As a lover of books and a hobbyist writer, I hate when people misinterpret characters, even if they're not mine. Yes, fiction is amazing because each and every person will see one thing a little differently. That's the beauty of art.
But, there's a line between subtle differences in interpretation, and blatant mischaracterization of a character. As a student of literature, all of our interpretations must be backed by substantial evidence from the text itself and, if available, an external source such as a study or article.
What I see often, mainly in anime fandoms is that, people pick any character they find "hot" (I use the word hot because it's often this criterion they choose, usually for the vibe and/or design of the character) and then, proceed to imagine them in such ways that fit their fantasy, more often than not digressing from the actual message/emotion/meaning the character embodies in the story. Then, if this spreads enough, people actually FORGET the original intent the author had with them, and erasing them completely, to the point their name could be anything else, because it's not THEM anymore
(Levi Ackerman from attack on titan, who is literally not a cool stoic, but a hollowed out, traumatized grief stricken man with survivor's guilt and more. Hisoka from HxH, even characters such as Light Yagami from Death Note who is outright manipulative, perfect case of a god complex, narcissistic asshole etc.
Dazai Osamu from BSD: yes, the anime IS written as a comedy, but he is a chronically depressed forner assassin who's humour is a cry for help, and he suffers from obvious suicidal ideation.
Please, it's okay if you want them idealized. But be mindful. Because these characters might reflect someone VERY REAL situation and personal struggles.
Mine, from this list, are Levi Ackerman and Dazai.
Levi because I suffer, so much that sometimes I feel like quitting. But I stay for those I love. I stay because they told me they need me. I don't want to hurt my loved ones and my family.
And Dazai is my younger self. My self that has to exist to this day sometimes. Self deprecating, dark humour jokes. I laugh all the time. My family has always called me the Sun of their life. Now? I'm 22 and I was told I suffer from chronic depression since the age of 3, on top of being physically disabled. I can't stand, and I'm a runt in my family, who has a weak eye and one of my hands just like levi. By washing down these characters to likeable archetypes, it can hurt people unconsciously, even if actively in therapy, because then, even fiction says, if you are hurt? You're worth nothing and need to be fixed.
Thank you for reading <3
- Authentic Levi Ackerman