Happy New Year!
The New Year’s Day celebration is a staple of most anime. This is the one time of year when we gaze into the future with hope and a sense of renewal. Around the world, hospital staff and newscasters rush to announce the first births of the day. This brings me to the reason for this month’s post.
This one day has more anime character birthdays than any other of the winter season. The number of characters celebrating a New Year’s Day birthday exceeds three-hundred and eighty. Unfortunately, we cannot go through each of these. This post compiles a list of some of our ten favorite anime characters celebrating a New Year’s Day birthday. Unlike most top ten lists, the names are in random order rather than by ranking. This is because we feel each of them are great in their own right.
As you review the post, please feel free to let me know if I overlooked your favorite anime or manga character. Leave a comment below and let me know your picks.
Belldandy
- Birthday: January 1
- Anime First Appearance: Oh! My Goddess, ep. 1 ‘Ah! You’re a Goddess?’ (2005)
Kicking off our countdown, we have Belldandy from Oh! My Goddess. A goddess, she is the mainspring for the series’ plot. She came to Earth to grant a wish to the lead male character. He requested to have the goddess to stand by him forever. Cut to the chase, Belldandy is his partner for life.
The middle child, she has one younger sister and an older half-sister. Their origin springs from Norse mythology, where they are fates or Norns. Belldandy is kindhearted and prone to forgiving transgressions. Her power aligns with wind elements. Holy Bell is an angel that boosts Belldandy’s elemental force. Also, she can use mirrors to teleport.
Belldandy is average height for a woman. She has long, flowing light brown hair and blue eyes. There are blue stones embedded in her cheeks and forehead. She often wears summer dresses or casual clothing. These features combine to give her an ethereal presence.
She is the model of the magical girlfriend trope. Who would not want her as their girlfriend? Sweet and cute, Belldandy is the first entry on our birthday list.
Takeo Gouda
- Birthday: January 1
- Anime First Appearance: My Love Story!!, ep. 1 ‘My Story’ (2015)
Our next entry proves you should not judge a book by its cover. Takeo Gouda is a towering, hulk of a high school student. His size is more in line with that of a teacher than someone who attends school. Despite his form, Takeo is a kind and virtuous soul. These qualities propel him to step in to protect a girl from unwanted advances. His biggest issue is a lack of self-confidence, which causes him to miss the clues that the girl has fallen for him.
Takeo stands little over six and a half feet tall. He has short cropped black hair and bushy eyebrows. His large lips are his most distinguishing feature. He is simple minded and overly trusting. A bit cliché, Takeo is very athletic. Despite this However, his friends and girlfriend have love and respect for the big lug.
Takeo Gouda is an unlikely lead character for an anime. This is true of most romance stories. Lucky for us, Takeo Gouda is our best unlikely leading man with a New Year’s Day birthday.
Sumomo
- Birthday: January 1
- Anime First Appearance: Chobits, ep. 1 ‘Chi Awakens’ (2002)
This is probably the first and last time a microcomputer will grace one of these lists. Sumomo is a persocom, who embodies the cute machine trope. The tiny electronic device belonged to Shinbo before he gave her away. This was a no brainer given Sumomo’s hyper nature. She also has a knack for referring to herself in the third person. Her mannerisms make others feel Sumomo might be crazy.
The best word to describe Sumomo is pixie. She is palm-sized, standing about six-inches tall. Tied into a ponytail, her dark hair peeks through her cap. Her clothing, similar to a genie, rounds out her spritely image. As a computer system, her access password is ‘Chobits.’
For English manga readers, the editors chose to name her Plum. This change seems appropriate given her size and appearance. Regardless of size, Sumomo is wired for sound but cute and these qualities have found a fond place in our hearts.
Nezu
- Birthday: January 1
- First Anime Appearance: My Hero Academia, ep. 4 ‘Start Line’ (2016)
My Hero Academia is a popular anime series, with a diverse cast of characters. This brings us to our seventh popular persona with a New Year’s birthday, Nezu. The principal of U.A. High, he is a literal animal who has a Quirk. The type of anime is anybody’s guess. Nezu’s Quirk makes him highly intelligent. This is great, as this mental gift offsets his rather weak physical strength and low speed stats. He has a heightened sense smell and taste, which comes in handy when making tea.
