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Why are edgelord characters popular in japan?

DragonSJG

DragonSJG

Banned
Mar 4, 2019
14,338
In popularity polls, characters like Sasuke, Bakugo, Hiei, Goro Akech and Shadow the Hedgehog are super popular and dominant popularity polls compared to the west, where the reception of characters like these is more mixed. So I was wondering, just what about these characters makes them appealing to japanese audiences?
 
XaviConcept

XaviConcept

Art Director for Videogames
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,900
Compared to the West? On what grounds? As far as Im aware Americans fucking love their edgelords, -xxxSephiroth69xxx- and all
 
Cenauru

Cenauru

Dragon Girl Supremacy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,949
I've seen enough usernames and online handles to know this isn't a Japanese thing.
 
Pancho

Pancho

Avenger
Nov 7, 2017
1,976
This is not a Japan-only thing. Era has a bunch of edgelords too, most of them on the gaming side
 
Yippiekai

Yippiekai

The Fallen
May 28, 2018
1,475
Toulouse, France
Because grey/evil characters getting some sort of redemption story is more interesting than bland hero keeping being a hero.
It's the Vegeta effect.
 
Galkinator

Galkinator

Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,947
Well in MHA's case... Do you expect anyone to stan Midoriya? One of the worst MC in recent years (I dislike Bakugo as well though, he's too much)
 
Weiss

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
I dunno if it's exclusively a Japanese thing, but part of it may be that the cool edgelord rival who has to go all out just this once is really, really popular with teenagers and kids, who eat that shit up.
 
Excuse me

Excuse me

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,016
They are more interesting characters then the good guy who always does the right thing and has right reasons to fight for.
 
24thFrame

24thFrame

Alt-Account
Banned
Jun 16, 2020
912
Yeah, so weird how this is such a specifically Japanese thing.

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Hella

Hella

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,397
I'd argue it's a global thing.

And it's because they're so cool. Like omg.
 
Zombine

Zombine

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,231
If I have power I will earn their respect and girls will go out on dates with me. Mom and dad will regret grounding me this weekend.
 
Qikz

Qikz

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,470
The protagonist is usually boring, the edgelord has flair. They're popular everywhere because they're badass for the most part.
 
ReiGun

ReiGun

Member
Nov 15, 2017
1,723
I don't think the OP is trying to say they're only popular in Japan. Obviously every character listed has a huge following in the west. I think it's a fair question to ask without everyone rushing to be like "It's not just Japan!!!!!!!"

As for why, I think much like the west, those sorts of characters appeal to a very broad sense to what people consider "cool" in Japan. Stoic, detached, seemingly unfazed by most of life's challenges and immune to the sort of awkward and embarrassing moments that plague people (young people in particular), and usually wearing some cool outfit and/or possessing a tragic backstory that garners sympathy.

There's probably more specific reasons Japan likes their particular brand of edgelords, but Idk enough about the culture to get into that.
 
marimo

marimo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
612
I wouldn't say edgelordy characters are more popular in Japan than America but there does seem to be a popularity difference between reserved vs. expressive characters. Obviously there's plenty of exceptions to that too though.
 
Readler

Readler

Member
Oct 6, 2018
1,972
Dardan Sandiego said:
lol batman is one of the most popular characters in western media
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Batman is such a fucking baby I love it.

I do kinda agree with OP though? This is what's been putting me off a lot of Japanese games, like those Finaly Fantasy 15 boys just look so bad imo lol. On the other hand, the West has Darksiders, The Darkness, Kylo Ren, and Gears of War so uhh yea.
The Japanese characters have a very distinct, and over-designed aesthetic though I'd say, which is what may have made OP ask the question.
 
Sanka

Sanka

Banned
Feb 17, 2019
5,778
People in the west if anything like to act as if they don't like them, but in the end they are just as popular.
 
Patapuf

Patapuf

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,408
I'd say it's a teenager thing but i'm not sure that's even true anymore. People love edgelords.
 
BassForever

BassForever

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
29,920
CT
Because when they're done well they're some of the most compelling characters in fiction.

The problem is there is a very fine line for an edgey character before they become too silly or too brooding to be enjoyed, and most crappy writers don't know how to find that balance.
 
lvl 99 Pixel

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,652
Honestly I think adults seem more likely to enjoy shounen anime in the west than Japan where its considered more childish afaik.

source: its the only type of anime a lot of people I know seem to watch unless they're really into anime.
 
crimsonECHIDNA

crimsonECHIDNA

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,357
Florida
Raging Spaniard said:
Compared to the West? On what grounds? As far as Im aware Americans fucking love their edgelords, -xxxSephiroth69xxx- and all
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I mean in the west you get your Walter Whites and Rick Sanchez's who get glorified.

I think in all cases it's a bunch of repressed people projecting themselves onto characters they wish they could act like in society.
 
Paragon

Paragon

Member
May 5, 2018
461
DragonSJG said:
22 and I do like edgelords but I meant they seem to be more divisive in the west
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The fact that these 'edgelord' characters seem more divisive in the West is probably because you're basing your perception of a character's popularity in the West on forums and other internet sources, whereas your perception of these characters popularity in Japan is based entirely upon popularity polls. Take MHA for example, as much as people online like to clown on Bakugo he dominates the US popularity polls as much as he does the Japanese polls.
 
Paragon

Paragon

Member
May 5, 2018
461
Accidently quoted myself, but I'll also just say that if anyone were to look at forums in Japan, you'd probably also find people clowning on edgelord characters. This might be a bit of a generalization, but the opinions that you find on forums don't tend to correlate with the opinions of the average person.
 
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