Favorite Anime Characters List

Time for a new kind of list. This time I thought I'd list some of my favorite characters from shows and movies and maybe a few books. When applicable, I will tag them as LGBT in honor of pride month.

Daru (Stein's Gate)

What I love about him: Besides being smart and loyal, he's also funny and kind. I like that he's a bit of a perv (he makes dirty jokes anyway) but in an innocent kind of way. Like when he's actually presented the opportunity to be with a woman (in the sequel Stein's Gate 0) it's cute how embarrassed and self-conscious he is IRL as opposed to the jokes he makes. I like that he is able to get through to Okabe when he's freaking out from PTSD because it really helps Okabe out. I also totally called the surprise reveal that concerned his character and it made my day since he's my fave, but it also made one of the dirty jokes he made even funnier when you go back and look at it in context (which by that time in the show I'd already guessed it). You know what I'm talking about if you've seen it, but I'm not going to spoil for those of you who haven't.

Accelerator (A certain Magical Index / A certain scientific Railgun / A certain scientific Accelerator) headcanon ace/aro not confirmed

What I love about him: He has an amazing character development arc where he goes from full on villian to not such a bad guy to a real good guy with a few badish traits. His self-sacrificing move in A Certain Magical Index actually made me cry. I love it when I start off hating a character because they're hurting people or something and then over the course of time the story brings them full circle to where I love them more than anyone else. That's good story telling.

Omasu Dazai (Bungo Stray Dogs)

What I love about him: He's quirky, he's smart/brilliant, he's got a powerful ability and he's morally grey. What's not to love? I really like complex characters who are OP because they make for some really interesting dialog and some really interesting plot twists. Also it's unclear if he's seriously suicidal or just trolling everyone with his comical attempts. I know that's a serious issue, but I do like a little bit of dark comedy now and again.

Rei (March Comes in like a Lion)

What I love about him: His smile. It's so rare because he's depressed but he's got a support system now and he's learning to lean on them and when he actually smiles, it's beautiful. It's beautiful to see how hard he tries, his inner conflict, and his soul. He is just a wonderful character.

Hirano (Highschool of the Dead)

What I love about him: Whenever he gets a gun (or something close to it) he completely changes his personality from shy/introverted to leadership material. Also, it was his quick thinking and action that saved the little girl from the zombie attack even though the others were going to just let her die prior to that. So, yeah. Lot to love about this character.

Shirosaki (Kawai Complex guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior)

What I love about him: His whole sub/dom relationship with Mayumi. It's pretty obvious to me right away that he is in love with her and she relies on him too even though she's out there searching for love with someone else because she can't quite accept the way she feels about him. Everyone sees him as a perv because he has this masochist streak and likes being tied up. What I loved about that side of him was that he wasn't shy about it. This is what he likes and he's okay with being that way. I loved how he always tries to make Mayumi smile when she's upset or do stuff to cheer her up, like the bubble game. I love that he's smart and caring. And his rope skills really got useful when they encountered that flasher. Most of all, he's a writer, and a good one at that. And I love that his writing is what he's shy about. Like seriously, everyone in the show doesn't get how he doesn't blush about his sexual proclivities but when you mention his writing he gets all bashful. I get it, though.

Miyamura (Horimiya)

What I love about him: He's such a gentle soul. So sweet, caring, helpful. Outside of school, he expresses his individuality through tattoos and piercings, but he hides those at school because he doesn't want to cause problems or get into trouble. He's so open and honest with Hori about everything that I completely believe she doesn't want him to get another piercing because he told her exactly why he started piercing his own ears in the first place (even though that would have happened off screen). I love that he is slowly coming out of his shell and gaining new friendships. It breaks my heart when he has the dream about encountering his past self who asks him "can I die?" because I just want to wrap him in my arms and tell him it's okay.

Misaki (Pet Girl of Sakura Hall)

What I love about her: She's lively, artistic, and she knows what she wants. Sure she may be stalking her childhood friend (but not to the point where it's causing him any real harm). I love that she's just always so open and honest about everything. 

Roy Mustang (Full Metal Alchemist/Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood)

What I love about him: He's badass, loyal, and stern. He has a goal, to overthrow the corrupt government that would plunge the country into war to meet its own ends, and he's not shy about trying to get there. When his best friend is killed, he almost loses himself to the revenge as he loses himself when Hawkeye is put into danger, but it is Hawkeye who saves him from doing the same thing to Envy that he did to Lust letting him see that his anger and hatred is blinding him. I also love the line "It's a horrible day for rain" after Maes Hughes funeral, it's just so overwhelming because Roy Mustang is a fire alchemist he can't really use his power in the rain. He feels powerless. I cry every time. I'm tearing up just remembering it.

Armin (Attack on Titan)

What I love about him: He's a good guy. He's smart and loyal. He knows what's right and he doesn't want to hurt other people but he will if it's necessary. He may get a bit scared and unsure of himself from time to time, but that just makes him all the more human and therefore more loveable.

Yato (Norigami)

What I love about him: Two words, morally grey. Morally grey and complex characters are so good. As I've said before, they allow for so many interesting plot developments and such well developed dialog. Yato is a minor god. In the past he was a god of calamity who murdered people. His creator, the one he calls father, has been manipulating him to think that if he stops listening to the prayers of people who want revenge that he'll disappear, but Yato isn't giving up on being a good god who makes people happy. He may not have the best relationships with his shinki, but he'd never abandon them to save himself. His whole relationship with Bishimon and why she hates him so much is very compelling as well. I just really liked his character.

Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia) headcanon as ace/aro but not confirmed

What I love about him: He's quiet and unassuming but really badass. He's determined not to be like his abusive father, but willing to learn from him to become a better hero. He has the same motivation to be a hero that Deku and Bakugo have, but he approaches it differently. His character evolves over time. I also feel like he's somewhat neurodivergent.

