Line #23 Main/POVBoyPosterGirl


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are commented out.
2	[[quoteright:300:[[Literature/GroundControlToPsychoelectricGirl https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/electric_wave_girl_and_youthful_boy.png]]]]
3	[[caption-width-right:300:Electric Wave Girl and... Youthful Boy. Yeah, that's it. At least he is youthful.]]
4
5	A couple with TheProtagonist and his LoveInterest, where both characters are TheProtagonist in a certain sense.
6
7	The boy is a generic AudienceSurrogate, TheEveryman, maybe an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, and he is the PointOfView character, and HeroProtagonist.
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9	The girl is a more exotic character and the center of all advertising material. Maybe she's a MagicalGirlfriend, CuteMonsterGirl, or from another world entirely, but either way, she's definitely not as ordinary as the boy. [[SecondaryCharacterTitle Her name is probably in the title]], and her presence starts the plot and keeps moving it. Through this, she's the face of the entire work and provides a reason for people to watch the show.
10
11	Naturally, this can be a source of confusion if [[ProtagonistTitleFallacy people assume the poster girl is the protagonist]]. Tends to happen most in SupportingHarem stories. Compare to FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator, where the first person narrator is not the protagonist, and to ManicPixieDreamGirl, where the "Poster Girl"'s in-universe role is to shake up the male protagonist's life. A result of MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial. See also NonPOVProtagonist.
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13	Not to be confused with the novel ''Literature/PosterGirl'' by Veronica Roth.
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15	----
16
17	!!Examples:
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19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22	* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'': Tatsumi is our naive but developing protagonist who gradually becomes stronger. However, it is the eponymous Akame and Night Raid that draws him into the plot and intrigue of the Empire. Akame is front and center, and often the only character, in cover art.
23	* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'': Rock is an [[ActionSurvivor "average"]] protagonist, but Revy is the main fighter, and primary muscle of the Lagoon Company.
24	* ''Anime/BProject'': Gender inverted case -- Tsubasa may be the viewpoint, but she's not the one doing most of the gruntwork for the company. It's the B-Project boys that serve as the face, getting the singles and racy ReadyForLovemaking end cards.
25	* ''Manga/DreamEaterMerry'': Yumeji is the main protagonist and a decent fighter in his own right, but without Merry, there would be no plot.
26	* ''Anime/EurekaSeven'': Renton is the protagonist and POV character, while his love interest Eureka is the titular character and the pilot of the HumongousMecha that needs Renton to co-pilot to function properly.
27	* GenderInverted in ''Anime/FairyTail''. Lucy is the viewpoint character but Natsu is TheHero.
28	* ''Manga/FlyMeToTheMoon'': Played (mostly) straight. While the story is about a married couple, Nasa (the male) is the viewpoint character and many of the issues are told from his perspective, keeping his wife Tsukasa a mystery. While this balances out later on, Tsukasa is featured on the title page 9 times out of 10 while Nasa almost never appears.
29	* ''Manga/FutureDiary'': Yukiteru is the (male) P.O.V. character and kind of a wimp. The {{Yandere}} gestures of (female) Yuno have since long ago achieved memetic status. [[spoiler:And when Yukiteru TakesALevelInBadass is when [[DespairEventHorizon the shit has officially reached the fan.]]]]
30	* ''Manga/HighScoreGirl'' is primarily told from the viewpoint of Haruo Yaguchi, a gaming-addicted schoolboy who somehow becomes close friends with aloof ChildProdigy and legendary gamer [[{{Ojou}} Akira Oono]], to whom the title refers. The plot places equal importance on them both, however.
31	* GenderInverted in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'', with Kagome as the POV protagonist and the eponymous Inuyasha as the Poster Boy.
32	* ''Manga/KimagureOrangeRoad'': The trope is played straight with Kyousuke and Madoka, but it's an unusual case. Kyousuke has psychic powers but otherwise he's a fairly average POV everyman, while Madoka is an ordinary human, but her many skills and unique, mysterious personality make her the ActionGirlfriend who drives the plot.
33	* ''Manga/MaidSama'': Gender inverted, as Misaki is the protagonist while [[TheAce Usui]] tends to be the more memorable character (although that isn't to say Misaki isn't entertaining herself).
34	* ''Manga/MariaHolic'': Gender inverted, with Kanako as the P.O.V. girl and Mariya as the Poster Boy (despite the fact that he's usually seen crossdressing). One key visual for the anime goes as far as showing everyone ''but'' Kanako, who's in the building behind everyone else.
35	* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Zenkichi is usually the POV protagonist, but Medaka is the instigator of the plot.
