Your Most Appreciated Anime Characters [Archive]

Milkymagic

02-11-2007, 08:23 AM

Yeah, I'm sure everybody's had enough of these, but this isn't merely a list of characters that are your favorites. No sir, I'm looking for characters that draw inspiration or are characters you appreciate for their historical milestones to the medium of anime. This isn't much friendlier than my "Most Appreciated Anime Figures" thread that's in my sig, but at least you can think of a manga or anime you've seen with a character that seems particularly groundbreaking to yourself, or even all around the medium as we know it. You don't have to aim for the most sophisticated characters, even characters you enjoy have significant standing. After all, that would be your list.

I don't want people rushing in saying "Spike kicks ass!" or anything, I seriously demand explanations this time around, because it would just make this another "Favorite Anime Character" thread if I didn't. You don't have to know their history, just recognize what traits you appreciated from them, and possibly how they made you feel (like acts of bravery and such).

Okay! On with my list! (chose four because I wanted to add pictures)

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Milkymagic/astroboy.jpg4. Astro Boy - I've come in contact with plenty of Astro Boy material, and for being the first recognizable anime character, I liked his selflessness. A genuine hero that went beyond his dark origins to become a protector of all life, not just people, but animals and even other robots were friends to Astro. In truth, I would love to share a level of compassion such as Astro Boy's, simply because it allows him to appreciate the world, and understand the world itself is not always a compromising place.

I also liked how some of the villians had geniune dilemmas that made them more like individuals, and in some cases you would see Astro mourn over those that really didn't deserve their unfortunate ends. Quite moving.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Milkymagic/Zenigata.jpg3. Inspector Zenigata - I don't care what anybody says about Lupin or Jigen, a classic Lupin movie has to feature a "Zenigata Chase" or I won't be left satisfied. The fact that somebody would rush after Lupin with such tenacity, to take every single crazy leap that Lupin does, to run through the same horde of enemies, to drive past every teetering bridge; all just to nab his criminal was incredible. The fact that he doesn't bother himself with having a real life outside of this fascination makes him all the more entertaining, as he practically stakes his life and career on this one notion. In truth, if we were driven like Zenigata, tons of things would be accomplished each day as a result.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Milkymagic/goldenboy1.jpg2. Kintaro Oe - He's in my sig, so that's a hint. But the double-personality that plauges this character is equal bits goofy and brilliant. One mintue this guy could be wearing a girl's bra because he's curious, the next minute he could rework a whole teaching system and come up with a solution to a rather overlooked error. Life is educational, and Kintaro Oe always seems to reap the rewards, and the hearts of women apparently. What I wouldn't give to be this man for a day.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Milkymagic/wings.jpg1. Shirotsugh Ladhatt - The Wings of Honneamise couldn't have driven forward without an antagonist that wished to understand what his meaning in life was. Probably one of the more realistic characters I've seen, Shiro undergoes many normal philosophizings and understandings that we all do at some point, which is why I connect with him so well. And by the end of the film, he grows with more knowledge about himself, along with newer understandings about the world around him. Shiro worked against much adversity, personally and professionally, and I think that's another mark of admiration from myself for a character that deserves my praise.

Honorable Mentions: Captain Goto (Patlabor), Noriko Takaya (Gunbuster), Taeko Okajima (Only Yesterday), Dejiko (Di Gi Charat), Space Butler (Excel Saga), Captain Harlock, Ataru Moroboshi (Urusei Yatsura), Alita (Battle Angel Alita), Natsuki Sasahara (Hyper Police), Shotaro Kaneda (Akira), Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service), and the last one I can remember is Chiyoko Fujiwara (Millenium Actress).

I hope you enjoy this thread!

laborpilot86

02-11-2007, 10:17 AM

Jet Black........Thier is a reason he is my sig. Despite his rough exterior, the one thing you notice about Jet is that he cares. About the law, doing what is right and about Spike and the other members of the Bebop crew. He is also a man of culture to an extent, talking at length in several episodes about both jazz music and old Japanese folk tales. In short, he just plain :smoker:

Motoko Kusunagi............Like Jet, her committment to justice is absolute. I've always liked characters who stand up and fight for what they think is right, and the Major is defiently one of those characters. and you can't go wrong with a women who can use a heavy anti-tank rifle with one hand.

Ayato (RahXephon).........even though he has a terrifing responsibility that would break people twice his age, Ayato doesn't let it get to him. He goes and does what is neccessary in order to help the woman he loves.

Captain Goto(Patlabor)......I wish i had half the brains of this genius.:bowing:

D.A.

02-12-2007, 12:12 AM

I like Silky-chan in "I'm gonna be an angel", although the show and Studio Pierrot suck.
In the first half of the anime, Silky-chan is like a doll of her wicked Dispell-sama. But later, it turned out that Dispell is her doll ^^ She's bored with him, so he got dumped. And then, she turned into an adorable meanie.

Dark Lord

02-12-2007, 06:04 AM

Dr. Blackjack (Blackjack)- Is it the cape? Or the lonesome attitude? He is truly a wonderful character, as seen in my av and sig. He's a rogue doctor who charges ridiculous sums for operations. He is known as the world's greatest surgeon. However, despite his outward appearance and disposition, he is actually a very kind man. The motive behind his outrageous fees is to liberate people from their material pleasures. He is a truly unique and inspiring character to observe.

Urumi Kanzaki (GTO)- Ahhh... She most definitely puts the EVIL in evil genius. She is a high school student who possesses an IQ of over 200 and uses that intellect to terrorize the teachers in her school. Her presence is regarded an object of terror and panic for students and teachers alike. Little do they know of her sad past which caused her hatred for teachers. She is definitely one of my favorites out there due to the creativity of her terrorizing tactics. Her struggle to find someone to trust was also quite moving.

Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)- The nerdy scholarship student, who later turns out to be a girl. Her realistic and down-to-earth personality is the lone voice of reason within the Host Club. And that is what attracted me, that personality of her's.

EDIT:

I might as well add...

