In case you guys aren’t familiar with the expression, a man eater is sort of an old fashion way of saying a seductress, you know, a woman who enjoys flirting and flaunting her charms and isn’t necessarily above using them to her advantage occasionally.
It says something that when I was doing essentially the same list for male characters last week, it took me all of five minutes to come up with dozens of names. I had to cut down my original list to fit in a single post. Yet, I drew a complete blank when it came to female characters and even had to ask for help from fellow bloggers.
I’m sure some of it has to do with the type of anime I watch but all the female characters that came to mind where either unintentionally sexy, unaware of their charms or madly devoted to a single character and flirting with them only. And the ones I did find where either minor characters or sort of evil. Where all my harlots at? Man, my saucy lady vocabulary could really use an update…
So after actual research and a collaborative effort, here we go with the top 5 flirty ladies that know how to work it!
5. Blair – Soul Eater
Both a minor character and starts off as an antagonist. Like any self-respecting cat, Blair cares about her appearance and makes sure she looks her best. And her best happens to be very very good! She is definitely very comfortable using her ample gifts to distract others or convince them of the righteousness of her way of thinking.
This said, even in casual situations, she tends to use honeyed tones and lots of compliments when talking with others. There’s a reason why she seems to be a welcomed houseguest wherever she goes, despite her questionable motives. A fun loving and rather sweet seductress, she reminds us why we all love a good catgirl.
4. Shion Karanomori – Psycho Pass
Shion doesn’t get enough love if you ask me. I know, I know, there are already so many awesome characters in Psycho Pass, and she’s not that present so she sort of gets forgotten, but Shion is a fantastic character. Stradling the moral line, as far as Sybil goes, she has an unstable Psycho Pass but is at the MWPSB voluntarily and her status as an exceptionally skilled physician offers her advantages not available to all.
Wait, I forgot what we were talking about here. This is Shion’s official type: she prefers older men and cute women. Shion knows how to enjoy the simple pleasures and she isn’t shy about it. Although not the type to just seduce those around her for profit, she does not miss the opportunity to try her luck with anyone she finds attractive. A smart flirty blonde with a weakness for the strong silent type, she’s one of the only two ladies that immediately came to mind.
3. Faye Valentine – Cowboy Bebop
Yay a main character and not a villain. I mean Bebop doesn’t really have any true good guys, but Faye is definitely not a villain. Admittedly, she’s not overly flirty but this list was really hard to put together so close enough.
Faye does know how attractive she is and will use it to get out of a tough spot if she can. For a lot of the more mature, American otakus, Faye may be the first true instance of an anime Femme Fatale they’ve encountered which has cemented her ongoing popularity as a cosplay of choice. (I’ve done it too – NOT the most comfortable)
2. Fujiko Mine – Lupin III
Yeah, I had to dig up some classic for this one. I can’t believe the internet had to remind me of her, since Fujiko may be the archetype here. Openly sexual and usually manipulative about it, Fujiko Mine (who’s more or less a James Bond type sexpun anti villain) considers her looks and appeal a very important part of her arsenal.
She’s not above seducing anyone she can use and hasn’t been shown to develop particular attachments to her romantic partners/victims. When you think sexpot, you probably picture Fujiko. Ironically, her cosplay is way more comfortable and can easily be adapted to Celty for a more modern look…
1. Lust – FMA
I mean duh… it’s Lust. The actual personification of the trope. I’m a little disappointed we only see Lust flirt and capture the appetites of men in the series. I mean the urge applies to both genders and I would have loved to see her as either a gender defying mass of desire (like Neil Gaiman’s interpretation) or have such potent and undeniable sex appeal as to bypass sexual orientation.
But still, she’s definitely earned the top spot on this list being first and primarily a character who stirs longings and uses them to her advantage. She also gets extra points because there’s a small chance that she will in fact *eat* you.
The people I asked brought up Scum’s Wish a lot, but I haven’t seen it. Arguably you could add Hotaru from NTR but she really only toys with Yuma so I didn’t think she was quite right for this list. In any case, I would love to know if you have any others to suggest. I’m sure there must be more. I honestly went into this expecting it to be way easier than with male characters…
Maybe the succubus in the Testament of Sister New Devil?
Never seen it but that’s quite the title
Totally agree with your list, though I personally would have included XXXHOLiC’s Yuuko, Bakemonogatari’s Senjyogahara, and Bleach’s Yoruichi. What I like about these women is that they completely dominate every scene that they’re in. They’re accomplished, beautiful, confident, and ooze sex appeal. They easily outmatch their male castmates in every possible way.
Oh, good choices. Nice to find a few more.
Gotta love Lust… or lust after lust? Hmm.
well I’m going to have to think carefully about that for the rest of the day
Faye is def a man eater. I agree with you this is kind of a hard list to find characters for. Really brings home the fact that there isn’t a lot of anime female characters who are so open about what they want. It’s mostly about being “cute”. Which is cool but I think a lose on the type of characters we could have. Look at how great these characters were for their shows! Bring me more Man Eaters XD
Not to be too preachy about it but this tendency to portray sex positive women in a bad light is probably not the healthiest way to go. I’m sure it will even out eventually…. Thanks for stopping by!
Haha yeah they certainly have a way to go but they’ve gotta start somewhere! I think Faye and Shion are good starts though, I’m not really familiar with the other characters beside Lust. But I like how neither (Faye or Shion) is really punished for the way they are and that both have more to their characters besides just being sexy. Especially Faye since she’s a lead character in her show you get a lot of back story and what not. I’d love to know more about Shion but I guess only time will tell with that one. Not sure if we’ll get more of her character in season 3. Anyway this was a really fun post to read!
