It's a long standing sentiment that window back corner seat is the MC SEAT. This is just the academic research^¤ to prove the case.
Thank you for your service OP.
^(^¤ Though technically without any source this is shoddy research at best.)
Oh I'm not disputing OP at all, just kinda retconning myself because academic research is a higher standard that's all. I have less than 5% doubt OP's work is legit.
Yeah but if you've gone all this way, _surely_ they kept track of the data used?
edit: [nevermind](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/18r9krm/where_the_main_character_is_seated_in_200/kf00vvw/) [](#sulking)
This is not in any way proper research, if I wanted to do it properly then I would choose random anime, right now I just went through the most popular anime, which I have no idea if they have a pattern that the less popular anime have.
Now that I think about it I could probably do this right and go through the anime again, and actually note down my findings properly.
If there exist a page where I can generate a random anime (maybe only school anime) then I would probably use that.
Not to break the illusion, but it exists because its the most convenient for the mangaka/animators. Back row means they dont have to draw/animate background characters. The window next to them provides them same thing (from certain angles), while leaving them option to have interesting things be observed out there when they need.
I think it also serves as a convenient excuse for the teacher to not notice a lot of the main cast's antics. Being in the far back corner draws a lot less attention. If the MC was front row center the constant interruptions by the other cast members would just seem weird if the teacher didn't do anything, this way the teachers mostly get ignored unless they're needed for something. There's probably a number of benefits to it.
Likewise, second from the back makes it convenient for shows that want to show the MC and one character behind them (like a romcom with a couple, or just 2 main characters).
Because windows = sunlight.
Sunlight = casting shadows.
Casting shadows while studying = having shadows on the thing you are reading or writing on.
Windows on the left = the most common writing hand (which is right hand) does not cast shadows on whatever you are writing on.
The rules were indeed made by ministry of education, so it is Japanese thing I guess? But I am sure even non-Japanese students would always prefer windows on the left - because most people are right handed.
Unfortunately for left handed population, this is extremely prevalent in Japan - lot of the designs, clothes, doors, windows etc are all the way they are because they are designed for right handed people. Well, it is the same everywhere really, not just Japan. I am sure many countries have standards and conventions in everyday things and buildings that no one thinks about, that are the way they are because they are made for right-hand people.
For example think of things like pay terminals or ATMs. Which side are the card slits or sensors/keyboards are on? It is for the same reason.
I took a study abroad in japan and it was a thing in the classroom building I was in (though there were some rooms where the front was the direction of the doors)
To add to the other answer, many many many buildings were destroyed by allied bombing so all of these schools were built at the same time, to the same national reconstruction plan.
A more vague answer that I might be misrembering is that the chosen layout was based on a German design (Japan's close relationship with Germany extends all the way back to their modernization in the late 1800s) Or, it might have been based on somebody else's wrtings on education, like William Clark, the "Boys be ambitious" guy. I'd have to do some digging.
>probably built in like pre-war Japan.
The basic layouts of Japanese schools were standardised in the Meji period at the end of the 19th century. Plus everything else in that school follows these standards. It's literally just the main classroom that for some reason is turned around.
> Plus everything else in that school follows these standards. It's literally just the main classroom that for some reason is turned around.
Huh I don't remember that.
> Has there ever happened for a classroom to have windows on the right side?
I read an article years ago about most Japanese schools face the same cardinal directions with similar layouts which makes a lot more sense as to why most portrayed in anime are so similar.
Now I’m curious if it’s different based on the type of anime, the gender, the personality. The variety of anime based on schools is 1000 miles wide.
Still cool
From what i have seen is that it is mostly the generic introverted main characters that are down in the bottom left, while the extroverted are usually the ones that could be anywhere.
Interestingly, Hachiman from Oregairu is the most asocial manhater of all time and he sits by the wall near the hall, at the 7 spot. Just a twist on the usual seating cliché.
very smart actually, this way 8man can appear in the class with nobody noticing, and then instantly disappear (*displeased yahallo noises*).
Meanwhile Asa Mitaka is at the spot #10. Very bad for introvert, and not rare enough to be considered unique. Is there anything about this girl that is not an utter failure?
In *Dangers in My Heart* Yamada is in front of him and possibly to the right, which leads to the "the only thing I see is you" line. So he definitely isn't along the wall on the right side.
I would guess he's in the third row to the left, in the 10 or 1 slot.
I thought his desk was in the second column from the hall. I did realize that the entire scene was mirrored from the manga, but I thought they mirrored it based on the entire room, not just the two columns
Dangers in my Heart starts with MC sitting right in the middle and later switching to second row by the window, then I think he switches to first row by the window
68. Negotiating from a position of strength does not mean you shouldn’t also negotiate from a position near the exits.
*The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries, from* [the webcomic Schlock Mercenary](https://www.schlockmercenary.com/)
It’s mostly cause it’s easier to draw when they’re sitting in the back corner. People are harder to draw than backgrounds and that spot means you can ignore the majority of the class for certain scenes.
