Chuunige protagonists: Heroes, anti-heroes, and monsters
Entry posted by Clephas
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Now, in the past I've often tried to clearly define my favorite VN genre, the chuunige. While there are many elements that go into making a chuunige, the primary requirements are conflict (violent or otherwise), philosophy (hedge philosophy usually), deliberately exaggerated character personalities and backgrounds, and extremely detailed settings.
Now, for reasons known only to me, I felt like talking about the chuunige protagonist. Understand, chuunige protagonists are inevitably... unique personalities (sometimes to the point of being unreal). One of the greatest ironies of the chuunige is that the genre's very nature makes it impossible for its protagonists to fall entirely within the narrow archetypes that come standard with most VNs (the kind-hearted but dense protagonist of love-comedy VNs, for instance).
However, they can be put into three more general archetypes based on aspects of their personalities and personal morality: the hero, the anti-hero, and the monster.
Heroes are very simple and straightforward. These individuals represent virtue in general or a single human virtue and overcome obstacles through that particular virtue (at least in part). A love of justice, a desire for love, a desire to save the people they care about or people in general, a desire for self-improvement, etc. Most protagonists of this type are inspiring as individuals when placed into situations of extreme stress and conflict. As a result, chuunige with this type of protagonist tend to be very inspiring in the end. Also almost universal to them is a deep (Greek drama style) flaw that might destroy them in the end or at least trip them up.
Examples of chuunige with this type of protagonist include: The Tiny Dungeon series, Evolimit, Bullet Butlers, Ayakashibito, FSN (in the Fate path), Sorcery Jokers (the younger protagonist), etc.
The anti-hero protagonist is a bit more complex. Individuals in this type of chuunige will generally obtain the same results... but they might do so through amoral or reprehensible methods. Anti-heroes tend to fall into two types... the type that will willingly abandon everything for the person they care about most without a second thought and the type that will mercilessly cut off the one for the sake of the many. This type often will have a moral compass that differs radically from the average human being.
Chuunige with this type of protagonist include: Vermilion, Dies Irae, Kajiri Kamui Kagura, Shinigami no Testament, Gensou no Idea (both), Sorcery Jokers (the older protagonist), Comyu, Jingai Makyou, Hello Lady, Zero Infinity, Electro Arms, Izuna Zanshinken etc.
The third and final protagonist type is the monster. This type is the rarest of the three... mostly because few Japanese writers have the courage to create a protagonist of this type in the first place. This type of protagonist has a tendency to be brutal, selfish, amoral, or outright villainous. These protagonists have a tendency to be immensely intelligent and/or capable... but that intelligence/capability is usually directed to a goal that is less than wholesome in most cases. Berserkers, killers, etc.
Chuunige with this type of protagonist: Devils Devel Concept, Silverio Vendetta, Muramasa, Yurikago yori Tenshi Made, Maggot Baits (yes it counts, though I hate to admit it) etc.
In almost every way it matters, chuunige are defined by their protagonists. Their perspectives are deliberately warped, corrupted, and/or out of sync with most human beings, and that is the primary reason I keep coming back to them, lol.
Edit: Note that most of the monster type protagonists come from chuunige-specialist companies that pretty much produce nothing but this type of VN, lol.
Edit2: A lot of the reason for the excessively exaggerated nature of character designs (both visual and written) in chuunige comes from a philosophy in the genre that is very similar to that seen on the stage when classic plays are acted out for a live audience. Making things over the top is seen as both a virtue and an absolute necessity for creating understanding in the watcher/reader in both cases.
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