“Simply put, we’ll need to go lewder. Miniskirts, swimsuits, low-angle shots; you need to put in as many of those as you can without breaking the law” – Tiramy from Amagi Brillian Park as the featured quote for the TV Tropes article “Fanservice”

The girls of anime – from the medium whose fandom gave us the term fanservice for the use of sexualized depictions to tantalize or titillate viewers, although of course the phenomenon itself predates that specific term, probably to prehistory – and hence as notorious as the girls of comics or video games, the latter often using art very similar to that of anime. There’s a reason fanservice is the term or tropte that it is – and why this is my third top ten girls list following up the girls of comics and the girls of video games.

 

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 the excerpt of Yuno Gasai and her crazy gaze in Future Diary, the archetypal yandere girl of anime.

 

X-TIER (WILD TIER)

 

 

 

 

(10) MOMO AYASE –

DANDADAN (2024)

 

I tend to reserve my wildcard tenth place for the newest entry in my top ten – in this case, the anime Dandadan released in October 2024 and streaming globally on Netflix (somewhat surprisingly in my experience so soon for an anime series not made by Netflix itself).

Dandadan is essentially ghosts versus aliens. No, seriously – or as seriously as this absurdist anime gets, which is not very. I do like a good fantasy kitchen sink trope – that is, where a fictional work everything from fantasy or SF thrown in as real (hence the trope name, from the saying everything but the kitchen sink), or laconically put, elements from fantasy, SF and horror interact in the same story.

And it doesn’t get much better (or fantasy kitchen sinkier?) than Dandadan, where teenagers with psychic powers fight aliens or ghosts (who also fight each other), as well as cryptids and other beings.

It plays out a little like the X-Files set – where else for an anime series? – in high school. Interestingly, the two protagonists, gyaru girl Momo Ayase and otaku Ken Takakura (sharing the same name as Momo’s celebrity crush) each play Scully to the other’s Mulder – Momo believes in ghosts but not aliens or UFOs, while Ken believes in aliens and UFOs but not ghosts. Needless to say, that changes quickly from the first episode onwards.

Surprisingly, my choice for girl from this anime was initially not the protagonist Momo but her grandmother Seiko Ayase – however Momo rose to the fore not just as protagonist but because she scored Sciamano and Helly rankings in art and cosplay respectively. Speaking of which…

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I used an image of her as she appears in the manga or anime, from the fan wiki.

 

ART – SCIAMANO

 

As mentioned, she recently scored a Sciamano ranking for art of her. There’s also art of her by Neoartcore and Nathan Szerdy.

AI shoutout to End of Line and Sakura.

 

COSPLAY – HELLY

 

And a Helly ranking – for cosplay of her by Helly Valentine.

Of course, it also helped that she’s stripped down to her underwear in the first episode…as cosplayed by Helly.

There’s also cosplay of her by Kalinka Fox and By0ru.

 

B-TIER (HIGH TIER)

 

 

 

 

(9) FRIEREN –
FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY’S END (2023)

 

Yes – it’s that damn Frieren, she’s so hot right now. Not to mention elf girls in anime in general – what with Frieren and Marcille Donato from Delicious in Dungeon.

Any chance to use that line from Zoolander but it’s true in this case – as Frieren is one of the hottest anime right now. Essentially it involves your classic Dungeons and Dragons type adventuring party in a world warring with demons – but starts where the classic Dungeons and Dragons adventure usually ends, with the heroic adventuring party and the titular elf mage having completed their quest, killing the Demon King. But life goes on – or doesn’t in this case, as Frieren outlives her human companions and takes on Fern, the adopted daughter of one of them, as her magical apprentice.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I went with how she appears in the anime, consistent with her character profile in the fan wiki or TV Tropes.

 

ART

 

Surprisingly no Sciamano or Dandonfuga ranking yet, but Frieren has racked up some impressive fan art. My rankings – Kikol Draws, Neoartcore & Kittew.

 

COSPLAY – HELLY

 

Yes – Frieren’s scored a Helly ranking, with cosplay by Helly Valentine. Runner-up is Kalinka Fox.

 

 

 

 

(8) LUCY (LUCYNA KUSHINADA) –
CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS (2022)

 

Ah – cyberpunk, where the future is cool but also sucks.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a 2022 anime – apparently set in the universe of video game Cyberpunk 2077, in turn based on the tabletop role-playing game Cyberpunk.

