Tales of the Abyss

[shinta|hikari]

You should consider the intended main audience for the shows you are referring to. Those are probably harem or love-comedy series that usually have a bland and ordinary main character, which I suppose is chosen because the creators believe the viewers (who lack a social life perhaps?) can relate to them.

Other than these shows, the general trend is for there to be a likeable main character, since people watch shows with characters they like, even if just one.