Is this

Is this
may I say
the worst protagonist of the season?

No.

>couldn't get hard to save himself and the other girl
worse then LN harem protagonists

Just face it you will never ever get an MC like Yuuji.

I fucking hate his inner monologue/narration bullshit.

That's the autistic girl from VEG

>bland monologuing guy
Worst by far.

This. It's annoying as fuck.

Is he voiced by Yuki Kaji?

stfu ED is a serious issue

I remember 10 years ago that Sup Forums called Simon the worst protagonist of the season too.

No

No, Violet is.

Holy shit she's annoying as fuck too

He was terrible in the first episodes. Kamina death until timeskip is peak Simon.

At least in the very first episode Simon got his moment to shine
meanwhile we are 2 episodes in Darling and the protagonist only gets worse

Save from what? It was a training fight.

He and Violet would made a perfect couple of who's most boring and uninspired

Most alpha MC this season

Not at all, his pretty great actual.
His proactive, and really hard on himself. His eternal conflicts make for an interesting hook in these early episodes and I look forward to see him overcome his problems.

The fact that they gave him such a heavy internal conflict honestly makes him the most interesting protagonist here, I actually want to see him achieve his goals.

I dont remember this scene in the shota rape episodes

He actually acts like and appears to like Zero Two.
He is also really motivated to actually pilot the robots.
He is an above average mecha protagonist.

He was in a depressed slump at the start of the show for sure.
But the moment a challenge arose that had the potential to give him purpose, he ran right towards it without hesitation.
I am looking forward to what the show will take him.

The protagonist had his moment to shine in episode 1, when he went out of his way to get in the damn robot even if it meant possibly dying.
Episode 2 sets up that all his issues didn't magically go away.
That doesn't make him worse, and it's quite promising from a story telling aspect to have him hit a wall so early on, especially in a 2 cour series.
It would be bad if they just ignored this and brought it up like 14 episodes down the line, it's better that the set up the character arc early so we can get it out of the way.

That doesn't make him a worse protagonist.

terribly generic

That's what i'm saying, this is just proper set up and they already showed glimpses of his good traits. This is quite literally the most promising mc i've seen.

Also, making a little antagonist out of 666 and having the whole squad kind of doubt him, and them having him fail in front of everyone, really makes me as a viewer want to root for him.

>generic=/=bad
You should stop eating shit out of the asses of your favorite e-celeb "anime critic", and maybe try given a proper assessment.
No one with a brain will take your buzzwords seriously.

Having the will to help alone but not actually helping isn't proactive at all. So far he's a burden that's holding everyone down by making people work around him. Best grill Ichigo has better things to do than entertain his whims. But because he's protag she loves him for no reason and will go out of her way to help him.

And lastly, his internal conflicts are that of a sheltered brat.

a lot of Sup Forumsnons will hate him, his personality and defeatist atitude hits a little too close to home for their liking.

>for no reason
Are you just being funny or intentionally obtuse?
And do you really think a responsible girl like Ichigo would start fancying some boy like Hiro without a reason?
Cut her some slack. I am sure there are reasons.

>generic=/=bad
Thus the adverb

>He was terrible in the first episodes.
Not even. Simon was never a terrible character. He smashed the first gunman in the first episode and it was all part of his development.

>Being this dense
If you want to ask me to be patient and wait for them to give some fucking flashback to explain a plot point they already used so early on in the series, which btw I think is stupid narrative-wise, I'll wait. Doesn't change the fact that as of the moment of this writing she as well as the stupid elders all seem to have a hard-on for him despite him being completely useless so far. Only thing he has going on for him is Oni's also unexplained interest in him which by the way, has no reason as well. Typical harem-level MC. Terrible.

>character has clear flaws and is kind of a bad person
oh so hes an actual character with shortcomings and problems he has to overcome, and not a simple cardboard cutout made for teenage boys to project themselves on.
>ichigo has a crush on him even though hes an emotionally distant sad sack
loves a fickle thing, sometimes you fall for people who you know will be bad for you, also she called him out on it last episode

>Oni's also unexplained interest
>she literally explains why she is interested in their first meeting
Wow user, your argument sure is great and not full of hyperboles.

>She said it because reasons so it's good enough
If seeing the MC for the first time and immediately saying I like you because BS and BS is your idea of brilliant writing then I have bad news for you user.