The anime is a 10-episode storyline following protagonist David Martinez, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks – although in the future dystopian American mega-city of Night City (apparently set in a north California independent of the United States) there doesn’t seem to be much on the right side of the tracks. Anyway, David joins a gang of titular Edgerunners – cyberpunks – after having a superpowered military cybernetic implant (that essentially allows him to move at superspeed). As with much of the cyberpunk subgenre, humanity is becoming increasingly nebulous as people increasingly augment themselves with cybernetic implants, dubbed as chrome in slang, albeit at the risk of cyber-psychosis – “eating away at a victim’s memories, motor reflexes, perception of reality, and even personality”.

Enter Lucy, our second protagonist – the Trinity to David’s Neo and gateway to his Matrix, although her entry is even more striking with an unforgettable ambulance trolley ride. She’s a net-runner – a hacker in cyberspace – with a dream of literally escaping Night City to the moon. (Space seems to offer a freedom beyond Earth, with rocket launches a recurring backdrop in the anime).

“With a slender and curved figure, a pretty large bust, and a white-haired sci-fi bob haircut, Lucy is a gorgeous character, and one who was clearly designed to appeal to viewers” – as reflected in her popularity in art and cosplay. It also helps that she is frequently “naked as she prefers ice-filled tubs to keep her cool while in cyberspace over suits”.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my feature image, I used Lucy as she appeared in the Netflix promotional art trailer for the series.

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Lucy scores both my Sciamano or Dandonfuga rankings as both have done art of her – with the art by Sciamano as one of his best. As for other Lucy art by my favorite artists – Kiko, Artgerm, Magion02, Neoartcore, and Kittew.

AI shoutout to Sakura.

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

No Yummychiyo ranking but Lucy scores my Hane and Helly ranking as both have done exceptional cosplay for her. Hane Ame again deserves special praise as her Lucy cosplay is perfect – the definitive Lucy cosplay and yet another to add to my top ten Hane cosplays (Ahri, Tifa, Atago, Asuna and now Lucy for those keeping track so far). Of course, the video she did of Lucy barely being able to zip up her top helps – as does the ‘naked’ cosplay of her hacking. (It’s trickier than it sounds – you have to replicate all those electronic tattoos Lucy has).

My top Lucy cosplay list also includes Miu and Biya.

 

 

 

 

(7) YOR FORGER –
SPY X FAMILY (2022)

 

Not surprisingly, Spy X Family involves a spy, codenamed Twilight, in a fictional parallel cold war (between Westalis, presumably the good guys and where Twilight is from, and Ostania) – and for somewhat convoluted reasons I won’t go into here, he has to have a wife and child as a cover story. Cue the titular spy family.

Assuming the identity of psychiatrist Loid(!) Forger, he enlists an Ostanian civil servant Yor Briar in a marriage of mutual convenience as a wife, as well as an orphan girl as his daughter – the former of course being the Yor Forger of this entry.

And being anime, of course his new wife and daughter have secrets of their own – the daughter escaped from a lab that gave her telepathic powers, and Yor is an infamous professional killer under the identity of Thorn Princess.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I used the page image from the Spy X Family fan wiki for how she appears in the anime as her Thorn Princess persona.

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Yor is a popular subject for artists, easily scoring both Sciamano and Dandonfuga rankings – but also for my Yor art on the spot:

1 – Sciamano (for the Sciamano ranking and also my favorite art of Yor – one of Scimano’s best art works)

2 – Dandonfuga (for the Dandonfuga ranking – and one of their Undressed Magazine mock covers)

3 – Kikol L (the subject of some of his best artwork)

4 –  Neoartcore (for art in Neoartcore characteristic style)

5 – Magion02 (for art in Magion characteristic style)

5 – Artgerm (for art in the style of his usual cover art for comics)

7 – Kittew (for the usual Kittew art treatment)

8 – Prwyinko (for some hot Yor art)

 

SPECIAL MENTION

AI shoutout to Naughty Neurals and Sakura

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO, HANE & HELLY

 

And Yor was popular with cosplay models, scoring my holy trinity of Yummychiyo, Hane & Helly rankings – although if forced to choose, I’d rank Helly Valentine in top spot for my favorite Yor cosplay, only just edging out Hane Ame.

