TOP 10 GIRLS OF ANIME (SPECIAL MENTION)

 

Being something of a meme, anime girls are so prolific that I not only have my Top 10 Girls of Anime, I’m also spoilt for choice for my usual twenty special mentions.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

But first a note on the visual images used in this top ten. Given the copyright in such images, I only use a visual image as fair use for the purposes of comment and review in each entry – an iconic feature image to identify the character, either in general or in their most iconic version as I review it to be (or both), as excerpted from the anime or manga itself.

Iconic perhaps, but not my favorite as I usually prefer the style of fan art or cosplay for the characters. Hence as usual I also include a special section in each entry under the subtitle of art and cosplay – not for any actual art and cosplay as such but instead where I nominate my favorite artists and cosplay models depicting the character, which you can look up for yourself. For art, I award a special ranking for any art by my two favorite artists – the two freelance digital artists Sciamano and Dandonfuga. For cosplay, I award a special ranking for any cosplay by my holy trinity of models – my favorite model Yummychiyo with her insane figure in top spot, followed by Hane Ame and Helly Valentine.

As for the iconic feature image I’ve chosen for this page itself and girls of anime in general, I went with one of the most iconic anime girls as virtual pop star as she appears in Vocaloid promotional art, from the Vocaloid fan wiki profile image. She’s a little like the Gorillaz if you’re familiar with that virtual band – although come to think of it, the Gorillaz featured their own anime girl with Noodle. Like the Gorillaz, they actually have her perform concerts, via holographic projection and her oringal voice sampled (and synthesized) from a voice actress. I don’t know if she has the same extensive backstory or narrative videos for her songs like the Gorillaz. What she does have is memetic status in social media – one meme was doing her in variant styles, with Brazilian Miku as the most popular.

 

 

S-TIER (GODDESS TIER)

 

 

 

(1) GIRLS OF EVANGELION (1995) –
REI AYANAMI

 

Given I gave top spot in my Top 10 Girls of Anime to Evangelion’s Asuka, I had to give my top (goddess-tier) special mention to the other girl from the leading duo of my favorite anime – Rei Ayanami.

And what she lacks in Asuka’s memetic status, she makes up for as recurring character archetype in anime – so much so that TV Tropes has a trope for Rei Ayanami Expy. Also she’s (partly) a clone of Shinji’s mother so no wonder that kid is messed up – goddamn you, Gendo, you weirdo.

There’s enough variants of both Rei and Asuka, as well as other girls of Evangelion, for – well, perhaps not their own top ten but at least my top girls of Evangelion. And certainly enough expies of Rei for a top ten.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

As for the iconic feature image I’ve chosen for their special mention, I went with the advertised image for a figurine of the duo, particularly as it depicted them in their original distinctive ‘plugsuits” from Neon Genesis Evangelion – white for Rei and red for Asuka.

 

ART – SCIAMANO

 

Funnily enough, while there is no Sciamano art for either of the leading duo, there is the standout Sciamano art for another Evangelion girl as close runner-up – Misato Katsuragi, the tactical commander of the Evangelion pilots in battle as well as guardian and tutor for Asuka and the anime protagonist Shinji. Misato has also featured in art by Kikol Draws.

Otherwise, there’s standout art of Rei by Artgerm and as a duo with Asuka by Logan Cure.

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

Score! Rei gets my Hane ranking for Hane Ame’s cosplay of her. Vampy Bit Me also did some fine Rei cosplay.

 

 

A-TIER (TOP TIER)

 

 

 

 

(2) GIRLS OF ONE PIECE (1999)

 

I can’t have Nami as one of my top ten girls of anime without special mention for the Girls of One Piece – foremost among them the other two members of its holy trinity, Nico Robin and Boa Hancock. Of course, there will be others drawn from art and cosplay, as this anime, ongoing from 1999, has accumulated a vast cast of characters – but the holy trinity seems to predominate fandom, art and cosplay by far. And the girls of One Piece – like the anime itself – is still going strong a quarter of a century later.

The Girls of One Piece get their own top ten, where I take a closer look at individual entries and their art or cosplay.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

Of course I needed the holy trinity for any iconic feature image – and I’ve gone with a collage of all three of them from the promotional art (featuring them as they appear in the anime) for official One Piece lingeries and bikinis.

