On May 25, celebrated as “Terminator Day” in Japan — named after the date the film The Terminator was set to arrive in 1985 — the popular anime website Anime!Anime! conducted a reader poll titled “Which android character comes to mind first?” The survey ran from May 12–18, 2026, drawing a total of 194 respondents: approximately 45% male and 55% female. The largest age group was 19 and under at roughly 40%, followed by the 20s and 40s brackets at around 15% each.
Android characters have carved out a beloved niche across anime and games, whether as sensitive characters still learning what it means to feel, fierce fighters, or figures wrestling with the question of their own identity. It is precisely their nature as “something not quite human” that gives them an enduring, irresistible appeal.
Rank 1 — Tama, from Gintama
Tama claimed first place with roughly 14% of the vote, climbing from second place last year to take the top spot this year. She is a discarded housekeeper robot found at a garbage dump, and before taking a job at the Snack “Otose” bar she charmed readers with her expressionless face, logical thinking, and unexpectedly lovable personality — plus dialogue that sounds polite but carries a sharp edge.
Many fans also mentioned Tama’s important role during the “Kintama” arc, where she withstands a brain-wipe because she is a machine, and can still remember “Gin-san.” Her role in the film Gintama THE FINAL was frequently cited as well. This year also sees the release of the new theatrical film Shin Gekijouban Gintama -Yoshiwara Daienjo-, proof that fans’ love for this classic title remains as strong as ever.
Rank 2 — Ruru Amour / Cure Amour, from HUGっと！プリキュア
Ruru Amour received roughly 8% of the vote, dropping one rank from her champion position last year. She was originally an android agent of the organization Criasu, infiltrating school as a transfer student to gather intelligence on the PreCure — but her encounters with “Emiru Aisaki” gradually awakened her heart.
Many readers were moved by Ruru’s arc: from a cold-blooded machine analysing enemies to someone who discovered love and became the ultimate PreCure. The emotional warmth her voice actress brings to the role in particular has grown steadily, creating a deeply touching experience for fans.
Rank 3 — R. Tanaka Ichiro, from 究極超人あ～る (Ultimate Superman R)
R. Tanaka Ichiro earned roughly 6% of the vote, rising from 4th place last year to break into the top 3. He is an android who transfers to Harukazenoki High School’s photography club. Fans are charmed by his “more human than human” quality — his boy-next-door appearance and the standout detail that he uses rice as fuel, which readers find amusingly novel. One fan summed up his character’s appeal in a single quote: “If he can’t eat rice, he gets hungry.” In 2025 the series even released a memorial birthday manga chapter, showing that fans continue to cherish this classic work.
Other Notable Characters
- Marie, from Kikaikake no Marie (機械じかけのマリー) — a human who must pose as a robot to serve a master who despises humans
- Yaziro, from Apocalypse Hotel (アポカリプスホテル) — an android who keeps maintaining the hotel even as humanity faces extinction
- ATRI, from ATRI -My Dear Moments- — an android overflowing with emotion, with the catchphrase “Because I have this much capability!” who moves viewers to unavoidable tears
- Ortho Shroud, from Disney Twisted Wonderland — a humanoid android with a free AI consciousness, his own feelings and intentions, who lives as a younger brother beside “Idia”
Full Top 10 Results
- Rank 1 — Tama (Gintama)
- Rank 2 — Cure Amour / Ruru Amour (HUGっと！プリキュア)
- Rank 3 — R. Tanaka Ichiro (究極超人あ～る)
- Rank 4 — Ortho Shroud (Disney Twisted Wonderland)
- Rank 4 — Ritsu (Autonomous Thinking Fixed Cannon) (Assassination Classroom)
- Rank 6 — Norimaki Arale (Dr. Slump)
- Rank 7 — Android Yamada (Yo-kai Watch)
- Rank 7 — Nadeshiko (Android wa Keiken Ninzuu ni Hairimasu ka??)
- Rank 7 — Yugure (Towa no Yugure)
- Rank 10 — Inefa (Genshin Impact)
- Rank 10 — Ultimate Mechamaru (Jujutsu Kaisen)
- Rank 10 — Roboco (Ninja to Koroshiya no Futarigurashi)
This year’s poll results show that fans are drawn to android characters who grow and transform through their relationships with humans, as well as characters with an endearingly machine-like “straightforwardness” that stands out and stays in the memory.
Source: aniani
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