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Oct 8, 2023 8:11 PM
#1

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I want to ask this question to people who don't like morally disgusting characters. Let's have a debate.
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Oct 8, 2023 8:26 PM
#2
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I don't think it makes it better or worse, it just appeals to a different audience. Some people don't want to watch a show with a character like that, and that's fine. Other people are fine with it or think it's interesting, and that's fine too.
Oct 8, 2023 8:38 PM
#3

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People who hyperfixate on one negative trait, that is early dropped and does not come back, pretending like show is all about that, while completely dismissing the rest are bad actors, who do not deserve attention they seek.
If that's what you are asking for.

Oct 8, 2023 8:44 PM
#4
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Why would it? If every main character was the good guy with no wrongdoings then that would get boring. I don’t agree with 90 percent of the protagonist of this show but it’s still a good watch because the main character is *interesting*
Oct 8, 2023 8:50 PM
#5
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No, not automatically anyway. I’ve seen lots of fiction where characters are just awful people, but that’s part of what makes them interesting. MT is kinda unique in that it’s not usually the main character that displays those traits, haha. I probably wouldn’t mind if this show toned down some of Rudy’s more unsavory characteristics, but it’s still not yet enough to put me off the show
Oct 8, 2023 8:59 PM
#6
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stop being a weakling and enjoy the anime. the world isn't sunshine and rainbows. there is no super good guy or super bad guy. Everyone has motivations and different morals. stop pushing your woke agenda on fictional characters.
Oct 8, 2023 9:05 PM
#7
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it rly depends how convincingly the character is written. as a protagonist usually you have to be able to understand how the character got to that point and came to those decisiona for it to be an outstanding show, AoT is a great example of that. you may not like the character, but you cant argue with their logic. overlord is an interesting case imo because the way it handles that is just by more or less removing the humanity from its characters. in terms of mt, rudy has some moral grey areas, but for the most part i find him to be a fairly moral character in his new world. his only imoral sides are to do with illicit things, and tbh they improve throughout the story as he grew used to having a female companion in eris. i think an show this struggles in is redo of healer. sure u can understand how he got to that point but hell yes can u argue with his logic lol
Oct 8, 2023 9:09 PM
#8

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Oct 2019
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Reply to ReyielGun
stop being a weakling and enjoy the anime. the world isn't sunshine and rainbows. there is no super good guy or super bad guy. Everyone has motivations and different morals. stop pushing your woke agenda on fictional characters.
@ReyielGun Tbh, this is what I wanted to say to those people that hated Mushoku Tensei because it featured Rudeus being this morally disgusting person and how they emphasized this is a man in a child's body. I put this forum out there because I wanted to find those exact same people that argue Mushoku Tensei is bad because of Rudeus.
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Oct 8, 2023 9:18 PM
#9
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No, it’s bad if the show does nothing to rectify or crucify them. Some shows do this by outwardly punishing the character, other shows do this by posing the character as a villain, or maybe a foil to another character who ends up as the main focus, and provides relief for the viewer. It’s necessary, because without it the viewer can’t trust the writer to make their characters’ decisions “rational,” since we haven’t established a basis for what’s right and wrong. I think this show did a good job of establishing a basis for what’s clearly right and wrong in the first season. Punishing Rudeus for his misdoings, and rewarding him for his acts of good. And even when he did bad, there was enough monologue to “rationalize” his problematic behavior, at the very least it was easier to swallow. This second season does absolutely nothing of the sort, and further yet nearly every character’s behavior is so much more far fetched and unreasonable than S1 that it’s just embarrassing.
Oct 8, 2023 9:19 PM
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Jun 2019
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I don't like this type of character from the get-go, but in Rudeus case this is different. He has to work his traumas and bad behavior in new environment. Yeah, he and some other characters here (i.e. his father) are morally disgusting in some instances but that doesn't mean the anime is bad (I quite enjoyed it a lot). I think it even adds some flavor to the watch, a spark of realism maybe (not everyone here is automatically bad or good like a black and white picture). There is a fine balance here, I think.
Oct 8, 2023 9:31 PM
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Oct 2022
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An anime is bad if it has a bad response to it. If the general viewership dislikes it, it’s probably a bad anime. If everyone loves it, it’s a great one. What the anime contains, whether it be nudity, a morally psychotic person, or just a rapist… doesn’t matter. It can still be a great anime.
Oct 8, 2023 9:40 PM
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ZeroMajor12 said:
I want to ask this question to people who don't like morally disgusting characters. Let's have a debate.

