October 4 marks Angel Day in Japan, a date chosen through wordplay on the digits for heaven (10) and messenger (4). To celebrate the occasion, Japanese pop-culture outlet Anime! Anime! conducted its annual reader survey asking fans to vote for their favorite anime characters associated with angels.
Collecting responses from 154 participants between September 29 and October 1, the latest poll showcases a fascinating cross-section of celestial beings, supernatural entities, and kind-hearted protagonists who earned the moniker through sheer benevolence.
Angel Beats! Claims the Top Spot
Taking home the crown with approximately 16 percent of the total vote is Kanade Tachibana from Angel Beats!, climbing from her third-place finish last year. Serving as the student council president in the afterlife academy, Kanade is initially labeled the Angel by the Battlefront resistance before her softer, more vulnerable side is revealed.
Voters praised Kana Hanazawa's iconic vocal performance, the unforgettable opening sequence featuring Kanade playing the grand piano with massive white wings, and her surprisingly clumsy fondness for exceptionally spicy mapo tofu.
Chainsaw Man and More Fan Favorites
Securing second place is the Angel Devil from Chainsaw Man. Despite possessing a lethal ability to absorb the remaining lifespan of anyone who touches him, his lethargic demeanor and angelic appearance resonated strongly with the audience.
Meanwhile, Towa from One Room, Hiroyuki, Tensuki. rounded out the top three, celebrated by viewers for her earnest efforts to learn about human society while rooming alongside high schooler Moritaro.
The broader rankings also spotlighted characters like Hana Kurusu from Jujutsu Kaisen, Ran Mouri from Detective Conan—affectionately dubbed Angel by Vermouth—and Panty from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, proving that anime's interpretation of celestial figures spans everything from divine benevolence to chaotic moral ambiguity.
