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Japanese games that star well-functioning adults (bonus points if the game is "anime")
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
Few of the adults there are well-functioning, honestly. Like, Kano barely function as a policeman.
Neither child nor teenager in sight in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, the cast is composed of more believably trained, experienced soldiers from around the world.
Not sure what "well-functioning" means though.
Not sure what "well-functioning" means though.
Dante is litterally a man child who doesn't pay bills and often sits in shit and piss untill somoene finds a job for him because he can't do anything else but slay demons.
I love Dante, I love Vergil . They are Giant children who had their entire growth fucked up because mommy died.
Now that's a functioning adult
Nero from DMC4/5.
Has house
Has fiance
Has job that pays well enough to have a house
owns a vehicle
Didn't even let injury stop him from providing for his family.
Has actual friends
has functioning sex life
And Sazh (i think, I never played FFXIII)
Someone already named Hotel Dusk and that's honestly perfect. Such human characters, amazing games.
Not a ton of games I can think of that haven't already been named. The original Silent Hill has Harry Mason, he's a solid dude. James Sunderland, not so much.
Please don't tell me you believe all adults are useless in Persona.
my first thought was nier, but yakuza is a good one also. by 3 kiryu runs a damn orphanage. and nier takes care of his daughter as the world is crumbling around him. certainly he doesnt always make the right decision, but hard to fault him for the most part.
many of the ninja and samurai games i guess. samanosuke and jubei, rikimaru and ayame, sekiro guy all seem like reasonably well adjusted adults given the situations they are ini.
many of the ninja and samurai games i guess. samanosuke and jubei, rikimaru and ayame, sekiro guy all seem like reasonably well adjusted adults given the situations they are ini.
signal boost quote for truthyness
Stocke from Radiant Historian is a seasoned military man who is above 18 and consistently makes rational down to earth decisions instead of relying on "lol mAh bodY moVEd oN it's Own. pOWer Of FRiENDship yaLl
This. The adult cast of characters is really refreshing especially since Xenoblade usually goes for teenagers. It really changes the whole vibe.
I don't think a guy who passes out drunk on the couch and leaves his seven year old daughter to fend for herself can really be called functional.Ryotaro Dojima of Persona 4:
Agree but on the other side, Sazh is the best charater in that game and top 3 for the franchise.
I mean there clearly not useless. Is this some sort of crack against modern Persona because there are plenty of helpful adults there.
It's just the adult characters are just as emotionally damaged as the teenage characters so hardly what I'd call well adjusted.
Xenoblade X and Hotel Dusk/Last Window are good picks in my book, so good job, you all :)
I'd add Trauma Center New Blood and Second Opinion, but it's been man years since I played them, so I my memory isn't so clear.
I played Persona 4 recently and liked Doujima, so I have a feeling the characters were well grounded in New Blood too, like him.
In Second Opinion you might have the "novice young man" trope like in Ace Attorney, but I remember there being a very capable older woman too in that game.
I'm going to add also Project Zero 5 because you get a lot of insight on Dr. Aso, but I also expected Ren and Hisoka to be older than just 23. She has to deal with some very heavy burdens and be profesional on her job and relationship with her clients, while also getting very emotionally involved, so you get to feel sorry for her when you let your suicidal character get out back again to the dangerous forest.
I'd add Trauma Center New Blood and Second Opinion, but it's been man years since I played them, so I my memory isn't so clear.
I played Persona 4 recently and liked Doujima, so I have a feeling the characters were well grounded in New Blood too, like him.
In Second Opinion you might have the "novice young man" trope like in Ace Attorney, but I remember there being a very capable older woman too in that game.
I'm going to add also Project Zero 5 because you get a lot of insight on Dr. Aso, but I also expected Ren and Hisoka to be older than just 23. She has to deal with some very heavy burdens and be profesional on her job and relationship with her clients, while also getting very emotionally involved, so you get to feel sorry for her when you let your suicidal character get out back again to the dangerous forest.
Professor Layton is a true gentleman. Phoenix Wright is a successful self-made man, despite some self doubt.
