so i lied and i'll just rank them now. same shit i said for the ops applies here btw, though eds are a little weirder for me bc i usually don't stick around and listen to them but these ones are special so <3 here we go (in no particular order):
#1: CARDCAPTOR SAKURA ED3 - FRUITS CANDY BY MEGUMI KOJIMA
it's sweet and adorable <3 obviously i mean. it's ccs... but the little aprons and them making a cake it's SO CUTE!!!
#2: NANA ED3 - STARLESS NIGHT BY TRAPNEST
so melancholy and yet so beautiful... it's a perfect reflection of the relationship between nana and hachi at this point, so far apart... T_T
#3: PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA ED2 - MAGIA BY KALAFINA
when this shit hits you know it's gotten real. it's a gorgeously dark song and it's so perfect for this series. the visual of madoka running through an endless darkness that envelopes her is just. ahhhh
#4: YAMI SHIBAI ED2 - SHIJUKUNICHI EYES BY HATSUNE MIKU
i mean it's miku do i really have to say anything else. yami shibai always has such fun eds but this one was vocaloid so i had to choose it!
#5: ASOBI ASOBASE - INKYA IMPULSE BY HINA KINO, RIKA NAGASE, AND KONOMI KOHARA
i mean it perfectly encapsulates the characters' personalities LOL i just love how harsh it is a contrast compared to the op in artstyle and music genre. loveee the screamo
#6: JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE - I WANT YOU BY SAVAGE GARDEN
have i made it obvious part 4 is my favorite part yet? i adore the parts where josuke lip syncs to the song its just so fun and colorful. i like how it makes every character look like a little paper doll in a diorama. the song is TOP NOTCH late 90s cheese, as well <3
#7: KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR ED2 - CHIKATTO CHIKA CHIKA BY KONOMI KOHARA
2 things by konomi kohara in this line-up which is interesting LOL i adore chika as a character and seeing her dance around in her own little special ed was so fun! i wish more anime would do things like that ^_^
#8: FREE! ETERNAL SUMMER - FUTURE FISH BY STYLE FIVE
it may not be as iconic as the og free!'s ed BUT it's still a classic and it's so fun and cute and HONESTLY? it's way better than splash free imho. the visual concepts land way better, too.
#9: CHUUNIBYOU DEMO KOI GA SHITAI! - INSIDE IDENTITY BY BLACK RAISON D'ETRE
very cute AND very empowering! be your best you and don't let anyone tell you differently... i love that message and it's awesome that the "characters" are the ones singing that. plus rikka's little dance is cute so. :)
#10: KOKKOKU - ASAYAKE TO NETTAIGYO BY BOKU NO LYRIC NO BOUYOMI
boku no lyric no bouyomi sings one of my favorite songs ever so ofc it goes on here (even though i still have not seen kokkoku). but, once again, i adore how it contrasts w/ the op's intense and energetic tone (and even color scheme) to be a more gentle and relaxing song w/ colors that are easier on the eyes. it's also got a pretty anime girl doing cute anime poses, if that's your thing (shrug)
and i'm tacking this one on too bcuz i thought it was an ed but apparently it was an op but only in the US??? IDK LOL!
#11: LUPIN III - U BELONG TO ME BY MEG FEAT. OSAKA MONAURAIL
i mean it looks like an ed to me because it's not very stylized or interesting visually so WHY WOULD IT BE AN OP... i'm flabbergasted tbh
in my humble opinion, these are the ten best (either for song choice or visuals... but mostly for song choice. i'm a real sucker for nice music... maybe i should have a seperate list for great visuals BUT i don't feel like it rn :P) also! i reserve the right to change my opinion on this at any time! i'm only human, after all, and i plan to watch more anime. this is just my opinion from right now (9/14/22) and from what i've seen so far! so, with that. here we go!
