Rules: list your top 5 favorite anime characters
~Plus, as a bonus, what they symbolize to me~
So, @momtaku tagged me in this, so I guess I’m game. Let’s see....
1. Connie Springer (Shingeki no Kyojin) - Kindness and Inner Strength
If you know anything about me, you know how much I adore Connie. Connie possesses most of the traits I admire most - honesty, exceptional kindness, and the ability to smile, even in the darkest of times. He might not the strongest, or the smartest, or the bravest - but everyone was just a bit more like Connie, this world would be a far kinder place to live.
2 & 3. Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi (Haikyuu!!) - Personal Growth and Finding Oneself, & The Strength to Overcome Anxiety and Self-Doubt
Though these two are frequently seen as a package deal, my affection for them is actually completely independent of each other.
For Tsukki, my love stems from how much I adore his character arc. Cold, cynical, and borderline cruel, Tsukishima Kei comes off as something of a jerk at first. He’s the dark parallel to Hinata’s joyous enthusiasm - the moon to go along with the sun. And yet, he’s named for the firefly - the tiny bug that makes its own light in the darkest of times. And throughout the anime, watching him step out of the shadows towards that light was an absolute joy to watch. A+ for excellent storytelling and development.
My attachment to Yamaguchi, on the other hand, is much more personal. Yamaguchi is the type of person who lives in the shadow of another, riddled by self-doubt and terrible anxiety, unable to see the light of his own he’s got within himself. In short, he’s me, back when I was his age. Though those days for me have long since passed, watching Yamaguchi come into his own and learn to believe in himself is still always uplifting for me in the moments when my own anxiety becomes overwhelming, and I’ll always have a soft spot for him because of it.
4. Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Steadfast Loyalty
Stoicism without devolving into one-noted emotionless, badass-ery without entirely sacrificing her femininity, and her touching, believable, and maturely written relationship with Mustang make for one of my favorite fictional ladies ever.
5. Kishitani Shinra (Durarara!!) - Unconditional Love
Durarara!! is chock full of deeply flawed characters, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to describe many of them as monsters. Shinra is no exception - and neither are the people he loves. It’s that second part, however, that makes him special in my eyes.
A fairy, amnesiac, headless, and inhuman. A man, whose violent temper unintentionally brings danger and ruin to those he cares for. An unscrupulous chessmaster, who deliberately hurts and manipulates those around him in a twisted, fucked up attempt to protect himself from society. These are the people that Shinra cares for the most. No matter what they are. No matter what they do. Even if society calls them monsters, to Shinra, they are *his*, and he loves them.
A bit unhealthy? Perhaps sometimes. But there’s also something surprisingly touching about it, and it makes Shinra nothing short of absolutely fascinating.
I’m not much of a tagger, I’m afraid - so here, I tag.....
