Becoming better than someone else is a very powerful motivation.
Rivalry is one of the key concepts in anime that moves the plot forward. Its premise is simple: you have two (or three, or even more) characters fighting each other in the same field, and that field can be anything, from sports to business to romance. The driving force of rivalry lies in spite: one character wants to prove to the others that he's better and to surpass them, so in order to evolve, this character needs someone to compete with.
This type of plot development can be seen in any kind of show: in romance and drama it is usually depicted in love triangles; in slice-of-life shows it's usually rivalry in a specific work field; but it shines especially brightly in fighting-centered shounen shows. This coincides with the demographics these shows cater to: stereotypes say that boys have a naturally competitive nature. Rivalry shouldn't be aggressive, it can be friendly, but still, that makes it a very relatable concept to the audience.
The key to a proper rivalry lies in respect: every character accepts the pros and cons of their competitors and the craft they're trying to hone their skills in and honors their (sometimes unspoken) agreement on how their rivalry works. This adds a little bit of a friendship element to the general fight for power, with some sort of positive feedback also acting as one of the motivators.
This narrative, however, has existed since the 90s and now feels a tad bit overused. Sometimes it seems like rivalry is a crutch that authors rely on in order to create an overarching storyline in their works. But in other works it still adds a lot to character development. Take Bleach, for example, and the feud between Quincy and the Soul Reapers that translated to a rivalry between Ichigo and Uryu (and, ultimately, got a satisfying conclusion). The other example is My Hero Academia and its famed triangle of rivals: Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki all try to become the number one heroes, not just because they like the title, but because they have deeply lying personal reasons for wanting to achieve that, and a friendly foe with the same goals by their side helps them work harder.
But rivalry doesn't have to be a central part of the shonen narrative. Those who were just starting Jujutsu Kaisen may have thought that we'd get some feud between Itadori and Fushiguro, but no, they just work together; instead, Idatori finds a friendly rival in Todo, with whom he playfully competes in their field. One Punch Man, if you look at it from Saitama's point of view, doesn't have rivalry at all, and still stays one of the most interesting recent shonen works.
So rivalry can be a powerful and meaningful tool — but only if you use it in the right way.
Becoming better than someone else is a very powerful motivation.
Rivalry is one of the key concepts in anime that moves the plot forward. Its premise is simple: you have two (or three, or even more) characters fighting each other in the same field, and that field can be anything, from sports to business to romance. The driving force of rivalry lies in spite: one character wants to prove to the others that he's better and to surpass them, so in order to evolve, this character needs someone to compete with.
This type of plot development can be seen in any kind of show: in romance and drama it is usually depicted in love triangles; in slice-of-life shows it's usually rivalry in a specific work field; but it shines especially brightly in fighting-centered shounen shows. This coincides with the demographics these shows cater to: stereotypes say that boys have a naturally competitive nature. Rivalry shouldn't be aggressive, it can be friendly, but still, that makes it a very relatable concept to the audience.
The key to a proper rivalry lies in respect: every character accepts the pros and cons of their competitors and the craft they're trying to hone their skills in and honors their (sometimes unspoken) agreement on how their rivalry works. This adds a little bit of a friendship element to the general fight for power, with some sort of positive feedback also acting as one of the motivators.
This narrative, however, has existed since the 90s and now feels a tad bit overused. Sometimes it seems like rivalry is a crutch that authors rely on in order to create an overarching storyline in their works. But in other works it still adds a lot to character development. Take Bleach, for example, and the feud between Quincy and the Soul Reapers that translated to a rivalry between Ichigo and Uryu (and, ultimately, got a satisfying conclusion). The other example is My Hero Academia and its famed triangle of rivals: Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki all try to become the number one heroes, not just because they like the title, but because they have deeply lying personal reasons for wanting to achieve that, and a friendly foe with the same goals by their side helps them work harder.
But rivalry doesn't have to be a central part of the shonen narrative. Those who were just starting Jujutsu Kaisen may have thought that we'd get some feud between Itadori and Fushiguro, but no, they just work together; instead, Idatori finds a friendly rival in Todo, with whom he playfully competes in their field. One Punch Man, if you look at it from Saitama's point of view, doesn't have rivalry at all, and still stays one of the most interesting recent shonen works.
So rivalry can be a powerful and meaningful tool — but only if you use it in the right way.
