- Photo 1:
- Science SARU
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- Ajia-do
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- Production I.G
The Best Boys Of Anime 2024, Ranked
It's the end of 2024, and it's time to tally up the best anime boys of the year.
Some of the most popular male anime characters of 2024 hail from action-packed shows like Kaiju No. 8, Dandadan, and Solo Leveling. Others are romantic leads from shows like A Sign of Affection or Blue Box. Some certainly qualify as the most handsome anime boys, with Arnold Hein from 7th Time Loop being an excellent example. Others, like Tokiyuki Hojo from The Elusive Samurai, are better described as the most adorable anime boys.
Whether you like a male anime character because he's a badass warrior or anime husbando material, there's plenty to choose from in 2024.
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Sung Jinwoo - 'Solo Leveling'
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- A-1 Pictures
Who Is He?: At first, Sung Jinwoo is the weakest hunter in the entire system, which means that he can only enter the easiest of dungeons and can't make much money. After an encounter with a strange computer system that forces him to train under the threat of death, he's able to gain strength he never knew was possible.
Why Fans Love Him: Sung Jinwoo's motive for hanging in there despite his weakness is pretty sympathetic - he needs to pay his mother's medical bills. Watching him overcome his weakness in such a grueling way is truly impressive, especially because we get to see his quite human and understandable emotional reactions along the way.
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- 2
Arnold Hein - '7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!'
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- Studio Kai, HORNETS
Who Is He?: He's the Crown Prince of the military nation of Galkhein and Rishe's fiancé. He's known for being cruel and harsh, but the reality is far different.
Why Fans Love Him: Good romantic heroes are often multi-layered. They can seem rough on the surface, but once you get to know them, it becomes clear that they're more complex than that. Maybe they have a good reason for their antisocial behavior, or maybe they're hiding kind intentions. Without going into specific details that might spoil the show, Arnold definitely fits this archetype.
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- 3
Aqua Hoshino - 'Oshi no Ko'
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- Doga Kobo
Who Is He?: Aqua Hoshino is the son of an idol named Ai Hoshino - at least, that's what he is in this life. Before he was reincarnated as Aqua, he was actually Ai's doctor and a big fan of her idol work. Now, he's trying to figure out who took his mother's life and get revenge.
Why Fans Love Him: Sometimes, the trope involving an adult in the body of a teenager can come across as jarring or annoying. In this case, Aqua is able to use his adult intelligence to solve intriguing mysteries and infiltrate a complicated industry. He comes across as unusually smart for his age, but his emotions aren't totally unreasonable for a person his age.
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- 4
Haruka Sakura - 'Wind Breaker'
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- CloverWorks
Who Is He?: After being shunned all his life for his unusual hair and eyes, Haruka Sakura never really managed to develop social skills or make friends. Instead, he's dedicated his life to fighting, which is why he came to Furin High School. There, he's able to use his fighting prowess, but he's also able to have what he thought he never could - friends.
Why Fans Love Him: The best thing about Haruka Sakura is his emotional journey. He starts off as an emotionally stunted kid who can't get close to anyone. Later, he still maintains his love for fighting, but he manages to actually form meaningful bonds with others and find reasons to fight that actually help others. It's impressive and heartwarming.
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- 5
Itsuomi Nagi - 'A Sign of Affection'
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- Ajia-do
Who Is He?: Itsuomi Nagi is a college student who loves traveling and learning about other cultures. To do that, he has to learn other languages. He first starts talking to Yuki because he wants to learn sign language from her.
Why Fans Love Him: His priorities are different from most college students' - and most anime characters'. He cares about things beyond his immediate experience and wants to learn as much as he can about the world and the people in it. Additionally, he's genuinely sweet to Yuki, making it easy to root for the two of them to get together.
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- 6
Osamu Dazai - 'No Longer Allowed in Another World'
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- Atelier Pontdarc
Who Is He?: Osamu Dazai is the anime version of the real, famous author by the same name. After attempting double suicide with his lover, he finds himself reincarnated into another world. Unlike most people in this situation, he's primarily disappointed that he didn't actually die.