Saiki Kusou (The Disastrous life of Saiki K) ace/aro

What I love about him: His antics are hilarious. He just wants to be normal, but can't be because he's so OP. He cares about people. He just wants to blend in (pink hair and antennae not withstanding) but he's too different. He always attracts interesting and unique individuals who get in the way of the peaceful, unassuming life he's trying to lead. He's so adverse to cockroaches that he'll teleport to the other side of the world if he sees one.

Simon (Durarara)

What I love about him: At first Simon is just this foreigner who doesn't speak Japanese very well, but he always has some pretty good lines nonetheless. Then, as the show wears on you begin to see that Simon has more to his character. I really love the end of the first season when Simon speaks in Russian for the first time on the show. (I won't spoil anything, but it's amazing). 

Chitanda (Hyouka)

What I love about her: She's so curious and sparkly and full of life. Every time she says "I'm curious" I want to help her solve the mystery right along with Oreki. I love that she was so concerned about the fact that she couldn't remember what her uncle said to her, only that it was important, that she would engage Oreki's help in figuring out what it might have been.

Rimuru Tempest (That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime) agender

What I love about him: He's strong (he's got insane skills), loyal, and just trying to create a better society. That doesn't stop people from trying to get in his way. I love the way he handles situations with a combination of skill and smarts. I love how he's able to turn powerful enemies into allies. He's just a really badass character and I love to watch him kick ass.

Rikka (Love Chuunibyou and other delusions) 

What I love about her: She has a big, wonderful, imagination and her learning to love is so adorable. I love the development of her character and their relationship as he helps her despite her chuunibyou (a phase where the kid, usually middle school age, pretends to live in a fantasy world and actively pretends to fight monsters and such) which he finds cringeworthy because she's old enough that he thinks she should have outgrown it like he did and she helps him to see that normal isn't always the best thing ever.

Zenitsu (Demon Slayer)

What I love about him: Okay, so I see Zenitsu getting a lot of hate for being a little girl crazy (which is probably more about his age) and for crying/not wanting to rush into danger. I don't see it that way though. Yeah, he's afraid, but who wouldn't be. Despite that fear, Zenitsu is incredibly kind and protective of others and he pays attention. Just look at the episode where they fight the drum demon. Zenitsu hears the ominous drumming coming from the house and he's afraid to enter it, sure, but he does so along side Tanjiro. He also pays attention to what Tanjiro says despite complaining himself while Tanjiro is talking because he protects the box when Inosuke tries to attack it. He also knows that a demon is inside the box because he can hear that the noises aren't human. Also, I really love his character development, how he slowly is able to gain courage and eventually rushes into danger without even batting an eye while wide awake. I love that when he falls asleep he's a total badass, and look forward to the point in the story where he'll be a total badass while awake too.

Haruhi Suzumiya (The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) headcanon as bisexual but not confirmed

What I like about her: She's always up for some kind of crazy antics which keep Kyon and the other characters on their toes. That and she's a literal god who can make stuff happen just by thinking it. She's also kind and loyal and she's a terrific singer. There's just so much to love about her (endless 8 notwithstanding).

King (Seven Deadly Sins)

What I like about him: King rises to other people's expectations of him and is constantly exceeding them. He selflessly erases Diana's memories of him when he knows he'll probably never see her again to ease her pain at losing their friendship. He also takes more than his share of the guilt when things go wrong. He's kind and loyal, and despite learning about Ban's role in his sister's death he is able to forgive the man and move on from this. 

Ruka (Stein's Gate) Gay or Trans

What I liked about them: They are a beautiful character. I don't really like that they made the wish to be born a girl all about Rintarou Okabe. I felt like that confused the issue of Ruka's identity. Is Ruka a gay man or are they a trans woman? It's not really clear. I did, however, like their character overall. They are sweet and loyal and kind. Also hated the groping scene (so unnecessary and not okay even if Okabe had been right and Ruka had a male body).

Natsume (Natsume's Book of Friends) headcanon as ace/aro but not confirmed

What I love about him: Natsume is a beautiful soul who just wants to be accepted but rarely finds it amongst humans. He has been passed from relative to relative, all of them finding him weird because he has the ability to see and speak with things other people do not. He finally gets placed with a couple who are actually good people and he begins to blossom there. He meets Madara, who protects him for dangerous yokai and he begins to deal with the mess his grandmother left behind with her "book of friends" which lists the names of various yokai and thus give the holder power over them. Natsume sets out on a mission to free all those yokai that his grandmother have in her book and he begins to understand what kind of woman his grandmother was in the process. I really love the development of his character. The whole show is just so sweet and evenly paced.

Haruki Nakayama (Given) bisexual

What I love about him: He's the motherly type. He takes care of everyone in the band, helping them out when needed. He prioritizes his friendship with Kaji over his own selfish crush on the man. He's very sweet and very perceptive. 

Morgiana (Magi)

What I love about her: This powerful ex-slave is a fighting machine, but that doesn't stop her being feminine when she wants to. She's bad-ass and she's bright, and she's new to friendship and love and her journey is amazing. It is hard, at first, for her to break the Stockholm Syndrome she's developed over the course of her enslavement, but eventually she comes out of her shell and when she does, she shines.

Yukino Yukinoshita (Oregaru)

What I love about her: She's smart, she's beautiful, you'd think she had it all, but she has trouble making friends and she can't really talk back to her family about what she wants. That's where her relationship with Hatchiman helps her out. He is able to figure out ways to work around the problems she has and he supports her. I really like their relationship together, and her relationship with Yui as well. If any anime deserved making two members of the harem into a throuple with the main guy, it is this one. Hatchiman, Yui, and Yukino just fit. Eventually, Hatchiman chooses, and I think he made the right choice, but wish he didn't have to. 

