You might not know her by name, but Tomi Ichimonji is Yui's elderly neighbor. She's always on good terms with Yui and the rest of her family, and the Hirasawa's always make time to try to chit-chat with her. You can tell they really respect Tomi Ichimonji. Yui, Ui and Nodoka all have a long-standing relationship with her as their long-time neighbor, and Tomi did a lot for them when they were younger. She exemplifies the graceful, caring presence of an elderly person who looks out for everyone including her neighbors, and she's someone who should be treated with great love and respect in all communities.

Jun is close friends with Azusa Nakano and Ui Hirasawa and despite not having as much screen-time as them, she's still lovable in her own right. Jun is a pretty care-free personality but can be a bit of a ditz in terms of accidentally becoming a little demanding every now and again. Still, she's very kind and sweet hearted and gets along very well with everyone. Jun is still trying hard to improve herself as a bass-player, partially because of her admiration of Mio. She may not be as much as a focus as the rest of the cast but Jun has a very playful and easygoing personality which makes her easy to life.

Azuza (Or Azu-Nyan) for short, is the first of the 5 main characters to make it on the list. There's really no bad K-On! Characters, and she's up against some stiff competition which puts her relatively low in the standings. However, Azu-Nyan is still a wonderful and charming character. She has one of the more interesting character arcs in the series for starters. At first, she's taken aback by Yui's slacker attitude and Is upset that the club doesn't take a more serious approach. However, overtime she comes to appreciate the slow-place of the club, as well as its members. While growing accustomed to this, she still maintains her seriousness and passion, quite-like Mio, which is a very admirable quality.

Nodoka is a loveable little bookworm. Her mature and responsible demeanor forms a yin to Yui's air-headed antics. Nodoka is practically an archetype of the intelligent, industrious and dutiful student who always excels in her academics and is involved with the Student Council. It's pretty much only through her reminders that the Light Music club remains in good-standing within the school, something which Ritsu Is surely thankful for! Nodoka strikes a perfect balance between pushing airheads like Yui and Ritsu to be responsible, while also understanding that there's a lot of good that comes from their care-free nature.

When your parents named your big sister Yui while naming you, simply, 'ui', it might feel like you got the short end of the stick. However, Ui totally shines as a little sister and often is more mature and responsible than her beloved onee-chan, Yui. Ui Hirasawa is simply always there for her big sister, in a way that's totally endearing and make her one of the most lovable characters in the show. Probably one o the best moments in all of K-On! Is when Yui and the rest of Hokago Tea Time unveil the song that Yui had written about her little sister. Ui isn't just an extension of Yui, but the two have such a beautiful relationship and they both gain so much from each other as sisters.

Tsumugi Kotobuki, affectionately called 'mugi', is everyone's favorite rich girl. She often acts like a typical Ojou-chan, carrying herself in a very proper and well behaved manor. However, Tsumugi is much more than just her pampered upbringing. She has an curiosity that borders on awkward because her upbringing has come with a whole host of different social cues that the rest of the cast don't share. However, these moments come off more adorable than anything. Mugi has a lot of weird quirks like very above average physical strength, as well as a propensity to assume slightly intimate or lewd implications from everyday interactions.

Ritsu can be as air-headed as Yui but she's a hugely important piece of the light music club. Her comical and fun personality drive a lot of the good times between the club and her gags seem to always hit home. Often times Mio is the only one not laughing but she probably appreciates Ritsu the most since the pair are childhood friends. In fact, her relationship with Mio is one of her cutest points. Ritsu can look very independent and almost tomboyish at time but she gets fiercely jealous whenever she feels Mio is ignoring her in favor of someone else. Ritsu holds her friends close and none more so than Mio. She may be a little crazy at times but in the end Ritsu is reliable and good-natured and is one the best characters in the show.

I strongly feel that Sawako is like an older Yui who's managed to get it together somewhat. However, this veil of maturity can come crashing down at any moment. Sawako holds the air of a responsible teacher, but can still understand where here students are coming from emotionally partially because she still a little kid at heart. Her high schol life was just as rambunctious as Yui's, only she grew up perhaps in a more extreme era, leading her to start a heavy metal band in place of the more whimsical and moe rock of the light music club. She has strong memories of those days and still can get as wild as she was back then, in addition to her new found love of costume making for the band. Sawako is still very earnest despite all the different hats she wears, and is loved universally for it. This is why she has the highest spot of all the non-main characters on this list.

Ah, Yui. Yui is an phenomenal character and I question anyone to look at her character arc and tell me that K-on! Is a show where 'nothing happens.' Yui is completely off the charts in terms of absent-mindedness, her high school life would probably be in a ditch if not for her friends being so observant and helpful. But as to why they are friends with her in the first place, I think the answer is that Yui is just incredibly unique in how genuine and good-willed she is as a person. There's no harm that Yui could wish on anyone, I think. She has such a good and pure heart and in the end she worries probably more about other people than herself. Yui is the emotional core of the show, and one of the most lovable characters by far.

Mio is completely adorable for a number of ways, but fundamentally so in how her quiet and composed demeanor are actually only one part of her personality. Opposite to those traits, Mio is a scaredy-cat, shy and also more rambunctious than she lets on, at least with certain people. When it comes to Ritsu's antics Mio is always quick to playfully whack her. Despite this, Mio is really beautiful inside and out. She looks like a stereotypical Yamato Nadeshiko and has attracted a school-wide fan club. Mio Is probably the most driven and intelligent of the group, and she's often the brains of the operation. She's great on bass and also writes a majority of the band's lyrics. Despite being more reserved, she still shares the sweetness and genuine good-heart of all light music members.

The widely popular anime, Show by Rock!!, which aired last year, following the original storyline of the original rhythm game, would have a short anime series this summer! This should be enough to tide off our thirst for the second season of Show by Rock!!. The short anime series would have the original staff and cast returning, apparently aiming to be a “carefree and enjoyable” series before the sequel comes. BONES will be handling the animation, and the key visual available is looking exceptional already. There will be a new PV every month featuring bands that would appear in the second season, and the shorts anime series itself would feature the bands from the original series, including Plasmagica and ShinganCrimsonz. Show by Rock!! is originally a rhythm game by Geechs, featuring Sanrio’s first project for older males and young adults. The game itself featured over twenty bands, though the anime that aired last year only included at least five of them. The anime followed the plot of the original rhythm game, with Hijirikawa Cyan of Plasmagica as its main character, a shy girl who is talented in music, and just happened to have the luck of getting sucked into the world of game she is playing and ends up joining Plasmagica in Midi City. The cast of Show by Rock!! will be returning for Show by Rock!! Short!!, which means Inagawa Eri, Uesaka Sumire, Numakura Manami, and Sakura Ayane are coming back as Plasmagica together! Among the cast returning also included Hayami Saori, Kayano Ai, Miyano Mamoru, Taniyama Kishow, Uchiyama Kouki, Han Megumi, and Ohsaka Ryouta. Looks like Short!! is at least going to provide us some excitement and good music before the sequel.

