Favorite anime heroine

[rocklobster]

One thing I think is great about anime is how women are portrayed. As a child, I despised the fact that in the Western animation, women were usually either the distressed damsel or some other unappealing character. But in anime, you can get some great heroines. Who are your favorites? Here's 10 of mine, in no order:
1. Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon)--Yes, she's clumsy. But we love her for it!:hug:
2. Balsa (Moribito)--Kicks butt, and has a compassionate motherly side too.
3. Major Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)--Kicks butt and looks hot!
4. Nausicca (Nausicca)--Do I even have to explain?
5. Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service)--so cute!:hug:
6. Victorique (Gosick)--Bratty? Yes. Smart? mm-hmm! Cute? You'd better believe it!
7. Rosette (Chrno Crusade)--Proof positive that even the best of us have some flaws.
8. Lina Inverse (Slayers)--Wherever evil rises up to face me, VICTORY WILL BE MINE!
9. Kagome (Inuyasha)--I admire her courage. And she does a good job of keeping Inuyasha in line.
10. Duck (Princess Tutu)--And the most unlikeliest heroine award goes to...the girl in the ballerina outfit who turns into a duck!

[Atria35]

No particular order:

1. Yoko (TTGL)- she's kick-butt and a full-fledged character in her own right. More props to her!
2. Balsa (Seirei no Moribito)- Mature and wise, this lady knows what she's doing. And that she has the stregnth, and stregnth of character to do what she does? Definitely right up there.
3. Birdy (Tetsuwan Birdy Decode)- Even though she has a past that most people would find mildly horrific, she overcomes adversity and still manages to go in her grief. Plus she's perky and awesome.
4. Sakura (CCS)- She's an elementary student, so I don't expect super-deep emotional issues. Which is nice! Instead of angst, we get a perfectly normal little girl that worries about tests and her crush, but has the stregnth of character to deal with things that get way out of her depth, and the sorrow and confusion that can come with it.
5. Lain (Serial Experiments)- Because she's the only character to really and truly inspire Moe feelings in me.
6. Kiki (Delivery Service)- she's adorable and sweet, and I can't get enough of her!
7. The girls of Bamboo Blade- I admit it, I can't pick just one as my favorite! They all are great characters that I love.
8. Erin (Kemono no Souja)- Sweet, but with a tough, determined side that isn't obnoxious. I love how she grows and matures.

[Riona]

I love anime, but most of the heroines are just so silly--goofy idiots who survive by being genki genki. Sailor Moon is a good example. Don't get me wrong--I really adore some of these characters (Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi, or the sweet but bumbling Yoko Reedman from Read or Die). But I'd like to point out the anime heroines that are really good people.

Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket is a super person, and she doesn't even know it.
I also really like Shima Katase from Stellvia.

To get off the goody-two-shoes line, I really like Fee from Planetes even though she's a chain-smoker with a temper. I'd add Raquel from Scrapped Princess, though she's not the "heroine".

For shear alien adorableness, my old fave is Lafiel from Crest of the Stars and my new fave is Holo from Spice and Wolf.

[rocklobster]

For shear alien adorableness, my old fave is Lafiel from Crest of the Stars.

Yes! Yes! I love Lafiel! Crest of the Stars is great.

[Juliannesan]

Crest of Stars bored me... I don't know why.
Anyway!

My favorite heroines!


Ahiru - Princess Tutu -- She's strong and cute and sacrifices her personal interests to help others. Yep.

Shuurei - Saiunkoku Monogatari -- She's probably my favorite heroine ever. She's strong, ambitious and doesn't let anyone walk over... She has a sensitive side as well, but she doesn't let that get the best of her. (Unlike Miaka from FY, sorry guys that like her, I can't stand her at all) Shuurei rules!

Kaoru Kamiya - Rurouni Kenshin -- Sure, she is sensitive, but she has a lot of guts and is extremely loyal and determined to help those in need, even if it puts her at risk. (Again, self-sacrificial)

Kobato- Kobato. She's sweet, she's hilarious and a little loopy, but she has an amazing heart for children and others. (Yet another self-sacrificial character)

Sakura - Weiss Kreuz. Not too many people know about her, but she's loving and caring despite being mistreated at times, and risks her neck to save others.

