You guys keep telling me (ok, mostly Fred) that putting more nudity in my posts will draw the readers in. I’m finally listening! It takes me a while to pick up on stuff… This is actually a list that’s been in my post idea folder for a minute. Not because I thought it would be particularly popular, although that would definitely be nice, but because I thought it would be super fun to write.
Nudist characters in anime are often the harmless whacky types that are used for comedic relief and tension breaks, rather than the creepy flasher types. I’m not sure what this says about me, but they’re often some of my favorite characters in shows. Awww man, who am I kidding… We all know exactly what this says about me.
But you’re not here to read about me. You’re here for.. pictures? On to the nudists!
5) Rias Gremory (Highschool DxD)
Is this a cheat? Picking a female character from an Ecchi anime and calling them a nudist feels like a cop out somehow. Still Rias is a mighty popular very often minimally dressed female character in an Ecchi anime…yeah that really doesn’t change much.
Ok, so as far as they go High School DxD is a generally well appreciated smexshy harem anime and Rias has an uncharacteristically dominant role. Although some viewers may consider Rias a little boring when it comes right down to it, most admire her indifference towards wearing clothing. She openly embraces her body and doesn’t feel the need to cover it up. Points for all of us!
4) Mio (Waiting in the Summer)
Mio is a shy but loyal and very kind girl who just happens to prefer not wearing clothes. Whenever she’s at home she feels most comfortable going au naturel and if possible she’ll also shed it all before going to bed.
The series even openly addresses this fact by giving her a backstory in which she actually comes from a family of nudists and therefore finds it natural but is uneasy about other people finding out so she tries to hide it from the people around her.
This very down to earth approach to nudism within the greater context of society is refreshing, even if it is also an excuse for fanservice, choosing a beautiful and well endowed young lady as the subject.
3) Gray Fulbuster (Fairy Tail)
Fairy Tail may have become infamous for its generous use of gratuitous fanservice but you have to give it to the series, at least it’s equal opportunity. You’ll get a six pack for every two to three cleavage shots! Early on in the series, your most reliable source of man candy was Gray Fullbuster who would take every opportunity to relieve himself of whatever he was wearing until someone stopped him in the act.
Before we got his backstory to finally explain his spontaneous bouts of nudity, it was a fun quirk that served both as a running gag and a foil to the character’s stern personality. One of the better applications of fanservice the series had to offer in my opinion. Not to mention that Gray is probably the best known nudist on this list.
2) Ekoda chan (Rinshi!! Ekoda-Chan)
This was a widely ignored highly inconsistent quirky little show and nudity played a big part in it. In fact, ekoda chan’s nudism was one of her best defined traits and might even have played a small part in convincing Matt to pick this series for a collab.
Ekoda chan is how I picture most modern nudist. Basically just average people who prefer not to wear clothes when they don’t have to. No compulsions to strip in public, no shame or deep rooted emotional motivation. Just habit and comfort.
I particularly liked how the show tackled some of the practical drawbacks of nudism and Ekoda’s creative solutions. In the end, Ekoda chan’s nudism was the least interesting thing about her and that rocks.
Honorable mention
Natasha from World Conquest Zvezda Plot
This was an odd little series, full of buzzard characters and barely there costumes. However, even with the little she did wear, Natasha still found a way to find it confining. Whenever you take your eyes off her, she finds a way to throw off all her clothes and slink off for a nap somewhere. I’m not sure how much of a nudist she is, and how much is simply sloth tendencies. Either way, she’s all adorable.
1) Mikisugi (Kill la Kill)
Mikisugi’s nudism isn’t simply a preference or a hobby. It’s his *calling*. You could even call him a professional nudist. Where others may have a slight dislike for wearing clothes, he is in all out war with them, complete with weapons of mass destruction.
As the leader of nudist beach, an organization sworn to destroy evil clothing and do it while wearing none at all, no one was better suited to top this list. In a series populated with characters that prefer being out of uniform, Mikisugi is the most dedicated and most frequently bare character. Sure it’s a little awkward when it clashes with his teaching day job, but you gotta do, what you gotta do!
There you have it, a decent sampling of both avowed and incidental nudists. I was quite happy to find that nudity in anime is spread out pretty evenly between genders and often treated as a lovable quirk rather than a shameful fault. Awww, look at me trying to sound all smurt and analysee… Like I wasn’t looking for an excuse to post a bunch of tastefully covered up naked anime character pics.
So how about you? Do you have a favorite anime nudist? Are they a self identified nudist or do they just happen to end up naked a lot because of *reasons*? For those of you who enjoy a good challenge, do you have a favorite anime never-nude?