Lucky for you girls, Tsukiuta is giving us the idol boys for the anime instead of the goddesses! A franchise that revolves around the 12 anthropomorphized months, Tsukiuta had carved its own success through countless music and drama CDs, with songs composed by popular Vocaloid producers. The franchise also has a mobile app called Tsukino Park, which features mini-games and characters from the franchise. Studio Pierrot will be handling the animation, and the excitement for it is already in the air; there are countdown video messages from the boys, and Animate Ikebukuro would have an advanced screening of the first episode on July 2nd. While Tsukiuta originally have both male and female idol units, the anime seems to be focusing on the two male idol units: Six Gravity, with its six members representing the months December to May, and Procellarum, which members represent the months June to November. The anime would have all members of the group living in a dorm together, and each episode would be focusing on a different character. So far, Fluna and Seleas, the two female units of the franchise, have not been mentioned to appear yet. As the franchise itself has already had big successes with its CDs, the music aspects of the anime would hopefully be great, especially for those who are into Vocaloid. The seiyuu line up is, of course, simply amazing, listing top-tier seiyuu widely known to sing well: from Kaji Yuuki, KENN, Kondo Takashi, Hatano Wataru, Aoi Shouta, to Hosoya Yoshimasa—half of the seiyuus in Tsukiuta line up are also singers with their own solo singing careers. Those who are fans of these names, definitely do check Tsukiuta the Animation, and enjoy their songs!

Probably the most anticipated music anime Summer 2016 considering its huge franchise and fanbase, Love Live! Sunshine!! anime is part of the much bigger Love Live! Sunshine!! multimedia project—one that includes the game, one manga adaptation, internet TV and radio, and two released singles. Focusing on an all-new female idol group called Aqours, who are inspired by the famous school idol group µ’s, the nine high school girls formed their own idol group to try their best to save their school from closing. As a project, Love Live! Sunshine!! had been anticipated since early last year—the first teaser image was published in April 2005, and, true to the spirit of the Love Live! Projects, fans were involved in the creation of the group—from submitting possible group names, to voting, and polls on fans’ first impressions and what kind of images/activities they see of the new idols. Aqours’ first single was released on October 2015, and the second one had just been released last April, each single with a PV. They also have three different Mini Idol Unit Albums. The Aqours girls have also joined µ’s in Love Live! School Idol Festival mobile rhythm game—their cards were added to the game last January, even though the story chapters and songs would be added in July. After the huge success of Love Live! School Idol Festival project, one would have a lot of expectation and hopes for Love Live! Sunshine!!, and do far, Sunrise, Lantis and ASCII Media Work’s Dengeki G Magazine has yet to disappoint with this project. Among the beautiful voices we’re expecting to hear in Sunshine!! anime are Inami Anju, Aida Rikako, Saitou Shuka, Kobayashi Aika and Suzuki Aina. Don’t forget that the girls of Love Live! Sunshine!! are also making an appearance at Anisong World Matsuri this year at Anime Expo! Let’s all look forward to the new songs and stories Aqours would bring!

A cross-media project by MAGES, B-Project: Kodou Ambitious is a series that focuses on male idol groups under the name B-PROJECT: Kitakore, Thrive, and MooNs. The anime story would revolve around the main character, Tsubasa, who just got hired by the A&R department of the major recording company called Gandala Music, and is assigned to oversee B-PROJECT. Dealing with ten male idols with different personalities can’t be easy for her now, can it? Those who are familiar with B-PROJECT previously would have known them from the series of CDs released under each unit mentioned above—with the addition of the Killer King unit, which seems to have not been mentioned in the plans for the anime (or would it be a surprise? We’ll see.)—with none other than T.M. Revolution sitting on the chair of executive producer for the whole project. You can already listen to what kind of music this anime would bring to you through the samples provided in the website, including the opening and ending themes of the anime. There seems to also be plans for a game under this title. Of course, as it is a music anime, the music plays an important aspect, too. On the list of seiyuus who voice (as well as sing) the characters are, so far, quite a satisfying line up. We have names well-known as both seiyuu and singer, namely Ono Daisuke, Kakihara Tetsuya, and Morikubo Showtarou. In the line up are also names that would sound familiar for people who love the fictional idol genre, such as Toyonaga Toshiyuki, Natsuki Hanae, Masuda Toshiki, and Kishio Daisuke. With all the name-dropping, the anime sounds like it’s shaping up to be a very ambitious project indeed!

The anticipated B-Project: Kodou* Ambitious features Tsubasa, a new employee at a major record company. Immediately upon hiring, Tsubasa is assigned to administer the “B-Project” task, which includes three upcoming groups: Kitakore, Thrive, and MooNs. As this is Tsubasa’s first real job, she must deal with the ups and downs of the recording industry. To top that off, she is involved and must resolve countless of incidents and occurrences between the three groups she is assigned to, ranging in sharp personalities and high demands. Keeping in tune with various B-Project: Kodou* Ambitious chatter, the boys of MooNs: Tatsuhiro, Kazuna, Hikaru, Momotaro, and Mikado are one of the three groups to look out for in this new anime. By this, the members of MooNs offer the core elements of anime idol-dom: mystery, sex appeal, self-confidence, and conviction.

Be-Boy Kiddnapp’n Idol is about 16-year-old teen idol superstar, Kazuya. Kazuya has a jam-packed schedule that includes music rehearsals and autograph signing. He has a major female fan base that continues to grow. Aside from being a celebrity, Kazuya spends his free time with his close friend Akihiko, hanging out and playing video games. Protective over Kazuya and over the course of the series, Kazuya and Akihiko’s relationship develops into something more than just friends. Kazuya’s status as a pop-star grants him the privilege of Top 10 Anime Idol Boys. His lifestyle and the threat on his life for being in the constant limelight comes with the territory of being a mega superstar. Moreover, with the help of his close friend, Akihiko, Kazuya remains grounded and safe in a reality of bright lights. Although he is lax about his superstar status, he does not express the notion of quitting, therefore he enjoys the attention and being in the spotlight.

Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 captures the talents and diligence of Ikuma, Kakeru, Shun, Kira, and Kaiki of Harajuku’s next generational band, Shounen Hollywood. This anime covers the hard work idols must endure to make their place in the global scene. Each episode takes hold of each members’ lives before becoming famous and various events therein. Similar to Uta no Prince-sama, Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49 chronicles the lives of a group of upcoming male idols. Comparably, their good looks and talents are vital highlights, thus providing a major emphasis on our list of Top 10 Anime Idol Boys. The attitude of the boys are captured, as best described as “the time of their lives,” enjoying the art of music and show business.

Kirarin Revolution follows 14-year-old, Kirari Tsukishima’s obsession for food, an obsession unlike other teen girls her age, who are typically found swooning over the notable boy band, SHIPS. Her admiration for food suddenly takes a back seat when she meets one of the members of SHIPS, Seiji Hiwatari. By meeting Seiji, her focus is no longer on food, but becoming a teen idol just like Seiji. Showcasing Kirari’s trials and obstacles in becoming a pop idol, she realizes the difficulty but nonetheless is determined to conquer the pop world. Seiji Hiwatari’s kindness and good looks inspire appeal to Kirari in becoming just like him. Seiji’s seemingly selfless dedication towards Kirari’s growth stems from the lack thereof he received from his parents. The state of fame entwined with his mentorship, as it actually exists, is our reason for Seiji to be included in our list of Top 10 Anime Idol Boys. In addition to his personal attractiveness, the lure of the ever-changing and fast-paced world of a pop idol has Kirari begging for more than a taste.

Macross 7 underlines that the power of music holds a significant impact to shift greater political conflict. During an uneasy time between aliens and humans, band member Nekki Basara composes music in the hope that his words will solicit peace between the species. As frictions surmount the territories, Nekki travels to various regions, spreading his music and the message in each place, eliciting some instance of change. Nekki Basara encompasses the role of an idol as well as humanitarian. While many idols are consumed with fame and fortune, Nekki differs from the rest of the boys on the list in that he cares for more than just his own gains. Fortunately, Nekki’s work helps make other people’s lives a little bit better.

