What do y'all think abt characters that would do ANYTHING for the MC?

[practicallyuseful]

Btw this is my first time making a post(?) so I may have made mistakes.
Now u read the title, I'm talking manga, movies, fanfic, books...

There are some characters that just love so selflessly love the MC whether they get a happy ending or not (sometimes to the point of suicide.)

Question is, do you think it's ever addressed the right way? For a person to do selflessly love, to be willing to do anything for the MC or his/ her friends or to value themselves so little as to be willing to give their lives as a sacrifice?

I've too often just seen these kind of characters used as stepping stones to progress the plot, but they very rarely ever come back to how heroic that tale truly is, or even give them proper recognition.

 

[pandascepter]

cool i think......

isnt that cool, you can doing something good for other ?

 

[smugcatto]

Could you give an example? I'm more often seeing annoying/dumb MCs that would do anything for their crush like Hina Change or Favorite Part

Edit: this also has anti-move-on MC

 

[EOTFOFYL]

Utterly foolish,
one should look out for themselves.
Law of the Jungle.

 

[Kefkabot]

Depends on what and at what cost.
But from what I've read so far I would say that they're committing too much. In general.

 

[TheShrimp]

Quite a simp move.

 

[pandascepter]

@TheShrimp
First i thougt your name was TheSimp.

Then i read your comment, its funny af..... *wheezzee

 

[practicallyuseful]

@salmazwn let's say from Boku no hero academia

Spoiler

when twice is willing to end his life for his mates

In Lord of the rings

Spoiler

Boromir dies heroically in the first movie to save his friends

In Thor: Ragnarok

Spoiler

There's Helsa's right hand that goes on the good side at the very end and puts his life on the line

These are just examples which in my mind never got the credit they deserve

Other examples we can have love interests who would rather die than have their heart broken

In the classic Anne of Green gables

Spoiler

we have Gilbert who wouldn't even try to survive typhoid cuz there's no purpose in life if not for Anne

In Romeo Juliet,( I'm sorry but this can stay in the 1800s)
In Titanic
( notice how it's the really popular love stories that have this plot point?)

It's ridiculous to me that people would find it endearing that someone would give up their life for just one person

It's acceptable if you're doing it for the greater good but what's the point if no one at least holds a memorial for ya?

 

[practicallyuseful]

@EOTFOFYL
@Kefkabot exactly my point !
Sometimes it's okay like in Avengers cuz it's like they're the only ones who can do something and they're in a tough situation.
But in others they just unnecessarily kill the characters and don't even give them recognition

 

[bigtiddyoneesan]

@practicallyuseful

It's ridiculous to me that people would find it endearing that someone would give up their life for just one person

Objectively, I agree with this statement. However, I think that there is some beauty to be seen in willingly letting one's life end in the name of love. And the reasons for someone to give up his/her own life aren't necessarily limited to love either. The reasons can also be more valiant, such as sacrificing oneself to save many others.

But in the specific case of love, I think the point is this: since we're all going to die someday anyway, why not end it on our own terms, at a point in our lives when we are the happiest and most content, i.e. when we're deeply in love. Spoiler for I Sold My Life for Ten Thousand Yen Per Year

Spoiler

Those who've read this mange would probably understand what I'm saying more easily, as the female lead is a great example. Instead of living the rest of her own life without the main male character (her loved one), she decides to sell her lifespan so she only has the same amount of time to live as the male character does, in order for them both to die together.

I'd say that giving up your life for someone else is the most selfless thing a person can do, and that's why it's seen as endearing. (Unfortunately though, quite a few people don't realize this to the extent they should, and write such acts for cheap drama that 13-year-old girls eat up.)

 

[smugcatto]

@practicallyuseful Ah... I see.

Other examples we can have love interests who would rather die than have their heart broken

I do agree with EOTFOFYL at this point. I'll find it ridiculous if I still find stories with this plot in the 21th century.

For non love interest matter, I don't think recognition is the matter. Dead people don't need that actually—even the death has values for many people (I'm quite a religious person so I believe there's a reward for people that have done good deeds). Let's say someone dies for one person, but he's doing that for a person that can save others, for a good purpose of course, is acceptable I think. Still looking for other reasonable opinion tho.

