Whiny Annoying Emo Effeminate JRPG Characters

[WillSimplyBe]

Alright, now that I've got your attention, I just was reading some threads and it got me to thinking...

Now this isn't an attack on anyone, but it appears that all the people who go on about hating JRPGs on this site... dont have a freaking clue what the hell they are talking about, lol. Most of their posts talking about these supposed characters sound something like... "Oh, I dont have time to go through a my super long list of angsty emo girlyboy characters that I hate" and not one single name. I also suspect that they dont even KNOW any characters from a jrpg at all, lol. And if they were able to pull a name out of their asses, it would be from FF7, which was basically the only JRPG they probably have ever even seen.

Yes, I'm not disagreeing that there are some very emo looking and acting characters from some JRPGs, like recent characters in the Star Ocean games, like Abel. Maybe one of the party members of the Shin Megami Tensei games, or one of the characters, because someone has to be the angsty emo in it. or characters from FF7, like cloud or Vincent, the latter of who personifies emo...city? Or FF8, with their collection of characters that never smile.(save selfie)

Also, maybe the main character from tales of Vesperia.

But I'll give you the truth now... Most lead characters from JRPGs mimic characters from Anime, meaning they are generally more along the lines of a wannabe Goku of dragon ball series, leaping before they look, not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but genial, kind, and a sense of right and wrong. Generally, they arent the angst ridden little miss darknesses.(yes a swipe at the proclaimed girly look that people believe they have.)

just look at RPGs like Radiata Stories with Jack Russel(of stupid name fame) or the other tales series games, like Symphonia with Lloyd. You cant exactly call Pro-Athlete Tidus angsty. And If you've ever played FF9, you really would know Zidane is roughly Anti-emo. Vaan in 12 isnt really emo, but he is definitely a girly boy, but then again it doesnt really matter, because everyone who's ever played it knows Balthier is the real main character anyway...

Grandia 3's protagonist, Yuki, also fits this Somewhat Goku-like persona. Also it has no emo characters in the cast at all(though it still has an annoying "couldn't hurt a fly" pacifist heroine(heroin? darn near-homonyms) that you want to toss out a window from time to time.)

Last Remnant's Rush Sykes(also of stupid name fame) is also completely not emo at all.

Next, Old RPGs, the heroes are not emo in the slightest, Breath of Fire series arent(heck, many leads are mutes, and Ryu from Dragon Quater isn't emo either.) Chrono from chrono cross isnt emo as well, though you might be able to put optional character/vampire/bad guy Magus in there, but he's not effeminate. Early FF games that actually had a story also dont fit the stereotype either. Bartz from FF5 is far too busy cracking jokes to try looking dark. FF6's characters are appropriately serious, without ever brooding, with the exception of Celes, who gets stranded on an island in an alternate world for a year and attempts suicide(but is saved).

I dont know how this whole "Angsty Effeminate JRPG Character" stereotype got started, is it all to blame of FF7 and FF8? Are they the inspiration for it all? Because basically all other RPGs are contrary to the stereotype. So... yeah, most criticisms seem to be void of merit.

Are these criticisms largely baseless? If not, please cite some examples.

Just some observations, peace.

Intelligent Discussion- Go.

 

[thiosk]

Those are simply the popular archetypes for the genre. If you look at western gaming the archetype is the grizzled space marine.

 

[Librarian Mike]

Well, to quote the Game Overthinker....Video games come from Japan!!!!! Basically, this type of character is Japan's version of what we have here (the ultra manly one-man soldier who smites enemies with his giant penis). It's just a stock character type that large audiences respond to. I happen to like both types depending on my mood at any given moment. If you don't like those types of characters, that's okay. Just make sure you're not trashing someone who does like it and everything's good.

 

[BlackDodongo]

I agree with you. Although I think it's the hair that does it.

 

[Sovvolf]

Probably the blame of the recent Final Fantasys, although I didnt concider Cloud as an Emo I actually found him to be an interesting character. But after words it just spiraled, Vincent was Emo, Squall too, then along the rest of the final fantasy it just went from emo to emo, wearing probably the shittest set of clothes to ever have been worn, this is an exeption with final fantasy 9 were the main character wasnt actualy that emo. I think it was doen to mke characters more interesting then the whole super strong military bad arse but its been done too many times that its just not that interesting any more, and you just end up having to play a whinning ***** all the time. I just dont understand why they carnt have an interesting bad arse instead of and emo all the time, I mean Barret was the stereotyipical bad arse but he was still interesting, he had a good deep and sad back story, he was a bad arsed warrior but had a soft spot for children mainly his duaghter, he ws interesting why canrt they make more characters like him??.

 

[Charli]

Ah I don't know what to tell ya, people eat up angst...thats why theres a genre for that and no genre for "Happy feel good stories" (Honestly couldn't sum it up in a word anyway) FF9 was always my favorite final fantasy... I found more in common with the protagonist because no matter how much of a cynic I can be while flinging around my humor or how down I get on Female fun weeks, I'm just not a pessimist... I don't think it helps life move along to the finish at all.

There are JRPGs that lack the Stereotype. Tales of Symphonia's Lloyd Irving, like Zidane has about 2 minutes tops of Angst before getting up, saying "Meh screw it." and moving on to better things. But he doesn't exactly remain the same idiot throughout the story until the end, the plot twists have a noticable effect on him and he thus grows as a character, which people liked. (Then Namco had to Introduce Luke Fon Fabre in their next game, the biggest Whiny little ***** of them all...nice turn-around.)