Skip Beat! follows Kyoko Mogami and her infatuation with her childhood friend, Shou Fuwa. Shou desperately seeks to become a rising pop idol and does anything in his power to do so, especially taking advantage of Kyoko. Hanging behind his coattails, Kyoko works odd jobs in order to support her crush, until one day, she realizes it was all for naught. Vowing to achieve revenge on Shou, she enters the entertainment industry herself, attempting to bring down Shou from his high horse. Shou, although putting Kyoko in an unfavorable position, does anything and everything for his career to climb to the top. With dreams so big, it is transparent that Shou is our choice for Top 10 Anime Idol Boys by reason of his quest for fame and what means he’ll take to get there. Furthermore, he grows to learn it is “lonely at the top,” appreciating Kyoko and what she has done for him once their friendship is threatened by a rival entertainer.

In King of Prism by Pretty Rhythm, the band “Over the Rainbow” makes its debut and instantly proceeds to the top of the charts. With the objective to be just like Over the Rainbow, Hiro Hayami, and his companions enroll at Edel Rose, an institution designed to breed future idols. Concurrently with the Prism King Cup, Hiro Hayami and his classmates endlessly practice in order to compete and parade their talents, proving if they have what is needed to be like the growing sensation band, Over the Rainbow. Hiro Hayami is one of our idol boys because he is overwhelmingly popular and the picturesque token idol. He is a natural born leader and incredibly cunning at the expense of others. Everyone flocks to see his performances, showering him with his favorite yellow roses. Once you see this anime, you will no doubt shower him with roses as well!

Interstella 5555 is a continuation of the background story featured in Daft Punk’s music videos: “One More Time,” “Aerodynamic,” “Digital Love,” and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” Interstella 5555 highlights the band, the Crescendolls, who are members of a blue alien race. Crescendolls members Arpegius, Octave, Baryl, and Stella are captured by their evil record producer, brainwashed, and sent to Earth. The plot unfolds as they are rescued by a pilot originating from their home planet. Interstella 5555 is a continuous earful of enjoyable music, providing non-stop foot-thumping. As this is a list for anime idol boys, we have to exclude bass guitarist, Stella. However, Arpegius, the guitarist, Baryl, the metalhead drummer, and Octave, the vocals, and keyboardist of Crescendolls all demonstrate various facets of performers, complementing this awesome techno melody. Each musician can be identifiable to any person, in one way or another, or at least one can imagine being that impressive!

Sekkou Boys is about Miki Ishimoto’s first day at Holbein Entertainment, managing the rising boy band “The Rockies.” Incidentally, The Rockies are actually four Greco-Roman busts named Saint George, Mars, Hermes and Medici. An ingenious play on the literal and figurative view of idolization, Sekkou Boys displays the guiding background support, in addition to the hard work needed to fuel pop stardom. Once again, Sekkou Boys makes the cut for Top 10 Anime Idol Boys because they are actual stone idols! On top of that, Sekkou Boys signifies pop culture’s obsession with idol worship and the hysterical spectacle that follows. Their distinct personalities combined with comical relief makes this anime truly amusing.

Uta no Prince Sama is the story of various young talents enrolled at Saotome Academy, in the hope of reaching stardom through music. Surrounded by musical brilliance and artistry, the protagonist, Haruka Nanami attempts to make her way to the top of the industry, gaining six companions along the way. The progress through each episode demonstrates the journey of students training to become future idols. Masato, Natsuki, Otoya, Ren, Shou, and Tokiya of St☆rish are part of our list for top 10 anime idol boys because these six individuals exude talent, looks, and charm. The six characters of the St☆rish band support the female protagonist’s passage to fame, providing the anime with great imagery and musical accompaniment.

Everything in Mima’s life seems perfect. She is the leading member of the super famous idol group Cham! when she decides that the next step on her career should be quitting music and become an actress. From that point on, Mima is stalked by the people who believe her career shouldn’t have such a radical switch. Her professional life also suffers all sorts of strange incidents which will drive her to the verge of madness. This jewel by late director Satoshi Kon offers us a contrast of the often sugar coated life of music idols with a horror thriller. The leading character (Mima) is a talented young woman struggling to find the correct path by herself, which is far than easy on the professional and demanding world of idols. Her songs with Cham! are the perfect j-pop upbeat of the nineties and our Mima really enjoys her performances. She totally deserved a spot on our Top Ten!

Cyan is the perfect example of the shy but talented musician who dreams to become a star. Lucky for Cyan that she found the Strawberry heart item that lets her travel to Midi City, a place where music rules! In Midi City, Cyan will use her talents to save the world and become an authentic star with her all girl band Plasmagica. It also helps that the whole band is super cute and also plays happy go lucky rock. So, here we have a girl who does not only sings, but also plays the guitar. The combination of happy rock and Cyan’s cute high-pitched voice works so well, that it will brighten up even your bluest day. Cyan is also a great example of not giving up our dreams. All her energy will hit you in every Plasmagica’s song!

The premise of this anime is simple and fun: Miss monochrome is an android with dreams of becoming a star. This first season tells her adventures while trying to keep herself charged. The anime has been so successful that it received 3 seasons, following Miss monochrome in her struggles to become a famous idol. She even helps her fans out! That’s what we call a true anime idol. What is most curious about Miss Monochrome is that her creator and voice is the seiyuu and singer Yui Horie. She used the Vocaloid technology to create a cute character with a defined personality like Miss Monochrome. Of course, being a direct creation of a talented singer, Miss Monochrome is an awesome anime idol!

Meet Yui Hirasawa, a carefree girl who one fateful day, signed up for her school’s music club. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know a single thing about music. Fellow club members take the time to teach Yui to play the guitar, and off Yui goes on a musical journey! Now she has a loyal group of friends on the After School Tea Time band, and a way to canalize all her good vibes! Yui’s cool attitude towards life helps her whenever she is in a stage. Although she is not particularly gifted at anything at first, she can be very persistent when she wants too. Therefore, Yui becomes an accomplished member of After School Tea Time. Her high-pitched voice is full of energy, which is awesomely combined with her groove at the guitar.

D.Gray-man is a story about the war between two factions. The Earl of the Millenium and his army of Akuma aim to conquer the world, while the Exorcists are trying to save humanity. The protagonist, Allen Walker, has a special cursed eye that can see through the Akumas’ disguise. His tragic past will pursue him as Allen tries to find out how to defeat the Earl and how to survive the war. Yes, this show is not essentially about music, but you guys won’t deny that the songs are superb. Given the dark tones of the topics involved, the story of Lala and her voice stand out. Although her presence was rather short, this anime idol had her big moment when she sang for her master as he was dying. Lala would be capable of moving a stone with her vocals, I tell you!

Touya Fujii is a regular college student with a part time job who has the immense luck of dating an idol. Or perhaps it is not that much of luck, because Yuki Morikawa’s professional life is highly competitive. Despite of being successful, rivals who don’t lack in talent and beauty surround her, so she makes great efforts to keep herself on top. This restrains her relationship with Touya in more than one way. Will our pair of lovebirds be able to manage the perfect life-work balance? You will have to watch White album to find out. In the meantime, we can tell you that Yuki’s sweet voice and well balanced songs will leave you with a good impression of jpop. Her dance moves and enthusiasm in the stage, plus the feelings her voice expresses, would make of you a fan, just like her boyfriend Touya! Personal stories aside, Yuki has some of the best natural performances in our Top Ten (with natural we mean without too much special effects). That is an asset that creates a contrast with today ’s idol world full of virtual displays.

