But weirdly no. Most anime girls seem to have straight hair – maybe it’s something to do with curly hair being somewhat uncommon in Japan. For that reason, most of the girls on this list are from abroad – or as abroad as anime will allow. Anime America, Europe, and Britain – where nothing is authentic but everything(including the curly-haired girls) are beautiful.
15. Emporio Ivankov
Anime: One Piece I get it. It’s an odd first choice. Whether you could consider Ivankov a girl is questionable. But being an Okama, they’ve spent time in both genders – and that’s pretty amazing. Not to mention Iva’s hair curls are on point. Using the Horm-Horm Fruit, Ivankov has the power to change genders at will and even uses it against her enemies (which probably ends up putting them in therapy). We do actually get to see the Queen of the Okama in their female form, which is smoking hot and an amazingly flexible fighter full of spunk. Not the cutest girl on the list (sorry) but any chance to include a Rocky Horror reference is an opportunity I can’t overlook.
14. Sadi
Anime: One Piece Keeping with this theme we have Sadi, the empress of Impel Down which is the high security prison that our heroes are trapped inside. Preferring to be called ‘Little Sadi’ despite definitely not being ‘little’ in any way, Sadi is a sadistic dominatrix that revels in pain and torture. Her preferred weapons as just what you’d expect – a pitchfork and a whip. Luckily, we also have another buxom curly-haired dominatrix on the team – Ivankof. In fact, the moment we see Ivankof transform into their female form is solely to fight Sadi and get Luffy and the gang out. Two whips, two sadists, two curly girls – one fight.
13. Brigitte ‘Rosie’ Stark
Anime: Valkyria Chronicles A major character both in the anime and the original video game series, Brigitte ‘Rosie’ Stark is a bar singer whose career gets destroyed by the war in Europa. Despite never even graduating high school, she becomes a fearless soldier and quickly rises to corporal status. Rough from a difficult past, she begins the series questioning Welkin’s command (she has been in the army much longer; why’s a kid in charge?) and racist against Welkin’s adopted sister Isara, a ‘dark-haired’ Darcsen(an immigrant race in Europa). However as the story progresses, she grows considerably. Ultimately letting go of her prejudice and becoming fiercely loyal to her friends, no matter their race.
12. Sarah Dupont
Anime: Kaleido Star Sarah Dupont is the main singer and dorm manager of Kaleido Star, the world-class American performance venue that everyone in the show performs at. Originally from the UK, Sarah has long flowing wavy hair and performs in a giant Cinderella outfit. But don’t let her poised demeanour fool you. She’s a martial arts expert and keeps nunchucks literally up her sleeves. Having lived in Britain for many years, a bit of self-defense is more than necessary. And hey, the first episode of Kaleido Star started with a robbery so maybe Sarah’s got something going there.
11. Mai Valentine
Anime: Yu-Gi-Oh! Possibly the most famous character on this list, the beautiful and skilful Mai Valentine is one of YuGi-Oh’s most recognizable characters. Orphaned as a young child, Mai grew up working in bars where she would dupe horny men by pretending to have psychic powers and making them bet on her cards. Seriously, and this is a kid’s show too! This skill with cards transferred themselves well into duelling as she rampaged through multiple contests to become a great duellist. Though often victorious, Mai had very few friends prior to meeting Yugi and the gang. Though she did betray them a couple of times along the way, Mai nonetheless became a trustworthy ally & friend.
10. Launch
Anime: Dragon Ball Launch (ランチ – literally ‘Lunch’ – I’m writing this in the morning and I’m hungry) is a lady with a rare disorder that makes her change personalities every time she sneezes. Welcome to Japanese animation. In her normal form, she’s got curly blue hair and is an absolute angel. When she sneezes, her hair becomes curlier and blonde (somehow). In this form she’s violent, carefree, and always has a machine gun (somehow). Originally, Launch’s two personalities were completely separate and hold no memory of the other. But towards later parts of the series, she started to be able to control them. I wonder if ‘always having her nose itchy’ was her secret.
9. Airu Suzaki
Anime: Digimon Airu is an antagonist from Digimon Xros: The Young Hunters That Travelled Through Time, a follow up to the Digimon Xros series which is just one of far too many mildly different spinoffs. A slightly bipolar and forceful personality both at work and play, she chases after Digimon as she does her crushes – relentlessly. She also likes her men as she likes her Digimon – cute, or at least what she thinks is cute. She does have the one-eyed spider Parasimon and literally melting candle Candlemon as two of her main Digimon so… Driven only by collecting cuteness, Airu doesn’t care for Digimon Hunter Code’s Third Rule ‘Never take Digimon owned by another Hunter’. If she thinks your Digimon is cute, it’s hers.
