Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #9 Utena Tenjou, Revolutionary Girl Utena

Lets begin with this, Revolutionary Girl Utena without a doubt is the strangest anime that I have ever watched. Yet at the same time, it was one of the best animes that I've ever watched. Seems strange that I would like an anime since it's title in Japanese literally has shoujo in it. So yea, I like a show that aimed mostly at teenage girls, doesn't keep this show from being awesome. However, if you do watch it, be prepared from some things that will make you uncomfortable and don't expect to understand everything right away. But what am I doing? This isn't a short review of Revolutionary Girl Utena but rather a discussion about what makes it's protagonist, Utena, so freaking awesome.

At some point Utena became a master swordsman (swordswoman?)

So at her surface Utena is pretty protagonisty, she's got the heart of gold that protagonists have, she has her weird personality quirks (she wears the boys school uniform instead of the girls), she's super athletic. She shows up at Ohtori high as that pretty new student who immediately becomes the jewel of all the guys and the envy of all the girls. Then, almost unwittingly Utena gets sucked into the world of the duels (trying to protect her friend of course). It's in this arena of sword fighting that Utena really fills her badass quotient. For starters, she wins her first duel with a wooden kendo sword while her opponent wields a sword with magical powers that practically make it's user unbeatable. So yes, Utena is really just the standard protagonist when the show begins but we certainly get to know her more as it really gets going. Revolutionary Girl Utena is similar to Neon Genesis Evangelion in the respect that both are deconstructions of their respective genres. Evangelion started out as a show about 14 year olds who piloted giant robots to protect the fate of the world before becoming a commentary about how maybe thats not such a good idea in later episodes. Utena is a similar show in the fact that it starts off as a fun high school romance anime about a cross-dressing girl with sword fights and typical shenanigans on the side. Then things start getting really dark and guess what? Utena becomes a deconstruction of that genre too. (they don't call it Evangelion for girls for nothing) So this brings us back to Utena because she herself represents a deconstruction of the great hero who tries to save everyone. Utena certainly begins the show as the noble, pretty much perfect protagonist until it hits a darker tone to the point where she's manipulated and deconstructed as a character. You could probably put together an essay on the character study of Utena Tenjou because she's so interesting.

Revolutionary Girl Utena provides a cynical viewpoint on the role of the hero in literature and in anime. That aspiring to be that invincible hero who is able to save everyone is simply impossible. However, this doesn't keep Utena from doing her best to be that hero. This is where the critics come in and say that Utena being the standard, invincible hero is boring and unfeasible. Perhaps this is true, trying to save everyone may be nearly impossible but that shouldn't discourage one from trying. Perhaps what makes Utena such a cool character is that even when her vices are brought out into the light you still feel like she's the most good character in the show and that she still remains the hero that she aspires to be. This is what makes her one of my favorite anime protagonists of all time and one of the coolest characters in anime.

Saying Goodbye To How I Met Your Mother

This Monday, the 23rd of September will mark a sad day for me and other fans of How I Met Your Mother. It's the final season premiere that the show will enjoy after 8 great seasons. I can't say that I'm as dedicated to the show as those who have actually been following the show since it's debut in 2004. I only began watching the show this past year and finished the eighth season this past May. That being said, I still love the show dearly and I will miss it when it reaches the end of this season.

The modern sitcom arrived in the form of Seinfeld, a show that was literally about nothing. It was just the rather monotonous adventures of a group of friends in New York City. Before Seinfeld, sitcoms were usually about families that would try to appeal to a certain demographic while preaching family values relevant to said demographic. Following Seinfeld came shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother. However, I really don't like to compare How I Met Your Mother to any of it's contemporaries because it's a show all it's own. In Ted Mosby, Robin Sherbatsky, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, and Barney Stinson we had five characters that we could relate to. These are five characters that everyone seems to have in their life. We all know a Ted Mosby, that hopeless romantic who seems to just have the worst luck when it comes to dating. We all know a Lily Aldrin, the mother figure who you can always talk to when you have a problem. We all know a Barney Stinson, that guy who can cheer you up no matter how down you because he's that awesome. We all know a Marshall Eriksen, that guy in your life who has a fantastic moral compass. We all know a Robin, that girl who will always be your bro. How I Met Your Mother always seems to have the viewer in mind, always hitting you in spots emotionally because you've been in those situations with the characters. It's rare in a show with a laugh track that you can get characters that feel real and that you can actually grow a personal attachment to. These are characters who encounter the trials and tribulations that anyone goes through. Part of How I Met Your Mother's appeal is to make the mundane problems that all of us face in our lives compelling watching material. Everyone can pick one episode of How I Met Your Mother and say that they have been through that same situation before.