It is the year 2059. Humanity is in an exodus, moving through the galaxy in seek of new horizons. The story takes place on a giant flying colony, precisely called Macross Frontier. Humans and their former enemies, the Zentraedi, live in harmony there. Nevertheless, during the visit of the idol singer Sheryl Nome, a new menace called Vajra attacks the colony. A fellow pilot apprentices called Alto Saotome and an aspiring idol girl called Ranka Lee get involved in the attack… and that is just the beginning of a new war and a new love triangle in the better Macross style. With the direction of Shoji Kawamori and the music of Yoko Kanno, nothing can seriously go wrong in an anime, right? Especially if such anime is closely tied to music and songs. If Sheryl and Ranka are good on their own, just wait until you listen to their duos! Their relationship of friendship and rivalry is complex, but no matter what, they will always be there to cheer Alto with their vocals.

Full moon wo Sagashite is the story of Mitsuki Koyama. Here we have a girl who dreams to become a professional singer despite battling with throat cancer. To make things worse, a pair of shinigami inform her that she only has one year of life left. Thus, Mitsuki decides to pursue her dream and make the best of her last year on Earth with the help of these two shinigami. Setting her sad backstory aside, Mitsuki really has talent for singing. Her voice, in great contrast with most of the heroines of anime, is deep. This suits much better the adult themes of the anime and of her songs. You won’t be able to watch this anime without shedding a tear or two when Mitsuki sings.

This time, the Macross Universe takes us to the year 2040, to a planet called Eden. Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman, once childhood friends, are pilots competing to win the Supernova project. Sharon Apple, the most advanced virtual idol in the universe, visits the planet to hold a concert. Her manager and supplier of emotions is Myung Fang Long, who was once friends with Isamu and Guld. The appearance of Myung and Sharon will cause more than one problem in the planet, especially when a controversial software is installed on the virtual idol. Once more, Shoji Kawamori and Yoko Kanno strike with a well balanced story full of music. We could say that Sharon is artificial, but let’s not forget that her emotions come from a real human and she eventually internalize such emotions… even if they end up being dark. Her voice is quiet unique and the style of her music is eclectic and full of reverb. Yoko Kanno conferred on an interview that she has never composed songs on this way again, as they tended to “hypnotize” people.

Two girls sharing the same first name meet on a train bound for Tokyo. Nana Komatsu is pursuing to keep her relationship with her boyfriend, who is an art student in the capital. Nana Osaki is determined to become a star after her boyfriend leaves their former band (the Blackstones) and herself behind. The two Nanas end up living together, the Blackstones reform and the girls friendship grows as they pursue their life dreams and suffer live’s counterbacks. Nana Osaki has a strong personality and determination. She was taught guitar by her boyfriend Ren and found her vocation through punk music. Plus, she has the aset of being voiced by Anna Tsuchiya, who has a unique and powerful voice. This suits Nana’s singing style perfectly, as punk music relies in more than being a pretty face. For her determination and the raw passion of her voice, she is the number one in our Top Ten.

Now, now, the principal isn’t part of µ's, but she is the mother of µ's member Minami Kotori and contributed a lot to the school idol project, and heck, she helped the girls go to America in the movie. She’s no idol, but she’s part of what made µ's as it is today. Principal Minami was never seen in casual clothing, and most of the time she’s in school with her suit. But despite that, she is a very sharp dresser with a suit matching her overall appearance. Her long dull gray hair goes perfectly well with her white and gray colored suit, that literally defines color uniformity. Nothing in her appearance stand out of place and with that snappy look, you can be confident that this woman can get any job done thrown at her.

Good at sports and often seen as a tomboy at first, Rin had undergone a major transformation over the course of the series… in terms of fashion sense. You see, back when she was young, kids see her as this tomboy who loves sports and doesn’t wear any skirt like any other girl her age, and they teased her appearance at lot. Around high school and a member of µ's, we see her more of her feminine side coming out, and there’s even an episode dedicated to her transformation. Ever since Rin wears skirts with matching clothes and oftentimes her clothes have cat-themed designs on them. Rin can’t “Nyan~” without cats, don’t you agree?

If you put Honoka on a cute-to-mature scale, Honoka is around the middle part of the cute spectrum—cute, but not overly cute. Honoka isn’t the stylish type and doesn’t have any noticeable preference in clothing other than preferring the color orange and sometimes pink, but any casual clothes look good on her. And that to her cheery, optimist and determined personality plus orange-brown hair, blue eyes, and that side ponytail hairstyle, anything she wears gives off that cute aura.

Shy and sometimes quiet (outside her enthusiastic self when doing idol stuff), Hanayo is that perfect high school sweetheart that will take care of you when you’re sick and is more than happy to cook for you. Outside for being an idol and wearing either cute dresses to ridiculously designed ones, Hanayo is very modest with the clothes she wears favoring normal length skirts (anime standard kind of short), pants and the typically patterned sweater. Though her choices are nothing to drool about, it goes well with her high school sweetheart look and her modestly sized breasts. It must be the white rice she loves to eat every day… All the time.

Aside from her typical casual clothes modern Japanese girls wear, Nozomi wears shrine garbs because she has shrine duties, and is often seen as a traditional Japanese girl like Umi. But unlike Umi, she is more open, playful, and mischievous, especially towards her friends. If Umi is the traditional and well-reserved Yamato Nadeshiko, Nozomi is the free-spirited type who loves to play around. And it’s kinda silly knowing she follows Japanese shrine traditions while reading fortunes with Tarot cards.

Umi is a conservative type who is conscious on what she wears. She avoids cute styled dresses and if you force her to wear one, chances are she’ll die of embarrassment within seconds (unless you compliment her that she’s cute). She also prefers wearing full tracksuits during training when running through town or around a school. Eventually, she got used to wearing short skirts and while she still avoids the frilly types, her choice of clothes are often mature and oftentimes unspectacular. However, this goes well with her tall height, long bluish hair, and almost droopy eyes, making her one of the most well dressed and mature-looking girl in the group. A natural Yamato Nadeshiko.

If you take Eli’s picture in her casual clothing and edit her in magazine covers about fashion, you can easily convince people that Eli is the actual cover girl. Eli is a tall young girl with well-shaped proportions, has blue piercing eyes and has blonde hair, often tied in a ponytail. Plus she’s partly of Russian descent so she’s a natural-born supermodel. Aside from the frilly style clothes µ's use, Eli commonly wears Western-styled clothes like buttoned shirts, preferring jeans with matching boots. Eli’s style of clothing is nothing spectacular, her height and Russian blood makes her one of the mature-looking girl in the group. She does wear a skirt sometimes, but jeans naturally look better on her.

Nico, despite her, well, “colorful” personality, she prefers frilly clothes or anything that gives off a cute vibe. You see this in her casual wear, choice of clothes when at home, and the clothes she wears when practicing. Even without the NicoNico personality, frilly clothes goes well with her small build, black hair and her twin tails hairstyle. And let’s not forget the fact that Nico is interested in fashion and she’s µ's costume designer. If you want some of the most stylish of clothes, Nico is the right girl to ask. And for now let’s ignore the fact Nico’s look and personality were retconned in the anime—OH MY GOD WHY DID YOU DO IT SUNRISE?! LADY NICO WAS PERFECT!!! ;_;

Kotori is no stranger to fashion and like Nico, she is also the costume designer for µ's. She knows how to make the group stand out and let’s not forget that part of the appeal of an idol group is how they look. For the most part, Kotori shares the same style of clothes with Nico, Eli and Maki like wearing coats, buttoned shirts, with patterned scarfs (depending on weather), cotton or linen shorts paired with knee socks, or sometimes jeans. But ultimately, Kotori has natural beauty with long grayish-brown hair, amber eyes topped it off with her pleasing personality and voice that makes any casual clothes look fantastic on her. Remember, she is once known in Akihabara as the “Legendary Maid” due to her combined looks, a personality that goes will with those stylish maid outfits. Oh and a bit of a trivia, according to the Love Live! Diaries, Kotori used to wear longer skirts because she had a defective leg. None of the girls knew this besides Umi. Eventually, Kotori had undergone surgery and started wearing shorter skirts after the marks were gone.