 

 

 

(3) GIRLS OF DEMON SLAYER (2019)

 

I’ve already featured 2019 anime Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) in my sixth place entry for Nezuko in my Top 10 Girls of Anime – but there’s a number of female characters in it for special mention, demon slayers and demons alike (like Nezuko herself for that matter), and the Girls of Demon Slayer get their own page where I take a closer look at individual entries and their art or cosplay.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

My iconic feature image is an excerpt from the anime with Daki, close runner-up as demon girl to Netsuko – and one of the most prolific sources of art and cosplay from the anime.

 

 

 

(4) GIRLS OF CHAINSAW MAN (2022)

 

“Wait – it’s all Makima and Power?”

“Always has been.”

 

I’ve featured Chainsaw Man in my seventh place entry for Makima in my Top 10 Girls of Anime. It’s an anime which had its wildly popular debut in 2022 and had a number of female characters worthy of special mention. None come close to the popularity of art and cosplay for Makima with the exception of Power, but nevertheless the Girls of Chainsaw Man get their own page where I take a closer look at their individual entries with their art and cosplay.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

My iconic feature image is a PVC figure of Makima and Power as nurses by FuRyu as sold by Sugo Toys. I understand this is based on art of them by the original artist – certainly it seems be one of the most popular depictions of them as a duo in art and cosplay.

 

 

 

(5) GIRLS OF ONE PUNCH MAN (2015)

 

One Punch Man earns special mention for its female characters – superpowered heroines or villainesses, including a certain BDSM monster princess) – so the Girls of One Punch Man get their own page where I take a closer look at individual entries and their art or cosplay.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

My iconic feature image is an excerpt of supervillainess Do-S or Monster Princess as she appeared in the manga. Despite being a minor character, she rivals Fubuki (literally in battle) as the iconic female character of One Punch Man – thanks to her, ah, distinctive appearance that lent itself to art and cosplay.

 

 

 

 

(6) GIRLS OF MY HERO ACADEMIA (2016)

 

There’s a prolific roll call (heh) of superpowered female characters, heroines or villainesses, in art and cosplay for special mention from My Hero Academia –  including everyone’s favorite hot slice of crazy, Himiko Toga. Indeed, there’s enough girls of My Hero Academia to get their own page, with individual entries where I take a closer look at their art and cosplay.

Speaking of which…

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

Who else for my iconic feature image other than Himiko herself? Naturally in default hot slice of crazy mode as she appears in the anime – and her character profile image in the fan wiki

 

(7) GIRLS OF SAILOR MOON (1992)

 

“I am the sailor suited Pretty Guardian who fights for love and for justice — I am Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I’ll punish you!”

Well, there’s obviously the titular protagonist of the Sailor Moon anime franchise – one of the most famous beyond Japan or anime fandom. In the words of TV Tropes, “to this day, Sailor Moon remains one of the most recognized and mainstream anime titles in North America. If you approach anyone on the street and ask them to name a Japanese anime, Sailor Moon will almost certainly be one of the natural responses”.

She also popularized the magical girl genre of anime and remains the most famous magical girl outside (and inside) Japan.

Created by pharmacist-turned-manga-author Naoko Takeuchi, Usagi Tsukino is a schoolgirl (albeit perhaps the blondest Japanese schoolgirl), whose life takes a turn for the unexpected when she discovers that she is the reincarnation of an ancient lunar warrior from the Moon Kingdom.

With the aid of a feline mentor called Luna, Usagi must take up the mission of defending the Earth from the various evils that threaten it while searching for the reincarnation of the Moon Kingdom’s princess (and ultimately destined to become neo-Queen Serenity), growing into her role as the magical girl Sailor Moon.

Ultimately, I may compile the girls of Sailor Moon into their own separate page – perhaps enough for a top ten but certainly enough for a top five, given Sailor Moon gathers a team of four other reincarnated warriors – Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Jupiter. I don’t know enough of the lore to know why Earth seems to miss out on its own Sailor.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I’ve used the profile image for the TV series on its IMDB page featuring the main cast of Sailor girls, with Sailor Moon front and center of course.

I’m not so much a fan of the anime art style, as iconic as it is, but rather of fan art or cosplay. Sadly, there’s no art by my favorite duo or cosplay by my holy trinity – but Neoartcore has done my favorite art of the main cast.