Twenty-faces (Trickster) gay

What I love about him: This is going to be the first truly dark character on my list. Okay so his relationship with Akechi (who heads a boys detective agency kind of like in Bungo Stray Dogs except with mostly teens instead of ranging ages) is kind of like the relationship that Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty share in the hit TV series Sherlock. It's a lot of him playing with Akechi, and using other people to make him solve mysteries but only because he thinks Akechi wants excitement. He's sadistic and unstable, but he's interesting. He's kind of a male yandere character with a brilliant intellect and the ability to disguise himself as whomever he wishes. Before the series end, it comes out that Twenty-Faces was in the army with Akechi and that is where he got the idea that Akechi gets bored easily. He is in love and just wants to be acknowledged by the man he loves. Yes, he goes about it in a horrific way, but I still couldn't help but feel for his character when their history came out.

Ymir (Attack on Titan) lesbian

What I love about her: She is fierce and loyal. She ends up revealing the one secret that she knows will hurt her most to protect everyone else. Her love for Historia Reiss is beautiful and genuine and made me cry when she had to say goodbye. Sometimes she's willing to throw other people under the bus in order to do what she can for Historia, but I don't feel like that's a bad thing. It just makes her more morally grey.

Yuu Otosaka (Charlotte)

What I love about him: He starts out as a really horrible person. He has a power to possess other people, but only for five seconds at a time. He uses this ability to get whatever he wants, be it cheating in school to get good grades or causing a traffic accident so he can "save" a girl and become her boyfriend. He's really despicable at first and that's what makes his character so interesting because, after being scouted for a school where people with different abilities go, his character goes through such enormous growth. Eventually he even sacrifices his own sanity to save the world. It's a pretty amazing character arc.

Takahito Kumagami (Charlotte) headcanon gay but not confirmed

What I love about him: When this character is first introduced he does not talk at all. He comes in the room soaking wet and hovers his finger over a map so that a drop of water indicates the location of the next teen with an ability. It is eventually revealed that this whole ritual was completely unnecessary because he could talk and he could find abilities just by thinking about it. What I like most about his character is the relationship with his best friend (the identity of whom I won't reveal for those of you who don't want to be spoiled because this person's existence is a pretty major one). There is enough in their relationship to indicate that Takahito might be in love with this person, and that it's very possible this person feels the same way about him.

Eiji Okumura (Banana Fish) bisexual? not confirmed to be romantic love

What I love about him: Eiji is smart, loyal, and protective of those he loves. He may come from a background of relative innocence compared to Ash, but that doesn't stop him from leaping into danger when necessary to try to help those around him. I love that he can't just let Ash go, despite it being in his best interest to do so.

Alciel/Ashiya (The Devil is a Part-Timer)

What I love about him: Fiercely loyal and protective of his master Maou, he is also a very adept caretaker. He handles the practical side of living in a world where they don't have access to their magical powers and he's very good at it. He also works just as hard as Maou to make the necessary funds and tries to make sure Maou is eating healthy as much as possible.

Maou Sateo (The Devil is a Part-Timer)

What I love about him: When given a choice between helping people and benefiting himself, he tends to choose helping others. He is a strong leader. He is kind. He may derive his powers from the agony of others, but that doesn't mean he's willing to cause it just to get them back. He's also insanely OP when he has his full powers.

Najimi (Komi Can't Communicate) non-binary

What I love about them: They are lively and quirky and friendly. They are similar in character to Misaki who I mentioned earlier in temperament, but they also have the added benefit of being friends with almost everyone they meet. They also don't seem to have the drawback of being obsessed with a single individual. They just want their friends to be happy. Usually, they are quadruple booked, but they can still manage to carve out some time for Komi and Tadano. I also love that the show doesn't ever emphasize their birth gender calling it (unclear) when referring to whether someone is male or female. When they go places that have gender binary options, like baths and such, Najimi always goes alone instead of going with either the males or the females. They also changed in the gender neutral 'family' changing room at the pool instead of choosing the male or female side. Even their school uniform is gender neutral as they wear a skirt along with the same tie that the males wear.

Yona (Yona of the Dawn) 

What I love about her: Despite being raised as a spoiled princess in what is a very lopsided class-based society, when she gets out and sees what's really going on in her kingdom, it makes her want to fix it. She also learns to be bad-ass so that those around her wont have to protect her all the time, most importantly Hak who has always been her bodyguard but who very obviously has feelings for her. I like the development of her character from naïve spoiled princess to justice warrior.

Shirayuki (Snow White with the Red Hair)

What I love about her: She's not your typical damsel in distress. She's strong, willful and capable. Does she end up falling for the prince? Yes. But only because he's worthy of her. In contrast to most stories with a prince, it is she who saves him upon their first meeting with her knowledge of herbs and remedies. She needs saving once in a while too, but their relationship is by no means one-sided and she is not helpless.

Nino (Arakawa Under the Bridge)

What I love about her: She is quirky, accepting, and loveable. Sure she may be a bit delusional, but that adds to her charm rather than taking away from it. She treats a makeshift home on a bridge pillar as if it's a high-rise penthouse and despite being offered more by the rich Kou who can't stand to be indebted to someone but whose life she's saved, she is content to live where she is with an assortment of quirky characters who may or may not also be delusional. She doesn't have to convince Kou that this world of hers is just as valid as his, she just needs to keep being herself.

Rika (Haganai: I don't have many friends)

What I love about her: She's a bit of a perv, which is rare in a girl character without them being the type who actively assaults or stalks people. She's quirky. She's funny and she's surprisingly shy. I love that she's the first one to tell Kodaka that they are already friends. And her hilarious way of getting him to listen to her.

