol
like do they rlly hafta say what every character's quirk is every ep
@@_toratan Well I like it when Yamada explains the quirks because it’s quick.
It's good if a new character with a quirk shows up
Hisoka 😂
“Korra catches more Ls than I can count” literally the reason I stopped watching the show. How you gonna be the avatar and still get beat by like 5 henchmen 💀
LOL FOR REAL and then she loses the avatar spirit as if Aang didn't spend 3 seasons putting work in to NOT LET THAT HAPPEN LOL
That's not even close to accurate XD
@@MonitorComics Lol how sure are you about that? Korra was getting worked
@@OdelyxRa Korra got bodied in every fight LOL. She nearly died against Amon and only pulled through because the plot gave her airbending and the plot let aang restore her power. She nearly died against Unaloq and got the avatar spirit stollen. She only won because the plot let her become a big kaiju monster. Korra literally nearly died against Zaheer and only won cause the airbenders somehow trapped him. She also got beaten in front of everyone against Kuvira, who was JUST a earthbender/metalbender. Korra only won in the end because she had every character helping her. She got rocked literally ALL OF THE TIME
@@MonitorComics Oh wait I'm sorry. I was asking this question to D-Skill not you LMAO. Wrong @, sorry about that😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Imo I think the greatest tip for anyone would be just to start. You most likely wont make a masterpiece, but you can have fun creating something that others will enjoy.
Great point! Thank you for taking the time to share!
I feel like the ultimate goal for a protagonist isn't to be relatable but to be interesting in comparison to their world, making a character relatable doesn't necessarily equate engagement, maybe it creates emotional attachment, but that isn't the be and end-all of good protags.
Very true! That is a great point! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! There are many exceptions to the tips in this video! So I completely agree!
I definitely needed these tips because I’ve been stuck in a rock and a hard place for my protag (I’ve finally started to understand what I wanted my protag to be like better but I still felt like I was missing something). So thanks for always making helpful videos! Also my favorite recent protagonist is Violet from Violet Evergarden (just watched that anime recently and I loved it!)
I'm glad to hear this video could help you, Rekter! Best of luck with your story!!
What genre
@@hdsm2481 Of my story? It’s a mystery, drama, and action.
Found you here lol
@@divyanshsingh6805 Hello lol.
Even if you want to make Overpowered character
1 : make enemies equal or a little more powerful than your protagonist
2 : make some barriers for the protagonist like holding back
3 : don't come up with sudden and unexplained power ups when the plot needs it
4 : make the protagonist emotionally vulnerable to some things like Childhood trauma or loss of a loved one
No 1 here already makes tge character no longer overpowered as far as the plot concerns the enemy more powerful than him
And in some verses if the enemy is stronger than you then you just lose, and for 2 there isnt reason to be holding back at all, with 3 that doesnt make the character un-overpowered, and 4 not all characters have this@@Naija_Ninja
If the story switches from one character’s POV to another character’s POV without them dying, wouldn’t that make them both protagonists? If a “false protagonist” lives long enough wouldn’t that still make them a protagonist in their own right?
Does Lelouch really care little about other characters? I don't think that's an accurate characterization. He literally attempts to help those people in ep 1 when the truck crases, tries to save Suzaku in like ep 4, tries to save Shirley and prevent her from any danger, doesn't want CC to die, gives himself up to save Kallen, continually tries to save nunally, etc. On top of this, he's also quick to take the lives of those who work for his enemies. But isn't that exactly the kind of morally grey character you talked about? I think the intended point was great I just don't think Lelouch is a great example of that. Would I say Lelouch is a very relatable guy? HELL no lmaoo but that's more so because of his background rather than his morality,
You make some great points! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate it!!
Lelouch's disdain for Brttania and their injustices were what drove him to take them down for good no matter what sacrificing his own people, family and morals... and at even sanity.. and he did it perfectly. Lelouch is a godly protagonist and Code Geass is golden.
idgaf what anybody says Light Yagami was not an anti-hero, that man was an entire villain.
TRUE LOL
No light is anti-villain ( they have good thoughs and goals, but they do it in evil way, like thanos )
@@rizzutooo hell nahhhh. Villain!
Fair point, I haven’t seen Death Note (I think he’s the protagonist from that) but I never thought he was an anti-hero, always a villain but with less villainous intentions like getting rid of killers.
if there's one thing that i've learned from solo leveling is that as long as the art is fire, even a simple story will get popular
LOL true
Just writing a comment to support the channel, I'll watch it later when I have time but I already know it's going to be great!
