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[ahogemon]

Hello, dear male creators and readers, I need your help with my upcoming webcomic, which is an action fantasy mixed sci-fi targeted for male (16+) readers. Specifically, I make a poll about which gender you guys preferred. Of course, female creators and readers could as well give a poll.

So this is the design of my MC in an "exploration & life-support powered-suit" I've finished.

Here is the poll for the main character's gender (username hidden):

• I prefer Male main character
• I prefer Female main character

Show results

Thank you for participating in the poll, gotta close, it's getting toxic here.

No. The protagonist won't look like this!

[samiluu]

they both look cool, but as it is a comic oriented for male readers, I would say give the female the oportunity. I think a powerful female character always helps woman to be more respected.
If you have a big doubt tho, you could try to make the character look completely androgynous, so everyone can be identified with them in some aspect

[euphisa]

Since it is targeted towards males, I think male mc would be a better fit. Main characters' genders are usually what the target audience is, so targeted readers can relate better with the mc.

[ahogemon]

I thought that too, in a world where men are superior to women, that’s when a strong female character turns the tables single handedly. But I don't agree with the mc as androgynous, that will kill the mood.

[AmysGames]

How will an androgynous MC "kill the mood"?

In any case, personally I have no preference. Choose whichever feels best for the story, or whichever you more feel like drawing as the case may be, lol.

[ahogemon]

Because my webcomic is targeted to male readers, as I’m a male myself, I really understand what we really desire in a fictional story, if the mc is a male, we want a harem in it, and if the mc is a female, we want to see the mc beats the strong arrogance men and also a bit of GL relationship with other female main characters. But if the mc is androgynous, let us say a male with feminine characteristics, it will affect my mood to keep writing the story, and I think some male readers once they find out that the mc is actually a male despite the feminine look, they will drop after that. This is an action genre so the mc’s gender should be solid. But if my webcomic is a drama, yeah androgynous is fine.
I made this poll because I had a hard time deciding, the initial gender of my mc is a male, but if the mc is a female, I can add interesting ideas. I've planned all the the story's time-line and write down some of the them into scripts. Right now I'm busy creating and gathering assets/resources so I still can make some changes to the story and add or tweak the story if the mc's gender changed.

[CommanderMarty]

nice generalization pal, because I really like harems in stories (sarcasm), you can convert some of the ideas for the female protag to the male one or you can convert some of the ideas for the male protag to the female one.\

Also I think that's just you about androgynous characters.

Sorry about the rant, just ticked me off is all.

[AmysGames]

...Um... okay.

Obviously you're allowed to write whatever you want. If you're targeting the male fantasy, you're within your right to do that. Just, you saying that androgynous characters aren't allowed in action stories isn't a good look.

[Kelheor]

If a fantasy story with a male boils down to having a harem and with female - to beating men, boi, that's not good news through and through. I also can see how having female MC in tight suit for target audience of 16+ males could turn into boobies slapping in the wind situation, so I'd vote for male MC, it would be more relatable to the audience.

[indagold]

Combine the two and make them a femboy

In all seriousness I think a girl protag would work. Maybe its just me but I've seen female leads get a huge male audience and not to mention a girl audience too.

[BreakingChalk]

Personally, I don't care for the MC gender, but I COULD care for the design the MC has.

Both you show work well for me, so the real question would be "which gender works better for the character? If there is one that works better"

You can talk some topics "better" with a female MC than with a male one and vice-versa.

E.g.:

• If your story takes elements of let's say, México, women here tend to be disregarded more often than men on stuff like sports, taking the lead, science, and such. Assuming the MC is a female and wants to be involved in action and so, then it can had to her personality that she's going against what people on her society say.

• Or perhaps is the opposite, and a male MC would be in a position he never wanted, but was forced to be in because he's male. Then it could deal with things like taking responsibility on things that are needed but one doesn't really like to do, and even wonder which masculine traits are actually masculine, and others just egoist or self-destructive.

• Maybe it's none of the latter, or a mix of them both, with some differences, or the society the story takes place in has different ideas.

Really depends on the message you want to deliver and what you feel comfortable with.

If there is still doubt, I'd say go for the gender you first imagined your MC with.
I too have gender swapped some characters of mine and some did work, others I really didn't feel comfortable with because of how long I've imagined them as the other sex.

Do what works for you and your story.

[Sethstiel]

Umm.. also, how about..? ^^

[BreakingChalk]

Ok, I went forward with this without reading the comments that had more info of what you'd do with a male or female character.

Reading those, I'd prefer you go for female.

I always disliked harems in action series, as they often had characters whose only purpose is fanservice, instead of focusing on the story/action or character development.

Thing is, if I read an action story, I expect action and a good story over anything else.

[Freemints30]

male readers once they find out that the mc is actually a male despite the feminine look, they will drop after that

My man clearly never seen the huge male femboy lover crowd.

That seems to be just you.

Fem/masc traits with what ever gender in a character has nothing to do with genre or mood. Its how your write it for a appeal. If that little thing affects your mood so much... I have a very low expectations of the quality your writing.

Really I just pick lady since personally I don't care but I know alot of dudes love attractive kick ass ladies.

[ahogemon]

Okay, thanks for the input, but guys, this is not 'shota' genre

[Freemints30]

The Shota genre is... young boys. The gender bend of loli... What?

[ahogemon]

I mean you know, what I mean with the solid gender of the protagonist in the point of view of a healthy boy. I know you can make your protagonist a cute man in an action fantasy, there's no limit to what creators can make.

[ahogemon]

Okay, that will turn into a comedy

[crowstories]

Yo, if anybody wants to read a story with a nonbinary main character, my novel has action and adventure without weird gender stereotypes

Chaos Dog | Tapas

[jensrichard77]

I believe in well written characters, gender should follow the well written characters story.

You can’t make the main character in Kill Bill or Aliens a male.

But if you give me two visual characters with no story. Then I prefer to look at the female