The typical anime protagonist
What if I told you, there was a character that was in ninety percent of anime. The same character over and over. Well there is. It's the typical anime protagonist.
What if I told you there is a test for diagnosing this prat. Well there is. It's Sisypheus' prat test.
What if I told you there was a place to download this podcast on itunes. Well there isn't. I can't afford the hosting site, get used to that.
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Here's the prat test.
Sisypheus' Prat test
Note presence of trait in character and assign 1,2 or 0 depending on prevalence of trait. Be more lenient in judgement when story has a decent narrative excuse for trait eg. Harem anime because a disease killed all men but one. At the end add up score and take it out of total if all were 2. As a general rule: over 20 is a certainty and over 15 a possible.
Some characters may have coincidental pratness, which is to be excused due to fallibility of the test.
Have fun.
1. Unconditional, all encompassing kindness. (a pure geniality towards all characters independent of disposition, creed, sex, et cetera).
2. Compulsive altruism. (an uncontrollable devotion towards selfless acts which can culminate in the character putting himself in serious danger or taking lethal risks).
3. Ability to cure or put at ease mentally unstable characters. (Other characters inexplicably open up to character. Character shows unbelievable sympathy or understanding of other characters' problems and manages to put them at ease with no more than simple reassurances).
4. All forgiving. (An unlimited capacity for forgiveness, independent of the severity of the trespass committed, on the single condition that the trespasser is repentant).
5. Surrounded by women. (A large number of female characters surround character and interact with him on a regular basis. There is a distinct lack of male characters who do the same).
6. Women easily fall in love with him. (Female characters almost instantly become enamoured with character for no reason asides from the character's inherent charisma. Character often needs not interact with female characters more than one episode or simply resolves their problems before they become infatuated).
7. Perverted male companion. (Present with the character is one or two reoccurring minor characters who show an obsession with sexual activity and often make inappropriate comments much to the aggravation of the female characters).
8. A love struck relative. (Character has a female relative who despite being related either by blood or by law finds themselves inexplicably drawn towards the character. Relative may be aware of the social faux pas of her affections and yet cannot help but interact more with character).
9. Sexually oblivious. (A complete lack of awareness of the growing affections of companions and the affect his behaviour is having on companions around him. Often coupled with an inability to tell when he is groping a boob).
10. Easily embarrassed. (Despite constant interaction with female characters and an ability to woo that suggests some experience with women, character shows moments of embarrassment often when women say certain things, become close or are wearing certain items of clothing. This embarrassment never eases no matter how many times the trigger may occur. Character can often confidently touch or speak with character and then suddenly become embarrassed being touched or talked to at another time).
11. A special power. (Character has a power to which places him above all other characters in regards to significance. This power is often used to resolve problems and allow the character to avoid making hard decisions or sacrifices. If the character is incapable or lacks a power then he is protected by a female character who happens to have affections for him).
12. Suffers no consequences due to weaknesses or flaws. (Character may have a certain flaw or weakness that is never portrayed as a disadvantage to the character. Character may be reckless and find himself in a sticky situation but after being rescued he will learn his “lesson” and proceed never to commit the same mistake again. Character often only struggles internally with weakness and even then manages to overcome it with relative ease).
13. Endures a tragedy. (Character lives through a tragic and traumatising event, usually the claiming of family lives by an antagonist, that serves as a motivating force throughout the story. Despite the severity of the event, character suffers no psychological damage that serves as a disadvantage to the character).