September 20th is the “Day of Heaven”.
Originally established in 1940 as Aviation Day, this commemorative day was renamed “Sky Day” in 1992 to mark the 40th anniversary of the resumption of civil aviation.
There are numerous characters in anime that evoke images of the sky. They may be able to fly freely, be inhabitants of a celestial world, or have names that include kanji or words related to the sky. The ways in which they are represented vary widely.
Therefore, AnimeAnime conducted a reader survey titled “When you think of a character associated with the word Sky/Fly, who comes to mind?” following last year’s survey. We received responses from 474 people during the September 8-12 survey period.
Approximately 35% of respondents were men, 55% were women, and 10% did not specify their gender. Most of the respondents were young, about 50% were 19 years old or younger, and about 15% were in their twenties.
First place
In first place is Shoyo Hinata from ‘Haikyuu!!’. With around 19% of the votes, it secured first place for four consecutive years.
Many fans were fascinated by his powerful spikes and blocks during matches, commenting, “Despite his short stature, which is a weakness in volleyball, he jumps as high as he can, making him a character truly fitting for the name Shoyo.” Others said, “At around 160cm, he’s not exactly tall for a volleyball player, but he jumps higher than anyone else, as if he had wings. His jumps are so powerful that he seems to defy gravity, which amazes everyone who watches him.
“It embodies the banner of Karasuno High School that says ‘Fly.’ In the ‘Battle at the Landfill’, he threw the ball into the opponent’s wall, making me exclaim: ‘His jump is crazy!’ I hope you continue to fly higher than anyone else!” – Thanks to his performance in the film, he ranked first with an even higher support rate than last year.
Second place
The Hawks from “My Hero Academia” took second place. It received about 14% of the vote, moving up one place from third place last year.
Fans expressed their admiration for the Hawks’ Quirk, “Fierce Wings”, saying: “He flies through the sky with his red wings like it’s his own personal playground.” Others praised his speed, commenting, “He truly is the fastest man and is truly amazing as he flies effortlessly.” Hawks’ ability to control his wings, his laid-back attitude, and his impressive hero abilities make him a very appealing character. Many fans were also drawn to the striking contrast between its crimson wings and the blue sky.
Third place
In third place is Reimu Hakurei from “Touhou Project”. With around 8% of the vote, it lost one position compared to last year.
“While it may seem like a simple ability to fly through the sky, her power actually allows her to ‘float’ free from everything, including gravity. It’s incredibly powerful.” Fans describe her as “a beautiful shrine maiden from heaven, flying peacefully through the sky” and even created background music titled “A Mysterious Shrine Maiden Flying Through Space.” She is often seen as the Touhou character who best embodies the idea of flight.
Additionally, Utsuho Reiuji placed 11th. It is the hell raven that hosts the divine spirit Yagatarasu. She has large black wings and can fly freely in the sky, and her name, “Utsuho”, even connects her to the sky.
Comments on other characters:
- For Cure Wing from “Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure”: “I felt like cheering her on as I watched her struggle to fly, even though she is a Puni Bird who cannot fly by nature.”
- For Towa from “Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included”: “I liked how the story started with her coming down from the sky onto the balcony of Shintaro’s apartment, and at the end, they looked at the night view together and flew through the night sky. The act of flying expressed their close bond.”
- For Hina Amano from “Weathering With You”: “She is a heroine with the power to make the sky sunny. Even though 5 years have passed since the film was released, there is still no film that represents the sky more beautifully than this one!”
- For Nausicaä from “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”: “The princess who flies freely in the sky on her Mehve glider is like a bird. The theme song, “Bird People,” expresses this perfectly. I hesitated between her and the flying pigs, but in the end I decided to support this senior Ghibli film.
In the 2024 edition, characters from titles with films released this year occupied the top two places. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that long-running series dominate the highest rankings on the list. Be sure to check out the top 20 below:
- Shoyo Hinata – Haikyuu!!
- Hawks – My Academia of Heroes
- Reimu Hakurei – Touhou Project
- Chuuya Nakahara – Stray Dogs
- Kaito Kid – Magic Kaito 1412, Detective Conan
- Son Goku – Dragon Ball
- Cure Wing/Tsubasa Yunagi – Soaring Sky! Nice care
- Cure Sky/Sora Harewataru – Soaring Sky! Nice care
- Anpanman – Anpanman
- Hina Amano – Weathering With You
- Utsuho Reiuji – Touhou Project
- Doraemon, Doraemon
- Rimuru Tempest, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
- Elaina, Wandering Witch: Elaina’s Journey
- Tobio Kageyama, Haikyuu!!
- Gojo Satoru, Jujutsu Kaisen
- Sakura Kinomoto, Cardcaptor Sakura
- Towa, studio apartment, good lighting, angel included
- Shion, that time I was reincarnated as a slime
- Virginia Robertson, Luminous Witches
Carl Fredricksen, Up
Sally, I’m a spider, so what?
Tsunayoshi Sawada, Katekyo Hitman is reborn!
Sora, No Game, No Life
Falco Grice, Attack on Titan
Source: AA