Edit: I just watched it and great video as always, I learn more from you then from hours of TH-cam manga videos 👍
Thank you so much Khun!! I really appreciate it!
I just want to say that for people who don't know that a reactive protagonist is different from a passive one. Jotaro from Jojo and Yugi from Yugioh are reactive but no one would call them passive. The main difference to me is how the main plot progresses. If the antagonist is pushing the plot at many points, then it is reactive, but it the protagonist is the one pushing the plot forward at most points then he is proactive.
Thank you for sharing that clarification! I appreciate it!
I totally want to build a stronger deuteragonist and protagonist! Thanks for the advice, Monitor Comics!
Of course! Glad this video could help!
Tip 2: Avoid Over powered protagonists
Saitama: ok
Consecutive Normal punches!
one of the main things that makes OPM so great is that it is able to construct an interesting story with an overpowered protagonist. Typically you should avoid overpowered protagonists unless you know what you’re doing.
@@digdogg_ Exactly! Great points! Thank you for taking the time to share that!
@@digdogg_ yeah that's why supermarket sucks
I think you should have mentioned that this is just a guideline to making a good protagonist.
Thanks for another great video! And thanks for including Mugen and Spike, two of my favorite protagonists. :) I especially appreciated your last point; too often, a protagonist can be written as someone the story happens to instead of the initiator of the story. Unless the character has an arc and becomes more active, this feels more like “plot” than “story.”
You make some great points Devin! Thank you for checking this video out and taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
Man, this video came right when I need it, I was struggling with my protagonist a bit but this really helped
Can relate
Same, I’ve been rewriting my protagonist heavily over the past few months and just recently I’ve started doing it again because I felt like I was misunderstanding what I really wanted my protagonist to be like.
I'm really glad to hear that Aychaz! Thank you for checking this video out and taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it! Best of luck with your story!
@Aychaz YT What were you struggling on?
@@nickmccauley8009 he just didn't feel real/believable...
Amazing! I Love the definitions and examples used it makes it 100× easier to understand!
Super glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
These are one of those rare videos where the comment section is just as informational as the video itself. It's like 2 sources full of good information in one area, watched the vid and read most of the comments and I got a really good mindset on this topic with my own opinions thrown in.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and joining in on the discussion! I am super honored to have a fanbase that is so open to helping each other and sharing more information!
@@MonitorComics Yeah it's really nice
I'm really glad TH-cam recommended your channel to me, there's a whole lot of info which, while mainly targeting manga and comic authors, can really be applied to videogames and novels too. Especially videos on the general mindset to have while creating one's work, like this one!
Always interesting to see these writing techniques broken down from well known series! Great video!
Thank you so much Peach!!
For me, I try to write a character that certain people can understand.
For example: the protagonist could be viewed as a emo to outsiders, but as the story progresses those outsiders begin to realize that there is actually something wrong, while people who can already understand can acknowledge that this character needs help, and can relate to the eventual downfall of “oh it’s just their Emo Phase” to everyone trying to help because they didn’t understand what they were going through. I experienced this same thing, it appeared to be just an Emo Phase I would grow out of, but then devolved into a spiral of depression, I want my character to reflect that.
There are characters that can be relatable to all audiences, but the ones that only certain groups can understand are all the more previous to me
Those are some great points! Thanks for taking the time to share all of that!
Thanks for another great video this really help out btw I see you re drawing your one shot art is improving nicely
I'm glad to hear that this video could be helpful! Thank you for taking the time to check this video out and leave a comment, Rizpatch! And YES I was working on a redesign for my one shot protagonists haha, I'm happy you noticed that! The finished illustration is posted on my Instagram!
Yo I just discovered your channel because I thought up of a story and got really inspired to make manga, and so many of your videos are tips I didn't even think about in the first place, and it's helping me a lot with making my own manga, so thank you for making these videos and keep up your good work man!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment all of that! I really appreciate it!! Best of luck with your manga!
@enderlmao What’s your story about?
Fantastic tips. Really appreciated the character examples as well.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a nice comment! I really appreciate it!
I think Naruto is relatable. His optimism is something we all have deep down, we all wish that even the worst people could possibly change, or at least find them interesting enough to talk to.
Plus (pre war ofc) he didn't just go around forgiving people. He didn't forgive Pain at all. He even stated that he wanted to kill him, but he wanted to at least understand his thought process because Pain ofc is interesting. I mean he gave a whole speech to Naruto, so ofc he wants to go talk to him, and obviously the reader wants to as well.