Senku (Dr. Stone)

What I love about him: He's smart. He's capable. And he's got an insane amount of scientific knowledge stored up. To the point he can recreate almost any modern convenience with privative tools and resources. Is it a bit unrealistic? Sure. Do I love watching him rise to the challenge anyway? You bet.

Kurz Weber (Full Metal Panic)

What I love about him: He's funny, brave, loyal, and interesting. I also really love his dynamic with Melissa Mao. The one scene from the anime that always gets me (although I'm pretty sure it is anime-only because I don't remember it in the manga) is the one where Melissa is fake seducing that bad guy and after knocking him out, Kurz shows up to help and there is some serious sexual tension in that scene before they're interrupted.

Melissa Mao (Full Metal Panic)

What I love about her: She's sexy and smart. She's like the perfect blend of mind and body. She also takes no crap from anyone. She's quick thinking, so she's able to help her colleagues out on numerous occasions and save the day. I like the one where they had to sneak past a Chinese guard and she pulled on her Chinese heritage to convince him that she wasn't a threat. I also really love that scene because they're speaking Chinese and I love hearing them speak languages other than Japanese or English, it always makes me wonder how badly they're butchering the lines though, since I don't speak those languages.

Greed (Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood)

What I love about him: He's complex. He doesn't want to go along with Father's plan, so Father liquidates him and recreates him, but he comes back and defies Father in different ways. Greed cannot be controlled because he wants everything and everything includes independence. I love that he has a major role in defeating Father in the end (not going to say exactly how so I don't spoil it for anyone), but that was such an amazing culmination to his character arc.

Tada Banri (Golden Time)

What I love about him: It's really hard to say what I love about this character without spoiling anything major. Let's just say that there's more to him than it seems at first. He lost his memory in an accident, so he's having to start over from scratch and he kind of feels like he shouldn't have to be made to feel guilty for the fact that he's lost it so he tries to make new memories. What I love about his character though is something to do with the memories he's lost and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Akihito Narihisago (ID Invaded)

What I love about him: He's a morally ambiguous character with a dark past who is smart and capable. The story is about him solving crimes by entering into a criminal's psyche and ferreting out what makes them tick. They do this because they are able to pick up traces at a crime scene of that criminals intent and put it into a machine. In order for a person to enter the machine, they have to have killed someone, so you already know that Akihito has something dark in his past. In the machine he's always solving a murder, but in real life it's often other types of cases that he's trying to solve. I just really love his arc and how they portrayed his past and the mystery element to his character.

Yashiro (K)

What I love about him: Talk about a mystery character. This guy seems as sweet and innocent as a newborn babe, but there are a bunch of people after him because they have a video of what appears to be him murdering one of their friends, then deadpanning the camera and laughing. Not to mention the fact that all of them have superhuman powers. Luckily, he finds someone who believes that he didn't do it who is able to protect him, but for how long? They go about trying to solve the mystery of what happened and Yashiro begins to realize he's not who he thought he was and that it's possible he's guilty after all. I'm not going to spoil how it pans out, but it's a really fun ride.

Neko (K)

What I love about her: She's loyal, she has this amazing ability to create illusions that fits nicely into the story, she's a cat woman who can freely transform from cat to human and back, which leads to some comedic elements where she doesn't understand why she should wear clothes in her human form since she doesn't in her cat form. She appreciates kindness and warmth (I guess that's partly from being a cat, I would assume a cat would figure out who was kind and not just from how they were treated by those humans).

Kurou Yatogami (K)

What I love about him: He's loyal, he's a good cook, he's very motherly towards Yashiro. He's open-minded to learning the truth, unlike everyone else who is willing to take the video at face value, he wants to solve the mystery with Yashiro. He's a total badass when it comes to fighting and protecting.

Kino (Kino's Journey) could be non-binary, not confirmed

What I love about them: Kino is a young person who journeys from town to town never staying in one place more than 3 days. They have a talking motorcycle called Hermes who keeps them company. They are smart and quick thinking, but also very kind. They are able to make tough decisions when necessary to get themselves out of trouble.

Souya Ishida (A Silent Voice)

What I love about him: He is a reformed bully. In his bully days, he mainly did it because he was bored. He didn't think about his victim, he just thrived on the reactions of his peers and it didn't help that his scumbag teacher basically told him that the girl he was bullying was a pain and he didn't like her being in his class. But things took a turn and Ishida started getting bullied instead. All his friends threw him under the bus to save themselves and then the whole class turned on him. After walking in those shoes for about six years (through the rest of grade school, through jr. high and most of high school) Ishida is depressed. He can't look anyone in the eye (this is awesomely depicted through putting x's on all the faces of the people around him) he always thinks people are talking about him when they whisper. He basically just hates life and doesn't want to live anymore. He's even planned his own suicide, paying his mom back for the hearing aids she had to pay for because of his bullying, he sets out to do it but realizes that he still hasn't made amends with his victim. That's when the story really starts because he realizes he wants her forgiveness more than he wants to die. He wants to make it up to her and be friends. I really love the evolution of his character from thoughtless bored bully to self-loathing but kind to finally accepting himself through friendships.

Touru (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid) Lesbian

What I love about her: Touru is a dragon from another realm who found herself wounded in ours. Initially she hates humans, or seems to. When a drunk Kobayashi came upon her and offered her kindness and a place to stay and to help her heal her wounds, Touru fell in love and would do anything the woman asked even donning a maid costume. The two begin to live together and Touru is very open and honest with her affection for Kobayashi. I love how unabashed she is. I love how she can be sweet and thoughtful, but also mischievous in the same moment. I love her back story with Elma because it is proof that she's always been into women.

