Top 5 Anime That Contain Cute Monster Characters

Posted on by Karandi
Top 5 Cute Monster

Why cute monster characters?

I realised I’d completed a list a while back of creepy monstrous creatures in anime but I’d never celebrated all the adorable monsters out there. It is time to correct that oversight with my list this week. Now, this is not a list of cute monster girls. That would be its own list entirely. Instead these are actual monsters, that look like monsters, but they are just so cute.

What are my top 5 anime containing cute monster characters?

Please note: There will be spoilers below.

Number 5: Mamoru from Kamisama Kiss

Mamoru is definitely a cute monster character.

Kamaisama Kiss is full of very hot yokai males so adorable isn’t the first word that comes to mind when describing the characters. Yet, season 2 of Kamisama Kiss brought us an exception to the rule in the truly cute Mamoru. Maybe it is because Nanami had to hatch Mamoru as a test in the first place and she’s fiercely protective of her shikigami, but Mamoru is one of those characters that just makes you want to tilt your head and soak in the cuteness. Just look at those big, innocent eyes.

Okay, in fairness the adorableness is a little less apparent when he transforms into his more human form so my vote is to just stay as that sweet little monkey.

Number 4: Kyubey from Madoka Magica

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I actually had to think a long time before I decided to include Kyubey on this list. Not because he isn’t cute and all, but because I think he kind of stretches my definition of monster. I see him more as an alien or an inter-dimensional being more than a standard monster. Then again, he is arguably the one who acts most monstrously out of all the characters on the list this week so I’m going to just let it go.

That said, if that cute little thing showed up at my house with those adorable pin eyes and cute little ears, I’d be hard pressed to turn down the chance to make a contract. Do you think he’d let me touch his tail?

Horizon

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Number 3: Rimuru Tempest from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

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I get that Rimuru spends the majority of his times after eating Shizue as a more humanoid character but you have to admit there is something truly cute about this little, blue, bouncing ball of slime. Maybe it is the way he emotes. Or the way that at times his movements defy all logical and physics. Or maybe it is just that we’re used to slimes that are either slow or fairly useless and yet Rimuru just kind of zips about and does as he pleases.

Either way, it is hard to argue against his cuteness and the fact that he was reincarnated as a monstrous slime and so absolutely deserves a place here.

Number 2: Tama from Natsume’s Book of Friends

Tama

Narrowing it down to just one character from Natsume Yuujinchou was incredibly challenging but ultimately it had to be Tama. Maybe it is because like Mamoru from earlier in the list, Tama was found as an egg and taken care of by Natsume and Nyanko-Sensei in one of the cutest sequences ever. The hatching scene itself was quite adorable and then emerged this cute little button.

Okay, Tama definitely doesn’t stay tiny and cute all that long but for a short period he was adorably co-inhabiting Natsume’s room and destroying everything made of paper to build his own nest. So, so cute and really should have been number one except that there was one undeniable winner from the moment I thought of this list.

Number 1: Mii-Kun from How To Keep A Mummy

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For those who follow my blog, was there ever any doubt who would sweep the top spot?

I mean seriously, look at that little bundle of bandages?

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A traditional Egyptian monster given new life and cuteness in anime form. Okay, I’ll admit the story didn’t have a lot going for it outside of the cute monsters but when the titular mummy was this cute I really don’t care. How To Keep A Mummy was absolutely worth watching for the sheer adorable factor alone.

I did not know I needed a miniature mummy in a Santa-hat until this anime came along. Thank-you.

Top 5 Cute Monster
Which cute monster characters would you have included on your list? Let me know in the comments below.
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How To Keep a Mummy Series Review: So Much Cuteness In One Little Package

Posted on by Karandi
mummy6d

How To Keep a Mummy gives you a mini-mummy, a back-pack sized dragon, a tiny oni and a whole bunch of other pint sized monsters all in one adorable anime package. What more could you want? Well maybe a slightly more developed plot and characters but sometimes being kawaii might just be enough.

When Sora received a coffin from his father who was travelling through Egypt, he suspects the worst and apparently with good reason. His recounts of previous gifts certainly lead one to presume that nothing good can come out of the coffin.

Don’t even ask why it is clearly an English style coffin rather than an Egyptian sarcophagus or how the mummy eventually breaks out given he never demonstrates that kind of feat of strength ever again; these are questions that should be asked of a show asking you to take it seriously rather than one that seems to excel at being cute for cute’s sake.