While I did write overpowered protagonists, I tend to avoid making it "Well you see, this character can easily get passed conflicts." As a page of my one shot shows: even though the protagonist is strong. he can't solo everything nor "one shot" enemies as the world becomes increasingly dangerous and difficult as he continues to travel. Him trying to solo will get himself killed. On top of that, he does have to use his power in a smart way rather than just throw out magical abilities
Side note: thanks for mentioning legend of Korra as I literally watched a few of her fights. It felt like watching that one character who just loses all the time. Her victories truly came from the plot armour.
Thanks a lot for creating for this video. I really needed it
Of course! I'm happy to hear that Harshal! Thank you for checking this video out and taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it! Best of luck with your story!
Thanks so much for these amazing tips you're so underrated
I really appreciate that!!
Shinji ikari he switches back and forth between an active and passive protagonist and his duality is represented by the active and aggressive yet traumatized asuka and the passive and obedient yet emotionally distant rei
Very good points! Thank you for taking the time to share that example and explain it! I really appreciate it!!
Bellissimo! Keep at it, Monitor!
Thank you Miftah! I really appreciate it!!
Any aspiring comic creator needs a channel like you. Kudos!
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a nice comment!
Never stop making videos man you helps me a lot
Super glad to hear that! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch them and leaving a nice comment!!
In other words, make a character that is like rock lee.
Yup but don't treat him like kishimoto
@@paulvarus859 lol
This was very insightful. I tend to find protagonists challenging to write as I tend not to relate to protagonists as closely as many of the support characters in most series. They also tend to blend into each other a lot.
Some of my favourite protagonists include:
Will Treaty from Ranger's Apprentice (I am currently reading this series). I like Will as he follows many typical fantasy protagonist tropes without feeling plain and vanilla. He also is very proactive. His character is also inquisitive, allowing plot and world-building to get relayed to the audience engagingly.
Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia), Midoriya has a special place for me. MHA is my first anime and manga and the first series to have a protagonist as my favourite character. I found him quite relatable with him crying a lot, being an awkward nerdy fanboy (or, in my case, fangirl) and not being naturally talented.
Yugi Muto/ Atem (Yu-Gi-Oh!, manga, not anime) I read Yu-Gi-Oh! expecting to find it childish and stupid because I knew it as that "card game kids anime" but found it was actually delightful and exceedingly dark. Kazuki Takahashi utilises Yugi, as in the "little" one, to create relatability but uses Atem to make the protagonist stand out. Atem, in the early part of the series, is literally insane. He sets people on fire, tortures others and is definitely not the traditional "heroic" Shonen protagonist. I know these two are technically two separate characters, but considering they are introduced as one and bounce off each other to balance each other's weaknesses, I thought I should mention both.
Shigeo Kageyama aka Mob (Mob Pyscho 100) Shigeo is an OP character done right because his powers do not directly relate to his goals. If you want to write an OP character in terms of fighting and magical powers, you need to ensure those powers either don't help or hinder one's ability to achieve their goal. I also just love Mob Psycho 100 and all the characters.
Mash Burnedead (Mashle: Magic and Muscles) he's funny. He's not really a brilliant character, but he's just goofy and hilarious, and Harry Potter was my first fandom and obsession, so the humour really suites me. Plus, he loves food (creme puffs), and that's relatable.
Thanks for reading :) I know this was a long message.
You made some great points! Thank you for checking this video out and taking the time to share your thoughts!
@@MonitorComics No problem :)
I also remembered that I missed one character.
John Doe from Unordinary (Webtoon). I don't want to say too much cause it's still relatively unknown compared to other series but I can recommend it for looking at character arcs.
@@forgettableotaku Awesome! Thank you for following up! I will definitely check it out!
The way this video is made is a perfect combination of entertaining and informative. It’s not excessively long like some other tutorials I’ve seen- which is good for my low attention span and other people who may be the same way-, there’s some good art being made in the background, and the description has timestamps, which I really thank you for! Subscribing to this now
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to provide helpful feedback! Happy to have you!
@@MonitorComics No problem! And I'm glad for there to be a good channel like this on the platform too.
Appreciate the tips
I've actually gone with a more open interpretation. Where in my story there are 2 factions that both have leaders for both sides. My goal is to make the story interesting with the freedom from the reader to choose how they see it. At least with the current one that I'm writing. I may be explaining it badly but that's the jist of it for the basis.
That sounds awesome! Thank you for taking the time to check out this video and taking the time to share! I really appreciate it! Best of luck with your project!
@@MonitorComics Thanks for making the informative video. You got yourself a sub. Thanks for the luck and good luck with your channel.
@@dannyrivas40 I appreciate that! Same to you with your projects!
