You already know from the
title that I have a passion for anime. If you're here you most likely
share this same passion. Right on and high five!
Anime is brilliant. The art,
the colors, the animation itself where even the act of a blink has to
be planned out and timed, the music...the possibilities! Mwahahahaha!
Yes, it's more addicting than crack and trust me when I say I've
found it very difficult to narrow this post down to just 10
characters from 10 different anime.
THE RULE is you can only pick
one character from each of the ten anime of your choosing. I've
chosen my favorite characters based on how engaging the series itself
was (to me) and how much of a pull these characters had (to me)
within their world.
Fun Fact: Did you know it
takes one animator a week to make one second of animation? This
includes the very beginning of concept, to drawing and timing
keyframes and in-betweens, to coloring and editing. THAT'S how much
brilliance and effort goes into animation. It no joke! Animators work
their tails off.
DRAGON BALL Z
First in line is the ever
popular DBZ. Not only is this considered the godfather of Japanese
animation here in America, it was my first ever anime and the first
show I diligently followed as a kid. Forget soap operas! (Seriously,
soap operas are boring.) This show had me hooked and I still love
(the original) to this day. DBZ is what led me to obtaining my
Bachelor's in Media Arts and Animation.
My favorite character? Gohan.
He starts out as this overly scared and whiny child (this is what
helicopter parenting does), but over the course of the show he finds
courage and a zest for life. Not only is he powerful – which when we ourselves are children we ADORE child stars – but he is kind, gentle, thoughtful,
reliable, determined and loyal. He is a wonderful person! My only
gripe is his older teenage phase. Saiyaman...you made me cry...or at least
facepalm hard. PTSD from encountering the Ginyu Force maybe? You
called them goofballs, Gohan, why are you acting like one?!?
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST
Brotherhood is amazing and
follows the manga (which rocks!), but I'm talking about the first
anime series of FMA. The art style had more grit, in my opinion and I
diligently followed the story. So much so that when my job at the
time called me in to work late and close, I considered saying no just
because I would miss the weekly episode featured on Adult Swim. It
was the episode where we got to see the aftermath of Envy punching a
hole through Ed's chest! Come on! We all saw the light leave Ed's
eyes in the previous episode.
Edward Elric is my favorite
from this series. How could he not be? Although, Alphonse Elric is a
rather close second. Ed is powerful and smart in a small package.
(Yes, I called him small. He knows he is short.) However, what really draws
me to Ed is his sheer undying determination and loyalty to his
brother. His spit-fire personality only adds to his appeal.
D.N. ANGEL
This series captivated me with
its amazing artistic backgrounds. I love the town of Azumano.
Seriously! I would love to live in a place like this. The hills and
cliffs overseeing the sparkling ocean, combined with the trolleys and
cobblestone paths are just so appealing. Then we have the whole
concept of two personalities in one body, or should I say spirit? The
addition of wings to fly all over the wondrous city just makes it
that much more attractive. It's no wonder I wrote fan fiction about
it.
Okay, this one was really
difficult. I love all the characters for many reasons, but the one
who stands out is Daisuke Niwa. He isn't perfect. None of us are, but
that's exactly what makes him appealing. He is trying his best to be
accepting of his crazy and sometimes painful position as well as a
good person. He is sweet, a little goofy and clumsy, but yet can
still pull off some mad physical stunts. Also, he's smart and
intuitive...in some areas. Others...not so much. Oh well, he's young.
He'll learn.
TORIKO
There's
just something about animes that can blow through the realm of
possibility and still retain a sense of believably. This series is
just so creative and awesome with its FOOD, FOOD, FOOD and fight
scenes. I can't help but love the adventures with Komatsu and the
Four Kings. Don't try to diet when watching this. A good idea is to
have healthy snacks available, such as fruit, vegetables and lean
proteins. I'm being serious...
Ah! Another difficult anime to
pick from! I love Komatsu and all the Four Kings, but Toriko takes
the cake. Why? He is funny. Yeah, he's powerful, determined, loves
life and has great respect for it, but he is just too funny. (The Durian
Bomb episode killed me and has become my all-time favorite scene of
any anime. They'd mentioned durian in the series twice, so I was
wondering when it would become a thing.) Plus, he really loves food.
He's adorable!!
DETECTIVE CONAN / MAGIC KAITO
Oh
man, this series! I can't pick what I like most about it. It's spanned
for over 20 years (eep gad! Over 900 episodes, 21 movies and how many
OVAs, specials and dramas?!?), and so as one watches they can see how
the art styles and animation effects have changed over the years. The
best part? Over these many years the characters are voiced by all the
same seiyuus (voice actors). I don't know about you, but when a
series changes its voice actors...it's not the same at all. Yes, I've
written fan fiction for this series, too. Actually, I'm currently
working on more. Fan fiction shows love for the series and helps
develop writing skills, which I'm using to write my own original
novel as well. Yay! (If you're interested, I plan on posting the first chapter of my story here soon.)
