AnimeSuki Forums

Sakuya · 2006-06-14, 15:10

I know this might sound weird but it will serve as a reference for writing my manga.

Do anyone know of a manga (or an anime) that was created/written by a male but its story features female main characters (not sub characters)?

hooliganj · 2006-06-14, 17:50

Off the top of my head, I can think of Lina Inverse from Slayers, the title character from Yawara, and the main character from most Miyazaki movies, like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Kiki's Delivery Service.

It's tricky to say whether an anime that isn't based on a manga or novel was created by a man or a woman, since there is likely to be a group of people involved. Revolutionary Girl Utena and Blood - the Last Vampire are two such franchises, created by committee, although in both cases the publicized head of the group was male (Kunihiko Ikuhara and Mamoru Oshii).

Varis · 2006-06-14, 17:57

I'm almost positive Noir is by a guy too.

Cyz · 2006-06-14, 18:00

Hmm, is Mai Otome and My-HiME written by a male too? If it does, then it's a sure recommendation from me.

Vexx · 2006-06-14, 18:04

Add Tsukikage Ran (a female samurai and her sidekick in the early Edo period) ... yes there are female samurai... yes they were rare. The show manages to be funny yet have everyone respond to her as the oddity she was --- some outstanding animated swordplay but basically the plot is a retelling of all the old ronin stories. Seek sake, blow with the wind, accidently eliminate evil.

"main protagonist" can get a bit tricky..... "co-protagonist" will net you more results -- romances like Tsukuyomi Moon Phase, REC, or Lamune.

Nostalgic comedies like Ichigo Masimaru and Azumanga Daioh have almost exclusively female protagonist groups.

Utawarerumono (ongoing) features some very strong female characters in a variety of roles, but the "main protagonist" is a guy...

Most of the "magical girl" series are female protagonists ... but the main one I'd recommend would be Magical Shouju Lyrical Nanoha and the second season Nanoha A --- which feature females in both the protagonist and antagonist roles. Nanoha is actually pretty serious for the genre and features some excellent fight and sfx scenes.

I'm almost positive every single one was written by guys.

wingdarkness · 2006-06-14, 18:12

Only one of the greatest anime franchises of all-time...Ghost in the Shell, and GITS:Stand Alone Complex...Major Motoko is one of the greatest female protagonists in anime history if you didn't know...Can't believe it even took four posts for her not to be mentioned...

Scorch · 2006-06-14, 18:16

Serial Experiments Lain's main protagonist is female.

wingdarkness · 2006-06-14, 18:40

^I actually was gonna say Lain aswell then I thought about it...She isn't really a true protagonist considering her character shows a dark-side that makes her the main antagonist to many of her friend characters mid-way thru the series...

physics223 · 2006-06-14, 19:12

Suzuka in Suzuka is the main character, which pains me.

jedinat · 2006-06-14, 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

^I actually was gonna say Lain aswell then I thought about it...She isn't really a true protagonist considering her character shows a dark-side that makes her the main antagonist to many of her friend characters mid-way thru the series...

...which has nothing to do with the issue of her being the protagonist. 'Protagonist' just refers to the main character, which Lain surely is.

wingdarkness · 2006-06-14, 21:38

Yeah I understand that, just saying why I didn't mention it...and Protagonist doesn't automatically refer to the main character...Shinn is a protagonist and antagonist in GSD at the same time..so there are some elements to consider, but yes Lain is a girl and the main character...

jedinat · 2006-06-14, 22:22

pro·tag·o·nist (prō-tăg'ə-nĭst) pronunciation
n.
1. The main character in a drama or other literary work.
2. In ancient Greek drama, the first actor to engage in dialogue with the chorus, in later dramas playing the main character and some minor characters as well.
3.a. A leading or principal figure.
--b. The leader of a cause; a champion.
4. Usage Problem. A proponent; an advocate.

