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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cadfan" data-source="post: 3733807" data-attributes="member: 40961">In general, when you've got a group of heroic characters in shonen anime, the standard cast looks like this- main male lead, male second, female love interest.The main male lead is ridiculously powerful but naive and untrained.  Over the course of the show he will come of age and become the best combatant in the show, eventually defeating the arch nemesis.  His tactics include charging head on, and charging head on.The female love interest will fall in love with the main male lead, primarily due to his naive idealism.  She may or may not kick ass herself.  If she does not, her powers will support the male lead.  If she does, she will stop kicking ass whenever the male lead is around.  This will cause female viewers to roll their eyes.The male second is the guy I'm describing.  At the beginning of the show he is more powerful than the male lead, mostly due to his knowledge and experience.  His powers and his personality will be more aloof and sinister than the main lead.  He will treat the male lead with disdain, his interests will probably diverge from the male lead, and he will end up in violent conflict with the male lead multiple times.  Eventually the male lead will defeat him and earn his respect.  He will be a bit of a cynical anti hero, in contrast to the naive idealism of the male lead.  And in terms of character design, he will look ever so slightly like he wandered in from a Shoujo anime.This was more a feature in 80s and 90s anime, and has gone slightly out of style.  Its considered a bit cliche these days.  This dynamic was mocked in Slayers by "Xelos, the Mysterious Priest."  Ryuho Tairen from Scryed is a good example of the more modern incarnation of this character archetype.</blockquote>

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