I'll keep in mind that I need my protag to have mediocre power, but still make him impressive.
Thank you for this video
Thank YOU for watching!
These are pretty good tips keep up the good work 👍🏽
Thank you so much I really appreciate it!
Thank you for making this! I've only been creating quick sketches and story plots that I never had the time to organize anything.
I still have some writing gaps with the plot and I have trouble knowing how to fit them or how how to progress further. I'm mostly stuck at writing at this point and I wondering if you could make a vid about that? Only if it's no bother.
But thank you again for this video! It helped a lot!
Thank you for taking the time to check out this video and leaving a comment I really appreciate it! I also appreciate the video suggestion! Could you elaborate a bit more on what you are struggling with? Like overall story structure? Plot development? How to plan chapters?
@@MonitorComics Hi!! Thank you! I think mostly just plot development, how to plan chapters, and balancing filler with lore/plot.
@@anordinarygurl9642 So you are wanting to make a manga then?
Same, I make characters perfectly and I have ideas for a series in general but I don’t know how to make the characters and the plot mix together perfectly. Mine is similar to AoT and Demon Slayer when it comes to creatures killing humans but I want to make it so that readers can choose which side to take, the killing creature’s or the people killing the creatures.
Remember, these are tips for a protagonist of a classic adventure/fighting story. For example I saw a comment saying that Saitama is literally an opposite of what a good protagonist should be, and yet is a pretty good protagonist. The reason of that, is that the beginning of OPM is a slice of life-type anime (maybe a bit extreme life, but it’s still Saitama’s life)
Good points! These tips are meant to be taken however you feel will best help you and your story! They are by no means the ONLY way of writing a good protagonist. Characters like Saitama break the mold of "overpowered characters are usually written poorly." There are exceptions to everything! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I’m literally just happy you put nana in the thumbnail.
YESSS, love Nana
very insightful
Korra gets too much heat, the L's she takes are consequences that i feel lack a lot on these stories, even when all seems lost they always manage to overcome it without losing something vital
I personally disagree with the overpowering/underwhelming part
Underwhelming: with Korra I find myself rooting for her more since it was he dream to be the avatar since she found out she was the avatar but was to brash, overconfident and not very understanding so when she did lost some of her fights it was either an internal struggle she was having with herself or humbled her and gave her humility and have more of an understanding not just as a person but as an avatar as well, it honestly makes me root for her more and more for seeing how much she changed and grown, not with physically or power scale but more mentally and when she defeats the final villain (in the show) it’s not with her strengths it was with her understanding and sympathy for the villain that helped her win
Overpowered: I can agree overpowered characters can bring down tension and stakes but I say that depends on how it’s handled, One Punch Man for example Saitama is literally the most powerful person in the series (I didn’t read the manga yet so don’t spoil anything) where he literally obliterates people with just 1 punch but instead of developing him it develops the world instead like the characters that lives in it, and for Saitama it even has him questioning things like he’s the strongest, no one is actually a threat against him, what’s the point of anything to do when you can do anything keeping him as a very realistic character, I personally do see in what your saying but I also believe it mostly depends on how the writing for an underwhelming/overpowered character is. Overall I really do like the video and gonna enjoy seeing more in the future
Thank you for taking the time to check out this video and provide your own thoughts and feedback! I really appreciate it!
I can definitely see your points with Saitama, he is definitely an exception. I usually think of overpowered isekai protagonists when talking about a character being overpowered
Again, thank you for the feedback! I will keep it in mind in my future videos! All the best!
Nice! I was just thinking about this🤗
I'm happy to hear that Orlando! Thank you for checking out this video and taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
thanks bruhhhh i Iove to see great young great writers Iike GOOD VID BRUH
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
This is a good video, but I disagree with some of the exqmples and advice. For instance tip 1, is a good point, but the examples don't support the claim. Kirito from Sword Art Online or most protagonists from any harem series are MUCH better examples than Naruto and Lelouch. Yes, they have aspects of them that are unrelatable but it doesn’t make them bad characters. What made Naruto so popular is the fact Naruto is an underdog. He was raised an orphan with the whole village afraid and wanting nothing to do with him. He grew up alone and wants to achieve a dream where he's finally accepted by everyone. That's relatable. And Lelouch is just a highschool student who wants to make the world a better place. He sees the flaws in society and feels powerless to stop anything. That's relatable. Naruto talking to each villain afterwards only happens once he defeats them (except for Obito. He was the only one Naruto talked down without defeating him first). He's not overly friendly, he just empathizes with his villains because he knows what its like to be alone.
