主人公
Meanings
protagonist; main character; hero or heroine
The central character in a novel, film, game, manga, play, or story. 英語の 'hero' can mean either a male hero or simply the central character; 主人公 itself is not gender-specific.
The protagonist of this novel is a ten-year-old girl.
The film depicts the main character's growth.
head of a household; proprietor
Respectful use for the master or head of a household, or the proprietor of a shop. This sense is uncommon in modern everyday Japanese and can be confused with the much more common 'protagonist' meaning; ご主人, 主人, or 店主 are often used instead depending on context.
See also: 主人
In older usage, 主人公 can respectfully refer to the head of a household or the proprietor of a shop.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉が主人公を演じるto play the role of the protagonist
He played the protagonist in that movie.
- 〈人〉が主人公になるto become the main character (often used metaphorically, e.g. of one's own life)
She wants to become the protagonist of her own life.
- 〈人〉が主人公に感情移入するto emotionally identify with the protagonist
Readers quickly identified with the protagonist.