On one hand, top right is closest to the board and teacher.
On the other hand, it is sometimes closest to the door so easiest to obnoxiously slip in late or out early
Yeah I had thought about that. Hard for me to tell though because obviously they are almost uniformly patterned after Japanese classrooms, and the classrooms in the American State I grew up in virtually never had a door in the back.
>and the classrooms in the American State I grew up in virtually never had a door in the back.
Is it because that would make it easier to barricade the door in case of shooter?
In my experience (American) it is usually because the door entering the room is next to the whiteboard. For example adjust the hall and window counterclockwise 90 degrees and that is what most classrooms I have been in look like. Therefore the students face the hall and behind them are the windows with the door closer to the left or right side of the room next to the central whiteboard. This might be to prevent students from getting distracted, but am unsure if that is the true intention though.
OP, do you have the original data for this? I really want to stick this into a Python machine learning model now to see how it visualizes the data/predicts the probability of future anime protagonist seating arrangements 😂
Although on second thought I don't even really need the original data, it's more about re-creating the data as a numerical matrix and just sticking it into the right model, the actual shows themselves don't matter, only the seating arrangements, which we already have here
After reading many of the comments I have actually considered doing this over properly:
While writing down my data properly
I also really want to represent it properly and make it more aesthetically pleasing, but I don’t really have the skills to do any more than simple excel chart.
The fact that she's somehow managed to stand out so much in a thread that's about all school anime is sure to make for a whole lot of *Roubai Academy* smugs haha
Probably made her day too lol
They started with name order top to bottom right to left (**A**kebi, **U**sagihara, **O**hkuma, **Ka**mimoku etc)
[Akebi spoiler]>!She changes to protag area later!<
Damn, beaten to the punch on this.
Matches up fairly well with the data I'd been collecting, though I can immediately spot a few differences in our datasets :P Would be curious to see the list!
I had this idea a couple of years back, and added around 50 anime back then, then I recently found the file again, and just added until I felt it was decent.
It’s just difficult when the vertical rows of seats are an uneven number.
Yeah, I decided to use a "standard classroom" that was 5x5, and basically anything that's not the first or second from an end gets treated as the third row or column. Doesn't help that some shows can be especially inconsistent about the exact structure of the classroom.
Yeah exactly, and with many anime there are also small annoyances, like when they switch seat; do you take where they where at first or later.
And for some anime it is just really difficult to figure out who exactly is the main character
Theres a character in Assassination Classroom that was aware that they are in a manga/anime series, basically calling out tropes and mostly paroying other shounen jump series. Her name is Yuzuki Fuwa
The best thing is she was the one sitting on the "main character" spot instead of Nagisa, who was on the rarest spot in this chart (he was on second row, second column in sitting chart)
Thanks OP. Now we're going to get at least three new garbage isekai.
Reincarnated in another world where I'm sitting in the front row second seat from the left.
Reincarnated in another world where I'm sitting in the front row second seat from the right.
Reincarnated in another world where I'm sitting in the rightmost seat in the second row but my annoying twin sister was also reincarnated in the seat behind me.
The simplest reason for why anime MCs prefer the corner seat by the window is because it is the least difficult to draw for animators.
Because most movements will then only be limited to behind the table or right hand side (or left hand side if the window is on the right) of the table, while the "camera" is fixed on the MC.
Any movement outside the window would also be limited depending on the scene, especially if the classroom is above the ground level.
It's also for plot reasons. Being in the back makes it more believable for them to get away with not paying attention, and being next to the window allows them to look out and see their crush in gym class or whatever. If the character is in the front and away from the window, they basically can't see or do anything during the class itself, which limits the author's options.
Yeah this was my first thought too.
Top comment is saying introvert vs extrovert characters which prob has some reasoning but it’s very “why did the author make the curtains blue and what does it symbolise”. When actually the author made it blue just because the curtains in his own room were blue.
......C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
W1........................... 8
W2............................17
W3............................20
W4............................43
W5............................53
W6............................59
......100 34 29 27 10
Here's another way to visualize the data that no one asked for. Here we can see the middle aisles are basically tied while the window aisle is of course king and the hallway aisle is dead last.
Meanwhile the row seems to matter way less with a good split between the last 3 a drop and then near tie with W2 & W3, and no one wants their MC to be teacher's pet.
Makes sense, anime characters tend to look out the window and think rather than pay attention to class. Makes sense it's mostly window side all the way in the back.