Robin Sena from Witch Hunter Robin.
She's a quiet character, does her best to do good and kicks butt, and it just an awesome character. Yep.

[airichan623]

10. Duck (Princess Tutu)--And the most unlikeliest heroine award goes to...the girl in the ballerina outfit who turns into a duck!

Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket is a super person, and she doesn't even know it.

my new fave is Holo from Spice and Wolf.

I agree with these.

Tohru makes this list because she lives by encouraging.

Couple others I love:

Kallen Kouzuki/Stadfeld from Code Geass is a personal favorite, despite her being constantly fanserviced. She's strong-willed (not to mention physically), loyal, and a great mecha warrior.

Alice from Pandora Hearts

A little bit of anti-hero due to the fact she is in fact a "chain" who lives in this world by living off of another human's soul, but she's funny, strong-willed, cute, and downright rude sometimes. But she always speaks the truth, and often makes characters realizes things about people that they don't realize about themselves.

[Atria35]

I love anime, but most of the heroines are just so silly--goofy idiots who survive by being genki genki. Sailor Moon is a good example. Don't get me wrong--I really adore some of these characters (Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi, or the sweet but bumbling Yoko Reedman from Read or Die).

I have to agree with you on how most heroines are, but I disliked Usagi for an entirely different reason: she's a whiny, selfish brat for the vast majority of the first season. She deserved to be spanked six ways from Sunday. When I had to deal with that for 40+ eps....

[rocklobster]

I disagree with your feelings about Usagi. I like her because she's flawed. And besides, in later seasons, she actually matures as a character and becomes a better heroine. Hooray for character development!

[samurai10]

This isn't in any particular order. Expect a lot of ranting and spoilers.

Victorique from Gosick. I don't know why, but I LOVE her! Maybe it's her extremely dry sense of humor, or the way she makes fun of her friend, but whatever it is, she's awesome, and I love her.

Erin from Kemono no Souja Erin. Her character is incredibly mature, and if I was a guy, I'd marry her. She's very tough, and she refuses to back down no matter how many things stand in her way, and it's not obnoxious! :O Her curiosity reminds me of myself, as I am also as, or more curious then a cat. She doesn't wave her smartness around in everybody's face, and she only tells people about her mother when absolutely necessary, or when that person asks her and is very close to her. She does have her bad decisions, but overall, she's a greaaaaaaaat character.

Lenalee Lee from D. Gray Man. I know she's not really a true heroine, as Allen is the main main main character, but omgosh, she can kick Allen's butt anyday and anytime she wants. GO GIRL POWAH.

Tokine from Kekkaishi. She's more mature than other girl characters I know of (in regards to love anyway...*coughSakurafromNarutocough*), and she's SMART. I love smart girl characters. It's not like they're in a minority or something, it's just if the girl is smart, I like her better. And she's merciless. Gives an evil side to her, even though she's with Yoshimori, y'know? (Although her fear of cockroaches is really funny too...XD)

Pacifica Casull from Scrapped Princess. She may act selfish and immature, but she really is concerned for other people, which I like. I don't remember any of her actions that I disagreed with. I just love her, she's a great character.

Kyoko Mogami from Skip Beat. Among these, I think Kyoko is my favorite. Eyeing cosmetics eagerly, and thinking about nothing but revenge. I like people who have revenge as their motive. Idk why. I guess it's just one of those strange things about me. I really really REALLY hated the ending of Skip Beat. Argh! It was so annoying! It was like, a huge cliffhanger that you have to read the manga in order to make go away! But other than that, I love Kyoko!

Maka Albarn from Soul Eater. Must I explain?

Finally! End of my rant! XD

[Juliannesan]

This isn't in any particular order.
Pacifica Casull from Scrapped Princess. .

Kyoko Mogami from Skip Beat!

