30 Anime Characters – Appreciation Post!

1) Kaiji from Kaiji

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I love Kaiji and other FKMT series.

Chang and Mario would be on this list if Kaiji got a season three. I am hoping for it to happen…

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2) Turtle from Rainbow

Turtle from Rainbow is the best friend one could have. He deserves so much recognition.

3) Ayanokoji from The Classroom of the Elite

I’ve written about Ayanokoji before, but he’s the most unfazed character I’ve seen. Having him as the MC was a breath of fresh air.

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4) Seiya from Cautious Hero

Cautious Hero’s a funny anime. You can read my impressions of the first episode here.

5) Mafuyu from Given

Mafuyu’s voice is so good. I’m really impressed with his VA. I can’t wait to watch the Given movie.

6) Tanjiro from Demon Slayer

Tanjiro is so sweet and caring. I’ve written about Tanjiro before (click here to read the post). He inspires me to never give up.

7) Nezuko from Demon Slayer

Nezuko is adorable. She feels the same amount of care towards Tanjiro and she’s very strong.

8) Haru from My Roommate is a Cat

In my review of the anime, I wrote that in the second half of each episode, the story is retold from the cat’s point of view. Haru seems more mature than the human MC in some ways.

9) Naofumi from The Rising of the Shield Hero

Naofumi went through so many cursed events, which resulted in a great change in his personality. He went from being naive to cynical. He was the true hero while the rest did more harm than good.

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10) The Queen from Shield Hero

Thanks to the Queen, Naofumi got justice and cleared his name.

11) Levi from Attack on Titan

Who doesn’t like Levi?

12) Izaya from Durarara!!

Izaya is my favourite anime character. I wrote about the reasons I like him in a post. I even have a DRRR ita bag because of him.

View this post on Instagram

Showing my love for my husband. Izaya loves fatty tuna #izaya #drrr #durarara #izayaorihara #itabag #anime #husbando #animepins

A post shared by Rose 柔柔 (@misswavescosplay) on Mar 26, 2019 at 9:26pm PDT

13) Sakurai from Recovery of an MMO Junkie

Sakurai is so wholesome.

14) Hirotaka from Wotakoi

Yes.

15) Mii-kun from How to Keep a Mummy

Mii-kun is adorable.

16) Airi from Erased

Airi’s really cool. I wish we saw more of her.

17) Satoru from Erased

Erased is about a man who goes back in time to prevent a series of murders. He goes back into his body from when he was a child but everything else (memories as an adult, cognitive skills, etc.) remains the same.

18) Aizawa from My Hero Academia

This was a good episode.

19) Conan from Detective Conan

Like Satoru from Erased, Conan is also transformed into a kid.

20) Laboon from One Piece

One Piece has a lot of characters. In fact, there’s over a thousand of them. Here’s a few of them.

21) Chouchou from One Piece

It was characters like Chouchou that made me like One Piece so much.

22) Ace from One Piece

23. Luffy from One Piece

24) Juuzou from Tokyo Ghoul

Juuzou is one of my favourite characters.

25) Ye Xiu from The King’s Avatar

Ye Xiu is a cool protagonist. I really like “starting over” and “secret identity” type of shows.

26) Senku from Dr. Stone

Senku is a genius.

27) Reigen from Mob Psycho

I loved Mob Psycho, especially the second season. I don’t remember the context for this at all…

28) Tokuchi from One Outs

One Outs is a really good psychological anime.

29) Saiki from Saiki

The Japanese VA who voiced Seiki also voiced Izaya and Levi. I love his characters.

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30) Twelve from Zankyou no Terror

The bike scene in this anime is amazing.

Two-thirds of these characters are main characters. To me, a likeable protagonist makes all the difference.

Tonegawa’s Speech [Kaiji]

I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram (this is nothing new) and I came across this meme.

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I immediately thought about Tonegawa from Kaiji. So I rewatched his speeches and I really like this one.

