by May 5th is Children’s Day. It originated from the Boys’ Festival, a festival to pray for the healthy growth of boys, and was established as a national holiday in 1948.
Anime is a genre in which children often play an active role. They overcome difficulties with flexible thinking, stir up trouble with their innocent actions, and sometimes face major incidents that shake the world. So Anime! Anime! Conducted its annual reader survey titled “What anime features children as the main characters?” During the survey period from April 22nd to April 26th, we received responses from 361 people. The gender ratio was about 40 percent men and 60 percent women, with slightly more women. The age group was mainly young people, about 50 percent under 19.
Children’s team play is heartwarming! The No. 1 spot goes to Detective Conan. With a support rate of about 24 percent, it has been at the top for three consecutive years. Readers commented, “Detective Conan is the first to come to mind because it starts every episode with the introductory narration, ‘Looks like a kid, but has the mind of an adult.’
There are plenty of episodes with the Detective Boys, including Conan and Ai, who have shrunk after drinking poison, and Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi. The Detective Boys also face cases with the support of Professor Agasa. Elementary school students find clues to solving cases and thwart the criminal’s plans before they happen. Sometimes, it even saves Japan from crisis, which is the charm of Conan.” The children’s exploits are attracting attention.
The latest film, Detective Conan: Afterimage of the One-Eyed, which is currently in theaters, also became a big hit, and it topped the list by a large margin over the second place. Second place is The Promised Neverland. With a support rate of about 9 percent, it has been in second place for three consecutive years. “The children of Grace Field House had me on my seat every week as they used all their wits to escape.
The truth hidden in the world and the unexpected plot twists were also interesting. “The main character, Emma, is 11, but the youngest child is only 5. Still, seeing them all work together to plan their escape while caring for the younger children was moving. “The story of the children using their wisdom, courage, and intelligence to break through the perfect encirclement created by the adults was worth watching.
The presence of the unique and talented children, such as Emma, who has excellent athletic ability, and Norman, who always gets perfect scores on tests, was also exceptional,” said many fans who enjoyed cheering on the children. In third place was “Crayon Shin-chan.” Its approval rating was about 7 percent, and the top three were the same as last year. “Shin-chan’s jokes are sharp and amazing! The TV anime version is fun and funny, and the movie has some tear-jerking scenes.
It reminds us of the essential things we lost as adults. “I love the Kasukabe Defense Force with Shin-chan, Kazama-kun, Nene-chan, Masao-kun, and Bo-chan. They’re just kindergarteners, but they’re so busy moving the hearts of adults and protecting the world. I was the same age as Shin-chan when the anime started, but I’d surpassed Hiroshi’s age before I knew it. Shin-chan’s stupid power, known as the kindergartener who brings the storm, will never die,” and other adult fans have also loved it.
The movie “Super Brilliant! Scorching Kasukabe Dancers” will be released on August 8th. Bo-chan is a key character in the story, so keep an eye on the struggles of the Kasukabe Defense Force.
Here are some other comments! “SPY×FAMILY, “Another of the stories is a work that cannot be discussed without Anya. It is endearing how she cares for her “father” and “mother” and thinks and acts in her way. Sometimes, it is unclear whether she is helping or getting in the way, but in the end, there are many scenes where Anya helps her overcome crises.” For “THE IDOLM@STER Shiny Colors,” Most of the main characters are high school students, but Komiya Kaho of After School Climax Girls is a sixth grader. Despite being the youngest, she is the unit leader, and in the TV anime, she also entertained the audience in the hero show.” For “Ojamajo Doremi,” The story is interesting, with elementary school girls facing familiar problems at school and home and solving them with magic.
There is an episode that deals with school refusal, which made me think a lot.” For “Nintama Rantaro,” “Rantaro and the other first-year students at the Ninjutsu Academy are 10 years old, and the sixth-graders who look mature are 15. In modern terms, they are still children.
They did a great job in the movie version of “Dokutake Ninja Corps Strongest Strategist.” There were also votes for the titles of movies that were released. The top three in the 2025 edition remain unchanged from last year. In particular, many works focus on children around elementary school age and works that feature teamwork are gaining popularity.
Ranking Top 10 [What anime do you think children play a major role in? 2025 Edition] 1st place: Detective Conan 2nd place: The Promised Neverland 3rd place: Crayon Shin-chan 4th place: Nintama Rantarou 5th place: Doraemon 6th place: Assassination Classroom 6th place: SPY×FAMILY 8th place: Ro-Kyu-Bu! 9th place: Hunter x Hunter 10th place: Digimon Adventure 10th place: Non-Non Biyori 10th place: My Hero Academia (Response period: April 22nd to April 26th, 2025)
Ranking Top 20 [What anime do you think children play a major role in? 2025 Edition] 1st place: “Detective Conan” 2nd place: “The Promised Neverland” 3rd place: “Crayon Shin-chan” 4th place: “Nintama Rantarou” 5th place: “Doraemon” 6th place: “Assassination Classroom” 6th place: “SPY×FAMILY” 8th place: “Ro-Kyu-Bu! ” 9th place: “HUNTER×HUNTER” 10th place: “Digimon Adventure” 10th place: “Non Non Biyori” 10th place: “My Hero Academia” 13th place: “The Master of the Guardian” 13th place: “Bokurano” 13th place: “Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha” 16th place: “Made in Abyss” 17th place: “Chibi☆Devil! 17th place: “Cells at Work!” 17th place: “Pokémon” 20th place: “Medalist” (Response period: April 22nd to April 26th, 2025) This survey is part of a survey of readers’ current interest and attention in anime works and characters. The results are not intended to determine the superiority or inferiority of any character or work. We hope this article will help you learn about new works and characters and deepen your understanding and interest.