A mild-mannered being, Nezu or Mr. Principal has a petite frame compared to U.A. High’s faculty and students. Under 3-foot tall, he has white body fur and a long tail. His face is similar in shape to that of a mouse, with a prominent scar over the right eye. Nezu wears a waist coat and dress pants, with a white dress shirt and tie. Abused growing up, he enjoys toying with his human opponents. Nezu’s major flaw is having the occasional cigarette.
Mr. Principal’s Quirk netted him the rank of Pro Hero. He is a kind and loyal educator, who loves giving longwinded lectures. The vast horde of characters in My Hero Academia makes it easy for viewers to lose one or two of them. Luckily, this is not the case with Nezu’s who stands as one of our favorites.
Kaguya Shinomiya
- Birthday: January 1
- First Anime Appearance: Kaguya-sama: Love is War, ep. 1, ‘I Will Make You Invite Me to a Movie’ (2019)
Navigating high school is sometimes a difficult journey. This trek becomes more trying when your feelings place roadblocks along the path. This is the case for Kaguya Shinomiya. Our teenage lead is a student at Shuchi’in Academy. She is model student, who member of the school’s archery club and student council. Her eye is set on the council’s president, with the two caught in a romantic game of cat and mouse.
Possessing ‘stunning beauty,’ Kaguya is slim teenager with long black hair tied held back by a black-red ribbon. Her almond shaped eyes are red in color. Kaguya’s features and façade earned her the nickname ‘The Ice Princess’ by classmates. They bestowed this title as she appears cold and distant. The reality is that Kaguya is sensitive and caring young lady, with occasional bouts of insecurity. Her nature often gets in the way of expressing her true feelings for Miyuki Shirogane.
Kaguya’s persona fits with many of the traits people give to Capricorns. She is an honest and sensitive teen but prone to self-critical reflection. Kaguya Shinomiya is on a short list of well-rounded anime leads. A fan favorite, she is one of our picks for great characters with a New Year’s Day birthday.
Asahi Azumane
- Birthday: January 1, 1995
- First Anime Appearance: Haikyu!!, ep. 8 ‘He Who is Called “Ace”’ (2014)
A Karasuno High student, Asahi Azumane is the ace and wing spiker for the school’s volleyball club. He is tall and mature looking young man compared to his fellow classmates. His physical features and quite nature spark rumors that Asahi is a gang member or dealing drugs. In reality, he is a sensitive and kindhearted young man. The gossip cuts him deeply, causing some to claim he has a ‘Glass Heart.’ His hair style is unique among his peers, which earned him the nickname ‘Man Bun.’
On the court, Asahi wear the team’s jersey sporting the number three. The number is symbolic of his role as a spiker. Typically, a spiker is the third contact within a set. Asahi is the team’s most powerful attacker, which overcame Date Tech’s iron wall. Off the court, he loves reading ‘Don’t Give up, Kamchatka.’ The book features photos and poems of people living in the wilderness.
The word that best describes Asahi is modest. This is someone who goes out of their way to praise teammates while shouldering the team’s burden. A great volleyball player, Asahi Azumane’s nature make him a favorite character born on New Year’s Day.
Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV
- Birthday: January 1, 2058
- First Anime Appearance: Cowboy Bebop, ep. 9 ‘Jamming with Edward’ (1998)
Cowboy Bebop is a dark and edgy space adventure that follows the lives of the Bebop crew. The series’ leading cast are legends in their own right but one’s quirkiness stands out among the rest. Born on Earth, Edward is a 13 year old girl and gifted computer whiz. Misplaced by her eccentric father, she grew up in an orphanage before running away. Becoming a hacker to make ends meet, Ed earned the name ‘Radical Edward. Her cunning and computing skills would earn her a spot on the Bebop team.