Agree with these, I didn't think of Kyoko. I thought of Pacifica, but I couldn't remember her name. Teehee.
Oh yes, and Tohru, she has to be one of my favorites. Can't believe I didn't add her. XD

I love anime, but most of the heroines are just so silly--goofy idiots who survive by being genki genki. Sailor Moon is a good example. Don't get me wrong--I really adore some of these characters (Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi, or the sweet but bumbling Yoko Reedman from Read or Die). But I'd like to point out the anime heroines that are really good people.

Miaka annoyed me so much, because of her alone I almost stopped watching the show, but I managed to finish it anyhow...

[Juliannesan]

Sorry, double post. XD

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I love a series that has a strong female character that's not just there to stand around and look pretty. Some of my favorites are:

Tanyu (Mushi-Shi Episode 20) - Though she's only a one-time character in the series, she stands out as one of the only females that actually doesn't need Ginko's help to control mushi. That and her indomitable spirit earns her a spot on my strong female list.

Rossette Christopher (Chrono Crusade) - Like Rocklobster, I admire the fact that Rosette is not a perfect character, nor does she try to be. She's a strong willed person who can hold her own...though sometimes she requires a little help from her friend and resident squeeky-raspy devil Chrono.

Ai Tanabe (Planetes) - While Ai may not have much in the way of mystical powers or weaponry mastery, she has a spirit and a determination that really stands out. I love the fact that even when the male lead/love interest Hachimaki is not around, she pushes herself to do her best at the job that brought them together. Even in the ending when...

[spoiler]...Hachimaki goes away on a seven year mission to Mars after they are married and she is expecting their first child...[/spoiler]

...she still has that strength to let him go.

Balsa (Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit) - I know she has been mentioned before, but dawg gone it, she's just so freaking cool! She has all the traits of a perfect female heroine; she has strength to fight off her enemies, brains to think her way out of any troublesome situation and street smarts to get by in the day-to-day. However, she's also very caring about others, has a very strong sense of loyalty, and her relationship with Tanda is fun to watch.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Though my all-time favorite female character is a villain, my personal favorite anime heroine is Lady Oscar Francois de Jarjayes from Rose of Versailles. She is definitely the reason to watch that excellent series. Oscar is pretty much the anti-type of the "genki genki" ditzes mentioned earlier, though that isn't to say she is without flaw. Though she is strong and virtuous, Oscar is a complex character with interesting internal conflicts concerning her feelings and the political consequences of her own decisions as well as of those dear to her. She grows a lot throughout the series throughout the show, and her convictions change as well.

Runners up: Michiko Malandro, Nausicaa, and Balsa

[TopazRaven]

It takes reading all the post here and not knowing who the heck most of those characters are to realize I haven't watched many anime yet. Well...here is my list so far.

Tohru [Fruit's Basket] - Seriously, she's awesome. She's such a kind, forgiving and encouraging person. I certainly wish I could be more like her some times rather then the beastly thing I am. xD

Kagome [InuYasha] - A lot of fans never seemed to like her and I could never figure out why. She always seemed a very strong and independent person to me.

Katara [Avatar: The Last Airbender] - So this isn't really anime, b-but it's done in an anime style so it counts right? xD Now this really is a strong and independent girl. It was always fun seeing her get fired up.

Reika [Ginga Densetsu Weed] - Okay...so she's a dog. More of a side character to as well, but I still loved her. She definitely could fall under the 'damsel in distress' category throughout most of the series, but at one point she nearly kills herself to save her friends and she has a good heart. xD Plus dogs are awesome and she's an Akita Inu at that.

Misty/Kasumi [Pokemon] - I kind of looked up to her when I used to watch the show as a kid. Yes, one of my childhood role model was a cartoon character. Leave me alone...

San [Princess Mononoke] - What could be better then a bad a wolf princess?

Kiki [Kiki's Delivery Service] - She was so adorable and sweet, how could I not like her? xD

Chihiro [Spirited Away] - My first real anime movie and one that really got me into Japanese animation. She had to go through quite a lot and being so young I think she handled it pretty well.

Sophie [Howl's Moving Castle] - I really liked the character development seen in her throughout the movie.

Hinata [Naruto] - Once again a side character, but she certainly has her moments. Even ready to die for the people she cares about.

