100 Characters For 100 Otaku (Part Sixteen: 25-21)

The sixteenth post in “100 Characters For 100 Otaku.”

It’s down to the top 25 in the “100 Characters For 100 Otaku” series! Truly, it feels like we are in the final stretch! Incidentally, if you’ve been reading all this time, I’m sure you’ve seen the hints at the bottom of the posts of characters to come. Have you been able to guess them at all? Today, I’m going to make them especially hard, and you have to post your guesses! Now, let’s get started with numbers 25 down through 21!

25. Inamori “Mikan” Mika (from Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight)

Why I Like Her: Shy, overwhelmed, and fairly desperate in the beginning – independent, strong, and courageous by the end. Her’s is a compelling development and she is a cute and fun character who’s relationships with friends feel completely real. IMO, she beats the hell out of Simon for taking what her Kamina taught her and applying her own thoughts to it and being more than a step-in to Manabi’s position, but an irreplaceable gear in the Manabi clock.

A Mirror For Otaku: In the beginning, Mikan ends up the only remaining member of the student council through one of those moments where no one’s hand went up, so she found herself raising hers. This sense of needing to take responsibility is something found in a lot of otaku that find themselves doing all the dirty work in situations that call for it – even if, like Mikan, they aren’t even really qualified to do it.

Reflecting My Otakudom: Mikan sees a great turnaround from being overwhelmed and depressed to confident and determined. That is exactly how my otakudom began. I was at the tail end of a two-year depression that had left me soulless, and my sheer burning desire to become an otaku dragged me into the realm of happiness and confidence.

The First Episode of Crest of the Stars: Mikan is the twenty-fifth character on this list. The first episode of Crest of the Stars in twenty-five minutes long.

24. Yuno-cchi (from Hidamari Sketch)

Why I Like Her: Yunocchi is the full epitome of the cute, moe slice-of-life character. She’s easily embarrassed, cute in everything she does, and treasures her friends. She’s uneasy about her future and looking for dreams and direction, which is a plight all too relatable for me. I want her and Miyako together SO BAD.

A Mirror For Otaku: Yunocchi often finds herself contemplating the future. She doesn’t think that she is largely talented, and she isn’t sure where she wants to go with her career, as she reflects upon often. Otaku, too, often spend a lot of time contemplating where life is taking them,when the thing they are obsessed with is so removed from a perceived reality of the future.

Reflecting My Otakudom: Yunocchi is a largely content person with great friends, a hobby she loves, and plenty of little fun things to do. She only finds herself uneasy when looking at the future. All of those things are the exact same as me.

The First Episode of Crest of the Stars: It’s very difficult to be certain about the future when you’ve just been through a total game changer like, you know, alien invasion.

23. Vita (from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s)

Why I Like Her: Vita is my favorite deadpan loli, if not one of my all-time favorite lolis, period. She has a true strength of heart – she is every bit as much of a fun-loving little girl as she is a battle-weary warrior. Vita is tired of fighting, but she never, ever complains or makes excuses. She will fight to the death for what she cares for, but she also will never die as long as the fight rages on. Vita is a true friend and guardian. She is also one of my favorite voice roles ever, as played by Asami Sanada.

A Mirror For Otaku: Anime can be fun, but anime is also serious business. Just as Vita looking after her friend is fun when they are just hanging out, but becomes a war on the battlefield, otaku can be having fun when watching their favorite anime, then be fighting a massive battle on the internet as they try to defend their shows.

Reflecting My Otakudom: I will never abandon one of my favorite anime. Don’t like it? I’m cool with that. Say one of my favorite shows suck? Fuck the hell no. This is about to be a war that won’t end until you stop coming or admit your wrongness. (Mind you, I don’t fall for trolls.)

The First Episode of Crest of the Stars: Vita, like Jinto’s father, is willing to walk the depths of hell to protect the people she cares for.

22. Spike Spiegel (from Cowboy Bebop)

Why I Like Him: Spike has been described as ‘a mix of Bruce Lee and Miles Davis cool’, and I can think of no more awesome way of putting it than that. He’s every bit as cool as one of those classic noir-movie detectives, with the bonus of being an awesome pilot, a kickass fighter, and a generally fun guy. He’s always been a blast to watch, be it in his serious moments or hilarious ones. One of those guys you never have a problem chillin’ with. He flows like water.

A Mirror For Otaku: Spike is pretty easily annoyed. He just wants to be able to get shit done and chill, and he definitely doesn’t want things to go horribly wrong as they have a high tendency to do. Otaku similarly do not like complicated situations. However, being as they have to deal with technology all the time, and technology is always janky as hell, annoyance is unavoidable.

Reflecting My Otakudom: Spike hates three things more than anything else – pets, kids, and women with attitude. Now, I don’t hate kids (as much as they seem to try and make me), but I certainly don’t want either of the other two. I fucking hate pets. I can’t name an animal I find tolerable. Our cat keeps giving me flees, and I want to murder her. As for women with attitude, we clash – it took me forever to not despise Funeral’s manly girlfriend lol.

The First Episode of Crest of the Stars: Spike was born on Mars, which is a planet other than Earth. I can safely say that no one in the first episode of Crest of the Stars was born on Earth.

21. Maebara Keiichi (from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)

Why I Like Him: Maebara Keiichi is a fucking MAN. He is by far the best harem lead ever because he has a very large pair of testicles and knows how to use them. This motherfucker sees his friends being abused and will literally take a baseball bat and beat the offender to death in the fucking rain. Keiichi leads a veritable small army with his manly speeches and strong convictions, and he’s not afraid to take action. Keiichi deserves to fuck every single young girl in Hinamizawa.

A Mirror For Otaku: I can safely say that if there’s one thing that otaku want to do, it’s protect their friends cute girls. Are most otaku manly enough to beat a motherfucker to death with a baseball bat? Leaving beside that most of them probably aren’t strong enough to do so, if faced with the same situation as Keiichi was, they probably could do it.

Reflecting My Otakudom: I wish my balls were the size of Keiichi’s, but I can certainly say that I will stand up for my friends, and I don’t give a fuck who the opponents are. I’m not a man who backs down, nor am I a man who is afraid of someone because of their stature. You fuck with my friends, you fuck with The Agency (yes, that’s our group name).

The First Episode of Crest of the Stars: Once again, I feel the need to make the comparison to Jinto’s father, in that both parties do all in their power to defend their brethren. We don’t see any of Jinto’s father in the first episode to see if his balls are half as big as Keiichi’s, but I can only assume it takes some cajones to do what he did.

There’s 25-21, tune in tomorrow for the next five! We’ve got a man born from a dead woman’s womb, a little girl who’s uterus was removed, and who knows – maybe your favorite character!