Because it's an optimistic trope, and one that kids easily understand, and writers can easily write.
You don't really need more reason than that.
Because no one has the balls to teach kids truly valuable lessons like "the world doesn't care about you", "no good deed goes unpunished" and "people die when they're killed"
edited 22nd Dec '12 11:11:34 PM by KSPAM
I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serialBut KSPAM, The Power of Friendship teaches you to put Bros Before Hoes, and that's one of the most valuable lessons you can get.
edited 22nd Dec '12 11:17:02 PM by CrimsonFlameKnight
Time to leave them all behindUnless your Ho is a Bro. That changes things completely.
Hmmm, I suppose that is true. Still, they should find a way to get the message across that doesn't give children the illusion that life is fair, or exists for the sole purpose of making them and their friends happy.
Insert "the best friends are like insurance" joke here.
I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serialOh, but KSPAM, I thought you had seen Madoka Magica, Welcome To The NHK and Fate Stay Night
It isn't a bad message, I think the worst thing is that a lot of the less skilled writers are merely copying other works and are thus not truly portraying a message of their own. I think it shows in the way it raises the genericness index.
"Nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri, quo me cumque rapit tempestas, deferor hospes."I suppose F/SN is technically shonen, but I'm pretty sure most of those shows you mentioned are NOT for children
I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serialAh my lack of Shounen is showing.
Well how about:
Death Note - Anyone can die, especially if you kill them.
FLCL - The real world is actually incomprehensible.
And, Training with Hinako - Some things do deserve to die, but there's nothing you can do about it.
"Nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri, quo me cumque rapit tempestas, deferor hospes."I'd say it's because kids tend to have very few people they're responsible for. No one holds a child responsible for the well-being of their community, and while kids are expected to obey their parents and other adults, ultimately it's the adults who have a responsibility to help the children, not the other way around. This can make it hard to write stories with child protagonists, since a hero without responsibilities leaves very little room for conflict.
That's where friends come in. Friendship is one of the few relationships a child can have where there is (or should be) a fairly equal give-and-take between both parties. It's not a child's responsibility to protect the world, but it is their responsibility to help out a friend in need. So by focusing on your protagonist's friendships, you give them something to fight for that the target audience can identify with.
"It takes an idiot to do cool things, that's why it's cool" - Haruhara HarukoJust want to say that power of friendship is not just commonplace in shonen. Also, it's not actually "just for kids". If we have to see it from an "adult" perspective - social connections are crucial.
Plants are aliens, and fungi are nanomachines.@KSPAM: You should read Medaka Box. It's all about how life is unfair.
Isn't NGE also shonen?
Hard to say with anime. Shonen manga are often published in magazines with titles like Shonen Jump, Shonen Sunday, Shonen Rival. Anime doesn't come with that clear labeling.
"It takes an idiot to do cool things, that's why it's cool" - Haruhara HarukoBut KSPAM, Digimon Tamers did all three of things you mentioned, and it's not even shonen, it's for kids (kodomo).
But related to the topic at hand, think about it. If you have an ensemble cast rather than a single protagonist, why wouldn't you mention the power of friendship? How else would you (quickly) justify the value of being in a team, even you went into detailed tactics it would ultimately boil down to "having friends make you stronger".
That, and it makes for a good aesop. Besides, it's not like it's the only prevalent power, it doesn't even come close in terms of popularity to the power of UNRIVALLEEDD DETERRRMINATION AND HOTBLOOD.
edited 23rd Dec '12 4:25:37 AM by luislucas
"Stupid things like friendship are only for weaklings, and in fact, friends are just obstacles to your quest for UNLIMITED POWER.".
That's the usual message I get from people who hate shows with Power of Friendship themes. But that's probably because of increasing interest towards shows with Lone Ranger protagonists.
These give me the impression that if you can't do anything by yourself, then you're not a badass protagonist, and that if you needed outside help just to defeat an opponent, then you are not strong.
edited 23rd Dec '12 4:56:09 AM by judasmartel
Yeah, and that's just not what humanity is about. Look at history. When has history every been made by one person acting on their own? Even the "great men" of history had armies to fight their battles, workers to build their cities, etc.
edited 23rd Dec '12 5:21:26 AM by KylerThatch
This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...And Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower working together basically allow the allies to be Victorious in WW 2...
Watch SymphogearBecause the Power of Enemyship doesn't even make sense.
I bet you could do interesting things with the Power of Rivalry.
Most of the time, the Power of Friendship in Shonen amounts less to "Let's Do This Together as Friends" and more to "Let's Really Really Trust the Protagonist so He Does It for Us".
edited 23rd Dec '12 6:44:10 AM by NapoleonDeCheese
And that's why The Power of Friendship theme gets a bad rap. Sure, it's so much better to see the "let's do this together" flavor, but when the hero's friends themselves are trapped, can't help him and can't do anything about it, and the hero himself gets owned by the villain big time, what else he can do?
edited 23rd Dec '12 7:16:04 AM by judasmartel
In that case The Rival appear and save the day, cause he is also friend...
This isn't limited to shonen manga but I see this almost all the time in anime and manga especially in Digimon. Why is this so prevaloent in manga and the media in general?
"I am going down a DOWNWARD SPIRAL!!"