 

 

 

(8) MOTOKO KUSANAGI –
GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995)

 

Motoko Kusanagi, or more precisely, Major Motoko Kusanagi (or just the Major), is the focal character of the Ghost in the Shell manga and anime franchise – a franchise that, particularly with the original 1995 film (adapted from the manga), “all but defined Western conceptions of anime for the better part of a decade”. (Well, it and Akira). The franchise has had a number of incarnations in film and television series, with different narrative continuities and versions of Kusanagi (including the live screen adaptation with Scarlett Johansson, which was sadly underwhelming)

Kusanagi is a cyborg police officer leading the counter-cyberterrorist organization (and cyborg SWAT team) Public Security Section 9 in a post-cyberpunk Japan. The cyberpunk or post-cyberpunk of the film’s story arises from a future in which computer technology has advanced to the point that it allows members of the public to interface their biological brain or mind (as the titular ghost in the shell) with various networks, varying from simple minimal interfaces to almost complete replacement of the brain with cybernetic parts, and with varying levels of body prostheses, extending to fully prosthetic bodies or cyborgs (being the titular shell) – with the primary example being Kusanagi herself. Of course, this high level of cybernetic interfacing opens the brain up to attacks from highly skilled hackers, with the most dangerous being those who can ‘hack’ a person to bend to their whims – such as the Puppet-Master in the original film. Hence the need for Public Security Section 9.

And of course, being anime, she’s a hot cyborg – which is further enhanced by her most definitive costume from the original film, her “thermoptic camouflage suit” which is essentially a skin tight body suit. Or just, you know, being plugged in and naked, as in some of her most iconic images.

In fairness, she does have different costumes (or bodies) in different incarnations of the franchise. And it’s not all about appearance – her prosthetic body makes her effectively superhuman, capable of physical feats beyond more biological human bodies, while her mind-body interface allows for powerful feats of hacking.

Of course, the franchise’s enduring influence and popularity have inspired cosplayers, typically of her definitive body suit costume.

Or just, you know, being plugged in and naked.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I’ve chosen a figurine available from different retail outlets that best showcases her most distinctive anime appearance – quite the thong for a police officer!

 

ART – DANDONFUGA

 

And yes – she scores a Dandonfuga ranking for my favorite art of her, as well as art by Neoartcore and Magion. Sadly, no cosplay by my holy trinity of models (all of whom would  but she at least scores some knockout cosplay by Octokuro

 

 

 

(9) FAYE VALENTINE –
COWBOY BEBOP (1998)

 

See you space cowboy!

Cowboy Bebop is a classic anime series, which does indeed involve space cowboys after a fashion – a fusion of space Western and film noir (through the films of John Woo and other stylistic influences, not to mention the music or jazz ‘bebop’ of the title.

It’s set in the late twenty-first century, as the remnants of humanity have spread throughout the solar system using hyperspace gates, and terraforming to the extent that other planets resemble cities or settings on Earth – which seems a little ambitious, even for its late 21st century setting. Earth itself has been devastated by some hyperspace gate accident, which is not entirely clear as “the show partially defines itself by the thematic choice to give everything a rich backstory but explain almost nothing in full”.

Its protagonists are the space cowboys suggested by the title – or more precisely space bounty hunters, as the Space Police have reinstated the bounty system of the Wild West. However, despite collecting some impressive bounties, the protagonists seemingly remain in perpetual poverty, partly as they have to pay for their ship and all the collateral damage caused in collecting the bounties in the first place.

Violet-haired, green eyed Faye Valentine is the original femme fatale of anime. As for what exactly she is wearing in her signature outfit, I’m not entirely sure, but it seems to be the jumpsuit style of the future – to enhance her charms of course. She was the first addition (other than the enhanced corgi Ein) to the male protagonist duo of Spike and Jet. They first encountered her as she was working in a smuggling operation posing as a dealer in a casino and where she slipped the special subject poker chip to Spike by mistake. They cross paths with her again before she ultimately ended up part of their crew, although she never seemed entirely trustworthy.

TV Tropes sums her up best:

“Faye always approaches the world from an angle: she believes the world and other people are out to hurt, use and exploit you, so it’s best if you do it to them first. Anything is fair game to be used to get an advantage on people, including cunning, trickery, abusing the trust of others, her sexy good looks, and when all else fails, a ship loaded with machine guns and missiles…Her exact background is mysterious, and when pressed for answers about it she simply throws out one story after another, each more improbable than the last. When not taking down bounties, she tends to waste all her money gambling in an effort to get rich quick and pay off the ridiculously large debts that she has, which is just as mysterious as anything else about her past.”