Shiroe (Log Horizon)

What I love about him: He's a super good strategist. Like amazing. I love whenever he pushes back his glasses because that generally means he's just come up with something brilliant and I can't wait to hear it. I love learning more about him, why he didn't like guilds because of his old guild breaking up. Why he named the new guild Log Horizon. 

Akatsuki (Log Horizon)

What I love about her: She's feisty, badass, and loyal. I don't know if I'd say I ship her with Shiroe, but I love their dynamic anyway. 

Alice (Sword Art Online: Alicization)

What I love about her: She's complex. She's a badass fighter, but she's also caring. She tries to do the right thing, but doesn't always know what that is. She takes care of Kirito after he goes comatose. She stands up to someone who's had a huge influence on her life and risks everything by breaking her programing, which oddly enough is what makes her the essential piece of the puzzle later.

Eugeo (Sword Art Online: Alicization)

What I love about him: He's loyal and he'll do whatever he can to protect those he loves. He also breaks his programming, but since he sacrifices himself before the end of everything he is not sought after like Alice is. It is unfortunate, because he was also an amazing character. Unfortunately, he blames himself for Alice being taken when they were children because he couldn't break his programming then. That makes him dive into danger far more readily than he should.

Nyanta (Log Horizon)

What I love about him/them: This is a cat person. If I'm remembering correctly, masculine presenting but not sure. I like the air of mystery surrounding them. It always seems like they know more than they're letting on and they jump in to save the day on various occasions as well.

Alibaba (Maji)

What I love about him: He knows what he wants and he's not afraid to stand up to anyone or anything. He's lived a life of destitution, but he is willing to put himself on the line protect other people. On several occasions he stands up for Aladdin and Morgana despite it not being in his best interest to do so. 

Chise (Ancient Magus Bride)

What I love about her: Even though she's only 16 at the offset of this story, she's seen so much hardship that's she's basically given up on life. She goes from that, to actively trying to make the world better and her character growth is just splendid. She's kind, she's badass, and she's adorable. 

Ruth (Ancieth Magus Bride)

What I love about him: Chise's familiar is such an interesting character. He's loyal, as you would expect of a dog, but he's also a bit sassy. It's fun to see his personality develop as his bond with Chise deepens.

Ruijerd Superdia (Jobless Reincarnation)

What I love about him: Another badass with a heart of gold character. This one is the last of his kind which makes him a little jaded when he comes upon our heros, and he's also feared/loathed by almost everyone, but that doesn't stop him trying. I love how frank he is about things too. He's really the best character on this show. I mean, sure Rudy has a lot of character growth for a former shikimori (shut in) but I don't really like the pedo vibes he gives out sometimes. It's one thing if you (with an adult mind) see the children around you as children until they're grown and then you start seeing them like adults, but this is not at all how Rudy acts towards children. Yes, he is physically a child, but that doesn't make it any less creepy to me. I was on the fence about this show for a long time because of things like this, but Ruijerd actually salvaged the show for me. I still didn't like some of the things it did, but I kept watching and a lot of the bad stuff was toned down in later episodes anyway, so the show got better.

Madara (Natsume's Book of Friends)

What I love about him: He's badass, he's snarky, he's loyal, and he's pretty morally grey. You know he's on Natsume's side, but he still has his own way of doing things. Sometimes he goes off and does his own thing and usually Natsume gets in trouble when this happens. I also like that Madara can shapeshift into anything he wants but spends most of his time disguised as a neighborhood cat.

Nezumi (No. 6) Gay

What I love about him: 

Makoto Sunakawa (My Love Story) headcanon ace/aro not confirmed

Kai Ichinose (Forrest of Piano) Gay

Golem (Somali and the Forest Spirit)

Somali (Somali and the Forest Spirit)

Tanaka (Tanaka Kun is always listless) ace/aro

Minori Kusheida (Toradora)

Inko (Toradora)

Yasaburou (Eccentric Family)

Tomoko (Watamote)

Zen (Snow White with the Red Hair)

Hajimaru (Shikimori's Not just a Cutie) headcanon ace/aro but not confirmed

I'm sure there are more, but I've exhausted the list I have updated on MAL at the moment, so that's it for today. I have started the process of writing notes detailing what I loved about each of these characters, but I'm going to have to finish that later. Stay tuned.

Anne with a Twist

 So today I'm going to talk about a show I finished a while ago. The name of the show is Anne with an E and it is loosely based on L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series which I read as a young girl (several times in fact). One of the things I loved about Anne was her tenacity and individuality. I did think it was silly that she took so long to realize she had feelings for Gilbert (I mean seriously, it was obvious to me from the time he rescued her in the pond). Anyway, they changed up quite a bit of stuff in the Anne with an E adaption, but I liked most of the changes. Like, for instance, they made Aunt Josephine (the crochety rich aunt of Anne's bff Diana who initially had a bad impression of Anne only to be won over in the end) not just a spinster, but actually a Lesbian who was unmarried by choice and kept a traveling companion (code for lover) but whose lady had recently passed on (so she was kind of widowed). I liked that change. It seemed completely in character for the woman. It was so true to her character in my head that I couldn't be absolutely positive there was nothing in the original about a traveling companion that just wasn't emphasized in the same way.

They added this whole bit with the Canadian indigenous peoples that I thought fit snugly into the story as well. They went in a whole different direction with a lot of it after the first episode, but the important part of the story was that the characters were all so very much like the ones they were based on that I believed it. I was truly sad to see it end and I really hope that they continue the story into Anne and Gilbert's marriage because I feel like the could continue to do the same justice to their married life as they did to their courtship. The only real quibble I had with the show was that it kind of rushed their relationship more, although I did think it was ridiculous that it took Anne so long to come to grips with her feelings, in the books it wasn't until the end of her college career on PEI that she finally confessed to Gilbert after learning he was deathly ill and thinking he might die. That was a good three to four years after the show ends with them already having confessed to one another and gotten together. In the show Anne never goes back to Avonlea to teach like she did in the books before college. 