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)- At first, he may strike you as a simpleton... and you're right!!! But despite his dimwittedness, he is determined to become the pirate king. He holds no fear of death or regret. Above all, he values his friends most of all, even more than his own life. It is this loyalty that drives him to become much stronger, allowing him to defeat stronger opponents. I guess what I like about him is that he knows what he wants and will do anything he can so that he can achieve it. Despite what everyone says, he always manages to beat the odds. And lastly, I always love it when the enemy usually underestimates him due to his cheery appearance and then ends up being beaten badly.

kyubichan

02-12-2007, 06:33 AM

Major Motoko Kusanagi - I know we've seen enough of that "tough little lady"-type in other anime, but I think Kusanagi stands out because she never wavers from her duty even if it regards 'the heart' (see SAC 2nd Gig). Too many other similar characters not only show signs of weakness when it comes to the subject of love, but they also forget their duties or their principles. Kusanagi, although a bit torn, nevertheless was able to command her team and overcome the situation they were in.

Rukia Kuchiki - Another "soldier"-type. Even after her shinigami powers were weakened, she tried to continue her duty as the guardian of Karakura. She also accepted her fate when Soul Society sentenced her to die, understanding that it all comes with being a shinigami, and because she broke the rules.

I admire characters who accept the consequences of their actions, those who take a side and fulfill any responsibility associated with it.

Milkymagic

02-12-2007, 06:47 AM

I'm going to congratulate everyone on keeping to the subject and expressing their interests in anime characters in general. Very insightful posts, and I liked everyone's opinions.

@laborpilot86: I totally agree with Captain Goto, he made those Patlabor movies great for me! :D You're all about collective characters that do a good amount of justice, like that.

@Dark Lord: I haven't seen any of those anime, but Black Jack is a series I'm interested in checking out. Also liked your descriptions overall, very detailed, maybe I'll even research the other two! ;) Liked your choices, rather deep characters that go through many ordeals and changes.

@Kyubichan: Can't go wrong with Major Motoko! I agree it's cool how professional she is aside from her inner dilemmas. Also, I've noticed Bleach "saturate" itself into your posts. Definitely obvious what you've been watching! :D And yes, I too appreciate responsible characters!

@D.A.: Congratulations on posting in this thread, your description left me pausing for a minute or two, probably because of how carefree you posted your opinions. Apparently you like mean characters with a "cute factor" embedded with them. Hurts to hear you think Studio Pierrot sucks.

In the wake of what's currently going on (don't make me talk about it), I'd encourage everyone to step on in here and remind me why I should be excited to talk about animation in the first place.

Thank you everyone for your posts!

Neo-Hunter

02-12-2007, 11:14 AM

hmm for me..

Major Motoko Kusangai- For she is like the Ultimate solider she also has a comanding view of things on top of that she kicks ass!

Sagara Soskue-( Full metal panic) He's got this no nothing experance as a high school student due to him being a solider which is amusing but what he lacks he makes up with his skills.

Ruroni Kenshin- Hes got this view that he doesn't want to fight but when Justice needs to be served he goes without question and he still sometimes gets called boy which is funny for a man who looks like a guy in your gym class.

Keitaro Urashima- a weakling who does everything wrong but turns out to be the most trustful guy and dependent.

LadyYuina

02-12-2007, 07:56 PM

Kyou from Fruits Basket... I felt that he was a very likeable character to me through different aspects. He's head-strong, resilient, blah... blah... you get the idea, right?

KiraraKim

02-12-2007, 08:10 PM

Unfortunately I think this ended up becoming a favorite character reply after all. But I did try to seperate the characters I just enjoyed from the characters that I think are extra special.

1) Porco Rosso- In my opinion Miyazaki's best character. There are a lot of series that look into a characters delusion with/loss of humanity. But how many series do you know represent this theme in a middle aged man who turned into a pig?

2)Ginko (Mushishi)- I am always intrigued by characters who travel and don't stay tied to one place. I think it is because this is the type of character I would like to be. Another great character that falls into this category is Kino (Kino's Journey). The one thing I like about Ginko more though is he gets involved with the people he meets and tries to help them deal with these lifeforms called Mushi. Kino on the other hand travels from place to place merely as an observer. Although in Kino's case I do love that her gender does not define her identity but her profession as a traveler does instead.

Honorable Mention of Manga Characters:Edward and Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)- Technically they are my absolute favorite characters but a big part of this is their relationship as brothers. It shows that platonic relationships can be just as moving if not more so then romantic ones. But besides all the sappy sweet stuff they are also an extremely funny and talented pair. Al is overshadowed in the anime which is a complete shame. He is just as talented and smart as his older brother. Al is also not as naive as the anime depicts.

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)- At first, he may strike you as a simpleton... and you're right!!! But despite his dimwittedness, he is determined to become the pirate king. He holds no fear of death or regret. Above all, he values his friends most of all, even more than his own life. It is this loyalty that drives him to become much stronger, allowing him to defeat stronger opponents. I guess what I like about him is that he knows what he wants and will do anything he can so that he can achieve it. Despite what everyone says, he always manages to beat the odds. And lastly, I always love it when the enemy usually underestimates him due to his cheery appearance and then ends up being beaten badly.

Cheers! Luffy falls under my absolute favorite obsessive category I think he is a fantastic character. He is somewhat stereotypical and yet so damn inspiring.

But the thing about Luffy as simple as he seems. I do think there is more to his character. He acts goofy and carefree. But when it comes down to the important stuff he seems to get things that no one else does. Interestingly enough when Luffy was a child he was not so genki. Making me at least think that there is possibly more to Luffy then meets the eye (especially since his idol has a lot in common with Luffy).

Of course some of Luffy's personality traits do seem to run in his family. :D

I would also like to say that I think all the Straw Hat Pirates are fantastic. What a great group of characters.

Milkymagic

02-13-2007, 05:26 AM

@Neo Hunter: Sagara Sosuke was hilarious, I loved how serious he was trying to be a high school student, it was too much! xD

@LadyYuina: I liked Kyo from Fruits Basket, his attitude seemed very likeable given his circumstances, and he was very easy to feel empathize with.

Unfortunately I think this ended up becoming a favorite character reply after all. But I did try to seperate the characters I just enjoyed from the characters that I think are extra special.

1) Porco Rosso- In my opinion Miyazaki's best character. There are a lot of series that look into a characters delusion with/loss of humanity. But how many series do you know represent this theme in a middle aged man who turned into a pig?

