#26.3.18

Lily asked me to do this yesterday. Or was it today? I don’t remember what the time was, and since my asks aren’t tagged since I don’t think you can do that on mobile, I can’t go back and check the date.

Anyway, this isn’t in any particular order.

1. Riko Sakurauchi (Love Live)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Riko Sakurauchi is probably my favourite character in fiction. She’s definitely the most well written and developed character in Love Live, imo, certain aspects in season 2 aside. I’ve gone in more depth in other places on my blog that you can look for if you care, but if you’re willing to be a little patient, I’ll do a season 2 Riko review at one point where I’ll definitely be comparing her to her season 1 portrayal, so high praises and heavy criticisms will be featured prominently.

2. Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Homura’s a fucking incredible character. Homura so effectively accomplishes the morally ambiguous and mysterious character in the early episodes, but they also foreshadow and allude to her backstory so incredibly well. The reveal of Homura’s full backstory in episode 10 is among the best things in Madoka. It’s so full of intense emotion and perfectly shapes what Homura becomes. Plus, while I think Rebellion could’ve done much better in executing its story beats, I don’t really think it killed Homura’s character. Also, in terms of character design alone, Homura definitely tops this list. Aside from that, Homura’s super fun to watch due to the sheer incredibleness that is seeing a loli wield all sorts of firearms and it not looking stupid.

3. Aya Komichi (Kiniro Mosaic)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Ayaya made Kinmosa for me. I mean, the show’s really funny and cute and heartwarming etc, but I also just really digged Ayaya. She isn’t too much more than a relatively endearing tsundere, but I loved her and still love her all the same. Perhaps I’m biased because of my history with Kinmosa though. But that’s okay. Ayaya was my first real best girl, when I think about it. Because before that, I never watched cute girl anime.

4. Ritsu Tainaka (K-On)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, there’s no way Ritsu couldn’t take best K-On girl. Just like the entire K-On cast, Ritsu is a realistically human and believable character, and she has some of the best development in the show. Plus, a lot of K-On’s best comedy comes from her, and her relationship with Mio is one of my favourite things about K-On.

5. Rin Shima (Yuru Camp)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Rin takes the cake for best girl of Winter 2018. Unless APFTTU pulls something really, really incredible in its last episode. While not quite as developed, Rin is like Ritsu in that she’s convincing as a human being. She has enough personality quirks and traits that make her incredibly endearing and appealing. Plus, of all the characters I’ve seen that go from introverted to less introverted, Rin’s transition between the two is incredibly natural, thanks to just how great Nadeshiko compliments her. Choosing between Rin and Nadeshiko’s a tough one, but I think Rin charmed me just that little bit more to take this spot.

6. Tohru (Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, there’s no way Kobayashi Maid Dragon would be what it is without Tohru. Tohru’s character development is shockingly good, and her relationship with Kobayashi is one of the best worst romances I’ve seen in anything. By which I mean I love it a lot and it’s well written but in universe it’s an awkward one for both characters, especially given Kobayashi’s struggles with human (or in this case dragon) interaction. Aside from those though, Tohru is fucking hilarious. Plus, the action scenes in Kobayashi are stupidly fun to watch.

7. Riko (Made in Abyss)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Riko managed to entice me into the world of Made in Abyss before the Abyss itself was even revealed to us. Riko’s still a bundle of genki character, but it’s the fact that her peerless optimism is in the face of such extreme danger that makes her a lot more interesting than that character type usually is. Plus, even though I just described her as a bundle of genki character, Riko’s got a lot more nuance to her than one might initially expect. I’ll admit I would’ve put Nanachi here over Riko, but their gender is deliberately ambiguous so that’d feel a little like cheating. And hey, Riko’s more than good enough anyway.

8. Natsuki (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Natsuki is my favourite Doki by quite a bit. Natsuki seems to be the least popular of the Dokis, and I really don’t know why. There’s quite a lot of nuance to her character. I already made that post a while back about her appreciation of slice of life having more to it than it seems, which is all pretty cool. Also, Natsuki gets a lot of props for being sort of the most chill of the Dokis. Sayori’s major depression fucks with you, and her acts in the final act are a real dick move. Yuri is… and Monika’s probably one of the best “villains” I’ve ever seen. But Natsuki’s great because for the entire game, she feels like she’s on your side, and like she genuinely just wants the best for everyone. Among a cast of pretty extreme characters, Natsuki feels quite grounded, and I really do love her a lot.

9. Shirase Kobuchizawa (A Place Further Than The Universe)

Perhaps the cutest girl on this list, Shirase is best APFTTU girl. She’s not the cutest of the cast, I’ll admit, but among a cast of extremely well-developed girls, Shirase gets the best development. I mean, episode 13 has yet to air so we’ll need to see for sure what the final results are, but hot damn Shirase gets it good. I can’t go into great depth because @meme-emperor is reading this and I don’t want to spoil anything for him, but just trust me Jack, she’s fucking incredible.

10. Yuuki Konno (Sword Art Online)