What makes Maki number one? The simplest answer would be: She looks good with everything. LITERALLY everything. Yeah, that’s it. Some of the girls are good at one or two things like Rin looks good in cute clothes, and nothing much else, while Umi and Eli prefer mature-looking clothes. In Maki’s case, she looks good at everything from frilly clothes, kimonos, suits, and even casual wear. Give her a few clothes and chances are Maki will look good in them. Why is this? It’s the combination of her looks and personality: She has reddish hair, striking purple eyes, with modest height and body sizes. At first glance, she looks very mature and very unapproachable, but once you get to know her, she has the qualities of a tsundere who is unsure of her feelings. She can be very stubborn at times but often shows off her cute side by blushing at silly mishaps, or getting all embarrassed when her friends found out she still believes in Santa Claus. This kind of reasoning won’t give you that definite solid answer, but physical looks and personality is a big contributor when looking good and any plain clothes will look spectacular or stylish if they’re worn by the right person. Maki is arguably the most beautiful girl in the anime and the most versatile when it comes to looking good.

Starting off this list is Walkure’s lead singer, Mikumo Guynemer. She has a very powerful voice and a very charismatic presence that naturally reflects her position in the group. She takes a great interest in bringing Freyja into the group and pushes her hard to her fullest potential. Though she is the leader, she is something of a lone wolf and tends to isolate herself from others. Beyond singing, she also participates in spying missions and shows that she is very excellent at it. Whenever she is not in the field, like her enemy Lloyd, she is analyzing the enemy, most especially Prince Heinz’s song and is intrigued by it. Along with Freyja, what positions her as leader is that her singing prowess generates the strongest fold receptor energy waves, which allows her and her team members subdue the effects of the Var virus. Along with this unique ability, her genuine charms as a pop idol mixed with her military mind and discipline which makes her a worthy entry into this list as a wind rider (since her singing also gives her pilots a combat high to achieve that).

Ernest Johnson serves as the Captain to the Macross Elysion, and has a prior relationship with the Windermereian as their former flight instructor. Though he hasn't had the best luck in battles prior to the events of the series, his previous relationship with the Windemerians serves as an advantage in knowing how they operate and has made him an effective leader. Though he is a military officer of large stature (even as a miniature Zentradi, he is still massive), he has a very friendly and relaxing personality. When he taught the King of Windermere, he even found him too serious and chivalrous. But Captain Johnson is a worthy wind rider because he does not allow his mistakes to get the best of him ,and shows that he can learn from them and develop successful counter strategies in some episodes. Even when the going gets tougher when some of his strategies backfire, he goes back to the drawing board, is never afraid to ask for help from his advisors in re-evaluating on what is necessary to get the job done.

In addition to this list is our first ace from the titled Delta unit, Chuck Mustang of the Planet Ragnan. In addition to his piloting duties, he runs his planet’s version of the Nyan Nyan restaurant chain (where Minmei of the first series and Ranka of Frontier also worked) where he takes care of his younger siblings and boards both the Delta pilots of members of Walkure. His numerous contributions to his crew make him a very valuable member. Due to being a fan of Fire Bomber, the featured band from Macross 7, he enjoys naming his attacks after their songs and his cover of Sweet Sixteen makes him a must upworthy wind rider.

At lucky seven is Roid Brehm, the brains behind the Windermereian, the villains of this series. He serves as the Chancellor to the Kingdom of Windermere and as the General of its armed forces. He is manipulative as he is cunning. Upon the loss of the King, Roid under the dead King’s orders (or so he claims), claims that they must push on with their rebellion and take over the Galaxy. Due to his position, he is always in his study doing research on how to defeat the enemy and justify his cause that the people of Windermere are the true heirs to their galactic ancestors, the Protoculture. Though he is never shown to be in battle, it is heavily suggested he is trained in combat but his time away from the battlefield has made his skills rusty upon losing an intense sword duel with Keith who he has previously beaten. Though he may not ride the wind in the skies, he is like a mad zealot who wishes to claim the wind for his own lust for power while behind the scenes.

Before we move into the top 5 of this list, we have Freyja Wion, the female co-lead at number 6. Though she is a Windemerian, who are the villains of this installment of the Macross saga, her teammates do not doubt her loyalty and still accept her as their own. Freyja is only driven by her dream to become a singer and is willing to make the sacrifices and overcome the obstacles put in front of her. She is willing to put herself in harm's way just like Walkure, the group she joins, just to put on a performance and ultimately bring peace and harmony to the Galaxy. She can be pushed to her limits in the scariest of her situations, but as long as she stays true to herself, her people’s God the wind will guide her to success. Freyja’s singing also allows Hayate to achieve his combat high of riding the wind whenever he’s in a jam as he is always there to support her goals. Due to the average lifespan of her people only being thirty years, she is always living life to the fullest and her presence reminds the cast and the audience to treasure each day of life.

Landing in at number five on this list is Mirage Jenius. Mirage happens to be the granddaughter of Max and Milia Jenius from the original Macross series, the top ace pilots of the UN Space fleet and the Zentradi in their prime. Due to her lineage, a lot of pressure and expectation is forced upon her giving her an inferiority complex. Though she may not live up to the skills of her legendary grandparents, she has a strong sense of duty and displays a very serious personality (much like Milia). However, she begins to learn that her flying should not always be by the book and when she becomes flexible with her flying and personality, she is unstoppable and very feminine. Though her personality is stern like a true military officer, her growing relationship with Hayate allows her to develop her other qualities beyond being a pilot and develops a crush on him. Whenever you are in battle, you want Mirage as your wing woman because she will always cover both your 6 and 12 o'clock to get the mission done.

Arad Molders serves as the commanding officer of the Delta unit. Recognizing Hayate’s potential and reviewing his resume’, he has a man-to-man talk with Hayate about being the choices he has to make in life and that he can’t go bumming around the Galaxy forever. Hayate accepts his offer but has his own conditions that he has to do things his own way. Arad accepts Hayate’s terms and has him join the unit. His care for his unit also gives him a paternal role to both his men and Walkure by sharing them the philosophical and nutritional benefits of jellyfish, his favorite food. Though he does not have his youth, his flying and leadership skills are shaped by his long experience as a pilot. His experience also provides him excellent intuition for talent and strategy, however, he does harbor a secret in relation to Hayate’s father (who he claims to have only known in passing) and probably why he recruited him.

At number three, we have Messer Ihlefeld, the second in command to the Delta Squadron. He is a no-nonsense leader and is strictly focused exclusively on that being a pilot. Not only does he care about improving his own skills, he contributes to improving the skills of the entire team! Due to his serious nature, he can’t stand Hayate’s carefree attitude and at the same time, he criticizes Mirage’s mastery of her by the book flying style to be too predictable for actual combat! In training exercises, he makes easy work of both of them! He also has a long history with Keith Windermere, the leader of the Aerial Knights, who has long been his equal. Keith even acknowledges Messer as a worthy rider chosen by the wind but in their final battle, you just have to see the series to find out who comes out on top.

For the runner up, we have Keith Windermere, one of the main antagonists. He is the illegitimate son of the King but his lineage allows him to be the kingdom’s top ace for the elite Aerial Knights unit. His style is to attack non-stop. Due to his aggressive nature, he hates pulling out of missions (due to their purposes of collecting necessary data) when he’s on a roll. He has his own passion for flying and his rivalry (and respect for) with Messer drives him to be the best and not just to claim the skies and the stars, but the wind, which is divine to his people. Though he does not take Hayate, the main character seriously at first, a dog fight that causes him a serious injury makes him reevaluate his potential and despite the result of his eye injury, no way does he let it ground him. He accepts that Hayate is one with the wind but wishes to reclaim it as his own.