My top Yor cosplay on the spot

1 – Helly Valentine (for the Helly ranking – and some of her best cosplay)

2 – Hane Ame (for the Hane ranking)

3 – Yummychiyo (for the Yummychiyo ranking)

4 – Uri (for some standout cosplay)

5 – Ain Nguyen (for some killer Yor cosplay)

6 – By0ru

7 – Aqua

8 – Takomayuyi

9 – Biya

 

SPECIAL MENTION (for more risque or inactive cosplayers)

1 – Octokuro

2 – Anxi

 

 

 

(6) MARIN KITAGAWA –
MY DRESS-UP DARLING (2022)

 

Whoa – did this anime girl explode onto the scene with cosplayers in 2022 or what? The girl is Marin Kitagawa and the anime is My Dress-Up Darling (or Sono Bisuku Dōru wa Koi o Suru), which premiered in January 2022. The anime itself appears to be nothing out of the ordinary, albeit apparently well-crafted – a romantic comedy set in – where else? – a school, in which awkward male student Wakana Gojo, bonds with Marin while making costumes for her cosplay.

And there you have it – cosplay girls (and the anime community) have enthusiastically embraced a character who is a cosplay girl herself.

There’s also that bikini – which is perhaps the most prolific subject for her cosplay, and what first brought her to my attention, with a seemingly endless procession of one Marin cosplay after another on social media. Speaking of which…

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, what else could it be but a clip (or in this case two clips together) from the scene of that Marin in that iconic bikini from the anime?

 

ART – SCIAMANO AND DANDONFUGA

 

Marin was also popular with artists, easily scoring Sciamano and Dandonfuga rankings for their art of her. As usual, I rank Sciamano slightly ahead in top spot, particularly winning out with multiple art works with her as subject, but it was close as Dandonfuga’s art of her taking her measurements in that bikini is top notch. And so too were other artists – there was just something about Marin (heh) and that bikini that brought out the best in their art.

Here’s my top Marin art on the spot:

1 – Sciamano (I’d say for my favorite Marin art but there’s so much fantastic art of Marin by artists – although Sciamano is my favorite)

2 – Dandonfuga (top notch Marin art as I said)

3 – Neoartcore (some of Neoartcore’s best art)

4 – Kittew (yes – more fantastic Marin bikini art)

5 – Kikol Draws (you get the point – fantastic Marin art)

6 – Prywinko (fantastic art of Marin changing costumes – including into that bikini)

7 – Magion02 (you know the drill – fantastic Marin in a bikini art)

8 – Blushy Spicy (cute Marin art – and yes, bikini Marin!)

 

SPECIAL MENTION –

1 – Artgerm

Some fine Marin sketch art by this professional comics artist

2 – Aroma Sensei

Sadly inactive artist now but too good to pass up for her Marin art

AI shoutout to End of Line, Naughty Neurals and Sakura

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO, HANE & HELLY

 

And of course Marin scores my holy trinity of Yummychiyo, Hane & Helly rankings – they all have excellent cosplay of her but I’m going to award top spot to Hane Ame as yet another signature cosplay across a range of different costumes from the anime, of course including that bikini. Another to add to my top ten Hane Ame cosplays.

As for my Marin cosplay top ten on the spot

1 – Hane Ame (one of my top ten Hane Ame cosplays)

2 – Yummychiyo (always jaw-droppingly spectacular with her insane figure)

3 – Helly Valentine (so hard to chose among my holy trinity – they all had such good Marin cosplay but Helly came third without the signature bikini)

4 – By0ru (if there’s one thing this model does best, it’s bikini cosplay)

5 – Uri (yet more excellent cosplay from this model)

6 – Miu (demure Marin cosplay)

7 – Ain Nguyen (the way this cosplay model rocks a bikini, I’d be surprised if she didn’t do Marin)

8 – Aqua (no surprise here – standout cosplay)

9 – Fufukowa (bikini Marin among her prolific cosplay)

10 – Anxi (rocking bikini Marin cosplay)

 

SPECIAL MENTION – Katyuska Moonfox

 

 

 

 

(5) MAKIMA –
CHAINSAW MAN (2022)

 

“Bark for me!”

Yes – I did the meme.

Chainsaw Man is set in the 1990s in an alternative timeline, in which the Soviet Union still exists – and perhaps worse, hell does too. And devils walk the earth, born from human fears, their power varying in proportion to how strongly their correspondent fear is incited in the collective human consciousness. However, humans can make contracts or deals with them – as the protagonist Denji does with his doglike pet chainsaw devil, becoming some sort of human-devil hybrid as the titular Chainsaw Man…who can grow chainsaws out of his head and limbs. As such, he comes to the attention of the government Devil Hunters agency.