Scruffy and spontaneous, Edward is a wild-child through and through. She has messy red hair that accent amber eyes. A pair of green goggles serve as a headband or necklace when not in use. Rounding out this veneer, she wears a wrinkled white tank top, shorts and no shoes. Generally, Ed is a good-natured teen whose role serves as a balance the Bebop’s more serious undertones.
Ed is a unique and intriguing character in anime. With almost 25 years since the anime first aired, the fandom continues to debate aspects of her life. Her longevity within the community is one of the reasons why Edward is one of our top picks.
Might Guy
- Birthday: January 1
- First Anime Appearance: Naruto, ep. 21 ‘Identify Yourself: Powerful New Rivals’ (2003)
Unsurprisingly, the last three fan favorite characters come from the Holy Shonen Trinity. First up and coming from Naruto, we have ‘Leaf’s Noble Green Beast.’ Might Guy is a master of taijutsu, a martial art relying on strength and stamina. These skills he learned from his father, Might Duy. His father’s mentorship would lead him to become a driven and committed young man, who acknowledges his strengths and flaws. An S-ranked hero, Guy would complete 788 missions over his career.
A bit taller than average height, Might Guy has an athletic build. A stylized bowl-cut shiny black hair accents his pale skin. Guy’s distinct feature is his bushy eyebrows, which causes Naruto Uzumaki to call him ‘Master Intense Brows.’ Energetic and positive, he is a man of his word. This is someone who goes all in to embrace the literary ‘nice guy’ archetype.
The model for Might Guy was Bruce Lee. This includes the character’s looks and traits, right down to how he wields nunchaku. A great outlook on life and self-disciplined, Might Guy is one of our favorite characters of the New Year.
Portgas D. Ace
- Birthday: January 1
- Anime First Appearance: One Piece, ep. 91 ‘Farewell, Drum Island! I’m Going Out to Sea!’ (2001)
Born Gol D. Ace, Portgas is the son of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge. He is the older brother of Monkey D. Luffy and Sabo. The whole family suffers from being a bit reckless in their pursuits. Searching for the fabled One Piece, Ace is the captain of the Spade Pirates. Called Ace or Ace of Spades, his nickname holds multiple meanings. The Ace of Spades is the first card in a deck and his birthday is the first day of the year.
Ace is a powerful young man, who sports curly black hair. His freckled cheeks give him a youthful look. The ‘Ace of Spades’ sport’s many tattoos, with Whitebeard’s sign inked across his back. He suffers from extreme narcolepsy, which serves a series running gag. Ace’s special ability is to manipulate fire. He acquired this gift from eating the Flame fruit. Despite his skills, Ace is least likely to become the Pirate King.
‘Fire Fist’ Ace is a major supporting character within One Piece. This is plain to see, as he continues to place highly on anime character polls. Regardless of where you sit with One Piece, nobody can deny that Portgas D. Ace is an enjoyable character.
Yoruichi Shihoin
- Birthday: January 1
- First Anime Appearance: Bleach, ep. 15 ‘Kon’s Great Plan’ (2005)
Our final selection is no stranger to our countdown lists. This is the third time Yoruichi Shinion has made the cut. She is an ex-princess and former captain of the Gotei 13’s 2nd Division. After falsely accused of committing a crime, she fled to the human world. With the ability to transform, Yoruichi lives life as a cat to prowl the suburbs of Tokyo. This all changes when she meets the story’s lead before electing to return to the Soul Society to save the world.
Yoruichi is average height for a woman. She has long dark hair, tied back into a ponytail. This vixen is surprising agile for her large assets. A capable warrior, she earned the rank of Shunpo Master. A rare fighting style, she has the ability to destroy the Soul Society’s covert ops unit in seconds. This means she does not have to rely on her Zanpakutō. Despite her skills and physique, Yoruichi wrestles with feeling out of shape.
The ‘Flash Goddess,’ Yoruichi enjoys the quiet life but who has the ability to morph into a beast of a fighter. After twenty-three years since gracing the pages of Bleach, she holds her own and it does not hurt that she has a great figure. This is one of many reasons why Yoruichi continues to grace our top ten posts.