I felt the replies were more detailed than most, at least the effort Dark Lord and Kyubichan put into their replies were fantastic and made me proud to hear such words. I personify certain anime characters as my heroes, some as highly engrossing, and the rest have layers that leave me with speechless results. Like my other thread with the anime creators and staff, I was looking at the driven appreciation for the anime form, but it was through the standpoint of the creation itself instead of the creators behind them. But I also feel you're right anyhow, this is still basically a "Favorite Anime Character" thread, and at least I zapped a few folks into injecting some heart and soul. Always love to see people enthusiastic about the things they love, and sometimes it brings me great joy to pull it out of them with threads such as this. Okay, this response is getting long, so I'll cut to my second portion!

I liked Porco as well, probably Miyazaki's deepest character overall, given his very issues dealt with the aging of a rugged man such as himself. But being turned into a pig was pretty symbolic of how he truly felt about himself, and yet it was still pleasing to see him work through everything in his own way.

Appreciate the response, it's a shame I haven't seen Mushishi or FMA yet!

Sae

02-13-2007, 10:45 AM

Sawanaguchi Sae from Magic User's Club: She tries so hard to make the world a better place but messes up alot, yet never gives up.

Sae-chan

EMY23-23

02-13-2007, 12:14 PM

Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. The thing that I connect with most from him is his overall attitude towards life. He lives life as if it were a dream, or an intermediary between birth and eternal life (death). Socrates preached that death is the separation of the body from the soul. He taught that life should be lived not for physical pleasures, but as a time to cleanse our souls in preparation for death. Basically the body is only a temporary shell that holds our true self, our soul, until we die. This indirectly ties into the samurai ideals of immediacy: considering oneself as dead and the idea of death being an awakening from a dream are both elements of bushido illustrated in the Hagakure. These two ideas are the foundation of the way I live my life, and Spike is the only anime character I've seen that represents this.

Ever drifting down the stream--
Lingering in the golden gleam--
Life, what is it but a dream?

Pachinko

02-13-2007, 12:45 PM

Yukari (Paradise Kiss) - the one girl in anime who is almost exactly like myself. Between her wants in life and her romance, I'm pretty much an exact clone.

Nana O. + Nana K. (Nana) - They both represent different aspects that I find in myself; Nana O. is a lot like my personality, and sense of style. Nana K. is pretty much the sweeter, more friendly side of myself.

Ghostmaster

02-13-2007, 04:26 PM

Vash the Stampede (Trigun) - one of the best gunslingers out there and a pretty funny too. Makes my list.

Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club) One of my favorite funny characters out there so much energya nd excitement all the time how can you not like him.

The Count (Gankutsuou) A villianous horrible and terrifically played character in one of the best adaptations I have ever seen.

Jean Starwind (Outlaw Star) A slick, cool, and sly gunslinging awesome guy and he's got attitude to prove it.

Revy (Black Lagoon) The most badass woman I have seen in an anime, she definately deserves a spot here. A fine lady who kicks some major ass.

Illjwamh

02-13-2007, 07:25 PM

Honda Tohru (Fruits Basket) - No matter the situation, she always does her best to hold on to her cheerful attitude, and she always - ALWAYS - puts others before herself. Even if she's in the depth of ultimate emotional suffering, if one of her friends gets a papercut, everything in her own life is put on hold. I admire her selflessness and devotion to those she cares about as well as her overall kindness to everyone and anyone she meets, including those who are outright rude to her. Tohru-kun, this world is not good enough for you.

Vash the Stampede (Trigun) - Another selfless character, he devotes his life to the task of helping others, with no thought to what it might cost him personally. A man who sticks to his convictions and never compromises his principles, with the single exception of the one time when his two strongest beliefs were placed in direct confrontation with each other. And it tore him apart. A hero in every sense of the word.

Milkymagic

02-14-2007, 05:25 AM

Honda Tohru (Fruits Basket) - No matter the situation, she always does her best to hold on to her cheerful attitude, and she always - ALWAYS - puts others before herself. Even if she's in the depth of ultimate emotional suffering, if one of her friends gets a papercut, everything in her own life is put on hold. I admire her selflessness and devotion to those she cares about as well as her overall kindness to everyone and anyone she meets, including those who are outright rude to her. Tohru-kun, this world is not good enough for you.

I liked Tohru aside from Kyo, her character was a fundemental healer and caregiver to all those around her, and she was incredibly responsible given her poverty. The same reasons I liked Astro Boy pretty much tie in with Tohru when I think about it.

Man, I think the EARTH could use more Tohru Hondas, because she was seriously a character that earned my sympathy. Talk about a true friend!

Relentless

02-15-2007, 11:25 AM

Mana

02-15-2007, 11:52 AM

Honda Tohru (Fruits Basket) - No matter the situation, she always does her best to annoy the piss out of everyone who watches the show.

Fix'd

My vote goes to Mendou Shutaro, a handsome and wealthy high schooler who, aside from his wealth and looks, is no different from lecherous Ataru. At least he's better at faking good intentions.

Akito

02-15-2007, 01:20 PM

Tohru Honda is a prime example of what a Mary-Sue is.

If there's any particular anime characters I truly appreciate, it would be all those pets out there (i.e. Pen-Pen from NGE or Tama-chan from Love Hina). Anybody else just talks way too damn much.

animanic_critic

02-16-2007, 01:16 AM

Whoa boy, where should I begin?

Major Motoko Kusanagi (GITS: SAC) - The rest has honestly said it, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Basically she's one tough-ass mama who's pretty much up for peek-a-boo dressing and can handle any guns and cause TKO to anyone. Get it?

Shishio Makoto (Rurouni Kenshin) - Yes, he is perhaps one of the most prominent villain in anime and I simply adore his Hitler-ways of trying to rule Japan with his plans. Calculative, iron-fisted, and ingenious, the only reason why he was disposed was simply due to his physical setback. If it wasn't for his dermal damages, he could've killed Kenshin successfully.

Johan Liebert (Monster) - I'll be frank with this - I call him the Hannibal Lecter of anime. Why? He possesses the mindset so complexed that it freaks you out if there's someone in real life that embodies the character. From childhood to adulthood, you can tell from the start that he will be an unforgettable and appreciated character... at least it did for me.

Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Your favorite character will the heart of a normal noble adolescent kid with a gift to transform wonders out of the most common things. In the series, we got to share moments of humor, anger and sorrow as he underwent times of tribulation (such as losing his mother and fighting a monster resembling her) and joy. One of the most honorable character of modern anime.

Rurouni Kenshin (RK: Tsuiokuhen) - Anyone should expect me to include him, anyway >.> Anyways, he may be your Romeo of the classic novel where he met his so-called star-crossed love but eventually never was... and his transition from a mechanical butcher to a noble wanderer is just outstanding.

Gankutsuou (Gankutsuou) - A character of such finesse and cruel persona deserves to be mentioned undoubtedly. His plans of seeking vengeance against those who wronged him is perhaps an all-time classic, rendering him one of the most appreciated anime character.

Sara Ringwald (Now and Then, Here and There) - She symbolizes how powerful the human spirit can truly be, after all the dreadful and despicable hardships she went through at Heliwood. I personally shed a tear at what he she went through, from start to end.

Edited: Alright, guilty as charged -.-

silan

02-16-2007, 02:42 AM

Ah! AC, you got mine.

The Count (Gankutsuou)
His character expresses the part of ourselves that wants justice in the world, that wants evildoers to suffer as much as the innocents have. He is one of the more driven characters you'll find in an anime, sacrificing everything including his own welfare to achieve his ends. A brilliant tactician, he can be kind and yet incredibly cruel at the same time, and you know that every one of his actions has an underlying purpose. I wish that the anime had turned out more like the book, in which case he would also be a character of redemption as well as a character of vengeance, but unfortunately the end failed me. Either way, he's still one of the most riveting characters I've seen in animation.

Suou Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club)
It's easy to pass Tamaki off as the slightly clueless, overly dramatic leader of the Host Club. But his past is truly tragic, and he cares deeply for his Host Club family. He also possesses a strong insight into each of his friends and an outlook on life that is refreshing for them and for the viewer. He is comedic and dramatic, of course, but he also has a cheerful nature that doesn't let problems get him down. As you can probably tell from my sig, he is just a fun and memorable character, and one of my favorite.

Kino (Kino no Tabi)
Alright, this is a bit of an unusual choice. But Kino's character was an integral part of the series, not because she was particularly memorable or exciting, but because her neutral outlook on each situation she met with allowed us as the audience to look at each country through our own lens. I think the creators left her character purposefully ambiguous, so that we would be able to interpret things on our own rather than relying on her character overmuch. So... I guess I appreciate the choices made by the creators for this character.

animanic_critic

02-16-2007, 04:44 AM

silan

02-16-2007, 04:51 AM

I still considered the anime Count to be a sympathetic character, though, which I guess might be a holdover from my love of the book. But still, after his tragic past, you can't really help but sympathize with his search for revenge. Or at least, I can't.

C0MPL3X

02-16-2007, 05:40 AM

I too like AC's views on the Count. We feel lot of sympathy for count in the novel because we go through hundreds of pages of his suffering and torment even before his path of carnage begins. There is simply no time to devote that much time in anime, so the Count remains enigmatic and an entity to be feared from the beginning and pretty much throughout the whole series. And this is where Albert comes in. He is what I'd like to consider as a reincarnation of Count's former youthful self, whose happiness in life snatched away by unknown forces. Through him, we can imagine to some degree the pain and suffering the Count had to go through and understand the reason behind his unforgiving fury of vengeance. Although that is not to say that Albert merely symbolises tragic past of the count, because I think his response to that torment contrasts strongly from the count and therefore shows perhaps a lighter and warmer path the count could've have taken, but that's not really relevant to the character in discussion.

As for my most appreciate character, it has to be Hoshino (aka Hachimaki) from Planetes, one of my favourite anime. He starts off as a low-life, literally a space garbage cleaner. Like many, he has a dream of owning a spaceship and reach as far as men's technology can take. But of course, this is just another dream from average workers. I mean, how can a low-life like him can compete with elites in a competetition of 1:10000? And yet, something moved him. Confronting himself with powerful space engine, power to take men into vast landscapes of universe, standing in front of very reason why he dreamed of becoming a space eva, it changed him into someone driven to do anything to reach his goal. There was an author of a random book on stages of life (haha..sounds like an autobiography of some old goon), where everyone have these type of moments at least once in their lives. And some choose to let this moment be a catalyst and drive themselves to be someone you'd like to be, while vast majority give up on it with comfortable self-talks of 'no, I wasn't meant to be great like that', 'no, I'm ok with my situation now', 'why try if I'm going to fail anyway'. And during the series we do see lot of these people. But that's what humans are, Hoshino says at some point. And yet he's one of those very few who goes all out to reach top and despite all the odds he succeed. Although the most interesting part of his character was how he changes by reflecting himself on other characters. Disgusted by his elite pilot friend's way of giving up on dreams and satisfied with current situation, he makes himself a stronger, much more driven person. Shaken by his teacher's death, he makes himself believe that in the end, he is alone and he is the only person he can really depend on and trust. And redeemed by his girlfriend's love, he comes to appreciate that people are all connected no matter how far they are and...ugh, I think there was something else in that very moving reunion between Hachi and Ai, I have to watch it again I guess -__- . Anyhow, most dynamic and interesting character I've seen in anime.

Other characters I liked but don't feel like discussing at length at this point are,

Youko from 12 kingdoms - understands perfectly the limitations of her character and her abilities as a queen in such a harsh reality and yet never gives up and the way she commands and fights with such a will makes me watch her in awe.

Poonpoon from Boogiepop Phantom - Not so much as a character but how he symbolises everything that we have lost and miss in our former younger selves. And the reality of a lot of us as 'adults' where our children part is no longer with us.

And Ikumi from Infinite Ryvius, Reki from Haibane Renmei, Boo from NTHT, Lafiel from Crest of the Stars, Spike from Cowboy Bebop...and yea, this list keeps being updated whenever I feel like it

*oh and AC, it's SaRa, not SaLa, how dare you butcher her name.

