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Originally Posted by Triple_R
I mean, would Haruhi Suzumiya be even more popular if Kyon was a dull male lead?
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No, but (and preparing for incoming) I think it's Kyon personality that makes him the right romantic fit for Haruhi. (I say this even though I'm a Mikuru fan, personally -- again, I don't think Kyon is me, though I experience the Haruhi characters through him as an intermediary/gateway.) He has the personality he needs to fit the story. If they were really, really pitching Haruhi as a "harem anime", then I'm not sure he'd have quite the same personality. He's the way he is because it works with what the author is trying to accomplish through him in the story.
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Originally Posted by Triple_R
It should be noted that anime in general often likes starting their characters off from "low" or "loser-esque" positions, because then there's great growth potential there that can be useful plot-wise.
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True; "zero-to-hero" is a protagonist trait that goes way beyond this particular genre, and I think is another way they try to make protagonists somewhat "likeable" by the audience. If executed well, in conjunction with the romantic plot development, it can make an otherwise somewhat "neutral" protagonist rather likeable. You always want to have something to cheer for, and it's usually more effective it's some sort of inner struggle and not just external roadblocks. As always, it depends on how it's played.
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Originally Posted by Triple_R
I don't think that the audience is expected to imagine itself as the protagonist the whole time. But I think that part of the idea might be to excite the audience with the idea of being the protagonist during key moments.
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Yeah, exactly. You want the protagonist to be someone you can at least cheer for when they achieve their victories, and to do that they obviously have to be someone "relate-able". (That's actually why you don't have more "douchebag" protagonists; who is going to cheer when they get the girl they're after? Rather, you cheer when they get their comeuppance, and that makes it a whole other type of story.)