September 20th is “Sky Day.”
Originally established in 1940 as Aviation Day, this commemorative day was renamed “Sky Day” in 1992 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the resumption of civilian aviation.
There are numerous characters in anime that evoke images of the sky. They may be able to fly freely, be inhabitants of a celestial world, or have names that include kanji or words related to the sky. The ways in which they are depicted vary widely.
Therefore, AnimeAnime conducted a reader poll titled “When you think of a character that is associated with the word Sky/Fly, who comes to mind?” following last year’s survey. We received responses from 474 people during the survey period from September 8th to 12th.
Approximately 35% of respondents were male, 55% were female, and 10% did not specify their gender. The majority of respondents were young, with about 50% being 19 years old or younger and approximately 15% being in their 20s.
First Place
In first place is Shoyo Hinata from ‘Haikyuu!!’. With approximately 19% of the votes, he has secured the top spot for four consecutive years.
Many fans were captivated by his powerful spikes and blocks during matches, commenting, “Despite his short height, which is a weakness in volleyball, he jumps as high as he possibly can, making him a truly fitting character for the name Shoyo.” Others said, “Standing at around 160 cm, he’s not exactly tall for a volleyball player, but he jumps higher than anyone else, as if he had wings. His jumps are so powerful that he seems to defy gravity, which amazes everyone who watches him.”
“He embodies the Karasuno High School banner that says ‘Fly.’ In the ‘Battle at the Garbage Dump,’ he smashed the ball over the opponent’s block, making me exclaim, ‘His jump is insane!’ I hope he continues to soar higher than anyone else!” – Thanks to his performance in the movie, he ranked first with an even higher support rate than last year.
Second Place
Hawks from ‘My Hero Academia‘ came in second place. He received approximately 14% of the votes, climbing up one rank from third place last year.
Fans expressed their admiration for Hawks’ Quirk, “Fierce Wings,” saying, “He soars through the sky with his red wings like it’s his personal playground.” Others praised his speed, commenting, “He’s truly the fastest man, and he looks so cool flying effortlessly.” Hawks’ ability to control his wings, his laid-back attitude, and his impressive hero skills make him a very appealing character. Many fans were also drawn to the striking contrast between his crimson wings and the blue sky.
Third Place
In third place is Reimu Hakurei from “Touhou Project.” With approximately 8% of the votes, she dropped one rank from last year.
“While it may seem like a simple ability to fly in the sky, her power actually allows her to ‘float’ free from everything, including gravity. It’s incredibly powerful.” Fans describe her as “a wonderful shrine maiden from paradise, leisurely flying in the sky” and even created a BGM titled “A Mysterious Shrine Maiden Flying Through Space.” She’s often seen as the character in Touhou who best embodies the idea of flying.
Additionally, Utsuho Reiuji ranked 11th. She’s the Hell Raven that houses the divine spirit Yagatarasu. She has large black wings and can fly freely through the sky, and her name, “Utsuho,” even connects her to the sky.
Comments on other characters:
- For Cure Wing from “Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure”: “I was inspired to cheer her on as I watched her strive to fly, even though she’s a Puni Bird who can’t naturally fly.”
- For Towa from “Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included”: “I liked how the story started with her descending from heaven onto Shintaro’s apartment balcony, and in the end, they watched the night view together and flew through the night sky. The act of flying expressed their close bond.”
- For Hina Amano from “Weathering With You” : “She’s a heroine with the power to make the sky sunny. Even though it’s been 5 years since the movie was released, there’s still no movie that depicts the sky more beautifully than this one!”
- For Nausicaä from “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” : “The princess freely soaring through the sky on her Mehve glider is like a bird. The theme song, “Bird People,” perfectly expresses that. I hesitated between her and the flying pigs, but in the end, I decided to support this senior Ghibli film.”
In the 2024 edition, characters from titles with movies released this year have taken the top two spots. Additionally, it’s noteworthy that long-running series dominate the upper ranks of the list. Be sure to check out the top 20 below:
- Shoyo Hinata – Haikyuu!!
- Hawks – My Hero Academia
- Reimu Hakurei – Touhou Project
- Chuuya Nakahara – Bungou Stray Dogs
- Kaito Kid – Magic Kaito 1412, Detective Conan
- Son Goku – Dragon Ball
- Cure Wing/Tsubasa Yunagi – Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure
- Cure Sky/Sora Harewataru – Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure
- Anpanman – Anpanman
- Hina Amano – Weathering With You
- Utsuho Reiuji – Touhou Project
- Doraemon, Doraemon
- Rimuru Tempest, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
- Elaina, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
- Tobio Kageyama, Haikyuu!!
- Gojo Satoru, Jujutsu Kaisen
- Sakura Kinomoto, Cardcaptor Sakura
- Towa, Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included
- Shion, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
- Virginia Robertson, Luminous Witches
Carl Fredricksen, Up
Sally, I’m a Spider, So What?
Tsunayoshi Sawada, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Sora, No Game No Life
Falco Grice, Attack on Titan