(in no particular order):
#1: KOKKOKU - FLASHBACK BY MIYAVI
the stylization of this one is just awesome. the COLORS are incredible and the way that everything lines up w/ the beats of music is just super cool i've never watched this one so i can't speak to how good the anime is but i adore the op <3
#2: PSYCHO-PASS OP2 - OUT OF CONTROL BY NOTHING'S CARVED IN STONE
the first op was also wonderful (honestly anytime TK does an op, it's phenomenal) but this one wins it out by virtue of fitting the anime more, i think. plus, the op is just badass and bonkers... so intense and dynamic! it really gives you a good indication of what lies ahead in the anime, y'know?
#3: OOKAMI SHOUJO TO KURO OUJI - LOVE GOOD TIME BY SPECIALTHANKS
i'm not the biggest fan of the anime adaptation of ookami shoujo to kuro ouji, but i'll be damned if i'm not a fan of this op. while the visuals themselves may be lackluster, they make up for it with this absolutely IMPECCABLE original song that sounds like something avril lavigne would release if she was actually popular in japan and not racist about it
#4: HIGURASHI NO NAKU KORO NI - WHEN THEY CRY BY EIKO SHIMAMIYA
perfect early 2000s edge that's so sharp you could cut yourself with it. highlights all of the weird gals in the story beautifully and the original song is just. the cream of the crop, baby. ik it would've probably gotten old fast but i wish they used this song for every single iteration of higurashi. that's probably why i still haven't gotten around to watching season 2 yet LOL not ready for that op change </3
#5: JOJO'S BIZZARE ADVENTURE: DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE OP 2 - CHASE BY BATTA
i KNOW everyone absolutely abhors chase for some reason but i think it's perfect for the place it is in the story. all of the DIU ops are insanely good (my favorites in the whole series tbh and that's saying smth) but the happy funk of crazy noisy bizarre town and the exuberant hopefulness of great days just don't fit the middle of the arc like chase does. it perfectly encapsulates how it felt for the mcs to find kira and then lose him... the uncertainty and pain and anger and fear... it's awesome and features some INCREDIBLE foreshadowing in the visuals? idk why everyone hates it so much but that's y'alls problem, not mine!
#6: ERASED - RE: RE: BY ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
i originally had the 2nd version of the opening here (the one where satoru is erased) but i had to change it, mostly because i couldn't find a version of that one that didn't suck (sigh) BUT i just generally love the op too... the constant shifting timelines, the feeling of childhood innocence being destroyed and oppressed by forces out of our control; the weight of life moving on without you... it's beautiful and it hurts me every time </3
#7: GAKKOU GURASHI! - FRIEND SHITAI BY GAKUEN SEIKATSUBU
i've been traumatized into crying whenever i hear this one now, so that definitely says something, doesn't it. it's just... so effective in both a bad and a good way. obviously, when you first watch it, you'll never expect what's going to happen because the op is just so endlessly positive and joyful! and the fact that this one, too, plays into the story of the anime by updating everytime we get new info... it's just so painful dude. IT HURTS
#8: NANA OP2 - WISH BY TRAPNEST
trapnest's music is just... mmph *chef's kiss*... layla's voice is magnificent and i really love the visuals in this one because it really (subtly) shows how much nana and hachi mean to each other by this point. i think it's lovely and god i just adore the song <3 side note tho: does anyone else feel like the music in nana is too slow, somehow? for rock music, especially? i always feel like i have to put it up to 1.25x speed to get the full effect -_-
#9: GEKKAN SHOUJO NOZAKI-KUN - KIMI JANAKYA DAME MITAI BY MASAYOSHI OISHI
YESSSS FUNKY BEAT!! it's such a fun opening w/ such a fun song for such a fun series. what else can be said, really?
