Even with how male-dominated anime tends to be, there are still plenty of female characters worth praising. While there’s an unfortunate tendency for female anime characters to not be written as well as male characters, plenty have managed to stand out as great characters in their own right, even when they’re not the main characters, and that sort of writing only serves to enhance the quality of their respective stories.

There are always great female characters in anime if someone looks hard enough, and the spring 2024 season of anime has been no different. The season is only about halfway over now, but even so, the spring 2024 season of anime has delivered plenty of female characters with great personalities and overall writing, and each one has served as a major highlight of their respective anime since their debut.

A few female characters of the season have especially stood out for one reason or another, and each one has added a lot of variety to the season, so far.

10

Kotoha Tachibana Knows How to Keep Wind Breaker Grounded

Character from Wind Breaker; based on the manga by Satoru Nii

Kotoha is a supporting character and, so far, the only female character in CloverWorks’ new delinquent anime Wind Breaker. Kotoha runs the cafe the members of Bofurin frequent after school, and the food she makes for everyone has made her something of an older sister to everyone, despite being the same age as them. This includes Sakura, as Kotoha was the first person Sakura met in the show and has helped him understand what it means to be in a group like Bofurin.

Kotoha might not have a large part to play in Wind Breaker, but she’s been a great part of the cast, regardless. The emotional support Kotoha offers Sakura and the rest of the cast of Wind Breakers always showcases how wise and mature she is, and with Sakura, specifically, she always does a great job of helping break down his preconceptions of delinquents and people, in general. Overall, Kotoha perfectly illustrates how a character can be well-written without being a direct part of the action, and that’s made her a great character to watch from the very start.

9

Ream Stream Is a Great Foil to TP Bon’s Hero

Character from T.P Bon; Based on the manga by Fujiko F. Fujio

Ream Stream is the deuteragonist of Studio Bones’ T.P Bon, a modern adaptation of the manga by Fujiko F. Fujio of Doraemon fame. Ream is the Time Patrol agent whose activities Bon accidentally witnessed, and when it was decided that Bon would become a Time Patrol agent instead of being erased from history, Ream was assigned to be his partner. From there, Ream guided Bon through the ins and outs of being a Time Patrol agent, and the two quickly became friends in addition to partners.

While Bon is the main character in T.P Bon, a lot of its charm undoubtedly comes from Ream. Befitting her role as an experienced Time Patrol agent, Ream’s more serious attitude does a lot to balance out Bon’s goofiness, but even with that, Ream is always written to be more Bon’s equal than his superior, thus allowing their attitudes to have more overlap and making it easier for them to find common ground. Thanks to that, there’s always a strong sense of camaraderie between them, and it results in Ream being one half of an incredible duo.

8

Yori Asanagi Makes For a Very Progressive LGBTQ+ Lead

Character from Whisper Me a Love Song; based on the manga by Eku Takeshima

Yori Asanagi is the deuteragonist of Cloud Hearts and Yokohama Animation Laboratory’s Whisper Me a Love Song. Yori falls in love with protagonist Himari Kino after an abrupt confession on the first day of school, only to later find out that Himari meant that she had fallen in love with Yori’s singing, not her as a person. Nevertheless, Yori is determined to get Himari to fall in love with her, and the series is largely about her efforts to do just that.

Whisper Me a Love Song has been a very standout LGBTQ+ anime, and Yori has played a big part in that. Not only do Yori’s struggles with romance and her relationship with Himari make her easy to relate to, but Yori’s assertiveness in expressing her feelings allows the story to progress far faster than other yuri anime, with Yori and Himari officially becoming a couple after only six episodes. It all makes Yori a very progressive character, both in regards to LGBTQ+ anime and romance, in general, and seeing how her story fully plays out is sure to be great.

7

Mutsumi Yozakura Adds Incredible Comedy & Heart to Mission: Yozakura Family

Character from Mission: Yozakura Family; based on the manga by Hitsuji Gondaira

Mutsumi Yozakura is the deuteragonist and female protagonist of one of the latest Shonen Jump manga to receive an anime, Mission: Yozakura Family, and the young head of a notorious spy family. When Mutsumi’s brother tries to kill Mutsumi’s childhood friend and crush, Taiyo Asano, for getting too close to her, Mutsumi and Taiyo have to get married so Taiyo can enter the family and become off-limits. From there, Mutsumi continually offers Taiyo her support as he learns how to be a spy and adjusts to the bizarre family he’s married into.

A lot of what’s made Mission: Yozakura Family so fun has been Mutsumi’s part in the story. Mission: Yozakura Family made the main couple official from the very start, and with Mutsumi not having to waste time pining for Taiyo, Mutsumi is instead both great emotional support for Taiyo and an excellent straight man to her siblings’ absurd quirks, leading to her often spearheading some of the most heartwarming and comedic moments in the entire show. There are few female characters in shōnen like Mutsumi, and the anime has done a great job of bringing her to life.

6

Kanon Hisui Is Quickly Becoming One Of Go! Go! Loser Ranger!’s Best Characters

Character from Go! Go! Loser Ranger!; based on the manga by Negi Haruba

Kanon Hisui is the second-in-command of the Green Battalion in Yostar Pictures’ Go! Go! Loser Ranger! In what little screentime Hisui has had so far, she’s been made out to be a snarky, assertive, and aggressive individual, and that’s made especially apparent when she became one of the Junior First Rank Rangers participating in the Bailong Exams in the role of a Monster.