All I'm saying is...you can't help it, 80% of the world are whiny pessimists and they like seeing people they can relate to in their angsty dull little perspectives.
Pour Example: My mum likes Roxas from KHII ...the hell right? He's such an emo pussy I could choke him to death. But thats the way it goes, LOADS of fangirls (and boys) like Roxas despite the mopeyness.

 

[Kinguendo]

Hmm, I dont think there are any emo characters in FF7. You say Cloud but he doesnt actually say anything ever in that game, and with Vincent well... he has a lack of emotion rather than being part of a group that is named after it.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Vincent is one of the few emo characters I actually CAN tolerate because 1. He has a bitchen themesong, 2. He sleeps in a goddamned coffin in a basement, and 3. He actually has a good reason to be withdrawn and quiet, seeing as he occasionally mutates into a berserker uncontrollable monster.

And if you want stupid character names, I have two words for you - Dingo Egret.

 

[WillSimplyBe]

Hmm, I dont think there are any emo characters in FF7. You say Cloud but he doesnt actually say anything ever in that game, and with Vincent well... he has a lack of emotion rather than being part of a group that is named after it.

Well cloud says little, but most people point out is tiny arms and huge sword and is called an effeminate angsty person. Vincent is definitely angsty though, he's appeared enough in the original FF7, then in Dirge of Cerberus, then in Advent Children for everyone to see him brooding about.

But i'd like to see this overwhelming evidence of emo-ocity that everyone claims there to be in JRPGs, cite me a few characters that I missed. Are they all angsty? is it all a stereotype?

 

[sorry user name taken.]

Vincent is one of the few emo characters I actually CAN tolerate because 1. He has a bitchen themesong, 2. He sleeps in a goddamned coffin in a basement, and 3. He actually has a good reason to be withdrawn and quiet, seeing as he occasionally mutates into a berserker uncontrollable monster.

And if you want stupid character names, I have two words for you - Dingo Egret.

vincent is goth....but turned emo -___-

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Any game character who isn't 8 feet tall with steroid abuse veins, short hair and an extremely low frequency voice is effeminate. It's the law.

 

[WillSimplyBe]

vincent is goth....but turned emo -___-

Emo absorbed goth. To the untrained eye, they can seem nondifferential.

 

[oliveira8]

Well, to quote the Game Overthinker....Video games come from Japan!!!!!

I got a problem with that quote...Its not like 100% of the market is Japanese like it was years ago.

Valve, Bioware, Bethesda, Naughty Dog, Blizzard, Bungie, Creative Assembley, Paradox Interactiv, Lionhead, Infinity Ward, Rockstar Games, Relic Entertainment and countless others are not Japanese.

The 3 big publishers only one is based in Japan and thats Sega, EA and Activision are american based publishers. And in the console realm only Microsoft is not Japanese...so I guess points for Japan in that...

He should say "Videogames came from Japan!" or "This videogame comes from Japan!"

Off-topic awesomeness...

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

Those are simply the popular archetypes for the genre. If you look at western gaming the archetype is the grizzled space marine.

Wrong, dude- they're the popular stereotypes. The point he'd trying to make is that they're not as all-encompassing as people make them out to be.

My favourite JRPG heroes are

1. Yuri Hyuuga (Shadow Hearts) - a man so badass he fused his soul with one god, beat down another and transforms into demons to fight.
2. Ryudo (Grandia 2) - A mercenary with a chip on his shoulder who is so sarcastic he can cut armour with his tongue.
3. Laharl (Disgaea) - The chibi-prince-of-hell, a rude, pint-sized demon who takes great joy in being affably evil, despite looking like a 10-year old with funny hair (he's really several hundred years old).

So how do these characters fit the sterotype? OK, I guess you could argue Yuri is kind of attractive but if you called him a "prettyboy", let alone "effeminate" he'd probably rearrange your face with his brass knuckles. And what's wrong with characters being attractive anyway? What's the appeal of playing as a character with a face like the wrong end of a pig? Genuinely androgynous male leads are practically nonexistant, so I wish people would stop banging on about effeminate heroes just because their hair is a bit long.

 

[electric_warrior]

the gay character from enchanted arms, god i wanted to punch him and tell him to shut the fuck up. in fact i wanted punch everyone in that game, especially the main character for running like an idiot

 

[SmilingKitsune]

I've got nothing against JRPG protagonists, just as I don't have any real problem with the testosterone belching muscle men that populate games like Gears of War and the like.
People just like to complain, it's as simple as that.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Kaim Argonar from Lost Odyssey is one of the rare examples of an angsty character done well, he has good reason to be angsty, 1,000 years of sadness, lost daughter and wife would likely make one more than a little emotionally wack.

My personal favorite JRPG hero would be Yuri Volt Hyuga from the Shadow Hearts series... he's not Emo, he's snarky and sarcastic and while he's intensely broken up over the ending of the first game, he doesn't dwell on it.

 

[Slash Dementia]

The only thing I don't like about JRPGs is the turn-based combat, they act and look like little kids and the hair. I don't know why, but I just can't tolerate that hair.
The few JRPGs that I like are Legend of Mana, Lost Odyssey, FF8 & 9.

 

[WillSimplyBe]

I think ... the only truly ambiguous character in the JRPGs i've ever seen was... Kuja, the main villain of FF9, the guy walks around in a midrift and thong. I think thats why he was so evil... its hard to be taken serious when your dressed like that...