June 6 was “The Older Brother Day”.

It was established by Hatada Kunio, a manga artist, who also proposed the day of the younger brother on March 6, the day of the younger sister on September 6, and the day of the older sister on December 6.

There are many older brother characters in anime and games. They are depicted in a variety of ways, such as a reliable brother, a troublemaker who always causes problems, and a little disappointing brother.

Therefore, Anime!Anime! conducted a reader survey titled ‘Who is your favorite “older brother character”?’. During the survey period from May 26 to June 2, a total of 332 responses were received. For the gender ratio, the females were the majority with about 80% while the males were about 20%. For the age distribution, we received the majority of responses from the young readers: about 50% were from teens, and 30% were from those in their 20s.

■Brothers who are devoted to their family are popular!
1st place
1st place went to Kamui from “Gintama”. The support rating was about 8%.

Kamui is an older brother of the heroine, Kagura. The comments received were, “Due to some accident, his family members were separated, and he pushed his younger sister away. However, he is still caring about her. He is an attractive character that cannot get over that” and “At first, I thought ‘These siblings are on too bad terms!’, but he has gradually been revealing his aspect as an older brother… I was moved by the scene where they battled together so much!” His hidden love for his family attracted a lot of fans. Another reader said, “My heart throbbed when I heard his line ‘It’s because I am an older brother'”. Many fans were attracted by his lines that show his sense of responsibility as an older brother.

2nd place
2nd place went to Kamado Tanjirou from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”. The support rating was about 6%.

He is a protagonist who cares about his younger sister as well. The comments received were, “He is a reliable brother who takes care of Nezuko, his younger sister and his sole family. In the episodes, it is emphasized that he is the oldest sibling”, “He joins the Demon Slayer Corps to restore the humanity of his sister, and risks his life to protect her. Including such a personality as the oldest sibling and his thoughtfulness, no other brother character cannot defeat Tanjiro!”, “He is determined to do everything to protect his younger sister. It is really cool, and I sincerely thought that ‘I want a brother like him……!'”.
Rengoku Kyojuro, who played an active role in the movie, shared 14th place.

3rd place
3rd place went to Yamada Ichiro from “Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle”. He was only 1 vote behind 2nd place.

Yamada Ichiro is a leader of Buster Bros!!!, the oldest son of the Yamada family, and proprietor of Odd Jobs Yamada. The readers admire him as an individuality, saying “I like him always thinking positively and making an effort as the oldest sibling, breadwinner, and a business owner”, “He is a breadwinner that supports his two younger brothers even though he is still 19 years old. He takes good care of them, and loves them more than anything. He is a model of brother”, and “He keeps in mind to protect vulnerable people. His belief and life are so cool both as an individuality and brother”.

■Let’s introduce other comments!!
For Akai Shuichi from “Detective Conan”.
“He is the oldest son of the Akai family and an FBI sniper. He always watches over his younger sister, Sera Masumi, from a distance. In ‘The Scarlet Bullet’, the collaboration scene with his younger brother, Haneda Shukichi, was super cool!”.
For Izumi Mitsuki from “Idolish7”.
“Iori-kun apparently looks the oldest of Izumi siblings as he is calm. However, once you see Mitsuki-kun’s caring and warm-hearted personality, you will understand that he is the oldest”.

For Matsuno Osomatsu “Mr. Osomatsu”.
“He is always acting like an idiot and unreliable, but he can get things done when needed as the oldest sibling”.
For Lelouch Lamperouge from “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”.
“His attitude that he would protect his younger sister, Nunnally, even if he were to turn the world against him, is too amazing”.
Various older brother characters were ranked.

In this survey about favorite older brother characters, the characters full of love for their family, who take care of their younger brother or sister, were ranked high. The reliable brothers that watch over their siblings and protect them when they get in trouble attracted a lot of fans.

■Ranking Top 20
[Who is your favorite “older brother character”?]
1. Kamui “Gintama”
2. Kamado Tanjirou “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
3. Yamada Ichiro “Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle”
4. Uchiha Itachi “Naruto”
5. Akai Shuichi “Detective Conan”
6. Kinomoto Toya “Cardcaptor Sakura”
7. Edward Elric “Fullmetal Alchemist”
7. Portgas D. Ace “One Piece”
9. Tanizaki Junichiro “Bungo Stray Dogs”
9. Haneda Shukichi “Detective Conan”
11. Matsuno Osomatsu “Mr. Osomatsu”
12. Izumi Mitsuki “Idolish7”
12. Lelouch Lamperouge “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”
14. Shiba Tatsuya “The Irregular at Magic High School”
14. Choso “Jujutsu Kaisen”
14. Rengoku Kyojuro “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
17. Kashima Ryuichi “School Babysitters”
17. Sakuma Rei “Ensemble Stars!
19. Aohitsugi Samatoki “Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle”
20. Okumura Rin “Blue Exorcist”

（Survey Period: May 26 – June 2, 2021)

*This survey is intended to research the readers’ “interest in anime and characters today”. It is not intended to discuss the relative merits of each character nor work. I would be glad if this article can help you develop an understanding and interest in the anime and characters.