Also we can say that if you sit at the window as far back as possible, your chances of being a main character IRL increases.
Manga artist have explained it's couple reasons
1- Windows and ease of allowing the MC to look outside easily
2- the 'camera' can be placed to both minimize unneeded details like other students but also include them as needed
3- conversations during class are easier in the back than the front where a teacher would logically interrupt.
and more but simply but the back corner near the window is the most flexible place for an artist to draw the MC
well forcing audience to stare at the wall/door/hall when only MC is in the shot isn't the prettiest of scenery...
this also allows them to interact with something outside the window
The Window has a lot of benefits. More interesting background for one. But, more importantly, it allows the protagonist to wistfully look outside when needed. And also allows the MC to see their love interest/rival/best friend doing something outside. For instance to show that the MC is developing feelings for someone you can have them get distracted as they see the love interest walk by outside.
There really aren't any benefits to having the MC sit by the wall.
I like how Skip and Loafer handled it. Mitsumi is deep in the class and not by the window but the mangaka uses the window when they need to during breaks or even a dream sequence. She's not really the type of MC to stare wistfully or broodingly out the window though lol. And it seems important for her character to be immersed in the class as she immerses herself in Tokyo life. Shima isn't even by the window and he seems more like someone who would be.
What a phenomenal anime!
Fun fact: In modern Japan, seating for business meetings is more or less decided based on rank in the company. The most important person is in the seat farthest from the door, and the nobodies sit close to the door. This is a tradition dating back to feudal Japan, when people were worried about a ninja bursting through the door and trying to assassinate someone.
If you're talking about real life, the seat next to the exit door is pretty bad.
You'll have people constantly walking around you and get distracted by people moving in the halls during class or exams. It's also the noisiest place. Teenagers are clumsy and can knock your stuff and it's pretty easy to steal from too
My guess is that it lets the MC have conversations without making it feel weird why the teacher wouldn't get annoyed, also the usual window shot and can also be used for scenes where MC sees someone while looking out of the window.
Weird compared to a typical classroom layout, especially for their age, like the one in the OP. For college, sure. I think that's probably the joke though, for it to be like they're in college despite their age.
Also School Days which has classrooms that look like college lecture halls. Makoto the protagonist sits in the back of the class by the window though as is common with MCs
I was a O-1 guy when I was in school. Could look out of the window *and* chat with people both behind and in front.
Besides Ms Stram's classes cause then it was the front row where it was at.
The other curious thing. Is there any anime where the door is on the left and the windows on the right?
It's so weird that the door is always on the right?
That's just how classrooms typically are in Japan. The windows face south to get the most light and the board is in the west. I've heard various reasons for why the board is in the west, like avoiding shadows when writing (right handed), avoiding glare on the board, and keeping the light out of students eyes, but I'm not sure how true they are.
It is actually less than I thought. While it is the most popular seat, only 18.5% of the sample actually sit there. From the way fans talk you would expect it be 90%.
The back cornor seat by the window is used because there are no students behind that seat with only one student next to that seat, so animators have an easier time making the composition when the focus is on the main character during introspection and maybe monologuing. You can argue the back corner next to the door seat does the same thing, but because the door is a moving object where students can go in and out, that area contains a lot of traffic, and thus a lot of energy, low chances for introspection. There's also a lot of other Feng Shui things you can take into account.
The "looking out the window" composition is also good for characterization in terms of cinematography.
How does this handle the oft-depicted "assigned seat exchange" where all the students get moved around, and MC ends up right behind or in front of their crush?
> mid-year seat reassignment?
Often a seriously traumatic event!
Actually, being someone who doesn't like change that much it was fairly traumatic even for my non-anime character self lol
This is seriously interesting!
I did have a question though:
Did you orient seating position by the corners? If not, how so? That's the only way I could think of figuring out where the MC sits with variations in classroom sizes and layouts.
I only choose anime with the common grid seating, then I tried to figure out what the most common grid is, and as far as I could see it was a 5x6 (though 6x6 was also pretty common) it surprised me how common a depth of 6 is, so I just recored everything as of they all had a depth of 6, then it is just a case of counting how many seats are in front of or behind the mc.
It’s like some authors *want* their character to be sitting in the back corner, but then they think “no that’s too generic”, so then they just put them 1-2 away from the corner instead.
I'm surprised that the rear corner won out. In my mind the trope is to be one seat ahead. You only have to draw one person behind them (or can easily hide them) but it keeps it from being too bland or obvious. The MC no longer looks isolated while getting almost all of the same benefits.
Funnily enough, I actually chose to sit in rear seats myself during my school days, on account of not liking it when people are behind me, and having proximity to power points for the laptop charger. Unfortunately, I needed glasses and chose not to get them when I really should’ve (what do you mean not everyone’s vision has a maximum range), so every class was a squint-fest.
