30 Day Anime Challenge: Day 21 – Your Anime Crush

Before I started watching anime, the concept of a waifu or husbando was one of those very out there concepts that I didn’t understand. It felt to me like a completely unnecessary and unhealthy thing that people invested way too much time and effort (and sometimes money) into. And I’m here to tell you that I still absolutely believe those things. There are some people in serious denial with their obsessions who take it way too far. HOWEVER (yeah, you knew this was coming), that doesn’t mean that I still reject the idea completely, or I wouldn’t be writing this post about Sakurajima, Mai now would I?

Yes, I have fallen victim to the Bunny Girl Senpai and her mysterious ways. Her frank nature, mysterious air, and quietly shy and standoffish personality had me hooked from the beginning. Her quick witted humor didn’t hurt things. They hook you with a beautiful bunny costume and keep you with the funny bunny business (that’s not a sex joke, I promise). Most of all, her ability to simply trust Sakuta as a human and not let her imagination be completely controlled by her emotions make her feel like an excellent anime waifu choice. She’s level headed and smart, making it easy to both identify with and cheer for her successes.

Is it a little embarrassing to have an anime crush to begin with? After all, it’s just a drawing. I would say, yes and no.

When you get past the idea that they’re just drawings on a page, it’s not surprising that so many people have a waifu/husbando. There are a lot of forms of fiction out there where people have these imagined romantic rendezvous, whether it be characters from a book or a movie or TV show. In the end, while characters in a movie/TV show might be portrayed by real people, they’re still just as fake and sensationalized as those drawings on a page and no different in the end. No matter the medium, you are being fed fiction.

Relatable characters are important. They help sell you the illusion that what you’re seeing is real and not just a staged set with fake action and romance. If you can’t believe what the characters are doing, no extravagant set piece or action will help. It has to start with the people. That extends across every entertainment medium.

So why would I still keep the “yes and no” answer about being embarrassed when I can see a logical reason for it to exist? It’s always going to be a little embarrassing to have an attachment like affection for a completely fictional character. But it definitely is easier to justify when you look at it rationally.

And here’s a gallery because, well, I have them so I may as well share them.

And it can’t be coincidence that tickets for her movie, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, went on sale today for US and Canadian theaters. It’s just further proof of the power of the Bunny Girl Senpai.

So there you have it, both a challenge answer and my two cents on the idea in itself.

Who is your anime crush?