Why Fans Love Him: This character is probably more appealing to fans of Japanese literature than to the general populace, but if you've ever read No Longer Human or any of the author's other works, the idea of him being isekai'd to another world will strike you as particularly hilarious. Still, he's pretty funny even if you don't get all the references - most isekai protagonists aren't getting cat girls and priestesses to drag them around in a coffin!
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- 7
Ken Takakura - 'Dandadan'
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- Science SARU
Who Is He?: Ken Takakura, also known as Okarun, is a nerdy teenage boy who is obsessed with aliens but doesn't believe in spirits and yokai. While trying to prove that aliens exist and spirits don't, he ends up getting cursed by a spirit known as Turbo Granny.
Why Fans Love Him: Okarun is great because he's both passionate and vulnerable. He loves aliens because he wants to be taken away from Earth to a place where he could possibly make friends. As he gets closer to Momo, he's clearly overjoyed to be making a real human friend. His desire for connection makes him feel relatable. Additionally, his curse transformations are both awesome and hilarious.
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- 8
Kafka Hibino - 'Kaiju No. 8'
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- Production I.G
Who Is He?: Kafka Hibino once worked cleaning up after kaiju battles. After an incident that allows him to transform into a human-kaiju hybrid, he's able to join the Defense Force to help fight them himself, just as he's always dreamed.
Why Fans Love Him: If you're an adult watching this series, Kafka is a particularly great character because he proves that life doesn't stop when you get older - you can still achieve the dreams you thought were impossible. He's also just a fun character. He has a great sense of humor - albeit a childish one - and he's bursting with compassion for other people.
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- 9
Masachika Kuze - 'Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian'
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- Doga Kobo
Who Is He?: Masachika Kuze is the object of Alya's affections, and he knows it. She only flirts with him in Russian, but he actually understands Russian, so he's fully aware of what she's saying.
Why Fans Love Him: Male leads in this type of romance series can sometimes be a bit featureless and dull, but Masachika Kuze is actually a pretty smart character. He doesn't particularly care about school, but he's good at gaming, and he's observant and cares about other people's emotions.
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- MAPPA
Who Is He?: While training with his father Genma, martial artist Ranma fell into a spring that transformed him into a girl. When he's splashed with hot water, he becomes a boy again, but cold water will turn him back into a girl. While dealing with this bizarre curse, he gets engaged to Akane Tendo, the daughter of a dojo owner.
Why Fans Love Him: If you're an LGBTQ+ millennial, you almost definitely vibed with Ranma at one point or another. Heck, his transformation into a girl may very well have been your queer awakening. But even if those labels don't apply to you, Ranma is still a pretty fun character. He's a badass martial artist navigating a very tricky situation with a good sense of humor.
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- 11
Laios Touden - 'Delicious in Dungeon'
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- Trigger
Who Is He?: Laios Touden is the leader of an adventuring party that is currently attempting to rescue his sister from a dragon that just ate her. He's fascinated by the idea of turning the creatures and plants found in the dungeon into edible food, even if that sometimes means giving himself food poisoning.
Why Fans Love Him: It's hard not to love a character who is passionate about something, no matter what it is. Laios might be willing to risk being poisoned for the thrill of trying dungeon food, but hey, at least he really cares. Despite his obsession, he's generally pretty kind and considerate of others - especially his sister, for whom he'll do anything.
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- 12
Soshiro Hoshina - 'Kaiju No. 8'
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- Production I.G
Who Is He?: He's the vice-captain of the Third Division of the Defense Force and a renowned swordsman from the Hoshina clan. He's typically pretty laid-back, but when things get tough, he's serious and competent.
Why Fans Love Him: There's something deeply appealing about a character who seems chill on the surface but can be a total badass when pushed. One of the most popular characters like this is Shikamaru Nara from Naruto, but Soshiro has those vibes, too. Additionally, his dedication to swordsmanship is admirable, even when he's fighting against kaiju.
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- 13
Senshi - 'Delicious in Dungeon'
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- Trigger
Who Is He?: Senshi is a dwarf who joins Laios's adventuring party. He's an expert in cooking with ingredients found in the dungeon. Unlike Laios, who is enthusiastic but not particularly knowledgeable, Senshi has tons of experience and know-how.