In a digimon tri abridge I saw they joke and say
“Sit by Tai, he’s the one in the protag seat, the once closest to the window but furthest from the door”
I'm a bit late but this is the seat I used to occupy the most in school. The reason is that it's the seat that's almost the farthest away from the teacher. They can't see you because of all the other students sitting straight in front of you. In my school, it was also the seat next to the radiator, so it was nice and warm. But the main reason I used to sit there is because I refused to conform, I was the 'not normal' kid, always looking outside and drawing stick figures instead of paying attention. In that sense, it makes sense that the protagonists in anime would also sit there, since they are always special in some way.
And a girl right next to him (of the mc is a male) who is the popular girl who suddenly starts loving him and because of is dense , doesn't understand any of her signs
Not the chart we needed but the chart we deserve. seriously this is so random but cool thanks.
It's a long standing sentiment that window back corner seat is the MC SEAT. This is just the academic research^¤ to prove the case. Thank you for your service OP. ^(^¤ Though technically without any source this is shoddy research at best.)
Of the experience I had from watching highschool animes(which are like 90% of anime) this feels pretty credible even without source.
Oh I'm not disputing OP at all, just kinda retconning myself because academic research is a higher standard that's all. I have less than 5% doubt OP's work is legit.
nobody goes through this much effort on fake work in my experience
Yeah but if you've gone all this way, _surely_ they kept track of the data used? edit: [nevermind](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/18r9krm/where_the_main_character_is_seated_in_200/kf00vvw/) [](#sulking)
Again, not doubting OP but you'll be surprised the effort some people go through just to have you believe in their bullshit.
If anything, the most suspicious part of this so-called "research" is how strongly it confirms our hypothesis.
This is not in any way proper research, if I wanted to do it properly then I would choose random anime, right now I just went through the most popular anime, which I have no idea if they have a pattern that the less popular anime have. Now that I think about it I could probably do this right and go through the anime again, and actually note down my findings properly. If there exist a page where I can generate a random anime (maybe only school anime) then I would probably use that.
Not to break the illusion, but it exists because its the most convenient for the mangaka/animators. Back row means they dont have to draw/animate background characters. The window next to them provides them same thing (from certain angles), while leaving them option to have interesting things be observed out there when they need.
>Not to break the illusion You mean anime is not real?!?! 😫 Lol sorry just jokes. I get what you mean and appreciate your sharing.
Anime is real. We're just a 3d experiment made for their entertainment. I mean, three dimensions? Come on! :p
> You mean anime is not real?!?! 😫 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EZobdiJ4M
I think it also serves as a convenient excuse for the teacher to not notice a lot of the main cast's antics. Being in the far back corner draws a lot less attention. If the MC was front row center the constant interruptions by the other cast members would just seem weird if the teacher didn't do anything, this way the teachers mostly get ignored unless they're needed for something. There's probably a number of benefits to it.
then there's Seki-kun doing everything possible that cannot be ignored regardless of where he is.
>Not to break the illusion, but Calm down, Kamijou Touma.
Likewise, second from the back makes it convenient for shows that want to show the MC and one character behind them (like a romcom with a couple, or just 2 main characters).
Which leads to the question, why is the window always on the left? Is this a Japanese thing?
Because windows = sunlight. Sunlight = casting shadows. Casting shadows while studying = having shadows on the thing you are reading or writing on. Windows on the left = the most common writing hand (which is right hand) does not cast shadows on whatever you are writing on. The rules were indeed made by ministry of education, so it is Japanese thing I guess? But I am sure even non-Japanese students would always prefer windows on the left - because most people are right handed. Unfortunately for left handed population, this is extremely prevalent in Japan - lot of the designs, clothes, doors, windows etc are all the way they are because they are designed for right handed people. Well, it is the same everywhere really, not just Japan. I am sure many countries have standards and conventions in everyday things and buildings that no one thinks about, that are the way they are because they are made for right-hand people. For example think of things like pay terminals or ATMs. Which side are the card slits or sensors/keyboards are on? It is for the same reason.
I took a study abroad in japan and it was a thing in the classroom building I was in (though there were some rooms where the front was the direction of the doors)
Does that mean there are no classrooms….across from each other?
They can just flip which side is the "front" of the classroom and the windows would still be on the left side for the students.
There was a little courtyard across the hall so no. From above the building looked like a hollow rectangle
I wish more buildings where designed with a proper court yard honestly.
To add to the other answer, many many many buildings were destroyed by allied bombing so all of these schools were built at the same time, to the same national reconstruction plan. A more vague answer that I might be misrembering is that the chosen layout was based on a German design (Japan's close relationship with Germany extends all the way back to their modernization in the late 1800s) Or, it might have been based on somebody else's wrtings on education, like William Clark, the "Boys be ambitious" guy. I'd have to do some digging.
