Their Corniness Knows No Bounds
With so many anime protagonists these days mired in darkness, grit and a desire to punish an unjust world, seeing a character who is made of pure optimism is almost a welcome treat. Whether its due to their single-minded determination to do what’s right, how they loose countless cringe-worthy lines of dialogue or if they just happen to be sunshine incarnate, we’ve come to appreciate these gloriously campy individuals.
While they certainly aren’t short on badass moments, we’ll always associate these three with their innate ability to turn any scene into one of unimaginable cheesiness.
#3: Domon Kasshu
“Mobile Fighter G Gundam” (1994-95)
He may be a mecha pilot that managed to punch his way to victory in a tournament filled with other giant robots, but we can’t deny that for every awesome win he managed to pull off, there’s a corny line right around the corner. This can be summarised in his now infamous monologue, where right before unleashing his final attack he yells out “TAKE THIS! MY LOVE, MY ANGER, AND ALL OF MY SORROW! SHINING FINGER!” Now we’re not sure about you, but if we were Domon’s opponents we would be laughing our backsides off!
#2: Tuxedo Mask
“Sailor Moon” series (1992-97)
Sure, back in the day this masked gentleman might have been the epitome of swag, but nowadays his mysterious presence is slightly watered down by some of his oh so hammy dialogue. We can totally buy the fact he uses roses as projectiles and manages to disappear out of sight with a single swish of his cape, it’s just that every time he shows up to help the Sailor Scouts he often comes across as both a deus ex machina and way to corny for his own good. Then again, he is a reincarnated prince masquerading as a superhero, who are we to judge?
#1: All Might
“My Hero Academia” (2016-)
Representing the silver age of comic book superheroes, All Might manages to walk that thin line of being a destructive force of nature as well as everybody’s embarrassing dad. He can take out a villain with a single punch, offer wise words of encouragement and still find time to make an entrance that’s so over the top that ever the Super Friends would be telling him to take it down a notch. Luckily it all adds together to create an endearing character whose cheesy tendencies make for some of his best moments. Oh my goodness!
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Anime Superheroes.