We already know I've had
issues picking a favorite, so let's just get to it. Kaitou KID is my
favorite. He is a cool, fun-loving mystery with an eidetic memory.
With nerves of steel he pulls off the impossible with a scimitar
grin. He is so suave, but inside he is such a goofball. Deeper still
is his totally serious and butt-kicking side, although; he is adamant
no one gets hurt even as he balances trying to expose his father's
killers while keeping the unaware safe from the clutches of the
large, evil organization. What a tightrope act that must be!
ANGEL BEATS
The plot behind this anime is
so engaging. Everyone is dead! Some remember how they died, some can't. For now, they're stuck
in-between and aren't sure why they're stuck. Where even is the
in-between? The story...the characters...oh my heart. The development
is supreme and so is the presentation. My heart couldn't sit still,
especially after episode three and on from there. Oh! Oh!
I have to pick?!? Darn it!
Then it has to be Misami Iwasawa. Remember that third episode? Her
determination, her dreams, her strength...are beautiful. I tear up
just thinking about everything she went through, how she rose and
blossomed and became what she needed herself to be. Misami is a
powerful and motivating character. Honestly, the whole series is full
of these type of characters.
CHEEKY ANGEL
Okay, this is the third series
here with 'Angel' in the title. I'm developing a kind of pattern.
Anyway, this is an older series (love that animation!) that stole my
heart. For a multitude of reasons. The characters' development, the
story, animation and delivery are something to be proud of. Wow. The
main character is a girl, but she identifies as a boy. It's funny,
it's serious, it's heartfelt and amazing. Have I mentioned the
character development is great?
My favorite character is
hands-down Miki. She's the best! She's gentle, kind, smart, full of
goodwill and will do anything for the best interest of those she
cares about. An all-around good person who learns to better stand up
for her own wants and needs.
DISASTROUS LIFE OF SAIKI K
If you haven't seen this
anime, go watch it. Right now. Just go watch it. It's
out-of-this-world hilarious without undermining itself. It's grounded
and the characters are phenomenal. If you've watched it once, go
watch it again. Okay, you don't have to. I'm just expressing how much
I fell in love with this one. It somehow mixes cool and funny at the
best ratio I've seen to date.
My favorite character...darn
it! I have to pick again? It has to be Kusuo Saiki. He may be super
powerful, but we can all still relate to him in some way. His sarcasm
is point on and his false apathy just makes it all the more
entertaining.
BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA
Basically, Japanese Marvel
Universe. Oh, yeah! This is definitely one of those series that need
to be marathoned. Just can't get enough. The world, the ideas and
plot, the characters, the art, the animation, the music (opening
three is the best!) and, of course, the quirks.
Darn it! Okay, my favorite
is...oh geez...why did I pick such a difficult topic to blog about?
It has to be Izuku Midoria. Everyone loves an underdog and this guy
has determination, motivation and the ability to see objectives
completed in spades. Under all that he has the right reasons for
wanting to become a hero. Also, his mental and physical endurance is
off the charts. Who has that much pain tolerance?
YURI!!! ON ICE
What can I say? This show is
beautiful on so many levels. The art, the animation, the goals and
the story. It's not your typical anime. All the animes I've written
about here have heart, yes, but this one has a heart that stands out.
One can dream and give their all, but the difference between success
and being left behind ultimately comes down to opportunity. We all
need someone in our lives who will give us a chance.
This decision wasn't too hard.
My favorite character is Yuri Katsuki. One can relate and empathize
with him so well. He falls down and sometimes falls hard. He
experiences moments where he wants to stay down and just break.
However, his passion refuses to be snuffed out even when he is on the
brink of throwing in the towel and feeling emotionally beaten by the
world. Yep, this one is a marathoner.
Phew! That took longer than
expected. Wow.
So, what are your 10 favorite
anime series and characters? I'd really like to know, but please
don't feel you have to go into detail like I did. Although, if
you want to, I will definitely read what you have to say!
Some honorable mentions:
ATTACK ON TITAN – EREN
JEAGER
GET BACKERS – GINJI AMANO
NIGHT HEAD GENESIS – NAOTO
KIRIHARA
ONE PIECE – MONKEY D. LUFFY
S-CRY-ED – KAZUMA TORISUNA
TIGER & BUNNY – IVAN
KARELIN aka ORIGAMI CYCLONE
TOKYO GHOUL – KEN KANEKI
TRIGUN – VASH THE STAMPEDE
WALLFLOWER – SUNAKO NAKAHARA
XXXHOLIC – KIMIHIRO WATANUKI
YU-GI-OH! – JOEY WHEELER
YU YU HAKUSHO – SHUICHI
MINAMINO aka KURAMA