So do you want the entire plot and all the characters explained in the first episode?
It's already obvious that she has some inhuman mannerisms and that her motivations will be kept mysterious for a while. What happened in episode 1 is already good enough to set up her interest in him and the rest can develop from there.
Ichigo's reasoning for liking Hiro is also good enough for two episodes without revealing much of their past. We already know that Hiro is the one who named all of them so it's not far fetched at all for her to have a reason to like him.

Proactive is immediately trying to get in the robot the next time you see zero-two.
Rushing to where his friends are to try and help anyway he can is proactive.
Following his squamates during training exercises even though he can't pilot is proactive.

His a proactive character, but the face him with a really trying situation in which he feels guilty for kind of fucking over his friends, these are all good things for a growing character.

Not that guy but 02 was clearly messing with Hiro at first.
She was most likely telling the truth when Hiro caught her fancy, how it sounded like they were similar, and how she liked his taste whatever that means. And may very well have wanted to take him for a ride given all that.
But in spite of all that she can't have been all that into him. And even tried to talk him out of riding with her when the Klaxosaur attacked, but when Hiro insisted in spite of her words. That's when he really caught her fancy and his performance within the FranXX that we the audience haven't really gotten to see yet, may very well strengthened her impression of him further.

From the sound of her backstory she has already consumed a lot of different parasites. So she was probably already somewhat familiar with picking up parasites and riding them, only for them to break of course but that appears to be something he has already grown accustomed to.
So the idea of this odd-ball parasite that she could actually relate to some extent, that still tastes of some desire the others lacked. Could be someone she could end up fancying, really isn't that far-fetched.

So perhaps you should give the show a chance to flesh out their relationship further? Or at the very least not quickly throw it aside as garbage a mere two episodes in despite of there actually being some set up to their relationship.

>So do you want the entire plot and all the characters explained in the first episode?
Fucking hell. Of course not you dumbfuck. You explore character dynamics and let the relationship unfold in front of the audience rather than manifest strong feelings out of nowhere. I'm saying he's a very harem-esque MC where everything seem to gratuitously fall into his lap and despite that he's still useless so far.

No one said it was brilliant writing, although there is a lot of that in this show.

They simply gave zero-two a reason for her 'attraction' to hiro, all while telling the viewer a few important things about each characters, it's quite well done.

We really don't need a flashback to see why ichigo likes hiro, nor does love need a reason. We already know these are two characters who have been with each other all their lives and there are 101 possible reasons for her obvious attraction to him.

It doesn't make him a harem protagonist and it doesn't degrade any of the characters.

Do you really give a fuck about why Ichigo loves Hiro? So far, the way Ichigo acts could be entirely explained by Oni being known as the partner-killer, and her not wanting someone she knows to die.

Also, the reason the elders care for Hiro is because he synchronised well with Oni and he didn't age after piloting with her. Even though the elders have an eye on Hiro they haven't given him special treatment.

One more episode user. Need more him + 002 next episode with some plot development.

>strong feelings out of nowhere
Are you autistic? These characters all already have relationships before we enter this point of the story, the only characters who only just met are hiro and zero-two. And in that very scene the created a dynamic between the two.
No one said anything about strong feelings.

>everything seem to gratuitously fall into his lap and despite that he's still useless so far.
As stated before ichigo and hiro already had a relationship.
And zero two although attracted to hiro didn't establish a real relationship until he volunteered to pilot with her despite possibly dying. This moment also counters this your false critism of useless.

And finally none of these things are relevant to his character.

user I'm watching this till the end. MC is just the least of my reason for sticking around so far.

>show for teens and fedoras
>main character acts like a teen/loser
>(still) becomes powerful/"gets the girl"

Who would have guessed? It like 50% of the shounen animes. (the rest is naruto/luffy/asta co)

I wonder if Ichigo still has her bunny.
I hope she does.

You're contradicting yourself

> You explore character dynamics and let the relationship unfold in front of the audience rather than manifest strong feelings out of nowhere
But that's exactly what is happening here. The relationships aren't that strong yet. Hiro having a crush on her is natural for a teenager seeing an attractive girl for the first time and it's simply intensified by the fact that she allowed him to pilot a robot, his sole purpose in life, which he even explains in a narration.
As for 02, her reasoning for being interested him and accepting him as a pilot partner was that he also would die for the ability to pilot the robot just like herself. And it seems like she was already looking for a person to complement her in the first place. What she's doing to him in episode 2 seems not much more than a superficial fancy for someone new, their bond has not really developed yet.
And for the rest of the cadets, we already know that they've been together for longer so there's nothing wrong for them to have pre-established relationships.