36	* ''Manga/MermanInMyTub'': A fully male example; Wakasa (the titular merman) and his eccentric nature is the main focus of the plot, but the plain Tatsumi is the viewpoint character.
37	* Played with in ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'', where the "poster girls" are the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent shapeshifting dragons]], of which the main characters are, with the exception of [[TheOneGuy Fafnir]], [[CuteMonsterGirl all female]]. Particularly central characters are Tohru, the titular [[{{Meido}} Maid]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Dragon]] and Kobayashi's ImpliedLoveInterest, as well as Kanna, who is [[ParentalSubstitute practically]] their adopted daughter.
38	* ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'' is another GenderInverted version; Nozaki is the titular character and poster boy, but Sakura is the point-of-view girl.
39	* ''Manga/MyFirstGirlfriendIsAGal'' is about Jun trying to lose his virginity by dating the clueless Yame, but Yame's status as the plot starter and her looks standing out more than his put her so far in the spotlight that that Jun has to actually [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cx1_cJlVEAEpeFH.jpg hold up a sign]] stating which one's the protagonist on the first volume's cover.
40	* ''Manga/MyLoveStory'' may count as a double-inversion. It looks like a gender-inversion with the plain Rinko as the viewpoint to the [[GentleGiant comically gigantic]] Takeo... but, nope, Takeo is the protagonist. This is probably intentional, since it also subverts the standard tactic of WillTheyOrWontThey dragged out for most of the series--Takeo and Rinko become a couple within the first few chapters.
41	* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'': Male lead Asahi is completely ordinary, other than the fact that he's a [[CannotTellALie terrible liar]], while his love interest Youko is a FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire (and TheIdiotFromOsaka). The main driving force of the plot is protecting Youko's secret, since she promised her father that she'd leave school if she was found out, which results in Asahi doing everything he can to keep Youko from leaving so he can work up the nerve to finally [[LoveConfession confess]] to her. Despite being the male lead, Asahi doesn't appear in any of the volume covers (nor do the other male characters, even after they start being developped).
42	* Most ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' merchandise is of [[FieryRedHead Asuka]] and [[MysteriousWaif Rei]], with a decent chunk also featuring Misato and Kaworu. Meanwhile, lead character Shinji frequently gets pushed aside to the point where he didn't receive an action figure for the ''Rebuild'' movie series, that began in 2007, until ''2012'', long after Asuka, Rei, Kaworu and new character Mari had already received boatloads of new merchandise. [[Manga/ShinjiIkariRaisingProject The manga adaptation]] has "Shinji Ikari" in its title, but he only appears in 3 out of 18 volume covers--the first two, where he's way in the background with Asuka and Rei in the foreground, and the last one, containing all major characters. The other 15 covers feature various female characters (sometimes in provocative poses).
43	* The manga adaptation of ''Literature/QualiaThePurple'' has a same-sex example with Hatou and Yukari. The latter is prominently featured on the covers, but it's the former who is the main protagonist and the one the story follows.
44	* ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'': Moka is the primary driving force behind much of the plot (not to mention TheAce in just about any desperate situation), but Tsukune is the primary viewpoint protagonist.
45	* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'': Despite Fuu being the main character, and driving force of the series, Mugen (and to a lesser extent, Jin) is probably the face of the series.
46	* Exaggerated in ''Manga/SeizeiGanbareMahouShoujoKurumi''. The protagonists aren't the magical girls, but the three {{Muggle}} boys who keep showing up at all their fights. After spending a paragraph about the titular heroine, the series blurb only reveals this fact in the ''last sentence''.
47	* GenderInverted in ''Manga/SoulEater''; Maka's the protagonist, but it's both her and Soul that share the lead role due to their bond. Despite this, Soul's on most of the covers.
48	* ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'': While Ataru is the main focus of the series, Lum and the rest of [[TitleDrop those obnoxious aliens]] are frequently the center of attention, to the point [[LampshadeHanging Lum convinced herself to be the actual protagonist]].
49	* GenderInverted in ''Manga/YugamiKunNiWaTomodachiGaInai.'' [[LonersAreFreaks Yugami]] is the titular character and poster boy while [[IJustWantToHaveFriends Chihiro]] is the viewpoint character.
50	* ''Manga/YuiKamioLetsLoose'': The protagonists are Kiito, a simple rich boy who doesn't really get what's going on, and eponymous Yui who drives the story.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Comic Books]]
54	* In the [[ChileanMedia Chilean comic book]] ''[[ComicBook/DiabloChile Diablo]]'', there's [[AntiHero Alex/Diablo]] and [[MsFanservice Cénit]], the former is TheProtagonist and the latter is his devilish tutor who also gets all the attention as seen in [[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zN5FBY25YbU/TYvI4RX22rI/AAAAAAAAAEw/ck5ulqXcC4Y/s1600/diablo.jpg these]] [[http://img14.deviantart.net/e0bf/i/2006/276/4/e/diablo_cenit_by_el_grimlock.jpg covers]].