One of the great criticisms of How I Met Your Mother is how long the show has run. At times, the show seemed to forget it's original premise of being a story about how Ted went on to meet his future wife. In the more recent seasons, Ted's adventure was passed over in order for the four other main characters to develop and face their own challenges. Barney began to mature, Robin began to change her outlook on life, Marshall and Lily struggled with the challenges of married life and parenthood. Meanwhile, Ted's goals took a backseat. It felt as if the show had begun to neglect it's original premise. This causes many people who don't follow the show avidly to say things like "jeez how long does it take to tell the story of how you met your wife?" However, this show has always been more about the journey than it has been about the destination. The show isn't titled "How I Met Your Mother, Had Kids, and Spent the Rest of my life with her." No this show is about the journey that everyone faces when they're looking for the love of their life. Love stinks, love can hurt, you're going to date many people and get your heart broken several times before finally finding that person that you truly love. Some people have it easy, like Marshall and Lily, but they're often the exception to the norm. Ted's story is one that everyone has experience a bit of at some point.

So as How I Met Your Mother begins it's final season on Monday, I will watch it with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I'm going to miss this show, it's characters, it's antics, and it's lessons. I personnally believe that the show is the best sitcom of it's generation and actually deserves a mention when discussing the best shows of the past ten years. In an age where sitcoms have been declining as most comedies now are single camera shows without laugh tracks (The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family) How I Met Your Mother still manages to be relevant and fresh while enjoying the kind of longevity that shows kill for nowadays. I will enjoy this final season, but I will also a little sad when it finally comes to an end. Nevertheless, How I Met Your Mother will continue to occupy a special place in my heart.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #10 Sousuke Sagara, Full Metal Panic!

Russian Guard: [on the floor, paralyzed by the stun device] You...
  Who... Are... You...
Sgt. Sagara Sousuke: The garbage boy.

As I said in my earlier review of Full Metal Panic!, it is an anime that succeeds on the merit of the superb interactions between it's colorful cast of characters. It's a show thats definitely not like many others out there and it's protagonist, Sousuke Sagara, is a hero that many shows don't really have. He's the perfect balance of humor and badassery. He's also the main focus of one of the most unique mecha animes out there.

The standard problems of putting a hardened soldier in high school

Sousuke arrives at the high school with the mission to protect Kaname Chidiori, who as it turns out is one of the "whispered". So theres that plot, but we don't really care so much about him protecting Kaname do we as we do about the most ridiculous ways that he can ensure her safety. This is includes taking down panty thieves, stalkers with cameras, and the regular high school student just trying to ask her out on a date. Yes, Sousuke Sagara can use his badass military training to make even the most mundane of criminals pay for their crimes, with hilarious results. Of course, this shouldn't overshadow the fact that he might be the best Arm Slave pilot on the face of the planet. Not only that, but he's the only who can make the absurdly powerful Arbalest work. Sousuke is one of the few characters who can balance being hilarious (though most of the time he never means to be) and a serious badass. Sousuke will be making you laugh one minute then making your jaw drop with how awesome he is the next. Theres also not many main characters in mecha anime who can kick ass when they're out of the cockpit either. Lets be honest, Shinji Ikari and Amuro Ray would struggle when not supported by their high class mechas. Sousuke on the other hand is a trained soldier who can cut through enemies like it's nothing. It's that fact alone that separates Sousuke from the crowd.