8. Marie
Anime: Girls und Panzer In an alternate timeline where WWII-era tanks are kept for sporting purposes, high schools across the world send students to compete in the traditional martial arts sensha-do “The Way of the Tank” competitions. And that’s how we ended up with Girls und Panzer, a show about cute school girls…and tanks. Marie is part of the BC-Freedom High School team which operates Vichy France era tanks. Based on various iterations of Marie-Antionette, she’s well poised, graceful, and always seen with cake – a reference to the phrase ‘Let Them Eat Cake!’ which has been (wrongly) attributed to the French Princess.
7. Ravel Phenex
Anime: High School DxD Ravel Phenex is a demon with a massive crush on the protagonist Issei Hyoudo. Although young, Ravel is far more intelligent than other demons and able to outsmart her opponents. Serving as the primary strategist for Issei’s peerage, Ravel leads his team of demons to victory. However she’s not really the hardened battle type. She’s the youngest of four Phenex siblings and it shows. She’s stubborn, throws tantrums, and always gets what she wants – lucky she wants what the hero wants!
6. Biscuit Kreuger
Anime: Hunter x Hunter Biscuit, preferring to be called Bisky, is a young, cute, small girl with long curly pigtails. Except she’s not. She’s really a 57 year old massive body builder of a woman several times her ‘normal’ size with pecs the size of her whole body. But she prefers to stay young; who wouldn’t? A trickster at heart and a highly experience hunter (she even led the examinations), she uses her small form to trick enemies into underestimating her. Only to then revert to her actual form and beat them all up.
5. Suzuka Darienji
Anime: Tokyo Ravens Suzuka Darienji ‘The Prodigy’ is one of the ‘Twelve Divine Generals’. In the anime this is a group of Japan’s best Onmyouji – magic users. Nicknamed the prodigy for her intelligence despite being young, her talents came at a cost. Brutally experimented on from a young age by her sadistic father to produce magical geniuses, she succeeded… but her brother did not and died young. Maybe that’s why she and her brother have curly blonde hair… Suzuka later tries to revive her brother, but only succeeds in summoning a ghost into his body. Death is death, even for magicians.
4. Mami Tomoe
Anime: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Mami Tomoe is an experienced Magical Girl from the stellar Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a dark take on the magical girl trope that’s been described as one of the 21st Century’s greatest television series. Altruistic but lonely, Mami fights solely for justice. Which makes it difficult to team up with other magical girls who fight for understandable, albeit less charitable reasons such as self-defense or gaining Grief Seeds to replenish their own magic. Early on in the series, Mami admits her own difficult orphaned upbringing as part of the reason for her seclusion, telling Madoka that she cries often when she’s alone. Nonetheless, Mami is often seen as a caring figure teaching Madoka and Sayaka the ways of the magical girl – the exciting bits, and the scary bits – and also hosting tea parties. Tea parties makes everyone feel better, don’t you agree?
3. Elizabeth Midford
Anime: Black Butler Elizabeth Midford is cousin to Ciel Phantomhive, Black Butler’s hero and the master of the actual ‘black butler’, the demon Sebastian Michaelis. Growing up in Victorian London is not easy for a girl. You’re taught to be weak and feminine so that men will like you. There isn’t too much power given to you as you’re expected to listen to the men in your life. Elizbeth though, manages to play the game from the inside. Yes, she enjoys femininity. She loves cute things and even decorated Ciel’s room with ribbons, much to his dismay. But she keeps her intelligence hidden. She’s very smart, cunning, loyal, and easily able to dispatch any enemy with her dual-wield twin swords.
2. Harime Nui
Anime: Kill La Kill Harime Nui is a major villain from Kill La Kill. Her incredible cuteness is a façade that hides a much darker, unhinged demeanour. Born completely synthetically from alien life-fibres, Harime is one of the shows strongest characters too, besting almost every character in a one-on-one fight. Not only that, but she consistently breaks the fourth wall – the only character to do so. She leans on subtitles, interrupts ending credits and generally causes chaos both for the rest of the cast and the audience. Only Ryuko’s scissor blades are able to even put a scratch on her. That is if she can even reach Harime.
1. Saaya Yamabuki
Anime: BanG Dream! Did I really dare put a high-school drummer as #1 above all the hardcore fighter girls? Yes. I’ve got a real soft spot for BanG Dream and Saaya, in particular, has a heart-warming character arch that a weeb and musician like myself just can’t help but swoon over. Part of Bang Dream’s premier ‘Poppin Party’ band, Saaya only joined in the final critical moment when they were going on stage without a drummer. Previously part of CHiSPA, another girl band, Saaya gave up quit after her mother suddenly fainted and went to hospital. Feeling responsible for her family, she gave up performing to spend time at home looking after everyone. However she never stopped loving music and with support from her family (and endless nagging from Kasumi), Saaya stepped back on stage with her gorgeous curls(waves?) to do what she loves most.