Lelouch being ruthless and cold is mainly through a persona he created so he could raise an army and make the difficult choices it would take to bring about a new world. The story shows how he struggles with these choices either afterwards or beforehand. He's an aristocrat, but he rejects his family and the society that puts his upbringing on a pedestal. Even though he does the things he does, the audience can at least empathize with his intentions.
Moving on to Tip 2. This, from what I've seen, depends on one thing: execution. Ainz from Overlord is actually an example of how to write a GOOD overpowered character. And anyone who's seen season 1 of Invincible knows that Mark is a perfect example of an interesting underwhelming character. Having your character be too powerful or too weak can be bad writing UNLESS you know how to make it intresting. Think Saitama from one punch man, Mob from Mob Psycho 100, or even Saiki from Saiki K as good examples of overpowered characters done right. And Part 1 Naruto, and Mark from Invincible as good examples of underpowered characters written right. It always depends on execution.
Those are my only complaints about this video. The other points i dont have a problem with. It's just the first two I've seen evidence of the contrary
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I really appreciate it! I have to agree with you about the examples! I thought I'd be beating a dead horse if I went after the harem or isekai protagonists again lol, but I see now that I could have gone about it in a different way! I'll learn from this for future videos haha I'm glad you enjoyed the video though and took the time to leave a comment!
@@MonitorComics I also disagree with point 5. You couldve chosen better examples for this too. Oreki is passive in the beginning for a reason. As the chararcters around him influence him, he becomes more proactive. This is his character development. Good video though, your insight helped me quite a bit. All the best!
@@tobynguyen8590 Thank you for the feedback!
Hi! This video is great but i would like to point out some stuff that i think is just as necessary as what you said.
1) having a very moral/amoral protagonist doesn't make it bad, As long as you are able to make the readers get interested in the protagonist's interaction with other characters. Some examples are goku and luffy: Altough they have basic personalities their strenght comes out in how they interact with what challenges their views (for example goku vs frieza or luffy vs doffy ). As a matter of fact i think that most people would say that goku and luffy are a big part of what makes their Mangas great.
2) the bit about the protagonist's power level is kinda incomplete. You should not base your stakes only on strengths bit also on the emotional side,which can be accomplished greatly even with wesker characters. If you only consider strenght in that you run in the power creep problem which affects most Shonens. An example of emotional stakes is the heaven arena saga in h×h. Gon was grossly underpowered compared to hisoka, all the tension was beacuse of their personal relationship and gon wanting to prove a point.
I don't want to sound arrogant, i just wish to give good insight
You make some very good points! Thank you for taking the time to check out the video and leave your thoughts! I really appreciate it!
YOOOO WHY ARE YOU SO UNDERRATED I JUST FOUND YOUR CHANNEL AND ITS FIRE.
Thank you I really appreciate it!!
@@MonitorComics np man keep it up
SUCH A GOOD TUTORIAL!
I'm glad this video could help! Thanks for taking the time to watch!
@@MonitorComics thank you so much!
cool video, if you're ever looking for good inspiration for protagonists, I'd look at re zero and steins gate
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! Those are great choices!
How the hell do you mess up watching an anime so badly that you interpret the rebel leader fighting against an imperialist superpower as a fascist?? Did this guy mix up Light and Lelouch or something? If anything, Lelouch is a selfless hero.
Great vid 🙌🏽
Thank you for taking the time to check out this video and leave a comment! I really appreciate it IInd!
@@MonitorComics no sweat 🙌🏽 I’m pretty sure most people agree that your content is super helpful! Have a good day
Thank you so much this really helpful for the comic book series I’m working on
I'm super glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment! Best of luck with your comic!
What if I have a story I want to tell through the manga medium, but I am not an artist just a writer??
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! If you want to make a manga then you will need to partner up with an artist!
The easiest way is to commission an artist to work on your story. What's good about this is you have total control over what artist works on it. You can also oversee everything they draw so it is to your liking. The cons with this are commission prices can be expensive, especially for manga pages.
The harder way to partner up with an artist is to find someone who believes in your idea and would be willing to work for free. Since you are a writer, you should already have sample pieces or a portfolio. An artist might ask to see the script for a few chapters to see if it's something they'd like to work on. They might also ask to see your previous works to see if they believe in your writing ability
Hopefully, that helps, best of luck!