At number one, we have Hayate Immelmann, the main character. Starting this series as a typical anime teenager who is trying to find his way in life who finds little to no meaning with the various jobs he’s had. However, a chance encounter with Mikumo and getting accidentally caught up in battle, he unwillingly pilots a damaged Valkyrie to protect her and shows some natural aptitude for flying. Due to his unauthorized use of military equipment, he is convinced to join the Delta Squad upon the request of its squad commander and likes the idea of just “feeling the wind.” Under the tutelage of Mirage, he quickly goes through the training and becomes an ace (while other previous Macross main characters were pilots, to begin with). Due to his personal principles, he does his best to avoid killing the enemy by shooting in areas that do minimal damage but to the point they can't fight. But as the series progresses, his time with the Delta Squadron allows him to learn more about his father (who has been absent from his upbringing due to being a pilot himself) which will affect his destiny with the core conflict of this series. Even though his father was also a UN Spacy pilot, Hayate feels that he is doing it under his own free will and not for the sake of upholding a family tradition. With Freyja’s singing, he can tap his full potential believing he’s the wind itself.

The Clocktower Fortress is the home of the 1121st Platoon of the Helvetian Army. Kanata Sorami is the newest member, who enlisted to become a bugler. She is full of energy, innocent, cute and a little bit clumsy; a good example of a Moe character. She loves the sound of the trumpet and she wants to be a professional bugler. She is always in a good mood, filled with curiosity and optimism. But, sometimes she is not good at reading the atmosphere. Thanks to that unawareness, it’s easy for her to be happy. In regards to music, she has perfect pitch, being able to identify any musical notes. However, she still needs to work hard in her performances.

This muscular former wrestler is the drummer for the band Fire Bomber. Veffidas hardly speaks, so nobody knows much about her past, but when she does, it is a short sentence having a great impact. Despite her reclusive personality, she really cares for the other members of the band. When she is not practicing the drums she is drumming on something with her drumsticks, from tables to jet engines. Later, she and her band mates join the independent military group Sound Force, sharing a variable fighter with Ray Lovelock. She is a powerful drummer, quoting The Stone Roses: “she bangs the drums”.

Michiru appears in the third story arc of Sailor Moon, fighting together with another four soldiers in order to defend the Solar System. Michiru is known as Sailor Neptune, and her influential element is the sea, although she can’t manipulate water. She has natural psychic powers, being able to detect dangerous situations. Michiru is one of the most beautiful characters of this anime, not only because of her physical appearance, but also because of her way of being. She is caring and kind, always with a smile on her face. Brilliant and intelligent, she is a talented and admired young violinist who is already performing her own concerts. She also belongs to the music club and the swimming club of her school: Mugen Gakuen, an elite academy where only brilliant students are enrolled. Her violin, a Stradivarius named Marine Cathédrale, is also used as a weapon in the deep sea violin tide attack, but only in the manga.

Yuki is an artificial human with a lot of paranormal abilities such as creating a baseball bat than only hits home runs or reconstructing a classroom which was totally destroyed. She can manipulate the properties and the materials of the environment anyway she wants to, and also is capable of doing things that require superhuman strength, agility, or stamina. Yuki is the only member that joined “voluntarily” to the SOS Brigade. She was reading a book in the empty Literature Club when Haruhi claimed from that moment on it would be the SOS Brigade's clubroom, and Yuki was just fine about it. She is a rational thinker, but prefers body language instead of words. Because of her high level of intelligence she can understand any subject almost instantaneously and that’s why she was able to play the guitar a few moments after receiving one and to memorize a piece of music just from one glance.

Touma is a solitary and sometimes arrogant student of the Houjou University Attached High School. As she usually skips classes or falls asleep in the middle of a lesson, most of the teachers have given up on her. She is distant to anyone except from Haruki Kitahara, her seatmate. At the beginning of the anime, when Haruki is practicing his guitar, he hears a saxophone playing in the room next to him. They play together every day after school without knowing each other. When Haruki finds out his mysterious partner is Touma, he and Setsuna insist that she join the Light Music Club. She is not only good with the saxophone, but also with the piano. She wants to be as great as her mother, who is a famous trumpeter and by the end of the anime she moves to Vienna to be with her.

Influenced by her dad, who is a professional player, Reina has been playing the trumpet almost all of her life. She is a calm, quiet and cool girl, not very social, but really passionate when it comes to music. She is the tsundere type of girl, but when she smiles, she is unbelievably beautiful. She is portrayed like a mysterious girl focused on her way to success. She’s usually distant and only shows her real feelings to her loved ones. Kumiko’s friendship breaks Reina’s walls, and a nicer and more tender side of her character is revealed. Then, Reina confesses that she plays the trumpet because that is her way of being special.

She started playing the bass because Ritsu suggested her to do it. She chose the bass because due to her shyness, she didn’t want to be the center of attention, like the guitarist. She plays a left-handed Fender Jazz Bass named “Elizabeth”, and she does it really well. Mio is very mature despite her age, but she is totally afraid of scary or gore stories. She is a very good student, always getting the top grades of the class. Actually, besides playing the bass, I think studying is her other hobby. She is totally devoted to the Light Music Club and quite technical with regard to music. She taught Yui a few guitar lessons and tutorials. Although she doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, she agreed to act like the lead vocalist in the school festival. Unfortunately, by the end of the concert she fell to the floor exposing her panties, causing her a new trauma.

Kaori is a beautiful violinist who helps Kousei Arima return to the piano and face the music again after his mother's death. Kaori’s playing style is just like her personality. She is a free spirit, unpredictable, and sometimes irritable. She doesn’t like to depend on anyone, but she is friendly and supporting of the ones she cares about. Although her interests were changing during her lifetime, the only thing that remains intact was her love for the violin. But her playing style is quite particular as she never follows the music score sheets while performing. Anyway, she is an amazing violinist whose abilities easily exceed the other players. She plays with her heart and with all her emotions.

I have to confess I have a sort of crush on Masami. She is one of the coolest anime characters I’ve ever seen and she deserves the 2nd place in the list. She isn’t only a great guitar player, but also a talented singer and that is why she formed the Girls Dead Monster band in the Afterlife. Masami is also the lyricist and the music composer of the group. Even though she is usually quiet and silent, she expresses herself through her music. She is described as a “music nut” by her mates because she is really serious and responsible when it comes to music. She had a tough life, her parents were always fighting, and she found shelter in music. Now it’s her life… or rather her afterlife.

Also known as Nodame (Noda – Me/gumi), is a second year music student at Momogaoka Music Academy who plays the piano by ear in an amazing way, so amazing that she tops this ranking. She is the perfect mix between cute and weird, being totally terrible at cooking, living in a messy apartment and referring to herself in third person. But when talking about piano, she is an incredibly talented artist playing in a cantabile style. She has a crush on Chiaki since she first found him drunk in front of her apartment. She follows him everywhere claiming to be his wife and being completely dependent on Chiaki. She also has little ambition to become a professional musician, what she really wants is to become a kindergarten teacher. She gradually changes her attitude toward music because of Chiaki, and starts to be a more serious student. But it really doesn’t matter if she can read a musical score or if she plays by ear, because she plays with so much feeling and passion that you can fly away with her to Nodame’s world.

