Tsumugi Inuzuka Acts Like A Five-Year-Old In 'Sweetness & Lightning'
[ranking: 9]
Tsumugi Inuzuka is a five-year-old girl, so it's safe to assume there's not a bad bone in her body. Still, Tsumugi is especially noteworthy because of how realistic she is. Unlike many anime children who act like tiny, petulant adults, Tsumugi actually acts her age. She delights in cooking with her dad, but gets sad when she has to eat bell peppers.
She has a great time playing with her friends at school, but gets involved in silly misunderstandings about things like whether or not she stole clay. In every way, Tsumugi feels real - and that's what makes her so wholesome.
Naru Kotoishi Is More Helpful Than She Knows In 'Barakamon'
[ranking: 11]
For a little girl, Naru Kotoishi is surprisingly perceptive. When she first meets Seishuu Handa, she inserts herself into his life. Whether she's sneaking into his house to play or dragging him outside to play with her, Naru makes his life genuinely better through sheer force of will.
Handa may find her mildly annoying, but he actually needs someone who's too young to be argued with to force him into engaging with the community and building a less stressful life. For the most part, Naru just wants to play, but she also seems to know that Handa needs someone to force him to enjoy life.
Yotaro Leaves The Yakuza For Rakugo And Fatherhood In 'Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu'
[ranking: 15]
Yotaro may be a former member of the yakuza, but he's also one of the sweetest guys in the world. He joined the yakuza for the same reasons a lot of young people join gangs - he craved a sense of community, and didn't really have other compelling options. When he got out of prison, he was ready to change his life completely.
How does he do this? By pursuing rakugo, a form of traditional Japanese storytelling that he first encountered during a prison performance. He's so moved by the art form that he resolves to dedicate himself to it completely.
But Yotaro isn't content with just doggedly pursuing his own dreams - he lifts others up alongside him. After meeting Konatsu, a relative of his rakugo teacher, he encourages her to pursue a career in rakugo even though women are traditionally barred from the practice. He creates opportunities for her to perform, and offers to become her child's father to make life easier for her. And then he actually goes ahead and does it, helping her raise the baby as if it's his own. Yotaro brings light to an otherwise very dark anime.
Onoda Sakamichi Is The Cutest Anime Fan In 'Yowamushi Pedal'
[ranking: 14]
Anime can be kind of brutal when it comes to depicting its fans. While the skewering is often from a place of love, it's nice to have a few unrelentingly positive examples of anime lovers. Onoda Sakamichi is the perfect combination of unabashed and adorable about his love for magical girl and mecha anime.
At the beginning of Yowamushi Pedal, Onoda tries to start an anime club where he can make friends who share his interest. This doesn't work out, but he does meet people who notice his incredible biking prowess, which he attained by taking daily two-hour bike trips from Chiba to Akihabara to buy anime merchandise. He joins the bike team and learns to enjoy a new activity - while still retaining his love for anime, and encouraging his teammates to get into it too.
Akio And Sanae Furukawa Love Their Daughter And Each Other In 'CLANNAD'
[ranking: 8]
Akio and Sanae Furukawa love the heck out of their daughter Nagisa, and they do everything they can to show it. Not only are they constantly telling her how great she is, they also help her in some seriously meaningful ways. They let her boyfriend Tomoya live with them after he has a falling out with his abusive father. When Nagisa worries that her poor health has held her parents back from achieving their dreams, they reassure her that she is their dream.
When they aren't being amazing parents, they're also being great spouses. Akio and Sanae flirt openly, extol each other's virtues publicly, and have countless in-jokes that prove that their love connection goes deep.
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Maes Hughes Loves His Family In 'Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood'
[ranking: 1]
Maes Hughes is to wholesomeness as Naruto is to ninja who wear orange tracksuits. This character loves his wife and daughter so much, and he demonstrates this by constantly showing off pictures of them, and bragging about how great they are to anyone who will listen.
The unabashed joy he takes in his family makes his character memorable, even though he's only in the series for a short time before his tragic death.
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