Crimezone

When the basic setup is 'MC is bait. That's all he is, is allowed to be, and always will be' then there's nothing in him to be interested in. He's a McGuffin. Shinji had more fucking character development than this.

Shinji's story was told. This was axed. 

When the basic setup is 'MC is bait. That's all he is, is allowed to be, and always will be' then there's nothing in him to be interested in. He's a McGuffin. Shinji had more fucking character development than this.

I think the main male character is suppose to be a deconstruction of how many male protagonists are actually seen in these stories.  Because in such stories the male character always has something to help him out that he can do, something to make him badass.  But here there is nothing, he's a normal person and any attempts from him to be awesome are met with tragedy.  Showing him how powerless he is time and time again.

 

Maybe it's an allegory for how some people respond to natural crisis's?  Maybe it's an anvil that the creator feels needs to be dropped on our heads.  Or maybe the creator wanted to write a protagonist that stays a weakling and doesn't get all immensely powerful.  Maybe the character will be badass in things like politics or something?  Or maybe not.  Who knows?

 

Either way I still like the story.  Feels like things are moving quickly, but that may be because the author might be forced to finish it quickly.  Considering how many people here post about it negatively, I can imagine it isn't a popular work in Japan. 

That the author is being incompetent at writing a proper and engaging protagonist, just saying. And to drive my point home in the apparent epilogue he shows in a whooping 2 pages out of 40!

So I guess this is dropped? Did it get an axe or was it just not continued at all?

hope this manga still 'alive'...

I think the no. of chapters isn't what decides whether it's long or short, but the no. of pages.

This 13 pages = 3 volumes so...

13 Chapters is a lot when this thing is completed at 5 volumes.

Oh, didn't know that. Then it is a lot.

Just made a funny connection to how he is like Princess Peach with always needing to rescued even though you would think she would have learned by now.

You know, 13 chapters is not that much and good character development needs more time just like good wine... except if you want the highly inhuman face-heel-turn into a polar opposite personality that NEVER happen with true humans.

13 Chapters is a lot when this thing is completed at 5 volumes.

most of us don't like the MC because he's a total P*ssy. not because he's uber weak. but because he's pathetic. not because he's powerless. but because he doesn't change. you might like this mc because he's not out saving a damsel in distress, but he is pissing himself every 5 min and thats just disgusting. it's been 13 chapters and the MC's still the same completely useless MC he was when the manga started.

You know, 13 chapters is not that much and good character development needs more time just like good wine... except if you want the highly inhuman face-heel-turn into a polar opposite personality that NEVER happen with true humans.

The relevant vamps can't kill him, they need him

Well, there goes your theory. Vamps in this series can do whatever the fuck they want, and if they found MC to be even slightly a threat to them, they'd just make an invalid out of him. Hell, they're already about to do that out of annoyance.

As a side note, it's ridiculous how some people sensor their speech in the comments of gore-filled manga like this. A few cuss words are nothing compared to the content of some of these manga.

So when is the larger plot going to be revealed? We've had 13 chapters without even a hint of the larger backstory. It's just been action scene after action scene with nothing to drive it. Chapter one won a lot of people over because of "Oh shit, unexpected gore every super fast", but it was hardly "really good".

Woohoo update!

And looks like we have another fight coming soon.  Yeah this is a bit rushed.  The author is probably been given ax threats or has been axed before he/she got where they wanted.  Honestly that's the sucky part about doing creative stuff professionally, because what you make doesn't really belong to you anymore.  It kinda belongs to the people publishing and printing it and they listen to the demands of those who purchase it.

Still I do like this, if nothing else than for the female main character.

Thanks for the update!

If you do not like the MC then how about all- in which I mean shift loads off female characters that have been made to have a we-have-to -save-the-princess plot or have a triangle or that they ALWAYS are (especially in movies and comics) big breasted extremely beautiful females who only exist to make the male lead masculine/the hero/savior. The females that are  something other than a plot device are all tragic women with tragic a past, either lost family/lover or r@@@@. Kind of annoying.

 

This MC is a nice change from those born-male-hero-goodguy-archetypes I am so bloody tired of.

most of us don't like the MC because he's a total P*ssy. not because he's uber weak. but because he's pathetic. not because he's powerless. but because he doesn't change. you might like this mc because he's not out saving a damsel in distress, but he is pissing himself every 5 min and thats just disgusting. it's been 13 chapters and the MC's still the same completely useless MC he was when the manga started. i mean you can only go through so many life or death situations before you go, "you know i need to stop being a p*ssy and start figuring $hit out." but does this guy do that? oh hell no. instead he crawls under the sheets and pisses himself to sleep.

the only reason im still reading this is because all the side characters keep it from drowing (in piss). that and the underlying story seems pretty good if it can just get out from under the ocean of piss the MC has released.

i do agree with you about all the ecchi though, to much is flooding into the market lately. like 9 out of 10 manga/LN/anime are all ecchi.

...Thats only how he's acted thus far. We're only 13 chapters in...

