“Novelist” Characters? 3rd Place: Kudou Yuusaku from Meitantei Conan, 2nd Place: Oda Sakunosuke from Bungou Stray Dogs, 1st Place is… ＜2025 Edition＞

Anime! Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Who is your favorite ‘novelist’ character?” We are now publishing the results.

November 26th is “Pen Day” in Japan.

This day commemorates the establishment of the Japan PEN Club in 1935. The “PEN” in PEN Club stands for P (poets and playwrights), E (essayists and editors), and N (novelists).

In the world of anime, there are numerous characters who make a living through writing. Their circumstances vary widely, from wildly successful authors with multiple hit works, to masked writers whose true identities remain a secret, or even newcomers just starting their careers. Each brings their own unique flair to the craft of storytelling.

To celebrate this, Anime! Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Who is your favorite ‘novelist’ character?” We received 91 responses during the survey period from November 5th to November 11th. The demographic breakdown was approximately 35% male and 65% female, indicating a higher participation from female readers. The age group primarily consisted of younger audiences, with about 45% being 19 years old or younger.

Novelist Characters Manipulate Truth and Fiction!

First Place

Coming in at first place is Yumeno Gentarou from Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-, securing approximately 16% of the votes.

Yumeno Gentarou is a member of Fling Posse, representing the Shibuya Division. Readers commented, “He always tells outrageous lies, and you never know what he’s truly thinking. That elusive nature is precisely what makes him THE novelist character!” and “I love his catchphrases like ‘Well, that’s a lie, though’ or ‘It was all a lie.’ He embodies the image of someone playing at the boundaries of fiction and reality.” Many readers were also captivated by the glimpse of his pride as an author, hidden beneath his elusive demeanor, noting, “His raps are filled with many literary lyrics, reflecting the pride of someone whose profession is to manipulate words.” With the theatrical film’s release this year, he jumped from second place last year to claim the top spot!

Second Place

Taking second place is Oda Sakunosuke from Bungou Stray Dogs, with a remarkably narrow margin from the top spot.

Oda Sakunosuke is a low-ranking member of the Port Mafia. He harbors a dream of becoming a novelist and, despite his affiliation with the mafia, adheres to the principle of never taking a life. His unwavering resolve and dedication to his beliefs, even in such a harsh environment, resonated deeply with readers and contributed to his popularity. As Bungou Stray Dogs draws inspiration from real-life literary figures, many other characters also received votes, with Poe, a character who loves detective novels and whose ability “The Black Cat in the Rue Morgue” is also related to literature, ranking fourth.

Third Place

Securing third place is Kudou Yuusaku from Meitantei Conan, garnering approximately 11% of the votes.

Kudou Yuusaku is the father of high school detective Kudou Shinichi and a world-renowned mystery novelist. As one reader commented, “Being a mystery writer, his mind works incredibly fast, solving cases even quicker than Shinichi. He’s sharp, but both he and his wife have a playful side.” Indeed, he boasts an investigative prowess that often surpasses that of the protagonist, Conan himself. Many readers were surprised by the unexpected revelation in Meitantei Conan Movie: Hyakuman Doru no Goryousei (Michishirube), where “the surprising relationship between him and Kaitou Kid’s father, Kuroba Touichi, was finally revealed, answering a long-standing question.”

Other Notable Comments!

For Fuji from Ame to Kimi to, one reader commented, “She’s an older sister who lives with a dog (who insists it’s a tanuki) she picked up on a rainy day, and their heartwarming interactions are very comforting. While her profession is a novelist, she’s also challenged herself with anime scriptwriting!”

For Hiiragi Nemun from Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden, a fan shared, “Despite being an elementary school student, she writes web novels and earns enough from ad revenue to support herself. She has an impressive vocabulary and, in the official promotional manga Magia☆Report, she enjoys wordplay and puns.”

Regarding Oohara Shijuurou from Crayon Shin-chan, a reader said, “He’s Nana-ko Onee-san’s father and writes a series of novels titled ‘Goukai’ (Dynamic). He’s always on the verge of missing deadlines, and Shin-chan’s unpredictable antics often get him into trouble, sometimes causing him to miss his manuscript submissions.”

And for Fujiwara Hitomi from Nono-chan, a fan commented, “Nono-chan’s homeroom teacher. She possesses top-notch talent as a novelist but lacks basic life skills and has a terrible drinking habit, making her a truly destructive novelist character. I also love the line ‘Tekitou ni ne’ (roughly ‘Just wing it’) from Houhokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun.” These diverse comments show the wide range of titles and characters that received votes.

In the 2025 edition, novelists from a broad spectrum of genres including music, action, mystery, and comedy were recognized in the rankings.

Don’t miss the ranking section!

Ranking Top 5

[“Novelist” Characters? 2025 Edition]
1st Place: Yumeno Gentarou Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-
2nd Place: Oda Sakunosuke Bungou Stray Dogs
3rd Place: Kudou Yuusaku Meitantei Conan
4th Place: Poe Bungou Stray Dogs
5th Place: Oohara Shijuurou Crayon Shin-chan

(Response Period: November 8th – November 12th, 2025)

《Takahashi Katsunori》