With the self-explanatory anime Reincarnated as a Sword set to begin airing in October 2022, viewers are reminded of just how many bizarre or unconventional protagonists there are in anime. While plenty are human or even just humanoid, like vampires or demons, there is no limit when it comes to who can be the hero of a great anime.
Whether they are a dog or cat, an alien, or even a simple slime, there are many nonhuman main characters in anime. They either inhabit a world entirely separate from humanity, or must learn to reconcile their inhuman nature with life among humans.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
Satoru Mikami dies protecting a coworker from a knife attack, and is reincarnated as an unassuming blue slime in a fantasy world. Befriending the mighty dragon Veldora and gifted the new name Rimuru Tempest, he must learn to adjust to his new form and his new world. He is helped by the ability to assimilate and assume the form and abilities of anything he touches.
There are a lot of things that don’t make sense in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, but Rimuru’s popularity as main character isn’t one of them. Though he lost his humanity when he died and moved on, he maintained his kind heart and his willingness to lend anyone who needs it a helping hand.
Aggretsuko
In this 2018 Netflix series, Retsuko is a shy red panda just trying to make her way in the world of anthropomorphic animals she lives in. Overworked and put down at her office job and unlucky in love, Retsuko’s only way to relieve stress is death metal karaoke after work.
While the show’s humor is its strongest point, Retsuko’s steady development is its emotional core. Watching her come out of her shell and becoming more assertive and closer to her friends, makes this one of the most heartwarming anime of 2020.
Ginga Nagareboshi Gin
As the son of the legendary bear hunter Riki, Akita puppy Gin has a lot to live up to. When his father is killed by the rogue bear Akakabuto, Gin must grow up fast if he wants to have a hope of finally putting an end to the menace. As he grows up, he hones his skills and gathers allies, becoming the strongest of the wild dogs of Japan.
Long before Watership Down and Warrior Cats became famous for having clans of fluffy animals engaging in bloody warfare in the woods, there was this 1986 anime. Ginga Nagareboshi Gin not only has some of the best canines in anime, but thrilling action scenes courtesy of Toei Animation.
My Roommate Is A Cat
One of Kensho Ono’s best characters, Subaru Mikazuki is the author of several successful novels but is incredibly isolated in his personal life, owing to a severe case of social anxiety. When he ends up adopting a stray cat, he must venture out of his comfort zone and connect with other people in order to properly take care of her.
The cat in question, Haru, handily shares the protagonist role with Subaru. She is prickly and anxious from her hard life on the streets and positively baffled by Subaru’s efforts to be a good pet owner and the workings of the human world. But once she realizes that he is trying to help her, they become close friends and more comfortable in the world together.
Cells At Work!
One of the best anime for beginners, Cells at Work! and its several spinoffs depict all 37.2 trillion cells of the human body tirelessly working to keep the person they composite healthy and functioning at peak capacity. From delivering oxygen around the bloodstream to fighting off disease, their work is never done.
They might take human shape for convenience’s sake, but White Blood Cell, Red Blood Cell, and the rest of their coworkers are microorganisms too small to be seen by the naked eye, with short lifespans and a single-minded purpose. Viruses and harmful bacteria, by contrast, are not part of the human body and thus look entirely alien.
Beastars
Tall, lanky wolf Legoshi might look intimidating, but in reality, he is gentle and loving and one of the best slice-of-life anime protagonists. After an accident in which he nearly ate his bunny friend, Haru, Legoshi devotes his life to protecting animals weaker than himself and is enraged at the idea of violence.
Beastars takes place in a world of carnivores and herbivores, with carnivores like Legoshi stereotyped as violent, impulsive monsters. The mystery that drives the plot of the show is the unsolved murder of a young herbivore, for which Legoshi is suspected. It’s up to him and the other students of Cherryton Academy to uncover the real killer.
To Your Eternity
In the beginning, there was an orb, sent into the world by an enigmatic higher power. This being can take the form of anything it’s met that dies. When its first human friend dies, he assumes the boy’s form and ventures out into the wider world to discover his true purpose for existing in one of the best anime currently on HBO Max.
The being, given the name Fushi by one of the humans he befriends, faces many struggles as an immortal shapeshifter living among humans. Fushi adores humanity and loves his friends fiercely, often living among them in one form for years at a time.
Ringing Bell
Don’t be fooled by that happy lamb on the poster: this 1978 film quickly sheds its storybook image to tell a dark and shocking tale of death, vengeance, and the utter apathy of nature. When the lamb Chirin’s mother is killed by a wolf, Chirin ventures away from the farm to avenge her. Realizing that he is far too weak to kill the wolf, Chirin asks it to make him strong instead.
The wolf agrees and teaches Chirin from then on, in a plotline similar to Vinland Saga, one of the best historical fantasy anime. Raised by his mother’s killer, Chirin grows up like no lamb ever did before, learning harsh but vital lessons about the world around him.
She And Her Cat: Their Standing Points
This five-minute short was the debut animation of writer and director Makoto Shinkai, who would go on to make some of the most beautifully animated films in anime. It is simple yet beautiful, just like the perspective of the cat from which the short is told. This cat, Chobi, lives with its human owner, and they help each other get through the difficulties of life.
In the Winter 2016 season, a four-episode anime titled She and Her Cat: Everything Flows was released. It tells a similar story of an older cat named Daru living with his person. Daru watches her struggle through young adult life, and does his best to help, even managing to work the phone and call her mother when she is depressed and isolating herself.
Wolf’s Rain
In a poverty-stricken, near-apocalyptic future, wolves have been hunted to near extinction, and have learned to disguise themselves as humans to protect themselves. The only shred of hope they can cling to is the old legend that one day, wolves will be able to find the path to Paradise…if the other forces looking for it don’t destroy them first.
Wolf’s Rain not only has one of the best characters voiced by Mamoru Miyano, but also stunning animation and score, as well as a compelling story. Though the characters’ lives and the world they live in are bleak, it never feels dark for the sake of being dark, with the wolves’ determination to keep moving towards a better world, giving it the note of optimism it needs.
