Anime aren't scared of the public

How to be as unpredictable and bold as an anime story.

If you like reading books and watching movies, you are surely familiar with these clichés:

1. -the story drives the characters to do stuff, when actually it should be the characters to make the story happen (see: About a Boy)

2. -the good guy surviving everything, even the apocalypse (See: The Avengers)

3. -the main character being a good person/being worth to have you on their team. (See: Harry Potter, Divergent, and everything else)

Well, Anime/Manga have wrecked these clichés.

Now, I’m not saying that there are not Anime clichés, because there are (yes, there are) but these are so typical of western movies and tv series that they are almost non-existent in mangas.

Take Death Note: the main character is a psychopath-genius young man who wants to become God, and when characters have to die, in the story, they don’t even think of resurrecting.

Take Attack on Titan: the good guy doesn’t survive because he’s Main Character ™ but because he **** (SPOILERS!).

Anime are not fucking scared of anything.

They don’t fear the public being sad for a death. Nor them yelling at them because their favorite character didn't do what they wanted.

Why?

Because no one ever gets what they want. This is conflict, real, excruciating conflict. Anime show you how you can build a world with no exit and only massacres and still be a livable world, with bright colors, love, friendship, life.

Anime characters are usually overly tragic, devastated by losses and violence, but in the crucial moments of their life they show strength, and survive only if they are worthy.

Write your story knowing that in war, people die. Don’t be scared of crossing your reader’s desires.

Be bold. Make your characters flawed, but so inspirational and broken, or so kind and self-doubting that your audience will believe you. And everyone will want to meet them.

Have you ever watched an Anime? What was it, and what did you learn from it? Tell me in the comments!

Happy WIP, and may your publication dreams come true!