Discussion whats up with average looking protaganists

every novel with an “average looking protaganist” is super insecure around “handsome guys” even if they still have the girl, the authors literally write how other people judge them because they only look normal and how girls say “well he doesnt have the looks but hes talented” its like saying if your average looking you better have the best talent or youre pretty much screwed. its so fkin annoying this is why i never read a novel if its tagged “average-looking protaganist” too depressing

 

ReLaTaBiLiTy

 

lol yeh
authors need to stop projecting their thoughts when they got cucked in school onto their work it just leaves a shitty taste

 

That'a why you should grow out your bangs

 

Most of novel with an average looking protagonist tags is a xianxia novel or a Japanese harem school life novel.

So it doesn't really matter if they have an average face, they still get all the girls.

 

Red, from Red Green Show: "If the women dont find you handsome, they should atleast find you handy"

 

Because it's too perfect if you have both face and talent good, much less having the perfect attitude which makes any women (or men) kneel out of their mediocrity, I myself found it satisfying when a 'pretty boy' young master got trashed by the normal-looking protagonist, ha, he's handsome but doesn't have plot-armor.

 

there's also the "with great power, comes great responsibility" bulshit. for fuck sake the novels is about cultivation and killings not some hero bullshits where the hero would just stop the villain let the police capture them then the villain then escape some time in the future turning into an endless bullshit when the hero could just kill the villain and get over it. i don't really see the good coming from letting a mass murderer let loose when you have the chance to stop ot once and for all to prevent further victims. this is basically the same thing as the average look thing also there are others too that are irritating to read but we can't help to read it since we are already too immersed in the story but then suddenly they will arrive to ruin our excitement. *sigh*

 

let's look on the brightside if the average look person is from a cultivation story he will turn handsome when he reach the higher realm or due to his cultivation technique. but then the other type will never be gone, the one who will hide their good looks and maintain the average look and let others spout some bullshit infront of him giving him the reason to punish/kill the other party.

 

Anime: mc has average face
Me looking at screen: that's not what fucking average looks like!

 

I dunno, maybe cuz the author wants the reader to project themselves into the work, it works unless you are handsome IRL and maybe have a decent relationship, to which I will ask why are you reading a wish fulfilment novel then.

 

Self insert

 

Lol the trope 'You insult my look, prepare to die!'

 

As an average guy. Who the fuck wants to read about those fucking perfect humans.

Die Riajuu EXPLODE

 

*cough* Twilight/50SOG/Wattpad/AO3 *cough*

Hollywood ugly.

Basically this. If not for the author, then for the reader.

 

While it might be exaggerated in number, it's not exactly untrue. There's probably plenty of people in the world who think that looks and talent are the be-all and end-all and if you have neither, you're worthless.

on the flip side, a lot of works let pretty, rich ikemen get away with being utter scumbags because 'he's super handsome and rich and powerful so it's fine if he's utter scum'. looks at shoujo stuff, CEO/Prince ML types and stuff like twilight and 50 shades.

 

My man Li Qiye don't give a fuck about looks.According to him face is just a bag of meat.

 

too depressing? really it funny tho?
put aside wish fulfillment
well for people on adolescence age being handsome or beautiful kinda easier to become popular no? since average face come from asian story let see~ here on asia or maybe eastern side you will popular if ya smart, good looking, athletic, socially capable~
imo it really normal if mc feel insecure cuz other judge him normal face while have cute or beautiful girl around cuz that may happen~ a lot irl lel~
sure such theme become boring cuz it just trope that rarely influence character grow~

anyway average face is just another trope for me

 

Easier for the readers to self insert themselves as the main character. Which is kinda the whole point for wish fulfillment novels.

 

Yeah, it’s mostly a self-insert, wish fullillment thing.

The majority of people are average-looking. And I’m okay with the protagonist being average-looking... but what annoys me is that the love interest must ALWAYS be super gorgeous.

Like, you expect other people to love you for what’s on the inside, but why are you only interested in other good-looking people?

Why do two average-looking people never hook up? I don’t think I’ve ever come across an Asian novel where the protagonist ended up with someone plain & average.

It’s always plain-looking MC + some super hottie. Even ugly people don’t want to end up with another ugly person. It’s a bit hypocritical.

I once read a romance book where the author didn’t describe the characters’ appearance at all. No waxing poetic about how beautiful and pale the girl is, or how tall and masculine the dude is.

I found it so refreshing. I wish more authors were like that.

It’s a book and I can’t see what they look like. So there’s no need to spend multiple paragraphs describing how hot the other person is every chapter.