They introduced some different characters and left out some of my favorite characters from the book (like Lavender, the beautiful lady with the snow white hair) or the guy who was the crotchety neighbor who ended up having a funny secret. Still, I loved the adaption the way it was, even with all it left out or changed. I feel like they are two distinct stories (kind of like Full Metal Alchemist vs. Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood). I would even hesitate to say which one I like more. The original is, of course, filled with lovely memories of how I fell in love with storytelling and the idea of being a writer so it's a bit nostalgic. The newer version is more like the newer version of me, more inclusive, more open-minded but still basically the same at its very core.

Some more of my favorite Anime Shows

Just a few more of my favorites. Even though it's pride month, I won't just be including shows with LGBT characters (at least not canonical ones). 

Toradora

This slice of life follows Ryuuji and Taiga in their quest to help each other win over their crushes. Ryuuji is a sweet boy who cooks and cleans for his overworked mother. Taiga lives alone and can't even cook or clean for herself. Both of them have a crush on someone, but don't have the courage to let them know. It starts with a misunderstanding, Ryuuji takes the wrong bag and ends up accidentally stealing the love letter Taiga had written to her crush. Taiga breaks into his apartment to get it back and the two form an unlikely alliance since Taiga is friends with his crush Minori. Some things I liked about this show: I liked the slow burn romance. I've heard a lot of people complain because the two should have figured out their feelings much sooner, but I liked the way it played out. Sure I would have preferred Taiga to end up with Minori. I would have preferred that Minori's joke teasing Ryuuji had not been a joke. Minori tells Ryuuji at one point that she's a lesbian and that she's in love with Taiga. I wish the creators had made it pan out like that instead of making her actual crush be Ryuuji. Oh well, missed opportunity. I liked several of the side characters, especially the parrot Inko. But my absolute favorite thing about the show is the theme song. I can't see a picture of the show without hearing the song start in my head. It's just so catchy. Hard to pick a favorite character, but I'm actually pretty fond of Ryuuji for the fact that they had him break gender stereotypes. 

Re: Zero

What if you woke up in a fantasy world one day and realized you couldn't die? That's the reality for Subaru, but it isn't fun. It turns out that when he dies he returns to a save point (the same point until he clears whatever the objective is) but he has no powers, no special intelligence or magic to help him figure out what he's supposed to do. So he has to die until he gets it right and he experiences every agonizing moment. Along the way he meets a bunch of interesting people. The first is a girl name Emilia who for whatever reason first gives him the name of the witch Satella who she's always mistaken for. After he dies the first time, he tries calling her by that name and she is understandably upset by this. Anyway, lots of stuff happens, Subaru gets PTSD more than once, there are multiple unique and lively characters. Emilia has a familiar named Puck who watches over her like a father. He usually takes the form of a cute animal. She lives in a mansion with a man named Roswaal who wants her to be chosen to be the next ruler of the land. He is the lord of the nearby territory, the people of which don't really trust Emilia because she is a half-elf just like the witch Satella was (Satella has a bad reputation). In fact, most of the people in the land don't really like Emilia and Subaru finds himself defending her on more than one occasion. Rem and Ram are twin demons who serve as maids at the Roswaal mansion. They do a lot to help teach Subaru how to help out when he first decides to stay and both of them become staple characters. I really love the complexities of the Roswaal character, he is shrouded in mystery for the first season, but eventually you learn a lot more about him. Eventually Subaru meets a gender non-conforming fox-person named Felix, I like that character but I don't like the way the story uses them to tease Subaru (the "trap" trope). There are lots of other characters that get introduced later. Garfiel is one of my favorites that gets introduced later on in the series and a lot of that has to do with the fact that I really like his VA. And sorry Rem fans, but Subaru x Emilia is the best ship. Warning, this show has a lot of graphic violence and blood. It might be enough to bother some people.

Bungo Stray Dogs

I really like this show for a lot of reasons. This is a story about a detective agency full of young men and women with powers. All the characters (and I only learned this after getting into the show) are named after famous Japanese authors and all their powers are named after one of that author's most famous works. The main character of this story is Atsushi, a boy whose life keeps on being upended by this mysterious tiger. It's only after being taken in by Dazai and the other members of the Armed Detective Agency that Atsushi learns the tiger that has been plaguing him is himself. He can transform into a tiger, but he has no memory of the transformation or what he does while transformed. The members of the ADA want to help him learn to control his power so he can remember what he does as the tiger and use it to help the agency. My favorite character in this show is Dazai, who is brilliant but slightly odd. A lot of people ship Dazai with his ex-partner Chuuya who works for the enemy organization Port Mafia which Dazai defected from. I think this is because Chuuya's power is so destructive he can't let loose and go all out unless Dazai is around because Dazai possesses the power "No Longer Human" which allows him to negate any and all other powers with the touch of his hand. I will admit that the two have pretty good chemistry and I'd buy it if they became canonical. I like the story, all the characters are really interesting in their own right. I love to see Dazai in action because you always know he has something up his sleeve. Sometimes it seems like he might be a double agent for Port Mafia, and other times it's pretty obvious that he's not, but either way he's a super complicated and intriguing character. He's also pretty morally grey, unlike his partner Doppo who is the very definition of an upright character. One thing that might trigger some people, Dazai has a death wish and is constantly trying (unsuccessfully) to commit suicide, usually in very comedic ways.

