Top 10 Favorite Anime Characters & Why

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