Whenever I come across an anime meme, I like to toss it out to J-List’s followers on social media and get their opinions on it. Whenever I get dozens of passionate responses, I know I’ve got a good potential topic for a blog post. Let’s look at some common anime tropes that some anime fans hate, but others love!
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What Makes an Anime Trope Bad or Good?
What is a trope? It’s basically a plot device, story setup, or any other kind of pre-defined convention used in storytelling. Tropes can be useful because they’re already familiar to the people enjoying the story. Anime nearly always fit into one of several convenient categories based on what story tropes are immediately visible to fans. This is all fine and good…unless the tropes are extremely overused to the point of cliche.
Now, if I were a fancy-pants writer working for certain large online publications, I’d be expected to take a certain position against some of these anime tropes. Like pooh-poohing any sexy fan service for not being up to Western standards in 2024. Or saying that the pantyshots in Sailor Moon were terrible…despite the massive contribution early sexy moments like those had in making anime what it is today.
But I won’t do that. I think any kind of story element is potentially fine for an anime, as long as it’s handled with care by the creators in a way that’s compelling for fans. Some examples:
- Yes, the isekai genre is overdone, yet it’s still possible to delight fans with a clever story setup if the writers challenge themselves to get creative. Mushoku Tensei and Drifters are two shining examples.
- Fan service is fine if that’s what the show is all about (Gushing Over Magical Girls, Daily Life with Monster Girls), and fans are there to enjoy the sexy situations the characters fall into. It’s less needed in a serious drama anime.
- Any kind of story setup, whether a love triangle, demon-living-inside-the-MC or childhood-friend-from-another-world can be fine, depending on the execution. And if you don’t like what you’re watching, there are literally thousands of other shows to turn to instead.
What Are Your Three Worst and Best Anime Tropes? J-List Customers Reply!
I asked J-List customers on X and Facebook to share their favorite anime tropes and other tropes they disliked, and these are the replies we got!
Best anime tropes: fan service girls, tsundere and love triangle (if done right).
Worst anime tropes: love triangle (if not important to the story), dumb MC and inner demon (if done poorly)
Anime tropes I like: Twintail slap for tsundere girls, strong gigachad MC, and a mom who thinks MC into them.
Dislikes: Becoming a slave in an isekai world, revenge trope (bad ones), and “I’m banished but I’m really strong!”
Likes: Fan service (of course), shy girls unaware of their charm, strong but flawed MC.
Dislikes: Overly dense/annoying male MC, too many deaths (it loses any emotional/story impact), extremely bad sense of direction (Zoro is a victim of this).
I dislike overly perverted side characters, and an MC who has multiple girls chasing him, but he refuses to pick one.
The best tropes are tsundere girls, fan service girls, and older girls looking young for comedic purposes… The worst are love triangles (I don’t have a knack for NTR), comic relief abuse and the Power of Friendship (too cliché).
Dislikes: Love Triangles, super-dense main characters, tasteless fanservice.
Likes: A goofy character that can be serious when needed, yandere girls, big weapons.
So many people fighting against comic relief abuse don’t realize anime got huge inspiration from early cartoons like Looney Tunes. Always good for a laugh. Don’t take it so seriously.
My top three are: Mecha, loli, fan service girls.
My worst: Isekai, tsundere, cute girls doing cute things.
I hate: Dumb MC, comedic relief abuse, older girls that look young.
I love: fan service girls, tsundere, and love triangles.
The best anime Tropes: MC makes a surprise return to help the group (Ichigo in the Soul Society Arc), MC gets angry and achieves higher power, and calm/happy characters who finally get serious.
The worst: When no one dies, a bland male character gets the pretty girl, and a villain gets defeated because they explained their power.
We Love These Anime Tropes!
Anime tropes I like:
1. Ahoge Hair
2. Snaggletooth/Fang
3. Unusual color/style hair
What about the Dead Mom Sideways Ponytail trope?
Tsundere. That’s the best.. plain and simple.
If we’re talking older girls who look young… Frieren would like a word.
An anime trope I love: Hot moms that look younger than they actually are.
My current favorite tope is: Tall Girl x Short Guy couple.
Thanks for reading this blog post about the best and worst anime tropes. Which tropes do you love to see explored, and which ones do you hate? Let us know in the comments below!
Great news! J-List has started our Pre-Black Friday Sale, giving everyone an automatic 15% off all in-stock items shipping from Japan (except for 2025 calendars). Now is the perfect time to pick up those special naughty items you’ve had your eye on, or stock up on ero lotion, or browse our in-stock figures. Browse all our products here!