The humiliation and shame of being dead weight to everyone around him

Then this show is clearly for you because you write like an underage retard.

You mean most Alpha as fuck?

He literally destroyed this bitch.

>So far he's a burden that's holding everyone down by making people work around him.
we're two episodes in. I have no idea if it's one or two cours long but either way the story has barely started

>limp dick
>alpha

He only chooses the most fertile females

this.
chad's prized seed doesn't have the time of day for inferior specimens.

>saying this when Death March is airing
The battle for worst protagonist was already over before the season had even started.

>What she's doing to him in episode 2 seems not much more than a superficial fancy for someone new, their bond has not really developed yet.
I am interested in seeing how 02 will respond to learning that Hiro doesn't dry up like the others have.
I imagine that the fact would hit her pretty hard.

Haha, no. Watch Beatless for a completely spineless MC.

The only people that don't like him are Cuckonafags for some reason. Just because he didn't immediately fall in love with the Cuckona, they hate him.

So far, yes.

at least hes honest, telling a girl that youre simply not interested right off the bat is better for the both of you in the long run, holding it in just leads to bigger issues.

In the manga, Kokoro says he has always been their leader, so he must have been proactive before failing with Naomi. And even Naomi said she loves the name he gave her, so he must have had the whim of naming some of the characters

She is most definitely barren.

he's really devoid of any character traits so far other than:
>without piloting muh life is meaningless!
it's too early to tell.

>when faced with failure, mans up and faces his punishment
>sees a naked girl and goes "yeah imma gonna pilot that booty"
>when attacked by a giant monster, runs along side it because he needs to shout a warning to his friends
>sees that booty and goes "yeah let me pilot that booty"
>first time excellence
>humble even in success
>allows woman to sit in his lap, as that is the natural order of things
>not afraid to defend his honor when slighted
>only a real woman can satisfy him, not a lolicon

Truly the /m/an of the season

>confusing the words loli and lolicon

I really have no idea why people give him so much shit. He's in a shitty mood for obvious reasons but he's far from being beta or anything and he's obviously being set up for some character development when he actually gets to prove himself and pilot. He might disappoint later on but the mere fact that he's actively trying to achieve his goals, is more than willing to stand up for himself, and doesn't freak out over 02's lewdness already places him head and shoulders above plenty of other protagonists. He's inoffensive at his worst.

People don't think of the context that the character is in. Just because it's a largely common template, they dismiss on the situation regarding it.

Honestly, the issue with this character is the design, many user have tiny pea sized brains and are judging purely off his appearance and not taking into account what actually matters.

Like his actions, or attitude.

>And lastly, his internal conflicts are that of a sheltered brat.
Every single parasite is sheltered, that's kind of the point.

>And lastly, his internal conflicts are that of a sheltered brat.
How exactly? I mean he never appeared to have many options.
The adults are clearly exploiting the children and they all appear to have a very limited understanding of the world at large even though they've clearly received education. But they have a very limited purpose it seems like.

Failed parasites are implied to simply be disposed of. Can't even be sure the parasites who fail are even alive.
I doubt Hiro could simply choose another master degree to study and then get a job or something. Those kids have no other purpose in life but to pilot the robots. The adults have never given them any other purpose.

If the kids were to gain any other purpose they'd have to be given that purpose by someone who have the power to give it to them. Or they'd have claim a purpose on their own, provided they have the necessary power to do so.
Only issue is, they've been living in this closed off cult like life they're entire life, being indoctrinate and fed propaganda. Even if they had the power to claim a purpose of their own, they don't even see beyond the purpose of what they've already been taught so they don't even chase anything else.

To Hiro piloting robots is quite literally is entire life. And why he was born.
It's no wonder he was feeling lost when he couldn't do so.

Yes.
Poor man's Shinji

can't say much else about the protag other than that he's just basic shit. As for the anime itself, it has to be one of the dumbest over dramatic and over produced excuse for fetishists that I have ever seen In a long time in anime. Like, 12 notches past full retard. I'll watch it for the lewd, even though they aren't being honest and straightforward about the lewd themselves.

