What Your Favorite Anime Trope Says About You

Everything we buy solves a problem. Sometimes, this is pretty simple, like buying groceries to solve the ‘What are we having for dinner tonight?’ question that plagues us each day.

Other times, it’s a little less simple, as with books or movies solving not only our ‘boredom’ problem but also often making us feel good in other ways. For example, Christmas movies help us really feel and experience the generosity, wonder, and love of Christmas while a superhero comic book may inspire us to see the best in the world. Regardless, both purchases scratch an ‘itch’ and serve a purpose.

So, that being said… what do our favorite tropes and series reveal about our ‘itch’? What problem do they solve for the anime-obsessed?

• Isekai – Being reborn or summoned to another world.
  • It’s quite literally a fresh start. So, it’s very popular with people who feel trapped or stuck in their daily lives. Most notably, this genre did really well during COVID-19. We were all stuck inside, unable to speak to one another, unable to go to our jobs, unable to do much of anything. So, a story about an ordinary character going to a fantastical land was always going to be popular for this specific time. Essentially, it asks the question what would happen if I started over in a fantasy land that has none of my problems and nothing that I hate?
  • Personally, I think this is going to remain somewhat popular, as it is the junk food of portal fantasy. Portal fantasy is essentially taking a character and putting them in a new world, time, or even dimension, and has always been popular for people wishing away their problems. Isekai just takes that a step farther by adding an element of modern mediocrity to the main character, which allows watchers to empathize more with the main character. It’s essentially very, very cheap wish fulfillment to anyone who doesn’t want to be where they are.
• Over-Powered Main Character or Power Fantasies –
  • This one is another easy one as it is literally in the name. It allows the watcher to experience being powerful which usually means they’re very not powerful in real life. A lot of times people who enjoy this fantasy are people who feel like they’re constantly being set back in life, and they just want something to go their way for once.
  • Basically, people who like power fantasy
• Time-Travel/Regression
  • Time travel or regression is extremely similar to power fantasy or Portal fantasy in that it is extremely cheap wish fulfillment but for people who have regrets.
  • For example, my ultimate wish would be to go back in time and keep one or two of my college friends that I’m no longer close to. I would go back and I would do the whole thing over again, wouldn’t change too much, but I would keep two good friends, and I would probably write my book a whole lot sooner. That would be my time travel wish fulfillment. Oh, and I might go for a math degree instead of a business degree.
  • So, in a lot of these anime, the time traveler goes back in time and because they know everything, they don’t make mistakes or at least they’re trying not to. Arguably, they probably still do but because they have the cheat codes already, they’re still set to succeed without falling into their previous pitfalls.
  • Interestingly, male and female shows that use this genre use it very differently. For women’s shows, a common theme is getting revenge on those who wronged her and then breaking up with the ‘Bad’ or ‘Wrong’ choice of a husband. Most then pivot to marry the man that they previously thought to be dangerous or wrong, with their second go at life revealing different sides to all of the characters from their first lives. So, this trope is largely used in fantasy romances that have dramatic or political subplots underscoring the romance.
  • For men, there’s less time travel and more regression. This is because while women may focus on the social aspect of going back in time, men tend to enjoy regression more in action stories, up against impossible odds. This is often seen where the protagonist either fails or dies over and over again, trying to complete a herculean task. For guys, it’s all about having unlimited retries rather than just getting it right on the second try because it folds neatly into the next trope that is often seen in anime.
• Zero-Hero or Hard Work Makes the Dream Work
  • The Zero to Hero trope is probably one of the most used tropes across all of fiction. And for good reason: it’s a good plot device and easy to get right. But that’s because it catches the essence of what nearly every reader or movie watcher yearns for: the idea that even a normal nobody can become the hero with a little bit of luck, some divine providence, and a whole lot of hard work.
  • Non-anime examples of this are Anakin and Luke’s humble beginnings in Star Wars. Neither of them were originally very important at the beginning of their stories, but both practically changed the universe by the end of their trilogies. Similarly, the Pevensies were merely ordinary children before their trip through the wardrobe. Now, sometimes there are reasons things happen to ordinary people, such as Luke’s parentage or the Pevensies’ Uncle having built the wardrobe and been to Narnia before, but the idea that anything can happen to anyone is still a very popular device for creating lovable main characters.
