Anime Anime Global

October 30 is “Hatsukoi no Hi (First Love Day)”.

The anniversary was established as Shimazaki Toson, a Japanese author in the Meiji era, published a poem titled “Hatsukoi (First Love)” on the same day in 1896. The poem beginning with the phrase “Mada age zome shi maegami no (lit. you had swept back your bangs for the first time)” is still loved by a lot of people.

There are many attractive characters that you will fall in love with before you realize it. Such characters may have been the first love for some people. You will have strong feelings especially for the characters that you liked when you are a child, and it will make you feel something special when you watch the works again after you’ve grown up.

Therefore, Anime!Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Who is your ‘first love’ character?”. During the survey period from October 18 – 25, a total of 482 responses were received. For the gender ratio, the females were the majority with about 85% while the males were about 15%. For the age distribution, we received the majority of responses from the young readers: about 50% were from teens, and 35% were from those in their 20s.

In this article, we will introduce the results for the female characters edition.

■The fighting heroines have assembled!

1st Place

1st place went to Mouri Ran from “Detective Conan”. The support rating was about 14%. Even though she was tied for 1st place last year, she is in sole possession of 1st place this year.

The received comments include, “She is good at cooking and very reliable. She is a sister character that takes care of children, and is devoted to Shinichi. Moreover, she has a grade in karate and has good luck. How perfect she is!”, and “I like her looking a little sorrowful yet happy when Shinichi appears”. Many readers mentioned her being an all-rounder and the relationship with Shinichi.

Haibara Ai has has also made an appearance, tied for 5th place. Following the ranking of male characters, the female characters from “Conan” also took the top spot.

2nd Place

2nd place went to Kamado Nezuko from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”. The support rating was about 4%.

“Her figure of holding bamboo in her mouth is cute and impressive. She is also cute after becoming small”, and “I was moved by her strong will that she never loses her humanity even after turning into a demon”. The fond relationship between her and her brother seems to have attracted the readers. From “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”, Kocho Shinobu has also ranked in. The latest title, which is currently on air, shows its enduring popularity.

3rd Place

3rd place was shared between Kinomoto Sakura from “Cardcaptor Sakura” and Kugisaki Nobara from “Jujutsu Kaisen”. The support rating was 3%.

The received comments for Kinomoto Sakura include, “I was encouraged by Sakura-chan, who is always kind and cute, giving it her all to collect cards” and “She is always cute no matter what she does. I understand why Tomoyo-chan wants to film her!”

The received comments for Kugisaki Nobara include, “I have never expected female characters to be this cool. I was really into her…” and “I like how she has both coolness and cuteness”. These characters gained popularity from both male and female readers.

■Let’s introduce other comments!

“Aikatsu!” Hoshimiya Ichigo
“This work introduced me to anime. Cute smile, beautiful blonde hair, gentle heart, and a little goofiness. I like how Ichigo-chan shows us various sides.”

“Nisekoi” Onodera Kosaki
“When I was a sixth grader, I first watched anime that was broadcast late at night. The cute character and voice of Hanazawa Kana-san combined, was the first time that I thought that I had fallen in love with a character.”

Segawa Onpu “Ojamajo Doremi”
“She is thoughtful about her friends, and her visual and voice are both cute. Also, everyone longs to be an idol. I wanted to be like Onpu-chan for a long time.”

Anmitsu Hime “Anmitsu Hime”
“My mom said that this is the first anime that I concentrated on watching when I was 3 or 4. I still remember that Anmitsu Hime was dancing while swinging her body from side to side, in the climax of the ending theme song ‘Anmitsu Daisakusen’.”

The titles from a wide range of generations have been voted.

In the female edition, various heroines have been ranked in. The characters, who are also good at fighting such as Mouri Ran at 1st place, stand out. The female edition has become a more furious battle than the male edition in that 14th place was shared among 12 characters.

■Ranking Top 10

－Who is your “first love” character? Female characters edition 2021－
1. Mouri Ran “Detective Conan”
2. Kamado Nezuko “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
3. Kinomoto Sakura “Cardcaptor Sakura”
3. Kugisaki Nobara “Jujutsu Kaisen”
5. Haibara Ai “Detective Conan”
5. Mikasa Ackerman “Attack on Titan”
7. Kagura “Gintama”
7. Kocho Shinobu “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
7. Segawa Onpu “Ojamajo Doremi”
7. Tenou Haruka “Sailor Moon”
7. Nakano Yotsuba “The Quintessential Quintuplets”
7. Hyuga Hinata “Naruto”
7. Lum “Urusei Yatsura”

（Survey Period: October 18 – 25, 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 anime and characters.

■Ranking Top 20

－Who is your “first love” character? Female characters edition 2021－

1. Mouri Ran “Detective Conan”
2. Kamado Nezuko “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
3. Kinomoto Sakura “Cardcaptor Sakura”
3. Kugisaki Nobara “Jujutsu Kaisen”
5. Haibara Ai “Detective Conan”
5. Mikasa Ackerman “Attack on Titan”
7. Kagura “Gintama”
7. Kocho Shinobu “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
7. Segawa Onpu “Ojamajo Doremi”
7. Tenou Haruka “Sailor Moon”
7. Nakano Yotsuba “The Quintessential Quintuplets”
7. Hyuga Hinata “Naruto”
7. Lum “Urusei Yatsura”
14. Ayanami Rei “Neon Genesis Evangelion”
14. Kirisame Marisa “Touhou Project”
14. Sango “Inuyasha”
14. Shimizu Kiyoko “Haikyu!!”
14. Shampoo “Ranma 1/2”
14. Chino (Kafu Chino) “Is the Order a Rabbit?”
14. Tsukuyo “GIntama”
14. Nausicaä “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”
14. Nakano Miku “The Quintessential Quintuplets”
14. Maetel “Galaxy Express 999”
14. Menma “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day”
14. Rem “Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World”

（Survey Period: October 18 – 25, 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 anime and characters.