"The use of protagonist to refer to a proponent has become common only in the 20th century and may have been influenced by a misconception that the first syllable of the word represents the prefix pro–, “favoring.”"

~~~
Not necessarily saying you are wrong... it's just that the way you are using the word is defined as a "usage problem" in the dictionary...

Vexx · 2006-06-14, 22:37

I don't know that it is actually "common" even ... especially given my exposure to high school and college students. I've never heard it misused that way before but I can see how someone might get confused.

However, I spend enough time troutslapping students for "lose/loose", "rouge/rogue" - it isn't often we get to the literary jargon terms.

C.A. · 2006-06-14, 22:41

Suzumiya Haruhi fits this, it is written by Tanigawa Nagaru, a guy. But whether Haruhi herself is a protagonist or antagonist could be debated.

Sakuya · 2006-06-14, 22:42

Really? I just thought it'd be better to use this one word instead of "Female Main Characters." Thanks for all your suggestions!

Tancos · 2006-06-14, 23:06

There are lots. Besides the titles already mentioned, Haibane Renmei, Kamichu!, Magical Project S, Excel Saga, most of Miyazaki, Millennium Actress, the various Bubblegum Crises, etc., were all originally created by men and feature females in central roles.

rooboy · 2006-06-14, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.A.

Suzumiya Haruhi fits this, it is written by Tanigawa Nagaru, a guy. But whether Haruhi herself is a protagonist or antagonist could be debated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by physics223

Suzuka in Suzuka is the main character, which pains me.

Despite the names of these two series, I'm pretty sure that Kyon is actually the protagonist of Haruhi (given that Haruhi frequently isn't even present, but Kyon's always there), and I know that Yamato is the protagonist of Suzuka.

Some more that haven't been mentioned: Read or Die and ROD the TV (based on works written by Hideyuki Kurata), Madlax (by the same people who did Noir), and Witch Hunter Robin.

EDIT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sakuya

Really? I just thought it'd be better to use this one word instead of "Female Main Characters." Thanks for all your suggestions!

Don't worry about it, you used it correctly.

jedinat · 2006-06-14, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sakuya

Really? I just thought it'd be better to use this one word instead of "Female Main Characters." Thanks for all your suggestions!

I wasn't aiming my post at you

I'm not sure if the quoted post was aimed at me, either. lol

C.A. · 2006-06-14, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by rooboy666

Despite the names of these two series, I'm pretty sure that Kyon is actually the protagonist of Haruhi (given that Haruhi frequently isn't even present, but Kyon's always there), and I know that Yamato is the protagonist of Suzuka.

Well its mentioned in the novel 1 editorial itself that Haruhi is the main character, but the story was told in a very interesting 1st person perspective of Kyon. And this happens entirely through the book, which was quite an amazing feat, one of the reasons why the book won its award.

You can say both Haruhi and Kyon are the main characters.

physics223 · 2006-06-15, 00:33

Caddy Compson was the main character of The Sound and the Fury, but for the most part she wasn't even there. It doesn't actually have to mean that the female protagonist has to be present in all the facets of the show for her to be actually the main character; as long as her absence moves the other characters to act why as they do, as long as her absence has a significant effect and somewhat dominates the entire story, she's the main character. I'm pretty sure it was titled Suzuka, not Yamato.

2006-06-14, 15:10	Link #1
Sakuya Senior Member Artist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: United States Age: 35	Female Protagonists I know this might sound weird but it will serve as a reference for writing my manga. Do anyone know of a manga (or an anime) that was created/written by a male but its story features female main characters (not sub characters)?

2006-06-14, 18:04	Link #5
Vexx Obey the Darkly Cute ... Author Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ... Age: 66	Add Tsukikage Ran (a female samurai and her sidekick in the early Edo period) ... yes there are female samurai... yes they were rare. The show manages to be funny yet have everyone respond to her as the oddity she was --- some outstanding animated swordplay but basically the plot is a retelling of all the old ronin stories. Seek sake, blow with the wind, accidently eliminate evil. "main protagonist" can get a bit tricky..... "co-protagonist" will net you more results -- romances like Tsukuyomi Moon Phase, REC, or Lamune. Nostalgic comedies like Ichigo Masimaru and Azumanga Daioh have almost exclusively female protagonist groups. Utawarerumono (ongoing) features some very strong female characters in a variety of roles, but the "main protagonist" is a guy... Most of the "magical girl" series are female protagonists ... but the main one I'd recommend would be Magical Shouju Lyrical Nanoha and the second season Nanoha A --- which feature females in both the protagonist and antagonist roles. Nanoha is actually pretty serious for the genre and features some excellent fight and sfx scenes. I'm almost positive every single one was written by guys. __________________ "It Really IS Rocket Science", Novel series rough drafts; vol. 1 thru vol. 3 complete Volume 4 in work, Visit the thread for short stories!

2006-06-14, 18:12	Link #6
