Some Opinions on Harry Potter By dork

Do you like RavenClaws colors better in the movies or the books?

  • Movies(blue&silver)

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Books(blue&bronze)

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • both/doesn't matter

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • Total voters
    8
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Starrynightsky

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Okay so here me out on this feeling I have on Harry Potter that I have held for a long time because it need explanation. I am an old-time Harry Potter fan as they were literally read to me as bed-time stories by my father and I reread it when I was a bit older. That being said I am a more casual fan at the moment. With all that set-up here is what I think:

Harry Potter isn't as good as it could have been and the reasons why we like it are for the characters and world-building.

Yeah, leave now if you are not open-minded please because I know this is crazy to say with all its die-hard fans. Here's what I mean by all this: the world, lore, side characters, themes, and idea touched on in the HP series are very creative and thought-provoking that being said I believe they are not fully explored and are being held down for one major reason:

Harry himself

Now Harry is not a bad or poorly written character no the problem is far less cut and dry. My problem is he is the "The boy who lived" the "super duper special guy" and "the chosen one." I HATE this particular trope because the are over done and quite frankly boring since they have been fully explored. So why do I think he is so popular despite this well he really isn't. Most people don't say they want to be in Gryffindor or even say Harry is there favorite character and those who do usually like him for the wish fulfillment unfortunately and if you do like him for another reason you do have to admit you are not in the majority. I always remember less of the conflicts in HP and more of the world and fascinating lore it created.

If you are still reading at this point I applaud you for being able to do so and listening and perhaps even thinking about my points present. Just remember I still love HP, I still see it as a good book series, and I even considered the HP part of Universal to be my favorite part of any amusement park period I just feel that I like the book better for the world and background character and not the actual plot and I am both express, explaining, even somewhat defending my point.

In the comments below I would love to hear everyone else's thoughts and feeling especially, what they always loved most about the books and movies.
 
Harry was too real for people. XD He's pretty much the classic wanker teenage boy. And no one wants to be a wanker.

Unless they are RICH. Thus so many Draco fans! O_______O So many.

Although I guess Harry was rich too. O____O But not as cool of a rich wanker as Draco.
 
At least film-wise, I get the feeling that Harry is a bit of a Mary Sue and that he's just going along for the ride with all the crazy things happening to him, mildly overwhelmed by his fame, but never more than that. But then again, I've never actually seen all the movies (I have heard them, I was travelling in a coach bus with a group and they played all eight movies over a week or so, I just didn't watch).

Also, Game/Film Theory = win.
 
Yeah I have a much stronger memories of the films and in it he was especially bland but he also never stood out much to me in the books although he was more interesting in hindsight. I still stand by that he is kinda suffering from Luke Skywalker syndrom.
 
Mm, I never felt much for Harry as a character. He was kinda funny in the books, though - definitely snarkier than in the movie, which made him out to be pretty bland. But... Yep, I never particularly cared about the titular character. Luna Lovegood forever ahahaahah

You're right that I like the series because of its worldbuilding potential. So many possibilities, so many ideas that you could play around with. Rowling created a world she did not fully understand nor show to us readers, enough that we could try and fill in the spaces and questions on our own - and that is part of the series' charm.
 
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I definitely feel you(Hermione and Luna are my babies) and I also love all the implications that could lead to some real good just slice of life in the magical world that would be fascinating even without the "Chosen One" bs
 
Also I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks that blue and silver are better colors then blue and bronze
 
I know I'm kinda in the minority in this, but I sincerely do see Harry as my favorite character despite all of the different characters and world building. As much as the chosen one plot might be explored, I still find it a fun escape, but don't really see it much as wish-fulfillment. I wouldn't want to be in Harry's shoes. I mean, who would want to live and deal with the Dursley's every summer? Plus, the complete and utter pressure of being charged with saving the world is something that I would crash and crumble under. It's how Harry takes this and still manages to be a normal kid with normal interests like just wanting to play a game of quidditch that makes this plot still interesting to me, even if the chosen one is kind of old hat. I tend to relate most to the characters I favor the most, and Harry does it for me. He's kind of a bit of a shyer dude in the books. He's humble and admittedly, to me, kinda charming. He understands that he's not all that people are setting him up to be, and knows that there are witches and wizards far better than him. He's a more mellow character which fits with the situations and people around him. He's a balance to Hermione's bookish-ness and Ron's obliviousness. He's a base for the other's to really shine. As being a kind of bland person myself irl, I can relate to characters who tend to be the ones others can bounce off on and shine so much. I feel that without Harry being the kind of normal guy he is, we wouldn't be able to truly appreciate the quirks of the others such as Neville and Luna and all the other characters. Also, he's still learning about this world, like we are. He makes a great main character in that way as he can ask the questions we are dying to know. We-as readers-are not just thrust into the world alone. We have a scrawny kid who knows jack-shit about the world he's supposed to save and the man he's supposed to defeat.