It might be noted that much of her past, including her real name, remains mysterious even to her – due to amnesia from cryonic suspension from the twentieth century, her century of origin (so that she is chronologically – 77 years – much older than her biological age of 23 years).

And despite her jaded outlook on life, she has a softer heart than she likes to let on – including a touching heartfelt moment as she attempts to dissuade Spike from seeking his own doom (for his lost love and perhaps the ultimate femme fatale of the series, Julia). After all, who can forget that final scene? (“Bang!”)

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I used an image of her standard costume design from the anime as used for her profile pic in a fan wiki for “heroes” of popular culture (probably stretching the definition of hero).

Sadly, there’s no art from my favorite duo or cosplay from my holy trinity of models. However, she does have art from some of my other favorite artists – Kiko L, Nathan Szerdy, Neoartcore, and Logan Cure.

 

 

 

(10) REIKA SHIMOHIRA –
GANTZ (2004)

 

I do like posthumous fantasy – and Gantz is apparently a posthumous fantasy, in which students killed in a train accident find themselves part of some weird game in which they and other recently deceased people are equipped with advanced technology and directed by the titular spherical entity to fight aliens. And vampires later on. In the words of TV Tropes, imagine wanton gore and nudity “with Doom’s disturbing nature and Neon Genesis Evangelion’s outright insanity” and then “put that on crack and toss it in a septic tank”.

That’s pretty much all I know – Reika Shimohira, a pop idol from high school who is killed and also finds herself in the game, came to my attention through art and cosplay.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I made a collage of two retail figurines of Reika, with her standard costume design (and gun) on left and racier design (and sword) on right.

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Okay, okay – I may have cheated a little with the Sciamano ranking as the Sciamano art I’ve seen is actually of his OC Chloe in Reika’s costume but I’m taking it! She also scores a more conventional Dandonfuga ranking for art actually of her. Close-runner up is Artgerm.

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO & HANE

 

No cheating involved here – Reika scores both Yummychiyo and Hane rankings for their knockout cosplay of her. Shoutout also to Vampy Bit Me’s cosplay as well.

 

B-TIER (HIGH TIER)

 

 

 

 

(11) GIRLS OF KILL LA KILL (2013) –
RYUKO MATOI & SATSUKI KIRYUIN

 

“Fear is freedom! Subjugation is liberation! Contradiction is truth! Those are the facts of this world, and you will all surrender to them, you pigs in human clothing!”

— Satsuki Kiryuin, telling it like it is

 

Kill la Kill is a 2013 anime produced by Studio Trigger – the production’s director, writer, and lead character designer also worked together on the famously over-the-top Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and it shows. Except whereas Gurren Lagann featured giant mecha, Kill la Kill featured schoolgirls fighting each other in their super-powered school uniforms. No, seriously.

Ryuko Matoi is a girl on a roaring rampage of revenge in search of her father’s killer, which brings her into violent conflict (is there any other kind in anime?) with Satsuki Kiryuin, president of the usual anime absurdly powerful student council at Honnouji Academy, ruling both it and the city in which it is located with an iron fist. “Satsuki maintains absolute control over the school using Goku Uniforms, which grant supernatural strength to their wearer and are distributed only to her most loyal students. When Ryuko shows up in search of her father’s murderer, she immediately suspects that Satsuki knows something and declares war on her. With the aid of a sentient uniform called Senketsu and a giant red half-scissor blade that can destroy Goku Uniforms, Ryuko fights to avenge her father and take down Honnouji Academy in the process while learning more about the mysterious Life Fibers woven into the Goku Uniforms that aid such power to the people who wear them and their origins”. Wait, what?!

As I said, schoolgirls fighting each other in their super-powered school uniforms (or in the words of an IGN reviewer, “magical girl anime on speed”). Except that those super-powered uniforms seem to transform into stripperiffic costumes or fetish lingerie – “Ryuko’s underboobs-revealing ass-exposing uniform is perhaps the most iconic element of the series”, which has endured as an anime icon well past the series itself and “it doesn’t help that Satsuki has one of her own” (which such an extreme thong that it is difficult to feature in art or cosplay).