Normally, those people would never wake up from their fantasy worlds. They live meaningless lives. They waste their precious days over nothing. No matter how old they get, they’ll continue to say, “My real life hasn’t started yet. The real me is still asleep, so that’s why my life is such garbage.” They continue to tell themselves that. And they age. Then die. And on their deathbeds, they will finally realize: the life they lived was the real thing. People don’t live provisional lives, nor do they die provisional deaths. That’s a simple fact! The problem… is whether they realize that simple fact.” – Yukio Tonegawa

Frankly, I felt called out. I often tell myself that I don’t belong here and that I wish I could teleport to another world. That I feel like an alien sometimes. I frequently think, “If only I could do this… If only I had this…”

Tonegawa’s speech makes a lot of sense to me. Whatever fantasy world I’m dreaming of, I need to wake up from it. I need to recognize that I am living my real life right now. It is a simple fact…

Let’s say you recognize that you’ve been wasting your life away. Then what?? Thinking is easy, but taking action is not.

My Anime Preferences ≠ Wholesome?

Some people think that I like wholesome shows or shows from the shojo genre. My university’s anime club held a shojo trivia game and I wasn’t very helpful… Sure, I’ve watched shows from every genre but I didn’t know the majority of the answers.

So then… what kind of shows do I like? Well… I wouldn’t exactly classify them as ‘wholesome.’

From top to bottom: Parasyte, Death Note, Attack on Titan, Kaiji, and Zankyou no Terror. I also like Attack on Titan and Inuyashiki.

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So what does this all mean? What do my anime preferences say about me as a person?

Absolutely nothing at all, except that I like interesting anime. Hahaha.

In Defence of Kaiji

I read a blog post about Kaiji and the person wrote that Kaiji is an evil series that promotes sin and a bunch of other things. Yes, the characters lie and betray one another for personal gain and greed. Yes, some characters have died or are subject to inhumane human labour. Yes, some characters have lost limbs as a result of losing a gamble. Does the manga promote crime and murder though? I fail to see it.

It’s a work of fiction. Am I as a reader going to go and start deceiving people for my personal gain because I’ve read this series? Of course not. What I got from the manga is an intense and exciting reading experience. Most of the time, you read manga for entertainment. Am I a bad person for reading this series because some characters have died and other characters are in terrible life situations? What series doesn’t have something like this.

Kaiji Itou is a man thrown into unfortunate circumstances. He’s not particularly smart like Akagi, for example, and sometimes loses his gambles. What strikes me about him is his perseverance and desire to overcome his obstacles. This is why many people became interested in the series. I am caught up on the manga and do not think that this has changed. Kaiji still has obstacles he needs to overcome but he has been vigilant and cautious in Part 6 of the manga.

At least in my experience, I feel motivated after reading Kaiji. Seeing Kaiji so determined makes me want to do something. This “something” can be as simple as getting out of bed. Sometimes I look at my life and think, what would Kaiji do? He wouldn’t give up like this. There are many inspirational quotes in Kaiji.

As for the Tonegawa series and comedy spin offs, I think they are fine as long as they are separate from the Kaiji manga (and they are). I’ve read the spin-off manga and watched the spin-off anime. I know that spin-off Tonegawa is not the same person as Tonegawa in the Kaiji series. That being said, spin-off Tonegawa does not change how I view Tonegawa in the Kaiji series. Tonegawa is a separate series and should be seen as such.

Tsundoku 積ん読

I was reading Kaiji Part 6, 賭博堕天録カイジ 24億脱出編 and these pages stood out to me.

Basically, Kurosaki owns a campervan that he hasn’t used. He tells Endo his dream of travelling all over Japan in his campervan. He has a pile of books he hasn’t read and plans to read them. Endo thinks that if Kurosaki hasn’t read a short 200-page book yet, then it won’t happen. Endo also thinks that this is all a fantasy; that Kurosaki will be bored of this kind of life in less than a month.

This made me think. I also have a pile of books I haven’t read yet. I keep buying books with the intention of reading them but I buy books faster than I can read them. There is a Japanese word for it and it’s “tsundoku.” Endo’s line, “Maybe you’re not even suited to reading books in the first place?” felt like it was calling me out on a personal level. I’ve probably read over 10,000 chapters of manga but when it comes to novels, maybe I’m too optimistic.