Live action tv does it all the time. Not all characters are meant to be likable. Some characters like Darth Vader or Maul are epic but tortured and bad guys. Joffrey from GOT is so easily hatable, but that means the actor is playing an amazing villain. If characters aren’t likable and the show is good that means its definitely a special or well thought out plot/show
Oct 8, 2023 10:00 PM
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May 2020
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This depends entirely on how the show frames their actions. In Mushoku Tensei they’re framed as a destructive outgrowth of Rudeus’s otakuism.

If that makes you uncomfortable, that’s fine, but it’s not legitimate grounds for criticism.

This really isn’t a controversial principle, people just disagree in specific instances. If someone says, for example, “Rudeus’s actions are disgusting and the show is bad because of it”, implicit in that is the belief that his actions are framed as positive or morally neutral.

The waters get a bit muddied when it’s the protagonist, rather than a villain, committing those actions, and that’s difficult to parse for some people.
Oct 8, 2023 10:26 PM

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Feb 2017
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I have heard that this anime is about an old man reincarnated into young boy's body and since he has his memories intact, he comes into borderline sexual contact with young girls which poses a moral quandary. This would be an interesting case study. Since an approximate opposite of this also exists. I have heard of a manga called "Kodomo no Jikan" where a mature teacher is attracted to a teenage kid in his class who behaves in a much more mature way than other kids her age. So comparing these two together, we can see that there are 2 separate criteria for this. Are we looking at the physical age or mental age? If the physical age is the morally correct criteria, then there is no need for any controversy regarding Mushoku Tensei. Yet such a controversy exists. So I guess ppl are looking for the mental age. But this would mean that Kodomo no Jikan is a normal romance manga which is also not the case judging by people's reaction about that. If we are to balance both physical and mental ages, we get a normal romance story which no one really has a problem with.

So I guess it depends on who uses which criteria to judge the anime. In my opinion, how far the fictional story and plot execution holds up is what makes the difference between a good anime or a bad one. Good guys don't always win. Bad guys don't always lose. Some ppl get punished for their bad actions. Some others get away with it. If the story can make sense even from the point of view of an atrocious scumbag, it's worth watching. If we let our moral standards affect our sense of entertainment, it will lead down the rabbit hole of having no portrayal of anything that any of the audience may find as offensive including murders, gore, torture, glorifying violence, lucky pervert scenarios, underage alcoholism etc.
Best ending line in anime history = "My name is Saiki Kusuo. I am a psychic."
Oct 8, 2023 10:45 PM

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Feb 2023
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I dunno about it being good or bad, but I'm less likely to watch the anime if it has a repulsive character like Rudeus as the main protagonist.

That said, I don't care about MT at all and usually avoid all discussions about the series for my own good.
StyxParadiseOct 11, 2023 11:17 AM

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Oct 8, 2023 10:47 PM

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Mar 2021
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It's never about the character being a good or a bad person, but how the work portrays this. I don't think MT is bad because the protagonist is a bad person or for simply having sensitive themes, but because i think it portrays all this very bad.
Oct 8, 2023 10:51 PM
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Jan 2023
324
What is Rudeus supposed to do exactly wait until all the girls are 18? You would just complain that he’s 50 year old creep preying on college chicks or some shit.
Oct 8, 2023 11:05 PM
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Jan 2023
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And to answer your broader question, no I don’t think protagonists need to display ethics in one way or the other. In fact, often times when the line is blurred it makes the show more interesting. “Anti-hero’s”, protagonists that flip sides, antagonists with legitimate motivations…stories are often better when they are not black and white.
Oct 8, 2023 11:10 PM
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Sep 2021
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Piromysl said:
People who hyperfixate on one negative trait, that is early dropped and does not come back, pretending like show is all about that, while completely dismissing the rest are bad actors, who do not deserve attention they seek.
If that's what you are asking for.

the last time rudy even " assaulted " someone was eris in that episode at the beginning when she was dueling Rujerd and.........uh.. that's it ? he never does anything to anyone again lol

heck, what he did to the cats doesn't even count
Oct 8, 2023 11:12 PM
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Sep 2021
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no, and only snowflakes SJWs think that

i don't even want to use this term but after years of being an anime fan and being involved in anime communities on all social media, only these people Complain
Oct 8, 2023 11:15 PM

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Saimatsu_Fan said:
Piromysl said:
People who hyperfixate on one negative trait, that is early dropped and does not come back, pretending like show is all about that, while completely dismissing the rest are bad actors, who do not deserve attention they seek.
If that's what you are asking for.

the last time rudy even " assaulted " someone was eris in that episode at the beginning when she was dueling Rujerd and.........uh.. that's it ? he never does anything to anyone again lol

heck, what he did to the cats doesn't even count

Yet we still have this debate even in second season.
ANN even tried their usual stuff by deliberately strawmaning author's statement and lied in weekly review about what happened within the episode.
This is a majority of those, who criticize Mushoku Tensei. Just bad faith.