#10: TSURITAMA - TSUREZURE MONOCHROME BY FUJIFABRIC
tsuritama is so underrated and so is this op. the pastel colors and the cute little dancing and the positivity and coziness it exudes?! it feels like a warm hug AND makes you wanna get up and dance! it's perfect ^_^
i'll have to do an ending ranking at some point too, but not right now. my brain is fried LOL anyways hope you enjoyed my silly little ranking <3
two years ago, after i got my autism diagnosis, i started to notice that there is a lot of (albeit accidental) autistic representation in animanga. tbh i know there's the saying of "if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism" because everyone who's autistic is autistic in a different way, y'know? however, once i started to recognize autistic behavior while i was reading shoujo manga, i just couldn't turn it off lol ... thusly, i've been compiling a list of characters who i, personally, think display autistic traits for the last two years. only in shoujo manga, since that's most of what i read (i just loveee love)
it's not a very long list and it's probably uninteresting to most everyone besides me, but i wanted to share the data i've collected so far :D i'll try to explain my reasoning behind each entry a little bit, as well.
*disclaimer* i am aware japan has different social conventions than america and that some, maybe even most of this behavior may be seen as shyness or unfriendliness or even the classic STOICISM but. it's my list and what i say goes ALSO i don’t wanna have to reread the whole story so most of these examples are gonna come from the first few chapters even tho i’m sure there’s more examples later in the story <3 ok ok 6w6 let’s go!
CELESTE'S AUTISTIC SHOUJO MANGA (& ADJACENT) CHARACTERS LIST:
- Tamao Yuito from Tama no Gohoubi
well, first of all the kid can't pull a facial expression to save his life, but the most GLARINGLY OBVIOUS indication is that he literally admits to masking in the first chapter!! he says he "tried to imitate the behavior of popular people" and that he's always sucked at interacting with people. this is a very common thing for autistic people since it's hard for us to understand how to interact with others and sometimes we will mirror the behavior of others to get an idea of how to better deal with others, if that makes sense? he is also very blunt & speaks matter-of-factly; another very autistic behavior. he’s referred to by the mangaka as a “strange genius boy” which tbh is what most actual autistic rep is, too LOL
- Nogina Kaname from Chiguhagu (TiG-HuG) Planet
i mean tbh, it even says it in the description on MAL that he “speaks in choppy sentences & has little to no facial expressions” … his word choices are also very strange and he’s compared to an alien a lot of the time (sigh) truly a denpa boy <3 his tastes are very childish, too. he also stims a lot, putting his hand up to his mouth.
- Sawako Kuranuma from Kimi ni Todoke
sawako is a bit of a stretch, i suppose. really, she just has a tough time opening up to others and making facial expressions, like everyone else on this list. however, it is more common for girls to be better at masking their autistic tendencies than boys (because of that, it’s more often that boys get diagnosed earlier on than girls) … still, i think she’s a fitting example, if a bit less dramatic than the others so far.
- Taka Hanamura from Vivid Cherry
a bit of an interesting example imo… she’s got a very diverse set of emotions, but she’s VERY blunt and gets intrigued by sakura because he isn’t good with women. she doesn’t seem to be very expressive when she isn’t around/thinking abt sakura, though… she’s probably more expressive when something actually interests her. anyways, she’s just very matter-of-fact in her way of thinking and that screams autistic to me!
- Makoto Sunakawa from Ore Monogatari
MY FLAT AFFECT KING! tbh i watched the anime instead of reading the manga but i just looove how he barely ever has any emotion in his voice when he speaks. verrrrry autistic. (btw in case you don’t know, a flat affect is when you don’t use much emotion in your voice so it sounds flat… a lot of autistic people, even the ones who do show more emotion, have a flat affect.) brings me to the fact that he is not very expressive whatsoever and he’s very to the point w/ everything.
