Today’s question is such a fundamental one, I’m shocked that it’s never come up before. Kudos to AgentJ for cutting to the quick!
AgentJ: What characters in particular have you either enjoyed unfolding or related to the most?
Big surprise - - the first one the pops into my mind is L. There’s the obvious stuff about him being brilliant and always five steps ahead of everybody else… but what I enjoyed the most about him is that he's depicted as he really would be rather than like any of the throngs of charming, dashing master detectives in fiction have been.
L’s socially awkward, he's awfully pedantic, willfully disregards rules of dining, dress and etituqe and his relationship to regular people verges on Asperger’s. Even comic relief moments like his brief bout of puppy dog infatuation with Misa and his random instances of pop culture knowledge subtly hint that this is a lonely young man who can’t really function outside of his work, grandiose though it may be. He's one of those rare characters where you’d really almost want to see an interview with him, just to hear his take on the world.
Digging a little deeper, I’d also include Ashitaka from PRINCESS MONONOKE. He’s a leading man who you experience the plot through, yeah, but he’s got an unique, virtuous innocence. His philosophy’s almost akin to a shaolin monk’s in that he isn't ignorant of moral temptations, he’s just immune to them. He uses violence, and he’s an adept killer, simply because he knows that’s the way of the world. He’s at peace with it, but he never relishes in it. His romance with San’s really puts this into focus. She’s just as baffled as you are about this man being free of corruption, even as his flesh is being corrupted by that disease.
And I’d have to include Misato. Sure, I haven’t crushed on a toon like her since Jessica Rabbit - - that's a big reason - - but I also loved how she was so many charming, yet so screwed up. She's as emotionally vulnerable and complicated as she is hard-minded and deadly. Plus, she looked good in a red leather jacket and beret!
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Misato only looks good naked. I have to agree that she is much like a real woman in the way of emotions and manner. L is quite the character as he is entertaining in not so much the comedic but in the psychological.
Yeah. That was when my aspergers was acting up so I was like a mix of Shinji, L, and Asuka.
"Look at me! Don't hate me! I can put my foot in my mouth both literally and figuratively! Why did you just push me over?"
Seriously, if I ever get the chance to meet my younger self, I will punch myself in the face. I wish my younger self was a bit more like Shinj Ikari.
L is cool but I always preferred Light and even Ryuk
Gendo from Evangelion, Aizen from Bleach (anime), Oroachimaru from Naruto, Dante from FullMetal Alchemist, Light from Death Note, Makoto and Sekai from School Days.
I liked L, but I really don't like Death Note.
But for my favorite characters, not for how deep they are, but for entertainment/enjoyment:
Justy Ueki Tylor (Irresponsible Captain Tylor)
Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin)
most of the Genshiken cast
Ranma (Ranma 1/2)
Nozomu Itoshiki (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei)
Negishi/Krauser (Detroit Metal City)
Gintoki (Gintama)
Ling Yao (FMA)
I'm probably forgetting a lot, but I'm sick and my head is fuzzy.
I love all the characters from Cowboy Bebop, but especially Spike and Ed.
I want to see more female characters like Casca from Berserk. Well, not Casca at the end of the Berserk anime ;)
Speaking of female characters, I love Revy from Black Lagoon. You'd be a fool not to.
For more recent anime, I really liked Kamina from Gurren Lagann. He's obviously a nod to the overexuberant mecha heroes, but he also had a style all his own I appreciated.
She's the driving force of so much that goes on in the show, but she remains a total mystery until the last two episodes. Well, even then she's still mostly a mystery. We don't know much about her. Then again, we don't really know that much about Spike, either, even though he's the main character. There's just something captivating about her, and I love that beautiful, lonely, sad expression she's always wearing.
For a full list look on my Animevice profile or on my Myanimelist profile
i'd say off the top of my head..
Kizaru, akainu (until he killed ace anyway...), whitebeard, Broli, Gogeta, Don patch(when super and in japanese only.) Bo-bobo, Kinnikuman, Warsman, neptuneman, akuma shogun, super phoenix, kittan, guy,luffy, jinbei,kuma, Goku, ryoma, Ramenman, buffaloman, kenshiro, raoh, Over, and..... Vegeta~!
The only character i don't like A lot...is probably Blackbeard...
However this is only my opinion. Free country here, ya know?
-G.
Geist (MD Geist)
Priss Asagiri (BGC oavs)
Yoko (Gurren Lagann)
Roger Smith (Big O)
Saki (Steel Angel Kurumi)
Adam Blade (Needless)
Too tired to give reasons right now.
Mine are Gohan (DBZ), Kei Kurono (Gantz), Kira Yamato (Gundam Seed) and Light Yagami (Death Note). I also like Shinji and Misato.
Spike Spiegel - he's just a great character
Aoshi Shinomori - He's so bad ass and goes from enemy to friend.
Kenshin Himura - Although a great character, he's much more interesting in trust and betrayal
Yamcha - when he is still relevant, I've always liked him for some reason.
Just to throw a few more out there Wolfwood from Trigun, Rock Lee from Naruto, Ichigo and Kenpachi from Bleach and I can't forget Goku, he's too loveable.