Oct 8, 2023 11:18 PM
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Sep 2021
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Piromysl said:
Saimatsu_Fan said:

the last time rudy even " assaulted " someone was eris in that episode at the beginning when she was dueling Rujerd and.........uh.. that's it ? he never does anything to anyone again lol

heck, what he did to the cats doesn't even count

Yet we still have this debate even in second season.
ANN even tried their usual stuff by deliberately strawmaning author's statement and lied in weekly review about what happened within the episode.
This is a majority of those, who criticize Mushoku Tensei. Just bad faith.

it says something when Vinland Saga S2 had Einar and Thorfinn Literally praise Ketil and say that " he's a good master " despite him being a rapist and doing other vile things

but Rudy frees a slave one day and suddenly all hell breaks loose
Oct 8, 2023 11:21 PM

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Saimatsu_Fan said:
Piromysl said:

Yet we still have this debate even in second season.
ANN even tried their usual stuff by deliberately strawmaning author's statement and lied in weekly review about what happened within the episode.
This is a majority of those, who criticize Mushoku Tensei. Just bad faith.

it says something when Vinland Saga S2 had Einar and Thorfinn Literally praise Ketil and say that " he's a good master " despite him being a rapist and doing other vile things

but Rudy frees a slave one day and suddenly all hell breaks loose

Rudy wasn't even the one who bought nor owns her, but Zenoba does. Rudy is just teaching her magic. ANN deliberately lied about that as well.

Oct 8, 2023 11:47 PM
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ZeroMajor12 said:
@ReyielGun Tbh, this is what I wanted to say to those people that hated Mushoku Tensei because it featured Rudeus being this morally disgusting person and how they emphasized this is a man in a child's body. I put this forum out there because I wanted to find those exact same people that argue Mushoku Tensei is bad because of Rudeus.

No, some people just get disgusted, and that’s normal considering what happens in the show.
Rudues is a huge part of why some people have a problem with the franchise and that’s their opinion.
Rudues should definitely not be something normalized but drama around him is also pointless.
Oct 8, 2023 11:50 PM
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Paindora said:
I don't like this type of character from the get-go, but in Rudeus case this is different. He has to work his traumas and bad behavior in new environment. Yeah, he and some other characters here (i.e. his father) are morally disgusting in some instances but that doesn't mean the anime is bad (I quite enjoyed it a lot). I think it even adds some flavor to the watch, a spark of realism maybe (not everyone here is automatically bad or good like a black and white picture). There is a fine balance here, I think.

How is his father disgusting?
Oct 8, 2023 11:52 PM
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pyexv said:
@RopeBuny Cry snowflakes we don't care

Again. I said drama around him is pointless, your deflection has no purpose and goal here, since i don’t consider you as a bad actor.
Oct 8, 2023 11:57 PM
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Feb 2022
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i dont care to be honest if i Like the show i em going to watch it if i dont then no
Oct 9, 2023 12:02 AM

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Not necssarily. Series like The Sopranos have characters who are pretty morally bankrupt. Seeing these characters react to given situations and learning about who they are is interesting. You are not suppose to think Tony Soprano is right in many situations or even forgivable, despite him having positive character traits to make him out to be human and not an outright monster.

Of course, the issue with this fandom is that many hyperfixate on the idea that many if not all criticisms of this series is based on people finding Rudeus so morally repugnant as to render his depiction of him and characters like him worthy of some censorship. To me, this is a strawman. I criticize Rudeus of course, but I do not oppose the legality of the depiction of a character like Rudeus anymore than I do for Tsubame from Uzamaid and Satou Matsuzaka from Happy Sugar Life, both of whom are fundamentally much worst than Rudeus. It is such an easy out to negate or not interact with criticism of this series on a fundamental level to pretend every critic has a problem with the mere depiction of Rudeus. Part of me wonders if you made this post for validation rather than discussion.

For me? I really do not like Rudeus as a main character. He is annoying. Part of this is of course tied to his perverted nature. Part of the reason I dislike the anime is the degree of ecchi I have seen in the first season. Overall? I don't find Rudeus really engaging, and this to me seems due to the fact that his character arc is an amoral one focused on him overcoming his self-esteem issues and accomplishing something in life.