- Nozaki Umetarou from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
once again a man with very little emotion & a flat affect. however THIS ONE has a special interest (yippee yay yay!!) he adores his manga and is almost always only thinking abt it and most of the things he does are ways for him to get better at writing his own shoujo manga <3 honestly so relatable king. he’s also just very funny which has nothing to do w being autistic but the way he elevates the comedy of the story by being so clueless abt everything is… *chefs kiss*
- Asuma Mutsumi from Watashi ga Motete Dousunda
this guy ALSO has a flat affect but in a different way which is great bc i was starting to get bored of completely unemotional boys </3 bro has resting happy face and basically never strays from that, except when someone treats kae like shit. he’s also very clueless and doesn’t really understand his own feelings until someone explains them to him. honestly, he’s one of the only characters who makes me actually go “kya~” (cringe) because he’s just so kind and considerate and loves kae whole-heartedly even before her transformation but I’M GETTING OFF TOPIC. we need more autistic heartthrobs <3
- Hiyori Nishiyama from Hiyokoi
she is so SHY, bless the little bird… tbh this is another case like sawako when it would be very easy to say it’s all just shyness, but her debilitating anxiety from dealing w/ people and her sensitivity make her a good candidate for this list in MY opinion. like i said earlier, there are millions of ways to be autistic, because there are millions of autistic people… so.
- Suiren Shibazeki from Hibi Chouchou
YES i love this example bc suiren is actually pretty interesting? she’s the only shoujo MC i’ve seen who can’t effectively communicate because of selective mutism. she is, also, not expressive. i know the way it’s explained in canon is because she’s been “traumatized” into not talking or making expressions because she’s so beautiful that everyone just hits on her CONSTANTLY and like. what a great problem to have, i guess LOL but still, it’s fitting so i’m throwin’ her in here idgaf
- Ninon Okamura from Kyou no Kira-kun
another gloomy girl who has no social skills. i like her, though! she’s not entirely expressionless (tho she is very subdued, emotionally, at least at first) and she actually has a special interest in artistic things like spool knitting & taking care of animals ^_^ which is fun. also her interactions w/ anyone other than kira are very stilted (at first). truly though, the whole manga is autism-core (LMAO?) it’s just so strange there’s a talking bird and she calls her mom madam. like? wild i love it. i reread the whole thing while in the middle of writing this on accident -_-
- Kuzumi from Kuzumi-kun, Kuuki Yometemasu ka?
i’m so emotionally tired from the last one but ahem. moving on! boy is bad with expressions and doesn’t really understand social situations. textbook case right thea’! sorry, after awhile of saying the same thing over and over i start getting annoyed that i don’t have more to say but i’m also really bad at phrasing things differently or explaining things, so… SIIIIGH. he stims in class while listening to music and loves birds <3 just like nino wowza! he also like… *almost* never talks.
- Akira Tachibana & Masami Kondou from Koi wa Ameagari no You ni
these two are really interesting to me bc they’re clearly meant to be like foils of e/o, y’know? so ofc their characteristics coincide a bit. anywho, both are pretty averse to much social interaction and aren’t great at handling their emotions. akira also looooves track and field. masami can be pretty thoughtless sometimes and doesn’t really think abt how his words can come across (as far as i remember… i don’t wanna get sucked back into another story don’t judge me for not remembering bc it’s been awhile *sigh*)
- Hayato Toda from Mousou Telepathy (lol)
not a shoujo (which is why i put “adjacent”) but this guy is textbook autism. has a lot of emotions he just isn’t good at expressing them or understanding others very well. that said, he is a lot more sociable than others on this list. i don’t remember much else besides that ngl i’m so useless at explaining things <3
- Tsukimi Kurashita & all the otaku ladies from Kuragehime
AUTISM CENTRAL literally all these gals are suuuper autistic and i adore them. they all have really fun special interests, too! ik it’s the whole otaku archetype to have something you’re super into and not care about much else but… why do you think autistic people and otaku are so alike hmm… probably because most otaku are autistic, no?
