The List
7 Sexy Anime Dads
by Lynzee Loveridge,
Attractive teenagers are par for the course in anime, with the occasional sexy office worker thrown in for variety, but handsome older men, especially older men with kids, is a much narrower and under-appreciated type of eye-candy. For every doe-eyed Free! boy, there's an anime dad out there working hard for the money, taking care of his kids, and holding down the fort while some teen protagonist gets all the glory. Not anymore! Dad-bod fans, today we're celebrating you.
Jōichirō Yukihira (Shokugeki no Sōma) Yukihira Sr. is a proponent of tough love, making sure his son learns through trial and error. He gives Sōma plenty of room to fall down and pick himself up again, and while he seems flighty, he only took off after he'd imbued his son with a strong sense of self-reliance and a desire to better himself. In his own way, Jōichirō is a great dad, which adds to his already sexy package of great hair, world-class cooking skills, a sense of adventure, and a skin-tight shirt.
Fujitaka Kinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura) Papa Kinomoto is the cozy homebody type that makes you coffee in the morning while he gets the kids ready for school. He's sweet-tempered, caring, and secure enough in his masculinity to tie on an apron and bake a birthday cake. You have to watch out though, because behind that gentle face is a guy who's probably willing to sneak around with his archaeology students. His "hot for teacher" appeal is strong, multiplied by his initially well-meaning and harmless appearance.
Akio Furukawa (CLANNAD) Strong in personality and determination, Akio is a reformed yankee-type, so if you dated him in his youth, you might have caught him breaking people's kneecaps. Somehow, he ended up managing a bakery instead of working his way up the yakuza ranks, but his real dream was always to be a thespian. This means that despite his loud exterior, you can drag him on artsy dates and he'll actually enjoy them! Akio also has a soft spot for his loved ones, willing to endlessly forgive faults like eating their crappy cooking with a smile on his face. Overall, he's a fun-loving guy with both a refined and geeky side who's just as comfortable at the theater as he is building Gunpla at home.
Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist) Who doesn't love a man in uniform? Maes a veteran of the Amestrian State Military who unabashedly loves his family and shows promise of continuing to move up the ranks. He's proud to show off his family and welcomes visitors with open arms. He's also reliable in a crisis, so whether you're facing the horrors of war or having to drive a screaming baby home in traffic, Maes is your man. Do you think he gets to take the uniforms home?
Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (Tiger & Bunny) Including Kotetsu was a matter of weighing pros and cons. On the one hand, he unironically wears a flat cap and has questionable, feline-inspired facial hair. On the other hand, his nickname is "Wild Tiger" which assuredly hints at more things than just his superhero fighting persona. His clumsiness is endearing, but this is also a guy who's comfortable hiding a double life from his family, being out at all hours, and going toe-to-toe with the likes of Blue Rose. His double-life may also include holding a torch for his partner Barnabas, so any potential suitors will have to make peace with that.
Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) Which Joseph do you want? The young, disheveled Joey or the mature, Engrish-exclaiming Sean Connery-alike Joseph? Either are valid options, although technically only the latter is a dad. Joseph has helped save the world on two occasions, balancing a respectable fashion sense with his refined sense of justice. This isn't the one you want to settle down with though. Joseph is a guilty-as-charged philanderer, and he wasn't around for his son when one tryst resulted in Jōsuke. Lovable catchphrases and openness to crossdressing aside, Joseph lands in the one-and-done box.
Yutaka Gouda (My Love Story!!) We've looked at older bishōnen, but most of the entries on this still fall into the quintessential attractive anime guy category. Takeo's dad doesn't fit that mold, at least not following current trends, but he definitely fits into what was considered hot a few generations ago. Yutaka is subtly tanned with thick and slick hair, full lips, and a restrained but considerate sense of style. He definitely seems like he would have been the star of a Japanese beach flick in the late 70s. Yutaka himself has a gentle personality with a deep love for his kids and wife. The guy is a romantic who fervently pursued Takeo's mom with proposal requests until she finally relented.
The new poll: Who is your favorite anime penguin?
The old poll: Recently a poll asked what anime is guilty of having characters all with the same face. The Japanese poll picked K-ON! and Mr. Osomatsu as the top choices, but here's what our readers had to say.
- K-ON!
- Clannad
- Mr. Osomatsu
- Sword Art Online
- Joker Game
- Love Live!
- Mobile Suit Gundam Seed
- One Piece (females only)
- Dragon Ball
- Touch
- Ranma 1/2
- Yuruyuri
- Sailor Moon
- Attack on Titan
- Fafner EXODUS
- Gintama
- Captain Tsubasa
- Wake Up, Girls!
- Shirobako
- Nisekoi
When she isn't compiling lists of tropes, topics, and characters, Lynzee works as the Managing Interest Editor for Anime News Network and posts pictures of her sons on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee.
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