Mana

02-16-2007, 05:52 AM

Shishio Makoto (Rurouni Kenshin) - Yes, he is perhaps one of the most prominent villain in anime and I simply adore his Hitler-ways of trying to rule Japan with his plans. Calculative, iron-fisted, and ingenious, the only reason why he was disposed was simply due to his physical setback. If it wasn't for his dermal damages, he could've killed Kenshin successfully.

Don't forget that...
the guy wouldn't even let DEATH stop him. I mean, we're not talking some DBZ-esque revivication, no, the man decides to kill Satan and take over Hell. That's still one of my favourite parts of any anime series to this date.

Alex San Lyra

02-16-2007, 05:54 AM

But Spike DOES kick ass!... OK, that was only to tease you guys...

Latly I'm really into dark style stories... cyberpunk and the works.

http://www.animeacademy.com/pictures/revpics/gits-1.jpg
Major Kusanagi Motoko (from the movie) was inspiration for my own character Marie De'Lenault. Hehehe. Kusanagi is all machine and a very cold type of person, yet she's one of the most human characters. The life she lives, with all the secret mission and the killing, has a deep effect onher, but it doesn't kill her humanity. She made the ultimate sacrifice, giving her body away, to fight for what she believes in. She seems afraid of nothing, yet the anime was made in a way that made it totally believable. Plus she's a strong female character... and I guess I'm a feminist.

http://www.animeacademy.com/pictures/revpics/nausicaa-1.jpg
Nausicaä, yet another strong female character. Well, what can I say... she even has a messiah quality to her. Ghibli action scenes (even though it wasn't Ghibli yet at the time) are simply great, giving her a really proactive personality. She doesn't wast much time thinking, she acts on her instincts.

http://www.animeacademy.com/pictures/revpics/cbmov-2.jpg
What the hell... I really do like Spike, he has an intreeging past and a layed out future with Vicious. He's just passing time until his desteny caches up with him. Although he seems carefree and careless, he actually has a good nature. He knows what's right and what's not and generally help people in need.

Those are a few... if I think of any others I'll add them in.

Milkymagic

02-16-2007, 06:17 AM

Griffith(Berserk) - I thought Griffith was a groundbreaking character, seeming like invincible at first to being helpless at the end to being reborn as ruler at the conclusion. He was a breath of fresh air from the norm of normal anime characters for me.

Y'know, I still can't over somebody like Griffith. I watched the beginning of that series and saw what kind of relationship he had with Guts, then later I was blown away at what happened to him after being captured, then shit my pants at the ending. I wasn't expecting any of that myself, he's different, but I'm just giving myself flashbacks of the ending whenever I think of him. I really don't need to throw up today...:yuck:

As for the rest of your choices!

Sara Ringwald is way stronger than I could ever be in her situation, ol' Milky's ass would've been handed to him after an episode. R.I.P. Milky XP

I liked Kino from Kino's Journey as well, when you get a character that wishes to hold an audience-like stance to everything, you can't help but feel more involved as a result. This is why I like a majority of Mamoru Oshii films, it feels like most of the characters are stuck with the audience on what's happening, and I always feel more involved as a result of that happening.

Poom Poom from Boogiepop Phantom is an interesting choice, not one I would've expected to see in this thread, but your reasoning is definitely good. Keeps me thinking about that series when I hear such things.

I liked Princess Nausicaa, definitely a strong heroine, and a character worth appreciating out of sheer drive. She definitely didn't want the world to go under, that's for sure.

Mendou is definitely a hilarious competitor for Ataru Moroboshi, so they make quite the team; especially when mobbed with Lum's Stormtroopers! :D

Finally, I've seen plenty of Spikes in here, so I guess my example held some weight! I do like Spike...XD

Alex San Lyra

02-16-2007, 06:27 AM

Finally, I've seen plenty of Spikes in here, so I guess my example held some weight! I do like Spike...XD
Hah! I knew it! =^_~=

Even though he was inspired by another great character, Lupin III, Spike holds his own in the hall of fammers.

http://www.animeacademy.com/pictures/revpics/lupincoc-2.jpg
Speaking of which... Lupin is another great character... alot more comical, but with the same human characteristics as Spike.

Milkymagic

02-16-2007, 06:43 AM

Hah! I knew it! =^_~=

Even though he was inspired by another great character, Lupin III, Spike holds his own in the hall of fammers.

http://www.animeacademy.com/pictures/revpics/lupincoc-2.jpg
Speaking of which... Lupin is another great character... alot more comical, but with the same human characteristics as Spike.

Way to show a Zenigata fan like myself! :p

And my brother preferred Jigen on that note.

But Lupin's definitely like pizza, even a bad Lupin movie is still good because it contains a lot of the same enjoyable stuff you'd come to expect from the series. Plus, as a character, Lupin knows how to get himself into and out of situations with ease! :D

I think Lupin's best movies were The Castle of Cagliostro, The Fuma Conspiracy, Die Nostradamus!, The Mystery of Mamo (more campy than brilliant), and Zentetsu Sword was entertaining.

And no matter what other people say, I thought The Legend of the Gold of Babylon wasn't all that bad, though it's still one of the lesser Lupin flicks by far. Any live-action film from director Seijun Suzuki was still much more entertaining on that note, just to keep the director's credibility in check (yeah, he's a favorite of mine).

Roark

02-16-2007, 08:23 AM

Hah! I knew it! =^_~=

Even though he was inspired by another great character, Lupin III, Spike holds his own in the hall of fammers.

I think inspired is too weak of a word here. It's a fairly conscious bit of reference, from what I can tell. Which is OK, since Spike does go is own direction. But calling him an updated Lupin is more accurate, I think.

To be on topic, people here must know that I strongly appreciate Mlle. Oscar Francois de Jarjayes. She still stands are the almost perfect way to show a conflict between female equality and liberation and "traditional" female roles and how to balance strong character with strong desire.

Devotion

02-16-2007, 08:39 AM

These characters have more personal significance rather than industry wide pioneers, which is, in the end, that in which each user is interested in the end.

Sakura Avalon: She holds the honor of being the first strong heroine of a series that I've seen. While it wasn't uncommon to see a strong female character, she was usually a support character. The female lead, if one even exists, tended to fall into the role of damsel in distress. Sakura is brave and resourceful enough to co-starred with the hero Showran, even succeeding at some points where Showran couldn't. What's surprising--and pleasant--is that she does so without being reduced to an androgynous avatar who embodies a certain set of heroic characteristics and only those characteristics. Between each adventure, she is seen as a pleasant, active girl who enjoys spending her time with her classmates and goes through the joys and sadnesses of everyday life.

