What I love so much about the common troupe shonen MC: grit over talent.
My dad is a not an otaku, but he's a big fan of Naruto. He said Sasuke is the most talented and Shikamaru is the smartest, but Naruto is the one who put effort the most. He never give up. Grit, not talent.
Sure, later we found out that Naruto has Kurama, possessed chakra several times bigger than average ninjas, also being the descendant of the Sage of Six Path, etc. But none of them would be unveiled if he gave up in his teenage years. When people were mocking him, afraid of him, belittled him. When none of his peers respect him (aside from the lovely secret admirer, Hinata).
Dad probably never watch any other anime, but I'm sure he will show the same respect towards characters like Luffy and Midoriya. People who have inner sunlight and beams it to their surroundings.
When I reached the 2416173482030474th time re-reading Fight!! Ippo, I kept being reminded that man, Ippo was a weakling. Getting bullied was breakfast and lunch for him. He didn't have close friends at school. He's just a simple, one-track minded guy. He only keep things that he cares about, and care about it deeply: boxing, his mother, and later his friends as well.
If we look at it closely, these common shonen MCs initial motivation comes from simple things that we often underestimate in real life. Naruto wants recognition and appreciation. Midoriya wants to be like everyone else, more importantly, to be a source of inspiration (like All Might). Luffy wants to go for adventures, traveling around the world with friends. Ippo wants to change his weak self, to be and to feel strong.
They're all honest and sincere about things they love. They don't give up on what they want to do, and they approach it with perseverance and excitement. They make being discipline looks fun and encouraging.
I don't know when and how exactly these kind of traits become common troupe especially in shonen genre. Eventually some readers become bored because it's getting repetitive, X is the same with Y, A reminds me to B, Z is copycat to Q, etc etc.
I'm telling you my piece: I hope mangakas and publishers won't stop making this kind of main characters. The mindset and behavior they're showing are excellent examples for people of all ages. It's one of the fundamental set that is needed in order to live a fulfilling life. Grit. Sincerity. Resilience. Friendship.
Not limited only to children, adults also grow up by examples. It's easier to respect and follow a boss who act with integrity rather than those who only talks, right?
Even so, it's not that easy to find real life examples that clicks. Some of us resort to the great thinkers of old time, or successful CEOs, or wise celebrities. Others find inspiration from idols. And some others, like me, learn from what we read. Books and comics.
Who cares if they're fictional, the values they teach are something universal that our real world is lacking or has forgotten.
With love,
Serena
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