We often think about anime characters in very boring terms. It’s easy to assume that a series will feature one protagonist (or a couple of them) for most of its run. However, that’s not necessarily true all the time: here are 4 anime that break away from this conventional structure.
Durarara!! is perhaps the best example of this. It starts out by tricking the viewer into thinking that the protagonist is Mikado Ryuugamine — who the anime focuses on for a while, yes. He stops being as important as the plot progresses, though, and sometimes is absent from the screen for a long time.
Durarara!! is about dozens of characters and their interactions, all of which progress multiple interconnected plotlines. Navigating them is what actually makes the anime so fun: you get into the vibe of Ikebukuro and enjoy the craziness.
If Durarara!! is mentioned, Baccano! also has to be mentioned. Set in the same universe, it follows multiple groups of equally important characters. All contribute to the plot, which is kind of hard to follow at first: the anime jumps between different points in time seemingly randomly.
That said, the main plot gets tied up in the end, and it’s unclear who the protagonist even was (spoiler: really, no one). Some of the plot points are left unexplained, though — if you want to see them explored, be sure to read the novels.
Mekakucity Actors is a very bizarre anime. It is originally based on a series of music videos — Kagerou Project — which were later adapted into light novels and manga. The anime is a sequel/alternate universe (it's complicated) to them which, at points, assumes you already know what’s happening — and the Shaft style doesn’t make it any less confusing.
That said, despite the anime looking like it tells the tale of one character at first, that’s actually not true. There are many different storylines which only come together at the very end, indicating that every character contributed their part.
Boogiepop and Others (Boogiepop wa Warawanai) is a collection of stories that are set in the same city — and occasionally share characters. These stories have different protagonists, and are often connected in ways you can’t see at first, which makes the anime so interesting.
The 2019 anime is a solid (if somewhat confusing at first — the first arc is very fast-paced) adaptation of the novels. The 2000 anime is absolutely insane: it requires you to have actually read the novels (which most people watching it back then didn’t), and even then, it has a ton of characters, both old and new, who are of equal importance.
Yes, that kind of storytelling is also possible.
We often think about anime characters in very boring terms. It’s easy to assume that a series will feature one protagonist (or a couple of them) for most of its run. However, that’s not necessarily true all the time: here are 4 anime that break away from this conventional structure.
Durarara!! is perhaps the best example of this. It starts out by tricking the viewer into thinking that the protagonist is Mikado Ryuugamine — who the anime focuses on for a while, yes. He stops being as important as the plot progresses, though, and sometimes is absent from the screen for a long time.
Durarara!! is about dozens of characters and their interactions, all of which progress multiple interconnected plotlines. Navigating them is what actually makes the anime so fun: you get into the vibe of Ikebukuro and enjoy the craziness.
If Durarara!! is mentioned, Baccano! also has to be mentioned. Set in the same universe, it follows multiple groups of equally important characters. All contribute to the plot, which is kind of hard to follow at first: the anime jumps between different points in time seemingly randomly.
That said, the main plot gets tied up in the end, and it’s unclear who the protagonist even was (spoiler: really, no one). Some of the plot points are left unexplained, though — if you want to see them explored, be sure to read the novels.
Mekakucity Actors is a very bizarre anime. It is originally based on a series of music videos — Kagerou Project — which were later adapted into light novels and manga. The anime is a sequel/alternate universe (it's complicated) to them which, at points, assumes you already know what’s happening — and the Shaft style doesn’t make it any less confusing.
That said, despite the anime looking like it tells the tale of one character at first, that’s actually not true. There are many different storylines which only come together at the very end, indicating that every character contributed their part.
Boogiepop and Others (Boogiepop wa Warawanai) is a collection of stories that are set in the same city — and occasionally share characters. These stories have different protagonists, and are often connected in ways you can’t see at first, which makes the anime so interesting.
The 2019 anime is a solid (if somewhat confusing at first — the first arc is very fast-paced) adaptation of the novels. The 2000 anime is absolutely insane: it requires you to have actually read the novels (which most people watching it back then didn’t), and even then, it has a ton of characters, both old and new, who are of equal importance.
