Red Ogre, Blue Ogre: The Importance of Rivalry in Shonen Anime

gamerant.com:

Shо̄nen anime is famous for its reliance on tried-and-tested tropes, plot devices and character archetypes. This is partly the influence of Shо̄nen Jump magazine and its rich roster of hit titles, especially those from the magazine's «Golden Age» era. One trope that has worked its way into the very DNA of Shо̄nen as a genre is the introduction of the protagonist's foil, a character who is seemingly the exact opposite of the usually good-natured main character.

This character, often dubbed the rival, has become an integral part to the development of any Shо̄nen, particularly those that are focused on battle. But just how did this trope gain such importance to Shо̄nen, and what are some of its most popular executions?

The Most Iconic Rivals In Anime

In Japanese folklore, there exists a story about a red ogre and a blue ogre who live in a forest. In the tale, the red ogre sought to befriend human children living in a nearby village, so he placed a sign outside his house, inviting any and all inside with the promise of tea and tasty snacks. Nobody ever visited the red ogre, which made him despondent. However, his best friend, the blue ogre, approached him with a simple plan. The blue ogre would go to the village and terrorize the villagers, after which the red ogre would come to rescue them and chase the blue ogre away.

The plan worked, and the red ogre became very popular among the village children; however, an unintended consequence is that being in the villagers' good graces meant that he could no longer be friends with the blue ogre. The blue ogre leaves his best friend a note explaining that if they remained friends, the villagers would no longer allow their children to play with them. The red ogre cried, knowing that his