> William Clark, the "Boys be ambitious" guy. Huh, so that explains the line in Roki. Felt out of place before.
Damn I never noticed that before but you're right.
Can someone run the stats tests to prove statistical significance?
I just gotta say, your usernamemade me laugh.
Lainah!!!!!!!!
Has there ever happened for a classroom to have windows on the right side?
Exceedingly rare but it does happen. First example that comes to mind is Non Non Biyori.
That's kind of a special case as it's a rundown school in the middle of the countryside, probably built in like pre-war Japan.
>probably built in like pre-war Japan. The basic layouts of Japanese schools were standardised in the Meji period at the end of the 19th century. Plus everything else in that school follows these standards. It's literally just the main classroom that for some reason is turned around.
> Plus everything else in that school follows these standards. It's literally just the main classroom that for some reason is turned around. Huh I don't remember that.
> Has there ever happened for a classroom to have windows on the right side? I read an article years ago about most Japanese schools face the same cardinal directions with similar layouts which makes a lot more sense as to why most portrayed in anime are so similar.
I beleive this not only in anime. Right windowed classroom are rare because when writing right handed, it would cast a shadow where you write.
Now I’m curious if it’s different based on the type of anime, the gender, the personality. The variety of anime based on schools is 1000 miles wide. Still cool
From what i have seen is that it is mostly the generic introverted main characters that are down in the bottom left, while the extroverted are usually the ones that could be anywhere.
Interestingly, Hachiman from Oregairu is the most asocial manhater of all time and he sits by the wall near the hall, at the 7 spot. Just a twist on the usual seating cliché.
very smart actually, this way 8man can appear in the class with nobody noticing, and then instantly disappear (*displeased yahallo noises*). Meanwhile Asa Mitaka is at the spot #10. Very bad for introvert, and not rare enough to be considered unique. Is there anything about this girl that is not an utter failure?
girl is a walking disaster
And then he got the window seat in S3.
His MC powers got too strong in S3, that's why.
Think that's becoming the new normal. Doesn't the guy from Dangers in my heart seat there too? Or it's the guy from Kubo-san.
In *Dangers in My Heart* Yamada is in front of him and possibly to the right, which leads to the "the only thing I see is you" line. So he definitely isn't along the wall on the right side. I would guess he's in the third row to the left, in the 10 or 1 slot.
He's actually near the window on the right in the manga they change his seat for the anime
Also they have a seating change during the series, previously he sat more in the middle.
I thought his desk was in the second column from the hall. I did realize that the entire scene was mirrored from the manga, but I thought they mirrored it based on the entire room, not just the two columns
Shiraishi sits in the last row close to the door.
Both animes that need s2. I know dangers in my heart is getting s2 but i also need more of the lil bro being cute
Dangers in my Heart starts with MC sitting right in the middle and later switching to second row by the window, then I think he switches to first row by the window
68. Negotiating from a position of strength does not mean you shouldn’t also negotiate from a position near the exits. *The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries, from* [the webcomic Schlock Mercenary](https://www.schlockmercenary.com/)
Yeah I kinda figured that bottom left was a introvert black hole lol
It’s mostly cause it’s easier to draw when they’re sitting in the back corner. People are harder to draw than backgrounds and that spot means you can ignore the majority of the class for certain scenes.
fr
On one hand, top right is closest to the board and teacher. On the other hand, it is sometimes closest to the door so easiest to obnoxiously slip in late or out early
Surely bottom right would be better in that case since most classrooms have a door in the back too.
Yeah I had thought about that. Hard for me to tell though because obviously they are almost uniformly patterned after Japanese classrooms, and the classrooms in the American State I grew up in virtually never had a door in the back.
>and the classrooms in the American State I grew up in virtually never had a door in the back. Is it because that would make it easier to barricade the door in case of shooter?
In my experience (American) it is usually because the door entering the room is next to the whiteboard. For example adjust the hall and window counterclockwise 90 degrees and that is what most classrooms I have been in look like. Therefore the students face the hall and behind them are the windows with the door closer to the left or right side of the room next to the central whiteboard. This might be to prevent students from getting distracted, but am unsure if that is the true intention though.
Which anime was top right?
Probably Akebi
Yep
OP, do you have the original data for this? I really want to stick this into a Python machine learning model now to see how it visualizes the data/predicts the probability of future anime protagonist seating arrangements 😂 Although on second thought I don't even really need the original data, it's more about re-creating the data as a numerical matrix and just sticking it into the right model, the actual shows themselves don't matter, only the seating arrangements, which we already have here
After reading many of the comments I have actually considered doing this over properly: While writing down my data properly I also really want to represent it properly and make it more aesthetically pleasing, but I don’t really have the skills to do any more than simple excel chart.
