Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. I love my dad. He’s a great man whose always had my back since day 1. He’s always had my best interest at heart, supported me in all my life choices, gives me advice, and is just a fun guy to be around. If anime moms are a rarity, then anime dads might as well be endangered. I don’t know why, but for whatever reason, anime/manga writers really like to write off dads, never have them around, or turn them into deadbeats or assholes who take no interest in their child. Finding a good anime dad is tough but there have been a number of occasions where we get a dad or father-like figure who is alive, isn’t an asshole, and actually cares about their child. With Father’s Day around the corner we’re celebrating the dads of anime by naming the top 11 dads in anime. They’re the dads that showed love and affection for their child and look out for them no matter what. I’m Nitsuj, and these are my picks for the top 11 Anime Dads.
#11. Whitebeard from One Piece
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This entrant may be cheating somewhat as we’re not really sure if he has an illegitimate child or not at the time of posting this blog, but I feel like he deserves to be on this list. Unlike most pirates who were seeking fame, glory, and power, Whitebeard only wanted one thing in life, a family to call his own. Growing up in poverty and as an orphan, Whitebeard saw family as the greatest treasure in the world and was determined to sail the seas to find his own where he succeeded. Despite being declared the strongest man in the world and the man closest to finding One Piece, Whitebeard was fully aware of his own mortality and knew that the youth were the key to the future and were more important than his life. Despite his large demeanor and reputation, the man was compassionate like nobody else. He adopted countless people of different backgrounds into his crew and cared for them like they were his own children. Hell, the loyalty and respect for him was so high that the crew didn’t just see him as their captain, to them, he was their father and they weren’t ashamed to call him that. Even when one of them stabs him, he turns the other cheek and forgives them showing his fatherly love and understanding. Probably his greatest display of compassion is going to war just to rescue Ace and giving his life to protect the rest of his children from meeting their untimely deaths. Even though Whitebeard may not be their true father, he was a man that had the respect and compassion of one and that’s good for me.
#10. Makarov Dreyar from Fairy Tail
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The lovable guild master of Fairy Tail and the man in charge of all these crazy individuals. Despite his old age, Makarov sees every member of the guild as his own child and has on numerous occasions risked his life to save them from death. To him, the guild is like his family and he values it more than anything as we saw how he ex-communicated his own son and grandson to keep the guild safe and went to war with Phantom Lord when they attacked members of the guild. Even though he disagrees with the ideas of the Magic Council he respects their choices but finds a way to work within those rules to give his guild and himself the freedom that they need to grow. Putting others first and willing to sacrifice himself for them, Makarov embodies the strong will of a father.
#9. Spirit Albarn from Soul Eater
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Let’s be honest, Spirit is not what I would call father of the year material. He’s a womanizer who hits on just about every woman he comes across which led to his wife divorcing him, and his own daughter seeing him as the scum of the earth. So, what puts him on this list? Because of his unconditional love for Maka. Despite Maka not wanting anything to do with Spirit, Spirit wants to be there for her. He’s always doting on her when they’re together and always looks out for her. He also shows unbelievable confidence in her as he honestly believes that she has the skills necessary to not only be a great meister but one if not the best meisters of all time. He’s not the best but he’s a dad who loves his daughter unconditionally and has absolute faith in her skills.
#8. Sojiro Izumi from Lucky Star
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It’s always cool when you and your dad share the same interest in something. Whether it be movies, a TV show, videogames, or sports, it’s a good way to bond with them. For Sojiro and Konata it’s videogames and anime. Again, just by looking at Sojiro it’s easy to piece together where Konata gets a lot of her personality from. Just like his daughter, Sojiro is a hardcore otaku who loves anime and videogames and shares his wealth of knowledge and experience with his daughter. After the death of his wife, Sojiro takes on the burden of raising Konata by himself and giving her the proper love and happiness she deserves. You can tell he cares deeply for Konata and loves the fact that he and his daughter share the same interest as it gives him a way to bond with her and have a place in her life. He may be a lolicon but he’s still a great dad and someone you wish more parents would take after when it comes to anime and videogames
#7. Joichiro Saiba from Food Wars
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Talk about the pure definition of a DILF. Joichiro is the father of Souma. Just like his son, he excels in the art of cooking and is actually way better than his son much to Souma’s annoyance. What makes this guy stand out so much is his calm, playful and cool personality. No matter what the situation is he always remains calm and adapts to what’s going on to get the best results. He’s a cool guy who’s traveled the world over and back to learn new styles of cooking and adapt them to his own craft. Finally, his playful nature is funny. He and Souma have squared off a number of times with Joichiro beating him and rubbing it in his face, but he does it in a playful style that doesn’t discourage Souma and instead drives Souma to get better. He recognizes Souma’s skills and knows that even though Souma’s skills aren’t at his level yet, they will be in the future and he’s determined to keep pushing Souma to get better without being too forceful. Throw in the fact that he ages like fine wine and you have a man that would make any woman young or old fall for him.