For this story, it is all about how adorable the cast are on screen and the main goal of most episodes is to put the cast into cuteness inducing moments for the audience to tilt their heads and go ‘aww’ to.

How To keep a mummy

How To Keep a Mummy knows how to play its audience.

If that sounds like I’m being condescending, I’m not. I actually really had a great time with this anime given just the opening theme could start me smiling and any episode that Mii-Kun (the titular mummy in question) barked was enough to leave me grinning for the remainder of the day. There’s just something so soothing and cute about a barking miniature mummy and to be honest I don’t think I’m ever going to get over that. I think I need a gif on an endless loop of that just for days that go badly and then I can simply cheer myself by watching it over and over again.

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What works even better are Sora and Mii as a team. Sora by himself would be a pretty bland protagonist, but when coupled with Mii the two are a duo that would be hard to beat. The success of any episode in this series for me depended on the screen time these two characters were given. When Mii and Sora aren’t front and centre, well it can still be fun but the appeal of the anime definitely wanes.

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The other characters work, but all have diminishing returns in terms of cuteness and particularly the oni-child really don’t replace Mii as an adequate focus – or at least they don’t give me quite the same bliss out on over-cuteness. How To Keep a Mummy may have been stronger without some of the other characters, but I think it is more that none of the supporting monsters ever got as much effort put into their cuteness.

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Still, cute really can’t be enough to carry a series, or at least not after the initial sweetness wears off.

How To Keep a Mummy manages to find enough interesting situations to stick the cast in a back-drops for their cute antics that you don’t actually get overly bored (though I suspect that binge watching this could become a bit of a problem). Still, the characters visit each other’s houses, the school, a temple and finally a mountain with a range of activities and interactions to sell each of the characters.

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Basically, there isn’t a lot of rewatch value in How To Keep a Mummy and there isn’t a lot of depth, but if you are seeking the cute and fuzzy feels, this anime will succeed admirably.

Images from: How To Keep a Mummy. Dir. Kaori. 8Bit. 2018

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How To Keep a Mummy Episode 12: Cheesy and Yet Pulls It Off

Posted on by Karandi
mummy12d

How To Keep a Mummy continued to play to its strengths all the way through and while it also pulled a family/friends beat all kind of ending it did it with the kind of earnestness that allows you to smile and just accept that is the kind of show you were watching. To be honest, it is the kind of anime that just makes you want to indulge it as it pulls out the super cute card over and over again.

How To Keep a Mummy Gets Cute

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It is also the kind of show that makes you casually dismiss that the villain this episode is probably going to be killed off screen which could be sort of horrific but we’ll distract both the protagonists and the audience with adorableness so they don’t let that throw away line sink in. It might disrupt the cute bubble this anime has built.

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How To keep a Mummy

Still, it was a pretty good final episode. How To Keep a Mummy has been pretty even in its delivery from start to finish so if you wanted a show about a cute mummy, here it is and I’ll give a series review soon.

Images from: How To Keep a Mummy. Dir. Kaori. 8Bit. 2018

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How To Keep a Mummy Episode 11: Part of Me Wants To Say About Time

Posted on by Karandi
mummy11c

How to Keep a Mummy has been a super cute anime but with the promise of curses and problems with monsters raised in the first episode and then very seldom thought about since, it is nice to see the show bring that back in for the penultimate episode.

Sora and friends inadvertently trespass at a solstice festival without invitations leading to a moment of genuine tension in the usually sickly sweet show and later we meet a collector before setting up the cliff-hanger that will drive us into the final episode.

How To keep a Mummy tries to escalate tension before the final episode.

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However, if you are watching How To Keep a Mummy for the cute mummy, you will definitely get your fill this episode as the anime pulls out all the stops in delivering Mii and his most adorable, including barks, helpful hugs, and genuinely being a life-saver. Also squishy.

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But if you also want some tension between Sora and Kamiya, this episode gives us a watered down drama between the close friends fuelled by misunderstandings and lack of communication. Really it is the best we could expect from this show at this point and it is truly pleasant watching even if it isn’t exactly deep.