Sometimes I think about throwing my phone in a river and living in a cottage. I think about it again then realize that I would be bored in less than a day. I long for a simple life, but I think I secretly crave for something much more chaotic.

This is the kind of person I am.

My Top Anime of the Decade List

I’ll be sharing my favourite anime that were aired each year from the years 2010-2019. Since I watch completed anime as well, I’ll be going with the aired date and not the year I watched the anime. Fun fact: I’ve been watching anime for about 13 years.

2010 – Durarara!!

My favourite anime character of all time is from this anime (Izaya Orihara) and I think this anime is really unique. The music is beautifully done and you just fall in love with Ikebukuro. All of the opening and ending songs are amazing.

2011 – Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen (Kaiji Season 2)

Kaiji is my second favourite anime (my first favourite is One Piece). This season ended in such a fantastic way. The opening song is great. I felt really nervous during some moments of the anime but that’s part of the fun. I really wish for a season 3.

Runner-up: Sekaiichi Hatsukoi

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi was my first BL anime and continues to be one of my favourite BL anime. This is the anime that started my fujo journey lolol.

2012 – Saint☆Oniisan

This is only two episodes but I thought this anime was really funny. I recommend watching the movie as well. It’s about Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha living together in an apartment in Tokyo.

2013 – Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

My favourite season of Attack on Titan is actually Season 3 Part 2 but Season 1 is great. It got me interested in watching all the episodes of Attack on Titan thus far and I will watch the next season when it is out.

2014 – Zankyou no Terror

I really love the music in this anime. This is one of my favourite anime.

Runner-up: Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu (Parasyte)

2015 – Tokyo Ghoul √A (Tokyo Ghoul Season 2)

I’m a big fan of Tokyo Ghoul because I love the themes of what it means to be a ghoul and what it means to be a human. I also love the music. Juuzou Suzuya is my favourite character – I liked this season because Juuzou and Shinohara had precious moments together.

2016 – Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)

The ending was rushed so I did not like that, but everything else was done well. The Japanese live-action on Netflix is an amazing adaptation so I recommend the live-action as well. They did something different with the ending.

Runner-up: Mob Psycho 100

I did like the second season of Mob Psycho 100 more, but I really enjoyed watching this one.

2017 – Inuyashiki

The opening song by Man With a Mission got me into the band and then I attended their concert in 2019 – it was awesome. I really like the concept of two people having the same powers and abilities but using them for completely different reasons: one who cures people of diseases while the other goes on a murder spree.

Runner-ups: Made in Abyss

I couldn’t narrow it down to just one runner-up… I definitely recommend Made in Abyss. The animation, cute character design (but don’t be fooled, it is a twisted anime), and music – everything is great.

Net-juu no Susume (Recovery of an MMO Junkie)

This anime is adorable and it’s one of my favourite romance anime.

2018 – Koi wa Ameagari no You ni (After the Rain)

One of the most visually appealing anime I have seen. It makes me feel so calm because of the cool tones and beautiful backgrounds. I fell in love with hydrangeas after watching this anime. The music is beautiful and I like the themes of books and loss (Masami Kondou gave up on writing a book and enjoys reading books; Akira Tachibana got into an accident and lost the ability to run). I reviewed this anime.

Runner-up: Chuukan Kanriroku Tonegawa (Middle Manager Tonegawa)

This is a spin-off series of Kaiji and it’s hilarious. You see a different side of Tonegawa and Ootsuki.

2019 –

It is really difficult to decide my favourite anime of 2019. I liked Babylon, My Roommate is a Cat, Given, Demon Slayer, Mob Psycho 100, Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2, Shield Hero, The Promised Neverland, and more… How am I supposed to narrow it down to one anime!?

I’ll take out Babylon since it has not finished airing but… I still can’t decide!!!

Can all of them be my favourites of 2019..?

Deceiver’s Distrust in Psychological Anime & Manga

I was studying for an exam and the term, deceiver’s distrust, came up.

Deceiver’s distrust = When people lie to others, they often begin to perceive the recipients of the lies as less honest and trustworthy as a result.

I thought about it, and it does happen in a lot of psychological and gambling anime. Two examples of deceiver’s distrust in anime and manga are Kaiji and Liar Game. Deceiver’s distrust plays out often in these two series, but I’ll outline two specific scenarios. Spoilers ahead!

1. Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

Kaiji is the best psychological anime I’ve seen. I highly recommend it. In a match against Middle Manager Tonegawa, Kaiji trusted Tonegawa. Tonegawa, who was cheating the entire match, believed that Kaiji had switched the cards for his own benefit. Because Kaiji trusted Tonegawa and because Tonegawa thought that Kaiji had switched the cards, he lost… bitterly.

2. Liar Game

Liar Game is a psychological manga. I highly recommend this series as well, but the ending was extremely disappointing. During the Contraband game, Nao and Akiyama promised to save everyone, even though it meant that they had to move onto the next round. Yokoya, who was secretly smuggling money into his own account, did not believe Nao and Akiyama’s good intentions. He called them losers, stupid, and foolish. Spoiler alert: he lost the match.

There are many more examples of deceiver’s distrust in anime and manga. Can you think of other examples? What about in real life? Perhaps believing that others are less honest and trustworthy reduces their own guilt. What do you think?

Update: October 2019

All of these pictures were posted on my Instagram, but I thought I would post them in a blog format.

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Can’t wait to read this book~

Thanks crew~

Katsu with soba~

My first Kaiji thing. It’s pretty much impossible to find anything from this anime in Canada… Thank you to my friend for the belated birthday gift! Those who watched Kaiji Season 2 will know about the dice… The ざわざわ wrapping paper OMG

Bought this Totoro mug cover

Mazesoba

Picked this up yesterday at the store

Shungiku Nakamura is one of my favourite mangaka ^^

Taiyaki~

Chirashi don~

Matcha ice cream

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Should I keep doing this kind of monthly update? Let me know. x)

🌸🌸🌸 Rose

Get to Know Me: Favourite Anime

Genres are kind of an iffy thing, but I got most of these genres from MAL. These are the genres I watch more frequently.

Favourite Action

When it comes to action shows, I like shows with more graphic content.

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• Inuyashiki
• Parasyte

• One Piece
• Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
• Mob Psycho 100 II
• Tokyo Ghoul

Favourite Psychological

This is probably my favourite genre, but there aren’t too many good psychological anime.

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1. Kaiji
2. One Outs

Favourite Mystery

1. Death Note
2. Erased
3. Zankyou no Terror
4. Hell Girl: Two Mirrors
5. Heaven’s Memo Pad

Favourite Boys Love

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1. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
2. Given

Favourite Slice of Life

I’m not a big Slice of Life fan, but I love these ones.

1. My Roommate is a Cat
2. Violet Evergarden
3. Natsume’s Book of Friends

Favourite Romance

I don’t watch a lot of romance anime. I’m more into action, psychological, and mystery shows.

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1. Recovery of an MMO Junkie
2. After the Rain

Favourite Comedy

I don’t watch a lot of comedy but these shows made me laugh. They match my sense of humour perfectly.

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1. Middle Manager Tonegawa
2. Saint Onii-san

Favourite Others

I think these shows are really unique.

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1. Made in Abyss
2. Durarara!!
3. Carole & Tuesday

Manga Review: Koushiki Ekkyouden – Fukumoto All Stars

Fukumoto All Stars is an adorable and funny manga featuring different characters from Fukumoto’s works. The authors had Nobuyuki Fukumoto’s cooperation and the characters are drawn in chibi style. This short manga is similar to Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals and Attack on Titan: Junior High.

It’s ideal if you have read or watched Kaiji, Akagi and other FKMT series because this manga relies on references to Fukumoto’s earlier works.

Thoughts: The art is adorable! It is quite funny, but the tropes get repetitive after a while. For example, Kaiji betting a limb to gamble because he doesn’t have money to gamble with.

If you have seen and liked the Kaiji spin-off anime, Middle Manager Tonegawa, then you’ll like this manga. (You can read my review on Middle Manager Tonegawa here.) You can finish reading Fukumoto All Stars in one sitting. The tropes become increasingly repetitive so I think the short length is appropriate. Overall, I think it’s worth checking out because you get to see the characters from different FKMT series interact with each other!