With help from Kaname, Sousuke develops greatly as a character

What makes Sousuke such a hilarious character may also be his biggest character flaw and his main source of development throughout the series run. He's been trained since he was very young to be a soldier, knowing nothing else other than how to fight and advanced military tactics. But for all of his military genius and skill as a soldier, Sousuke still has no idea how to fit into normal Japanese society. This fact is played mostly for laughs in the first season but is then treated much more seriously in The Second Raid and becomes his main source of growth in that season. Kaname points out that Sousuke isn't even comfortable getting his hair washed at a hair saloon because it leaves him completely vulnerable. Over the course of Full Metal Panic! we slowly see Sousuke humanized, rather than simply being R. Lee Ermey's child. Like Balalaika earlier on this list, Sousuke is a commentary on the damaging effects of war. Sousuke is only of high school age and yet he has more than a decade of battle experience under his belt. That is why later in the series it is so rewarding to see him finally shed the military act and become more of a regular guy. Kaname is the main source of his character development, mostly because she's the main love interest. However, this being Full Metal Panic!, the two characters really bounce off of each other and have amazing chemistry. Sousuke is a fantastic character and one that is unique, even in a mecha anime, a genre which runs on cliches. I found his character development to be really well done and I couldn't help but love his character.

Full Metal Panic! separates itself from the often generic genre of mecha anime on the basis of having amazing characters. Sousuke Sagara is the main proof of this. For all the sweet mecha fights, for all of his badassery, Sousuke's character is less about that than seeing the tragic, broken soldier deep down. Sousuke is an awesome character because he's unlike any other mecha protagonist.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - Honorable Mentions

And so with this post we mark the halfway point in this series that I started last month. Often when someone makes a list like this people are much more focused on who isn't on the list as opposed to the characters who ARE on the list. Believe me, there are several characters that I've left off this list. To be honest, the current list doesn't entirely have to be a list of my favorites. There are plenty of characters that I may like more that don't make the list but the characters on the list generally are stronger and better developed characters. So without much ado, here's a short list of characters that I love that just missed the cut.

Lets start with the man pictured above, Jeremiah Gottwald from Code Geass. If this list was based purely off of who is the biggest badass of all-time, "Orange-kun" would rank very high on the list. The dude is literally a walking mountain of badass. However, the reasons that he fails to make the cut is that in terms of character development, the guy is lacking. He does get a bit of a break because the reason he became such a badass is because the writers had no idea that he was going to become so popular. For most of the first season he's just an elitist asshole who gets curb-stomped by Lelouch's tactics on numerous occasions. However, the fans took to his characters and the writers brought him back as a badass cyborg who spouts nothing but hammy, badass lines while performing feats of badassitude. He's so badass, he's been brought back from death twice!! However, the writers never really explored or developed his character enough which is why he doesn't make the list.

Then theres Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho and Vegeta from Dragonball Z. Both of these characters, like Gottwald, are plenty badass. Unfortunately, they suffer from being all to similar characters. To make this list a character needs to be original and exciting. Unfortunately, these guys, as badass as they are, are essentially the same character. Awesome in their own series for sure, but in the grand scheme of the genre, too similar.

Melissa Mao from Full Metal Panic! is another example of a character who has all the qualities to make the list but unfortunately she's not the first of her type. She's essentially Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion, even played by the same voice actress. Melissa was easily my favorite character from the show but I had to give the nod to the original Misato Katsuragi.

No doubt, Hellsing's Father Alexander Anderson is a badass character of the highest class. However, he's another instance where a lack of character development holds him back. He can fight one on one with Alucard and hold his own, despite the fact that he's a human. Not to mention the loads and loads of blessed bayonets that he somehow is able to store in his robes. Unfortunately, I felt that Hellsing never really developed his character beyond the fact that he was a badass. For that reason, I couldn't include him in the 20.

G Gundam's Domon Kasshu made being a badass by the merit of your own unstoppable manliness cool almost a decade before Gurren Lagann did. Neo-Japan's Gundam figher is a pretty legendary character in anime just on the basis that he's full of hot-blooded rage. I love Domon as a character, over the top yelling and all, it's just that his character at times is so absurd that he's hard to take seriously. G Gundam is a show you watch as somewhat of a guilty pleasure due to the fact that it crosses over into So Bad It's Good territory frequently. The cold, hard fact about Domon is that as awesome as he is, he's full of cliches and stereotypes. For me a character needs to be deeper and more original than that.

