Here are Anime’s Most Recognizable Characters in Japan

When you think about anime, there are some shows that come to mind first, and the same goes for […]

June 15, 2020, 9:42am

When you think about anime, there are some shows that come to mind first, and the same goes for the medium’s most iconic characters. There are decades upon decades of anime to go through when searching for the most recognizable leads to date, but one report did just that. After all, the Japanese NRC branch did a survey asking the public about recognizable anime characters, and the results are certainly interesting.

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You can find the top seven characters yourself in the slides below should you want to quiz yourself first. NRC held this survey last October to gather data on anime’s top protagonists, and the answers will surprise fans in the States. After all, the top heroes have nothing to do with Dragon Ball or One Piece but instead tie into children’s programming.

According to the report, 96% of survey participants were able to recognize Sazae-san and Doraemon when shown pictures. This is pretty insane as a meager 4% were uncertain of their identity. While the pair might not be as popular in the United States, Sazae-san is the star of one of the longest anime ever in Japan. Her slice-of-life series is aimed at children similar to Doraemon, so kids and adults alike are familiar with these mascots.

In fact, this is true for a good number of top survey performers. Chibi Maruko-chan, Anpanman, and even Astro Boy fit under the children’s series banner. These heroes are easy to point out because adults grew up with them and children watch them today.

As for the entire list, you can check out the top 20 response below:

Sazae-san – 96%
Doraemon – 96%
Chibi Maruko-chan – 94%
Anpanman – 94%
GeGeGe no Kitarō – 93%
Crayon Shin-chan- 93%
Lupin the Third – 92%
Astro Boy- 90%
My Neighbor Totoro – 89%
Case Closed (Detective Conan) – 89%
Heidi, Girl of the Alps – 89%
Kiki’s Delivery Service – 85%
Dragon Ball – 84%
Ultraman – 82%
Kamen Rider – 82%
Dr. Slump – 81%
Mobile Suit Gundam – 74%
One Piece – 71%
Yo-kai Watch – 69%
Attack on Titan – 61%

Do you recognize all of these anime icons? Or do some not ring a bell? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!