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
58	* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' is a gender-inversion--Beast is the iconic character, and Belle, a relatively ordinary woman, is the viewpoint.
59	* ''Anime/SummerWars''. The girl standing alone in the foreground of the cover is the LoveInterest. The guy in the green-striped shirt, behind her left arm, and barely noticeable against the crowd of extras, is the protagonist.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
63	* ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'': Main character [[Creator/JosephGordonLevitt Tom]] is the one we sympathize with as he falls head over heals for the title character, [[Creator/ZooeyDeschanel Summer]].
64	* ''Film/TheFifthElement'': The protagonist is former soldier Korben Dallas, but Leeloo is the MysteriousWaif title character and the incarnation of life who saves the world from the [[BigBad Great Evil]].
65	* The titular character in ''Film/{{Malena}}'' is shown entirely through the eyes of a young boy.
66	* The Franchise/JamesBond movie ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', named after the leading BondGirl. Bond may be the main hero, but she's the one central to the plot.
67	* A later Bond example is ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough''; Bond is the main character, but the story is really about the [[spoiler: EvilAllAlong]] Bond Girl, Elektra King.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Literature]]
71	* ''Literature/AccelWorld''. Haruyuki does move the plot by himself, but his mentor and girlfriend Kuroyukihime is the poster girl, being the one who grants him the program and gets him into the plot.
72	* ''Literature/AndYouThoughtThereIsNeverAGirlOnline'': Hideki Nishimura aka "Rusian" is an otherwise normal high school student who happens to be a gamer. However, most of the series is focused on his in-game wife Ako Tamaki and her inability to distinguish the game world from reality.
73	* ''Literature/AnnaDressedInBlood'' has Cas as POV boy and Anna as poster girl. Subverted since Cas is far from being normal too.
74	* ''Literature/AriaTheScarletAmmo'' has Kinji as POV boy and the tiny gunner Aria as poster girl.
75	* ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'': The male protagonist Saito is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent turned into a case of SummonEverymanHero, done by the eponymous mage Louise, also known as "Zero".
76	* ''Literature/GroundControlToPsychoelectricGirl'': Makoto, who is usually in the background in promotional art, is the protagonist and narrator. However, his cousin Erio is the poster girl of the series, as her {{Cloudcuckoolander}} behavior drives the plot and tends to be quite a bit more memorable.
77	* In ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Kyon is the POV protagonist and gives a running commentary on events, but the titular Haruhi is the poster girl who drives the plot while [[LockedOutOfTheLoop often being unaware of it]]. As a result, especially in later novels, Kyon takes action himself while keeping Haruhi in the dark about [[RealityWarper her possibly-world-destroying-powers]].
78	* ''Literature/HarukaNogizakasSecret'' has Yuuto as POV boy and the OtakuSurrogate Haruka as poster girl.
79	* ''Literature/IsThisAZombie'' has an odd example. Ayumu is the classic OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent turned into a zombie POV protagonist, while Haruna serves as the Poster Girl. However, the series actually focuses more on Eucliwood than Haruna.
80	* Pudge (P.O.V. boy) and Alaska (cover girl) from ''Literature/LookingForAlaska'' by Creator/JohnGreen.
81	* ''Literature/MyYouthRomanticComedyIsWrongAsIExpected'': Hachiman is our cynical loner protagonist, but it's not until he meets Yukino and the Service Club that the plot starts moving.
82	* In ''Literature/NoGameNoLife'', we have the gamer siblings Sora and Shiro, the former whose P.O.V. is shown the most and the latter who is the poster girl, especially in merchandise. However both are equally important InUniverse and out.
83	* ''Literature/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'': At the start of the show, the P.O.V. character Mahiro's most distinguishing trait is a fondness for the works of Creator/HPLovecraft; the plot is very much driven by Nyarko, who's [[EldritchAbomination Nyarlathotep]] in the form of an [[{{Otaku}} anime-loving]] GenkiGirl.
84	* ''Literature/{{Oreimo}}'': Kyosuke is the POV Boy and his younger sister Kirino is the Poster Girl.
85	* GenderInverted in ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' with Christine as the protagonist and Erik as the titular and iconic character, even though he DidNotGetTheGirl. Also true for the the various adaptions, with the exception of the Susan Kay novel.
