disabled anime characters!

Hey! This blog is dedicated to highlighting all kinds of disabled/neurodivergent anime characters! I feel that as a whole we are grossly underepresented in anime so my aim is to highlight some characters here! staff: - owner yuki (they/them) - mod akito (he/they) - mod gumi (she/he/they)

[urfavisdisabled]

Introduction post!

Hey! I'm founder yuki! I am currently one of two mods (if others want to join id be happy to talk) and the focus of this blog is to bring awareness to disabled/neurodivergent characters in anime! We will focus on all types of disability (physical, mental, developmental, intellectual, etc) I will try my best to stay within cannon so for now, no head cannons.

Blog info:

user submissions are always allowed!

asks encouraged!

any way to improve accessibility is always welcome, I struggle with understanding sometimes

This will likely be less of a daily blog and more of a spuratic info dump when I have motivation type blog

I will not personally use slurs (even if reclaimed) on this blog

SFW, very minimal exceptions (tagged appropriately if contains triggering content)

Info about me:

They/Them

17

Physically/developmentally disabled+neurodivergent

Side blog to @gaybitch-3000

Thank you all for reading!

Mod info!

Mod Akito (They/He)

info about me! -17 - neurodivergent and mentally disabled

hi everyone!! i’m mod akito, im here as mod Yuki's irl bestie as well as a disabled person myself, side blog is @phosaniz

Mod gumi (they,she,he) -Mentally disabled/physically, disabled/neurodivergent -16

-Haiii I’m gumi!! I struggle with very low social awareness or understanding of the world around me and often times relate to characters with the same struggles, so you’ll be seeing a lot of those characters from me!

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Desmond from Carole&Tuesday!

SPOILERS:

Desmond is an intersex-nonbinary character who has multiple disabilities. They are a wheelchair user with an unnamed chronic illness, partial paralysis and an unspecified condition that makes them unable to leave their home or have any exposure to sunlight. While they debut later in the series, they made a significant impact on both the protagonists and viewers alike. They are a very famous, yet reclusive singer. Their music is characterized by its calm and nostalgic feeling, similar to their personality. After the man they fell in love with dies young, they find themselves unable to sing. They are seen avoiding medication in order to have the strength to sing, falling unconscious after.

Negative stereotypes? SPOILERS

While it can be argued that they fall under the "bury your gays" trope (as they are only briefly seen before falling unconscious) this can be explained as a side affect of their disability and not a malicious act by the writers. While the show has faced backlash for its portrayal of trans and nonbinary characters, many love them despite their short stay on the show.

Note (mod Yuki): As a nonbinary person myself, I found their representation perfect. It always makes me happy to see so much diversity in C&T, Desmond being no exception. It also always makes me happy to see meaningful queer relationships

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Josee from Josee the Tiger, and the Fish

Josee was born a paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. In the first half she uses a manual wheelchair, switching to electric after getting in contact with social services. She tends to be incredibly defensive in reaction to poor treatment, falling under the "tsundere" archetype. She has a passion for art and intends to find employment as a children's book illustrator

Negative stereotypes? (spoilers)

Some see Josee herself as a stereotype many also find her to be a relatable and real character. Some take offense to the way social services are portrayed, but this is similar to many peoples real life experience being dependent on well fair, myself included.

[urfavisdisabled]

How would you guys feel if i did a weekly/monthly headcanons post? Ive gotten some requests that fall under the headcanon territory so i th

Ive gotten some requests that fall under the headcanon territory so i thought id make a poll or sm lol

[urfavisdisabled]

If u dont wanna vote off site just leave a comment or sm, ill add them together in a few weeks

[urfavisdisabled]

How would you guys feel if i did a weekly/monthly headcanons post? Ive gotten some requests that fall under the headcanon territory so i th

Ive gotten some requests that fall under the headcanon territory so i thought id make a poll or sm lol

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Lain Iwakura from Serial Experiments Lain! (submission request)

TW: Suicide, Psycosis

Lain is shown to experience psychosis throughout the series. The events of the series follow our protagonist after receiving an email that one of her classmates had committed suicide. The series follows many themes of trauma from this. She is heavily implied to have SPD (schizoid personality disorder)

Negative stereotypes?

None! While the show does somewhat follow the "psychotic killer" stereotype, she is considered an icon among both fans of the series and those who experience similar symptoms.

NOTE: I have not completed this series. I have done my best to piece together the general plot, but there may be misinformation. If i come across any vital informatoin i will take down and rewrite this post. Thank you for your kindness

[urfavisdisabled]

Can i request homura akemi (moemura) from madoka magica? Im not sure if her heart condition is one that counts a disability or not but id like to see her here

Ill def look into it! My other mods know much more about the series than i do so we should be fit for the job lol

[urfavisdisabled]

genuine question and im sorry if its silly but i havent scrolled the blog long- are we allowed to request characters who do have a bit of negative stereotypes sometimes? sometimes i can relate to characters who are "stereotypes" even if i recognize the stereotype is bad.

