This category probably needs some explanation given I’m not using weirdo as a criticism. I’m just looking at male characters that are somewhat unconventional that for whatever reason I find interesting or intriguing. I ultimately decided I needed a lead character though because anime is full of strange and bizarre supporting characters. Fortunately I had the perfect character in mind.
Favourite Male Weirdo
Okabe Rintarou/Hoouin Kyouma
Steins;Gate is full of big personalities but none bigger than Okabe’s. In the beginning he’s overconfident, overbearing, and completely over-the-top but as things begin to unravel we see him vacillating between his exuberant persona and the underlying insecurities as well as a large dose of depressive hopelessness. He’s a great character and my favourite male weirdo from an anime.
Reason One: Curiosity
While Okabe’s scientific method is definitely questionable, what isn’t is his desire to find out what happens when… and he’s tried a whole bunch of stuff just to see what happens and whether he can. While many of the gadgets in the lab are fairly useless when considering their practical contribution, the mere fact that they exist is a testament to Okabe’s desire to push beyond what others tell him is doable.
His curious nature, and his desire to find out what will happen, lead to the problem of the series. But then it is his resilience in the face of repeated failures and his desire to overcome obstacles (hardened through his previous experimentation) that allow him to ultimately succeed. As much as it looks like Okabe is a bit of a failure of a scientist, his odd-ball personality is actually exactly what is needed in the situation (of course given he created the situation possibly that argument is a little less valid).
Reason Two: Obsession
Right from the first episode some of Okabe’s quirks are pretty apparent. His love of lab-coats and Dr Pepper being the most obvious. However even his naming conventions, his numbering of the lab-members, his secret phrase used on the phone… all of these quirks add up to a character who has surrounded himself with rituals and obsessions to help him keep order in his life. They make him a peculiar character to observe but also quite an interesting one.
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Largely this is because so many of his quirks clearly stem from his own social anxieties (as seen when they definitely become more prevalent when he is on uncertain ground) or general insecurities. However some of his behaviours are less obvious in their origin and they really make you wonder how that habit or behaviour formed in the first place. Simply put, there are layers underlying his obsessions and his behaviour makes you want to peel them back and really look at his character.
Reason Three: Flair
Whether the original Steins;Gate or Steins;Gate 0, what we see is an Okabe that can pull himself back from the brink of anything (sometimes with some pointed help from his friends) and once he bounces back he delivers with panache. Why do something when you can do it while posing dramatically and deliver your lines like a drama student on stage for the first time? It most definitely adds a surreal element to even the most serious of confrontations.
That’s why Okabe is my favourite male anime weirdo. However I’m very curious as to who you would pick for this category so be sure to share below.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
My first thought was Haru Yoshida from My Little Monster. He’s just himself and so much himself and that’s just how it is. I can see us being very weird together…
That’s an interesting choice. I’m always a bit wary of Haru because while I like him and he’s really fun in the show, his possessive traits are a little scary and in real life I’m thinking a restraining order might be needed.
There is that. I’m thinking he would be a lot more fun as , you know, THAT friend, than as a boyfriend/relationship sort of boy.
For me, this one is probably the easiest: Taishi from Comic Party. He cracked me up everytime he was on screen.
Not familiar with it unfortunately.
Ooh, great choice. Especially since weirdos are usually side-characters.
This is my favourite category, so naturally I’m drawing a blank.
Some of these ended up being harder than expected to answer.
For my favourite male weirdo I’d have to pick Major Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist (both series). I love the guy, he made me smile and cheer every time he popped up, that and he’s a total badass when he wants to be.
That is a pretty awesome choice. Armstrong was such a great character but he was definitely a little bit odd.