Double: Shoutaro's lack of back story

[Kurisuw]

I can see where you're coming from, that Shoutaro is really the medium for the viewers to experience the series through. But I think that I would be able to relate to him more if he had a back story; I would be able to see why he follows his hard-boiled code, why he does what he does, and compare that to why I do what I do. This is, of course, if he is the 'normal' character.

 

[musashi03]

I can see where you're coming from, that Shoutaro is really the medium for the viewers to experience the series through. But I think that I would be able to relate to him more if he had a back story; I would be able to see why he follows his hard-boiled code, why he does what he does, and compare that to why I do what I do. This is, of course, if he is the 'normal' character.

The problem is, they had to make Shotaro as generic as possible, even the whole half-boiled act is already a risk since not all share the same views, which is why characters like Philip and Ryu were introduced, to cover all the bases.

If Shotaro had a backstory which isn't similar to yours, then you won't be able to relate that much anymore to him right? So having a backstory doesn't assure you you'll be able to relate to him more.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

I can see where you're coming from, that Shoutaro is really the medium for the viewers to experience the series through. But I think that I would be able to relate to him more if he had a back story; I would be able to see why he follows his hard-boiled code, why he does what he does, and compare that to why I do what I do. This is, of course, if he is the 'normal' character.

Well, like I said earlier, it's because he let someone get hurt in the past. I think it was somewhere before episode 20 or so, but he was doing a request with Soukichi in his early days as his apprentice, and in his fervor for catching the guy they were after, Shoutarou ended up getting a mother and daughter hurt. This seems like it did a lot to change, perhaps not the way he outs outwardly, but certainly his motivations and what he thinks as important. He's still the guy trying to act cool when everything around him rips that guise apart, more like he's trying to fool himself rather than anyone else.

But, again, my issues come with the fact that the way he acts now as a character is boring, and we just don't see him get all that involved or contemplative.

The problem is, they had to make Shotaro as generic as possible,

Why would they need to do this? It sounds utterly bland for an audience conduit. He doesn't need to be boring to be our eyes, he just needs to be an outsider, which is what he is.

 

[Skiks]

But, again, my issues come with the fact that the way he acts now as a character is boring, and we just don't see him get all that involved or contemplative.

A back story would not change how he acts now so I'm not really sure how that would help at all. He'd still be the same old guy.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

A back story would not change how he acts now so I'm not really sure how that would help at all. He'd still be the same old guy.

Well personally, I don't think he needs a back story to be interesting, he has one, it just isn't the most incredibly deep one that connects him to the Gaia Memory stuff. My problems with the character come with how he acts and just seems so utterly dull to me.

 

[Kurisuw]

The problem is, they had to make Shotaro as generic as possible, even the whole half-boiled act is already a risk since not all share the same views, which is why characters like Philip and Ryu were introduced, to cover all the bases.

If Shotaro had a backstory which isn't similar to yours, then you won't be able to relate that much anymore to him right? So having a backstory doesn't assure you you'll be able to relate to him more.

Ah good point. I guess what I mean to say is, I'm not looking to relate to him in the sense that our back stories were the same, but in the way that I want to further understand him as a person; I have events that have defined my characteristics, so I'm curious as to what has shaped and defined Shoutaro. While we know how his half-boiled tendencies were sparked, other characteristics like his love for Fuuto and his sense of justice are left unexplained. Though they might be best left that way, I'd like to think that Shoutaro is more subjective than that and not left to the whims of characters like Phillip and Ryu.

 

[musashi03]

Well, like I said earlier, it's because he let someone get hurt in the past. I think it was somewhere before episode 20 or so, but he was doing a request with Soukichi in his early days as his apprentice, and in his fervor for catching the guy they were after, Shoutarou ended up getting a mother and daughter hurt. This seems like it did a lot to change, perhaps not the way he outs outwardly, but certainly his motivations and what he thinks as important. He's still the guy trying to act cool when everything around him rips that guise apart, more like he's trying to fool himself rather than anyone else.

Not to mention the events in Begins Night where he inadvertently caused

Spoiler

the death of Soukichi Narumi...

As mentioned in the movie, Shotaro has the tendency to decide things on his own too much for his own good, and Philip was the exact opposite, having other people decide things for him, which is why they had to atone for their mistakes together.

That I think is enough backstory for him, being a stubborn kid who does his own thing and gets a life-changing moment as tragic as it was.

But, again, my issues come with the fact that the way he acts now as a character is boring, and we just don't see him get all that involved or contemplative.

Why would they need to do this? It sounds utterly bland for an audience conduit. He doesn't need to be boring to be our eyes, he just needs to be an outsider, which is what he is.

Hmmm... When I look at it, Shotaro was actually very involved, but not in the sense that he jumps with all of his emotions in each conflict, but more like he jumps in, listens, and ends up being the one to give the moral lesson to the characters who pretty much drowned in all their hatred and revenge. Being "involved" doesn't need to be direct, and Shotaro's kindness pretty much shows that there is another alternative to what everyone pretty much does, which is why people in the series underestimate him or doesn't take him seriously, because his views are pretty much different from everyone.

 

[myaku]

Shotaro is supposed to be the main character that the viewer is supposed to focus on in order to interpret the story right? Well if this is true I would like to know what shapes this character that I am getting my information through. The way Shotaro sees the world was created by something. We know so much about Phillip and Terui who are still main characters but not the one who's telling me things. If the writer's put as much work into these characters as they probably have Shotaro is someone's creative baby and they know every aspect of his life before the series and probably after. While it's fine and dandy to focus only on the now that doesn't usually make for a very interesting personality and while Shotaro may seem dull he has his own quirks that have a history somewhere.

 

[musashi03]

Ah good point. I guess what I mean to say is, I'm not looking to relate to him in the sense that our back stories were the same, but in the way that I want to further understand him as a person; I have events that have defined my characteristics, so I'm curious as to what has shaped and defined Shoutaro. While we know how his half-boiled tendencies were sparked, other characteristics like his love for Fuuto and his sense of justice are left unexplained. Though they might be best left that way, I'd like to think that Shoutaro is more subjective than that and not left to the whims of characters like Phillip and Ryu.

As mentioned in my previous post, Begins Night pretty much helps figure out a bit of Shotaro's backstory, which pretty much just shows he was a regular kid who idolizes Detective Soukichi Narumi and follows him to the gates of hell (you'll get what I mean when you see the movie).

And again, something happens in the movie which pretty much changes his views, forcing himself to be a man even though he wasn't ready to don the hat.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

Not to mention the events in Begins Night where he inadvertently caused
That I think is enough backstory for him, being a stubborn kid who does his own thing and gets a life-changing moment as tragic as it was.

That just explains to us why he's got crimes to atone for, but not much about his character. Why he feels it's important to actually atone for those crimes rather than just run off.

Hmmm... When I look at it, Shotaro was actually very involved, but not in the sense that he jumps with all of his emotions in each conflict, but more like he jumps in, listens, and ends up being the one to give the moral lesson to the characters who pretty much drowned in all their hatred and revenge. Being "involved" doesn't need to be direct, and Shotaro's kindness pretty much shows that there is another alternative to what everyone pretty much does, which is why people in the series underestimate him or doesn't take him seriously, because his views are pretty much different from everyone.

See, this is where I think a back story would be important for the character. I know why he's half boiled, that explains his care for people, but where does he get the rest of that morality from? Is it from just being Soukichi's apprentice for a while? Did something happen to him early on in life or later that we haven't seen? These are the sorts of things I would be interested in knowing, otherwise he just seems like the guy with an answer to everything who occasionally gets himself into trouble.