Drawn of a new age
Anime heroes and heroines are finally growing up. They’re chivalrous, cheeky and vulnerable. Here are our favourites from the last few years
Kiyoka Kudou.
The ash-blonde commander from My Happy Marriage (2023) is gifted with electrokinetic and pyrokinetic powers, but hides a surprisingly gentle heart beneath his stern exterior. His patient side emerges when his engagement is arranged with Miyo Saimori. Our hero gradually helps her shed the baggage from the abuse she’s experienced from her family. Both the anime series and live-action Japanese film are on Netflix.
Hori Kyouko.
Hori-chan, the heroine in Horimiya (2021), is a typical teacher’s pet, obsessed with academics and being the popular girl at school. In reality, she’s secretly dealing with an absent mother and struggling with adult household responsibilities. When she forges a friendship with the outcast Izumi Miyamura, she learns that being responsible isn’t a bad thing. Streaming on Netflix.
Tōru Kirishima.
The Demon of Sakuragi shines in his unlikely role as babysitter of his boss’s seven-year-old daughter, Yaeka, in The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting (2022). Wry, larger-than-life, and with a sense of humour as sharp as his incisors, Kirishima is tender and patient with his shy ward, eventually drawing her out of her shell. Streaming on Netflix.
Kunieda Kei.
The gregarious TV anchor in Yes, No, or Maybe? (2020) presents a cheerful, extroverted version of himself to the world. It’s at odds with his inner self: he’s often pessimistic and depressed, and in the process of confronting his queerness. Animator Ushio Tsuzuki ends up falling for the real him, making for a very complicated story. Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Tohru Honda.
The 16-year-old orphan girl at the heart of Fruits Basket (2019) is the kind of tirelessly cheerful Pollyanna that can grate on an audience’s nerves. But there are bitter ingredients in the sweet mix. The story starts when she moves in with the Sohma family after losing her mother in an accident. That optimism is merely a shield against a magic secret she’s struggling with. Streaming on Netflix.
Vladilena Milizé.
The misunderstood warrior from 86: Eighty-six (2021) is battling the empire that’s attacking her nation. But she doesn’t really know what she’s fighting for. Still, she’s earnest, determined to win freedom for the 86 veterans she commands. She’ll stop at nothing, and isn’t above a little manipulation. Hey, it’s for the greater good, right? Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Park HyeongSeok.
In Lookism (2022), the Korean high-schooler is your every-day not-sohandsome protagonist, who wakes up one day in a much hotter body. He must choose between making the most of his looks and developing who he always was inside. Cheer him on, on his path to acceptance – there’s angst, romance, even street fights. Streaming on Netflix.
Loid Forger.
A spy who grew up as an orphan, Loid’s calm demeanour hides the trauma of his past. The efficient, smooth, calculating hero of Spy x Family (2022) is so committed, he even marries a woman he just met, and adopts a daughter, just so he can infiltrate her school and spy on a politician whose son studies there. Streaming on Netflix.
Elise De Clorance.
Reincarnated in another timeline, Elise from Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With the Lamp (2024) heals people with her modernday medical knowledge. The petite, princessy blonde is bold and spirited, fighting misogyny and superstition. She also uses her knowledge of the future to save her family from a disaster. Streaming on Crunchyroll.
Kaguya Shinomiya.
Clad in a neat black-and-white uniform with her hair done up with a red handkerchief, the female lead of the romance comedy Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2019) is attractive but insecure. Nothing, no one, gets in the way of her academic goals. But she has a soft spot for the male lead, Miyuki Shirogane, who gets her to loosen up and enjoy life. Streaming on Netflix.