The Greatest Anime/Manga Protagonist Ever Tournament

[VLordGTZ]

Rock
Genkai
Ochiai

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Genkai (Yu Yu Hakusho) - 12
Rock (Black Lagoon) - 11
Ochiai (20th Century Boys) - 13

Ochiai moves on to round 5.

That concludes the quarter-finals. The semis will be up in due time.

[gunswordfist]

cx, you still alive?

[LumRanmaYasha]

Sorry for the hiatus, folks. Let's start this up again!

Semi-Finals: Match 1


Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin)

VS.


Zenigata (Lupin the Third)

VS.


Black Jack (Black Jack)

I should probably start writing more elaborate thoughts for these now...but I'm tired today, so...:

Black Jack - My favorite of Tezuka's many, many great characters. For a guy who says he's only in it for the money a lot he sure does a lot of stuff out of the good of his heart without asking for anything in return.

Kenshin Himura - A great character with an admirable personality and motives, a tragic past, and a fantastic story of moving forward and sticking to his ideals despite all odds and adversities. One of the best written main protagonists in any shonen battle manga. We need more characters like him in modern battle series.

Zenigata - My favorite Lupin character. Clumsy and often made a fool of, but has a lot of heart and when he's not after Lupin or is working with him he really shows his stuff.

[gunswordfist]

kenshin - the manga made me like and appreciate him more. i still like vash more.

zenigata - probably my favorite lupin character as well because he probably gave me the most laughs. just thinking about one part where he crashes while chasing lupin and then quickly says crap about a dozen times makes me smile, if not chuckle a bit. i honestly had trouble deciding between him and homura. this is the only non-lupin site where zenigata could make it to the semi-finals. that's beautiful. i am glad my brother introduced me to lupin.

black jack - his part in the greatest handheld game was good.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Kenshin- While the wandering Vagabond archetype was already long established in manga before Kenshin, he's still one of the most memorable characters of this type in his own right. He has perhaps one of the best written backstories in shonen manga, and is such a captivating character in general.

Black Jack- I really need to. Finish reading it, but CX pretty much hit the nail on the head about him.

Zenigata- My 2nd favorite Lupin character, and a true anime icon.

[Avaitor]

Same as CX.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Same as Dr. Ensatsu-ken.

[VLordGTZ]

Same as Avaitor

[LumRanmaYasha]

Results:

Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin) - 15
Zenigata (Lupin the Third) - 7
Black Jack (Black Jack) - 14

The Battousai moves on to the finals!

Semi-Finals: Match 2


Kenzo Tenma (Monster)

VS.


Joe Yabuki (Ashita no Joe)

VS.


Ochiai (20th Century Boys)

My my my, they don't come much tougher than this (well, except for tomorrow's match, maybe):

Joe Yabuki - A vagrant from the slums who finds a passion in boxing and rises to the top, Joe's life is full of ups and downs that force him to evolve as a person and better himself both professionally and in his character. It's a fascinating character arc and one few of his imitators have been able to replicate quite as well. One of my all time favorite characters.

Kenzo Tenma - Haunted by the thought he made the wrong choice once upon a time, Tenma sets out to make things right, even if it means becoming a killer and destroying his career, reputation, and life in the process. Throughout his journey, time and time again he saves lives and draws people together, helping people wherever he went. In spite of what he planed, Tenma is not a killer and never could be. Tenma is a hero in the truest sense of the word; noble and self-sacrificing, and above all else, always does the right thing, and in the end, makes the right choice.

Ochiai - With a fascinating backstory and strong presence throughout the course of the series, Ochiai was always one of the most interesting and enjoyable characters to follow in 20thCB. While not my top favorite in the cast, his parts in the story always proved entertaining and interesting to read, and let's not beat around the bush here, he's one pretty badass dude. Another great character worthy of this penultimate round.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Joe- One of the most iconic characters in classic manga and anime (right up there with the likes of Astro Boy and Lupin, among others), and probably has the most developmental depth and nuance of any character in the battle Shounen and sports genre from that era. He is rough, unruly, and incredibly self-destructively yet has such a sense of humanity and a driving force that still makes him strangely likable and even somewhat relatable.

Ochiai- I already talked about him in the last match that he was featured in, so just apply that here.

Tenma- Probably one of the most caring and good-natured human-beings in a manga that covers such dark and disturbing subject-material. His perseverance to do what's right above all else never fails to win me over.

[VLordGTZ]

Same as CX

[Pharass]

Same as Dr. E-k.

[gunswordfist]

dr., ochiai and joe.

[Avaitor]

Tenma
Joe
Ochiai