Joey Wheeler: If I were to choose one word to describe Joey, it would be striving. That, or lucky, though I prefer to extend that to lucky bastard, which would be more than one word. He tries hard in all that he does, despite being an unwanted child who grew up in the slums of Brooklyn. His heart-warming dedication to his sister is probably the most inspiring of his characteristics--more so than his dubious dueling skills.

laborpilot86

02-16-2007, 10:26 PM

I should throw in...

Yagami Light(Death Note)...shows that even with the best intentions, some powers shouldn't be given to humans, especially humans with a serious socipathic streak

Milkymagic

02-17-2007, 10:04 AM

I think inspired is too weak of a word here. It's a fairly conscious bit of reference, from what I can tell. Which is OK, since Spike does go is own direction. But calling him an updated Lupin is more accurate, I think.

To be on topic, people here must know that I strongly appreciate Mlle. Oscar Francois de Jarjayes. She still stands are the almost perfect way to show a conflict between female equality and liberation and "traditional" female roles and how to balance strong character with strong desire.

The Rose of Versailles sounds like it has some incredible characters from what I've heard from you guys, I'm rather surprised Mana didn't make a plug-in for this series yet! :D

But your description seems very unique, I don't know many characters that meet that criteria, but it's always the best anime characters that remind us what made the medium capture us in the first place.

Contrary to liking Macross Plus and many other anime in my beginnings, I don't think I truly locked onto fully appreciating anime until viewing The Wings of Honneamise; that really did me in with its main character Shiro.

And I wish I could comment on the rest of the mentioned characters, but I can certainly say they are interesting sounding people to immerse with.

soundchazer

02-17-2007, 10:31 AM

Roark... if you use those terms to put Oscar as an enigmatic character, I would have to debate the fact that in many ways, she had no choice given her upbringing.

If you use that as your parameter, I think Ayukawa Madoka presents the same sort of problems in a more mundane environment. She has proven she can compete with males and be more competent than them, but at the same time she acknowledges and embraces her femininity. What makes her remarkable is that she does so on her own free will, and not because she was raised to behave a certain way.

To me both characters are equally interesting, but for different reasons. Oscar is interesting because she made the most out of the constraints that her society imposed on her. Madoka is interesting because of the choices she made given how many options she had, living virtually alone without any type of supervision.

In other words, Oscar is interesting because of the background and her role in a story. Madoka is interesting because of her personality. Obviously, that makes RoV a more story driven anime and KOR a more character driven anime.

bwing55543

02-17-2007, 06:20 PM

Yota Moteuchi from Video Girl Ai
I swear, I've never seen a single anime character so similar to myself. Absolutely no one seemed so real to me as he did. He seems to be the anti-Gene Starwind to me. Yota was afraid of the very girl he loved.

Maverick

02-18-2007, 04:19 AM

Noriko Takaya (Gunbuster) - The very first Gainax Bounce. An epochal moment in anime history.

Milkymagic

02-18-2007, 06:21 AM

Noriko Takaya (Gunbuster) - The very first Gainax Bounce. An epochal moment in anime history.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Milkymagic/gunbuster4.jpg

One small jump for mankind, one giant step for fanservice!

Definitely a character who struggles with the oppression of her peers, the shadow cast from her father would be one that would drive me to appreciate her essence in the series. I liked Noriko way more than Shinji from Evangelion on that note, though I certainly enoyed the later series a great deal regardless.

In short, she's awesome beyond the "bounce." If I would've added more characters, she would've been fifth or sixth easily.

Good to see somebody else who likes Noriko! :thumbup:

Roark... if you use those terms to put Oscar as an enigmatic character, I would have to debate the fact that in many ways, she had no choice given her upbringing.

If you use that as your parameter, I think Ayukawa Madoka presents the same sort of problems in a more mundane environment. She has proven she can compete with males and be more competent than them, but at the same time she acknowledges and embraces her femininity. What makes her remarkable is that she does so on her own free will, and not because she was raised to behave a certain way.

To me both characters are equally interesting, but for different reasons. Oscar is interesting because she made the most out of the constraints that her society imposed on her. Madoka is interesting because of the choices she made given how many options she had, living virtually alone without any type of supervision.

In other words, Oscar is interesting because of the background and her role in a story. Madoka is interesting because of her personality. Obviously, that makes RoV a more story driven anime and KOR a more character driven anime.

Remember, he did say "almost perfect" on that note, so maybe he wasn't trying to impose. Perhaps he meant she was his favorite example of such a character. I'm only guessing, being I haven't seen RoV, so I'm going to back out after this post is finished.

I mean, this is about characters we appreciate anyways, and though your point sounds well made, I'm sure the intention was basically that of appreciation in the end.

soundchazer

02-18-2007, 09:29 AM

Niner

02-18-2007, 09:46 AM

Y'know, I wonder if there's ever been a topic where SC just addressed the topic and that was that. No criticizing other people's choices and being condescendingly awful while explaining how he feels about about other people's opinions and why they're wrong because they don't agree with his own. Sadly, I don't think such a topic ever exists. Oh well.

As for my most appreciated anime character, that would have to be Char Aznable in Zeta Gundam. Sure, it was the only series where he was one of the "good guys" but he did it so damn well. He held the whole thing together, dealing with Camille's broodiness and even teaming up with Amuro to accomplish a common goal. He did kinda go batshit later on and try to destroy the world in Char's Counterattack, but hey, at least he was damn cool in Zeta. :3

soundchazer

02-18-2007, 09:54 AM

Last I heard Niner, this was a discussion board.

Discussion: an act or instance of discussing; consideration or examination by argument, comment, etc., esp. to explore solutions; informal debate.

I'm just debating ideas. I'm not saying Roark is wrong, since he has the liberty to choose to like whatever he wants. I'm just discussing or debating if you will, some of the merits behind his reasoning. And knowng Roark, he can pretty much whip my ass if he wants to and doesn't need to be defended.

