I once did a top 5 directors post where I forgot like 6 of my top 5 directors. I have a feeling that’s about to happen again. Considering I’m a fan of supporting or even minor characters, I usually have a dozen characters I want to know more about.
Let’s just get this out of the way first though, choices 1 through 10 of the top 5 supporting characters I would watch in their own series is Integra Hellsing. But I guess there are other characters out there so here we go. Top Random 5 supporting characters I would like to watch in their own series.
5. Olivier Armstrong
Fullmetal Alchemist has a lot of really interesting characters and they all seem to have great stories. You could pretty much pick anyone from the show and not go wrong. However, I like self assured blondes and snow.
So personally, I want to see the rise of the North Wall and how Olivier came to lead such a valiant company and earn their avid loyalty along the way.
I also wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of her home life. I figure family dinners with her brother will be a great source of lighthearted comedy relief.
4. Eraser Head
Another series with a huge pool of characters to choose from. I haven’t read ahead in the manga so for all I know all these characters do get their own arc at some point. The one particular story I want to know is how a glum guy like Eraser Head became a teacher in the first place.
There has to be a story there somewhere. What happened in his career that would lead him to teaching, it doesn’t seem like a very natural fit.
3. Teruki Hanazawa as a villain
We only see a little of Teruki in season 1 before Mob pounds some sense and humility into him and we suddenly see a very different Teruki. This said, I wouldn’t mind going back a bit and seeing just how despicable Teruki got without a natural check and balance to his power.
It’s actually a very interesting concept that the main difference between a generally kind, thoughtful and all-around great guy and friend and a cruel bully with complete disregard for others is just having someone stronger around. That this is the simple element that can completely change a character’s persona. Well not just any character, that what makes Teruki special. And that’s why I think we would all appreciate the nice Teruki if we got to know the jerky one a bit better.
2. Kill la Kill the rise of Nude Beach
I love Kill la Kill but there was a lot of room for development. I mean it’s that kind of story. Full of open-ended possibilities. The uncertainty and mystery around the circumstances of its universe are completely intentional. At least that’s how they seem. I don’t think you should over develop a narrative like that. You risk ruining it.
But you can add just a little more. And personally, I would love to see the underground efforts of nude beach. How the organization came to be and what they were doing before Ryouko came into the picture. A sort of comedic spy story. I think it could be fun.
Other 2. Nino ACCA 13
I really liked ACCA 13 so I would love to see some more of it in one form or another. Certainly, there are still a lot of mysteries left to unravel about Jean’s past and even his present. And one of those mysteries is his best friend Nino.
The Nino we got to know in season 1 is more or less complementary to Jean. He exists in service to the other. But it’s clear that he has had a rich life of adventure and intrigue. If we could get just a glimpse of that, I bet it would make for a great season.
Honorable mention:
In my review of Shiki, I couldn’t pick a favourite character so I ended up making a wish list of spinoff shows featuring various members of the supporting cast:
- A Slice of Life featuring Natsuno’s parents in college
- A gritty action drama of Mr. Tatsumi’s adventures
- A coming of age shonen of young Seishin (he was cool in the one flashback but seems to have lost his personality along the way)
- An odd couple RomCom of Toshio and Kyoko
- A straight sequel of Akira and Kaori (They were both so kickbehind while remaining completely believable kids)
1. Sakie
I really liked interviews with Monster Girls. It caught me by surprise. I absolutely fell in love with just about every character, but I fell more in love with Sakie. The few moments the show concentrated on her character were poignant and surprisingly emotional mixes of hope and injustice.
Her character was used to gently explore various issues I think are rather important in delicate and balanced ways we rarely see in any form of media. I think Interviews with Monster Girls deserves a second season and I think we all deserve a Sakie series.
I can feel it in my tummy. I know I must have forgotten so many. Don’t get me wrong, I think I made some pretty good picks up there! This said, please let me know which side characters you want to see get their own shows so that I can facepalm and go “Of course!!!”
Yes, we need more Sakie the best girl of Interviews with Monster girls. I wonder how the FMAB and Kill La Kill spin offs would go, because the main story is complete and so well done. I wonder if the spin offs could really do them justice and stand out in comparison.
It’s been done before. I don’t know about FMA being completely. There’s a lot of loose threads
I loved Sakie on Interviews with Monster Girls! (Can’t believe I lucked out and got that as a random bonus series with an order I placed, , ,) Of course, fan fave Yuki Nagato from the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise actually got her own series, so there’s hope. . .
I think anime spins of more than any other medium
Those are really good picks. The one thing that worries me about the Eraserhead spin-off is that – most likely – I’d have to put up with that mic guy, who’s very, very annoying. (I don’t hate him, he’s just annoying, like that’s a second quirk or something.)
Hm, what sort of show would you give Sakie? A full-on biography from birth to old age would be cool, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in anime. Hm…
As for me, there’s a this Hunter X Hunter spin-off I keep peddling, about Hisoku and Illumi on a road trip. Awesome odd couple dynamics, and no consideration for their surroundings’ wellbeing at all.
And then I’d also love to see an episodic series about Angelica’s workshop (form Ancient Magus Bride). I mean all sorts of people would drop in, and she’s got the charisma to hold it all together.
Oh wow, I hadn’t thought of Mic… That is a very good point!
You should write anime, I would so watch all these shows!
I’m going to echo what Jiraiyan said about BnHA, but you get the most detail about Aizawa’s past from Vigilantes…well, that’s how it is so far. The main series was very recently – as in, the past few chapters – tying the Vigilantes and main series threads about Aizawa together, so my words could soon be dated.
