The Winter Season of Blue-Tinted Characters
Winter has arrived. When you see the clear skies or frost-glittering landscapes, don’t they make you think of the refreshing, watery shade of light blue?
In anime and games, there are countless characters who have light blue as their image color. From refreshing hair colors and cool-looking outfits to cool-toned eyes and even team member colors, light blue is expressed in many forms.
That’s why Anime! Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Which character comes to mind when you think of the color ‘light blue’?” During the survey period from January 19th to 21st, we received 388 responses. The gender ratio was about 40% male and 60% female, with slightly more females. The age groups were about 45% under 19, and about 15% each for people in their 20s and 30s.
■ Top Spots Dominated by Main Characters from Long-Running Series!
1st Place
First place goes to Rimuru Tempest from Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime). The support rate was about 13%.
Rimuru is the protagonist reborn as a slime in another world, building a nation while gathering companions. Readers voted for reasons like, “In slime form, it’s a translucent light blue, and in human form, the hair is light blue. The outfits are also unified in blue tones,” and “Well, a slime might be less of a ‘light blue character’ and more of a ‘lump of water’… But battle techniques like the high-pressure water blade ‘Sui Jin’ that uses water are also impressive,” highlighting the visuals and battle scenes.
The latest movie, Gekijouban Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken: Soukai no Namida Hen, is scheduled for release on February 27th. Furthermore, TV Anime Season 4 is set to air from April, so the series will be buzzing across various media.
2nd Place
Second place is Sailor Mercury / Mizuno Ami from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon). The support rate was about 5%.
Sailor Mercury is the Sailor Soldier who has Mercury as her guardian planet. In her everyday life as Mizuno Ami, she is a middle school student and a top-grade honor student. Comments included, “Many of her special attacks like ‘Shabon Spray’ are water-based, and her costume, hair color, and scepter are all blue,” and “There’s an image that water-attribute characters often have short hair—she might be the originator of that.”
There were also voices like, “Apparently, when I was a child, I really admired Mizuno Ami-chan. I must have been drawn to her intellectual side, unlike me (laughs).” This marks a ranking from a title beloved for many years.
3rd Place
Third place is Aqua from Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!). The difference in votes from 2nd place was only by a few.
OVA 『Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! 3 -BONUS STAGE-』 Key Visual (C) 2024 Akatsuki Natsume, Mishima Kurone / KADOKAWA / Konosuba 3 Production Committee
Aqua is the water goddess who sent the protagonist, Kazuma, to another world. While she is the party’s healer, she’s also a troublemaker whose unfortunate remarks often cause disturbances. Readers commented, “She has light blue hair and eyes fitting for a water goddess. But the image of a ‘useless goddess’ is still stronger,” “I wonder if she gets eaten by giant frogs so often because she’s a water attribute…”, and “Her blue skirt is incredibly mini, but combined with her personality, it gives off a healthy vibe that I like,” with many comments pointing out her relatable, comedic nature.
The production of TV Anime Season 4 for this series has been decided. 2026 also marks the 10th anniversary of the anime adaptation, so attention is focused on potential commemorative projects.
■ Here Are Some Other Comments!
For Himmel from Sousou no Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End): “His hair is light blue, but I think it’s a perfect color for Himmel, a refreshing, good-natured young man with a pure heart. The Blue Moon Grass flowers he likes are also light blue.”
For Yotsuba Tamaki from IDOLiSH7: “He’s the best dancer in IDOLiSH7, usually lethargic but adorably innocent in his love for ‘Oh-sama Purin’ (King Pudding). But his reason for becoming an idol is surprisingly serious. The penlight color when he sings with Sougo-kun in MEZZO” is beautiful!”
For Kuroko Tetsuya from Kuroko no Basuke: “His surname is ‘Kuro’ (black), but his hair and eye color are a beautiful light blue. The fact that he doesn’t show emotion and is an inconspicuous presence might also be similar to transparent water. I love Kuroko-kun, who connects miracles and creates miracles.”
『Kuroko no Basuke』 Anime 10th Anniversary Project Key Visual (C) Tadatoshi Fujimaki / Shueisha, Kuroko no Basuke Production Committee (C) “Kuroko no Basuke” Anime 10th Anniversary Project
For Sunsun from Puppet Sunsun: “I’m healed by every single word from the pure and innocent Sunsun. She’s easygoing but loves rock, and her headbanging is intense (laughs). There are also stories that made me cry unexpectedly,” showing votes even for a puppet character.
In this survey, characters weren’t limited to just those with a water attribute; many characters who evoke a sense of light blue through their hair color, outfits, or atmosphere were gathered.
The next page reveals the top 20. Don’t miss it!
■ Ranking Top 10
[“Which character comes to mind when you think of the color ‘light blue’?”]
- Rimuru Tempest 『Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken』
- Sailor Mercury / Mizuno Ami 『Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon』
- Aqua 『Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!』
- Kuroko Tetsuya 『Kuroko no Basuke』
- Tomioka Giyuu 『Kimetsu no Yaiba』
- Miki Sayaka 『Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica』
- Rem 『Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu』
- Hiori You 『Blue Lock』
- Himmel 『Sousou no Frieren』
- Shiota Nagisa 『Ansatsu Kyoushitsu』
- Cirno 『Touhou Project』
- Minato Oose 『Choujin-teki Share House Story ‘Charisma’』
(Survey Period: January 19 – 21, 2026)
Next Page: Rankings 11th to 20th Place
—Takahashi Katsunori—
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