According to the visitors here, these are the top ten anime babes of all time, as of 2009.
There is a three-way tie for eighth place:
Mai Kawasumi (Kanon 2006)
Rin Tosaka (Fate/Stay Night)
Yomiko Readman (Read or Die)
In seventh place is Teletha Testarossa (Full Metal Panic).
In sixth place is Yoko (Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann).
In fifth place is Rushuna Tendo (Grenadier).
There is three-way tie for second:
Horo (Spice and Wolf)
Kan’u Unchou (Ikki Tousen)
Mikuru Asahina (adult) (Suzumiya Haruhi).
And finally, the outstanding anime babe of all time, at least for the moment, is Ablïarsec Néïc Dubleuscr Bœrh Parhynr Lamhirh, also known as Viscountess Paryunu Abriel Nei Dobrusk Lafiel (Crest/Banner of the Stars).
Admiral Spoor (Crest/Banner of the Stars) and Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop) tied for eleventh. The other finalists were Meia Gisborn (Vandread), Urd (Ah! My Goddess TV), Misato Katsuragi (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Akane (Ranma 1/2), Balsa (Seirei no Moribito), Ginrei Von Vogler (Giant Robo), Yuri (Dirty Pair), Shampoo (Ranma 1/2), Eineus (Macademi Wasshoi) and Lexshue (Crest of the Stars)
A couple of notes:
• While I’m pleased that Lafiel placed first, I’m also a little surprised. Not because she doesn’t deserve the honor — she certainly does — but because her character design looks odd to my eyes. Her eyes are drawn too large and her face is peculiarly shaped. I suppose that the oversized eyes signify that she is younger than the other Abh we see, but she is in fact a young adult and, in Banner, commands a ship. The other Abh are drawn with regular human features, ((Abriel ears excepted.)) as are the humans (except Jinto, who also has inappropriately juvenile eyes).
• Mikuru Asahina is agreeable company and easy on the eyes, but I don’t think she belongs on this list. We don’t spend enough time with her adult version to tell how much stronger a character she has become, and the younger version is too wimpy for my taste. A proper babe would have knocked Haruhi into the next space/time continuum had Haruhi tried manhandling her the way she does Mikuru.
Addendum: here’s the original list. There’s no date on the page, but I would guess that it’s about ten years old.
10. Sharon Apple
9. Sailor V[enus]
8. Priss Asagiri
7. Grandis Granva
6. Pirotess
5. Ifurita
4. Misato Katsuragi
3. Ginrei
2. Ryoko
1. Madoka Ayukawa
1. Lum
I think the reason Lafiel looks odd is because of the way her jaw is drawn, angular. We’re not used to girls having strong jaws.
Lafiel is a strange choice to me as well because of the sheer age of the anime. Nearly a decade old title, I just didn’t see Banner of the Stars capable of summoning enough fan support to push through even one (or three!) characters in this kind of popularity contest. This coming from the guy who counts the Crest/Banner of the Stars series as his #1 all-time favorite.
I mean, look at the rest of the top ten; Lafiel and Ms. Readman are positively ancient (’01 and ’03 respectively)! Everyone else came from series no older than ’05 (counting latest sequels). And I didn’t even recognize (initially) all the girls on the old ass list.
Popularity always skews these polls, so it’s not about merit as such. Now, in theory, merit should lead to popularity and then justice triumpt, but in practice it doesn’t work quite like that. Outstanding soundtracks for mediocore anime in particular are going to be hurt.
I’m surprised by Tessa’s showing in this. I realize that I nominated her, but I didn’t really expect much support. My only thought is that many of those were votes for Full Metal Panic as much as they were votes for her. Otherwise I would just have to face that I’m not so unusual in my tastes.
Or course the one I actually voted for in the last round did win the whole thing so maybe I am just am one of the featureless masses.
I’m glad Horo squeaked in. She wasn’t my first choice, but I think she fits the original requirements you set out pretty perfectly.
I’m of the opinion that Lafiel didn’t win it for her looks. There is just something about her; a combination of hardness, softness, and vulnerability combined with her sense of duty to her destiny.
I find it fascinating that not one of the girls on the old list made the new Top 10. Why not?
This is my complaint when pro sports leagues name their “greataest ever” lists; you can’t truly compare players from differnet eras playing under different rules. In this case, does “boob inflation” over the last 10 years account for the difference? I’d bet so. Kind of analogous to the “steroid era” in baseball 🙂