Apparently there is also an entire organization of nudist freedom fighters, because the true villain’s plot involves mind-controlling people through their clothing. No, seriously.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I’ve compiled a collage of the main protagonist and antagonist characters, Ryuko and Satsuki, from left to right (in their standard and superpowered designs, also from left to right) as they appear in the anime and as used for their character profile images in TV Tropes. Such is their superpowered uniform design that, while there is outstanding art and cosplay of them, the designs make any art or cosplay of them somewhat risque.

Speaking of art and cosplay…

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Ryuko scores a high Sciamano ranking for multiple versions of her, while both Ryuko and Satsuki score similarly high Dandonfuga rankings for multiple versions of them, including some sizzling art of both of them.

Otherwise – Ryuko scores art by Kiko L and Neoartcore, while Satsuki scores art by Neoartcore and Sun Khamunaki (at least in cosplay by a Zenescope comics character)

 

COSPLAY – HELLY

 

Ryuko scores a sizzling Helly ranking for cosplay of both her standard and superpowered designs (as well as her bikini appearance from the anime) by Helly Valentine. Close runner up is Kalinka Fox for Ryuko cosplay.

Sadly, no Yummychiyo or Hane Ame cosplay for either Ryuko or Satsuki, although the latter at least scores cosplay by Nami.

 

 

 

 

 

(12) ESDEATH –
AKAME GA KILL (2014)

 

I have a soft spot for bad girls (or a hot slice of crazy). And what’s better than a bad girl? A bad girl in uniform! After all, who doesn’t love a woman in uniform? Even if it is a Nazi-esque uniform in this case – but then, Esdeath is the villain of the piece.

Akame ga Kill is an anime of a revolution against a corrupt and brutal fantasy empire (as opposed to the corrupt and brutal empires of reality). The protagonist Tatsumi nearly becomes a victim of its corruption and brutality in its beating heart of the Capitol, but instead finds himself recruited by Night Raid, a group of predominantly female assassins – including the titular heroine Akame:

“As long as there is human nature, so too must there be malice. As long as there is malice, so too must there be evil. Evil beyond salvation. For those who don’t wield a sword, these vile demons are silenced in the darkness by a group of elite assassins.”

Of course, being anime, it’s not enough that Night Raid are predominantly female assassins (reminiscent of Kill Bill’s Deadly Viper Assassination Squad), but they are armed with magical totem weapons known as Teigu created in part from legendary animals known as Danger Beasts. (It is said that when two Teigu users fight each other, one must die – now that’s some danger beast action right there).

However, the Empire has a Night Raid or two of its own – primarily the Jaegers, led by the powerful and sadistic ice queen Esdeath. Of course again, being anime, she becomes infatuated with protagonist Tatsumi – although to his credit, he realizes that she is someone to run as far away from as possible, particularly given that her idea of a hot date is to chain him up by the neck.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I chose a retail figurine that showcased her appearance and uniform (in full length) from the anime.

 

ART – SCIAMANO

 

And how! Esdeath scores a Sciamano ranking, for one of my favorite art works by Sciamano depicting her. Close runners up are Neoartcore and Kiko L.

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

And she scores Hane and Helly rankings, for standout cosplay of her by Hane Ame and Helly Valentine. Close runner up is Vampy Bit Me.

 

 

 

 

 

(13) GIRLS OF PRISON SCHOOL (2015) –
MEIKO SHIRAKI & MARI KURIHARA

 

Prison School was a wildly popular 2015 anime that embodies the high weirdness of anime in general with its default bizarre school settings (no matter how fantastic the plot) and their absurdly powerful student councils. The titular school is Hachimitsu Private Academy, an elite all-girls boarding school, which admits five male students as part of a new co-ed program. Of course, the boys run afoul of the so-called Underground School Council and are sentenced to one month of jail time in a giant prison inexplicably located at the center of the campus, where they will undergo a “rehabilitation program” devised by the Council. No prizes for guessing the fetishistic appeal of that program – to quote Wikipedia, male protagonist Kiyoshi “is overwhelmed by the discovery that all the other boys are masochists that revel in the punishments handed to them by their attractive but vicious supervisors”. Sign me up for detention please.