  • Meanwhile, a few anime examples are Saitama from One Punch Man or Usagi from Sailor Moon. Which, again, you can argue that Usagi wasn’t technically ordinary being the reincarnated moon princess… but in the original anime you have to watch hundreds of episodes to get to that reveal. For the purpose of the Zero to Hero trope, I’d say she fits the bill.
  • Now, one thing anime usually likes to emphasize with the Zero to Hero trope is the importance of hard work over natural talent or luck. Obviously, the biggest example of this is Naruto. Lacking both brains and natural talent, the orange gremlin powers through the academy and learning ninja skills pretty much by sheer will power. And trying things over. and. over. and. over. again. So, it’s a great illustration of the hard work sub-trope that most guys love in the Zero to Hero.
  • Essentially, these anime tell viewers that anyone can be the hero, either through hard work or a little bit of luck gone awry. For people with big dreams, these anime are the perfect Friday night binge because they show ordinary people achieving the extraordinary. If you have friend who loves these, consider asking him about his dreams? What does he want to do in life? The answer might surprise you.
• Secret Identity
  • Honestly, the secret identity trope is one of my favorite tropes, not just because of the eventual surprise reveal, but also because of the high stakes it usually brings. As its name implies, the secret identity trope is when a character disguises himself as someone else for a short period of time.
  • A few obvious examples of this would be Mulan, Darker Than Black, Superman (or any superhero show with secret identities), Persona 5, or even Conan Case Closed. In all of these options, the main character has a secret identity that they must not reveal even while performing actions that benefit it.
  • Now, while I enjoy this simply for the complexity it adds to the characters, people who love this trope may also love the hidden or secret depths it gives the characters. In a world where almost nothing is private anymore, I think a lot of people value their secrets and the different pieces of themselves that they don’t flaunt on social media. Furthermore, as is the theme with most of these tropes, people love feeling special. Similar to the Zero to Hero trope, the Secret Identity trope says that anyone can be special or have secret powers. Whether that’s actual secret powers like in Persona 5 or simply a secondary online persona in Durarara, the secret identity trope says than anyone could be hiding something truly unique.
• Reverse Harems/Harems
  • To be honest, I feel like these two tropes are the weeds growing in the anime garden. Because to avoid mentioning them as major tropes in anime would be disingenuous, but the tropes themselves are usually ignored by anyone of mental and moral fortitude. That said, the tropes persist even against modern values because they answer some of the biggest needs in this day and age: love, acceptance, and genuine care from romantic relationships with the opposite sex, or just from any relationship at all, romantic or not. For those reasons, I’m going to briefly cover the tropes, but I won’t be going into details with them.
  • For girls, reverse harems focus on receiving care from multiple potential male suitors, though it may not all be romantic in nature. This is because reverse harem anime is more about giving the audience unconditional attention and affection rather than just romantic love. The typical audience is between 18-24 years of age and are in college or going into the workforce. They don’t have time to pursue relationships, even just solid friend groups, so they watch reverse harem to feel loved and accepted. Women tend to be more into networking and complex socializing, so those lacking these extra connections often find solace in shows like Ouran High School or Fruits Basket. These shows are technically reverse harems but often focus on more than just the romantic subtext when dealing with all of the other characters.
  • For guys, harem anime focuses on purely romantic potential suitors with an emphasis on lustful or physical aspects. This is simply because men and women look for different things in partners and react to different things as well. To put it simply… guys are wired differently and that’s as far into that as I want to go. Harem anime answers men’s want for romantic relations with many attractive ladies pursuing them. Done.
  • That said, I truly can’t recommend either of these tropes because I think both are just bad for the watcher. Like, yes, they address the wish for closeness, both romantic and otherwise, but finding that in a TV show isn’t a good thing. It is especially not a good thing if the characters have to be half naked to do it.
  • Humans are made to desire closeness with one another and it’s never fun to feel alone, whether that’s in general or romantically. But anime, books, or even video games aren’t the answer. They may scratch the itch for a while, but true fulfillment will only happen when you actually go on a date or make a new friend.
  • Furthermore, the relationships shown are obviously unrealistic. And while you may know in your head that, of course, the vampire isn’t real or the mecha girl isn’t real, what you consume in media will eventually find its way out. I see it all the time in other people when they read romance or consume anime; they then expect their partner to match what they’ve been reading or watching. Or they just compare them subconsciously. And while someone watching either of these tropes may not currently be in a relationship, one day you will be. And wouldn’t you want to put your best foot forward for that?