86	* ''Literature/RascalDoesNotDreamOfBunnyGirlSenpai'': Sakuta is the main focal character as the events through the story are told from his point of view, but Mai is overall the best-known and most iconic character, as well as the image girl for most of the series' illustrations.
87	* ''Literature/ShakuganNoShana'' technically does have scenes from Shana's POV, but the series is mostly told from the perspective of Yuji the typical male OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent, while she is a mysterious monster fighter who's featured much more prominently on volume covers and in merchandise. [[spoiler:But only up until later in the series, when everything changes--he, having [[FaceHeelTurn fused with]] the BigBad, is now featured just as prominently.]]
88	* ''Literature/{{Shimoneta}}'': Tanukichi is the supporting protagonist, who gets drawn into the screwball ero terrorist antics of Ayame Kajou, the series' [[ManicPixieDreamGirl heroine]] and [[SeriesMascot mascot character.]] So she's the one featured most prominently on the Blu-ray/DVD boxset, while he gets pushed into the background between Anna and Fuwa. And he's completely absent from all promotional art for the series, in favor of Ayame, usually in [[SecretIdentity her 'Blue Snow']] persona.
89	* ''Literature/SoICantPlayH'' doesn't even bother to include its male protagonist, Ryosuke, on the DVD cover at all. Instead, it's a solo picture of the heroine [[FieryRedhead Lisara]], lying naked in bed. Whereas the Blu-ray cover is a group shot of her with the other three girls: [[TheRival Ilia]], Quele, and Mina.
90	* ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'': The story mostly focuses on Lawrence's life as a merchant, but his companion, Holo the Wisewolf, is prominently featured on the covers of the books and promotional material.
91	* Happens in ''Literature/{{Stargirl}}'' by Jerry Spinelli. Leo is the protagonist, but it's the ManicPixieDreamGirl Stargirl who sets the plot going. In the sequel, ''Love, Stargirl'', this is inverted.
92	* ''Literature/{{Toradora}}'' is a somewhat understated and possibly unintended example; Ryuuji, the protagonist, isn't treated as generic or secondary, but Taiga is far more recognizable. As for its SpiritualSuccessor, ''Literature/GoldenTime'', well... [[http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/fc8938a7d556f9068bb8ed327c6c56351380569594_full.jpg just look at the promo image.]] The guy groveling on the ground in the bottom right is the main character.
93	* GenderInverted, but otherwise played straight by ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga''. Bella is the generic POV character. Edward and Jacob are both exotic love interests and the focus of all advertising.
94	* ''Literature/TheVirginSuicides'' takes this to the next level, with five Poster Girls and a group of POV boys whose exact number is never indicated, though we do get several names.
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
98	* ''Series/ThirteenReasonsWhy'' manages this even when the girl is a PosthumousCharacter. Clay Jensen is the protagonist, as the story follows his quest to discover why the girl he liked was DrivenToSuicide, and to confront those he feels are responsible; but said girl, Hannah Baker, is the center of the plot and the one all the characters focus on, as she made the tapes explaining her [[ArcNumber 13]] reasons for killing herself and naming the people who she pegs as the culprits.
99	* GenderInverted by ''Series/AustinAndAlly''. Ally is the shy, nerdy everywoman who writes songs for musical star Austin. Austin's rise to stardom drives the overarching plot of the show (Ally has StageFright which makes her unsuitable for the 'rise to fame' plot) and shakes up the somewhat staid and solitary life of Ally.
100	* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'': The series is about the relationship between the titular beautiful, powerful-but-submissive witch and some StraightMan so generic as to be actually interchangeable.
101	* GenderInverted with the early seasons of the revival of ''Series/DoctorWho'': the first two seasons in particular focused heavily on Rose as the protagonist, a human window into the Doctor's alien mindset and life. This had been the usual setup of the show basically since its beginning; the main change was the idea that the main companion would be always female, and would have hints of a romantic attachment to the Doctor. (The exceptions to this before it was phased out with [[GenderBender the Thirteenth Doctor]] were Donna and [[GayBestFriend Bill]].)
102	* ''Series/GirlGunLady'' has both a Poster Girl and a POV Girl. [[TheEveryman Koharu]] is a shy high school student who serves as our POV into the Girl Gun Fight, while Alice is the Girl Gun Lady Koharu is matched with and the mascot of the series.
103	* ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'' has the plot of every episode center around the hijinx of the titular genie Jeannie and how her husband and master, good old Major Whatshisface, reacts to them.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Video Games]]
107	* Ragna the Bloodedge and Noel Vermilion from ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}''. Noel is the one who gets most of the promotional material and merchandise, and is indeed at the center of the plot in the [[VideoGame/BlazblueContinuumShift second game]] of the series. Nonetheless, the story is told from Ragna's perspective and WordOfGod has confirmed that its ''his'' story the series follows.