Macross Zero Ep 5 In this prequel series taking place a year before the events of the first Macross series (despite being released 20 years after its debut), we have the prototype to the Valkyries, the VF-0 Phoenix models. Only 4 were produced and they were meant for the elite of the elite. Just like its successors, it contains many of the same features of having the base fighter jet mode, battroid mode, and GERWalk mode. Returning from this prequel is the iconic Roy Fokker and his skills as a pilot once again highlights all the great features to this mech. However, due to the events of this series, the only feature it lacks is functionality for space combat. Regardless, it’s capabilities were a great contributor to winning the UN Wars taking place prior to the series with its unique all round features.

Macross Ep 2 Rivaling the Valkyrie’s from the original series are the Reguld Battle Pods of the Zentradi army. Though not as slick looking as the Valkyrie’s, they get the job done. The design is basic but its core being a sphere-like weapon with chicken legs and can be used in both gravitational conditions and in outer space. It moves with enough agility and speed to accommodate the heavy frames of the giant Zentradi’s. It is equipped with lasers to show a superior force of technology that shows how fearsome they truly are. Along with the generic battle pod design for all around combat purposes, there are other models carrying missiles for long distance and intense combat zones, and scout models carrying mostly radars for reconnaissance purposes.

Macross Frontier Sayounara no Tsubasa In order to combat the Vajra threat in the events of Macross Frontier, the UN Spacy government creates the YF-29, the update to the YF-24 model, which was featured throughout most of the series. The model’s frame is slicker and skinnier compared to other models allowing for less resistance. It can move at speeds at Mach 5.5 and travel beyond Mach 10 for brief periods of time thanks to its inclusion of being equipped with four thermonuclear engines. Next, it is packed with super missiles, a laser and an assault knife for all ranged combat. Last, it also utilizes a special and rare fold quartz stone (which produces the energy necessary hyperspace travel) for energy.

Macross F Ep 14 The VF-171 Nightmare Plus is the main choice of mech for the UN Spacy during the events of Macross Frontier. In its fighter jet mode (which can travel Mach 20+), its design shares some resemblance to the F-22 Raptor. Due to this base design, when in battroid mode, it tends to look a stockier than other mechs. In addition, its cockpit has also been expanded for effective views. Its design also allows it to have stealth features like real life bombers and also contains other effective defense capabilities such as a pinpoint barrier system. But with a good defense, there must also be a good offense with beat cannons, gun pods, bombs, and missiles. So if you want to do the maximum amount of damage to your enemy with the least amount of damage to your own forces, this is your choice.

Macross Delta Ep 4 Draken, meaning dragon in Swedish is meant to be the rival to the Siegfried models of the Delta Squad. Under the jurisdiction of the Windemerians’ Aerial Knights elite squadron, the foundational design of this mech is more or less in conjunction with the mechs from the franchise. Due to the Windemerians formally being part of the UN Spacy Alliance and having contracts with other organizations that have access to the same technology, the Windemerians can rebel on equal terms and aim. However, the Drakens have more of an appropriate majestic design with its gold like color schemes and decorations to show that they are under the direct command of the royal family. Thanks to the top skills of the Aerial Knights, the Draken III model is fast, fierce and contains heavy firepower. However, due to the Windemerians religious-like devotion to the wind, they mostly tend to pilot their Draken’s in fighter jet mode and tend to refrain from using the GERwalk and battroid modes.

Opening theme If mech anime could have its own version to pimped up mechs, the VF-19 custom piloted by Nekki Basara from Macross 7 would certainly be it. If transforming mechs are the way of the future, then this mech has the sound system and control panel you’re looking for. Due to the nature of Basara’s being a musician, as opposed to being used as an offensive weapon, it is a weapon just for Basara to express his music with a kick ass sound system. Granted it has grenades and missiles for defense capabilities, but Basara feels it goes against his principals to use them even in self-defense. What also makes this mech totally awesome is that its control panels are in the shape of a guitar. Due to the unique nature of this mech, it would have to take a unique set of skills to pilot it. Not just regular piloting skills, but unbelievable coordination to be able to perform and dodge enemy attacks at once. Due to Basara never using his mech for attacking, if he did have any sense of offense, he would probably be one of the best pilots ever. But the fact that he uses this mech to change the world through his music shows that even mechs don't have to be used as tools for war.

Macross Delta Ep 1 Rivaling the Draken units piloted by the Aerial Knights are the titled Delta Squadrons Siegfried units. With Draken meaning dragon, for those of you who don't know, Siegfried is a figure from Norse Mythology that slays a dragon. Its heavy frame from the back side tends to share some qualities of the United States Air Force’s SR-71 Blackbird, especially with how its wings are pointed and tends to have a bulkier look from its predecessors from previous installments of Macross. As per the rule of thumb, the Siegfried has a fighter jet mode, a GERWalk mode, and a battroid mode for all combat purposes. Regardless, thanks to the crew of Delta consisting of Hayate and Mirage, their performances are reached to its full potential in combat.

Macross Do You Remember Love At number three, we have the mech that contributes to the identity of this series, the granddaddy, the Valkyrie model. It was one of the first mechs that could transform on its own (though the original Gundam needed the G-Fighter to transform). Due to the discovery by scientists that the SDF-1 Macross was meant to accommodate giant beings, the mech mode of the Valkyrie gave our heroes some equal ground in hand-to-hand combat. In addition to its fighter plane mode, it could transform into a robot, and also coined the term and transformation, GERwalk, where the upper body was still in fighter jet mode (and have arms exposed) but had the legs of a mech (and the legs aren't just for show). This transformation allows excellent mobility and effective coordination in crowded conditions such as cities. In addition, this mech also serves as the basis for Skyfire/Jetfire, a character from the legendary Transformers franchise. Thanks to special nuclear engineering, it can also be used for space conditions. Though other mech anime like to emphasize on laser, this mech emphasizes more on realistic high caliber weaponry and misses.

Macross Plus the movie Arguably the most powerful and consequently the most dangerous mech from the Macross franchise is the prototypical YF-21, code named the Omega One. Its test pilot was Guld Goa Bowman, one of the very few pilots physically and mentally capable of handling the features of this mech and he was barely able to handle it in the end. What makes this mech most unique is its piloting system is more neutral as opposed to manual with the expectations for better reaction time and reflexes. It also contains stealth and great defensive capabilities. Along with that, it allows for a maximum offensive in sneak attacks. Unfortunately, its piloting system would serve to be counter intuitive and affect the brain chemistry of the pilot and the reverse. Despite its potential, the UN Spacy Unit knew that the consequences outweighed the benefits of this system and decided to scrap it (in addition that it would cost too much money).

Macross Do You Remember Love The number one has to go the granddaddy of them all, the original SDF-1 Macross. It serves as a battleship that can transform to a mech (which has a frightening mega cannon), and inside it contains a military base and a regular city. Originally crashing in the South Pacific in 1999, numerous researchers spent 10 years studying it and reverse engineering it for potential re-use. It took 10 years, but they got the job done. Unfortunately, the Zentradi compromises its maiden voyage. It also contains a special warp drive known as “space folding” in which it can travel in the space between spaces for space travel going beyond the speed of light. Unfortunately, its first attempt landed the Macross and its crew on the opposite side of the solar system. But after the events of the series, it was severely damaged but repairable. Upon what could be repaired, it stayed on Earth in a display with enough operation to serve for Earth’s defenses. Thanks to the technology of the Macross, it paves for the other mechs such as the Valkyrie’s and demonstrates that maybe space travel for both exploration and defense is possible.