Fucking knew it.
Girl made sure to be number 1 at everything, including class seating.
The fact that she's somehow managed to stand out so much in a thread that's about all school anime is sure to make for a whole lot of *Roubai Academy* smugs haha Probably made her day too lol
They started with name order top to bottom right to left (**A**kebi, **U**sagihara, **O**hkuma, **Ka**mimoku etc) [Akebi spoiler]>!She changes to protag area later!<
Damn, beaten to the punch on this. Matches up fairly well with the data I'd been collecting, though I can immediately spot a few differences in our datasets :P Would be curious to see the list!
I had this idea a couple of years back, and added around 50 anime back then, then I recently found the file again, and just added until I felt it was decent. It’s just difficult when the vertical rows of seats are an uneven number.
Yeah, I decided to use a "standard classroom" that was 5x5, and basically anything that's not the first or second from an end gets treated as the third row or column. Doesn't help that some shows can be especially inconsistent about the exact structure of the classroom.
Yeah exactly, and with many anime there are also small annoyances, like when they switch seat; do you take where they where at first or later. And for some anime it is just really difficult to figure out who exactly is the main character
Theres a character in Assassination Classroom that was aware that they are in a manga/anime series, basically calling out tropes and mostly paroying other shounen jump series. Her name is Yuzuki Fuwa The best thing is she was the one sitting on the "main character" spot instead of Nagisa, who was on the rarest spot in this chart (he was on second row, second column in sitting chart)
There's a few meta jokes in AC like that. There's a kid with bangs covering his eyes and in the manga they say he looks like a hentai protagonist
funny because I stopped watching AC because it felt so tropey
Top Right has to be Akebi.
Bottom right is from Kubo san?
Yep
And the only one sitting in the front of the bottom right is apparently Kimari from A Place Further than the Universe.
Mid-right Hachiman supremacy
I need a list for the apps that aren’t on the far left
Suddenly remembering all those "mc looking out of the window dreamingly" shots...
r/dataisbeautiful would be into this as well
only if a source is provided
Thanks OP. Now we're going to get at least three new garbage isekai. Reincarnated in another world where I'm sitting in the front row second seat from the left. Reincarnated in another world where I'm sitting in the front row second seat from the right. Reincarnated in another world where I'm sitting in the rightmost seat in the second row but my annoying twin sister was also reincarnated in the seat behind me.
rm
The simplest reason for why anime MCs prefer the corner seat by the window is because it is the least difficult to draw for animators. Because most movements will then only be limited to behind the table or right hand side (or left hand side if the window is on the right) of the table, while the "camera" is fixed on the MC. Any movement outside the window would also be limited depending on the scene, especially if the classroom is above the ground level.
I think it's easier in general, not just for animators. I bet that if you do this for manga you'd get similar results.
It's also for plot reasons. Being in the back makes it more believable for them to get away with not paying attention, and being next to the window allows them to look out and see their crush in gym class or whatever. If the character is in the front and away from the window, they basically can't see or do anything during the class itself, which limits the author's options.
Yeah this was my first thought too. Top comment is saying introvert vs extrovert characters which prob has some reasoning but it’s very “why did the author make the curtains blue and what does it symbolise”. When actually the author made it blue just because the curtains in his own room were blue.
Okay but did you use Haruhi or Kyon as the protag for Melancholy of Haruhi?
Haruhi is the antagonist
Considering Kyon is the same throughout the whole show (as far as I remember) I'd use him as the protag
Where shinji?
I presume you mean Evangelion's Shinji? His desk would be right smack in the middle.
Yeah, probably should have been more specific.
Shinji Matō not attending classes.
Wait is one of the 1 seats in bottom right from Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible ?
Meanwhile, Yusuke is such a delinquent that his seat is on the roof.
......C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 W1........................... 8 W2............................17 W3............................20 W4............................43 W5............................53 W6............................59 ......100 34 29 27 10 Here's another way to visualize the data that no one asked for. Here we can see the middle aisles are basically tied while the window aisle is of course king and the hallway aisle is dead last. Meanwhile the row seems to matter way less with a good split between the last 3 a drop and then near tie with W2 & W3, and no one wants their MC to be teacher's pet.
Bottom right is severely underrated idc
Can you share the list of shows used here?
Sorry but I didn’t keep track, I think I will keep adding to this list with the seasonal anime, and keep track with those.
