Chinese website bilibili recently took a reader poll to find the most “moe” characters of 2015. Not only was the competition fierce, but the “cute dudes” top 8 was extremely surprising.
The definition of a “moe” character is pretty broad, but generally speaking, a “moe” character is one that people have strong feelings for or devotion to. Over 1,500 male names and over 1,700 female names were originally submitted in the Chinese poll to find the crème de la crème of moe and in mid-December, those huge numbers were culled down to a Sweet 16 and, after another round of voting, the Elite 8.
Which moe-tastic female characters were still standing in the end?
▼ Female Top 8
The girls championship was packed with familiar moe characters that would likely top any list chosen in Japan and Western countries as well. They included girls from Sword Art Online, Fate/stay night and Love Live! all of which are popular shows with passionate fanbases.
▼ Male Top 8
The guys category had two very surprising entries in the Top 8 characters, though: Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom and Ash Ketchum from Pokémon. How either of those two characters made it into the final bunch is beyond us. Are Koro-sensei or Ash even considered moe characters by most people? An even crazier question is how did Ash beat out China, the character that represents the country of the same name from Hetalia??
No matter, the die has been cast; and it was up to Chinese readers to decide who the top moe characters would be. After tens of thousands of votes, only one female and one male were ranked as the “King and Queen of Moe 2015”.
▼ Saber (Fate/stay night)
▼ Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)
Second and third place finishers were as follows.
▼ 2nd Place – Rin Tosaka (Fate/stay night) and Koro-sensei (Assassination Classroom)
▼ 3rd Place – Asuna Yuuki (Sword Art Online) and Gintoki Sakata (Gintama)
Did your favorite moe characters make it to the Top 8? Who would you have picked as the best character? Let us know in the comments section below! Also, for anyone wondering what anime the other characters are from, here’s a little list.
Female Top 8
Asuna Yuuki – Sword Art Online
Rin Tosaka – Fate/stay night
Kurisu Makise – Steins;Gate
Megumi Kato – Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
Saber – Fate/stay night
Eli Ayase – Love Live!
Chiyo Sakura – Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun
Angel – Angel Beats!
Male Top 8
Koro-sensei – Assassination Classroom
Monkey D. Luffy – One Piece
Lelouch Lamperouge – Code Geass
Levi Ackerman – Attack on Titan
Archer – Fate/stay night
Kirito – Sword Art Online
Gintoki Sakata – Gintama
Ash Ketchum – Pokémon
Source: My Game News Flash
Images: bilibili edited by RocketNews24
Which Japanese anime character should be Prime Minister of Japan?
My Hero Academia now accepting votes for “World Best Hero” from its vast roster of quirky characters
Introducing Akita Prefecture’s new moe mascot character, the adorable Sui Kizakura!
Japanese fans pick their top 10 fave dastardly anime protagonists in online poll
Japanese readers vote their top 10 coolest Shonen Jump characters with scars
Japan’s budget chain restaurant Saizeriya might just be the perfect first date location
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]
Are Japanese convenience store sandwiches scamming us with their fillings?
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Major Tokyo subway line shut down by in-train mobile battery fire
Final Fantasy’s Yoshitaka Amano illustrates exclusive Japan-only Magic: The Gathering card
7-Eleven Japan’s “Paper Tiger” sandwich sparks online controversy over deceptive packaging
Japanese man drives truck that’s on fire directly to fire station, drops flaming potatoes[Videos]
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Now is the time to visit one of Tokyo’s best off-the-beaten-path plum blossom gardens
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Like a boss – Anime fans pick the top 30 characters they’d like to work for