Lust was probably a gimme in this list.
No Zero-Two?
have not watched Darling at all…That’s the pink haired one or the blue one people are mad at?
That’s a good description really. Pink haired one who has literally devoured many partners and killed them. Of course, that doesn’t make her a bad person, or so the story tells us.
that show is suddenly more interesting
I wouldn’t get too excited. They don’t do a lot with it, or at least haven’t so far. It is one of the many disappointments of Franxx. They introduced a fairly interesting concept and I actually wrote a feature about Zero-Two and her ties to the mythological man-devouring woman and then they just kind of shrugged and moved on from it.
Lust is awesome!
To the point as always! I agree
Hmm, only character I can think of is Esdeath, although she really only goes after one man. She has still has some of the qualities for it at least.
Also, I totally forgot about Blair! Nice mention, I remember liking her 🙂
How could you forget about Blair – tsk
I’m starting to learn that my memory isn’t as great as I thought it was lol
Not to worry, that totally gets better with age…right?
What was this post about again? 🙂
I just started watching the new series of Lupin the Third, having never seen it before. And I love it, although I haven’t seen much of Fujiko so far, and the two stories she has appeared in so far have been pretty different portals from one another. Plus that ending credits makes her seem wistful for Lupin more than a man-eater.
I might go back and watch some older Lupin after this series is over, I’m liking what I’ve seen quite a bit.
They eventually do have a relationship but the interest flows the other way in most of the movies.
I haven’t seen the new series yet – is it good?
Based on me going in blind, it’s really good. Fantastically animated and the soundtrack is stellar too. Small, five episode arcs with a one-off episode between in them, from what I’ve been lead to believe, is in the style of the previous series. A lot of talk about Pink jackets and green jackets that is a bit over my head.
I’m only really starting to poke my head around anime that isn’t mainstream Shonen, but I’d recommend it.
Good enough for me – on the list it goes.
I may be starting to see why my too watch list is so huge…
I’m trying to come up with examples and it’s hard! Being minor characters or evil is kind of okay, compared to being a sad joke. There’s little that I hate more in anime than the Christmas Cake trope: the female teacher, nearly 25 years old, whose desperate and hits on every male student around, which embarrasses everyone but herself. Yeah, that’s what they make of the type. Grr!!!!
But, you know, there’s a notable omission: Uchouten Kazoku: Benten/Suzuki Satomi. Gotta lover her, no?
I do love Benten and actually considered her but although she’s undeniably attractive there was something mystical and complex to her charm that I wasn’t able to define properly.
I also think she’s sad and a bit lonely and vents that through pointless flirting and I wanted to encourage her to find something more fulfilling… This got really deep for what this list is.
Let me start again – Benten – definetly, good call!
Interesting. I tend to think of such categories as surface behaviour, rather than as deep motivation, but I get what you mean.
Yay for catgirls! 😸🍷 And honorable mention to the teacher Sakie Sato in Interviews with Monster Girls, a literal succubus who could *easily* out-maneat anyone on this list if she just changed her mind…
She could but the fact that she doesn’t and struggles with it is what keeps her off this list. I love Saki so much
Oh yes, I get why she’s not in it. 😸 One of my favorite characters ever, so had to work her into the conversation, though!
I adored the show and she was my favorite. Considering how much I loved Tetsuo – that’s saying something
Sounds like your mental image of Tetsuo is the same one Satou had! 🤣
Hey – A nice guy who truly cares about his students. Sounds pretty gosh darn lovable to me
Yes, you’re right. He’s awesome.😺
Most of the women in Black Lagoon are Man eaters, including the CIA nuns and the scarred Russian mobster colonel. And Revy 2Hands. The FARC assassin wasn’t, at least. But most of the women were. Rock interested them because he wasn’t like them, and wasn’t repelled by them, so they felt more like women around him than normally. This is because Rock was insane. He’s the psyched up guy dared to race the motorcycle at Ace Cafe in 1960, heading for 100 mph at full accelleration and seconds from death. He’s like that, broken and betrayed by his boss and suicidal. That’s the sort of person who plays with a man eater. I think most of these characters are based on Marlowe characters from film noir, playing opposite Bogart or Cagney.
I have heard good things about Black Lagoon – it’s on my list
I take a certain amount of joy in recommending anime from recent and older years to our readers and consider it a victory when I get you to add one to your own watchlist. Cheers!
I just remembered the teacher from Seitokai Yakuindomo, and both the older female students the hero works with on the student council are all man-eaters, despite two of them being virgins.
That’s a good shout I love Black Lagoon and i’d say that your summary is correct there.
First to come to my mind is Bayonetta, though she’s remembered more for her appearance in games than that one anime film. The fact that it’s a struggle to name promiscuous women in anime is further evidence for the argument that anime too often promotes the pure woman type.
Yes it IS! And it annoys me a lot. Less than the idea that helpless is someho cute but still…
The Woman Named Fujiko Mine is the only entry in the Lupin franchise that I’ve actually seen, and I love it so much.
I think it’s my favorite as well.
*cough*
*straightens collar*
Sengoku Nadeko!
…
You know I had to do it to ’em!
A Bakémonogatari reference…how unexpected of you…
Yep…
Monogatari has everything!
😄
I loved Faye from Cowboy Bebop. She was so badass.
She was indeed!