Since a To Your Eternity anime was announced (but I was howling when I saw it, since I believe that series works best as a manga and it would probably be run through with CGI if it ever made it to the small screen without enough care put into it), I’d like to see what Tonari did with her life when we don’t see her (since there is a pretty big timeskip around that point). I remember there is a very abbreviated version at one point, but elaborating more on that would be good.
…and while we’re on the topic of BnHA, since there’s never much focus on the girls of 1-A outside Froppy’s anime-original stint and the occasional bit on Ochako, maybe a spinoff about one or all of them would be good (then again, Makoto from Vigilantes getting her own series would also be good, considering how much of a self-made woman she is). BnHA is popular enough to warrant multiple spinoffs, so another wouldn’t hurt.
Well, it seems there may be interesting episodes up ahead for BnHA
Omg I would absolutely eat up an Olivier Armstrong spin-off it even OVA episode! I think it’d be cool for some of the Yuri!!! On ICE characters to have their own series, like an origin story for Phichit or Chris.
Yuri does have a lot of potential and yeah OVAs would be a good way to go, not to overburden the story
In the MHA manga we just got some flashbacks from Eraser heads childhood, it was interesting. Your post is timely.
Oh wow, Great minds or something!
Solid list of supporting characters that definitely deserve their own series, especially Olivier and Nino.
I saw a bit of the Lupin the 3rd: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine as my first entry into the Lupin 3rd universe and would like to see similar stylized treatment with the other characters like Goemon or Jigen.
Also, sign me up for a Black Lagoon’s Balalaika OVA series.
Oh great picks!
Yes! Yes to all!
Oh jeez, I can’t think of any side characters I want to see right now. My brain is being fuzzy and mean because I know there is a lot of them.
I know what you mean – I was overwhelmed for a while there too
I am absolutely with you on “Kill la Kill the rise of Nude Beach”. For obvious reasons.
who plot twist!
I agree with Nude Beach. I feel like a series with Nude Beach would be excellent and hilarious- and overall beautiful.
I think there a great potential for fun there!
Literally any of the Demi-humans deserve their own series <3. I am so disappointed that the manga or anime hasn't had any talk lately, it's probably one of the best anime about "disabled" people I've seen.
Also, that is an awesome new profile pic.
They may get it still
That is certainly a unique list and I’ve had similar feelings where I find some of the supporting characters more interesting than the main ones. A few I could think of that should get their own shows would be…
Rock Lee (Naruto)
Taishi (Comic Party)
Lena (Shamanic Princess)
“Hot Ice” Hilda (Outlaw Star, a prequel with her would be cool)
Kasumi (Seraphim Call [I wasn’t a fan of that anime, but she was one of the few interesting characters])
Rock Lee doesn’t have a spin off yet? Insane!
Wait! I just found out that apparently he did and I never knew about this. Granted, I stopped watching Naruto around that time but apparently it came out in the early 10s. Sorry, I didn’t know about it.
For me the Cowboy Bebop/Watanabe universe in particular would be interesting to explore more into as there is a lot of open ended stuff that still is to be explored like what happened to Ed and Ein after they left the bebop and how exactly are woolongs connected to Space Dandy and Carole And Tuesday besides being in name because they are alot of connections between the shows but not officially confirmed to be in the same universe. A prequel of Cowboy Bebop focusing on Spike,Vicious and Julia’s pasts would be interesting to see as it can also give more insight into the world of organized crime in Cowboy Bebop and how exactly do the syndicates operate besides the brief glimpses of the Red Dragon.
-K(Rogueotakugamer)
There are a lot of Bebop side stories in various media. I think there was something about Spike and Julia but I could be imagining it. Bebop exists in a very special place in my heart and I tend to stay away from the extended media because it makes me sad.
Cowboy Bebop is without a doubt one of the greatest anime to be created and nothing can ever really recreate the kind of charm the show has ever done over the 26 sessions that was made.
I think you might be thinking about V.T and her deceased bounty hunter husband as thats the only romantic couple in the show that has had a prequel.
Sign me up for the Nudist Beach show!
I would love like an anime show about Krillin and Android 18’s mariage, before the buu saga, shaped like a anime take on a Western sitcom.
Other than that I would love a Stein’s Gate spin of centered around Faris Nyannyan and Mayuri’s otaku life.
They could travel together hunting for a super rare Upa, visiting conventions and meeting geeks at May Queen Nyannyan , perhaps even meddle a bit with time travel to get thw rarest merch. Just a fun slice of life in Akihabara with a shot of crazy and a lot of geekdom.
Finally I would love a Konosubs spin of for Wiz , or any shopkeeper character in a fantasy setting, with them being forced to deal with a new cursed item that adventurers bring in or a new chaotic event the adventurers would set in motion. Wiz could be extra interesting being a lich and formely evil, being mistrusted and tempted by evil along the way
Faris did get character assassinated though adaptation. She does deserve her won series!
More Konosuba is always welcomed
Ace idea for a post!
I’d maybe add Chain from ‘Blood Battlefront Blockade’ and for an older series, I think a spin-off from Bebop devoted to Cowgirl Ed would be tops 🙂 (Although, maybe she’s too much of a main character?)
Those do sound pretty awesome. I think every character from Blood Blockade could probably carry 12 episodes or so.
Yes! I nearly mentioned Gilbert and Steven and then realised, yeah – almost anyone could be a candidate, I’d better go with just one 😀