Favourite Anime Protagonist (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 12

30 Days of Anime Year 1 to 5 The Otaku Author Favourite Anime Protagonist

These challenges always have a favourite male character and a favourite female character, however, I also wanted to discuss my favourite protagonist, focusing on the character that makes everything possible!

Favourite Anime Protagonist (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 12

What makes a good protagonist? If there was an easy answer they would all be the same. Thankfully, they’re not. So for this post I’m going to look at my favourite protagonist from the last five years and try to work out why they resonated with me enough to become my favourites.

Year 1 – Princess Connect! Re: Dive (Season One)

I had no idea that an anime called Princess Connect! Re: Dive would become an instant favourite, but here we are. Since then, I’ve been playing the gacha game almost daily. Anyhow, my obsessions aren’t what we’re here to talk about. I’m talking about Pecorine. She is a humble girl who was a princess but had everything taken away from her, even her family. And yet, she remains positive and full of life. Pecorine is an absolute delight of a character and is also such a badass that she managed to hijack my seven favourite fights for the season.

Year 2 – Goblin Slayer (Season One)

The Goblin Slayer might seem like an odd choice for as my favourite protagonist because he’s incredibly subdued and never reveals his face. However, despite his quirks and die hard determination to kill all goblins, he managed to make an impression on a guild full of adventurers. When his home was in danger he asked for their help and was overwhelmed with offers. He proves that you can make a difference by doing the small things well. He takes on the quests that many think are beneath them. He is undoubtedly a hero whether he gets the recognition or not.

Year 3 – Peach Boy Riverside (Season One)

Peach Boy Riverside is an odd anime. For whatever reason, they decided to air the episodes out of order. Watching them that way makes no sense, so make sure to watch it in the correct order. Anyhow, Sally was a princess of a peaceful kingdom. She had everything she could need, but what she really wanted was to change the world. Her position shielded her from what went on in the outside world, but that also saved her from developing the same prejudices. Sally is a fascinating character who defies her upbringing. In a way, she’s similar to Pecorine with her positive outlook on life.

Year 4 – Dirty Pair (Season One)

I knew that I had to talk about Kei and Yuri for this year. The Dirty Pair are joint protagonists and there really is no way to separate them. You’d think that they would be polar opposites, complimenting one another. However, they clash over and over again because of their similarities. Surprisingly, that is also their greatest strength. Why have one James Bond when you can have two? I’ve loved Kei and Yuri since the nineties when I read about them in the Dark Horse manga. Although Kei is my favourite of the two, I still couldn’t bring myself to split them up.

Year 5 – Highschool Of The Dead (Season One)

It had to be Takashi Komuro from Highschool of the Dead. One of the reason that I love this show so much is that we are basically the same person. I went through high school with no direction or drive. I coasted through my exams but never really knew where I was going. For Takashi, it took the end of the world for him to find his calling. I hope that I don’t get to experience that, but I know I would kick its ass. I like that Takashi is not a natural leader. He leads with his actions rather than being a talker, and that’s enough to win the respect of those around him. Seriously, it’s like looking in a mirror.

Final Thoughts!

I think the thing that makes a great protagonist is that they make a connection with the audience. It’s not going to be as significant with everyone but there’s lots of ways to connect. All of these characters embodied a way of living or a belief that made them remarkable even when they couldn’t see it themselves. I think we should all strive to have that sort of impact on the people around us. The next category from the 30 Days of Anime challenge is my favourite supernatural anime. Things are going to get creepy! Thanks for visiting.

Other Posts in the Series

30 Days of Anime (Years 1 to 5)

DayChallenge
1My First Anime
2Most Nostalgic Anime
3Most Emotional Anime
4Favourite Hot Springs Episode
5Favourite Action Anime
6Favourite Anime Villain
7Favourite Fantasy Anime
8Favourite Horror Anime
9Favourite Sports Anime
10Most Rewatched Anime
11Favourite Anime Couple
12Favourite Anime Protagonist
13Favourite Supernatural Anime
14Favourite Romance Anime
15Most Episodes of an Anime
16Favourite Science Fiction Anime
17Favourite Isekai Anime
18Favourite Drama Anime
19Most Shocking Anime Ending
20Favourite Ecchi Anime
21Favourite Mystery Anime
22Weirdest Anime
23Most Chilled Anime
24Favourite Comedy Anime
25Favourite Harem Anime
26Favourite Anime Fight
27Favourite Male Anime Character
28Favourite Female Anime Character
29Favourite Rewatched Anime
30Favourite New Anime

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