108	* Tidus and Yuna from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. The game is told as a first person narrative from Tidus' point of view, and while Yuna's journey is central to the main plot, Tidus' actions and circumstances are what drive it - specifically, in that they cause the perspective shift that [[spoiler:ends up ultimately bringing about the end of Sin's never-ending death/rebirth cycle of despair.]]
109	* ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'': While you play as Boyfriend by default, it's Girlfriend, of whom Boyfriend's taking everyone on for, that appears on the game icons and start menu. A stylized icon of Boyfriend does appear on the PC builds, however, and promotional materials show both of them together.
110	* Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' and its episodes. Though Gordon is the player character, the two get equal billing on promotional material, including boxart, and it's Alyx's introduction that really kicks off the plot in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. It's implied that Alyx was the Resistance's top operative until Gordon shows up.
111	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series, Link is the protagonist and eponymous Princess Zelda is usually just a damsel. As a HeroicMime, Link is generally the less-developed character; though in several games Zelda [[LadyNotAppearingInThisGame doesn't even appear]], and every game stars a guy ([[HelloInsertNameHere officially]]) named Link. Strangely, despite rarely being in the title, Link is usually prominent in advertising and cover art.
112	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' is another example, where, on top of having the same aforementioned dynamic, Midna spends most of the game ordering Link around and giving him advice and the occasional magical assistance while being the most heavily advertised new character.
113	* Played with in ''VideoGame/NeedyStreamerOverload'', in which the Poster Girl is the titular streamer, [=Ame-chan/KAngel=], who is the face on the cover and the promotional and supplementary material, but you play as P-chan, her {{featureless\|Protagonist}} lover and producer. It's played with because P-chan is [[GenderInclusiveWriting written to be whatever gender the player wishes]], so while they can be a boy, they can also be thought of as a girl, but they and Ame have the same basic dynamic as this trope. [[spoiler:And then outright subverted with TheReveal that P-chan is Ame's ImaginaryFriend and another alter-ego of sorts, technically making P-chan female.]]
114	* ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' features Sakura in all of its marketing and packaging, but Ogami is the player character and protagonist.
115	* Non-romantic example: Light and Pastel in the ''VideoGame/{{Twinbee}}'' series.
116	* ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'' offers another non-romantic example with Laura and Henri. While ex-{{Pirate}} Laura is prominently featured in most of the game's official art and on the selection screen as a protagonist, her scenario centers around [[SupportingProtagonist Prince Henri]] and how she becomes his bodyguard, protecting him from assassins as they roam the land searching for answers. Henri provides the story's [[PointOfView narration]], frequently mentioning how awed and amazed he is by his enigmatic protector.
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
120	* The protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' never has his face shown, but the title itself is a reference to his daughter, Amanda, the main face of the story.
121	* ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' has an example with poster ''girls.'' Johanna and Tamara are the main faces of the story.
122	* The face of the protagonist of ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'' is never seen, while the title character has her face on the title screen.
123	* ''VisualNovel/{{Ozmafia}}'' has this trope so firmly set in stone that its protagonist was AdaptedOut in its own spinoff anime.
124	* ''VisualNovel/SayaNoUta'': Fuminori Sakisaka is the POV character, an [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent ordinary medical student]] save for an illness that renders everything he sees into flesh and organs, but the titular Saya, the MysteriousWaif MagicalGirlfriend who is the sole exception to his condition, is the mascot. [[spoiler:Also a rare, rather twisted VillainProtagonist example as [[BitchInSheepsClothing she is actually]] an EldritchAbomination and he [[FaceHeelTurn becomes]] her [[UnholyMatrimony partner-in-crime]]]].
125	* Gender-inverted in ''VisualNovel/UtaNoPrincesama'': Haruka's the lead girl, but the boys of STARISH are the ones getting all the promo art and music. Sort of justified due to her being the group's songwriter and therefore out of the way compared to the boys' status as fledgling idols.
126	[[/folder]]
127
128	[[folder: Western Animation]]
129	* Gender-inverted in ''WesternAnimation/OctonautsAboveAndBeyond'': Captain Barnacles (male) is featured heavily in marketing (much like he is with [[WesternAnimation/TheOctonauts the parent series]]), but Dashi (female) has the largest presence of any Octonaut.
130	* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' has this setup. Star Butterfly is the title character and the one who moves the plot forward, but Marco Diaz is the point-of-view character who serves as a surrogate for the audience experiencing Star's antics.
131	[[/folder]]

Context Main / POVBoyPosterGirl