Was the Male Protagonist the Key to the Popularity of Romantic Comedy Works?　China's January New Anime Releases [Anime Situation of Chinese Otaku] (Japanese only)

My name is Baiyuan Longhoam, and I am a writer who introduces various topics related to the otaku situation in China.
This time, I would like to introduce some popular new Japanese anime titles for the January season distributed on Chinese video websites, as well as some incidents related to Japanese content that occurred in China recently.

A romantic comedy work that attracted attention amidst a calm atmosphere; a male protagonist as the decisive factor for its popularity?

The anime season that started in January did not have any "major" productions in China that were well-received or branded, and the season also coincided with the Chinese New Year holidays, when students, the core of the otaku population, returned home and the school community temporarily shut down. For better or worse, there were no "flaming" works.

Most of the works did not change much from their initial popularity, with "Kaguya-sama ga Kesshirasai ~Tensai-tachi no Koenka Brain Battle~", "Gotoku no Bride", "Dororo", and "Shield no Yuusha no Norikakeru " becoming popular and gaining views.
In addition, among the works that started in October, "Reincarnation: The Case of the Slime", "Sword Art Online: Articulation", and "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (Part 5)" have maintained their popularity since January and are drawing attention again as the stories of these works gain momentum. The month of January was generally characterized by popular fluctuations.

While the fluctuations in popularity were generally small in January, "Kaguya-sama ga Kesshirasai ~Tensai-tachi no Koi Toushi no Aizu Senkou Sensetsu~" increased its popularity and reputation from the early stages of the popularity and attention it received.

What is interesting about the reaction to "Kaguya-sama" is the high evaluation of one of the main characters, Shirogane Miyuki, which is directly connected to the positive evaluation of the work.
According to an otaku in China, the male protagonist of "Kaguya-sama," Shiragane Miyuki, was highly praised.
He is not an unpleasant character who is regarded as "easy" and does not make decisions or take action, as is often the case in romance series.
He is not simply high-spec, but also shows goodness and effort, and has a good approach to relationships.
The main character is a pleasant one to watch.
The main character is a pleasant one to watch.

Of course, not limited to "Kaguya-sama," romantic comedy works of January's new anime releases have also received the same mixed comments of moe and other things about each heroine as in the past, but in works with multiple main heroines, popularity and topics tend to be dispersed, and in such side-by-side situations, "the male hero who is the center of the work In such a side-by-side situation, it seems that "the male protagonist who becomes the center of the work is highly favorable" is a bit of a weapon.

In fact, in recent years in China, not only romantic comedy works, but also the main characters are often criticized for their words and actions in the works, and in many cases, the evaluation of the works is based on the idea that "I don't like the work because of that main character. In particular, stressful developments that are unconvincing to the viewer are disliked, and the "negative effects of the actions of the foolish protagonist and his friends" is also an element that is easily disliked.

In such an atmosphere, "Kaguya-sama" continues to gain popularity as a work that many people can "feel good about watching" because they do not feel frustrated about the words and actions of the characters, especially Goko Shiragin, one of the main characters, and they can laugh and think he is cool without feeling uncomfortable.

Incidentally, I once wrote in this column that in the Chinese otaku community, "party fighting," in which people debate the heroine's victory or defeat while following the work on the side of their favorite heroine, is an established way to enjoy romantic comedies. However, if you look at the broader picture, you will hear that the ability to feel good about watching is becoming more important than the party fighting that fans of the genre prefer.