As I write this, tomorrow is apparently international grandparents day, and you know what that means. It means! It means anyone who is a grandparent gets to commit one crime without consequence. Just one! Buckle up!
If we all survived international grandparents day and are still around when this post finally publishes, I have decided to put together a little tribute to anime grandparents hoping that it will placate real grandparents and I will be safe on international grandparents day next year!
Ok, maybe my intros are getting too out there. In any case, for this list, I decided to stick to characters who I know for a fact are grandparents because their grandchildren are in the anime! Also, I have numbers but that’s just because I’m flirting with search engine. All of these folks are wonderful!
(I stick to anime here but for some reason, I actually know a lot more amazing grandparents in manga – maybe next time, can do that list!)
5. Kaoru – Gojo – My Dress-Up Darling
I don’t blame you if you mostly remember Marin from that show but some of you might recall that Gojo actually lives with his grandfather and it’s that very same grandfather that thought him to sew and instilled in him the passion for traditional Japanese dolls.
It can’t be easy to raise a teenage boy by yourself. And although Gojo seems like he doesn’t cause too much trouble, he was still a withdrawn boy and that worries his grandpa. The show clearly lets us know that Kaoru cares a lot for his grandson and is happiest when he sees him smile. It’s quite sweet!
4. Sanae Okonogo – Den-noh Coil
Some anime grandparents are a source of comfort. A safe and reassuring figure in times of strife. Sanae is a whirlwind and I’m not sure how far Den-noh coil would have gotten at all without her.
It’s not every day that the main character’s grandmother happens to be a hardcore hacker and a catalyst for a lot of the action. Sure, Sanae isn’t a spring chicken anymore and sometimes she needs to take a load off but underestimating her is not a good idea. Yuuko might be way more reserved than her grandma, but I’m pretty sure that’s where she gets her resilience and drive!
3. Ojii – The Aquatope on White Sands
Aquatope is actually the first anime that came to mind when I started thinking of this list. Possibly because I saw it not too long ago. But also because Ojii is just an all-around wonderful character. He was really one of the best characters in the show. Patient but practical and an actual wealth of knowledge. He stole most scenes he was in.
In a show that’s all about getting to know and love aquatic life, Ojii was pretty much a walking encyclopedia. Not to mention that he and his wife managed to help a little girl get over the loss of her parents. That’s a pretty big deal!
2. Mari Aragaki – The Gymnastics Samurai
I know I already mentioned how grandparents are comforting and such. Well, I guess I don’t go for the usual types because once again I bring you a grandmother that would probably never be described as comforting. However, she can entirely be described as fabulous!
Don’t get me wrong, Mari clearly loves both her son and her granddaughter. It’s just that she can love them perfectly well while jet-setting around the world, shopping for fabulous passion and getting a couple of drinks. Just because you’re a grandma doesn’t mean you don’t have your own life after all!
1. Sullivan – Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun
On this blog, we make no distinction between blood-related and adoptive parents. And let’s face it, there is no grandfather more doting and enamoured by his grandson than Sullivan is. So what if they’re technically different species…
Iruma had never actually had a loving family before getting to the demon realm and it seems like Sullivan is working hard to make up for lost time. You might think that such an attitude would spoil a kid but you know what, some kids deserve to be spoiled. And Sullivan is the type of grandpa that makes me sort of wish I got kidnapped to the demon realm when I was a kid!
I know for a fact there are more amazing anime grandparents out there. Do you have a favourite? Is it Jojo? Let me know.
I don’t have a preference but I like the grandpa in the anime movie called Wolf Children. He may appear tough-as-nails on the outside, but a softie on the inside. Honorable mention goes to my real life late grandma. Bullets did not kill her during WWII, but only went down due to pneumonia.
I’m sorry about your grandma! She sounds impressive
She was.
Great list; love each and everyone of them and can’t think of many others. (Does Piyoran from To Your Eternity count? Feels a lot like Fushi’s found Grandma, to be honest.)
Oh, wait: Natsume Reiko. There you go. Found one. Wish we’d actually see her as a grandma. Maybe in future seasons?
I thought of Reiko after the fact but somehow she never registers as a grandmother. I guess that’s actually great.
We’ve never seen her in the role. I’d love to.
Given that we all somehow survived international grandparents day…
Shall we tempt fate once more, by listing the Top 5 Worst Grandparents in Anime?
5. Holy Grandpa (Shadows House)
4. Grandmother (Promised Neverland)
3. Dino Golzine (Banana Fish)
2. Hayase, maybe? (To Your Eternity)
1. Uh, please someone help me.
Is shadows grandpa an actual grandfather,?
For some reason I thought it was just a title
The grandmother in Hanasaku Iroha was pretty awful, she could definitely be somewhere on your list of Top 5 Worst Grandparents.
I immediately thought of Sakae from “Summer wars.”
I should really watch summer wars at some point
Sullivan absolutely deserves the top spot.
Another favorite grandparent for me is Takao’s grandfather from original Beyblade series. He’s just awesome.
Yes! Sullivan totally should get the top spot! He’s such an awesome grandpa. And definitely the guardian that cinnamon roll Iruma kun has always deserved.
Sullivan refined anime grandpas
I haven’t watched Beyblade. Cool that they have an awesome grandpa
Only in the original Beyblade Series.