Oh hell yeah, give me an opportunity to talk about well written anime characters.
Yachiyo from Apocalypse Hotel
- I'm very much a sucker for the trope of non-human characters understanding what it means to be human (the irony of this is not lost on me). Apocalypse Hotel does this exceptionally well and masters the concept of "show, don't tell", particularly with episode 11. Yachiyo's character development is very much a slow burn and immensely satisfying to watch. One of my favorites right here.
Yoshiki and Hikaru from The Summer Hikaru Died
- If I had a nickel for every anime from Cygames Pictures that aired in 2025 about someone not human learning what it means to be human that firmly held my interest from start to finish, I'd have 2 nickels. I think that's pretty cool. This anime is paced so well and tells a genuinely really interesting story, which a lot of mystery anime fail to follow through on. What really sets it apart for me though is the relationship between the two protagonists though, which manages to capture feelings of being unsettling, toxic, and terrifying while simultaneously feeling warm, natural, and honest. They're also both believably flawed in ways that add depth to the story and writing. Just all around a really cool character driven series.
Takopi from Takopi's Original Sin
- I did not intend to write about this character trope three times, but in my defense, you usually get pretty good character writing when characters are made to confront their identity and worldview. Also, it would be irresponsible of me to talk about this anime without warning anyone reading that this one is really fucked up, depressing, and difficult to watch. It literally opens with two separate content warnings. I have so much to say about this but it's best experienced mostly blind. What I will say is that the overarching message is really cool, and the way the anime shows and Takopi learns that message over the series is spectacularly well done. Bonus points for the awesome art style and soundtrack, and for being a complete story.
Reina and Kumiko from Hibike! Euphonium
- This anime is actually full of well written characters and relationships, but I particularly like the way this relationship is written. These two catch a lot of flak for supposedly queer baiting, but I always read this relationship as platonic rather than romantic. In that sense, it's always been one of my favorite depictions of an ace relationship in media, at least in a way that resonates with me.
I haven't seen many horse races, but when I've watched them it was always the names that I focused on. Among them, there's one that immediately comes to mind. Soup and Sandwich is the name of my favorite race horse. I don't know anything about horse racing or that particular horse, but that's a pretty sick name.
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