The ruling triumvirate of the Council consists of the improbably busty and sadistic vice-president Meiko Shiraki, as well as President Mari Kurihara. Particular special mention has to go to Meiko – a girl who looks like she’s been kept back a few grades and gone up a few cup sizes. A statuesque sadist with a healthy dose of dominatrix about her and interesting choices in uniform – whether her dangerously short skirt and skimpy blouse by day or latex catsuit by night. Not to mention absolute cleavage to her navel, stiletto boots and an inordinate fondness for a riding crop as punishment…

 

ART &  COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I chose the covers of the Prison School manga volumes 12 and 20, depicting Mari and Meiko respectively – after the tables are turned and the girls find themselves as the prisoners. I’ve just seen Mari and particularly Meiko in art and cosplay as they achieved an iconic status among anime girls. The cover of Meiko is somewhat uncharacteristic of her but let’s just say that more characteristic images of her would be much more risque with her iconic absolute cleavage. Also – that’s a great expression by the cover artist.

Sadly, no art or cosplay by my favorite duo of artists or holy trinity of models – but there is some excellent Meiko cosplay by one of favorite models, Anxi.

 

 

 

 

 

(14) ALBEDO –
OVERLORD (2015)

 

Isekai – Japanese for different world or otherworld – is one of the most popular genres of anime, revolving around so-called portal fantasy or the fantasy plot device of a protagonist transported from our world into a fantasy world, commonly posthumously (such that it merges with my favorite subgenre of fantasy, posthumous fantasy). Usually that protagonist has some edge from our world that makes them extraordinary in the fantasy world, allowing them to thrive in or even rule over their new world. Often the protagonist is a gamer and the fantasy world resembles (or is accessed through) a video game – which is the case with the anime Overlord, where the protagonist finds himself in the body of his in-game avatar, the titular evil overlord. Body that is, speaking loosely, given it’s a skeletal lich.

Anyway, Albedo is his second in command (and would-be consort). She’s a winged, horned succubus – and I’m a sucker for succubi…

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I went with the usual standard character profile image from the fan wiki, featuring Albedo as she appears in the anime

 

ART – SCIAMANO

 

Yes – she scores a Sciamano ranking for Sciamano’s art of her. There’s also art of her by Neoartcore. As for cosplay…

 

COSPLAY – HANE AME

 

Albedo scores a Hane ranking for cosplay of her by Hane Ame. Albedo cosplay is surprisingly prolific – including by By0ru among my favorite models.

 

 

 

(15) GIRLS OF KAKEGURUI (2017) –
YUMEKO JABAMI & KIRARI MOMOBAMI

 

“Gambling is more fun the crazier it gets!”

I always have a soft spot for a hot slice of crazy, such as Yumeko Jabami from Kakegurui or Compulsive Gambler, one of 2017’s most popular anime.

She’s even got crazy eyes – her red eyes are literally her crazy eyes as her natural eye color is brown and it’s only when she is consumed by her madness for gambling that her eyes glow red as artistic symbolism rather than a literal color change.

As in so many anime, the setting is high school (seriously, there are high schools even in anime set in the afterlife) – and not just any high school, but one of those fabulously weird schools that you only find in Japanese anime. In this case, it’s Hyakkaou Private Academy, school for the very richest students of Japan, numbering many future leaders and professionals among its graduates.

Unlike other schools, where the main curriculum is such mundane things as academic study or sport, the focus of Hyakkaou Private Academy – or at least its absurdly powerful student hierarchy – is on gambling. Or perhaps rather, the art of gambling – “the art of reading others and taking advantage of chaotic situations”. In fairness, I’ve had something of the same thought myself – that everyone should be taught the two games that are the best games of skills for life, chess and poker. However, at Hyakkaou, the stakes are absurdly high – students are encouraged to bet their fortunes against one another, with the losers becoming slaves or house ‘pets’ to the whims of those who hold their money (typically the student council, or its unscrupulous President, Kirari Momobami). And those are just the penny ante bets – as the series continues, students make bets that are distinctly hazardous to life and limb.

Enter the main protagonist (literally entering the school as a new transfer student) and titular compulsive gambler – Yumeko Jabami, who plays not so much for the win but for the thrill of putting everything on the line.

