The first page literally starts with the MC being thrown out off the house by his siblings because he missed his Parents funeral, choosing instead to jack of to child porn at home. In the original web novel it was even specified that it was a naked picture he took of his niece.


Rudeus is very much a protagonist you're supposed to look down at.

 

Out of curiosity, this is a massive dealbreaker for me. I just can't get invested in a protagonist who's such a POS. What enjoyment do you guys extract out of a story where you don't vibe with a protag? Is it literally the schadenfreude? What happens when he's not 'failing' anymore?

This might tie into another thread where we talked about readers who SI into the protagonists and experience the stories through them vs those who don't. Reading is a bit more emotionally involved than watching a TV show so it's not as gross, but it's there all the same.

 

I can vibe with the protagonist well enough, I am just not necessarily rooting for him.

When you see someone like Rudeus, you see your own worst traits and those of others you know taken to the extreme.

Like, I kinda want to see him become a better person and get over himself, but at the same time enjoy his misfortune when he does something shitty and has to deal with failure.

Thoguh I do enjoy reading about flawed protagonists in general, even those of the worst sort and see them trying to do better.

 

He's not entirely unsympathetic, and it's mainly about seeing his journey to become a better person. He stood up to bullies in high school and was bullied in turn (as in, beat up, stripped naked, tied to the front gates of the school and having most his classmates taking pictures and mocking him for being overweight and having a small dick, and was harassed at his house afterward), which led to severe agoraphobia that he never managed to overcome. He died by being hit by a truck (remember, this was written before Truck-kun became a thing) because he was trying to get a group of strangers out of the way. Upon being reincarnated, he decides that he wants to become a better person with this chance at a new life.

The anime is better at showing these moments than the manga, from what little I've seen. Haven't read the light novels, but it's worth noting that the production company was formed solely to produce this anime and it is the only one they intend to do before dissolving.