Milkymagic

02-18-2007, 09:58 AM

Hey... this is not a knock on Roark liking Oscar (which we know it trascends cult status). I just wonder a bit about the motives that make it such a good character.

As I said before, I like Oscar in the context of the story, but not necessarily a character I would like or identify with otherwise. Madoka is a character that has similar traits than those of Oscar, but it is a character that shines regardless of the story being presented. If there is a knock on Madoka, is that in many ways she perhaps too perfect, except for her jealous streaks and her lack of forcefulness when trying to convey her feelings.

That works too, I just didn't want things to get out of hand, you have a right to your reasons. But it's cool to know you identify with Madoka a great deal, and definitely better than Oscar from the looks of it. Nonetheless, your explanation is well put together, but I can see this conversation from both angles. Sometimes even a great story can't save a character if you know what I mean! :D

As for my most appreciated anime character, that would have to be Char Aznable in Zeta Gundam. Sure, it was the only series where he was one of the "good guys" but he did it so damn well. He held the whole thing together, dealing with Camille's broodiness and even teaming up with Amuro to accomplish a common goal. He did kinda go batshit later on and try to destroy the world in Char's Counterattack, but hey, at least he was damn cool in Zeta. :3

That was a real twist, even I had to keep asking myself "Is he going to just turn bad any second?" But it looked as though his motivations were much more complex, much like the previous series before Zeta. Honestly, I dig that choice! :thumbup:

Alex San Lyra

02-18-2007, 01:05 PM

I don't know if I'm going too of topic here, but...

I think inspired is too weak of a word here. It's a fairly conscious bit of reference, from what I can tell. Which is OK, since Spike does go is own direction. But calling him an updated Lupin is more accurate, I think.
I actually disagree... I also think Lupin was conscious reference for Spike's creation. But calling Spike an updated Lupin sounds a bit wrong. Lupin is more clownish then Spike, who is a darker character... I don't know, I just think they're two diferent things.

Tremolo

02-18-2007, 01:10 PM

Monkey D. Luffy, for obvious reasons. So simple, yet so complex and inspiring.

Honestly, I dig my choice! :thumbup:

soundchazer

02-18-2007, 03:28 PM

I don't know if I'm going too of topic here, but...

I actually disagree... I also think Lupin was conscious reference for Spike's creation. But calling Spike an updated Lupin sounds a bit wrong. Lupin is more clownish then Spike, who is a darker character... I don't know, I just think they're two diferent things.

I agree... this goes back to the "personality vs. story" elements I've been talking about. Lupin has a very laissez-faire type of personality, while Spike acts funny because of the situations he is involved in. In other words, Lupin creates the humor, Spike reacts to a humorous situation. Still, both fit the loveable rogue archetype.

Milkymagic

02-19-2007, 05:19 AM

Monkey D. Luffy, for obvious reasons. So simple, yet so complex and inspiring.

Honestly, I dig my choice! :thumbup:

I can tell. ;)

One Piece seems to have taken over Zeta Gundam for your avatar and sig, I know I'll get into one of my other modes in due time (after Gunbuster, I might try to do something with Robot Carnival).

I agree... this goes back to the "personality vs. story" elements I've been talking about. Lupin has a very laissez-faire type of personality, while Spike acts funny because of the situations he is involved in. In other words, Lupin creates the humor, Spike reacts to a humorous situation. Still, both fit the loveable rogue archetype.

Now your example here makes more sense, being I've actually seen both of these series, as opposed to the previous debate (I have yet to watch RoV). And I would have to agree that Lupin is more spontaneous, but a thief always seems like a more exciting character than a bounty hunter if you ask me. They're both great characters, but Lupin definitely has more flexibility in his behavior than Spike's more constrained and darker self, and take that with a grain of salt when I say such things.

Roark

02-19-2007, 07:15 AM

I agree... this goes back to the "personality vs. story" elements I've been talking about. Lupin has a very laissez-faire type of personality, while Spike acts funny because of the situations he is involved in. In other words, Lupin creates the humor, Spike reacts to a humorous situation. Still, both fit the loveable rogue archetype.

See, I take characters and break them into the archetypes, as opposed to dealing with them at the story level. I like watching archetypes evolve and change over time, reacting to various events and cultural changes. I guess this de-emphasizes the particular character in favor of what they represent as a larger whole.

As far as Spike updating Lupin goes, I stand by that. Lupin definately has the "loveable rogue" thing, same as Spike, Han Solo, Indiana Jones, etc. The updating that occured, I'd say that he just merged with two other popular archetypes: the tortured hero and haunted by the past. The 20 years between Lupin III and Bebop brought those two archetypes to maturation, especially the mid-90's.

Milkymagic

02-19-2007, 07:31 AM

See, I take characters and break them into the archetypes, as opposed to dealing with them at the story level. I like watching archetypes evolve and change over time, reacting to various events and cultural changes. I guess this de-emphasizes the particular character in favor of what they represent as a larger whole.

As far as Spike updating Lupin goes, I stand by that. Lupin definately has the "loveable rogue" thing, same as Spike, Han Solo, Indiana Jones, etc. The updating that occured, I'd say that he just merged with two other popular archetypes: the tortured hero and haunted by the past. The 20 years between Lupin III and Bebop brought those two archetypes to maturation, especially the mid-90's.

Ah, so it's a difference of viewpoint! Seeing it from both angles, I would have to say there seems to be varying concern between character type, and character reliance on the story. Taking the character out of the story and examining their archetype, and putting them against the story for another battle altogether.

These are definitely two different issues, and I suppose if going off the archetype, Lupin and Spike are still the same kind of character regardless of story, and retain qualities that show the differences of their respective ages. Thus, Spike feels more modern than Lupin, though they both react differently in their given storylines as a result too. And whether a character is a part of their environment behaviorally, and react accordingly, they're still part of the same archetype ultimately (regardless of how much more independent one shows themself to be in any given storyline). So I would say Roark's point is pretty good too.

SC prefers Madoka because she is less reliant on the story to moderate her actions, and Roark prefers Oscar because she is a strong representation of her character archetype overall (and perhaps the strength of the story is met with an equally strong character, thus enhancing the result of what Oscar meant for her period). I think great characters come in all shapes and sizes, though it never hurts to debate their importances, whether it be to the individual or to the medium.