In the words of TV Tropes:

“Into this cutthroat environment, where survival of the fittest (and luckiest) is the law, enters Yumeko Jabami…whose disarmingly innocent facade belies a psychotic gambling addict, specializing in working around rigged schemes and beating her opponents at their own game, simply for the thrill of it all”.

As such, she actively begins to disrupt the hierarchy of the school, while the school council tries to find ways to shut her down – embarking on increasingly insane games with the movers and shakers of the school, working her way through the school council with her goal set on a match with the President.

And speaking of the President, enter the antagonist to Yumeko – and joint special mention for this entry – Kirari Momobami, the President of the student council at Hyakkaou Academy.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, what better than the promotional wallpaper art of Yumeko and Kirari by Square Enix, adapted from one of the manga covers from writer Homura Kawamoto and artist Toru Naomura – the most iconic image of them together (apart perhaps from the opening credits)

Sadly, Yumeko has not drawn (heh) the attention of my usual favorite artists, so no Sciamano or Dandonfuga ranking. Fortunately Kikol L comes through with some standout Yumeko art. There’s even less art out there for Kirari.

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

On the other hand, Yumeko was the cosplay flavor of the month with her anime’s release, scoring both Hane and Helly rankings with their cosplay of her. Again, Kirari is overlooked.

 

 

 

(16) ZERO TWO –
DARLING IN THE FRANXX (2018)

 

“I’ve found you, my darling!”

What can I say? I just have a soft spot for those pink-haired girls, particularly pink-haired partly-human girls with horns and who are a hot slice of crazy to boot. Yes – there’s more than one in anime.

This enigmatically codenamed character came to my attention as usual through cosplay, when I noticed a proliferation of naked pink-haired girls with fish in their mouths. As you do. It is eye-catching after all – even more so as it replicates an actual scene in the anime. Yes, this character is introduced literally leaping from the water catching a fish in her mouth while swimming naked. Anime is as kinky as it is weird.

I also have a soft spot for humongous mecha anime, particularly deconstructive or subversive humongous anime – of which there are a few, including my favorite anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Indeed, this 2018 anime might well be seen as a spiritual successor to that post-apocalyptic anime. Because what’s an anime without traumatized youths in giant robotic suits fighting monsters in a post-apocalyptic world?

Here the story is set in the distant future, in which the world is ruined, and humanity lives in mobile fort cities called “plantations”. Youths are trained to pilot combat machines known as Franxx after their inventor, hence that part of the title – their enemies are mysterious giant lifeforms known as klaxosaurs. For these youths, riding the Franxx is their definitive purpose in life – which is a problem for the male protagonist Hiro (heh) or Code Zero Sixteen, because he can’t get it up. In a Franxx that is, although the sexual metaphor is obvious – each machine is piloted by a male and female pilots, and you do not want to think too hard on their, ahem, cockpit positions.

Anyway, Hiro is redeemed when he stumbles upon the mysterious horned girl with her naked fishing technique – codenamed Zero Two, she fixates upon him as her co-pilot or “darling”, hence the other part of the title. By the way, the horns indicate that she is only part human – the other part is klaxosaur. Somehow. And so he becomes her titular darling in the Franxx.

Her appeal to cosplayers is obvious – given her red latex flight suit or uniform (or less) as well as her constant oral fixation with lollipops, she was made for cosplay.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, what else but her iconic opening scene naked with a fish in her mouth? And yes – that scene has been replicated in art and cosplay. Speaking of which…

 

ART – DANDONFUGA

 

She scores a Dandonfuga ranking for Dandonfuga art replicating that first scene of her. Well, not quite replicating – the fish isn’t in her mouth but is one of the things along with her hair modestly covering up certain parts of her, not unlike Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Come to think of it, is that opening scene an anime play on Botticelli’s Birth of Venus? I’d like to think so.

Oh – and there’s also art of her by Neoartcore and Kikol.

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO, HANE & HELLY

 

Yes – Zero Two scores the cosplay holy trinity trifecta of Yummychiyo, Hane & Helly rankings for their cosplay of her.

Oh – and there’s also cosplay of her by By0ru and Miu.

 

X-TIER (WILD TIER)

 

 

 

 

(17) GIRLS OF CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS (2022) –
REBECCA

 

“Choomba!”

I can’t have a top ten entry for Lucy without special mention for the other girl of Cyberpunk Edgerunners, pint-size trigger-happy Rebecca.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my feature image, I clipped Rebecca from one of her most iconic scenes in the anime.