I too am a writer, I pulled a thanos, I'll do it myself. Currently I'm self teaching myself how to draw with youtbers like some normal art and art senpai. If you want to collaborate with an artist they'd have to be a close friend or relative...most mangaka are both writers and artists..rare exceptions are one punch man and death note..inspirational upstarts look at webtoons the boxer and I am the grim reaper
Just like the creators of Dr. Stone
You could do the same as the creators of Dr. Stone
I would work with you on that but it depends on your ideas and how you’d want to talk to eachother. I draw manga pages for enjoyment and on some of my channel shorts I have drawings of protagonists from different anime’s on there but my style for manga is more realistic than what you’d see in the average manga and I highly doubt that that’s what you’re looking for considering the fact that it would take about 30-90 minutes per page just for a sketch and starting to shade…
Did you really just call Lelouche a fascist? Have you even watched the show. I understand the naruto example of him being too just, but lelouche is way more complex than just an evil antihero. I would put Light Yagami instead here as an example. I get the point overall but your example just kinda bothered me.
Yeah, that annoyed to the crap out of me. I mean, maybe you could make the argument that he’s something of a false fascist? I’m trying to avoid spoilers, but the whole point of the ending was for him to win by “losing”. Nothing he ever did that I could consider fascist was ever meant to succeed.
@@valiantshadow89 yeah the creator of this video clearly must've just read the synopsis without watching the actual show because that was an extremely shallow summary of Lelouche's character, I would even call it a completely wrong summary. Kind of misleading when you're trying to educate people on how to write characters...
Thank you so much for this! I'm not drawing a comic or manga, but I was struggling with how I wanted to present my protagonist in a story I'm currently writing. I think I've got the basic grounds on how I want to write her now.
I'm super glad to hear that! Thank you so much for still watching the video even though you are not making a comic! I wish more writers would be open-minded to trying my stuff haha. Best of luck with your story!!
@Chara the Forgotten Soul What’s the story about?
@@nickmccauley8009 Basically it's a heavily death themed story with three kids having to solve puzzles in order to find their way through purgatory to move on to Heaven.
It isn't really as simple as that, but I if tell you everything I've come up with, we'll be here a while lol 'cause it plays a lot into the different types of ghosts, their reasoning for being the way they are, and the weird rules of this version of purgatory.
Oh ye, the girl I was talking about is one of the three kids.
@@twilight_potato Well if you want to I have a sever with friends on discord if you want to continue sharing your manga on there. I be more than happy to listen to the rest on there if you choose! Let me know if you want the link
Good tips!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
My favorite protagonist takemichi hanagaki from Tokyo revenger
That's a good choice! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
Hey, thanks for the video! Really useful content! I have two questions. One: My protagonist is the type who isn't much of a combatant but can influence others with his will. Would that work? Two: What are some examples of a GOOD protagonist?
Thanks and Cheers.
A good example of a top tier protagonist would be gon and Yuskue (hunter x hunter and yuyu hakusho
Baam From Tower Of God is a really Really REALLY great protagonist. You should check it out.
For your first question that totally works, there are characters like Natsuki Subaru, who are like that and remain absouletly incredible mcs
Great video
Thank you so much I really appreciate it!
great advice, I hope it will help
You focus too much on whether or not you can relate to the character. Some characters you're simply not meant to relate to. A main character isn't required to be "relatable".
From my experience working with editors and publishers... they care about it a lot LOL. If your story or other elements are interesting enough to justify NOT having a relatable character, then you're an exception
HOWEVER, from my own experience, a lot of those stories have been rejected because amateurs are very unlikely to be producing those exceptional/amazing stories.
I'd just like to say that anyone who needs additional help with characters or just manga in general should read Manga in Theory and Practice by Hirohiko Araki
Even though it's written in a novel format and has almost no pictures I somehow absorbed the knowledge and found it to be a huge help :D
TRUE I own that book as well! It is a great read!
@@MonitorComics did you put deku beside guts ?????????!??? Are you okay in the head ??
@@Panda-il4kv Gotta clickbait people like you somehow!
@@MonitorComics lol it definitely worked.
Thanks for the Tips Monitor ✊🏾 I've definitely needed these Helpful tips! I've been slightly struggling writing my Protagonist as I haven't been certain what it is that he wants, needs or desires. Now that I've watched this Video, I'm finally clear and in the right place as I can finally write down the things that he wants, even if he's a Young adolescent. Thanks again Monitor 🙏🏾✌🏾🔥✊🏾🌟
I'm super glad to hear that! Thank you so much for taking the time to share Cloud! I really appreciate it! Best of luck with your project!
@@MonitorComics Thanks Dude! And Same to you as well!!
@@NastheVictorious What’s your story about?
