Important takeaways
- Haruki lacks compassion for a dying classmate but transforms over time.
- Naoya's seriousness in love leads him to insensitivity and a controversial relationship dynamic.
- Kotonoha's loneliness and attachment issues drive her to manipulative behavior in pursuit of love.
Typical romantic anime protagonists are quite likable and relatable, as they embody desirable qualities such as a strong sense of loyalty, compassion and determination. But not all main characters are equal, and some of them make questionable decisions that raise eyebrows and create conflict in the story.
These flawed protagonists paint a much more realistic portrait of lovers and their complex choices by subverting conventional expectations of romance. Although some of their actions or decisions are reprehensible, they are not necessarily evil, as they often act out of fear, insecurity, or sometimes even past trauma. Their unpredictable nature adds more layers to the story and polarizes the viewers. Here are some of them most polarizing lead in romance that you might want to know about.
5 Tomoya Okazaki (Clanade)
The criminal who turned his life around
- Okazaki's aimless and apathetic approach to life can be frustrating.
Tomoya Okazaki had a tough childhood, losing his mother in a terrible accident at a young age. Growing up in Hikarizaka City, he lived with his alcoholic father, who was neglectful and cold. One day, he hit Tomoya against the wall so hard that he suffered a dislocation, whereupon he was forced to quit basketball. Naturally, he grew up developing a very cynical worldview.
If you feel like crying, don't hold back the tears. You should let it all out while you still can…because when you get older sometimes you can't cry even if you have something to cry about.
Tomoya was not interested in school and was often late for class. He often visited his friends for nights out after skipping all classes during the day. His emotional immaturity permeated every aspect of his life, making any serious consideration of his future seem impossible.
Tomoya's apathetic approach to life can be frustrating, but he experiences a dramatic change in his motivations after befriending Nagisa Furukawa. She not only gives him a new direction in life but also slowly transforms him as a person just by her presence. Tomoya continues to make amends for his past mistakes and faces the responsibility he had avoided.
4 Haruki “Boku” Shiga (I Want to Eat Your Pancreas)
Shiga's eventual transformation and change of heart humanizes him as a character
- Boku's coldness towards a dying classmate makes him an extremely problematic character.
Haruki off I want to eat your pancreas is an introverted young adult who prefers to lose himself in his books and is painfully inconsiderate of people around him. When he comes across his classmate Sakura's emotional secret diary, and she continues to confide in him about her battle with an incurable pancreatic disease, he feels no compassion for her and offers little emotional support.
Even though we are not blood related, I will be your family from now on.
Haruki's unsympathetic and detached demeanor is rooted in his personal difficulty forming relationships. Due to his tendency towards isolation and aversion to emotional attachment, he is reluctant to express himself, which often leads to insensitive encounters.
However, Sakura's relentless positivity and openness soon causes Haruki to fight his aversion to relationships and to be more honest with himself. Over time, Boku is able to overcome his fear of letting others down and allows himself to love and be loved in return. While Haruki's transformation is refreshing, his approach to Sakura's painful struggle with her illness is too insensitive to overlook. He seems to be trying to make up for his actions, but that still doesn't justify his coldness towards Sakura in the most difficult moments of her life.
3 Naoya Mukai (girlfriend, girlfriend)
Naoya's insensitive expectations make him a terrible partner to be with
- Mukai's honesty and directness are both his strength and weakness.
Ever since Naoya Mukai fell in love with his childhood friend Saki Saki, he spares no effort to win her affection. His commitment to winning her over despite multiple rejections highlights his commitment as a lover. He is also a sincere person whose extreme honesty often ends up in absurd situations.
Naoya's frank and straightforward approach to romance, while commendable, paves the way for his dismissive disregard for emotional boundaries. Demonstrating his insensitive nature, Naoya shamelessly dates Nagisa and Saki Saki at the same time. His lack of self-control and disregard for people's feelings soon culminates in even more problematic circumstances that make him a polarizing protagonist.
2 Kotonoha Katsura (School Days)
The introverted girl who turns into an obsessed lover
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Release date |
July 4, 2007 |
|---|---|
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Creator |
Overflow |
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Studio |
TNK |
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Number of episodes |
12 |
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Streaming services |
Crunchyroll |
- Katsura's attachment issues pave the way for her manipulative behavior and questionable choices.
Kotonoha is a reserved high school student known for her introverted nature and calm demeanor. Although considered breathtakingly beautiful by her peers, Katsura's lack of a social life makes it nearly impossible for her to form close friendships. Interestingly, her polite and gentle disposition makes little difference to her loneliness, as any hopes of connecting with others are thwarted by her emotionally distant and withdrawn personality.
It is not until Kotonoha becomes acquainted with Sekai and Makoto that she begins to experience a change in her social life. Although the bond gives her a sense of belonging, it soon turns toxic, as she becomes obsessively addicted to her relationship with Makoto. Her attachment issues with him bring out the worst in Kotonoha, as she is willing to go to great lengths to keep him with her. Katsura then often resorts to questionable tactics to maintain her hold on Makoto, as manipulation and emotional blackmail become second nature to her.
1 Kazuya Kinoshita (Rent-A-Girlfriend)
The indecisive lover who lies to hide his insecurities
- Kinoshita's deep-rooted insecurities have far-reaching consequences.
Kazuya Kinoshita by Rent-a-girlfriend is an indecisive young adult who falls for the rental girlfriend he hires after being unexpectedly dumped by his partner, Mami. Due to low self-esteem, he often resorts to lying when faced with inconvenient truths or difficult circumstances. Because Kazuya is an emotionally driven individual, he can sometimes make decisions that lack common sense and are harmful to him in the long run. Furthermore, his cowardly nature prevents him from living his life true to his desires and feelings, as he tends to be swayed by other people's expectations.
When grandpa died, my grandma took on everything, both the business and my dad, and kept us all afloat. So for our family grandma is, well, she might as well be god. And god has only one dream for me, to find a nice girl before she passes away.
Although Kazuya's fear of rejection traps him in a cycle of confusion and guilt, he still has an encouraging attitude towards people close to him. In fact, he selflessly helps others and is willing to go the extra mile to support his friends and put his interests in the back seat. His kind-hearted nature allows him to make sacrifices without expecting anything in return. He has also shown moments of courage under intense pressure, especially to Chizuru. At the end of the day, Kazuya Kinoshita is a complex character. His low self-esteem and insecurities are relatable to many people, but he can also be annoyingly indecisive and immature, making it hard to root for him.
