Of all the genres within the anime/manga industry, none have reached such success as the shonen genre. The main defining feature of the genre is its focus on targeting young/adolescent boys, but this ends up leading to a surprising variety of stories and characters spanning different sub-genres.
One trope that has emerged over the years in shonen, is what one might call ‘the shonen trio’ model. Popularized by series likeNaruto, the trio often consists of a plucky/energetic main character, a dark haired and often edgier rival, and a nondescript female character. It’s appeared in a host of series at this point, so it’s worth discussing where this trope goes right and where it goes wrong.
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Pro: Good Character Balance
One of the main reasons the trio has become a trope to begin with is due to how it assists the narrative of any given story. 3 is a generally strong number. Triangles are one of the structurally strongest shapes, and ‘the rule of 3’ is a famous writing concept that teaches that 3 is often the magic number whether in events, characters or words. Think of the 3 act structure or stories likeThe 3 Musketeers. 3 of something just generally ends up being not too much and not too little.
A trio of characters then, gives a wide enough variation of personalities and design elements to carry a main cast, without overloading the audience. It also allows for a small number of character relationships to follow. InNaruto’s Team 7, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all have different enough designs, personalities and powers to provide variety, and memorable dynamics between them. But, casual fans can easily remember them and their dynamics without much effort.
Since shonen stories are often seeking to appeal to teenage boys, the trio also allows for the presence of a female character without harming the marketing of the story as a male-centric one. It’s easy to be disappointed in the limited opportunities for female representation this creates, but otherwise some stories might not include major women at all.
Con: Unequal Character Focus
On a similar note, while the trio provides a convenient slot forfemale charactersto appear in, it can also end up setting them up for disappointment. While not a shonen series, theKingdom Heartsgames make ample use of this model in 3 different groups. In the main trio of Sora, Riku and Kairi, Kairi ends up gettingby far the least developmentand screen time. This is also the plight of characters like Sakura fromNarutoand Nobara fromJujutsu Kaisen.
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This is because while the trio is a strong unit, the duo is much easier to write, especially in an action story. Once fighting enters the equation, it’s much easier for a writer to fall back on a duo, as the image of a 1 on 1 fight is extremely iconic. This means thatthe protagonist and rival characterswill often go off on a long, drawn out competitive streak while their female friend is left with nothing to do but either chase them in vain or find another path to walk.
Often one of the men in the trio will also be the love interest of the woman, which can lead to romance plots that either take over the group dynamic, or have no time to properly develop. Sadly, there’s always the danger of someone becoming the third wheel.
Pro: Room For Subversion
This advantage has only appeared fairly recently, but since this trio format is so well established, newer writers can now count on audience familiarity with it, and use that for interesting twists. InJujutsu Kaisenfor example, the main trio on the surface look to be treading the same ground as theirNarutocounterparts based on only design. As it turns out though,Fushiguroand Yuji never become rivals, and neither of them ever has a romance with Nobara. Purposefully avoiding the audience’s assumptions can create goodwill for the story, even if it doesn’t ultimately last.
Returning toKingdom Hearts, the trio of Terra, Ventus and Aqua also shakes things up to great effect. While Terra mostly fills his edgy rival role expectedly, Ventus and Aqua have their roles essentially switched. Aqua ends up being the protagonist, and Ventus instead becomes a little brother to the other two. This has done wonders for Aqua in particular, helping to make her one of the most popularKIngdom Heartscharacters, despite the female part of the trio often being by far the least likable.
The Promised Neverlandis also notable, as not only does Emma take on the protagonist role, but Ray, who would be the assumed edgy rival, actually ends up filling a purely supportive role. Meanwhile, this allows Norman, who is already quite an unconventional aspect of the trio to evolve in surprising and compelling ways, ultimately becoming an anti-hero of sorts.
Con: It Can Be A Limitation
As with any trope, one of the most dangerous aspects of using it is the possibility of being unoriginal. In the same way audience assumptions can create an opportunity for fun subversion, it can also distort how people view certain characters. Several characters likeChainsaw Man’s Aki andBlack Clover’s Yuno get categorized as “the Sasuke” by many, despite any major differences they might have from Sasuke. Sometimes making use of the iconic aspects of the trio means effort must be put in to make it clear to the audience how different new characters are from the trope’s progenitors.
The trio’s prevalence even outside this specific trope can also shift writers away from attempting larger casts. Ensembles are by no means easy to write, but series likeOne PieceorJojo’s Bizarre Adventurethat manage to pull it off end up feeling very unique as a result. But when such a time tested model is available and familiar, it leaves little room for more unconventional group makeups.
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