Hisui hasn’t done much in Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, so far, but she’s a great addition to the cast. Even with what little screentime she’s had, Hisui’s aggressive personality and sleek character design have helped to make her stand out in every scene she’s in, and episode #6 did an especially good job of showing off how fun the show can be when she gets to play off of D and other characters. Hisui won’t gain any major depth until a hypothetical second season, but even so, what little has been done with her has always been fun to watch.

5

Shizuru Is the Perfect Lead for Her Utterly Bizarre Story

Character from Train to the End of the World; original anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima

Shizuru Chikura is the protagonist of EMT Squared’s Train to the End of the World. Two years after the 7G Incident completely altered the physics of Japan, Shizuru is left wondering what to do with her life as she approaches the age at which everyone in her town turns into animals. One day, Shizuru gets a clue on the whereabouts of Yoka, a friend of hers who went missing during the 7G Incident after they had a big fight, so Shizuru commandeers a train and leads her friends on a trip across an utterly bizarre Japan to find her.

Train to the End of the World is a delightfully surreal anime, and Shizuru is the perfect protagonist for it. Not only does Shizuru do a good job of playing into the surreal nature of the story with her comedic dialogue and reactions, but Shizuru’s characterization as a genuinely emotional and troubled person gives her an engaging character arc and also works to balance out a lot of the weirdness of the show. Shizuru is a surprisingly grounded protagonist for such a bizarre anime, but that’s a big part of what makes her such a great character.

4

Izutsumi Is a Welcome Addition to Delicious In Dungeon’s Cast

Character from Delicious in Dungeon; based on the manga by Ryoko Kui

Spring 2024 sees the beginning of Studio Trigger’s Delicious in Dungeon’s second half, and with that has come the introduction of a new central character based on the classic “cat girl” anime trope, Izutsumi. Izutsumi was cursed by black magic into being a beastman and eventually became a servant of Shuro’s household, but when it came out that Marcille used black magic to revive Falin, she left Shuro to get Marcille to free her of her curse. Marcille was unable to do anything, but since Falin’s transformation was similar to Izutsumi’s, Izutsumi decided to tag along in the hopes of finding a cure for herself.

Izutsumi is only officially joining the Touden party over halfway through the show, but she’s already made for a great addition to the cast. With a standoffish personality that perfectly plays into her arc of becoming more trusting, Izutsumi perfectly embodies Delicious in Dungeon’s core tenet of the importance of taking care of yourself, and the action and comedy she’s often involved in only serve to make that even better to watch. Izutsumi has added even more life to the series in such a short time, and hopefully, that won’t cease as the show slowly comes to a close.

3

Star And Stripe Was a Fantastic Character Who Deserved More Screentime

Character from My Hero Academia; based on the manga by Kohei Horikoshi

Season 7 of Studio Bones’ My Hero Academia was the proper introduction of Star and Stripe, the top hero from America who came to Japan to help fight the Paranormal Liberation Front. Before she could even touch ground in Japan, though, Star was intercepted by Shigaraki who sought to steal her Quirk, New Order, which could have been the key to defeating All For One. Star was killed in the ensuing battle, but she managed to weaken Shigaraki enough to give Japan a little extra time to come up with a plan for their final war with All For One.

Star and Stripe was only around for two episodes, but she still left an incredible impression during that time. Star and Stripe had admired All Might since childhood and based her persona around him, and just like All Might, Star and Stripe perfectly sold herself as an admirable and heroic figure who had plenty of amazing power to back herself up, with even her death being used for something of a victory. A character like Star and Stripe deserved to be in the story longer, but what little she did manage to do will hardly be forgotten anytime soon.

2

Mahiru Kozuki Perfectly Captures the Ups & Downs of Being a Creative

Character from Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night; original anime directed by Ryohei Takeshita

Produced by Doga Kobo, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night is a great slice-of-life anime with powerful LGBTQ+ undertones. It stars Mahiru Kozuki, a talented artist who abandoned her dreams after her friends made fun of one of her paintings. One day, Mahiru has a chance encounter with Kano Yamanouchi, a former idol who’s a fan of her art, and after Kano convinces Mahiru to give her art another try, Mahiru, under the moniker of “Yoru”, teams up with Kano, the talented pianist Kimura, and the popular VTuber Kiui to form the anonymous artist group JELEE, the group quickly rising in popularity on social media.

Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night offers a largely serious look into the entertainment industry, and part of why it works so well stems from Mahiru’s character. Not only does Mahiru’s energy and wit add a lot of life to the series, but Mahiru’s struggles with her art and her self-esteem issues are a very realistic look into what being a creative entails, and watching her slowly overcome them has made for a fantastic character arc. Mahiru does a lot to sell such a unique anime, and hopefully, the series will know how to stick the landing with her.

1

Holo Is Still One of the Best Female Characters in All of Anime

Character from Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf; based on the light novel by Isuna Hasekura

The spring 2024 season of anime saw the premiere of Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, Passione’s reboot of the original Spice and Wolf anime from the late 2000s. Just like with the original anime, the reboot stars Holo, a wolf girl who’s a harvest goddess for a village that no longer sees any value in worshipping her. The arrival of traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence gives Holo a chance to finally leave the village, and upon doing so, she begins helping Lawrence with his merchant work while the two travel back to Holo’s homeland of Yoitsu.

Holo was undoubtedly one of the best parts of the original Spice and Wolf anime, and that still holds with the reboot. Just like with the original anime, Holo always strikes a perfect balance between being a resourceful schemer and a cute and vulnerable person, and the contrast between those ideas makes for a character with an incredible amount of depth who always steals the show in every scene. Holo is still a joy to watch 15 years after the original anime, and it’s hard to see anyone else as the best female anime character of the spring 2024 season.