Notice a common trend here? The characters that currently populate the list that I have created are all deep and complex characters. It is hardly enough to commit deeds of badassitude on a regular basis, after all I outlined the requirements for a "cool" character in the first post of this series. As I begin the final ten characters in this list I hope that you'll all enjoy the wide variety of awesome characters.

Anything Code Geass Can Do, I Can Do Worse - Guilty Crown Review

I consider myself the type of person that can see the good in most things. I've watched plenty of movies that I have been told are terrible that I have found some enjoyment in. I would hardly classify any of them as cinematic classics but I can see what the movie is trying to accomplish and at the end I feel a little disappointed but entertained nonetheless. For example, I saw Green Lantern and yes, it sucked. However, I thought that Ryan Reynolds actually portrayed the character of Hal Jordan well. The problem was that the writers botched the script so poorly that he got dragged down with the ship. So when it came time to watch Guilty Crown I thought that I could see the good in a series that is literally the definition of Love It or Hate It. Never have I been so wrong in my lifetime. You know, I should have seen this coming. I should have listened to all the people that said "Don't watch Guilty Crown! You could be doing so many other, better things with your life! Why????" Perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment or maybe I finally wanted to see what it was like to watch a bad anime? All jokes aside, Guilty Crown is an incredibly frustrating series. It's one that wants so bad to be a combination of Code Geass, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Revolutionary Girl Utena that it copies directly from the pages of said works.

The story takes place in Japan during the year 2039. The country is in ruins, recovering from "Lost Christmas", an incident that happened ten years in the past and infected a large number of the Japanese population. With the country in such ruin, an organization known as the GHQ has taken control of the country to govern and control the spread of the Apocalypse Virus. Our protagonist, Lelouch Lamperouge...err...I mean Shu Ohma is just a normal high school student who tries his best to make it through each day with little attention. However, one day when he gets home from school he meets a mysterious girl named C.C...I mean Inori who will change his life forever. Essentially, Shu accidentally winds up right in the middle of a fight between the GHQ and the rebel Funeral Parlor group who are trying to take back control of Japan. During this initial encounter with Inori, Shu ends up being granted the "power of the king" (seriously...this is getting way too familiar), the Void Genome which allows him to pull weapons out of people known as Voids. (Voids are given a bit more explanation but they're essentially that)  So Shu ends up siding with the Funeral Parlor (dumb name), aiding them in their fight to remove the oppressive GHQ from power (yes, the guys who are keeping the deadly virus in check). No, I haven't described the premise of Code Geass, this is actually the plot of Guilty Crown. The story then grows and expands, getting extremely dark at some points and theres plot twists galore. The plot is actually, what I have the biggest issue with. Yes, it's a complete ripoff on Code Geass and yes I understand that the way Shu pulls out Voids looks exactly like this from another legendary series. However, my main gripes aren't so much with the fact that they copied from these shows but more that fact that it did such a crappy job of it. Guilty Crown loves to be cryptic, asking questions that it can't answer, making Ass-Pull moves everywhere and calling them plot twists, leaving holes in the plot like swiss cheese, and making everyone's character development as deep as your local kiddie pool. The plot loves to throw in plot twists everywhere, trying so hard to make itself the next anime, like Code Geass or Steins;Gate, that makes your jaw drop each episode and give it a 5/5 because you felt attached to the characters and the sheer shock you got from each episode makes you love it even more. However, those shows actually were able to pull such things off because they had coherent plots and the plot twists actually made sense in context and genuinely surprised you at times. In Guilty Crown you can see them from a mile away. It's one thing to not be an original anime, there are plenty of works that are rather generic and don't do anything groundbreaking but succeed in the fact that they do those things well. Guilty Crown fails at replicating the shows that it's trying to copy. Why watch Guilty Crown when it's essentially a crappy version of Code Geass?

Boy meets strange girl, strange girl gives him powers, powers cause him to be involved in a terrorist group trying to liberate Japan from an oppressive government? Never seen that before...

