Anyone else like envious characters?

jamontoast98 2021-08-07 23:20:32 UTC #1

I was watching an anime show the other day where this girl was on the same team as the MC, but the MC gets all the spotlight. She'd make snide comments like "You got lucky" "Don't get so full of yourself" etc. Well, maybe 'like' is the wrong word but there was something about it. I think because I get envious of people sometimes, but do my best not to show it. So seeing someone being envious but trying to hide it feels really cathartic/relatable. And it's kind of cute. It threw me off guard because envy is seen as a negative trait, but if you can support someone despite being envious of them I think that's respectable

ChickenChief 2021-08-07 23:29:35 UTC #2

I really do like envious characters, because it's not something you usually get to see in anime/manga/novels (mc being envious). This topic is interesting because, in my newest chapter, I actually had the mc portray signs of jealousy/envy. You bring a really interesting aspect of characters up that, to be honest, isn't shown much.

esmesn 2021-08-07 23:31:11 UTC #3

I have this plan where every one of my characters eventually faces the emotion of jealousy/envy in one way or another. Because they'll all handle it badly, but in very different ways. and I think it's super good for character arcs too !!!!

LadyOttoline 2021-08-08 09:26:29 UTC #4

I like it but it needs to handled with a real light touch or it gets annoying for the reader.

jamontoast98 2021-08-09 08:24:31 UTC #5

@ChickenChief good points, and I feel like we all experience jealousy/envy to some extent, maybe there's untapped potential there? I imagine a series about the MC dealing with jealousy could be a sleeper hit.

@esmesn every one of your characters? That's really cool, can't wait to see how you deal with that!

@LadyOttoline very true, I'm in the honeymoon period at the moment so it could get annoying if there's no development

Zin_Trollborn 2021-08-09 10:14:29 UTC #6

I don't like those characters.
I can't understand the envious/jealousy thing, I think it's just a stupid reason for those characters to be assholes to other characters while it's not needed.
It's really not cute to me, I just want to slap them and yell "CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY FOR THOSE LUCKY PEOPLE? LET THEM BE HAPPY DAMMIT"

jamontoast98 2021-08-09 10:20:37 UTC #7

That's completely understandable! I take it you don't normally get envious/jealous of people in real life, then? (Oh, how I envy you...)

Zin_Trollborn 2021-08-09 10:46:25 UTC #8

I can be kind of envious like "Oh, this person's food looks so good I'd like some too" but it never goes further than that, I never feel the need to be nasty to others because of it. I'm happy for them and I want to get some happy stuff too if possible.
So yeah that's basically a feeling I don't understand.

joannekwan 2021-08-09 17:16:51 UTC #9

I don't know if I like them across the board simply for that trait, but I appreciate seeing them. It adds diversity to a cast and I really roll my eyes when every character is a positive goody-good. But if they are nothing but envious 24hours, then it's just as bad, like doesn't this character experience some joy in some aspect of their life?