  • But also… as a woman I can say that a guy who watches harem anime is a major red flag. Similarly, a girl reading heavy doses of dark romance should also be a red flag to guys. So, you know. Watch what you consume and don’t be surprised if not everyone is as appreciative of it as you.
• Found Family/Friends
  • To be honest… I both love and hate this trope. I love it for the many, many, many wonderful anime that make use of it. But I hate that this has to be a trope at all, because it’s essentially scratching the same need for affection and love that the harem tropes do, just in a much less weird way. AKA: It’s socially acceptable and has no naked people.
  • Basically, the Found Family/Friends trope features strong, wholesome relationships between characters that may be family, may be friends, or more commonly, are friends that have become a family to one another. It fills the modern void where community, family, and friends used to go before social media and the internet killed those.
  • And it’s really sad that this is a trope, because it means that a large amount of people out there aren’t getting the love and affection they need from family and friends in reality. Shows like SpyXFamily or The Mandalorian heavily feature the found family theme by literally building families out of unrelated people, but anime like Log Horizon or Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East also bring absolute strangers together in a family-like way.
  • To be honest, I have less of a problem with this trope, but I’d still encourage people who watch a lot of it to get off your screens and go call your mom. Or your dad. Your sibling. You old friend from high school. It doesn’t matter. There is more to life than pixels on a screen, even when the story they tell is beautiful. You shouldn’t be looking for love and affection in a screen, and somewhere out there, I’m sure you’ve got someone who loves you.
• Slice of Life
  • To be honest, the closest I’ve ever come to understanding or enjoying the Slice of Life trope is the first season of Katekyo Hitman Reborn and that’s… really not Slice of Life. Nevertheless, here goes.
  • Slice of Life is anime that focuses on the daily life of people. This can be people in a band, it can be average high school students trying to learn the ways and lessons of adulthood, or it can be girls on a camping trip like Yuru Camp. Typically, these are slow paced, low stakes, explorations of philosophical or emotional concepts like the passing of time, change, growth, imperfection, and even grief.
  • Interestingly enough, Slice of Life often has a science built into the pacing and even the sound design in order to create an ambience of calm warmth. It’s supposed to feel cozy, without the clutter.
  • Typically, people watch it to decompress, relax with something predictable, or simply to occupy some time with something that won’t excite or bore them. It reminds me of watching some vlogs on YouTube that feature living in the mountains or off the land. I watch those while I work to keep myself relaxed, even when I’m handling a tough project.
  • So, I suppose if this is your jam, you’re probably living in a high-stakes, high-stress state and this is your way of finally telling your brain to slow down and chill out.
• Anti-Hero/Dark Justice
  • This one is a fun little trope that most people enjoy at some point in their life. Typically, it’s about a protagonist that’s been deeply wronged and is righting those wrongs, usually in opposition to the law and quite violently.
  • Some examples of this would include Death Note, Code Geass, or my favorite: Darker Than Black. Notably, these protagonists aren’t necessarily what you’re describe as noble or particularly heroic in the traditional sense. Rather, they’re principled individuals who strive to achieve larger goals, regardless of whether the methods used are morally bankrupt or just downright evil. Their morally grey outlooks often give way to intense, high-stakes storylines with complicated, ruthless characters and endings you don’t see coming.
  • Now, what people actually get out of this tends to differ depending on what you’re looking for. Notable, Dark Justice appeals to people who feel helpless but are for more ruthless and revenge-driven than those who enjoy a good power trip with a Power Fantasy anime. However, it also brings forth a moral complexity to the protagonist that many would argue a Zero-Hero protagonist doesn’t have. The complexity helps people feel closer to the grim dark leaders and can feel validating for people who struggle with their own anger driven impulses.
  • The Anti-Hero is a more everyday hero, one with vices instead of angel wings. This means he’s both more vicious dealing with enemies and more relatable to people who similarly don’t just want to forgive and forget.

And there you have it: your deepest desires laid bare… or something like that. Personally, I can certainly see the appeal of Isekai and was obsessed with it in college. Which is why I started writing RADD in the first place. I’m not nearly so obsessed with it now, though I still love Ascendance of a Bookworm.

These days I don’t watch as much anime, though I’ve found myself most often drawn to Found Family and Friends anime, which probably means I need to work on some socializing in my real life. What does your anime say about what you need in your life? Do you need to get out and socialize too? Or take the first steps of pursuing a dream?