 

[PantsMan]

I couldn't truly love someone who does not at least make an earnest attempt to appreciate themselves. Aside from the obvious, it would feel as if they didn't care about my caring for them, invalidating the point of their "selflessness" in the first place. In more practical terms, I also wouldn't want to be the only thing constantly having to validate my lover's value. This extends to things like inexperienced/unfit people getting into dangerous situations purely for "the sake of others". While it might make an impressive news story when it works, you don't read about the would-be heroes who have to get rescued themselves, increasing the workload and putting more lives at risk. Or, worse, outright dying for trying to do a good deed.

I'm not trying to make some jaded statement of "Selflessness is for pussies; trite ironic detachment is where it's at. Imagine caring about things lol". I think however that not being aware of one's own value nor having a good amount of love for oneself strips the impact from those kind of selfless actions.


That being said, I don't really have trouble with how it's portrayed in fiction. There's a pretty broad range on the topic in manga, especially for heroines. For every doomed childhood friend's "I just want them to be happy..." you have an equal number of emotionless, self-destructive killing machines/child soldiers or whatever learning to appreciate their own existence. Self-sacrificing characters often tend to have character arcs regarding that if it's not just a one-off, and it rarely stays constant. It's a theme that I really like when it's not taken for granted and gets a bit of focus. Even if it doesn't it's often still compelling.

The only real problem of having "Would do anything for the sake of [Person]" as a character trait is that it's often a handy excuse to not expand on a character's motivations, or give them a reason to do what they do/like whoever they like.

 

[Nick_Asano]

It depends on what they're doing and why they're doing it. I wouldn't give my life and death for a psychopathic killer with a notebook, but I would take a bullet for my twin brother, of course.

 

[practicallyuseful]

@PantsMan
I like your way of putting it.
Often these characters do have an arc dedicated to them, and if the main character gives the appropriate reaction to such selflessness it can be very compelling. And stories like Titanic are an amazing example of this.

However, it irks me when a character (that is not a main character )does the same act but in the end the MC or the more prominent characters are given the praise.
It almost feels like the character was put into existence solely for the sake of putting their own life in danger in order to protect the others, and that's it.

The reason why I made this post was because of a repetitive plot of the second lead of shoujo Mangas putting up an act of selflessness. And in the end the main character (or first lead) would swoop in, show some sympathy, and steal the spotlight.

I get that it is supposed to show that love is powerful, even if its not mirrored back, but had the roles of the second and first lead been reversed, they would have been given so much more sympathy, and credit.

Ahh but yeah I do agree that if done right, even if it's not given too much credit, it could be compelling in its own way, and have its own charm.

I'm done ranting now😂 Thanks for hearing me out.

 

[pandascepter]

Long short answer.......
depending on the MC

MC = cool with anything, Mob should thinking about himself.

MC = bad, Mob should thinking about himself and survive.

MC = Good, Mob should thinking about himself and cheers for MC

MC = Suck, Mob should help MC a little then thinking about himself afterward

MC = Evil, Mob should stay away from him and survive.

MC = Double Face, Mob should stay away from him and spit MC.

MC = Survivor, Mob shouldn't be worried about him, and mob must survive to

MC = Douchbag, Mob shouldnt be near him, because he'll get 100 harem.

MC = Childhood friend, Mob should be worried about himself, than his childhood friend.

MC = Female Childhood friend, Mob should not get any contact with her anymore, because it will only hurt itself in confusion

MC = Village saver, Mob should be friend with him, but only Naruto

MC = Comedian, Mob should help him, because after 6 - 7 chapters, he'll going to die.

but still, the answer is simple, Mob shouldnt be care about MC, because eventually Mob's just a burden and a step stone. And a Mob that's willingly do anything to MC is just stupid, it's like "Friend, but with slave flavour."

 

[comeonnow]

"Pure" altruism in fiction always did seem unsettling, like the character has no agency of their own and is nothing more than a living puppet.

 

[practicallyuseful]

@pandascepter 😂 but true