How to keep a mummy

Images from: How To Keep a Mummy. Dir. Kaori. 8Bit. 2018

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How To Keep a Mummy Episode 10: A Return To Adorable Formula

Posted on by Karandi
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After last week’s average but not particularly bad episode of this anime, How To Keep A Mummy strikes back with an incredibly adorable return to the formula that made the first episodes of this season so irresistible.

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How To Keep a Mummy, at its best when being cute.

And in saying that, what I mean is they introduce a new player into the group who at first seems kind of scary but turns out to be a big softie. This one is a statue of Anubis that speaks and can turn its head but is otherwise unable to really move and as it hasn’t shown an inclination for curses is so far pretty harmless and mostly helpless.

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And this time the attempt to inject a tiny bit of drama into this episode of How to Keep a Mummy worked beautifully with the title character being the one in the spotlight (right where his cute-self should be). That said, if I thought a barking mummy was adorable, the whole crew of creatures suddenly imitating someone with the hiccups is off-the-charts in terms of how cute things can be.

A fairly solid episode from a show that really only has one draw and managed to get it just right this week.

Images from: How To Keep a Mummy. Dir. Kaori. 8Bit. 2018

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How To Keep a Mummy Episode 9: The Oni-Child Crosses The Line

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mummy9a

Anime has a lot of heart breaking moments that really capture the spirit of what it is to be human, to be alone, and to suffer loss. How To Keep A Mummy doesn’t quite manage to land this lofty emotional goal but still delivers something that is cute in its very gentle and obvious dealing with emotional baggage.

How to Keep a Mummy

How To Keep a Mummy tried.

With Conny in trouble again for stealing pudding (gasp), Kamiyagives him a talking to but of course with his rough and direct way of speaking goes too far. In the morning Conny is gone and after a night of being missing the rest of the gang decide to look for him but Kamiya stubbornly refuses claiming it isn’t his responsibility. A facade which lasts for all of about three seconds.

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Part of me wishes How To Keep a Mummy had at least pretended at this whole conflict thing for a little bit longer, but the reunion was pretty adorable. Still, essentially we’re back to business as usual as we roll into another episode.

Images from: How To Keep a Mummy. Dir. Kaori. 8Bit. 2018

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How To Keep a Mummy Episode 8: It’s Monster Day Care and It Is Soooo Cute!

Posted on by Karandi
mummy8c

I will admit, my interest in the story of How To Keep a Mummy this week was a bit hit and miss. The kids realise Connie has been wandering during the day and decide that the monster children need supervision while they are at school and so they turn to a local shrine god to babysit. It is as cute as you would expect but it kind of doesn’t amount to all that much more.

How To Keep a Mummy

Let’s Be Honest, We’re Not Watching How To Keep a Mummy For The Plot

Still, Mii-Kun manages to get outside of the shrine and runs into another Oni-Child who thinks Mii is lost and leads him away from the shrine. After a series of misunderstandings, Mii gets back, safe and sound. And that’s really all there is to it.

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If you are watching How To Keep a Mummy for the cute, this episode really hits you hard with the adorable. If you were hoping for something more, there’s not a lot to be found.

Images from: How To Keep a Mummy. Dir. Kaori. 8Bit. 2018

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Top 5: Anime With Demons or Devils

Posted on by Karandi
Tuesday's Top 5

There are a lot of anime that include demons and devils in their cast and I know that a list of 5 can’t even begin to cover all the great titles out there. Still, I decided to have a go at listing my 5 favourite anime with demons or devils in them. I did rule out just standard yokai anime though as I wanted this list to focus more on demons or devils as the are more often represented in the west.

Still, there are still a lot of anime out there that we could have got into and with one exception I haven’t even touched the sheer number of comedy anime that use these kinds of characters. Nor have I touched on the harem anime that go there so I’m sure there are plenty more anime that people could list and I’d love to hear your choices in the comments below.

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I will just give an honourable mention to Devilman Crybaby. I didn’t really like that anime for a number of reasons but its depiction of demons was actually pretty solid and so it deserves a space on the list.

Have you got a favourite anime demon? Give them a shout out in the comments.

Number 5: Blue Exorcist

I feel a lot of people will probably have this one higher up their lists and if I had only watched season one I probably would as well. I really enjoyed the set up to this story in the first episode where we learn the truth about who Rin’s father was and we see part of the cause for his volatile temper and violence. While this anime takes a lot of liberties with the church structure, terminology, and the basic idea of what an exorcist is, it is undeniably entertaining. The second season lacked a lot of that charm that season one brought to the table, but still, it is a solid entry in terms of an anime focused on the idea of exorcising demons.