I don't think I will read this.  I dislike mainstream 'with the power of kindness' MCs but I dislike powerless MCs even more.  I did find your comment interesting though: 'its only 13 chapters in'; I immediately thought: 'even after 13 chapters'

I haven't read it though so can't comment on the manga itself

Thank you very much for the update 

If you do not like the MC then how about all- in which I mean shift loads off female characters that have been made to have a we-have-to -save-the-princess plot or have a triangle or that they ALWAYS are (especially in movies and comics) big breasted extremely beautiful females who only exist to make the male lead masculine/the hero/savior. The females that are  something other than a plot device are all tragic women with tragic a past, either lost family/lover or r@@@@. Kind of annoying.

This MC is a nice change from those born-male-hero-goodguy-archetypes I am so bloody tired of.

And who decides where that "too far" line is? I think he's very endearing like this. Seems to me like you're still pushing the unreasonable standards I listed onto him. Let go of your insecurity, dude.

 

In a way, it's good that many of you think Shirou's characterization goes too far. If I wasn't clear before, I'll say this more clearly: it explicitly defies your expectations of what a male protagonist has to do. Embrace it.

Unreasonable standards? Last i checked this was a manga. Fantasy. Almost NOTHING is unreasonable. What makes people mad is that he's doing exactly what would normally get him killed. The only reason he isnt dead is because he is necessary. Knowing this, he still cowers in fear and doesnt even try to think of ways to help at least himself. Embrace it? For what? It defies what we want, sure, (The is no guide for what a male protagonist has to do. There are plenty of sandbag male prtags, but a lot of them have at least one redeeming quality. Not this one. Not yet), But it's also exactly what we dont want. You dont embrace what you dislike just because it defies what you expect/want. Its nonsense. We (or at least I) dont dislike MCs like this because they break the mold of the powerful MC. We (or just I) dislike him because of the actions he takes. "How we survive makes us who we are" .If you are surviving only from the strength of others (with no intention of taking your life into your own hands)....well then you are a parasite.

Thats only how he's acted thus far. We're only 13 chapters in so really anything could happen and it seems he's starting to get used to his situation if only a little. So though he may not be able to do anything still, he might at least be a little more coherant when shit hits the ever-oscillating fan.

i have a bad feeling about that arm

True but he goes too far. Like Noodleman said, Shirou needs to be proactive in protecting in own butt in at least one way. It doesn't even have to be some kind of 'uber-powerup'. It just has to be a reasonable or useful.

I mean, didn't he try that, though?  Wasn't he saying that the most recent vamp needed him?  He also did what he could to help Ichijouji (sp?) and bought her some time.  Have you guys seen the original Nightmare on Elm Street?  I feel like that other poster was thinking in those lines.  I mean, really?  You're going to stop Freddy Kruger with some boyscout trip wires?

I think the main male character is suppose to be a deconstruction of how many male protagonists are actually seen in these stories.  Because in such stories the male character always has something to help him out that he can do, something to make him badass.  But here there is nothing, he's a normal person and any attempts from him to be awesome are met with tragedy.  Showing him how powerless he is time and time again.

Maybe it's an allegory for how some people respond to natural crisis's?  Maybe it's an anvil that the creator feels needs to be dropped on our heads.  Or maybe the creator wanted to write a protagonist that stays a weakling and doesn't get all immensely powerful.  Maybe the character will be badass in things like politics or something?  Or maybe not.  Who knows?

Either way I still like the story.  Feels like things are moving quickly, but that may be because the author might be forced to finish it quickly.  Considering how many people here post about it negatively, I can imagine it isn't a popular work in Japan. 

True but he goes too far. Like Noodleman said, Shirou needs to be proactive in protecting in own butt in at least one way. It doesn't even have to be some kind of 'uber-powerup'. It just has to be a reasonable or useful.

And who decides where that "too far" line is? I think he's very endearing like this. Seems to me like you're still pushing the unreasonable standards I listed onto him. Let go of your insecurity, dude.

In a way, it's good that many of you think Shirou's characterization goes too far. If I wasn't clear before, I'll say this more clearly: it explicitly defies your expectations of what a male protagonist has to do. Embrace it.

True but he goes too far. Like Noodleman said, Shirou needs to be proactive in protecting in own butt in at least one way. It doesn't even have to be some kind of 'uber-powerup'. It just has to be a reasonable or useful.

agreed, he dose not need a superpower, or have any skills that a normal High-school kid would not have, but after the first vampire attack, one would think he would have done something to help himself down the rode. It could be something as simple as learning to pick locks, or just keeping some useful stuff on him all the time, you know, when more vampires show up. And here's the kicker, all that stuff could still not help him at all, actually showing that no-matter what he dose, he is nothing more then bait.

Why does the male lead have to be strong/badass/whatever? I've had enough of average guys turning out to be awesome, having hidden talents, or impressing people by the steely determination in their eyes. I've had enough of them not being allowed to make mistakes, become overwhelmed and unable to cope, fail to take charge, or display weakness. It's refreshing that Shirou's characterization takes a piss at all these prescriptions -- it's one of the few that does.

True but he goes too far. Like Noodleman said, Shirou needs to be proactive in protecting in own butt in at least one way. It doesn't even have to be some kind of 'uber-powerup'. It just has to be a reasonable or useful.