- Hotaru Hinase & Saki Hananoi from Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai
finally an actual autist couple <333 i saw someone getting flamed in the comments of the site i was reading this manga on for saying that hananoi seemed autistic to them because people still think that being autistic is something disgusting or bad or cringey, even though it’s just. part of who we are lmao. anyways, not the point. hotaru and saki are both autistic in very different ways which is fun! hotaru is your classic blunt, not super expressive or understanding abt social interaction type and she’s adorable and i loveee her but SAKI is so interesting to me and i’m glad someone else pointed out that he reads autistic to them bc i was thinking the same thing. i mean he also kinda screams personality disorder to me, too, but i think autistic is a much more interesting and profound reading of his character bc the thing is that autistic people are NOT EMOTIONLESS!!! and obviously no one on the list is so far anyways, that’s the point i’m trying to make, but saki is so passionate about love and that’s genuinely so awesome to see because i’m the same way :D i mean he def takes it too far but he throws his interest completely into his object of affection and is very self-sacrificial (i mean the part where he digs in the snow all night just to find hotaru’s accessory… jesus that was insane.) he is very averse to things he isn’t interested in, ESPECIALLY people (he warms up eventually ofc). i saw ppl say that it’s completely based on the trauma of his parents not paying enough attention to him as a child, and i can see that since it’s prob what the author was actually going for, but idc! he’s a sweet autistic boy ^_^
- Yuuto Kumagaya from Hanikamu Honey
a twist on the expressionlessness yet again with a boy who always looks scary! i love boys who seem scary but actually have a heart of gold ugh <3 obviously, his special interest is in handicrafts. he isn’t very good at interacting with others or making expressions (par for the course at this point, right?) but he does have that going for him and i find it pretty sweet.
- Uka Ishimori from Honey Lemon Soda
yet another from the genre of “popular boy falls for unpopular girl” where i choose the unpopular girl as autistic LOL it’s the standard fair at this point. she’s bad at communicating with others and pulling expressions… you get the point.
- Shinichiro Yaginuma from Oogami-san, Dadamore desu
yay i like this one bc not only is he autistic, but he has a special power, too! not that that really plays into the autism lol it’s basically just more BAD AT EXPRESSING HIMSELF schlock. tbh i remember thinking of adding oogami to the list too bc of how blunt she is until i remembered that she’s only blunt because of yaginuma’s power so it doesn’t exactly fit, i suppose.
- Kame from A Library for Two, A Secret Temperature in Koi no Mizu Kudasai
ah, our first oneshot character on the list. this one is kinda funny bc it’s the opposite of what i would usually say. she’s actually pretty expressive when she’s on her own (& w/ her love interest) but she’s also a selective mute and expressionless around other people. not much more to say, really. we don’t get a reason behind why she is the way she is but it isn’t like she’s ACTING like she’s autistic, she just doesn’t wanna talk to other people. totally get her.
- Kaji ??? from Akane Shoten no Kaji Tenchou
“he’s not interested in anything other than books” is the first line so you can probably see where this is going. he’s blunt and not very expressive (classic) but he infodumps about how nice it is to read in the first chapter, so it’s pretty fun. i think it’s very cool how he can relay his emotions thru books and stories, i’m the same way tbh! plus, it’s always more interesting when they actually have an interest rather than just being a cliche but i can’t complain since i compiled these :P
- Yuuko Mizuochi from Asa Made Matemasen!
ahhh i can’t find an english translation anymore so idk where the hell i read this the first time but it seems pretty obvious to me why i put her on here. a classic expressionless and most likely blunt gal!
- Haruka Fuchinaka from Bear Bear
BIG FAN of this one. this girl adores cute things and is, essentially, in love with a mascot (it’s the person in the mascot she actually falls in love with but, still). she is very expressive so YAYYY WE GOT ONE ^w^ but she’s also androphobic which could be the reason for her weird behavior… tbh though i, personally, don’t think that androphobia = falling in love with a mascot, y’know? plus, she’s just so obsessive and passionate about it. it’s sweet :) and still not fully translated *clenches fist*
- Leona Nanbu from Boku wa Uchuujin ni Koi a Shita.
OK now we’re getting juicy. she’s very expressive and is super into aliens and space and what have you (so that’s her special interest and it’s so fun!) she also doesn’t really \understand her own feelings or most social situations. she doesn’t really… GET things (which yes, you could just say she’s an idiot, i mean not all autistic people are smart.) she’s very emotional, too! i love that because she has like hyperempathy towards kairi and it’s so cute. she’s also very rejection sensitive so she does on some level understand that she can’t relate to others, but she still wants to <3 i respect that. plus, it’s a very short and sweet read. wahoo!
