Many of you already know this, but for the benefit of the few of you who don’t, I’ve been an anime fan for a long time. An entire decade, to be precise. And while my love for anime hasn’t wavered in the slightest, a lot of other things have changed in that time. I’m not just talking about my taste in shows, but my life circumstances and how these have influenced the way I relate to what I’m watching…
When I first started watching anime I was but a 15-year-old girl. Chronically unpopular at school, I found myself drawn to shows that featured large casts of characters, shows that made me feel like part of something. I was also desperate for love, for my first “proper” boyfriend (who just had to be tall, dark, and mysterious. Hey, I grew up during that awful Twilight craze!). This meant that when I chanced upon an anime character who met these criteria, I would fall head over heels for the guy and spend hours wishing I could meet somebody just like them…
Thankfully, I’ve grown up a little since then! I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll never be Little Miss Popular and I’ve been married for nearly three years now. My husband’s not the tall, dark, mysterious vampire that I longed for in my youth, but I’m still pretty keen on him! Now that I’m older, wiser, more mature and just starting to settle down and start a family of my own, I no longer look at anime characters, particularly boys, with heart-shaped eyes. No, I now view them in a way that is far more motherly. This has never been truer than during this year, when a great number of anime characters have sent my motherly instincts into overdrive…
Winter 2019 heralded the return of Mob Psycho 100 and its pure, sweet hero, Mob. I adore this little guy. He has the powers of a god, but all he wants to do is make friends, impress the girl he likes, and be a good role model for his younger brother. Now, Mob hardly needs a weedy waif like me to fight his battles, but that still wouldn’t stop me from fighting tooth and nail to protect this sweet little soul!
This winter I also had the privilege of meeting Dororo’s Hyakkimaru. Like Mob, Hyakkimaru could also hold his own in a fight, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to protect him. It hurt my heart to see him gradually regain his senses, only to learn what it was like to feel pain, to witness bloodshed, and to listen to the cries of his loved ones. My only comfort was watching him approach all of the good things that the world has to offer with awe and childlike wonder.
This spring I was reintroduced to Fruits Basket’s Momiji – another absolute cutie pie! Momiji is, essentially, estranged from his mother, but, rather than allowing himself to feel bitter over the situation, as she plays the doting parent to his little sister, he wishes them all the happiness together. Hearing his heartbreaking story and watching him look wistfully on at the family he’d never be a part of made me want to reach into the screen and wrap him in a big momma bear hug!
Finally, this fall saw the return of my absolute best boy, Deku. Like a concerned parent, I can’t wait to see whether he’ll inch closer towards his goal of becoming the no.1 hero during this latest instalment in the Hero Academia franchise.
Thanks for reading today’s post. Before you go, who, if anybody, has made you feel all “protective parent” this year?
Watashi Wa Bucho!! 
I think you probably picked the best example for provoking parent mode: Deku! Kid keeps hurling himself into danger with abandon!
Mirio’s even worse. I’m seriously dreading the next episode… I’ve not read the manga, but talk about death flags…
You talked about Momiji in another post — he and actually most of the Soumas would be candidates, too.
And don’t get me started about Tanjiro, Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu. They certainly fit into the mold. So do Emma, Norman and Ray and…
Now that I think about it, anime routinely hurls kids into danger! No wonder I get so worried about them. These shows are constantly invoking the Dad API!
I think that’s partly why children make such excellent protagonists (outside of kids shows). Watching children get into trouble or life or death situations is so much scarier and nerve-wracking than watching adults do the same. If you ask me, that’s what made Made in Abyss such edge-of-seat viewing!