Erased

This is an unusual take on time travel. Basically, the main character Satorou can project his consciousness into the past. At the onset of the show, this is limited to about 15 minutes and he uses this power to stave off disaster when he can. But after finding his mother murdered, the police think he was the culprit and Satorou inadvertently projects himself back to his childhood. He begins to unravel a mystery that might solve his mother's murder and save the life of a little girl who was killed when he was 10. This show is very intriguing, and kind of messed up. I really enjoyed the mystery element and the time-travel element. The animation was also top-notch. This show was a thrill from start to finish. Trigger warning: this show contains depictions of child abuse/neglect.

Okay, that's it for this edition. I'll probably do another one in the future. Honestly, I have so many shows I like that I would recommend it's not even funny.

I am not "not okay" with this show

So, in following my Pride Month theme. I'm talking about a story with a lesbian MC today. The Netflix series "I am Not Okay with This" is about a teenager who, in addition to dealing with the usual teen angst and bullying and the recent death of her father learns she has some kind of super powers.

It is pretty clear from the start of the show that main character Sydney has a crush on her best friend Dina. The fact that Dina has a boyfriend creates a lot of tension for her character. Dina's boyfriend being a total douche creates even more. Her younger brother Liam is being bullied and she can't go in their basement because that's where their father killed himself. So her therapist recommends that she write her thoughts in a journal.

Sydney narrates the story through the journal entries she makes where she talks about getting angry and things happening around her. She gives Dina's boyfriend a nosebleed at one point, and throws a sign at another. As her emotions escalate, so do her powers. It's not a spoiler because it's in both the preview to the show and in the first episode as foreshadowing, but the discovery of these powers culminates in a pretty horrific way. I'm not going to say exactly what happens, but the foreshadowing makes it pretty obvious so you'll probably figure it out while watching.

I said Sydney is a lesbian even though she experiments sexually with a guy. That is because she likes him platonically and she's frustrated about Dina and since he's into her she thinks "what the hell". The guy in question Wyatt is a pretty good character. I'm glad his character was added and it doesn't make Syd any less of a lesbian because she had sex with him once. Especially since she realized she wasn't into him and that it was a pretty huge mistake immediately thereafter. Many women don't come out as lesbians right away or realize before they've experimented with a guy, that doesn't make them bisexual. Bisexual women are attracted to both men and women, although they may have preferences towards one or the other. 

I liked the way they explored the platonic bond between Syd and Wyatt and contrasted that to the bond between Syd and Dina (who she's in love with). Despite containing more than its share of messed up stuff, this show is pretty good. The only real beef I have with it is the way it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts. I'm not sure if it will be renewed for another season, so if you don't like to be left hanging you might want to skip this one. I would also warn that there is a some gore towards the end (but you are definitely foreshadowed this several times during the series), so if gore bothers you maybe this isn't for you.

I liked Syd as a character. I liked Wyatt. Appropriately named Richard (Dick) was a very hate-worthy villain (not a super villain, mind you, just a homophobic, misogynist, entitled white guy villain). Dina was a good character as well (though I'm not sure I believed her relationship with Richard, kinda lop-sided). That brings me to something I just noticed. When a show wants you to root for two characters to get together, often they'll have one of the characters dating a total douche, even if that's completely unrealistic for their character. I guess that makes it easier to swallow than if both the love interests are equally likeable. Like if Dina had been dating Wyatt, it would have been harder to root for them to break up so Syd and Dina could get together. I guess that's because you don't mind if a douche gets dumped, but you don't like to see a good person get heartbroken. Although Wyatt still gets heartbroken because he falls for Syd, so it would have happened either way.

Weirder Things Have Happened

So the new season of Stranger Things (at least the first part of it) has hit Netflix and of course I can't talk about most of the things about it because it's new and spoilers would be immanent if I were to share my feelings about the show itself. So let us instead, since it is pride month, focus on the one or two LGBT characters the show offers. I say "or two" because it has not been confirmed (as of where I am in the show) what Will's sexuality is (I'm leaning towards ace, but it's cool if he's gay too. JS he's probably not straight).

So Will is portrayed kind of stereotypically if he does end up being gay. That's kind of why I'm hoping he's not to be honest. There does seem to be a little bit of jealousy towards Mike's relationship with El, but that may just be the loss of a good friend (not romantic jealousy) as Will does show legitimate concern over El, showing that he considers her a friend as well. We will see, moving forward. Everything in the show so far (seasons 1-3) has pointed towards Will being LGBT in some regard. Joyce's homophobic ex notwithstanding, I'm not 100% convinced that he's gay. Like I said, he hasn't really shown any interest in romance at all so far.

So that leaves Robin. Robin was introduced last season and (to the delight of all viewers) it turned out she was not a potential love interest for Steve, but the first canonically lesbian character on the show. There is some question as to whether or not Barb was in love with Nancy but it's never confirmed, and she was killed off rather early on. 

Robin is just so many things. I love her character. I love that she is able to translate the Russian message at the mall. I love her huge crush on the other girl in band with her (that's this season, but not really a spoiler since you already knew she was gay). I love that she's a total nerd, but rocks it. She is just an awesome character overall and that she's LGBT, that's just icing on the cake.

Was never a fan of Steve, and if they get him back together with Nancy I'll be super pissed, but I wouldn't mind seeing Nancy and Robin hook up. It's possible that Nancy's bisexual. I did like her best with Jonathan, though. Well, I'm not going to finish this season (or part one of it anyway) tonight, and can't really talk about anything significant anyway. Just that some things are really pissing me off about it and hopefully it ties everything together nicely (but if the second episode is any indication it'll probably just be a massive rewritten history). There is so much we still don't know about the upside down that I hope this season will shed some light on. It would be cool to have a stranger things/ x-files tie-in at the end since we're getting close to time the x-files opened up, but pretty sure that the writers don't have those kind of rights. Ah well, some things just aren't meant to be.

Thanks for tuning in, catch ya later.

Happy Pride Month!

