Discussion What Makes A Character Feel Real?

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Alexander Valdimir, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. Alexander Valdimir

    Alexander Valdimir Well-Known Member

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    This question very well in term can be subjective depending on what characteristic we're talking about. A character could honestly feel more real simply because it connects to you personally better since you've experience something very much similar.

    Personally that character was from A Silent Voice, that character was dealing with a lot of depression, suicide, social anxiety, and a long sort of problems. Voices that he thought were coming from others seemly wanting to subject him, he blocked them out. He done many bad things when he was a child, So did I as a child years ago.

    I unrequited will say that I've done many bad things when I was a child, although not as severe where legal consequences or long lasting emotional came from the victims. I only knew my actions and what might've became of it because years later, I look back on my life and how naive and foolish I was. There wasn't anybody at that time to teach me nor lesson me on those things, Most of things I've learn in life was making regrets and understanding them. That's why that character felt more real than the story of Your Name, I've experience depression, almost commiting suicide, social anxiety when I was a teen years ago.

    So I'm curious on what people think of what makes a character feel real. I know that it doesn't have to connect in such a deep level as for my example but what makes a character feel real enough where we can start believing in them. (Could be like Gon from Hunter X Hunter or Luffy for having stories that feel genuine)
     
  2. otaku31

    otaku31 Well-Known Member

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    Not being fictional, for one. :blobpeek:
     
  3. drealicious

    drealicious Macho man's wifey

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    Maybe strong impressions that came from their traits and personalities. It also helps when authors show their background stories or their thoughts.

    Flaws are a must for me as not everyone is perfect and is definitely relatable.
     
  4. lychee

    lychee [- slightly morbid fruit -] ❀[ 恋爱? ]❀

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    Sometimes for me it’s the situation that the character is in as much as the character themselves.

    For instance, a character stuck in a situation where everything magically turns out well like a fairy tale with tons of plot armor can make the character seem less realistic, largely of the consequence that the story is too story-like.
     
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  5. Diametric

    Diametric Waifu Connoisseur

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    If their actions make sense based on their past experiences
     
  6. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    Tl;dr: Watch the Star Wars sequels, specifically Rey. Anything that is related to her, and then in reverse.
     
  7. ughughugh

    ughughugh Well-Known Member

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    I guess it depends. On one hand, there are characters that feel more real because they're imperfect, the way the author makes them fleshed out that we as readers feel like we know them. I guess this is the case for the character your speaking off, it feels more real to you because you can relate to the character. On the other hand, characters can feel real just because of their progression rather than traits. If a vile character turns good or an actual age progression like Harry Potter growing up, we feel like we understand these characters and therefore they seem more real to us. It's complicated because this is the goal character-oriented stories are vying for, but its complicated because we aren't very attuned into the details that make us who we here, we constantly assume and idolize certain traits, this kind of simplification cause certain ideas to be lost or difficult to portray. Take movie dialogues, most films don't have very realistic dialogues because the screenwriters either don't have/haven't developed an ear for it (most don't) or they're more focused on the idolized, the prose.
     
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  8. samjack

    samjack Well-Known Member

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    When they make mistakes or sometimes their plans fail. Like the characters of Zankyou no Terror, Code Geass..
     
  9. ExcitableFoci

    ExcitableFoci Well-Known Member

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    As far as I know, their ideologies and understanding of different concepts.

    Characters that just fcking react to different situations are not real to me, tasteless machines would be a more fitting name for them. Its only when they stop and philosophize that they truly start to live as real characters or beings.

    Its not even that different from reality. More often than not people ignore the best ability life has ever gifted them, the ability to think.
     
  10. DomDomDom

    DomDomDom Well-Known Member

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    I also think that imperfections in characters makes them feel more real. If there is a character who always does 'right' things then we may enjoy the story but we will not be able to feel connection to the story.
     
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  11. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    Some characters are very much designed to be that way. Mostly the paragon/mentor archetypes.
    Among my characters you will hardly shake Liur, but he is a 400+ years old demigod. The only time he will react flawed is if something threatens his reverse scale or is completely foreign to him.
    Gandalf from LOTR is a similar concept. Ageless arch angel basically.
     
  12. lnv

    lnv ✪ Well-Known Hypocrite

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    The biggest thing that makes a character feel real is that they have lives outside the story(and the MC).

    MCs from shounen are probably the least feel real characters. The side characters though may be a different story.
     
  13. thisworldofmine1

    thisworldofmine1 Grandmaster of Danmei Cultivation

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    I believe that having doubts makes a character real, but that's just my opinion.
     
  14. ExcitableFoci

    ExcitableFoci Well-Known Member

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    Thats exactly what I meant. What makes humans unique is their constant growth and change. Characters that do not change aren't real, its as simple as that.
     
  15. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    Or are simply not human to begin with. It makes no sense to write an immortal like a human. Or someone with hundreds of years of experience like a noob. In many such cases them reacting is the unrealistic part.
     
  16. Deleted member 155674

    Deleted member 155674 Guest

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    Movies or animes based on real or past events
     
  17. ExcitableFoci

    ExcitableFoci Well-Known Member

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    ...A war veteran unfazed by another shot being fired doesn't mean that he stops being able to continue growing character-wise.

    Them being immortals doesn't change the fact of them not being realistic characters when the very base of their existence is flawed.

    Its like saying that me calling some rocks 'not human' isn't fair cuz they are another type of beings.
     
  18. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    The point is that your view on what counts as realistic is faaaar too narrow, too humanized.
     
  19. ExcitableFoci

    ExcitableFoci Well-Known Member

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    Edited:

    Its like saying that me calling some rocks 'not human' isn't fair cuz they are another type of beings.

    The whole point of the discussion was to talk about characters that feel real and not just a set of elements that could be real.
     
  20. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    What else are realistic characters? Your definition is heavily flawed. Any character which does not require active suspension of disbelief is realistic. This applies whether they are heroes or peasants, mortals or immortals and human in nature or not.