Demoted to Extra/Playing With

Basic Trope: An important character loses said importance in adaptations and/or sequels.
 * Straight: Mina, an important supporting character in the comic, makes only a few appearances in the cartoon
 * Exaggerated:
 * Mina is only a background extra in the cartoon.
 * Several supporting characters along with Mina, previously important, make only brief appearances in the cartoon.
 * Justified: The adaptation covers a portion where Mina had a minor role to begin with.
 * Inverted: Ascended Extra. Alternatively, Ensemble Darkhorse
 * Subverted:
 * Mina returns unexpectedly for a major plot, getting a great deal of screen time and importance...
 * Although she has little screentime and doesn't has any impact on the plot, those little appearances are awesome and often used for advertising.
 * Double Subverted: ...but it turns out to be only A Day in The Limelight
 * Parodied: Mina struggles in each episode to get more screentime.
 * Deconstructed: Mina pulls a Face Heel Turn because she was suddenly ignored by everyone.
 * Reconstructed:
 * Mina then does a Heel Face Turn and is promptly ignored again.
 * Or Mina was a bit of a Scrappy beforehand when she had a bigger role but in this adaptation/new installment while she gets a lot less screentime most/all of her negative attributes get downplayed/removed making her a more likable character. So to make a long story short she gets less screentime but is Rescued From the Scrappy Heap as a result.
 * Zig Zagged: Commuting On a Bus
 * Averted: Mina has the exact same role in the comic and the cartoon adaption.
 * Enforced:
 * Mina's planned voice actor had other commitments, forcing her to have little screentime. Alternatively, Mina is The Scrappy.
 * The cartoon is only Twelve-Episode Anime, so the producers decide to remove Mina's subplot in order to squeeze overall plot in 12 episodes.
 * Lampshaded: "I remember Mina used to be around more often. I wonder what happened?"
 * Invoked: Reassigned to Antarctica.
 * Exploited: Mina is able to spy on the Big Bad precisely because she has been ignored.
 * Defied: Mina does a Hostile Show Takeover.
 * Discussed: "Mina if you hang around over there so much, we'll stop noticing you!"
 * Conversed: "All the fans miss Mina and wish she came back."
 * Played for Laughs: Mina humorously complains to the writers about her sudden insignificance. Repeatedly.
 * Played for Drama: Mina's fewer appearances are caused by depression or anxiety. The characters talk about trying to help her.
 * Plotted A Good Waste: Mina's decreased importance was done entirely to ensure the fans would be as excited as possible when that importance returns.

Back to Demoted to Extra.