So to kick off LGBT pride month, I thought I'd do a post focusing on some of my all-time favorite LGBT ships from series, both anime and live-action, and describe their relationships as well as pointing out what problematic elements (if any) I spotted with their relationship. I will not include Ashe and Eiji from Banana Fish since that is not confirmed in the show to be a romantic relationship (despite the serious romantic undertones it seems to take), or any other non-canonical ships that I would like to see (e.g. Taiga X Minori from Toradora). I may include more than one couple from the same show.

Sato X Uenoyama MLM (Given)

What I liked: This is a very wholesome couple. Sato is still grieving from the death of his boyfriend when Uenoyama fixes a guitar string for him. The two form a friendship, and become closer as Uenoyama invites Sato to join his band. There are lots of cute moments as Uenoyama discovers his feelings for Sato and as Sato processes his grief so he can learn to love again.

What I found problematic: Not much really. This pairing was pretty well done.

Kaji X Nakayama MLM (Given)

What I liked: I enjoyed seeing Nakayama's character bloom, he was my favorite character on the show. It was a pity that Kaji took so long to acknowledge Nakayama's feelings (it doesn't happen until the movie). 

What I found problematic: Like many BL relationships that feature adult men, there are the usual troubling tropes. For one thing, Nakayama's more feminine appearance already hints at him being a "bottom" long before it is established. Kaji is kind of a jerk some of the time, although he does give good advice to Uenoyama when he's trying to figure out his own feelings for Sato. Can't say much more without spoiling stuff.

George X Mae FLNB (Feel Good)

What I liked: Their characters had good chemistry and felt realistic. Their relationship was also realistic, being full of various types of real-world problems (like George's internalized homophobia and Mae's past with drugs). Their love evolved over time. It started out passionate and interdependent, but over time it blossomed into something more.

What I found problematic: Not much. If I'd choose one thing, it might be that their relationship starts out pretty toxic (both hiding important things from each other), but since it evolves into a healthy relationship, I think it's okay.

Lito X Hernando MLM (Sense8)

What I liked: They are very loving and passionate when they are together. They tackle any problems together when they can. They are very cute together.

What I found problematic: The whole Daniella thing. I understand it was a plot device to get Lito out of the closet, but I found it to be troubling that they took it to the level they did.

Nomi X Amanita FLF (Sense8)

What I liked: Pretty much everything. These two have each others backs. They are in a very stable and loving relationship. They accept one another for who they are. Pretty much the only obstacle to their happiness is when the outside world tries to separate them.

What I found problematic: Didn't really find any problems with this pairing.

Ellie X Aster FLF (The Half of it)

What I liked: Despite Aster not knowing about Ellie's feelings for most of the movie. I liked the relationship we did get to see blossom between the two. It may have leaned more towards the friendship side, but there was definitely an attraction on both sides. Aster is more attracted to intellect anyway.

What I found problematic: Nothing. They didn't take it far enough to introduce any problematic elements and it was very well done.

Charlie X Nick MLM (Heartstopper)

What I liked: Everything. This was such a sweet romance to see blossom. Very wholesome. More chaste than most. Also loved how Nick figures out that he's bisexual because he's still attracted to girls too. Representation matters.

What I found problematic: Nothing really. 

Darcy X Tara: FLF (Heartstopper)

What I liked: Their relationship was very sweet and supportive. Liked how Darcy was able to build Tara back up after people kept trying to deny her sexuality (e.g. 'you don't look like a lesbian') and harassing her because they were homophobic. I liked getting to see that part of their relationship.

What I found problematic: Nothing really.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. If I come up with any more, I'll be sure to add them later.

edited to add:

Sasaki X Miyano: MLM (Sasaki to Miyano)

What I liked: Very sweet school time romance about a high school senior who falls for his junior. Their relationship starts off as friends, although Sasaki is immediately attracted to Miyano. Miyano is a fan of BL (boys love) manga and after recommending one to Sasaki, the older boy finds he likes the story even if he's never read the genre before. This leads to the two of them sharing what they liked about various different stories and the friendship grows. When Sasaki confesses to Miyano, Miyano doesn't know what to think because (despite being a BL fan) he's never considered dating another guy in real life. This leads Miyano on a road to self-discovery. I would classify Miyano as bi, since he was attracted to a girl in middle school. Unlike most BL anime stories this story prioritizes consent.

What I found problematic: Maybe the crossdressing contest the school throws or the way Miyano ships his classmates with one another, but other than that this story was very wholesome and sweet.

guilty pleasure honorable mention:

Takato X Junta: MLM (I'm Being Harassed by the Sexiest Man Alive)

What I found problematic: As the name implies, this story does not have a lot of emphasis on consent. It is the usual BL trope of the top being forceful until the bottom consents. I don't really like this element of the show. I did, however, think that the two of them made a cute couple after the initial problematic stage. Also, there is a scene where Ayagi almost date-rapes Takato, and afterwards Junta thinks he's been cheated on. I didn't care for that one. I was yelling at the screen "No. It's not his fault. He is the victim!"

What I liked: Takato is not your typical weak-willed or weak bottom. He doesn't just going along with whatever Junta wants, and he actually takes the initiative when he thinks Junta is being distant. (It ends up that Junta has a cold that he doesn't want Takato to catch). And he does what he can to try to protect Junta when their relationship is discovered by a tabloid reporter even if it means giving up everything himself. Also, I like it when Takato inadvertently flubs Junta's first name because he's embarassed and then won't admit to flubbing it and creates his very own nickname for him: Chunta. I'd say that Takato was my favorite character, and I liked the dynamic he had with his manager as well. Did not like the character of Ayagi at all. I also loved their backstory about how they met initially and what made Junta fall for Takato in the first place. I kind of wish the story had started there, but I guess they started it the other way for comedic purposes.