Now, having him be amoral is not bad in itself, with an isekai The Saga of Tanya The Evil using this to great effect. The issue is that to me the anime seems focused on having Rudeus simply do stuff rather than actually grapple with what made him so pathetic in his previous life. He may have his moments of self-doubt yes, but it hardly if ever leads him to reconsider his actions in the previous life and his responsibilities for his own failings. He just has moments of self-doubt and just...moves on.

A character like Rudeus to me demands greater levels of introspection than what the anime has given me, and it is so farcical. Maybe being a sex obsessed otaku with a lolicon fetish is not a recipe for success. I wish the series did much more than simply having Rudeus do stuff, because I think there is a ton to be said and do with a character as flawed as Rudeus, things that would make the series fundamentally more discomforting while at the same time of greater substance.

There is also the issue that the anime also doesn't go out of its way to condemn the actions of various characters, and yeah, I think moral disagreement is a proper means to dislike a series, even if I am not fond of the actual reasoning. I mean, I do not like The Idol because of how it glamorizes rape and abuse as good things.
PeripheralVisionOct 9, 2023 12:08 AM
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Oct 9, 2023 12:06 AM
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People don't get it, it's literally the point of this show. You are basically the observer of this world which is full of wonders, and you get to see this world with the eyes of someone who was a degen but is trying to be constantly better every single time.
We get to witness the life of this person from the moment of birth, all the way, till the very end when he breaths one last time. All because he wanted to be someone who could be a called a good person and have no regrets again. People are flawed, and I think this series does a masterful job at portraying that. People should've no moral high ground over someone else considering that everyone has done something that could be described as fucked up. Be better everyday, is what this series carries at its heart.
Oct 9, 2023 12:13 AM
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Ofc not lmao. Rudeus being a terrible person initially is what makes this anime beautiful. It's about growth, and if you think shows shouldn't depict such things then you probably could do with a bit of growth yourself lol
Oct 9, 2023 12:17 AM
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The whole anime is garbage at its purest level.
Oct 9, 2023 12:56 AM

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The anime is bad if the morally bad character is not handled well, and thats what happens in MT, first season was fine but second season is pure garbage writing. For whole 12 episodes all we get see is Rudus crying about his insecurities, the plot didn’t move an inche.
Oct 9, 2023 1:18 AM

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RopeBuny said:
Paindora said:
I don't like this type of character from the get-go, but in Rudeus case this is different. He has to work his traumas and bad behavior in new environment. Yeah, he and some other characters here (i.e. his father) are morally disgusting in some instances but that doesn't mean the anime is bad (I quite enjoyed it a lot). I think it even adds some flavor to the watch, a spark of realism maybe (not everyone here is automatically bad or good like a black and white picture). There is a fine balance here, I think.

How is his father disgusting?

Apparently bringing a character who spent his entire life in medieval fantasy setting to modern day morals is logical thing to do.

Oct 9, 2023 1:25 AM

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Nope.

But if it relies on degeneracy and/or corny writing, sprinkled with some Power-Fantasy Dialogue, to the point where it is it's main-feature, I think calling it bad isn't surprising or entirely wrong^^
Oct 9, 2023 1:41 AM
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it's a good show but it's not that good morally
Oct 9, 2023 1:42 AM
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Reply to Piromysl
RopeBuny said:
Paindora said:
I don't like this type of character from the get-go, but in Rudeus case this is different. He has to work his traumas and bad behavior in new environment. Yeah, he and some other characters here (i.e. his father) are morally disgusting in some instances but that doesn't mean the anime is bad (I quite enjoyed it a lot). I think it even adds some flavor to the watch, a spark of realism maybe (not everyone here is automatically bad or good like a black and white picture). There is a fine balance here, I think.

How is his father disgusting?

Apparently bringing a character who spent his entire life in medieval fantasy setting to modern day morals is logical thing to do.
@Piromysl welp i would call his dad a man of culture.
Oct 9, 2023 2:27 AM
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no, i think some shows are amazing because of how morally wrong some things come across, ofc we need to make sure they are rated properly so younger watchers that wouldnt understand them dont get influenced by them by imorality in anime is extremely helpfull into making a show more relatable and realistic.
some shows go to the extreme of making you quest just how much your current irl morals are right and how subjective they are, for me thats a form of art.
on mushoku tensei case, i like the characters, the world building but i simply hate the mc personality but thats simply because i cant comprehend his actions, someone that has conscience for so long and had so much life chamging experienced didn't develop at all, he is still the same fat ugly dude that died on earth on the inside and that slighly triggers me.
Oct 9, 2023 2:42 AM
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Get off twitter now
Oct 9, 2023 3:18 AM
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ZeroMajor12 said:
I want to ask this question to people who don't like morally disgusting characters. Let's have a debate.