Roark

02-19-2007, 12:28 PM

SC prefers Madoka because she is less reliant on the story to moderate her actions

Actually, the Doc preferred Madoka because they shared a love of pancakes and because Madoka could remove her dentures. No teeth = happy Doc.

hayama22

02-19-2007, 02:01 PM

I definitely respect Hagu from Honey and Clover. To be honest, it wasn't until the last few episodes of the second series that I really came to appreciate her. Before then, there wasn't much incite given into her character's feelings, and so I never really felt as connected to her as I was to the other characters. She came off as being weak to me, without much of a will to take action on her own. However, as the series reached the last few episodes, Hagu overcame very difficult obsticles, and proved to be the strongest woman of the main cast despite her smaller outer image.

kirara the cat

02-19-2007, 10:44 PM

kenshin on ruroni kenshin hes so sweet and careing

Milkymagic

02-20-2007, 05:54 AM

Actually, the Doc preferred Madoka because they shared a love of pancakes and because Madoka could remove her dentures. No teeth = happy Doc.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Milkymagic/madoka1.jpg

Boy, that would make his choice seem much easier, how could he pass that up!? Doc sure knows how to pick 'em, that sneak! :D

Roark

02-20-2007, 06:26 AM

Wrong Madoka.

Try this:
http://www.animeacademy.com/Madoka.php

Milkymagic

02-20-2007, 06:42 AM

Wrong Madoka.

Try this:
http://www.animeacademy.com/Madoka.php

:moron:

You sure like to throw curveballs in a thread about anime characters, that earned a "LMAO" moment!

But that's still horrible! :p

You learn something new everyday...

soundchazer

02-20-2007, 09:59 PM

For the record, our lovely former professor is just as cute.

Although her RL pictures are no longer posted in the boards, I recall them and she was quite the looker.

IceDemon

02-20-2007, 10:10 PM

Hero from Gundam Wing because he knows what he wants to do, is supposed to do, and does it without hesitation or compalining. He gets the job done no questions asked. Therefore he is dependable, responisble, intelligent, and brave.

Milkymagic

02-21-2007, 04:58 AM

For the record, our lovely former professor is just as cute.

Although her RL pictures are no longer posted in the boards, I recall them and she was quite the looker.

It was just to poke fun at you, but that's still reassuring to hear! Did she ever cosplay as the anime character Madoka by chance? :D

As much as I appreciate many anime characters, I could only bring myself to dress up as Gendo Ikari from Evangelion, or Hanson from Nadia. Of course, this is more along the lines of mere looks than who I personify with entirely (yet I enjoy both of my said examples a great deal when I say such things), though I tend to act like Hanson at times anyway.

soundchazer

02-21-2007, 05:17 PM

Milkymagic

02-21-2007, 10:24 PM

2 characters I really like are Yoko Nakajima from 12 Kingdoms and Shuurei Kou from Saiunkoku Monogatari. There are plenty of similarities... both have a backdrop in a very feudal China-like countries and are thrown into situations were they have to lead people. Yoko is interesting because she slowly but surely went from being a cry baby to a "tough as nails" ruler. Shuurei is not a real beauty, but endears wth her intelligence and grounded personality and her effort to achieve her goals.

About time you gave your answer! It's good you've brought things back on track, being I have my tangents here and there. ;)

Looking at your choices, I don't mean to sound like I know you real well, but rather from the way you post I would say these choices make absolute sense to me. You are tough as nails with how forward you can be, you possess great intelligence with many things, and you have a fairly grounded personality if you want my opinion. None of that was meant to be bad, because in all actuality, I wish I could be a little more direct with people myself instead of being the puffy cloud of indirectness that I am for the most part. Such differences in life are meant to be more poignant in the way we all coexist on this planet, so perhaps it is best we are different people! :D

But as for the characters themselves, I can honestly say they have interesting origins, I don't think I've seen many feudal China era anime when I think about it, but these two anime titles you've dropped have me thinking about them (especially the former, which is always raved up).

D.A.

02-22-2007, 02:24 AM

Kikyo - I love Shrine Maidens.

Rei Ayanami - I fell in love with her when I first saw her room.

soundchazer

02-22-2007, 03:56 AM

About time you gave your answer! It's good you've brought things back on track, being I have my tangents here and there. ;)

Well, I thought my use of Madoka would prove she is my favorite character, but for the record, she is. Even though she is "a little too perfect" at times, she has this very interesting dichotomy between being tough and self-reliant, and having a soft side that wants to be loved and noticed, even if she makes some real hard attempts to conceal it (and failing at it given her sometimes nasty jealous streak).

Milkymagic

02-22-2007, 04:06 AM

Well, I thought my use of Madoka would prove she is my favorite character, but for the record, she is. Even though she is "a little too perfect" at times, she has this very interesting dichotomy between being tough and self-reliant, and having a soft side that wants to be loved and noticed, even if she makes some real hard attempts to conceal it (and failing at it given her sometimes nasty jealous streak).

I see, so you were merely stating other favorites, nothing wrong with that. I just thought you were using Madoka to debate with Roark on what he said about Oscar, but I should've realized she would be if you were so aware of her traits specifically. I tend to focus on my favorite characters a great deal too, and your reasoning for Madoka was a nice read, she definitely shows a great deal of trying to understand herself through such personal battles.

I should probably take the time to add some more characters later when I think of further list representations for myself.

Angi

02-22-2007, 08:57 AM

I can only think of three at the moment:

Spike from Cowboy Bebop. I love his outlook on life. Like, don't do anything, but if you have to or you simply think it would be fun to, give it your all. Love the way he fights. It's like water. I really admire people like him. They do have a meaning in their lives, and they know what it is and that it's important, but they still drift.

Nausicaa: love the way she thinks about everything that's around her. If modern people were like her today, the world would be better off.

Himura Kenshin: I love the way he is. He's innocent, in a way, but at the same time he sees things with surprising clarity. He doesn't need to show off his skill to prove his worth. He doesn't fight unless there is another way of solving things, and when he does have to fight, he does his best, which is pretty damn good, and manages to teach, most of the time, why he does what he does and why he is set on stopping you while letting you live.