The next thing that Guilty Crown tries to be is the new Evangelion or Revolutionary Girl Utena. It will go through episodes, leaving the viewers with questions. Obviously, we wait, expecting that the show will reward our patience by eventually answering the questions. Instead, Guilty Crown will leave these answers until very late or not answer them at all. Extremely important points related to the plot won't be answered even when the show is in the middle of an incredibly important scene. It really robs the viewer of their understanding of what was going on. This leads to the show throwing tons of information in your face at once (most of it still doesn't even make sense). It wasn't unusual for me to throw my hands in the air and yell "what the hell is going on?" or "this scene would actually be interesting and compelling if someone would just answer one simple, stupid question." Sometimes it feels like the show is just saying to you "this is happening because...stuff." Don't even get me started on how the plot will solve many of Shu's issues with extremely plot convenient things. The final episode of the show was an abomination considering how much buildup there was leading up to it. Part of me wonders if there was some missed potential with Guilty Crown that could have been achieved if the show was better written. Utena and Evangelion succeeded in being cryptic and mysterious because you felt that you learned something new every episode that would contribute to your main understanding of the plot. Guilty Crown actually does have some really cool concepts that could have made a really awesome series if they had been done properly. However, it's way too busy trying to be Code Geass when it should have been embracing the things that made it different (as few as they seem).

A cast with loads and loads of lame characters

Guilty Crown would love nothing more than for Shu to be Lelouch Lamperouge's successor. It tries so hard and it's actually kind of sad. Lelouch was a deep, complex character who you could sympathize with even when he had to compromise his morals and be an asshole. Guilty Crown tries to do the same thing with Shu, except he just comes off as a whiny, angsty, asshole. Shu's character will develop by leaps and bounds in one episode before reverting back to the same whiny kid in the next one. When a character has to make several morally compromising choices we should sympathize with them even when we don't agree with the choice. It's often a gut-wrenching choice but deep down we know that it's the only choice the character could have made and that it hurts them as well. Shu makes a choice, acts like an asshole and remains an asshole before whining like a schoolgirl about how nobody understands what he's doing. In the end, Shu isn't Lelouch but he's only a pale imitation like most of this show. Then there's the incredibly forgettable cast of characters that follow him that are walking stereotypes that walk around spewing cliches. Yes, there are episodes that focus on Shu's classmates that are suppose to let us find out more about their characters but these simply come off as stale. The show rushes into these situations way too fast and suddenly characters are interacting and growing before our eyes (quite poorly I may add) before their previous characterizations had been established. Later, the show makes every character do ridiculously out of character things because the plot needs to advance before reverting them back to exactly how they were before. Inori is probably my least favorite character because her character in general was just lazy. You might as well place a giant "generic love interest" above her head and call it done. Her whole romance with Shu feels forced considering how fast they move as a couple and the fact that Inori doesn't really do anything that important for Shu other than pulling out her Void. Shu claims that she's the only one who understands him and she's the most important person in his world. Yet at the same time, she never really seems to do anything that merits such a distinction. All she seems to do is sing at times that never really call for it because apparently her song has "magical powers" or some ass-pull explanation like that. These scenes are supposed to be really serious, emotional scenes but they instead come off as narmy and silly. I never really felt much of an urge to care for Inori or any of the characters. Even the leader of Funeral Parlor (still a dumb name), Gai, is an incredibly weak character. He's supposed to be the badass leader of a rebel army thats trying to take back Japan except that his motivations for doing so are incredibly unclear. After all, it's established that the GHQ is actually caring and providing aid for those who contracted the virus so wouldn't removing them do more harm than good? Every time Shu asks a member of Funeral Parlor why they follow Gai, they just get all offended and respond with varied versions of "you'd never understand" Maybe we would if someone would just tell us for once then I'd be able to sympathize with him. (Don't even get me started on the completely out of character ass-pull he pulls off in Episode 12)

Ok, so I've just ranted for several lines about what I found wrong about this anime. Despite the seething words I have written above there are actually some things that this show does well. From a strictly action point of view, the show succeeds greatly. The action is very visually pleasing and Shu's powers are really cool onscreen. It's when the show slows down and tries to be dramatic and character focused that the show struggles. Like I said before, I do rip on the plot of this show quite a bit but I do believe that the potential was there for this to be more than just a Code Geass clone. The first half of the series actually sets the show up for a really compelling ending. In fact, if the show was 12 episodes, instead of 22, and did a better job explaining things in the shorter span it could have actually done really well. However, it bogs itself down with poor writing and bland characters. I couldn't help but think that there was some missed potential here and I think that its where most of my frustration comes from. Guilty Crown seems to be content playing things to the chest and following cliches. It wants to be Code Geass or Evangelion but is too afraid to take the risks that those shows did. Overall, theres missed potential here and it's really a shame.