- Sarara Yatsuhashi from Clear Color
she’s blunt, has no social decorum, and only cares about art. however, she’s emotional and is moved deeply by shunya’s words and the world around her, considering the fact that something like tracking a kitten’s growth or capturing a pretty day outside matters more to her than school. still, she’s actually really smart and athletic, so it’s kinda refreshing. she also gets common japanese phrases wrong so confidently LMAO
- Momoko Kuratani & Haishima from Cosmic Color
ANOTHER autistic couple WOOO!! momoko is actually very close to your standard shoujo romance protagonist. she’s overly self-conscious, a bit of an airhead, etc… you know the type. however, she doesn’t really know how to interact w others that well because in the past she got made fun of (i guess?) for just kinda saying whatever came to mind to whoever. however, she admits that she likes learning “the fact of life, or rather, trivia and stuff”, which is enough for me to put her on this list, i suppose! meanwhile, haishima is more of the standard unemotional boy who is bad with social situations. he’s referred to by the author as “an unsociable, my-pace guy”. he has a flat affect (i.e. “my bad, this is just the way i talk, i’m not mad or anything.”) and they bond over the little tidbits of knowledge that momoko knows hehehehe. momoko also goes all out trying to recommend a book to haishima, which just strikes me as her infodumping. “it’s nice talking about the things i love and have someone listening to me.” bit of a cliche story but UGHHH it’s just so sweet and pure i could die <3
- Hinoka Seto from Donten ni Sirius
she’s not super expressive and she’s pretty socially withdrawn (because she moves a lot and has a bit of trauma related to that) and she’s also very blunt! she has no interest in much of anything, especially people (“rather, i don’t want to cultivate any interest”.) it’s all pretty much just what we’re used to seeing by now, eh? it’s a pretty cute and quick read though, so i think it’s worth checking out ^_^
- Shizuka Kuze from Fujishiro-san Kei.
pretty much just more of the usual. he's not (very) expressive, he’s really blunt, and not interested in much, but interestingly enough, he is kind of a teasing sort of fella. that’s really all i gotta say ngl. not all of these are gonna be that interesting LOL
- Mikoto Harukawa from Haru Niwa
another one shot! mikoto is a bit of an interesting case because she’s really expressive but she is incredibly irritable and is often bored (and she really dislikes being bored.) she has very little tact and isn’t great at expressing her feelings, though she has a tendency to overthink about the future. she’s the kind of person who can’t stand change and she laments the fact that time feels like it’s moving forward without her. tbh maybe she’s only on here because she’s such a “ME”
Character, but hey. i’m autistic and if the shoe fits, then.
- Nanami Fujii from Haru No Ogawa Wa Dokidoki Suru Yo
yet another oneshot. tbh i added her on here as soon as i read the lines “catching a cold because you stayed up all night researching about colds on the internet… you’re kidding me.” “that’s not it… it’s because of my bad habit of being unable to stop myself when i’m researching something.” and never looked back. that and the way she got excited about a new reference book she bought LOL
- Hiroka Mishima from Haru to Koi to Kimi no Koto
she’s stiffly formal and polite and yet very candid in the way she speaks to others. she specifically chose the school because she doesn’t understand romance and had a bad experience because of this lack of understanding. she’s also not very expressive; par for the course (though she does cry when she brings up her friends who caused her bad memory.) she doesn’t even blush after accidentally kissing airi and, in fact, just emotionlessly scrubs at her lips when he mentions it to her LOL she describes herself as very childish (i think a lot of autistic people feel that way abt themselves, me included) because she thinks so simplistically about things. she’s a veryyyy blatant example in my opinion but still probably unintentional… i think yasuomi may be autistic too, but i don’t feel like writing much for him lol
- Kaede Haruta from Risouteki Boyfriend
another one by ayase umi… is she trying to tell us something (eyes emoji) except of course this time it’s the male lead that’s autistic lol… kaede is “a serious guy” and, as such, he’s very straight-forward (to the point of making things awkward) BUT. he’s REAAAAALLY good at acting lmao since that’s the inciting incident in the manga, after all. despite that, he himself (when he isn’t playing the character that yusa needs him to play) is not great at expressing his emotions. he doesn’t even like changing his facial expressions! also, he said he only got involved with yusa because she interested him and that “once i’m tired i’ll immediately stop, so it’s fine if you don’t mind me”. … screams autistic to me. ALSO ALSO he got super tired just from being around a bunch of crowds and got winded running like 5 feet LMAO which just seems apt.
