Time for another favorites list, and one that I’ve surprisingly never done before. Anime is full of cute animal mascots, whether they’re integral to their respective series’ plot or not. Even if they don’t serve a major purpose in the anime, they’re great for creating a simple, iconic image to associate with it, as well as opportunities for cute merchandise ;) So, out of the 300+ titles I’ve seen, what would be my top 10 favorites of these mascots?…
As always, just a few quick notes for the list. Firstly, I am not counting any Pokemon or Digimon. There’s just too many of them I like and would make the list very one-sided. Also, any character counts as long as they have an animal form (they don’t necessarily have to be an animal).
10. Sakamoto (from Nichijou)
My number 10 spot was being fought over by two black cats, Sakamoto and Kuroneko (from Trigun). A third may have come up with Jiji (from Kiki’s Delivery Service) but I’d have to watch the movie again to say for sure. In the end though, although Kuroneko is a charming little enigma, Sakamoto is just one of the funniest animal characters I’ve seen (mostly thanks to seiyuu Minoru Shiraishi). He’s part of the reason why I found Nichijou funny enough to keep watching despite its gags being more miss than hit to me. For having such a simple design, his reactions are hilariously animated, as are his facial expressions. He’s funny without even needing to try.
9. Ein (from Cowboy Bebop)
Ein is, plain and simple, a good dog who happens to have above average intelligence. Despite this, he can still act silly and somewhat oblivious when hanging out with the happy-go-lucky Ed, but he’s also proven himself to be helpful to the Bebop crew as well. And just a little anecdote, thanks to watching Cowboy Bebop several years ago, one of my friends decided to buy a Welsh Corgi puppy and named him Ein. I still see him today and he’s still a good boy!
8. Ryo-ohki (from Tenchi Muyo!)
Although you hardly see her around nowadays, back in the late 90s/early 2000s when Tenchi Muyo! was popular, I probably saw more of Ryo-ohki decorating anime web sites and merchandise than any other animal mascot. Nowadays she’s pretty much a has-been in terms of mascot-hood, but I still find her adorable. Personality-wise, she’s very sweet, and in the Tenchi OVA (which is what I mostly cared about) she even got a human form and briefly joined Tenchi’s harem XD Although I’m not nearly as into the Tenchi series as I used to be, I’ll always remember being a new fan and thinking how awesome it was whenever Ryo-ohki turned into a spaceship.
7. Kyubey (from Madoka Magica)
It hasn’t even been a year since Madoka Magica aired and Kyubey has already become an Internet phenomena, showing clear signs of being one of the most memorable anime mascots of recent years. And it’s not hard to see why given the extremely unpredictable, deviating role he plays in the magical girl series. I can’t help but find a character like him strangely appealing.
6. Umagon (from Konjiki no Gash Bell!!)
Gash Bell is a lesser known of the long-running shonen series, and thus Umagon isn’t very well known either. But once I got to know this little pony I couldn’t help but love him. He’s a bit bungling but his heart’s in the right place, and his coolness factor goes up greatly when he finally gains his Mamodo powers! Although he doesn’t speak, seiyuu Satomi Koorogi does an excellent job making his pony sounds adorable~
5. Luna (from Sailor Moon)
How could I forget the very first anime animal mascot I liked before I even knew what anime was? Although personality-wise Luna is more serious than cutesy compared to the others, she’s a good character nonetheless and probably treated more like a character than a mascot in Sailor Moon. Also, the second Sailor Moon movie, in which Luna plays a significant role, holds a special, nostalgic place in my heart.
4. Kirara (from Inuyasha)
During the five years I was obsessed with Inuyasha, this little nekomata brought me so much joy~ Her design is one of my favorites for an animal character, plus she’s sweet, strong, loyal, and cute without ever needing to assert her cuteness in the series. Just a great little mute, and perhaps underrated, companion for Inuyasha and company. Though she hardly got any attention in the manga, the anime gave her some more screentime as well as one of the most adorable cries for an anime animal =)
3. Kero (from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Kero is the perfect magical girl companion, as well as a good character on his own. He’s cute and fun-loving like any mascot, but certainly has his share of flaws, such as being a tad hot-tempered, cocky, and loud-mouthed. But when he’s not being funny with his hilarious Osaka accent (courtesy of Aya Hisakawa) he knows when to be serious and comforting to Sakura too. He’s just an entertaining little guy.
2. Chi (from Chi’s Sweet Home)
In Chi’s case, the animal mascot is also the main character XD Not only does Chi’s cuteness hold more universal appeal than probably any other animal character, I find all of her little kitty thoughts and actions to be incredibly realistic (having lived with many cats over the years). She’s just an endearing embodiment of cuteness and animal naivety that, unless you have some aversion to cute, I don’t see how anyone couldn’t find her any other way.
1. Chopper (from One Piece)
Maybe I’m cheating a bit having Chopper on this list since he’s also one of my top 10 most favorite characters. But there’s no denying he’s an animal (a reindeer for those who don’t know) and he’s certainly a mascot, as I’ve seen his mug on more One Piece products than any other character. It would be too much if I went into detail about what makes him such an appealing character, from his well-written backstory, cool transformation powers, and naive but sensitive personality. I’ll just say that he’s got a lot of traits I happen to love ^_^
© Yumeka for 毎日アニメ夢, 2011. |
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Post tags: Cardcaptor Sakura, Chi's Sweet Home, Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, Konjiki no Gash Bell!!, Madoka Magica, me, my favorites, Nichijou, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo!