Hungary/Elizaveta [Hetalia: Axis Powers] - The woman uses a frying pan as a weapon. Enough said.

Then...that's all I can think of. I'll go now.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

It takes a great woman to lay down her life for her friends or cause.

It takes the greatest hero of them all to be willing to lay down her life for something that mocks the very cause she supports.

Library Task Force Officer First Rank Iku Kasahara, I salute thee.

As some runner ups, Mami Tomoe, Ennis, Nice Holystone, Chane Laforet, Youshi the Blue Beast(originally a man lolololol), Ginrei, Riza Hawkeye, Lanfan, Asahina Samidare, and all of the female Beast Knights deserve a very honorable mention.

Oh yeah, I guess Balsa is pretty cool but I couldn't get over how boring a lot of Moribito got.

[blkmage]

With kindness comes naïveté.
Courage becomes foolhardiness.
And dedication has no reward.

If you can't accept any of that, you are not fit to be a Puella Magi.

[Cadence]

Looks like most of my favorites have been mentioned here already (Balsa, Tohru, Erin, Sakura, Shurei, Miyazaki heroines, Lafiel...), but there are a few I want to add...

Utena Tenjou from Revolutionary Girl Utena. If you have seen it, you know why.

Kuchiha from Amatsuki. All of the main female characters in Amatsuki are kick-butt and awesome, but Kuchiha is the best (sorry, Beni). She is courageous, not afraid to speak her mind, and when she goes all deredere over Shamon-sama it is so cute it hurts. I love how easy she is to relate to - yeah sure, she's possessed by a dog god (something most of us can't exactly say we've experienced) and she is confused and she is selfish; but once you realize where she is coming from and what she is after, she is not hard to read - and ever so easy to sympathize with. Oh, and she wears her own hair as a scarf.

Reki from Haibane Renmei is a character to whom my heart goes out to - her situation hits close to home for me. She feels like such a real person to me, and the triumph of her character development and her story leaves me in awe every time I watch the show.

All the lovely ladies from ARIA get some of my love as well.

[FllMtl Novelist]

Akashi from The Tatami Galaxy. Because she's a smart girl. In the engineering department, she's so smart. I like smart.

Tsukimi from Princess Jellyfish. Because she wears glasses and is nerdy like me. XD Actually, I liked pretty much every member of the cast on that show.

Celty from Durarara!!. She's got a motorcycle. And can create blades out of shadowy stuff. And she has no head.

Riza Hawkeye from FMA. She's just friggin' awesome.

[TopazRaven]

Ah, I forgot Celty and Riza! Both very awesome ladies as well. xD

[seaglass27]

I've already told you this in the chat, Rock, but my favorite heroine is Rally Vincent from Gunsmith Cats.

[rocklobster]

I agree, OJ. Rally was an awesome character. I liked how business-minded she was. Anyone who can keep an explosive partner like Minnie-May in line has to have a cool head. It's just too bad Gunsmith Cats was only an OVA. (and a manga) I think it would've made an excellent show for at least one season.

[Maokun]

Wow, I thought I'd be the only one to mention Rally when I read the title of the thread, but lo and behold, precisely the two comments above mine do make her justice! I salute you, gentlemen!

Second place: Yomiko Readman from R.O.D.

Third place: Homura Akemi from PMMM

Runner-ups: Nice from Baccano!, Kaname Chidori from Full Metal Panic!, Sakura from CCS, Kagome Higurashi from InuYasha and Haruhi Suzumiya from Duh.

[Falx]

Nia from Gurren-Lagann.

Balsa

Takaya Noriko from Gunbuster, because she goes from a scared little girl who doesn't want the responsibility she's being given and just wants people to leave her alone so she can wallow in self-pity, until it gets someone she cares about killed. Then she stops her nonsense and basically becomes the proto-Kamina.

Akari from ARIA. Because she takes "Love your neighbors" and "Do unto others" and lives it as hard as possible.

I could go on for some time, I love strong female characters, but I'll just settle for mentioning one more... Erza Scarlet, possibly the only thing that makes Fairy Tail worth watching.