Now Prince of Stride revolves around the sport of “Stride,” which is like a mix between parkour, tricking, and relay. In this world, Honan Academy used to be considered one of the great schools of the sport but has recently fallen out of commission. Thankfully with the new year, an awesome trio of athletes come to the school and join the Stride Club. One of the main schools challenging, as well as pushing, Honan along to greatness is Saisei Academy. Their leader and anchor for every race is Reiji Suwa, who in good-natured rivalry has been giving Honan every chance to catch up for lost time. More than being just a young man of honor and competitive spirit, he also happens to be the leader of the pop idol group Galaxy Star. It’s a huge group in this world, and it’s a group that the entire Saisei Stride Club compose using separate identities. The group is particular enchanting and it’s rather amusing that they only do this whole pop group in order to train their endurance.

One Piece is one of those anime that everyone knows about, and everyone has at least watched some section of it. Most likely not the whole series as that is one painfully long anime, but bits and pieces here and there as it’s hard not to find this pirate-fueled anime enjoyable. Now, the One Piece universe has a ton of characters to love, but few (in any anime for that matter) don the threads of rock gods like Brook. Brook can basically play any instrument, with the main two we see on screen being the violin and the guitar. He also happens to be a pretty well-to-do pirate with good combat experience and pretty impressive endurance. However, that’s besides the point. Brook truly shines when music is dancing from his instruments accompanied by his voice’s otherworldly and beautiful rendition of “Yoho”. His music is soothing and generally has the ability to change another person’s mind as well as show just how far the Straw Hat crew has come.

Kamisama Kiss depicts the trials and tribulations that fall upon Nanami Momozono as she takes on the duty of being a goddess of a shrine. It would have been one thing if all she had to do was keep up its appearances, but attached to the shrine is the wily and stubborn fox spirit, Tomoe. He definitely makes things harder, but Nanami is determined to win his trust as well as perhaps his heart. Though he’s only a supporting character in the anime, Shinjirou Kurama is rather a fun spectacle to watch. To the outside world he is an insanely popular idol with the gimmick of being a fallen angel. Basically, everyone sees him as perfection incarnate. However, in reality he is a crow tengu, who not only initially planned on killing Nanami, but is quite the klutz when dealing with either Nanami or Tomoe. For all of his idol suave he really can’t function as a murderous spirit, which isn’t too bad of a trait in reality. In fact, it’s the fact that he sucks at killing that allows us to see the kinder side of him later on.

The dream of Hideki, leader of the Nerima Daikon Brothers band, is to build a massive dome is his hometown for his group to hold a concert in. Well, to do that, he needs money, and a lot of it. Thus, with his fellow musicians, Mako and Ichiro; Hideki finds himself consistently face-to-face with the crime bosses and villains who have insane amount of villains. Will the Nerima Daikon Brothers consistently be able to thwart the bad guys and make off with the cash is question asked in each and every glorious episode. Despite Hideki being the main protagonist, Ichiro’s nonchalance and deadpan voice brings a special humor to the show. Though the show makes fun of itself on a constant basis, Ichiro is the vocal point for such occasions. While the others are running terrified in full tilt, he’s carrying along as if it’s all some sort of game. His facial expressions and attitude generally act in a way that mock the others, and none are as great as the moment when he sings to Mako how he’ll never lover her. The guy’s a class act.

Starmyu is extremely reminiscent of Prince no Uta Sama. It follows five promising musicians into the high renowned musical department of Ayanagi Academy, and how they go about excelling in their artistic endeavors. Though not devoid of competition and rivalry, the boys become pillars of support for one another, and help each other grow personally as well as interpersonally. One of these students showing incredible skill is Kakeru, a famous Kabuki actor, who comes from a noble family. At first he has quite the reputation behind him, coming off as consistently cold and a possible womanizer. As he does have some pride issues, his coldness and possible desire to conquer women seem rather fitting. However, in truth, he just has a cat, which he loves tremendously. Kakeru’s main form of development comes from learning to appreciate the talents and help of others thanks to the kindness that Yuuta showed him.

Uta no Prince Sama takes viewers into the highly acclaimed Saotome Academy, where the most promising performing arts students go to perfect their crafts. Following Haruka Nanami’s first year into the academy, we get a special glimpse into the lives and artistic expressions of several of the students. Ultimately, this various bunch of students are brought together musically into a group that promises to topple the entertainment industry. One of the aspiring musicians who finds himself entrapped by Haruka and her talents is Natsuki. Now Natsuki plays the viola, used to play the violin, and can sing quite eloquently. Though these talents alone don’t particularly put him above the rest of the musicians that compose the UtaPri boy band. However, Natsuki has a second personality, who goes by the name Satsuki. Compared to the gentle at times woeful music that fans out from Natsuki, the music that Satsuki performs is tumultuous and aggressive. As a result, he has an extremely wide range that none of the others can actually compare to.

Shuichi with his best friend Hiro have formed the band Bad Luck in pursuit of chasing after his favorite pop idol Ryuichi Sakuma. Now, these friends have made some headway into the entertainment industry as they have successfully been signed to a major recording label, but with deadlines coming up for singles and an album, Shuichi is struggling with writing songs. It doesn’t help (or does it) when he runs into Yuki Eiri, a young writer, at a park and gets verbally wrecked by Yuki. Shuichi is that character you can’t help but cheer for. He’s energetic, hyper and extremely innocent. In fact, his innocence plays a huge part throughout the show, as it plays into his massive mood swings. It also explains why he breaks into chibi form frequently as well as why his singing is affected both positively and negatively by his relationship with Eiri. Though he is used in comedic ways often, you won’t be able to ignore his obvious talent and perseverance that keeps the show’s plot moving.

Kaikan Phrase follows the guitarist Yuki and the drummer Santa as they leave their old band and try to create a new one. First things first, they need to get a bass player and a singer, and luckily they find two people who surpass what they could have ever hoped for. The question is will this new band be able to stick together and break into the music industry? The singer that Yuki and Santa recruit to their group Lucifer is the troubled and disillusioned Sakuya. From the very first time they, and we the audience, hear Sakuya sing as he plays the piano, it’s clear that he is the secret weapon that they need. He is the person who can drive them to stardom. His voice is hypnotizing and powerful, and his tragic past ties so perfectly with it that it’s hard not to have a crush on the guy.

This anime follows Yukio Tanaka (Koyuki) as he falls in love with music and joins the group Beck. Led by Ryuusuke Minami, the ragtag group Beck takes on Japan’s music scene, doing it’s best to create a unique mix of bluesy rock that will pave the way to international fame. During each leg of this journey, the anime proves itself to be a coming of age story that chases down young love, creative differences, international crime, and of course rock. Now Koyuki doesn’t seem to be much of a rock star at first glance. He’s quiet, constantly embarrassed, and barely able to speak his mind to others. However, he does have a particularly unique voice and one that becomes more and more developed with his “underground” attitude as he becomes closer with Ryuusuke and other members of Beck. By the end, of the series, he’s standing alone on a concert belting out a song that’s hypnotizing the crowd, and you as well.

Detroit Metal City tails the young Souichi Negishi, who wishes to pursue a career as a pop star. However, this dream is one in the works and to keep those gears turning he finds himself taking on the lead singer position of the death metal band Detroit Metal City. Becoming the lead singer of a death metal group has given Souichi a new vocal range and vocabulary to say the least. It’s hard to imagine words like “bitch” and “ “ to come out of the quiet and good-natured Souichi’s mouth. However, when donning the guise of Krauser, he can commit practically any crime he so desires and it’s generally to great comedic affect. Despite the anime’s incredibly contrasting natures, it still holds true to some musical integrity. Souichi’s grasp of rhythm and wordplay allow him to roam through several different genres to an amazing degree. It’s quite epic to watch him scream out a song like Demon King to humming out the melodic Raspberry Kiss to picking up a basic rap pattern when listening to it for the first time and incorporating death metal lyrics into it.