Which is where our entry comes in – the mysterious Makima, as head of the agency and the protagonist’s boss, although it’s more like he’s her pet. She even tells him as much, saying she needs a dog that can say yes or woof – she doesn’t need a dog who says no. Hence the meme. Of course, there’s more to her than meets the eye, but what does meet the eye is enough for Denji to be enamored of her – a slinky redhead in a badass suit.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I used the page image from the Chainsaw Man fan wiki for how she appears in the anime.

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Yes – Makima scores my Sciamano and Dandonfuga rankings for their art of her, the latter with several versions and hence edging out Sciamano for top spot. As for runners-up ranked in order – Kikol, Neoartcore and Magion02.

AI shoutout to End of Line, Nho Eskape, and Sakura.

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO, HANE & HELLY

 

A clean sweep for my holy trinity of Yummychiyo, Hane and Helly rankings – with top spot going to Hane Ame for her spot on cosplay of Makima. As for other cosplay models, I’ll add cosplay by Octokuro and Anxi.

 

 

 

(4) NEZUKO KAMADO –
DEMON SLAYER (2019)

 

2019 anime Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) came to my attention through my usual source of recurring cosplay from accounts I follow – in this case pink kimono-clad and bamboo-bit cosplay.

The premise is all in the title – protagonist Tanjira Kamado slays demons. Intriguingly, it’s set in early twentieth century Japan or the Taisho period, so juxtaposing more modern urban Japan with more traditional rural Japan. And demons. Anyway, Tanjira slays demons after his family – mother and siblings – were all killed by demons. Except, that is, for his younger sister (or imouto) Nezuko – who’s been turned into a demon but retains enough of her humanity to recognize (and kick ass for) her brother and generally not attack people, although she has a precautionary bamboo gag for her fangs. Also, she’s freaking adorable. She’s mute (because of the demon thing) and spends most of her time sleeping, while her brother carries her around in a box on his back on his quest to find her a cure.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

As is mostly the case for my girls of anime, for my iconic feature image I used the page image from the Demon Slayer fan wiki for how she appears in the anime.

 

ART

 

One of the few girls of anime who – surprisingly – has not been featured in art by Sciamano or Dandonfuga. So my top Nezuko art is Kikol and Neoartcore.

AI shoutout to Naughty Neurals and Sakura.

 

COSPLAY – HANE

 

Nezuko does score a Hane ranking for cosplay of her by Hane Ame. For my other Nezuko cosplay by my favorite models – By0ru and Anxi.

 

 

A-TIER (TOP TIER)

 

 

 

(3) NAMI –

ONE PIECE (1999)

 

Queen of the Pirates!

I am only slightly familiar with the anime One Piece, namely because it is one of the longest running (and best-selling) manga and anime series – originating in 1997 for the manga and 1999 for the anime. As such, it has accumulated a vast cast of characters and attracted prolific cosplay – indeed, for this entry I would rank the cosplay in preference to the anime’s art as it improves upon the latter, which is somewhat cartoonish in style (albeit it has evolved over time).

One Piece is an absurdist pirate fantasy (really) – with its protagonist Monkey D. Luffy (no, really) setting out to become the King of Pirates by finding the titular One Piece treasure with his crew of Straw Hat Pirates, and opposed by the World Government. It’s…that kind of series.

The world of One Piece is primarily an ocean world, inhabited by human and fantasy races, and with technology perhaps approaching steampunk levels – albeit with magical creatures replicating many modern conveniences, particularly electronic devices. And of course, there is magic – particularly the Devil Fruit, which give each person who takes it different magical powers.

And while it’s a close run thing with the other girls of One Piece – two in particular – I have to give top spot to “Cat burglar” Nami – originally a thief or pickpocket (who detested pirates), she is won over by Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to become their navigator, motivated by her desire to map the world. Although her true love has tended to be money or treasure.

Her navigational ability is reinforced by a magical ability to read and control weather, albeit through magical device rather than Devil Fruit. She has a number of costumes, but perhaps her signature costume is her bikini top and jeans. Speaking of which…

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For my iconic feature image, I chose a full height version of how she appears in her signature outfit in the anime, although it seems to have been somewhat stylised from the anime or manga art (by a fan wiki).

