Anime Anime Global

March 14 is Mathematics Day.

It is the birthday of German physicist Albert Einstein and is also the anniversary of Pi Day.

Many characters in anime and video games are good in mathematics and other “science and math” subjects. They are portrayed in various ways, such as solving any difficult calculation by rote, being a researcher who earned a doctorate from a university despite being a teenager, or having perfect scores in science subjects but being a complete failure in humanities subjects.

So here at Anime! Anime!, we conducted a reader survey titled ‘Speaking of “science and math” what characters come you your mind?’ During the survey period from February 22 to March 1, we received responses from 96 readers.
The male-female ratio was approximately 25% male and 75% female. The age group was mainly young, with about 55% of the respondents being 19 years old or younger and 25% in their 20s.

■Characters who are good at inventing are also ranked in the list!

No. 1

In first place was Ishigami Senku from “Dr. Stone”. The approval rating was about 30 percent.

Ishigami Senku is the main character who tries to revive civilization with science. Readers commented, “He has an unbelievable knowledge of science. He is a genius who uses it to do his best to help everyone survive in a world after the collapse of civilization” and “He can do mental arithmetic at a ridiculously fast pace and has a lot of scientific knowledge…… I think he is the strongest science boy character in history.” We received comments that the character has passion and enthusiasm for science.
This popular work, whose original manga has just reached its final episode and an anime sequel is also in the works, took the top spot.

No. 2

In second place was Haibara Ai from “Detective Conan”. The approval rating was about 7 percent.

“Ai developed a medicine that transcended common sense in her teens. Her mental calculation of the acceleration of gravity and her handling of the computer in the movie “Countdown to Heaven” are also amazing”. The latest film, “Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween,” is scheduled for release on April 15.

No. 3

In third place was a tie between Ogata Rizu from “We Never Learn,” Ryugazaki Rei from “Free!” and Yamada Saburo from “Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-“.
For Ogata Rizu, “She is a genius who is said to have no equal in science-related subjects”, for Ryugazaki Rei, “He was the first science-related character that came to mind. I like that he is a theoretician and has a unique aesthetic” and for Yamada Saburo, “Yamada Saburo won the Math Olympiad even though he was still young” were the comments we received.

■Let’s see other comments!

For Oikura Sodachi from “Owarimonogatari,” the comments were: “She must be the woman who loves mathematics the most in the world, and that’s why she is called the math fairy. Thanks to her Monty Hall problem, not only Araragi-kun but also I fell in love with mathematics.”
For William James Moriarty from “Moriarty the Patriot,” “He’s a math professor in his day job, and when he’s on a luxury cruise ship, he even looks at the spiral staircase and thinks about the golden ratio.”

For Mamecchi from ‘Tamagotchi!, “He is so good at calculations that he invented not only a machine but also a Tamagotchi, Happyhappytchi.”
For Koiso Kenji from “Summer Wars”, “He is a member of the physics club and good at math. He was a strong contender to represent Japan in the International Mathematical Olympiad.” There were some votes for the protagonist in a movie.

Characters who are good at invention and mental arithmetic were prominent in this year’s survey. Science-related works such as “Dr. Stone” and “STEINS;GATE” were also ranked in the list.

■Top 10 Ranking

[Speaking of “science and math” what characters come you your mind?]
No. 1 Ishigami Senku “Dr. Stone”
No. 2 Haibara Ai “Detective Conan”
No. 3 Ogata Rizu “We Never Learn”
No. 3 Ryugazaki Rei “Free!”
No. 3 Yamada Saburo “Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle”
No. 6 Uesugi Kazunori “Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note”
No. 7 Azul Ashengrotto “Disney’s Twisted Wonderland”
No. 7 N “Pokemon”
No. 7 Oikura Sodachi “Owarimonogatari”
No. 7 Okabe Rintaro “STEINS;GATE”
No. 7 Koiso Kenji “Summer Wars”
No. 7 Satomi Touka “Magia Records: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Gaiden”
No. 7 Himuro Ayame “Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It ”
No.7 Minami Mirei “PriPara”

(Response period: February 22, 2022 – March 1, 2022)

*This survey is part of an awareness survey of readers’ interest in and attention to current anime works and characters. The results are not intended to determine the superiority or inferiority of any character or work. We hope that this article will help you learn about new works and characters, and deepen your understanding and interest in them.