- Kayo Tokieda from the side story in Hatsukoi to Taiyou (chapter 16.5)
“since i was little, i couldn’t understand people’s feelings.” as usual, she’s very blunt and doesn’t really understand love. she tries to learn how to get her heart to race because her childhood friend confesses to her and she doesn’t see him that way, but she cares for him and doesn’t want to lose him. it’s a cute little intermission in the middle of a cute little story.
- Mikiko Amane from Nekota No Koto Ga Ki Ni Natte Shikatanai
this one’s fun! mikki is incredibly expressive, but she’s a very odd girl. i mean, her development is so “stunted” that she sees the first boy she’s actually interested in with a cat’s head. obviously, that’s just an allegory for like. developing feelings for the first time and not quite understanding why he is different from every other boy she’s ever seen, y’know? but even more than just the plot itself, mikki is very forward and blunt. she doesn’t really try to get involved with others, mostly because she transfers schools so often anyways. she only focuses on the things that interest her, the main one being nekota’s head, obviously LOL honestly i think not only is it a really good allegory for your first love, but who except an autistic girl wouldn’t understand why she was seeing someone differently from how everyone else sees him, right? that’s my point of view, anyways.
- Ichigo Sera from Hoshikuzu Drop
the classic “kuu” in kuudere (have you ever thought maybe they were just autistic) appears once again. she’s an expressionless gal who doesn’t talk much and is very straight-to-the-point. you get it by now. it’s weird how a lot of these are about astronomy/space huh
- Watari Mochizuki from Kimi to Eureka
another strange and emotionless dude. u know most of these mfs feel like amelia bedelia half the time, not understanding shit. anyways he’s just pretty much more of your typical autistic personality.
- Akira Oono & Haruo Yaguchi from High Score Girl
akira especially feels autistic to me bc she never fucking talks (more selective mutism) and she’s not suuuper expressive but she clearly still shows her emotions thru body language and a few changes in facial expression. yaguchi is the more interesting one, though, since he’s pretty expressive and what have you but his preoccupation with learning everything there's to know about video games is what really gets me. clearly, they both have a special interest in video games, though. this one is really sweet tbh if u can get over the 3d animation (i watched it instead of reading it, oops) and you learn a lot about video games, too, so. pretty cool!
- Akane Kazoe from Hanazono-kun to Kazoe-san no Fukakai na Houkago
i really like this one because it deals with an interesting relationship. akane is very interested in… well. part of our male lead, let’s say. the way she comes at him like columbo during their first talk and the way that she doesn’t have any sort of shame about what she’s asking for just screams autistic to me. she’s for real just interested in knowing more about it LOL she doesn’t even blush until he tells her to pull down his pants so she can see it for herself, oh lordy. yeah, this one’s a doozy but it was really good honestly. and akane is just soooo obviously autistic. also, i suppose, you can learn a lot about reproductive organs, if you’re into that sorta thing.
- Kanato Ugou from I Won’t Fall For Him Just Because Of His Face
he wasn’t really interested in anything until sana came along. he may be really handsome, but he doesn’t typically pull expressions and he doesn’t really understand how to deal with other people. (nor does he want to, as it seems) the only reason he even agrees to go along with the principal’s plan is because he starts to be interested in sana.
- Kiriyama Naoya from Suteki na Kareshi
man’s got resting mischievous face. he’s uncomfortably & rudely blunt upon meeting nonoka for the first time. still, it’s not like he’s actually, genuinely mean. he’s just very matter-of-fact and says whatever comes to mind (and usually it happens to be kinda rude). it’s a pretty fun play on what we’re used to seeing at this point.