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Does Nami score my Sciamano and Dandonfuga rankings? You bet she does! Dandonfuga almost edges forward of Sciamano to take top spot because the former’s Nami art featured her signature outfit in one hell of a wanted poster, but my favorite artist is my favorite artist after all.

For my top girl of anime, Nami is not as prolific a subject among my favorite artists as I would have thought but I’ll rank eight artists:

1 – Sciamano (as my favorite artist but also some of my favorite artwork for Nami)

2 – Dandonfuga (came oh so close to top spot for that wanted poster, as well as more artwork of Nami

3 – Kiko L (close runner up with some of my favorite artwork of Nami

4 – Logan Cure (close runner up with one of my single favorite images of Nami

5 – Neoartcore (cute Nami art)

6 – Magion (more cute Nami art)

7 – Artgerm (for sketchwork of Nami by a professional comics artist)

8 – Olcha S (for art of Nami in a distinctive style)

 

SPECIAL MENTION – Shikarii (one of my favorite artworks of Nami)

 

Also AI shoutout to Naughty Neurals and Sakura

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

Does Nami score my Hane & Helly rankings? You bet she does – although sadly no Yummychiyo, who would absolutely rock that signature costume. Hane Ame absolutely rocks that signature outfit, hence just edging out Helly Valentine for top spot (and a candidate for my top ten Hane Ame cosplays).

 

While Nami is a popular subject of cosplay – particularly as her costumes seem somewhat more straightforward in design – she’s not as prolific among my favorite cosplay models but again I can just squeeze out a Nami cosplay top ten on the spot

1 – Hane Ame

2 – Helly Valentine

3 – Kalinka Fox

4 – Miu

5 – Camillia

6 – Tabitha Lyons

7 – Aqua

8 – Anxi

9 – Katyuska Moonfox

10 – Vampy Bit Me (as opposed to her signature Nico Robin cosplay)

 

SPECIAL MENTION

Sofia Gomez (with Sophie Mudd as Nico Robin)

 

 

S-TIER (GODDESS TIER)

 

 

 

 

(2) YOKO LITTNER –
TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN (2007)

 

“Fight the Power!”

My top spot for Evangelion leads naturally to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (or Gurren Lagann for short) by the same anime studio (Studio Gainax) – and its leading female character Yoko Littner, arguably as iconic of anime girls in general as the girls of Evangelion. Yoko is essentially the Red Sonja of anime – a similarly statuesque redhead, but with a massive sniper rifle (apparently modelled on the Barrett M82 anti-materiel rifle) instead of a sword. And just as Red Sonja fights in a chainmail bikini and boots, Yoko Littner shoots down giant mecha in the desert while wearing a bikini top, hot pants, pink stockings and boots. Indeed, when she wore a swimsuit to the beach, it actually covered more than her normal outfit. (It’s anime – of course, there’s a beach episode, even in a series about fighting giant mecha in the desert).

Any attempt at a short description of the plot of Gurren Lagann doesn’t do justice to it, although as usual TV Tropes does it best – “a roller coaster ride of fan service” (primarily provided by Yoko herself), “over-the-top fight scenes between mecha, hot-bloodedness, epic sunglasses, massive badassery and mind-blowing heroism”. As TV Tropes observed, the series is what happens when Studio Gainax, the anime studio responsible for Neon Genesis Evangelion, is asked to create a Saturday morning cartoon. Indeed, the series could be described as the exact polar opposite of Neon Genesis Evangelion – similarly involving giant piloted mecha pitted against threats to humanity, but rarely taking itself as seriously and mixed with audacity rather than angst. Not to mention less of the “what the hell is going on?” mind-screw of Evangelion, although of course it is still present – it IS Studio Gainax after all.

As succinctly as possible, humanity has been virtually eliminated but for remnants in subterranean villages and some isolated surface villages, kept under the heel of ‘Beast-men’ (combining human and animal DNA) with giant mecha (large armored and powered robotic suits, controlled by operators inside them). And it just gets crazier from there, ultimately evolving to cosmic mecha IN SPACE fighting against eldritch abominations (so not too much different from Neon Genesis Evangelion).

After all, this is a series in which one of the main protagonists, Kamina, declares “Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb! That’s how Team Gurren rolls!” And in which one of the other main protagonists, Simon, spontaneously invents teleportation just to punch someone in the face (and knock some sense into them). And in which the title refers to piercing the heavens. And in which the most common catchphrase is “Just who the hell do you think we are?”, perhaps to capture the audience’s puzzlement as well as the audacity of its characters.