wingdarkness Retweet Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ニュー・オーリンズ、LA	Only one of the greatest anime franchises of all-time...Ghost in the Shell, and GITS:Stand Alone Complex...Major Motoko is one of the greatest female protagonists in anime history if you didn't know...Can't believe it even took four posts for her not to be mentioned... __________________ Fly since ↔...

2006-06-14, 18:40	Link #8
wingdarkness Retweet Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ニュー・オーリンズ、LA	^I actually was gonna say Lain aswell then I thought about it...She isn't really a true protagonist considering her character shows a dark-side that makes her the main antagonist to many of her friend characters mid-way thru the series... __________________ Fly since ↔...

2006-06-14, 19:12	Link #9
physics223 In the Tatami Galaxy ↓ Join Date: Feb 2006	Suzuka in Suzuka is the main character, which pains me. __________________ anime\|otaku - hypotheses, analyses, and musings on The Tatami Galaxy \|\| The REAL first handheld console with color!

2006-06-14, 17:50	Link #2
hooliganj Team Player Join Date: Apr 2004	Off the top of my head, I can think of Lina Inverse from Slayers, the title character from Yawara, and the main character from most Miyazaki movies, like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Kiki's Delivery Service. It's tricky to say whether an anime that isn't based on a manga or novel was created by a man or a woman, since there is likely to be a group of people involved. Revolutionary Girl Utena and Blood - the Last Vampire are two such franchises, created by committee, although in both cases the publicized head of the group was male (Kunihiko Ikuhara and Mamoru Oshii).

2006-06-14, 17:57	Link #3
Varis Composed Eccentric Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Switzerland Age: 44	I'm almost positive Noir is by a guy too.

2006-06-14, 18:16	Link #7
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Age: 39	Serial Experiments Lain's main protagonist is female.

2006-06-14, 21:38	Link #11
wingdarkness Retweet Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ニュー・オーリンズ、LA	Yeah I understand that, just saying why I didn't mention it...and Protagonist doesn't automatically refer to the main character...Shinn is a protagonist and antagonist in GSD at the same time..so there are some elements to consider, but yes Lain is a girl and the main character... __________________ Fly since ↔...

2006-06-14, 22:22	Link #12
jedinat Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 38	pro·tag·o·nist (prō-tăg'ə-nĭst) pronunciation n. 1. The main character in a drama or other literary work. 2. In ancient Greek drama, the first actor to engage in dialogue with the chorus, in later dramas playing the main character and some minor characters as well. 3.a. A leading or principal figure. --b. The leader of a cause; a champion. 4. Usage Problem. A proponent; an advocate. "The use of protagonist to refer to a proponent has become common only in the 20th century and may have been influenced by a misconception that the first syllable of the word represents the prefix pro–, “favoring.”" ~~~ Not necessarily saying you are wrong... it's just that the way you are using the word is defined as a "usage problem" in the dictionary...

2006-06-14, 22:37	Link #13
Vexx Obey the Darkly Cute ... Author Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ... Age: 66	I don't know that it is actually "common" even ... especially given my exposure to high school and college students. I've never heard it misused that way before but I can see how someone might get confused. However, I spend enough time troutslapping students for "lose/loose", "rouge/rogue" - it isn't often we get to the literary jargon terms. __________________ "It Really IS Rocket Science", Novel series rough drafts; vol. 1 thru vol. 3 complete Volume 4 in work, Visit the thread for short stories!

2006-06-14, 22:41	Link #14
C.A. Absolute Haruhist! Artist Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 36	Suzumiya Haruhi fits this, it is written by Tanigawa Nagaru, a guy. But whether Haruhi herself is a protagonist or antagonist could be debated. __________________ No longer a NEET so I'll not be online as often. Ignore gender and kick sexuality to the curb! I'm a big mecha fan, who keeps playing the SRW series. When I say 'My god...', god refers to Haruhi-sama. My art album updated 11th May 2013, Science. Deviant Art: http://ca0001.deviantart.com/

2006-06-14, 22:42	Link #15
Sakuya Senior Member Artist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: United States Age: 35	Really? I just thought it'd be better to use this one word instead of "Female Main Characters." Thanks for all your suggestions!

2006-06-14, 23:06	Link #16
Tancos Who? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Elsewhen	There are lots. Besides the titles already mentioned, *Haibane Renmei, Kamichu!, Magical Project S, Excel Saga, most of Miyazaki, Millennium Actress, the various Bubblegum Crises*, etc., were all originally created by men and feature females in central roles.

2006-06-15, 00:33	Link #20
physics223 In the Tatami Galaxy ↓ Join Date: Feb 2006	Caddy Compson was the main character of The Sound and the Fury, but for the most part she wasn't even there. It doesn't actually have to mean that the female protagonist has to be present in all the facets of the show for her to be actually the main character; as long as her absence moves the other characters to act why as they do, as long as her absence has a significant effect and somewhat dominates the entire story, she's the main character. I'm pretty sure it was titled Suzuka, not Yamato. __________________ anime\|otaku - hypotheses, analyses, and musings on The Tatami Galaxy \|\| The REAL first handheld console with color!