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Number 4: Hataraku Maou-Sama

The Devil is a Part-Timer is one of those anime that just hit the right spot for me particularly in terms of its comedy. However, a lot of the enjoyment I found in the anime was in the way they portrayed the devil and his demon generals. Also, the connection between the hero and Satan was very nicely established and as the story progressed we had a bit of a look at the follies of humans and angels as well. While definitely not trying to be serious about its premise, this one is just a fun story where demons, humans and angels interact and the end results are interesting.

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Number 3: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Weird for me to include an anime that isn’t even finished yet but I must say that I’ve really been enjoying how demons are portrayed in this one. While Tanjiro certainly has sympathy for demons changed from human against their will, largely because of Nezuko’s situation, he is also aware of the destruction demons cause if left to their own devices and after the first encounter where he hesitated, he’s managed to take appropriate action even if we continue to see signs of his compassion. It’s an interesting concept and I’m looking forward to learning more about the different demons we’ve met who haven’t been instantly killed.

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Number 2: D Gray Man

I couldn’t have made this list without mentioning the Black Order of exorcists who are fighting against the Millennium Earland his Akuma army. What I particularly like about this one is that the demons aren’t just springing to life on their own. The Earl makes deals with humans in order to breed his soldiers and so the number of Akuma the order are facing is in direct correlation to the weakness of humans who, desperate to reconnect with a loved one, accept the Earl’s dubious offer and end up chaining their loved one’s soul inside an Akuma. It is horrific but for Allen it is even worse as he can see that trapped soul which causes conflict inside of him when it comes to defeating them.

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Number 1: Black Butler

Well, you all should have seen that one coming. However, when it comes to an anime that does an excellent deal with a devil storyline, Black Butler is still my undisputed favourite. Sebastian is every bit a demon and yet he covers over his monstrous nature with suave appearance and manners only allowing glimpses at the truth beneath the surface when it suits him to do so. I genuinely love this story and have really enjoyed the Book Of spin-offs even if season 2 didn’t really work for me.

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That’s my list but there are plenty of other anime out there featuring demons or devils and I’d love to know some of your favourites so leave me a comment below.

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How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Episode 21 – Marriage For Political/Monetary Gain

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How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Episode 21 Review

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom visually was very unimpressive this week largely because the entire episode was characters standing around talking in the throne room or talking through a mirror together. The only scene that really broke this up was when Souma told a story about two gods running opposing nations and then the animation was minimal and definitely more storybook style rather than impressive to match the framing device of it being a story.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Episode 21

All things considered, you’d be forgiven for just kind of tuning out as this episode more or less re-established the arrangements more or less decided last week, confirmed everyone was on the same page, and then had Souma chat it out with Maria from the Empire so that she didn’t get the wrong idea and decide he’d broke the Humankind Declaration for which he isn’t even a signatory.

About the only real takeaway from episode 21 of how a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is that Souma has finally accepted he is king, not an interim, and he’s not going to take his reforms slowly anymore.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Episode 21

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom has more talking heads than anything else.

One thing I mentioned in my review of the previous episode was that Juna would have cause for complaint if Souma agreed to marry Roroa while she was still on hold. And yet, her only comment this week was that she wouldn’t go against any decision Souma made.

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That isn’t good. That isn’t helpful. Souma doesn’t need a harem of ‘yes girls’ surrounding him telling him how brilliant he is. He needs decent, solid advisors who have their eye on the safety and security of the kingdom.

In that respect, Roroa outclassed Liscia, Juna and Aisha this week as she’s the only character with a future plan at all that involves doing anything other than just nodding as Souma talks and standing beside him looking like a window decoration rather than a character. Honestly, Souma should call them on this because for a Realist Hero who wanted to surround himself with the brightest and best and those with talent, he seems to now be surrounded by a bunch who can barely contribute a nod to the conversation. This is hardly a riveting supporting cast.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Episode 21

Honestly I have little else to say about this episode. It was a lot of talking and things are all agreed between the main players. I guess we now just wait and see who the new problem is and all things considered it seems like the church state is going to be the new antagonist. It will be interesting to see if they manage to do this well or not.