[A_Yellow_Dress]

Honestly, I think there are many 2-dimensional female characters in anime. (For western animation: what about Mulan?) Granted, more anime is focused on relating to both males and females of all ages so...

1. Kino from Kino's Journey.
2. Any Miyazaki heroine, really
3. Rakka and Reki from Haibane Renmei
4. Lain from Serial Experiments Lain
5. Haruhi from OHSHC.

There's probably more too. Strong female leads are hard to find in most media, but we seem to be moving up! (In media we do have a tendency to stereotype both genders.We're getting better!)

It seems in a lot of the time, girls fall to the status of token female. *ranting....*

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service
Nausicaa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Re-l Mayer from Ergo Proxy
Pino from Ergo Proxy

[the_wolfs_howl]

Snap. All of mine have already been listed. Oh well, I guess I'll just briefly run through them. My definition of a hero is someone who puts others before themselves, whether that means they'd be willing to die for their friends or family, or just make the little sacrifices of everyday life. All of these heroines do that:

Hawkeye and Winry from FMA
Rosette Christopher from Chrno Crusade
Rakka and Reki from Haibane Renmei
Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle
Re-L Meyer from Ergo Proxy (the most beautiful animated character I've ever seen)


Oh! I guess there were a couple no one had mentioned yet:

Risa Koizumi from Lovely Complex. She's quirky and funny, but also just...really gives herself to Otani, making all these concessions and sacrifices because she loves him.

Sana Kurata from Kodomo no Omocha. She's also crazy and silly, but is always concerned about making life better for her family and friends.

[FllMtl Novelist]

5. Haruhi from OHSHC.

Ack, how could I forget Haruhi?! D8 Assuming there's no noticeable difference between her anime and manga versions, she's one of my favorites as well.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Akari from ARIA. Because she takes "Love your neighbors" and "Do unto others" and lives it as hard as possible.

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]How in the world did I forget about one of the sweetest characters in anime?! Yes, Akari is a heroine to be admired. She's sweet, caring, strong in her own way, and you have got to love a girl with a zero carbon footprint. Way to go, momiko!



Another heroine in the "Aria" series, in my book anyway, is Akira, the "Crimson Rose" Prima.



Now, what makes Akira so special to me, and what classifies her as a heroine is the fact that out of all the Primas we're introduced to in the series, she's had it the roughest, and as such, she was the last out of herself, Athena and Alicia to be promoted to Prima. Because she doesn't have any natural talent as compared to the angelic voice of Athena or the precision oar control of Alicia, she had to become a prodigy in her own right and find her own special abilities. Also, I love the fact that, much like her trainee Aika, Akira is the straight "man" of the group and considerably more reliable than her two counterparts. [/color][/SIZE][/font]

[Maledicte]

Duck from Princess Tutu. For someone who's not really a human girl, she acts more like one than most girl characters. Her clumsiness and awkwardness are portrayed realistically (and not just to give her a "flaw"), but she's a very noble character and one I want to see succeed.

Sir Integra from Hellsing. Yup.

Utena from Revolutionary Girl Utena. I consider her kind of the opposite of Duck in some ways. Where Duck is flawed but strong, Utena is strong but flawed. She's ready to dive in and fight but her lack of knowledge about certain things is her weakness, and her learning and dealing with this new knowledge is part of her character development.

Elvy from RahXephon. She's not even a main character but I love her.

[Lilac#18]

[color="Plum"]1.Hinata - Naruto/Naruto Shippuden
2.Ellen/Cure Beat - Suite PreCure
3.Usagi/Sailor Moon - Sailor Moon
4.Android #18 - Dragon Ball Z
5.Videl - Dragon Ball Z
6.Sakura - Naruto/Naruto Shippuden
7.Yuri/Cure Moonlight - HeartCatch PreCure
8.Miaka - Fushigi Yugi
9.Ino - Naruto/Naruto Shippuden
10.Ayeka - Tenchi Muyo/Universe
11.Pan - Dragon Ball GT
12.Sasami/Pretty Sammy - Tenchi Muyo/Universe and Magical Girl Pretty Sammy
13.Hotaru/Sailor Saturn - Sailor Moon
[/color]