If you're into ACG (Anime, Comics, Games), you definitely have a favorite character or two. Usually, it's their looks or personality that draws you in and makes them so popular. Whether they're a hero or a villain, it's the strong character development in a work that makes us fall head over heels for them.
But recently on X (formerly Twitter) in Japan, one user posed a curious question: "I absolutely adore this character, yet I can roast them endlessly." They noticed many otaku share this sentiment, struggling to understand how these two feelings can coexist—especially since there are so many characters who fit the bill.
The user who sparked the discussion pointed out that otaku are truly complex creatures. They can simultaneously declare, "I seriously, seriously love this character—they're my absolute favorite in the entire series!" while also saying, "But on the flip side, I could spend three hours just roasting this guy." And here's the kicker: both statements can be completely true at the same time.
They also noted that while not every otaku is like this, there are indeed many highly popular characters who also get relentlessly clowned on. Is this a special phenomenon unique to ACG characters?
This post clearly struck a chord with many netizens. It's true that a lot of popular characters are beloved despite having plenty of flaws to pick apart. Maybe it's because you understand them so well that you can roast them so much, LOL.
This prompted many users to share their own examples of such characters...
▼ Like Char Aznable from "Mobile Suit Gundam"—a prime example.
▼ Lelouch Lamperouge from "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" also makes the list.
▼ And Athrun Zala from "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED"... wait, are there a lot of Gundam characters like this?
▼ Dio Brando from "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" is another villain many love to hate and roast.
One netizen suggested this mindset is just like what Kaoru Tanamachi said in "Amagami SS": "If I were to list your flaws, I could name a hundred. But I could also name a hundred and one good things about you." Now that's love!
It's probably true for many people: you can only roast someone—or some character—so thoroughly because you know them so well. This extends to real life too, so it's probably not just an otaku thing, right?