The action scenes are one redeeming quality of Guilty Crown

From an A/V perspective the show does a phenomenal job and this is where Guilty Crown recoups some points in my book. The soundtrack is clearly well thought out and definitely had a younger audience in mind. At times it sounded like a mix between Gurren Lagann and Code Geass (surprise!!). However, it succeeds in this area because the music does match the themes and tone of the show. This is one instance where I can forgive it for copying Code Geass because here it actually makes sense. The voice acting is hampered by the fact that the script is absolute garbage at times but the VA's do a good enough job with what they have. After all, it's not their fault that the writers wrote them bad material. Visually, the show is absolutely gorgeous and captures the moods and feelings of the show.

Overall, Guilty Crown is an incredibly frustrating series. I find it hard to recommend because there are so many shows out there that do what Guilty Crown does, only better. The show does give glimpses of it's potential and from time to time it can be really enjoyable. However, most of the time you spend watching it you'll find yourself face palming at how poorly it's written and how mismanaged the plot is. Like I said before, it's missing a few things that could make it an enjoyable watch but those few things are so vital that I can't give this show a passing grade. I'm glad that I've finished watching it and I hope that by reading this review I can spare you some disappointment.

My Score: 2/5

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #11 Alucard, Hellsing

"The world would be so boring without idiots like you to amuse me"

Theres a lot of talk about vampires these days and unfortunately it's the wrong kind of talk (eff you Twilight). The world needs a reminder as to what an actual vampire is capable of. Hellsing takes vampires and bring them back into the realm of awesome with the all-powerful Alucard as it's frontman.

How can one not be scared shitless by this?

Hellsing isn't short on awesome characters, after all pretty much every character is required to be unreasonably badass at all times. Alucard stands above most of them however in the fact that he's basically invincible. Some consider him the "pet" of the the Hellsing Organization instead of the powerful weapon that he is. Of course, thinking of him as a hero is entirely out of the question. No, Alucard is more of an anti-hero who serves a heroic purpose out of servitude to his master, Integra Hellsing (also a grade-A badass). His powers are unbelievably awesome as he's devoured the souls of every person that he has killed/devoured (these are standard powers of vampires in Hellsing except Alucard's are taken Up to Eleven). Alucard has devoured entire armies over the course of his entire life, giving him a nearly unlimited arsenal of familiars the unleash (the Hound of Baskerville is a personal favorite). So when you kill Alucard, you're really only killing one of the millions of souls that inhabit his body; he's essentially invincible. This added to the fact that he wields the Jackal (the black pistol shown above) that weighs 16kg and has a firing power that would rip off any human's arm. He does this without even flinching most of the time. Even more impressive is when Alucard releases all of his restrictions and releases all of his familiars at once. The man is a walking army that won't hesitate to slaughter anyone who conflicts with Integra's wishes. The only drawback to Alucards awesomeness is that he's so freaking scary pretty much all of the time. Theres just some scenes that make me cringe because he's just so damn creepy. No question that if he wasn't so creepy he'd be higher on this list.

