It has been a frequently used plotline for quite a handful of anime series— which begin with the heroes wanting to avenge and bring the downfall of all those people who have hurt their families. However, there are some series where the main character is raised within a family and has been fortunate enough to receive the love and warmth of the family members. Other times, the family can be extremely flawed, but that’s how a real family is— imperfect but together. Overall the concept of families is very important in every TV series— live-action and anime alike. Many of these series have been made to reach out to spectators from different parts of the world for their unique charm. Here are the top eight most iconic families of the anime world that have remained unforgettable over the years and are most likely to remain evergreen in the upcoming years as well.
8. The Kusakabe Family
From: My Neighbor Totoro
Voice Cast: Chika Sakamoto, Noriko Hidaka, Hitoshi Takagi
Release: 1988
Who wouldn’t ask for a family like them? With a carefree dad like Tatsuo, who loves to enjoy his life to the fullest and wouldn’t mind bowing down to the extremity of his daughters, Mei and Satsuki’s childishness, the Kusakabe family is indeed one of the most iconic ones. Each of the family members is very close to one another and is full of affection, understanding, and love— like we all would want to have. All of them are sensible and deeply love the mom of the family, looking after her due to her health issues, who has been shown to be admitted to a hospital close to their house. You can easily find the movie on various streaming platforms, including Netflix, where it is available with English subtitles.
7. The Godparents and Baby
From: Tokyo Godfathers
Voice Cast: Yoshiaki Umegaki, Aya Okamoto, Tōru Emori
Release: 2003
To begin with, we need to clear the misconception that only the people related by blood can be known as a family because the Tokyo Godfathers have definitely challenged this belief. The three homeless people living on the lanes of the city, coming from different backgrounds— Gin, an alcoholic gambler, Hana, a transgender, and Miyuki, a teenager who has run away from her house, when coming across a baby under the heap of trash on the eve of Christmas, they eventually develop a unique and unbreakable bond with each other. Although they are initially rejected by their families due to their traditional beliefs, they end up becoming a part of one of the closest and the most unorthodox families in the anime world.
You can either buy the movie from Google Play Store or stream it online on popular streaming sites like Netflix and Prime Video.
6. The Son Family
From: Dragon Ball Z
Original Run: 1989-1996
There’s a reason why even after decades, Dragon Ball Z is one of the most popular anime. The members of the Son family share such a good bond that they are willing to risk their own lives for the sake of one another. What more do we need to justify their presence on this list? The family of the heroes, including Goku, Goten Gohan, and Chi-Chi, is out-of-the-box and unique in its own way. You can watch the episodes of the show online on Prime Video along with English subtitles.
5. The Jinnouchi Family
From: Summer Wars
Voice Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mitsuki Tanimura, Nanami Sakuraba, Sumiko Fuji
Release: 2009
This 2009 science fiction movie is all about a social network and the connection that a stranger establishes with a strange family. The movie focuses on racing against time in order to save the world from a strong virtual virus with the help of an anime family across generational lines working together. Each of the members of this extended family has a distinct personality, starting from the gamer kid, Kazuma, to the great-grandmother, who has a deterministic personality.
The movie has got some good animation and sci-fi comedy. In case you are looking for a lightweight movie with cool and interesting characters, this is the one for you. You can watch it online on Netflix, Prime Video, and Funimation.
Read: Top 10 Anime Character That Died Way Too Early
4. The Sohma Family
From: Fruits Basket
Original Run- 2001,2019
Definitely not the best family on the list, but the Sohma family undeniably has its own charm. The family is full of terrible abuse as well as bitter rivalries, but one thing that we need to know is that there exists a bond of love among them. Twelve of the family members are cursed to get transformed into their Chinese zodiac animals once they are stressed, weak, or soon after someone of the opposite gender, who is not possessed by the zodiac spirit, hugs them. They have to endure the rejection given by the relatives who are not cursed, but the mysterious Sohma family gradually begins to heal their wounds. At the end of the day, they are nice people, though they aren’t completely aware of it themselves.
A sequel to the 2001 anime series was released in 2019. You can watch both of them on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, along with English subtitles.
3. The Elric Family
From: Fullmetal Alchemist
Total Number of Seasons: 1
Original Run: 2003-2004
This family absolutely deserves mention on this list, and no one can change my mind on that. We rarely get to witness such brotherhood as prevailing between the two alchemist brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who can literally give up everything for each other ( remember when Ed sacrificed one of his limbs in order to save Al’s life). From the very beginning of the show, it was shown that their father had abandoned them, while their mother had left the world when they were young. The two brothers are so attached to their mother that even though she’s dead, they desperately tried to bring her back to life through Alchemy.
You can catch up with all the episodes of the anime on Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu. They are also available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
2. Hana, Ame, and Yuki
From: Wolf Children
Voice Cast: Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa
Release: 2012
It’s already a difficult task for an ordinary human being to be a single parent. But if your kids are half-wolf, it is more than difficult. The story is about a young woman named Hana, who, in her college days, had fallen for a werewolf and raises her two kids, Ame and Yuki, following his death. Hana successfully lives up to the challenge of bringing up the two half-human and half-wolf siblings who grow up to find their own direction in life. The movie is extremely appealing, and the portrayal of this beautiful family has aided in attracting masses of different ages. You can watch this movie online on Prime Video, Funimation, and Fshare Tv, along with English subtitles.
1. The Nohara Family
From: Crayon Shin-Chan
Original Run: 1992-present
Let’s be honest, Noharas is one of the most dysfunctional people in the anime world, but still, no one can deny how epic the family is. The ordinary dad, Hiroshi Nohara, the psychotic mom, Misae Nohara, their crackhead son, Shinnosuke Nohara aka Shinchan, their not-so-baby baby sister, Himawari Nohara, and the fluffy white dog, Shiro make up a complete chaotic family. Although all of the characters of the show are flawed in one way or the other, they have indefinite love and care for each other. The main character, Shinchan, is so irritating that after a point, people feel like tearing their hair in despair,, but his nuisances are just for the sake of fun, and they don’t hurt anyone specifically. You can watch all the episodes of the show, both already-aired and currently airing, online on Netflix, Prime Video, and Hotstar, dubbed in many languages.
