Favorite kindergarten-age characters in anime

[EmperorBrandon]

I had thought about making a topic like this before, since it was on my mind with Clannad After Story - Ushio is one of my favorite characters. With the news of Gainax's new anime, though, it seems like a particularly appropriate time to start it. I was thinking that there really aren't too many major characters around the age (about 4-6 years old here). When you see them, they tend to be a minor characters around for a few eps. and not many that are important characters from what I remember (many of the requisite "little girl" characters tend to be older grade-schoolers in my mind). Besides Ushio, the only one of my mind is the precocious Hatoko from Angelic Layer who is also pretty awesome. Which kindergarten-age characters are notable to you or among your favorites? (EDIT: If you have any favorites among minor characters, feel free to mention too - I'm not leaving them out here)

[something]

Besides the one you mentioned, yeah, few come to mind and fewer are very important characters.

And by few I mean none, looking over my DVDs and other stuff I've seen... there has to be something though. Generally though, anime doesn't go below the first few years of elementary school, because get much younger than that and they can't really *do* anything.

Edit: Oh wait, how old is Darry in the first half of Gurren Lagann? Though it's not until the second half where I really had any reason to take notice of her.

[Fencedude]

Ushio of course, absolutely the best ever.

Hatoko is awesome as well, also a budding lesbian (something about long dark hair...), and just generally awesome.

And third is probably Yuzuyu from Aishiteruze Baby.

[Suwako Moriya]

Aside from Ushio of Clannad and Hatoko of Angelic Layer, none come to mind right now.

[Classical]

I can't think of other kindergarten-age characters aside from Hatoko that I particularly like. Still, Hatoko is an awesome character who is great at Angelic Layer. Not to mention her relationship with Misaki was pure win.

[EmperorBrandon]

Generally though, anime doesn't go below the first few years of elementary school, because get much younger than that and they can't really *do* anything.

Yeah, that's an important point to bring up. Though that does make it all the more interesting what they did do in Clannad, as Ushio does seem to act her age. Hatoko doesn't really seem her age as much in comparison.

[Suwako Moriya]

And third is probably Yuzuyu from Aishiteruze Baby.

Ah, her. She's cute, but for whatever reason I gave up on watching the anime. So I didn't feel like counting her.

[something]

Hatoko is awesome as well, also a budding lesbian (something about long dark hair...), and just generally awesome.
I guess I had her pegged for typical ~8 year old "very young" anime character age bracket. But she's only 5... jeeze. Yeah, I like her too.

[EmperorBrandon]

And third is probably Yuzuyu from Aishiteruze Baby.

That title was one I was thinking about (looks like it counts, looking at the basic story) though I haven't seen it. I wonder if I should try it out at some point.

[Yuriko]

I'm fuzzy on the age qualifications but Rihoko from Witchblade wins this category hands down for me. I felt so sorry for her whenever she worried about something. She felt very much like a real young person (if rather precocious) instead of a plot device or annoying "sidekick" as is common.

I'm sure there are some others I quite liked too but my memory is failing me right now.

~Y

[KomoriKiri]

Kiko-chan (http://www.ssw.net/temp/kiko.jpg). Unfortunately the series she's from (Kiko-chan Sumairu) never made it to LD, much less DVD, so there's little chance of seeing much of it. I do have the manga and, as the link shows, a nice plushie. No quotes from her, though, since she hardly says a thing (some day I need to sit down and translate the one big spiel she gives).

And, although she doesn't qualify quite yet, Yotsuba is sure to enter this category before too long.

Other than that, yeah, not too many characters in this age range worth mentioning. I'll give honorable mention to Fumi of Mainichi Kaasan, but only for her headbanging in the opening.

Wraith
"Real children don't go hoppity-skip unless they are on drugs."
-- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

[Spirit Of The Stage]

The three key ones have already been mentioned (Ushio, Hatoko, Yuzuyu) so I'm gonna just be evil and add Ami from Shugo Chara on the list as one you want to forget...(she has one focal point involving Utau), the very weird 3 year old Hitomi from Puni Puni Poemi and a special mention to Nekozawa's sister in Ouran Host, she of shoujo manga terms. :P

[EmperorBrandon]

Hatoko is awesome as well, also a budding lesbian (something about long dark hair...), and just generally awesome.
I guess I had her pegged for typical ~8 year old "very young" anime character age bracket. But she's only 5... jeeze. Yeah, I like her too.

To tell the truth, I might have not thought about her if it weren't for the fact she's referred to as a "kindergarten kid" throughout the show.

[something]

so I'm gonna just be evil and add Ami from Shugo Chara on the list as one you want to forget...
She was in the back of my mind but I kept telling myself it was just a lingering nightmare.

[Suwako Moriya]

so I'm gonna just be evil and add Ami from Shugo Chara on the list as one you want to forget...(she has one focal point involving Utau),

Well, since you reminded us of her, you officially qualify as evil.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

Another vote for the Miracle Kindergartner Hatoko.

I think she's the only one of any significance in everything that I've seen.

[TnAdct1]

What, no love for Puchiko from DiGi Charat?

[DJ_72]

I have to add Utako Ohkawa from CLAMP School Detectives. She's fiesty, outspoken and fun. But, like Hatoko, she's way too composed to seem real for her age. How many "Kindergarten Student Council Presidents" have you met? :bigsmile:

It makes sense for Rihoko to be wise beyond her years since 1. There are so few children left and 2. She's spent most of her life in survival mode.

Yuzuyu: Oni...gi-ri...Oni...gi-ri....:)

She's the most realistic I've seen: cute, affectionate, playful, naive, and sensitive, but also selfish and impulsive at times. You could tell the writers were familiar with 5-year-olds.