- Imai Chitose from Colorful Feelings that Monochrome Doll thinks of (a oneshot in Mako to Aki-chan No Koigokoro)
“even before, i had little change in my expressions compared to other people and i always went along at my own pace.” the first line pretty much says it all, huh. after reading so many of these i know that a “person who goes at their own pace” is basically just code for autistic. sprinkle in a lack of expression and we got ourselves a winner!
- Nokina Kaname from another oneshot from Mako to Aki-chan No Koigokoro
“he’s good looking and smart… but, most of the time he’s pretty much expressionless and listless. a loner, mysterious boy.” AGAIN that pretty much says it all, doesn’t it. he’s a strange kid who remarks that a girl’s hairpin looks delicious the first time he meets her AND blames not getting the drink he wanted from a vending machine because the midgets inside didn’t want him to have it. weird kid. that said, seems like meguro amu just really likes writing autists LOL
- Kaname Yoichiro from Koiwazurai no Ellie
he’s eri’s “internet friend” of sorts and is only really interested in her when she’s being a deplorable and pathetic pervert because he finds it funny. he’s pretty cold-hearted, stone-faced, and blunt, but it seems that his interest genuinely becomes love for eri. however, since he’s a second male lead, he ain’t so lucky in that department. still, it’s pretty obvious he’s autistic in my book.
- Amakawa Risa from Hikaeme ni Itte mo, Kore wa Ai
another girl who’s bad at making facial expressions and talking to others. she’s very smart and overly prepared for everything so her bag is heavy as shit (she seriously must have really developed biceps). along with being blunt and zen calling her “an aloof girl”, i think she fits in this list. also better add momo fuji into the “mangakas who keep accidentally writing autistic characters” list lmao
- Hino Yojiro from Tonari no Otona-kun
he’s an adult but he’s not very adult-like. he speaks very slowly and in an “unemotional and practical fashion” (googled the definition for matter-of-factly since i keep using it and i’m getting tired of repeating myself). he’s not very conscious of how to relate to others, since he spends most of his time alone. just the usual.
- Kashiwaba Ryuu from Kameba Kamu Hodo Amaku Naru
sorry we couldn’t end off with a more interesting entry, but ryuu here is more of the same thing. he’s another cold boy from planet X who’s not good at interacting with others. however, he’s obviously kind which is why akari falls for him. and he’s a lonely boy so of course akari’s overly emotional response to his loneliness makes him fall for her… it’s sweet but pretty cliche tbh. nothing wrong with that, i suppose!
i dunno if this proved anything to anybody since it was just me rambling on and on about my own personal opinion. you’re more than welcome to agree or disagree. i especially hope i didn’t make you think poorly about autistic people, though. like i said in the beginning, there are millions of ways to be autistic and, though i picked characters who have variably low emotional responses to things and have a hard time understand their own, and other people’s, way of being, that is not the only way there is to be autistic. i myself am very emotionally open, though i have a hard time measuring my emotional responses, so that should prove to you that just because i see these people who are mostly unresponsive to emotional stimuli as autistic, that’s not all there is to being autistic. i only wish to prove the point that, even unintentionally, autistic people can be represented in stories where they are allowed to love and create poignant and heartfelt memories with the people close to them. autism has always been seen as something that makes people less human, it seems. i really want to change that and show that just because autistic people may not be the best at showing their emotions, or may lash out or misunderstand people, or any number of bad traits that we get associated with… there are still good things about people like us as well. that we can (and do) care, very deeply, about the people and the world around us. that’s all! i’m def gonna make a part 2 of this at some point because i know there’s more of these characters out there and i’ll find them for sure ^_^
To improve your experience on our site, we use cookies to provide you with a secure log-in and to remember log-in details, collect statistics to optimize site functionality, and deliver content tailored to your interests. See our Cookie Policy to learn more.