Is an anime bad if it features a morally disgusting characters

No

Is an anime bad if it features a morally disgusting main character

Yes( untill or unless they get a satisfactory redemption arc).
Just my opinion though youre free to think whatever you want.
Oct 9, 2023 4:45 AM
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No. Sure they are bad, but that does not make the plot or storyline bad. Think of that character as necessary for the plot line.
Oct 9, 2023 5:00 AM
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It's better. The more morally grey characters a story has the better it gets.
Oct 9, 2023 5:17 AM
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Honestly it’s up to who’s watching me personally I find it pretty funny but I can’t say that’s the case for everyone and the fact that this show is a fantasy to with a good story and amazing animation I’m just hooked
Oct 9, 2023 5:20 AM

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No. Only if the story in which the character exists celebrates it.
Oct 9, 2023 5:23 AM
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ZeroMajor12 said:
I want to ask this question to people who don't like morally disgusting characters. Let's have a debate.

i hate the character but am still hoping he gets better but at this point im not expecting much. it makes the anime worse but s1 is so good that it doesnt really affect it too much. kinda affects s2 imo tho
Oct 9, 2023 5:23 AM
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Kewpr said:
ZeroMajor12 said:
I want to ask this question to people who don't like morally disgusting characters. Let's have a debate.

i hate the character but am still hoping he gets better but at this point im not expecting much. it makes the anime worse but s1 is so good that it doesnt really affect it too much. kinda affects s2 imo tho

at least it doesnt affect s1 p2 much but p1 isnt as good bc of it imo
Oct 9, 2023 5:55 AM
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ZeroMajor12 said:
I want to ask this question to people who don't like morally disgusting characters. Let's have a debate.

Have you heard of Monogatari series?
Oct 9, 2023 6:13 AM
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Feb 2023
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I don't wholly believe Rudy is morally disgusting in the early episodes/chapters he definitely does seem that way, and we are supposed to see him that way. It really comes down to him being a flawed character. in the beginning, he seems more flawed than most because of his past life. He literally spends the entire series trying to break away from that.

but to answer your question, it's fine, I'm all for an actual morally bankrupt character as long as it fits the story like Redo of Healer.

but when it comes to stories like Mushoku Tensei, I like flawed characters because they have more room to grow.
Oct 9, 2023 6:53 AM
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In the beginning it slighlty ruined the show for me, because it was just too much and took away the seriousness from certain things that were hapenning. In the second part and current season it got alot better in my opinion.
Oct 9, 2023 6:54 AM
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Not really because it brings about new perspectives which is interesting and creative in a way no matter if it’s positive or negative. Plus similar things in anime have happened in real life so it’s not anything new, just not common , I understand some are grossed out by these things but eventually you’ll get used to it and if can’t handle it we’ll stay away from it
Oct 9, 2023 7:03 AM
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well I'll never think it's great like everyone else seems too. I can't fcking stand rudeus, everything about him is appalling and grating. I've noticed an obvious uptick with these kind of main characters lately. Jobless reincarnation has enough other things going on for it to still be enjoyable for me without a main character I'm able to cheer on in my mind.

For example, "am I the strongest" is another's show this Season with an mc that just drags everything down. Like would a shut in virgin really have this immense power and a noble peerage and females arguing over him and not embrace it? or at the least have some gd damn motivation. For me, it's hard to get excited over a show without a character that at least is someone who actually is somewhat apathetic. I don't like Subaru Natsuki either but at the very least he attempts to do something when it's all said and done. it's a big pet peeve for me, especially when granted amazing power but still is indifferent with everything and everyone.

Once we lost the avaing grace eris and limp dk Rudy made his way onto the scene it was so hard to watch. He falls for any chick that returns his affection (Sara is the exception) and just because eris let him finally bust a nut he is so tore up he has to feign interest in saving his mother? And then go all emo for years afterwards? we should have guessed


so yeah, some ppl are more forgiving I guess, but if I can't find anything to like about the main character, it's unlikely I'll end up enjoying the show. it's funny I was just in a debate about this with the show Sonny Boy and how trash that mc is. but yeah, this seems like it's becoming more common place.
Foreall908Oct 9, 2023 7:12 AM
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