#6. Shiro Fujimoto from Blue Exorcist
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Who says you need to be related in order to be a father? I didn’t really get into Blue Exorcist all that much but Shiro’s character really struck a chord with me. Shiro was a man of the church who was dedicated to his duties of protecting the world from Satan but all that changed after the death of his childhood friend Yuri who gave birth to the sons of Satan. Rather than kill them, Shiro instead became their foster dad looking after them and raising them himself. You can tell that he really thought of the boys as his own sons and wanted to keep them safe. Even up to his last minutes when he’s possessed by Satan, he sacrifices his life to keep Rin safe. Shiro shows us that even though you’re not related by blood, you can still be a father to a child you care deeply for.
#5. Kotetsu Kaburagi from Tiger & Bunny
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A veteran superhero whose powers will one day disappear on him. Kotetsu takes on the nearly impossible task of being a superhero while also being a loving father to his daughter who lives in another city. It’s very admirable to see the heights he’s willing to go to keep other people safe while also trying to balance out his personal life and be a good dad to Kaede which he eventually succeeds to a degree. He could have easily given up but he doesn’t, he keeps on trying. While he loves being a superhero, he loves being a dad as well and knows that in the end, that’s his most important job.
#4. Ryoji “Ranka” Fujioka from Ouran High School Host Club
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I can honestly think of no stranger dad than Ryoji the dad of Haruhi. While many would find his okama (or transvestite) lifestyle a little weird, in truth I like to think that he does this for two major reasons. First, this is how he’s dealing with the death of his beloved wife. While the anime didn’t dive deeply into the relationship between Haruhi’s parents, there’s no doubt that Ryoji really did love his wife and out of respect for her will most likely not get remarried. Second, he’s trying to give Haruhi the best of both worlds. He knows that Haruhi needs a strong mother-figure in her life, so he becomes an okama to give Haruhi the love and affection of both a father and a mother. His love for Haruhi really knows no bounds as he constantly worries about her and wants nothing but the best for his little girl. While he acknowledges Haruhi’s independence he wishes she would rely on others more and not keep them at a distance. Ryoji is a man that teaches us that it’s not what’s on the outside that matter but rather what’s on the inside and what’s on the inside of Ranko is a man who loves his daughter very much.
#3. Akio Furukawa from Clannad
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Not only does Nagisa have a loving mother but she also has a fun-loving dad as well. Just like Sanae, Akio choose his career over his daughter but received his wake-up call and made the right choice in the end for his family. While Sanae was sweet and motherly, Akio was fun-loving and fatherly. Every time the guy is on screen, he’s doing his best to make sure his family is full of nothing but laughs and smiles. While he enjoys having fun, he’s not afraid to be a father and lay down the law that if you want his daughter, you’ll have to go through him. He’s kind of like a kid in a grown man’s body and that’s what makes him so likable as a character. He’s a child at heart but at the same time a benevolent man who values the happiness of his daughter and wife above everything else. As long as his family is happy than so is he.
#2. Maes Hughes from FMA: Brotherhood
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You all knew this guy was coming. When it comes to loving dads, no one is more relatable than Hughes. The man never wastes a time bragging about his cute daughter and loving wife every chance he gets to the point that his coworkers are annoyed by it. He loves his family so much that he can’t help but brag about them every chance he gets. Even in his final moments, all he thinks about is his family. Hughes a guy I think a lot of men want to be when they become dads. Fun but strict, caring but protective, providing but always making time for your family. It’s because of these things that Hughes is so high up on the list.
And number one. . .
#1. Fujitaka Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura / Tsubasa Chronicles
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I bet you never saw this character coming. When it comes to anime dads, nobody is more memorable or loving as Fujitaka, the dad of Sakura. What’s not to love about this guy? He’s a single father who works as a college professor and a supportive father who takes on the job of raising Sakura and Touya into well-respected and responsible kids whose always there for them when they need him even if he himself doesn’t fully know what’s going on. I can’t think of a time in the series where this guy was ever upset. He was always happy despite the tragic loss of his wife and being passionate about his work and job that he loved doing. We also got the chance to revisit him in Tsubasa Chronicles where he serves as the foster father for Li Shaoran where just like in the original series, he still remains a lovable guy and a positive influence on Li by helping him break out of his shell and open up to everyone around him. Fujikata in my opinion may just be the perfect anime dad out there. Supportive, loving, caring, passionate, and an all-around great guy that sets the bar for what a dad is, should be, and can be.
And that’s my list, I hoped you enjoyed. If I left any dads out, let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to wish your dad or father-figure in your life a happy Father’s Day. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
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