4 near-perfect shonen anime ruined by the main character

While some shonen anime heroes become evergreen characters, others drag down their own series at breakneck speed. A perfect shonen anime not only needs great worldbuilding, intriguing villain and side characters, but a protagonist who does not feel like a rehash of every overused trope. At some point, the same old speeches, plot armor, and last-minute power-ups begin to feel frustrating, making fans lose hope for a shonen anime that was otherwise perfect.

Many masterpiece shonen anime are ruined by overpowered main characters who remain regrettably underdeveloped. These anime might be all-time classics, but a painfully repetitive protagonist renders them ‘near-perfect’ instead of the legendary status they could have achieved.

Asta Convinced Many Fans to Abandon Black Clover Too Early

Black Clover had the markings to be a great shonen anime, but it was dragged down by its own protagonist, Asta. As soon as the anime began, viewers were assaulted by Asta’s endless shouting about his dreams. The character’s high-pitched screams paired with his boundless energy often turned out to be irritating instead of inspiring, which is why many viewers decide to leave the anime after its first few episodes.

Even when Black Clover’s plot became engaging, Asta’s character remained somewhat one-dimensional. He has the same old goal as any other shonen anime hero, with nothing special to add. His extremely optimistic outlook also feels unrealistic. From his happy-go-lucky nature to always backing his comrades, nothing feels new or refreshing. Black Clover’s plot might have turned out to be even more intriguing if the tropes associated with Asta were executed better.

Tanjiro Is a Perfect but Unrelatable Goody Two-Shoes

Demon Slayer’s Tanjiro takes empathy to the extreme by extending it to not only his comrades but also the very demons who are trying to eat him up. Tanjiro’s core argument is that demons are not inherently malicious, even though the same demons have killed innumerable people. Outside of his limitless kindness and urge to protect others, Tanjiro simply does not have any other noticeable traits.

Tanjiro feels like a side character in his own anime, since there are plenty of side characters with better development, like Akaza or Zenitsu. Tanjiro’s morals and motivation never change throughout the anime, and even after facing so many demons, his beliefs never change. Although Tanjiro’s tragic backstory moved the hearts of fans, he has no negative traits, and his values are so perfect that he becomes unrelatable soon.

Kazuya Constantly Creates Misunderstandings In Rent-a-Girlfriend

Rent-a-Girlfriend’s Kazuya Kinoshita has to be one of the most frustrating shonen anime protagonists. The character is well-known for constantly lying to others. Instead of owning up to a mistake or clearing up an awkward atmosphere, Kazuya chooses to spin a web of lies and rarely ever comes out clean. His never-ending cycle of whining without taking appropriate actions becomes boring very quickly.

Rent-a-Girlfriend has a refreshing storyline in the beginning, but Kazuya’s repeated overthinking without taking any appropriate actions makes the series feel repetitive. While the anime tries to portray him as a good person deep down, the act is not convincing since he spirals into fake relationships despite falling for Chizuru. The biggest downfall of the anime is how it never allows Kazuya to undergo any character development, making him a difficult character to root for.

Natsu Dragneel Lowered the Stakes in Fairy Tail

Natsu wins almost every fight in Fairy Tail, except when it’s a battle against motion sickness. Natsu is a powerful character who often defeats opponents with his sheer determination instead of any strategy. At some point, Natsu’s victory becomes a given in Fairy Tail, affecting its stakes. While the ‘power of friendship’ is a central theme in Fairy Tail, Natsu takes it to an extreme, and never develops beyond his battle-loving, impulsive self.

Fairy Tail has a rich world with interesting characters, yet Natsu steals the spotlight repeatedly by delivering the final blow. Natsu contributes to repetitive storytelling, and he rarely ever suffers from a lasting injury, mostly because of how powerful he is. Although Natsu embodies the themes of Fairy Tail, he still feels underused as a character.