Feb. 3 is ”Setsubun". (the day between two seasons) People throw beans on this day saying "Oni wa Soto, Fuku wa Uchi" (Bye-bye demons, welcome good fortune) to expel evil spirits and wish good luck for the year. There are many characters inspired by Oni (demon, ogre) in anime. They are depicted in various ways, having horns on their head, having the strength of an Oni, and sometimes are so cute that no one would believe they're an Oni. Here at Anime!Anime! we asked the readers "Who is your favorite Oni character in anime?", just as we did last year. There were 134 votes during the survey period of Jan. 22 to Jan. 29. The male-female ratio was 30% male to 70% female with more female respondents, and the age group leaned on the younger side with 60% being 19 and younger, and 25% being in their 20s. ■The most popular Oni was Nezuko from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba". A wide variety of Oni's ranked in! Taking 1st place was Kamado Nezuko from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" with 20% of the votes. Nezuko is the younger sister of the protagonist, Kamado Tanjirou. She was attacked by Oni's and has been turned into an Oni herself. "Though it was unfair that she was turned into an Oni, her and her brother Tanjiro kickass when it comes to saving others", "Because she loves her brother and is a friendly Oni that doesn't eat people" are the comments she received, pointing out the difference between the other Oni and her humanly side. Some also like her appearance saying, "She's so cute with that bamboo in her mouth." Coming in 2nd was Hozuki from "Hozuki's Coolheadedness" receiving 16% of the vote. "He not only is able to get any job done but he also has commonsense and is well respected. I would love to have such a high-spec boss" is a comment that shows how highly he is praised as the deputy of King Enma. Since the original manga has finished in Jan. 2020, there were many voices looking forward to the production of a new series of anime, such as "The final episode was very memorable, this vote is to express my hope for a new anime series!" 3rd place went to Rem from "Re: Zero − Starting Life in Another World" with 10% of the votes. Rem is one of the twins who work at Roswaal's mansion as maids. She received a comment about her relationship with the protagonist Natsuki Subaru, "Her feelings for the main character are so loyal and cute". Her sister Ram also ranked in at 9th place and received a comment saying, "Because she is such a kind, strong, yet cute person that would give her life to save her sister." ■Below are comments other characters have received "It's been almost 40 years since her debut, but in my opinion, she's still one of the top heroines." and "I love her cosplay" for Lum from "Urusei Yatsura". "Because he is an awesome villain that has pride as an Oni and has a strong sense of duty" for Kazama Chikage from "Hakuouki". "Because he's a short-lived goblin, he's already an adult though being in his teens. I loved the voice of Chiba Shigeru in the anime adaption." for Grick Graycrack from "What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?". There was even a vote for the popular anime on NHK saying, "It's so cute how they work hard to retrieve the scepter from Ojarumaru. Also, I love how they get on top of each other." for The Oni Child Trio from "Ojarumaru". Several characters from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" has ranked in the 2020 edition. Many characters left quite an impression such as; "Though being a villain, he is such an interesting character. He's the best Oni since even his allies (also Oni) are afraid of him!" for Kimutsuji Muzan, and "I love how he appears to be ruthless, but in fact, it's because of his rough past." for Rui. ■Top 10 [Who is your favorite Oni character in anime? 2020 edition] 1. Kamado Nezuko "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" 2. Hozuki "Hozuki's Coolheadedness" 3. Rem "Re: Zero − Starting Life in Another World" 4. Kibutsuji Muzan "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" 5. Lum "Urusei Yatsura" 6. Kazama Chikage "Hakuouki" 6. Rui "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" 6. Shizuno "Somali and the Forest Spirit" 9. Ram "Re: Zero − Starting Life in Another World" 10. Black Shinkalion Ogre "Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion THE ANIMATION" 10. Gedoumaru "Gintama" 10. The Oni Child Trio "Ojarumaru" 10. Hijikata Toshirou "Gintama" 10. Oshino Shinobu (Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade) "Monogatari" Series (Survey Period: Jan. 22 to Jan. 29, 2020)

Among the various expressions of love towards anime characters, the culture of celebrating their birthday has become quite familiar. Many of you have seen on SNS (Social Networking Service) posts regarding blessing illustrations, photos of parties where cakes are surrounded by goods, etc., haven't you? Here at Anime! Anime! we have conducted a survey asking "Which December born anime character did you celebrate the birthday of??". In the survey period between Jan. 1 and Jan. 3, we have received answers from 92 people. The gender ratio was 25% male and 75% female with the majority of female respondents, while the age range was 60% being under 19 and 25% being in their 20s, focusing mainly on young people. ■ Nezuko from "Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer)" and Levi from "Attack on Titan" tied at the top! The first place goes to Kamado Nezuko from "Demon Slayer" and Levi from "Attack on Titan" with the same percentage of votes equal to 10%. Nezuko from "Demon Slayer" is the younger sister of Tanjirou, the protagonist, who was turned into a demon. After that, her feelings towards her brother seemed not to have changed, though she was not able to put them into words. The birthday of Kamado Nezuko is Dec. 28. Levi from "Attack on Titan", known as the "humanity's strongest soldier", is the captain of the Survey Corps. He is a charming character that shows various aspects of his personality, such as his love of keeping everything clean. The third place goes to Hijirikawa Masato from "Uta no Prince-sama" and Lelouch Lamperouge from "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" with the same percentage of votes. Hijirikawa Masato is a member of the idol group ST☆RISH. He is a character with a serious personality, born and raised in a zaibatsu. His birthday is Dec. 29. The movie version of the anime released in 2019 could be the main reason for the number of votes he has collected. Lelouch Lamperouge is a young man who planned the revolution against the Empire of Britannia. His birthday is Dec. 5. The release of the anime movie "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection" in 2019 has contributed to his ranking success. In this survey, the characters born after and before Christmas stand out at the top. Takano Masamune from "Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi" (born on Dec. 24) follows on the 5th rank, while Victor Nikiforov from "Yuri!!! on Ice" is 7th, both fighting their position with other characters ranked with the same number of votes. In addition, characters whose titles are not planned to have an anime adaptation are also included in the ranking, such as Yamada Saburo from "Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle". We will be conducting a survey for the characters born in January, so please look forward. ■ Top ranking "Which December born anime character did you celebrate the birthday of?" 1. Kamado Nezuko "Demon Slayer" (Dec. 28) 1. Levi "Attack on Titan" (Dec. 25) 3. Hijirikawa Masato "Uta no Prince-sama" (Dec. 29) 3. Lelouch Lamperouge "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" (Dec. 5) 5. Takano Masamune "Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi" (Dec. 24) 5. Hidaka Hokuto "Ensemble Stars!" (Dec. 17) 7. Akashi Seijuurou "Kuroko's Basketball" (Dec. 20) 7. Sakurajima Mai "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" (Dec. 2) 7. Takatsuki Shinobu "Junjo Romantica: Pure Romance" (Dec. 18) 7. Chino (Kafuu Chino) "Is the Order a Rabbit?" (Dec. 4) 7. Victor Nikiforov "Yuri!!! on Ice" (Dec. 25) 7. Yamada Saburo "Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle" (Dec. 16) 13. Akagi Towa/Cure Scarlet "Go! Princess PreCure" (Dec. 15) 13. Dorami "Doraemon" (Dec. 2) 13. Maruo Sueo "Chibi Maruko-chan" (Dec. 31) (Survey period: Jan. 1 to Jan. 3, 2020)