Golgo 13

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Just finished the manga and everything animated. I can see why it's so popular and highly regarded.

I despise overpowered protagonists that only exist to be worshiped, but every story had plenty of focus on the drama leading to what would require an assassin, as well as the work Mr. Togo put into preparing for assassinations that it never really bothered me. Plus it came off more as a revelation of how he did it rather than straight up fellating, like the kind of explanation you might find in a Sherlock Holmes or Arsene Lupin story.

Other times it simply let him manifest as a generic manly action hero. No preaching mid-battle about some poorly formed sense of morality in an attempt to sound deep. His job is shooting people and he is good at it. Doesn't even use some special snowflake 'forged in Mt Fuji and folded one thousand times' sniper rifle, usually just a humble M16 and a S&W Model 36.

Some of the later anime episodes were odd, like the one where he fights the mecha in the Predator parody. Not so much the giant robot part, but him verbally squaring off with the American general caught me off guard as it seemed so uncharacteristic of someone that was portrayed as apolitical, willing to be a hired gun for the CIA or the communists in alternating chapters. And also uncharacteristic of someone who doesn't talk much in general.

I did also enjoy the brief flashes of implied vulnerability when confronted with one of his illegitimate children, even if it didn't amount to much or anything in the long run.