@@nickmccauley8009 ohhh it's awesome bro! And thanks for asking me about it 😁🤙🏾 so basically my Manga comic book series is called "UNSTOPPABLE" and it's about a group of (*8*) Eccentric Teenage outcasts who've made an Extraordinary discovery when they have found a Glowing Cosmic meteorite which had Crash landed into the outskirts of their Sunny but Humid hometown of Pheonix, Arizona. As they approach this multicolored space rock to learn more about its Strange and unusual energy, it suddenly imbues them All with Incredible Paranormal Extra-diemensional super powers! As they must learn to harness their unique and Extraordinary abilities, they swear upon an oath to never cross over to their Darksides. Meanwhile as they learn to try their very best to keep their Extraordinary Supernatural abilities a secret from their friends, family and loved ones, a government agency program whom studies rare and Extraordinarily powerful energies in the universe has tracked them down to find them hiding in their Beloved city of the Sun. As things begin to escalate leading to a Dangerous Slippery slope, they run and hide leaving their city to save their family from danger including from themselves! Mean while, as a stay cat begins to encounter these trouble adolescents, he admits he was responsible for the meteorite which had awakened their Supernatural powers! He offers them a chance to bring back their old lives and erasing the damages that they've caused, on one condition. They must help this strange Paranormal cat named "Kashmir" aka "Kaz-muur-arg" retrieve his beloved Gemstone/ meteorite called the "Stone of S@luu" from the hands of the u.s. government of Energy and Resources. AND fight alongside him against an evil Intergalactic space Witch named "Empress Zeathera" and her army of Darkness! Basically This will be the main story arc and plot of the first installment of UNSTOPPABLE the series! Hope you really like this story man, because it brings me joy and honor to share this fantastical Shonen Manga series with you!
@@NastheVictorious And what does your protagonist want? His goal?
Damn bro, your videos appeared just when I needed them as I wanted to start making a manga, thank you very much
Super glad to hear that! Thank you for checking out the video and leaving a comment!
@Probably Piergiammi Production Whats your manga About?
@@nickmccauley8009 i think i'll make a Battle shonen , I'm working on the plot
@@THE_PIER Oh, you already have a battle system in mind?
@@nickmccauley8009 yeah something like one piece and Hunter x Hunter
I’ve got to disagree with the part where the protagonist needs to be relatable. Relatability isn’t always a good thing. A good protagonist or a good character for that matter doesn’t need to be relatable so long as they’re compelling and interesting. You think characters like Goku and Luffy are loved for they’re relatability? No if anything they’re beloved protagonists for the opposite reason. Take a character like Sakura (and I’m not trying to throw Sakura shade I’m just saying the general view on her) she’s pretty much a take on a normal teenage girl in the world of ninja the problem is people don’t want a normal teenage girl they want to see a competent character who doesn’t obsess over a boy, whine and complain all the time (again speaking from a general view). You’re tip of not making your protagonist passive can kind of counteract the tip of making your protagonist relatable because to some people passive protagonists like that are the most relatable. Not many people are as proactive as these protagonists. The point is as long as the protagonist is compelling, interesting has well established goals, beliefs and viewpoint then relatability isn’t entirely necessary, Ya know
You make some really good points! I have to agree with you there! Especially with your points about Sakura's role in the Naruto world!
When I made this video, I was mostly thinking about things I've heard from editors and publishers. They try to push relatable characters because many rookie stories aren't strong enough to carry the experience (like stories without relatable characters such as dbz, naruto, code geass that you mentioned)
I do agree though that it is on a case-by-case basis. Some stories are so great or there are other elements that don't warrant a relatable protagonist like Death Note
In stories like Isekai Fantasies though where the entire premise and writing is mediocre, an unrelatable character is a cherry on top for disliking it.
So while I AGREE with your points about reliability NOT being a necessity, it's something writers should think about (especially if their story or concept isn't strong enough to warrant it)
Thank you again for taking the time to write such a well-thought-out comment, I really appreciate it!!
@@MonitorComics No problem! Thanks for listening. While your here can I get your advice. Do you think wanting to see the world is a decent character motivation? For my story the world has many fantasy elements that are still relatively new and hasn’t been entirely discovered.
@@jojogarlin8369 I think that's a good motivation, especially for a adventure series where you want to really focus in on beautiful landscapes, different locations, etc. It's also a relatable trait that many people could probably relate to. It can also keep the story moving!