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Rebecca doesn’t score a Sciamano ranking but does score a Dandonfuga ranking – along with art by Kiko and Neoartcore.

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

As for Rebecca, no cosplay by my holy trinity but she does score some excellent cosplay by Octokuro, Byoru, and Plant Lily.

.

 

 

(18) YUZURIHA –
HELL’S PARADISE / JIGOKURAKU (2023)

 

The subject of the usual flurry of art and cosplay for the anime girl of the moment, in this case 2023.

And in this case, the anime Hell’s Paradise – a ninja fantasy set in Japan in the Edo period or more precisely a mysterious legendary island realm to which the Shogunate has sent ill-fated expeditions that did not return. As the protagonist ninja, Gabimaru the Hollow, appears to be effectively immortality or at least invulnerable to execution, the Shogunate sends him on an expedition with other death row convicts competing for a pardon if they retrieve the elixir of life (and accompanied by executioners ordered to kill them if they try to escape instead).

Yuzuriha is a female ninja or kunoichi – described by one of the characters as “that kunoichi with that nice ass” – of mysterious origin who becomes one of the protagonist’s first allies on the island. That description’s a little unfair – as her outfit showcases her other, ah, assets as well, matching her seductress tendencies.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

Well – what better for her iconic appearance than a screenshot excerpted from the official promotional trailer?

 

ART – SCIAMANO

 

Even better, she scores a Sciamano ranking for Sciamano’s art of her – Sciamano is usually reliable for the art of the anime girl flavor of the moment. She also scored art by Kiko L and Magion.

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO & HELLY

 

It’s a happy day when Yummychiyo comes to the cosplay party – as she does here so Yuzuriha scores a Yummychiyo ranking, as well as a Helly ranking (but sadly missing out on my holy trinity with a Hane ranking).

 

 

 

 

(19) GIRLS OF FRIEREN (2023) –
FERN & UBEL

 

I have to give special mention to the other girls of Frieren, other than Frieren herself.

I may compile more, perhaps even a top ten, but the obvious girl of Frieren apart from the titular character is Fern, the adopted daughter of one of Frieren’s former human companions (who aged as the immortal Frieren stayed young), as her magical apprentice

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For their iconic feature images, I went with how they appear in the anime, consistent with their character profiles in the fan wiki or TV Tropes.

 

ART

 

Sadly, neither Fern nor Ubel have art by my favorite duo but Fern at least has art by Neoartcore, Kiko L, and Kittew.

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO & HELLY

 

Fern scores a Yummychiyo ranking for cosplay by my favorite model. Close runner-up is By0ru for both Fern and Ubel cosplay.

 

 

 

 

 

(20) GIRLS OF DANDADAN (2024) –

SEIKO AYASE & AIRA SHIRATORI

 

I awarded a top ten place to Dandadan’s female protagonist Momo Ayase, so I have to award special mention to the girls of Dandadan.

And of those, special mention has to go ot Momo’s grandmother and local TV psychic or medium (hence Momo’s belief in ghosts), Seiko.

Well, perhaps not that surprisingly because just look at her. One of the biggest absurdities in this absurdist anime is her absurdly youthful appearance, but for her white hair – although even that may be mystical or from her supernatural powers rather than age.

From the Ms Fanservice trope of her character profile in TV Tropes – “In addition to being blessed with a slim, curvy body, she typically wears a sweater-dress with a navel-deep neckline or lounges around her house in her old-fashioned but still flattering underwear, and a number of shots emphasize her rear along with her choice in outfits typically displaying her legs and being form-fitting around her curves. In-universe, a bunch of guys volunteer to help out with her various schemes and plots out of the hope of scoring a date with her. At the end of one arc most of the delinquents she treats to a massive feast are shown ogling her in disbelief at her beauty.”

For now, my other special mention is Aira Shiratori, particularly as she’s the only other character for whom I’ve seen art. She’s also Momo’s human antagonist – “A student at Momo and Okarun’s high school. A vain, popular girl who thinks that Momo’s secretly a demon and she’s been chosen to protect the world from her.”

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For their iconic feature image, I used an image of them as she appears in the anime, from their character profile images in the fan wiki.

We’re still seeing how they rack up in art and cosplay – but for now Aira has scored art from Neoartcore.