Shinji
>Two least favorite things in the world: Women and piloting robots

Hiro
>Two most favorite things in the world: Zero Two and piloting robots

>Hiro: Gets in a fight as soon as episode 2
>Shinji: A pussy

Hiro is better just like Darling is better than Eva so far

...

Hiro is a good boy, you fuckers can't even wait for character development.

i hope the focus is not on him

>Focus not on the protagonist
Good luck with that

well he sucks, and its not as if the protagonist was actually someone else thing hasn't been pulled off before.

What a shit show.
I feel dirty after watching it.

He is pretty fucking bad, he is lucky enough to be in a show that is airing alongside Violet-chan who takes the cake.

>I feel dirty after watching it.

Wait until you have real sex

that was just a disappointment

> wait
By then I'll be a real skeleton and maybe Shalltear will love me.

I had, bro. But I don't recall strapping my girlfriend in a machine that turns her rump into a cockpit and none of our fucks had thousands of people's lives at stake (even though I realize now that this would be extremely hot). Well if this sounds silly, well, isn't this one of the premises of the show? It's just too retard and immature to be taken seriously, it'd work better if it was a self aware comedy. How many shows out there have mysterious beings that attack (oh, these beings are of the "goliath class" lol), and the only way to fight back is by sex? Valkyrie Drive Mermaid, Freezing, Hybrid × Heart Magia

No

I'd say the show is pretty self aware and i'd rather blatant sexual allegories then some pretentious shit.

I would think that she realized that before anyone else.

Could be. She was very impressed with Hiro after their flight it seems.

>a dynamic between the two
>when it's literally "wow you're prudish and awkward but also really kind, I'm so wet for yu already"
It was there and it was trash. The fact that she's interested in him for having the most bland MC traits in existance severely hurts her character.
I don't like Ichigo loving him as well because it's blatantly building harem shit on the 2nd episode, but I can tolerate it because they've known each other for years at least.

>when it's literally "wow you're prudish and awkward but also really kind, I'm so wet for yu already"
This literally didn't happen. Him acting cute was only to her amusement. The actual thing that made her interested was the fact that he would rather die fighting in a robot than be useless.

>being so fucking enamored with whatever other mecha garbage you dsaw you're not even paying attention anymore

That one user was right. You people really just hate him based on his looks. If he looked like Kittan but had the same mentality you'd have absolutely zero fucking problems.

It's 4 days after the episode aired. Normal/creative/productive people who love the show have lives. That leaves the degenerates, trolls and youtube """""critics""""" struggling to eke out new hot memes and trash the show because other people aren't allowed to like things.

life hack: Ignore shit eating autists and skip threads until next the ep drowns the forums with a new wave of hype.

It's already established that Oni likes Hiro because he's a new experience she's never had before. This indicates that her typical partner is a very different type of person, probably losers who know their doomed fate. There's nothing wrong with her teasing the hell out of Hiro because he's a stupid kid who literally volunteered to die with a smile on his face.

Hiro, stop trying to get in the fucking robot!

And this is where you should try and re-watch the episode.
She clearly took a liking to him for various reason when they met (Tried to save her, didn't freak out about horns, his expression of his personal turmoil really got to her cause she felt the same, it's cute that his ignorant to most things) has nothing to do with being "bland mc" which he is not.
But she's mostly a tease and doesn't really acknowledge him.

Watch how she reacts upon their second meeting, if she had fallen all over him just off the initial meeting then she would never have smacked him away after crashing the franxx.

All those things i mentioned peak her interest in him, she was sold when he came up to her and told her he'd pilot with her even if it meant death, no hesitation he wouldn't let her pilot alone, that was the panty dropper.

From her perspective she's probably been looking for "the one" for a hot minute now, and this boy she met fit all the standards, turns out he won't let her fight alone, and is more then willing to fight with her even knowing it probably means he'll die.

She must of thought she hit the jack pot.

fyi no rude intentions but it is pique not peak, there some other spelling mistakes but that word I figured you just didn't know.

Also must have not must of nbd not being rude just pointing out.

What's up with his lack of shading? Is he a 90s Disney character?

He gets bonus points for having a male seiyuu for once. So maybe he wont stay beta for long.

>animes