@@MonitorComics thanks for the feedback
Aragorn from Lord of The Rings is not relatable whatsoever but is universally loved by everyone because of how compelling he is. I watched a lot of anime and I am sick and tired of the "relatable" character trope because most of the time it means that they are a blank slate so that everyone can self insert themselves into and their personality becomes boring and one dimensional. Things that happen in the story that are good for the protagonist only happen because they naturally fall towards him not because he deserved it. It's just cringe honestly. Don't get me wrong I do like well written characters that are relatable, but most of the time when you go for the "relatable" character trope it feels disingenuous because you aren't writing a character, you are writing a blank slate.
"Lelouch is a repulsive human being" I don't take advice from plebs.
He's literally a terrorist LOL. While we root for him and his goals because he's the protag, terrorism is always frowned upon
Just found this channel appreciate the video helped me think more about my own story
Really glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to watch!
This has helped in may character designing. Mixing that with some tropes I've learned from comic books, it has made the character designing process fun.
That's awesome to hear! Glad this video could help a bit! Thanks for taking the time to check it out and leaving a comment!
Tip #1: Don't make a Deku
I don't know if he was the protagonist per say but he was definitely one of the main focuses. Rorschack from Watchmen was one of the most intense anti-heroes I had ever seen growing up and he doesn't even have any powers. He was poetically and methodically dedicated to detective work and one of the coldest fighters in all of comics. The writers were stunning in their choice to give him such a prominent role only to kill him off by the very end of the story. It was incredible.
This video is INCEREDIBLE! I'm so glad I found it :D
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a nice comment!! I really appreciate it!!
Currently thinking about rewriting my story (that I've been working on since last year November) because I'm not satisfied with it, and I always felt like my main character only had one emotion, this video definitely helps a lot, thank you!
Glad this video could help! Best of luck with your story!
Can you make another one about support character? ,thanks for making this video i definitely needed these tips.
I'm glad to hear this video could be useful!! I'll also add your suggestion to my list of upcoming topics! Thank you for checking this video out and taking the time to leave a comment! I really appreciate it!
Thanks. This was very helpful. Now I can adjust White's ( from my Wattpad DragonXDragon) personality a little more.
The thumbnail had me like:
One of these is DEFINiTELY not like the others.
Will do things myself from now.
Thanks a lot I was stuck😸
I'm happy this video could help! Thank you for checking this video out and taking the time to leave a comment!
Denji in my opinion is the pinnacle of Relatable Cultured Protag
TRUE
@@MonitorComics thx for the reply
I shall play in the games. Upcoming assignment too. I’ll make it very challenging for myself.
This video was very helpful, but I feel you downplay some characters that you've mentioned and oversimplified them. For example, Hachiman and Lelouch are both very good characters respectively, despite Hachiman being passive and Lelouch being unrelatable, I find them to be very strong and well written characters. So maybe some of these troupes don't have to be necessarily avoided? Also, I understand that this video is meant to be short and quick tips so I expect you to oversimplify a bit anyways. Amazing video! I'll definitely check your other content.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! You are correct that I oversimplified some parts. Especially Lelouche. I tried to get across the point that some stories have other factors that justify NOT having a relatable character. Code geass for example had amazing writing so it worked out. Same with Hachiman, he was a passive character in hindsight but in reality was doing the absolute most. My point for using them as examples was based on my experience with editors and publishers. I've seen them push for relatable protagonists because most rookies aren't good enough to write great stories like SNAFU and Code Geass, especially if its their first story. So it's a safer bet to shoot for the relatability aspect if your writing or other elements aren't strong enough to warrant not having it if that makes sense. I appreciate the support though! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you.
Of course! Thanks for watching I hope it was able to help a bit!
Thank you
Thank YOU for watching!
So-
Working on Character stuff but unsure of how strong it'll be.
My two main characters meet eachother when they are kids, introduce a small happy bubble of their childhood and give an explanation why they would actually become acquaintances later on.
Major sequence with the two being enlisted into the military to fight a rebelling Faction.
The whole "Military Conflict" is ambiguous but the two were separated and by chance they meet back up, they have visibly and emotionally changed somewhat, becoming reserved but keep acquainted due to their past friendship.
They become hostile to eachother while on a mission however and it leads to a scuffle which causes them to get put into a bad situation where the two reflect and rekindle their friendship, believing they were going to die.
Afterwards they manager to escape and realized what they now had to do to get enough money to even survive, having reflected on what had made them so reserved and bitter in the Mission, what had happened after the Conflict, their "Reward".
They made an enemy to the "Heroes", The Paladins as they start their own group to ruin the hold they have over the people.
Sounds cool! Thank you for sharing!
Hey! Can you gave some tips on line weights?
Thank you for taking the time to leave a video suggestion Shreyash! I'll add it to my list of upcoming videos!