Ah, anime waifus. While many of us might have gotten into anime because of the transforming giant robots, or the cool explosions, or the advanced stories that didn’t pander to us like babies with plots that taught a positive moral lesson, we very quickly learned that there was something else in anime, too: cute girls who were so gorgeously-designed and with such complex personalities, that it became impossible to not obsess over them. Once the Internet showed up, allowing us to explore fanart and doujinshi of these 2D characters, things would never be the same. I asked J-List’s awesome customers-of-culture to share their first anime waifu with us, and here’s what we came up with!
Who Was Your First Anime Waifu? Let’s Ask J-List’s Customers!
1982’s Super Dimension Fortress Macross (shown internationally as Robotech) was influential in dozens of ways. It capitalized on the boom in transforming mecha to tell one of the most dramatic stories ever seen, about the destruction of humanity at the hands of invading giant space soldiers who could only be stopped by restoring culture to them, in the form of music. It also introduced most fans to the vehicle of the anime love triangle, initiating the first “waifu wars” as early fans took to the 8-bit BBSs that passed for social media back then to debate who was “best girl.” Macross also gave us the best anime movie ever made…
Another early waifu of mine was Madoka Ayukawa (in the upper left of the image above), the flamboyant girl from Kimagure Orange Road, who did battle with Hikaru for the heart of the main characters Kyosuke. She was such a badass, who could cut a flying skateboard in half from across the room with a thrown guitar pick, and I loved her.
If you’re an Orange Road fan, we’ve got the official perfume of Madoka and Hikaru in stock right now! Read my post on the passing of Izumi Matsumoto here.
Another anime that really opened the minds of early fans was Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. While there were several interesting female characters, I think Bulma made the deepest impression on fans back then.
Another show that really made fans fall in love was Onegai Teacher, the story of a Pocky-loving alien teacher who married her student, becoming his actual wife.
One of the best “holy land” locations in Japan is the town of Onegai Teacher, and you can visit next time you’re in Japan! I’ve got a report on my recent visit to the town here!
Another show that really made an impression on fans of the day was Tenchi Muyou! Ryououki, not least thanks to the incredible design of Ryoko.
I arrived in Japan just as Sailor Moon was exploding in popularity, and I knew that the show would make its mark on fans around the world. Which girl did you obsess over, growing up? Which pair did you “ship”? It was usually Makoto x Ami for me…
Cardcaptor Sakura featured a super-cute main character who was so bright and happy, it was impossible not to fall for her as a young fan.
Another iconic anime waifu for many fans was Ass-uka Asuka from Evangelion, whose fiery personality and the complex story won her many lifelong fans.
While every 2D waifu is a goddess in the hearts of true fans, Ah! My Goddess is a show that’s filled with literal goddesses, all of which are amazing. I blame Urd for my love of dark-skinned anime characters.
While the word moe — describing anime characters designed to be so cute and endearing to fans that we feel the need to protect them — didn’t arrive until the early 1990s, the concept was already being “weaponized” by creators in the late 80s. The adorable character Shampoo from Ranma 1/2 is a perfect example.
But perhaps no girl served as that all-important initial anime waifu for fans than Misty/Kasumi from Pokemon. Which girl did you feel attracted to as a young fan?
Thanks for reading this post about the first 2D waifus of J-List customers. Did we miss your favorite anime waifu? Post her in the comments, or let us know on Twitter!
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