[Ashyukun]

so I'm gonna just be evil and add Ami from Shugo Chara on the list as one you want to forget...(she has one focal point involving Utau),

Well, since you reminded us of her, you officially qualify as evil.
I actually found Ami rather amusing, though admittedly I've not watched the anime for a while and have just been reading the translated manga as it comes out.

Another to add to the list is Tama-chan from Hare Tokidoki Buta (aka Tokyo Pig, though I doubt more than a few others have even heard of it..). She's voiced by the same seiyuu as Ami actually and is a lot of fun- especially when it comes to telephones.

Ushio though still wins as being the best, hands down...

[Avatar]

Beaten to the punch - I was going to mention the girls from CLAMP School Detectives. I totally agree that they were nothing like actual kindergartners, though. And don't get me started on the creepiness of kindergarten girls "dating" 4th to 6th grade age boys! I guess that is just something you have to ignore to enjoy the show.

[Spirit Of The Stage]

so I'm gonna just be evil and add Ami from Shugo Chara on the list as one you want to forget...(she has one focal point involving Utau),

Well, since you reminded us of her, you officially qualify as evil.

I've been here nearly 3 years and you now just qualify me as evil? Man...thought I did that years ago...



Yuzuyu: Oni...gi-ri...Oni...gi-ri....:)

She's the most realistic I've seen: cute, affectionate, playful, naive, and sensitive, but also selfish and impulsive at times. You could tell the writers were familiar with 5-year-olds.

Her pu-rin...pu-rin... was the cutest thing ever. Aishiteruze Baby is a woefully underrated series - it really does tug on the heartstrings but ends happily.

[Yukino Miyazawa]

Chibiusa from Sailor Moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chibiusa)
Shin-chan and his friends from Crayon Shin-chan (http://www.shinchanshow.com/)
Yumeko (http://www.usagi.org/~doi/hime/char/yumeko.html), Hime-chan's little sister from Hime-chan no Ribbon
Kiko-chan from Kiko-chan Smile (http://www.eiken-anime.jp/works/works047.html)

[TnAdct1]

Shin-chan and his friends from Crayon Shin-chan (http://www.shinchanshow.com/)
Crap. I forgot all about Shin-chan. He's definitely one of the best kindergarten-aged characters IMO.

ASS DANCE!!!

[Garasharp K7]

Ichijou's little sister from Pani Poni Dash. She's odder than her sister in some ways.
Little Val from UFO Princess Valkyrie.
And yeah, Shin-chan too.

[djanss]

Chibiusa from Sailor Moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chibiusa)
Yumeko (http://www.usagi.org/~doi/hime/char/yumeko.html), Hime-chan's little sister from Hime-chan no Ribbon]

...So, Mei from "Totoro" would only qualify as preschool, then? ^_^

Well, that leaves Mako, the determined Valentine's Day kindergartner who pursued Ten-chan in the UY episode--
But only because I was trying to remember the similarly obsessive Momoka from "Daa!Daa!Daa!".

[Nork22]

That has to go to Yuzuyu Sakashita from Aishiteruze Baby.

Makes the man in me go... "Awwww...."

[ParaParaJMo]

Rin from Hokuto no Ken
Ayane and Susume from Rurouni Kenshin
The kids from Ashita no Joe

[Suwako Moriya]

Ichijou's little sister from Pani Poni Dash. She's odder than her sister in some ways.

Right here would be an example of a character that I had forgotten to mention.

[ColoradoJim]

I think Ten from Urusei Yatsura probably qualifies as a kid in that age range although I'm not sure exactly what grade he is in. He does appear in an alien school bus with other alien kids so I'm pretty sure he's not a preschooler.

[djanss]

I think Ten from Urusei Yatsura probably qualifies as a kid in that age range although I'm not sure exactly what grade he is in. He does appear in an alien school bus with other alien kids so I'm pretty sure he's not a preschooler.

No, that's his lil' legendary axe-swinging pal Kintaro, who more than qualifies for the list. :)

[zaldar]

hmm really this topic scares me...shin chan I just don't get the attraction at all every time I see him i just want to slap the insolent little snot..his parents are not much better unfortunately.

I won't go into how it scares me as I know that has become a massive broken record around here, but I do have one. Not exactly sure if she qualifies as I haven't read through the entire thread but little red riding hood from Fairy Musketeers certainly acts and looks like a kindergartner and I find her absolutely hilarious.

[something]

I won't go into how it scares me as I know that has become a massive broken record around here
Saying that you won't get into it because it makes you a broken record is no better than just doing it - because you're still doing it, just in a more disguised way. The fact that you expected there to be anything "scary" about it shows that the problem is with you, so stop dragging your baggage into every thread that mentions a character under 16. Why couldn't you just offer your suggestion normally like everyone else?

[Jimmie M]

The kindergarten kids in You're Under Arrest! most certainly & of them little Maho (http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6921/maho.jpg) stands out the most IMO. BTW, for the Animeigo DVDs Coastal Studios used actual grade-school kids instead of adult voice actors for the English dub. A little OT but worth mentioning here.

[zaldar]

I won't go into how it scares me as I know that has become a massive broken record around here
Saying that you won't get into it because it makes you a broken record is no better than just doing it - because you're still doing it, just in a more disguised way. The fact that you expected there to be anything "scary" about it shows that the problem is with you, so stop dragging your baggage into every thread that mentions a character under 16. Why couldn't you just offer your suggestion normally like everyone else?

Ok thought I had toned it down enough guess I was wrong. I apologize, leaving thread.