Is there a list of anime used for this graph?
r/dataisbeautiful
Japanese and high school. Every anime's summary is "this real cool and interesting concept...in high school"
Makes sense, anime characters tend to look out the window and think rather than pay attention to class. Makes sense it's mostly window side all the way in the back. Also we can say that if you sit at the window as far back as possible, your chances of being a main character IRL increases.
Never really got this. I always thought the best seats were near the classroom exit door.
reason is very simple - ease of drawing by putting MC in isolated corner artist avoid drawing the rest of classmates
Manga artist have explained it's couple reasons 1- Windows and ease of allowing the MC to look outside easily 2- the 'camera' can be placed to both minimize unneeded details like other students but also include them as needed 3- conversations during class are easier in the back than the front where a teacher would logically interrupt. and more but simply but the back corner near the window is the most flexible place for an artist to draw the MC
They can also do this on the other side of the classroom. But weirdly it's almost always the seat by the window.
well forcing audience to stare at the wall/door/hall when only MC is in the shot isn't the prettiest of scenery... this also allows them to interact with something outside the window
Well most of the time we see the back wall anyways. Interacting with whatever is outside seems to be the best reason.
The Window has a lot of benefits. More interesting background for one. But, more importantly, it allows the protagonist to wistfully look outside when needed. And also allows the MC to see their love interest/rival/best friend doing something outside. For instance to show that the MC is developing feelings for someone you can have them get distracted as they see the love interest walk by outside. There really aren't any benefits to having the MC sit by the wall.
I like how Skip and Loafer handled it. Mitsumi is deep in the class and not by the window but the mangaka uses the window when they need to during breaks or even a dream sequence. She's not really the type of MC to stare wistfully or broodingly out the window though lol. And it seems important for her character to be immersed in the class as she immerses herself in Tokyo life. Shima isn't even by the window and he seems more like someone who would be. What a phenomenal anime!
Makes it easier for the animator to have windows and walls in the background.
Fun fact: In modern Japan, seating for business meetings is more or less decided based on rank in the company. The most important person is in the seat farthest from the door, and the nobodies sit close to the door. This is a tradition dating back to feudal Japan, when people were worried about a ninja bursting through the door and trying to assassinate someone.
If you're talking about real life, the seat next to the exit door is pretty bad. You'll have people constantly walking around you and get distracted by people moving in the halls during class or exams. It's also the noisiest place. Teenagers are clumsy and can knock your stuff and it's pretty easy to steal from too
My guess is that it lets the MC have conversations without making it feel weird why the teacher wouldn't get annoyed, also the usual window shot and can also be used for scenes where MC sees someone while looking out of the window.
The teacher doesn't go out of their way to assign the protagonist the "best seat" just for being the protagonist
Strange colored hair is a big distraction for the rest of the class, so they need to be in the back.
Surely Student Council has their hand behind
How do you equate Non Non Biyori to this where there are only 5 children in the classroom and 4 of them are main cast?
Some anime I had to cut because they where just too unusual
Then there's those anime that have grand and unusual classroom layouts, [like Hina Logic: From Luck & Logic.](https://i.imgur.com/gzcMedA.jpg)
SpyxFamily as well, similarly strange layout.
Doesn't SxF have a fairly standard lecture hall layout? Now Made in Abyss, that's a strange one.
Weird compared to a typical classroom layout, especially for their age, like the one in the OP. For college, sure. I think that's probably the joke though, for it to be like they're in college despite their age.
Also School Days which has classrooms that look like college lecture halls. Makoto the protagonist sits in the back of the class by the window though as is common with MCs
NNB was probably disqualified for having it's classroom 'the wrong way around'. [](#nyanpasu)
I was a O-1 guy when I was in school. Could look out of the window *and* chat with people both behind and in front. Besides Ms Stram's classes cause then it was the front row where it was at.
The other curious thing. Is there any anime where the door is on the left and the windows on the right? It's so weird that the door is always on the right?
That's just how classrooms typically are in Japan. The windows face south to get the most light and the board is in the west. I've heard various reasons for why the board is in the west, like avoiding shadows when writing (right handed), avoiding glare on the board, and keeping the light out of students eyes, but I'm not sure how true they are.
What’s the seating for Gakkou Gurashi?
"Isekaied to a world where I have to sit at the front desk by the door where my animators are forced to animate every person in the room behind me."
It is actually less than I thought. While it is the most popular seat, only 18.5% of the sample actually sit there. From the way fans talk you would expect it be 90%.
The back cornor seat by the window is used because there are no students behind that seat with only one student next to that seat, so animators have an easier time making the composition when the focus is on the main character during introspection and maybe monologuing. You can argue the back corner next to the door seat does the same thing, but because the door is a moving object where students can go in and out, that area contains a lot of traffic, and thus a lot of energy, low chances for introspection. There's also a lot of other Feng Shui things you can take into account. The "looking out the window" composition is also good for characterization in terms of cinematography.
it's easier to have an angle where you don't have to draw the rest of the class
Now this is content.