It's funny because all playable adult characters from P2 are well adjusted (Katsuya the most)... except Ulala. She is a mess, and she know it, but still try hard to find passion and direction in her life.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey.
Not a plucky teenager in sight, just a team of soldiers and scientists trying to save the world from a terrifying anomaly that's growing outward from the south pole.
As far as "well-functioning" goes...well, some of them are. :P
Not a plucky teenager in sight, just a team of soldiers and scientists trying to save the world from a terrifying anomaly that's growing outward from the south pole.
As far as "well-functioning" goes...well, some of them are. :P
Great idea for a thread. I swear if I see another Japanese anime-like game starring high school kids I'll.... probably not do anything because that'll probably happen tomorrow but I'll make a post about it here!
Final Fantasy XV is very anime and stars functioning adults who dare to get older. Older bearded Noctis has my vote for the single best looking male videogame character of all time. And this is coming from a straight dude. Meanwhile in anime land we can't even have a main character of any age with any facial hair. They're all baby faces.
Final Fantasy XV is very anime and stars functioning adults who dare to get older. Older bearded Noctis has my vote for the single best looking male videogame character of all time. And this is coming from a straight dude. Meanwhile in anime land we can't even have a main character of any age with any facial hair. They're all baby faces.
Hahahahaha a black character starring in a Final Fantasy????? Yeah that'd be the day!!
Hell, has ANY JRPG ever starred a black character at all?
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Devil May Cry had been out of power for weeks on end before the events of 5.
Dante has managed to pile a tremendous sent owed to Lady and Morrison that has yet to be settled, ever since DMC3.
Vergil lol
Nero, Trish and Lady are well functioning adults for sure though.
Sure but I'll give you only half a point because we may have gotten said functioning adult in a Japanese game but in Japan they got a baby faced angsty teenager looking to save his little imouto instead of daughter because of course they would!
Stocke from Radiant Historian is a seasoned military man who is above 18 and consistently makes rational down to earth decisions instead of relying on "lol mAh bodY moVEd oN it's Own. pOWer Of FRiENDship yaLl
This; Stocke is probably the most level-headed protagonist ever.
Majority of japanese games have adults front and centre. Like, Nintendo games alone buck the trend heavily.
I guess if you only play "thoooose" games, it might seem like there is nothing but lolis and shotas...
This is the biggest bullshit Miyamoto ever tried to feed us in his career. Mario is not 24 years old and I don't care what he says.
Not a main character, but Elma is a star in Xenoblade X.
There's also Hugo from Suikoden 3. But yeah, they're pretty rare indeed.
On topic, Elma would fit the criteria of this thread. Hugo, despite his age, is also quite mature as far as I remember.
The youngest person in xenoblade 1 is 18, barely a teenager
You'd be hard pressed to name a JRPG with an anime aesthetic with a main playable protagonist that's over 20.
Sure theres some that fit the bill but they're so few. And I'm not talking about supporting cast because Party members can usually be more diverse in their ages (as diverse as a genre that calls 35 year old characters "old men" can be). Ok talking about the main protagonist. We can't even get one of those in a JRPG with any facial hair, much less a functioning adult.
Nah, they're still a teenager until 20; two more years of teenage youth hardly qualifies as "barely a teenager."
I said "star". Supporting cast are not the stars. I'm talking about leads. Of course there's been black characters in JRPGs, just never in a main playable protagonist role.Not a main character, but Elma is a star in Xenoblade X.
There's also Hugo from Suikoden 3. But yeah, they're pretty rare indeed.
On topic, Elma would fit the criteria of this thread. Hugo, despite his age, is also quite mature as far as I remember.
EighTEEN and nineTEEN year olds are still TEENagers, my friend.
Why do you think there's so much porn labeled "Teens"? It's not because it stars underage people (I mean, at least it shouldn't!), it's because it's porn starring 18 and 19 year olds.
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By 18 in the U.S you are legally a adult, can smoke and can die for your country. Sure he's technically still a teenager but thats not how society sees it, especially in Japan where 17 is basically that adult age
