Fathers STILL get the rough treatment in media, from being portrayed as too old to understand the modern day, feckless, violent, cold and just plain absent.
And we all see the fatherless behaviour that in reality causes...
So to celebrate a day that often gets overlooked to the female equivalent, what are some of the best representations of fathers you've seen in media?
Anime My daughter left the nest and Returned an S Rank adventurer: Belgrieve or 'the red ogre' is a perfect example of a positive role model I can think of in Anime. He's strict but fair, patient when he needs to be but not a push over, knows when to be emotional and when to think with a clear head. He's such a good role model that even former enemies switch to following his leads and former friends who fell off the right path immediately get back on the path just knowing He's around.
**As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll use my appraisal skill to Rise in the world **: for the time he's on screen, Raven shows he's not just a great warrior and lord but an excellent father, encouraging his son when he can, traching him the right values and when it matters most, just talking to him when he needed it and that attitude extended to all the other members of the cast.
Western Media: I think the diluge of propaganda over the years is making my mind a bit blank on this unfortunately. Had to delve into my brain for this:
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1990s): James Avery played uncle Philip PERFECTLY, he was the greatest role model of a good Black father figure so no wonder they character assassinated him in the 'remake'
What are you're picks as to save it going to long, I should mention there are quite a few 'regression father stories' in Manhwa too where a father who makes mistakes raising their child (usually daughter) regresses in time to raise them properly, it's a genre to itself at this point.
Vander (Arcane). After attempting a failed uprising against an oppressive government, this man adopts two girls who were orphaned by the conflict. Throughout the first half of the show, Vander is a grounding voice of reason for the the girls and could have steered them to a bright future if they didn't fuck up and get him killed (?).
Gohan (Dragonball Z). The only Saiyan in the show who properly raises his kid and aspires to be a good role model.
Richard Castle (Castle). While his primary role is the suave writer turned detective, Castle also has a daughter that he takes very good care of. throughout the show he encouraged her while protecting her from the idiocies of being a teen.
Gandalf (LotR). This one is a bit of a stretch, but Gandalf's relationship with Frodo comes off as fatherly to me. When frodo dispairs or is in trouble, he not only comforts him but gives him advice that prepares him for the trials ahead.
Urokodaki (Demon Slayer). This one is another stretch, but Urokodaki shows up when the already fatherless MC Tanjiro had his family killed and sister cursed. Urokodaki teaches Tanjiro the brutal truths of his situation and rigorously prepares him for the future, but he also provides a safe home and a bed for the orphans.
For all its faults, Super shows a few times that Vegeta is doing his absolute best to raise his kids despite his own personality faults.
Vegeta is admirable for making an effort to be a good father, among other things. He tries. But he is just not father material.
Most of us aren't father material, but we still ended up as one. I doubt most men in history were father material going into it.
But the weight of that responsibility is what makes us become better. Drives us to be stronger, more able, and willing to fight society itself. He is a piece of shit, but he still panics when they cry and takes them out to play while never outright spoiling them by offering affection freely.
Compared to Gohan who took having a kid to mean "its someone else's problem now!" while he got weaker and weaker while threats kept coming that he just left to his aging father to protect him. He literally has to get dragged into the last movie by someone fake kidnapping his daughter, and he gets dabbed on by random Androids homegrown on Earth even then.
He is a loving, caring man no doubt. But Priority 1 of Fatherhood is being able to protect them, which he shows over and over he won't do.