Yoko herself literally bursts into the first episode as the main female protagonist (and eye candy) of the series – “a woman with a very big gun (and very little clothing)” firing at a beast-mecha as both collapse the roof of the subterranean village of the two male protagonists, Kamina and Simon. And that essentially defines her character for the balance of the series – “It can be a real pain being as tough as I am” as Yoko herself declares, as she continues to shoot down giant mecha through the series. As for her surname, that seems to derive from her surface village of origin.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

For her iconic feature image, I chose an image of Yoko in her classic costume as she appears in the anime, used as a feature image from the fan wiki and also in a heroes wiki – I used the latter for its clearer image and background contrast. It doesn’t do her justice and there is far superior art (as well as cosplay) of her out there as I note below but it does give a full length view of her classic costume from (gun) barrel to boots. It also conveys something of her insanely statuesque figure, hence why she is such an iconic girl of anime and why she is a recurring staple of art or cosplay.

 

ART – SCIAMANO & DANDONFUGA

 

Yes, indeed – Yoko scores both Sciamano and Dandonfuga rankings as of course both have done art of her. There’s also art of her by Artgerm, Elias Chatzoudis, Neoartcore, Magion, and Prywinko.

 

COSPLAY – HANE & HELLY

 

Yoko almost scores the jackpot of my holy trinity – sadly, there’s no Yummychiyo cosplay of her, as Yummychiyo would absolutely have rocked Yoko cosplay. Still, Hane Ame and Helly Valentine rock their Yoko cosplay. Two of my other favorite models – By0ru and Australian cosplayer Katyuska Moonfox – also rock their Yoko cosplay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU –
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION / EVANGELION (1995)

 

I had to give my top (goddess-tier) spot to one of the girls  from my favorite anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion (and Evangelion in general as a franchise) – in which traumatized teenagers in a post-apocalyptic Japan pilot giant mecha suits to fight eldritch abominations known as Angels. Which may actually be Angels in the Biblical sense – I’m not sure that anyone, including its creator, knew entirely what was going on. It…was that kind of anime. In the words of the Comic Buyer’s Guide, “this is a giant robot saga the way that Twin Peaks is a cop show”. Or in the simpler words of the caption for the TV Tropes page image – “Not pictured: Sanity”.

And it’s no surprise that the leading duo of Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu predominate the girls of Evangelion, as well as iconic of anime girls in general. The only issue was which one to give it to – and I gave it to Asuka because as much as I have a soft spot for Rei, she is weird (and a clone of Shinji’s mother) while Asuka is so iconic an anime girl that she has become something of a meme on social media.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

As for her iconic feature image, I went with the advertised image for a figurine of her in her distinctive and most iconic plugsuit.

 

ART – DANDONFUGA

 

Sadly no Sciamano art of Asuka but she does score a Dandonfuga ranking for art of her – I’m also counting Dandonfuga’s art of DVa in Asuka’s costume.

Otherwise, there’s art of her by Artgerm, Kikol Draws, Magion, and Prywinko – as well as standout art of her in a duo with Rei by Logan Cure.

 

COSPLAY – YUMMYCHIYO, HANE & HELLY

 

Yes – Asuka scores my cosplay holy trinity with cosplay of her by Yummychiyo, Hane Ame, and Helly Valentine. There’s also cosplay of her by By0ru.

 

 

GIRLS OF ANIME: TOP 10 (TIER LIST)

 

S-TIER (GODDESS TIER)

 

(1) ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU – NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

(2) YOKO LITTNER – TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN

 

If Asuka is my Old Testament of Girls of Anime, then Yoko is my New Testament.

 

A-TIER (TOP TIER)

 

(3) NAMI – ONE PIECE

 

B-TIER (HIGH TIER)

 

(4) NEZUKO KAMADO – DEMON SLAYER

(5) MAKIMA – CHAINSAW MAN

(6) MARIN KITAGAWA – MY DRESS-UP DARLING

(7) YOR FORGER – SPY X FAMILY

(8) LUCY (LUCYNA KUSHINADA) – CYBERPUNK EDGERUNNERS

(9) FRIEREN – FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY’S END

 

X-TIER (WILD TIER)

 

(10) MOMO AYASE – DANDADAN