Why Fans Love Him: Senshi is creative and knowledgeable. He can create delicious meals from sources that look like garbage, dangerous enemies, or even poisons to others. That kind of ingenuity is hard not to love.
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Hojo Tokiyuki - 'The Elusive Samurai'
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- CloverWorks
Who Is He?: At just eight years old, Hojo Tokiyuki lost his entire clan in the fall of Kamakura. Though he was once the clan's heir, he now has to focus on staying hidden long enough to fight back and reclaim what belongs to him.
Why Fans Love Him: Tokiyuki is beyond adorable. Before the incident that destroyed his clan, he was a happy-go-lucky kid who found joy in escaping from his caretakers. After the incident, it takes a while for him to move forward - he's realistically traumatized. But he eventually rallies and starts using his unusual evasiveness skills. It's cool seeing him develop and use such a unique set of skills.
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- 15
Taiki Inomata - 'Blue Box'
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- Telecom Animation Film
Who Is He?: He's the vice-captain of the badminton team at his school. Through his admiration for Chinatsu, he redoubles his dedication to the sport.
Why Fans Love Him: Taiki is an incredibly dedicated and hardworking person who will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Watching him try his absolute hardest - and seeing what gives him the inspiration to keep trying despite challenges - is a lot of fun. But he's not just focused on his own goals; he's also quite willing to encourage others.
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- 16
Kraft Lawrence - 'Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf'
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- Passione
Who Is He?: Kraft Lawrence is a traveling merchant who has an unexpected encounter with the wolf goddess Holo. He agrees to take her to her hometown in exchange for her assistance with his sales work.
Why Fans Love Him: If your favorite qualities in a man are practicality and maturity, Kraft Lawrence might be your favorite male anime character of the year. He has an impressive head for business and a logical approach to life in general. Still, his logical worldview can be shaken by someone a little more fantastical, like a wolf goddess.
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Kyotaro Ichikawa - 'The Dangers In My Heart'
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- Shin-Ei Animation
Who Is He?: Kyotaro Ichikawa is an angsty teenager who is obsessed with true crime and likes to imagine himself as a badass villain. But in reality, he's actually way too kind and empathetic to ever do the things he fantasizes about.
Why Fans Love Him: One of the things that's so great about Kyotaro is how much he acts like an actual middle school boy. This makes him relatable to kids his age and more realistic and compelling for older viewers who can remember their own childhoods. A lot of anime kids this age can end up behaving like miniature adults, so Kyotaro is a breath of fresh air.
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- 18
Will Serfort - 'Wistoria: Wand and Sword'
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- Actas, Bandai Namco Pictures
Who Is He?: Will Serfort is a student at Regarden Magical Academy. Though he can't actually use magic, he can absorb magic and load it into his sword, which he uses with exceptional skill.
Why Fans Love Him: Everybody loves an underdog who rises above their circumstances, and that's exactly what Will brings to the table. He isn't about to give up on his dreams just because he lacks traditional magical abilities; he's going to find his own way through.
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- 19
Kazuhiko Nukumizu - 'Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!'
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- A-1 Pictures
Who Is He?: Despite being a key part of the literature club and uniquely talented at helping his female classmates deal with heartbreak, Kazuhiko Nukumizu is somehow convinced that he doesn't actually have friends. He's always been a loner, so he struggles to understand when he's actually created real bonds.
Why Fans Love Him: Nukumizu is a genuinely perceptive person who cares deeply about others. His attempts to help are often awkward - he makes a real mess of things while trying to help Komari deal with her anxiety - but he's truly trying his best without expecting much in return. He's also never inappropriate with his female friends, which is more than a lot of male anime protagonists can say.
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Demon Lord Veltol - 'Demon Lord 2099'
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- J.C.Staff
Who Is He?: Veltol is a villainous, immortal demon lord who is currently powerless because his power stems from his followers' beliefs. Right now, he's trying to re-establish himself so that he can gain enough power to rule the world.
Why Fans Love Him: It's always entertaining to watch an arrogant dude with superpowers have to deal with being a normal person for a while. It makes them appear more human and reveals aspects of their personality that might not come out otherwise. That's what's happening with Veltol. The fact that he's pretty good-looking doesn't hurt his case, either.
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