I’m not sure whether this thread is in the right topic Nor someone already made a similar thread topic, but in light of recent stories I read, I realised this kinda needs to be discussed. Excuse me if I become rambly in the end
This is especially coming from Episode featured stories lately, but could be applied to a couple several community stories too. Usually this is making one-dimensional bad guys (especially mean girls), typically less attractive than the MC or anyone we should like - while their bitchy/assholey behaviour is dialled up to 11.
Pairing the dichotomies of good/bad with hot/ugly can be a pretty, well, ugly thing on its own, for example setting up double standards for creep characters and LIs being sexually aggressive and possessive.
In the case of featured stories, I kinda see why this is the case, since Episode has fewer chapters to get the main plot covered how this means Episode should definitely increase the number of chapters in featured stories in general is another story . But this makes me wonder sometimes: why not use the effort to develop MC or LI or any other important character better, the ones we would be mostly rooting for anyways, beyond ‘crazy for food’ or ‘not like other girls’?
The story which mostly inspired this thread has its own issues. However, speaking more generally - to me, I think sometimes authors conflate an antagonist with a villain. There is nothing wrong to making MCs the good girls and Mean Girls or whatever the bad guys. However, only making the antagonists dictatorial doesn’t make the protagonists Messiah; it only makes the latter really bland, both being very one-note.
So yeah, I doubt I made much of a coherent argument, but I need to get this off my chest. What do you forumers think yourselves?