Mr. Ral, Gundam Build Fighters
Though nothing is ever explicitly laid out, Mr. Ral shares an impressive number of similarities with Ramba Ral, the ruthless lieutenant of ‘79 classic Mobile Suit Gundam. The humor is in the contrast between Mr. Ral, a bashful fanboy, and Ramba Ral, a dignified warrior. Each episode has me wondering which Lt. Ral throwback he’ll spoof next.
Kenjiro Hato, Genshiken Second Season
The most beautiful guy on the list, Hato-kun is a crossdresser who doesn’t know what he wants. A fudanshi (male fujoshi), Hato has developed an elaborate female persona to avoid attention while he’s enjoying BL, but his good looks get him more than he bargained for! For such an unusual backstory, Hato’s is relatable. Like the rest of us, he’s still working on finding himself.
Jean Kirschstein, Attack on Titan
It’s not so much Jean I like as the fandom around him. The “What is it, Eren?” meme, inspired by an Exorcist-style pose of Jean’s in the manga, still cracks me up. Like most every character in Attack on Titan, Jean’s character development is exemplary as we watch him go from caustic troublemaker to nervy badass.
Shimogamo Yajiro, The Eccentric Family
We first meet Yajiro as a frog in the bottom of a well. Though this family of tanuki can shapeshift, Yajiro has lost the heart to after the death of his father. But as the mystery of his father’s death unravels, Yajiro undergoes a dramatic change, and some of the most uproarious shapeshifts of the series, including nothing less than public transit.
Yakomaru/Squealer, From the New World
We first meet this Monster Rat as a humble servant to the all-powerful humans of this series. But this duplicitous creature has untold ambitions which he won’t stop at anything to achieve. Barely human and brimming with Machiavellian ideals, Yakomaru makes a treacherous foe.
This post is the tenth installment of The Twelve Days Of Anime, a blogging series in which anime fans write about shows that inspired or impressed on them this year.