Though, on the game theory thing, as much as I absolutely love the series I found that theory kind of old hat since the books mention the possibility that Neville could have been the chosen one in that universe. It was already revealed to readers that Voldemort made the choice to go for Harry because of their similar lineage, thus saw him as more of a threat. Sure in some other universe he could have done the opposite, but why he chose Harry specifically reveals a bit more to his character and comes up in the books.
LOOK AT ME RANT-BLAAAAAAAAH!
 
I really hated the movies. They felt rushed and I didn't bother with the last few films. Daniel's acting was just so...bad, especially his crying scenes like wtf?

I did enjoy Harry in the book because I found him to be very relatable. Like his parents are dead and his only family in the world makes it a point to remind him how much they despise him as a person. He has no one and all he wants is acceptance. To be loved and flee from the loneliness he's indured for the last decade. I dunno, I just related to him and most of the characters were pretty likable.
 
I really hated the movies. They felt rushed and I didn't bother with the last few films. Daniel's acting was just so...bad, especially his crying scenes like wtf?

I did enjoy Harry in the book because I found him to be very relatable. Like his parents are dead and his only family in the world makes it a point to remind him how much they despise him as a person. He has no one and all he wants is acceptance. To be loved and flee from the loneliness he's indured for the last decade. I dunno, I just related to him and most of the characters were pretty likable.
I personally like the movies for showing the world in stunning detail I must agree with you that Harry even less interesting in the movies
 
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I know I'm kinda in the minority in this, but I sincerely do see Harry as my favorite character despite all of the different characters and world building. As much as the chosen one plot might be explored, I still find it a fun escape, but don't really see it much as wish-fulfillment. I wouldn't want to be in Harry's shoes. I mean, who would want to live and deal with the Dursley's every summer? Plus, the complete and utter pressure of being charged with saving the world is something that I would crash and crumble under. It's how Harry takes this and still manages to be a normal kid with normal interests like just wanting to play a game of quidditch that makes this plot still interesting to me, even if the chosen one is kind of old hat. I tend to relate most to the characters I favor the most, and Harry does it for me. He's kind of a bit of a shyer dude in the books. He's humble and admittedly, to me, kinda charming. He understands that he's not all that people are setting him up to be, and knows that there are witches and wizards far better than him. He's a more mellow character which fits with the situations and people around him. He's a balance to Hermione's bookish-ness and Ron's obliviousness. He's a base for the other's to really shine. As being a kind of bland person myself irl, I can relate to characters who tend to be the ones others can bounce off on and shine so much. I feel that without Harry being the kind of normal guy he is, we wouldn't be able to truly appreciate the quirks of the others such as Neville and Luna and all the other characters. Also, he's still learning about this world, like we are. He makes a great main character in that way as he can ask the questions we are dying to know. We-as readers-are not just thrust into the world alone. We have a scrawny kid who knows jack-shit about the world he's supposed to save and the man he's supposed to defeat.

Though, on the game theory thing, as much as I absolutely love the series I found that theory kind of old hat since the books mention the possibility that Neville could have been the chosen one in that universe. It was already revealed to readers that Voldemort made the choice to go for Harry because of their similar lineage, thus saw him as more of a threat. Sure in some other universe he could have done the opposite, but why he chose Harry specifically reveals a bit more to his character and comes up in the books.
LOOK AT ME RANT-BLAAAAAAAAH!
Wow yeah this was what I was hoping for when I posted that rant. I really wanted to hear from someone who liked Harry as a character and personally I've always felt that his main draw was reliability and escape fantasy. Also the point about the balance is very clever personally
 
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