Also, I’m not convinced the entire population of Amidonia is fine with being annexed into their traditional enemy’s kingdom. Sure, those in Van who have been under Elfrieden rule would mostly be fine with it and others would see it as an improvement over their circumstances with Julius in the lead. But a Realist Hero would be aware that there must be pockets of discontent. But that issue and what they will do about it isn’t really addressed this week.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Episode 21

I can’t say this second season of How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is disappointing because realistically it is pretty much exactly like season one. There’s some interesting ideas but the actual episodes are bogged down in static conversations and the characterisation isn’t great. It would have been nice to see this anime improve on season one but at the very least it has been about the same quality and hasn’t gotten worse.

Images from: How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 2nd Season. Dir. T. Watanabe. J. C. Staff. 2022

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Top 5 Girls In DanMachi

Posted on by Karandi
Tuesday's Top 5

I finally decided the girls in DanMachi really did deserve there own post.

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile you probably already know that I have a silly fondness for Bell from Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon. Whether it is from the first season of the anime or the light novels, I find his nice guy, hard working, character who knows when to really step things up in a fight quite delightful. But even with Bell being an adorable central character even I have to admit it is the girls in DanMachi that really do steal the show.

It is kind of impossible for me to just pick them from their appearance in the anime so some of these became more fleshed out in the light novels than the series. Still, I will avoid directly mentioning spoilers of any events beyond the first anime series.

Also, special shout-out to Welf. He’s an awesome character and kind of deserves to go on the list but I did decide to look at the girls of DanMachi today. Maybe I’ll do a list of my favourite male characters in the series at some point and I can assure you, Welf will be number one (provided I rule Bell out).

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Give a shout out to your favourite girls in DanMachi in the comments.

Number 5: Eina

Eina Tulle - DanMachi

I feel a little bad making Eina number 5 on the list. She’s an awesome character that we meet early on. She works for the guild and supports Bell and is largely responsible for him not winding up dead fairly early in his dungeon crawling career. She cautions him, warns him of potential dangers, makes him memorise the layout and types of monsters he’ll be facing and helps him choose the correct equipment for the level he’s heading to.

While she clearly does have a crush on the Little Rookie, she remains professional and Bell views her more as a big sister character. Still, she’s essential to the story and her interactions with Bell are always interesting and that makes her one of the best girls in DanMachi.

Number 4: Freya

Freya - one of the girls in DanMachi
She also has an interesting grip on fashion.

Honestly, Freya should be higher on the list but her appearance in the anime so far has been really limited. Still, even before reading on, Freya was a character who intrigued me. Her few appearances were short but they had a big impact and it isn’t completely off-base to say that she’s really helping to shape Bell into the hero that he’s starting to become.

While she chooses to mostly manipulate from behind the scenes her actions were getting more bold in the series and she’s certainly continued to have a presence in the books. I would definitely love to see more of Freya.

Number 3: Ryu

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Ryu is such a great character. She works with Syr at the bar that Bell regularly goes to and for the most part is just a fairly cold waitress. However her knowledge of the dungeon reveals a far more colourful past as does her level of observation and quick reflexes. By the time we see Ryu enter the dungeon it is a foregone conclusion that she’s going to be strong and she does not disappoint.

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Number 2: Hestia

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How could I do a list of awesome female characters from Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon without mentioning Hestia. The bright and exuberant goddess who works incredibly hard to support her small but important familia. Bell and Hestia are a fantastic duo and while they might both be looked down upon in the beginning, they aren’t going to back down as they fight for what they want to achieve.

Number 1: Lily

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Lily is just a great character and a much needed one. While Hestia is at times observant, she’s also pretty flighty and being a god doesn’t give things the same weight a human might. Bell himself is pretty naive and overly trusting, so having someone like Lily by his side is essential.

That said, Bell met Lily when she was the one trying to take him for a ride and it was only through his stubborn kindness that she ultimately decided to actually team up with him. I loved Lily’s character arc and her role within the familia is absolutely imperative to their ongoing survival and financial security. She’s a lot of fun and exactly the kind of character Bell needed to have his back when entering the dungeon.

Well, that’s my list today but I’d love to know your favourite female characters in DanMachi. I know I didn’t include Ais. As much as she is vital to Bell’s growth and as a goal for him to achieve, I really find her a fairly dull character, but feel free to tell me why she’s amazing if you like her.

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