I've read too much shoujo manga that i can point out what i don't want in a boy protagonist in a particular manga. If I found it in one, it's either 'goodbye', or 'I can take it just as long as you update fast'. Because, i swear to you guys, authors with this same kind of character progression needs to know that boys naturally didn't decide stupidly in a shallow-as-ever problem. And i think, they didn't know that it's irritating. I believe boys are smart enough to know what is the difference between black and white.
Shoujo boys can't save the world by being with another girl because they can relate to them, or because they can't get out of her situation. Shoujo boys can't be stuck into a girl just because they are bound to help them. They can't be a martyr of a war that didn't even exist. You can't just be with a girl who's so sad that you can't be in a date with your girlfriend, for instance. Furthermore, a shoujo boy is not in a shounen one, who save everybody. They can't understand everyone. I believe that a shoujo guy got a lot of character progression because it centers, simply, by how he manage himself with the main girl or with the other girls. If they act stupid at some point, it should be because it's from a circumstance that still got a lot of challenge.
I've always spotted this kind of guy. They started fine.They possessed good guy traits like they save the main girl's small predicaments, or simply by starting to just be with the girl. They were built in a good guy facade that charms his way to a girl's heart. And then, the conflict arrives. You know, it would be okay and understandable that an ex-girlfriend or a past lover will come and shaken the main couple. It doesn't, however, if a certain girl can somehow make a guy stupid enough to act as if he doesn't know who he like. It's as if he's not stable enough both on his feelings or his decisions.
You might remember some manga which have these guy characters. These shallow, obviously stupid guy characters need to stop. Of course, there are no perfect guy, even in a fictional story, but this cliche' is a trend to make a manga interesting, but fails in a lot of things particularly in character development and depth.
To be fair, these guys are in a rough situation in some but the best guys weren't built from a shallow, stupid decisions, but a learn-able, fail-able failures that gets better. Which I think, are from good story conflicts.
I personally don't care if he doesn't end with the main girl. If in the end, he makes best decisions every time a good failure had been made. In short, why choose the mango, when your hands want the banana? Why did you say yes, when you are in the verge of saying no? Make up your own mind boy!(and some authors) I repeat, those guys can't save the world, and be like a konoha ninja when they are in a shoujo world. They can't even save all the damsel in distress just because they went through the same as them in the past. They can save either themselves or that only one damsel in distress.
*chuckles*
Last but definitely not the least, authors.. make up your mind. Make a charming but stupid in decision-making- guy(which is so damn stupid) or an introvert guy but a brave one in the end, and stick with it(for instance). Don't confuse readers. :P Make a lot of depth. Make a stable guy that is protagonist-worthy.
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with Love, (yes, i love authors still--lol) and from a manga reader,
fymb