Of course! As long as the character is disabled in canon you can request whoever you wish ^^

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Yui from Angel beats! SPOILERS

Yui became paralyzed and physically disabled after an accident when she was young. Due to this, she remained bed written for most of her life, and was taken care of by her mom. In the afterlife, she is ecstatic to have full mobility and rejoices in being able to do all kinds of things she had never even dreamed of before.

negative stereotypes? None! Many people (including me) relate to her and her representation of being physically disabled and appreciate the representation that was shown after the fact when she was reincarnated.

(submitted by mod gumi)

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Ectoplasm from my hero academia! (submission request)

Ectoplasm has two prosthetic legs! He lost his legs in a fight (off screen) and continues to fight as a hero. He also teaches math and is beloved by his students.

Negative stereotypes?

None! Ectoplasm doesn't get much screen time, but in the time that we see him he hasn't really shown any negative stereotypes!

[urfavisdisabled]

ECTOPLASM FROM MY HERO ACADEMIA!!! HE HAS PROSTHETIC LEGS <3 he is kind of a side character so it is never touched upon though

Ill get a post up soon, thank you for the submission!

[urfavisdisabled]

could u do lain iwakura from serial experiments lain?

while her exact diagnosis is unclear on purpose in the series, she experiences difficulties socializing and making friends, as well as clear cut psychosis. it is said in the PSX game she may have schizophrenia, many headcanon her to have autism or schizoid and schizotypal personality disorder.

(spoilers for the PSX game) for negative stereotypes she is linked to the deaths of people in the game and can be seen as a 'bad' person but i think many see her as simply an innocent girl who was manipulated. she is also regarded as a mentally ill icon by any who have actually seen the show.

Definitely! ill do some research, expect a post to be up soon ^^

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Jecka from class of 09! (request)

Jecka was diagnosed with ptsd in game after a traumatic run in with a cop. She starts therapy over the course of the game and is shown to have breakdowns when reminded of the incident. She also has a nicotine addiction and is implied to have adhd. While she only develops ptsd in one route of the game, the rest of her conditions remain during all routes.

Negative stereotypes?

While the game itself can be rather crude, Jecka's condition is one of the few things in game treated with levity, although jokes are made at her expense because of it. While the game can be quite harsh with its treatment of mentally ill characters, many people are not offended by the games humor. Many however are, it just depends on where your comfort levels are.

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Hitori Gotou (nicknamed bocchi) from Bocchi the rock!

Bocchi has social anxiety. She is often depicted with a stutter as well. While it is not canon, many people see her as having autism.

Negative stereotypes? None! many people resonate strongly with bocchi and feel that she is an excellent representation of social anxiety.

Authors note: Bocchi is often compared to komi from komi cant communicate but they have two completely different disorders. Please note that bocchi is specifically classified in canon as having social anxiety, while komi is specifically classified as having a communication disorder. While these two conditions do have many similarities, they are very different in both cause, treatment and symptoms.

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Eleanor Reed from the Crush Crush series!

Elle has Narcolepsy (type 2). Her condition was caused by an unspecified traumatic brain injury. Due to her Narcoleptic episodes, she carries a pillow with her to lessen any falls. She is generally seen as confused and tired, but sweet and genuine.

Negative stereotypes? SLIGHT NSFW

Due to the nature of the game, Elle does tend to be incredibly sexualized. Both for her condition and her body type. While this improves greatly in newer titles, it is still unfortunate this was the way she was treated at all. Overall, she is a very sweet character, and while she may not be the best representation of her condition, she is beloved by the many with similar disabilities (myself included)

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Azaka Yukiko from Love's in sight!

Azaka has amblyopia and uses a cane to walk! She is partially blind and also cannot see color very well. She is a very independent person and isn't afraid to advocate for herself.

Negative stereotypes? None! Many describe Azaka as some of the best, if not the best, disability representation they have ever seen! To top this all off she is not infantilized by the narrative and is given a unique character outside of her disability.

[urfavisdisabled]

This is Shoko Nishimiya from A Silent Voice!

Shoko is deaf in both ears and uses a hearing aid! She is also mostly mute and uses sign/acc to communicate! She was bullied throughout most of her childhood and developed severe depression.

Negative stereotypes? SPOILERS

While some believe Shoko's main narrative role is that of a "damsel in distress" being endlessly forgiving of her abuse and eventually even attempts suicide. Others, however, view her as an accurate and strong representation of disability and trauma.