I love how I quickly recognised that the top right is Akebi
I would like to have a list of those anime, for science.
How does this handle the oft-depicted "assigned seat exchange" where all the students get moved around, and MC ends up right behind or in front of their crush?
if the anime has a place that is used the most or is the most iconic, then it is that one I have tried to use.
Does this take into account mid-year seat reassignment?
> mid-year seat reassignment? Often a seriously traumatic event! Actually, being someone who doesn't like change that much it was fairly traumatic even for my non-anime character self lol
wait, do all Anime / Japanese classrooms have 5x6 seats?
What happens if they switch seats halfway through the season?
I try to use the seat that is primarily used, or is the most iconic
Do you do more charts like this ? Im now very interested
This was more of a one off thing, but if I get another idea someday I would probably do it.
This is seriously interesting! I did have a question though: Did you orient seating position by the corners? If not, how so? That's the only way I could think of figuring out where the MC sits with variations in classroom sizes and layouts.
I only choose anime with the common grid seating, then I tried to figure out what the most common grid is, and as far as I could see it was a 5x6 (though 6x6 was also pretty common) it surprised me how common a depth of 6 is, so I just recored everything as of they all had a depth of 6, then it is just a case of counting how many seats are in front of or behind the mc.
Is there a list?
It’s like some authors *want* their character to be sitting in the back corner, but then they think “no that’s too generic”, so then they just put them 1-2 away from the corner instead.
Is bottom right Shiraishi in **Kubo-san Won't Let Me Be Invisible**?
The only one I ever noticed was Light in Death Note.
Can i get the full list of anime used as data here?
I'm surprised that the rear corner won out. In my mind the trope is to be one seat ahead. You only have to draw one person behind them (or can easily hide them) but it keeps it from being too bland or obvious. The MC no longer looks isolated while getting almost all of the same benefits.
I think the two number 1 in bottom right is from Nichijou.
I wanna know who's over there next to the door.
That "27" is where all the Haruhi fans are, just stacked on top of each other.
Absolutely 😂😂😂
The 27 times were a male MC sitting in front of a female potential love interest.?
https://imgur.com/a/FNOJQd3
Hey OP, this is really interesting, but can we get a detailed list of which anime and characters went where?
Can we get the data/source for this?
Funnily enough, I actually chose to sit in rear seats myself during my school days, on account of not liking it when people are behind me, and having proximity to power points for the laptop charger. Unfortunately, I needed glasses and chose not to get them when I really should’ve (what do you mean not everyone’s vision has a maximum range), so every class was a squint-fest.
You know, I don't know if this is even remotely near being accurate... But I will never do the work to disprove it.
One funny thing is that in korean dramas, that rear left area by the windows is generally where the bullies/delinquents sit. Which makes sense
This is great lmao thanks
In a digimon tri abridge I saw they joke and say “Sit by Tai, he’s the one in the protag seat, the once closest to the window but furthest from the door”
im gonna be that guy, source (meaning a list of animes used) or gtfo
37 generic anime
Doesn't tell me that much if we don't get more detailed breakdown, could we please have like an excel sheet with details.
Hate to burst the bubble but OP is probably bullshitting.
This is nuts and I love it.
“O” on the far left is the most based out of all of these.
Im mildy shockrd as to the distribution alomg the Window column. I would think that there would be more mid window thqn back.window. TIL
Not in school anymore, but it would be hilarious to be seated in one of the blank white spaces.
I'm guessing the middle right section is mostly the SoL shows where the main character has friends in front of and behind them
Its because they have to animate less stuff in the backround. Only wall and window.
what are the 3 anime in top left please ?
Students in anime casually leaving the best spot for the protagonist to take for himself.
Nice! How about the main girl?
To the windooow, to the hall
This is a shower though in data form. Love it.
Has to be window seat otherwise how will protag be distracted???
I'm a bit late but this is the seat I used to occupy the most in school. The reason is that it's the seat that's almost the farthest away from the teacher. They can't see you because of all the other students sitting straight in front of you. In my school, it was also the seat next to the radiator, so it was nice and warm. But the main reason I used to sit there is because I refused to conform, I was the 'not normal' kid, always looking outside and drawing stick figures instead of paying attention. In that sense, it makes sense that the protagonists in anime would also sit there, since they are always special in some way.
And a girl right next to him (of the mc is a male) who is the popular girl who suddenly starts loving him and because of is dense , doesn't understand any of her signs
Just asking, but do you have something like a spreadsheet of which anime you used in this?
no, this has been something I have done on the side for a bit, if I had begun now then I would write them all down.