I do love Alucard's character in the series, especially when it comes to the deeper side. In a sense, Alucard detests his immortality and actually admires humans for their ability to age and die. He thinks that this is beautiful. Of course, he's not entirely ashamed that he's immortal, he loves being a vampire. However, part of him is a death seeker but only at the hands of a human. Throughout the series he shows his distate for the word monster and refuses to let any other monster kill him. When Anderson, his human rival, shows the grit and determination to kill Alucard; Alucard shows his excitement over the fact. However, when Anderson uses the Nail of Helena to become a monster himself, Alucard is not pleased. After all, a monster of god is a still a monster. Alucard respects those with the ability to age and die, perhaps wishing that he could have the same fate. It's a running theme throughout the series, the clash between mortality and immortality. Humans that are too weak to face their own mortality that they run and become monsters to preserve themselves. Alucard loves strong humans who can fight him because they respect and embrace their mortality. So, Alucard believes that it is an honor to be killed by one. Alucard spends a great deal of his time killing and overall being unbelievably scary but he also shows his soft side to those he trusts. Seras, Integra, and Walter are all cases in which Alucard actually shows that theres some sensitivity within the monstrous shell that surrounds him.

So yes, Alucard is a badass and an all around awesome character. You shouldn't expect any less from Hellsing considering that theres another character from the series on this list. If it wasn't for the fact that he creeps me out a ton, Alucard would probably rank higher on this list. However, one can't ignore how great he is not only when he's in action but the role he plays in conveying the series themes to the audience. Overall, Alucard is a can't miss character from a can't miss series and that's why he's #11.

Counting Down the 20 Coolest Characters in Anime - #12 Claire Stanfield, Baccano! (This one is rather SPOILER heavy)

Many characters on this list are here because I love the way that they develop as a character. Other characters here are honestly just so awesome that not including them on this list is simply a disservice to how utterly amazing they are. Claire Stanfeld from Baccano! is the latter.

Yea this is messed up...

Claire Stanfield goes by many names; he's the "Young Conductor", "Vino", "The Rail-Tracer". He might even try and make you call him god. Claire is unbelievably arrogant at times, while at the same time can be a really good guy. Nevermind the fact that he's a sadistic killer on par with his rival, Lad Russo. Nevermind the fact that he's an expert assassin who does the Gandor family's dirty work. Claire Stanfield possesses all the regular things that make one an awesome character (awesome personality, badass skills, dashing good looks). Like most characters in Baccano! he's a quirky, Bunny-Ears Lawyer who is so good at his job that it makes up for most, if not all, of his personality quirks. You know, like thinking he's a physical god, covering himself in his victim's blood, interrogating people above train tracks in order to find out where his crush lives...you know...normal stuff. He refuses to believe He's the only character who's able to out-talk Ladd Russo and kick his ass in the process. Jack Bauer could take interrogation lessons from this guy; JACK BAUER of all people. Claire lurks in the background for most of the series, posing as a conductor on the Flying Pussyfoot before taking action as the "RailTracer" when hell breaks loose on the train. Need I say more? Claire Stanfield is a badass.

So yes, Claire is a badass (despite the first name but this is Baccano! where characters with names like Jacuzzi Splot exist). But he's an awesome personality as well. When he's not kicking ass and taking names, he's generally being an awesome guy. In the last few episodes we get to see Claire interact with the rest of the cast, with hilarious results. We get to see that this guy is more that just the crazy killer we've gotten to know over the course of the anime, he's a human being. (resulting in the quote from the top picture). Yes, Claire is absolutely hysterical in the moments when he's not doing his job. We also get to see how much he loves Chane, the girl he met on the train, becoming way more human than one would expect. In this way, Claire really becomes a complete character in my book and one who is unrelentingly awesome. Have you noticed a trend with the characters on this list? Most of them are awesome in the conventional way, being a badass and possessing humorous and engaging personalities that make them feel real. At the same time, they have multiple layers beneath them. Claire is the personification of this. Yes, he's messed up and gets pretty sadistic when he's on his job but he's still human underneath. Since Baccano! only runs a total of 16 episodes we probably don't get as much development from Claire as we get from other characters on this list. Yet despite this, he still packs a major punch in the badass department and the depth department. (a testament to how well Baccano! is written)

So yes, Claire Stanfield is one of my favorite characters ever. Of course, the fact that we only see him for such a limited time does hold him back a bit on this list. This doesn't diminish how strong of a character he is however. When you do eventually watch Baccano! (seriously...watch it right now...even though this post is littered with spoilers) he'll easily become your favorite character. Unless, you prefer Isaac and Miria to which I'll say I don't blame you. Either way, Claire is great and he's #12.