Markup View

Author: KingZeal

Feb 27th 2013 at 12:41:34 PM

The closest western genre that fits this is the {{Superhero}}.  Superheroes have most of the traits listed above:  talent, resolve, and persistence.  Superman, Batman and Spider-man fit personify those three respectively, but each has at least some of all three.

However, where superheroes differ from Japanese heroes is that the form of threat and the method of victory.  A superhero rarely ever faces a villain who is far beyond their scope to the point of being statistically superior.  Sure, Batman occasionally faces opponents like Bane or Killer Croc, Superman sometimes goes against gods like Darkseid or Imperiex, and Spider-man often faces foes like The Juggernaut or Mephisto, but they are exceptions.  Most villains are either on the same par as they are or perhaps even physically weaker.

To that end, the story is almost never about training to gain power to beat the foe (again with some exceptions).  The goal is not for the superhero to get stronger than the villain through diligence.  Typically, the obstacle the hero faces has a set threat level (escaping a deathtrap, solving a crime, defeating a foe made of sand.)  In shonen, the goal is almost always for the hero to defeat a logically-superior opponent through what basically amounts to resolve and persistence, and that foe will retain their aura of invincibility through [[IAmNotLeftHanded constant plot devices]].  Academia, if it plays a factor, only serves to supplement those traits, never override them.  For superheroes, the goal is usually to right a wrong or to stop a crime, so the method that it happens is not important.

Again, this is all generally-speaking.  There exists gray areas on both sides.