How fitting to scribe this musing on the month celebrating our tender carriers, our ferocious defenders, our patient and nurturing mothers. To scribe a musing about awesome anime mothers that contributed to shaping the protagonists we adore, we champion, and we geek over. These mothers are the mightiest females in my opinion of recent memory and are certainly bad asses in their own right. So let’s all celebrate these gorgeous animated mommas who’ve had an immense impact on various characters I’m a huge fan of or characters I was a fan of.
FIRE HAIRED NINJA MOMMA WHO WAS THE 2ND VESSEL OF THE FOX DEMON, KURAMA
Truth be told, I’m a huge fan of Naruto’s character and cast. The anime was one of the most influential Shonen anime I religiously enjoyed watching from Junior high until the end of the first series. And one of the drivers was my fandom of not only the robust roster of complex characters and world, but the ever optimistic and driven Naruto himself. And much of Naruto’s “Narutoness” comes from genes of the Yellow Flash Minato and Red hot habanero, Kushina, his momma. Especially his momma. She was an outcast in Konoha like Naruto; she was a hot head like Naruto; she even had a similar goal as her son growing up, wanting to become a Hokage; she even had a female version of her son’s catch phrase “Dattebayo” denoted as “Dattebane”. And her actual storyline is very interesting and quite sad in addition to being insanely strong. And why Kurama is bound to Naruto. And when they finally meet is the biggest tear jerking moment:
“Thank you for letting me be your mother, and for letting Minato be your father. Thank you for being our son. Thank you… Thank you” One of the few moments I shed tears for Naruto Shippuden… an otherwise underwhelming follow up to one of my teen arc’s upmost pivotal anime…
THE GIFTED PRODIGY THAT WRAPPED HER SON IN HER BLESSING
Continuing the trend of OP mama’s, our next is Kyouka Kagami, Kazuya’s mother from Tsugumomo anime. This anime but it’s a pretty fun Shonen action anime. It’s a more light hearted version of Malevolent Spirits in my opinion. But in case you’re not familiar, basically old items with enough curse energy manifest into humanoid beings. Typically darker spirits torment and/or kill other victims. But like her son, she is an incredibly gifted exorcist and lived through fighting and her family. When she was younger herself, she was essentially soulless until she grew into her exorcist abilities, finding purpose. Her personality became livelier and much more affectionate. Pervertedly so. Which carried over to Kiriha, her Tsugumomo, and her children. So she’s much to blame for the perverted antics in the anime, Kiriha’s perverted nature, and Kazuya’s ecchi moments. And what makes her even more awesome is that she’s the largest antagonist of anime’s season 2, because she is possessed by a corrupted Tsugumomo that she was intending exorcize. She lingers wreaking havoc until slain by Kiriha. However her body carries own beyond death and must be sealed by an exorcist. This task unfortunately Kazuya must confront his mother and push himself far beyond his limits. She’s certainly is one of the most eccentric anime characters I’ve witnessed as a parent and her circumstances with Kazuya is very a interesting twist.
THE MOTHER WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE MOST BLESSED GOLDEN MUTT
I’m going to be upfront again. Brutally so. I 👏 don’t 👏 like 👏 Bleach or Ichigo. I used to like the show when I was younger and fairly fresh to anime. But my lord, is it a shallow power fantasy anime. But you’re not here to read me rant. So why did I choose this anime’s mama? Because Masaki Kurosaki was such a bad ass in her own right. but unless you read the manga, you really don’t see her glory until the much later arc, 1000 year war arc. The character is technically already dead when the show begins. She unfortunately perished to save her son, Ichigo, when he was a child, from The Grand Fisher Hollow. So most of her existence is shown through flashbacks. She is often referred to as the rock Kurosaki family and why Ichigo is ultimately so overpowered. She is incredibly gentle with those closest, and incredibly duty bound being of Quincy blood. Much like Uncle Ben’s famous motto: “With great power comes great responsibility”, Masaki carries her Quincy duties to her core: Protecting her territory and destroying any Hollow threatening the inhabitants. She was so duty bound that failure or doing nothing would agonize as if she killed them. She is one of the few redeeming characters of the anime in my opinion. I am incredibly fond of the Quincy and duty bound characters. Ishida was my favorite character of the earthbound gang that Ichigo unfortunately overshadowed. Like nearly all the cast… Ichigo had the power of Quincy, Shinigami, Hollow, and Supreme power we know all to well… Plot armor…
ONE OF THE MOST RELATABLE ANIME MOMMAS FOR ME
Ah Erased… I look forward to delving into this Looper more soon. It’s a bit of a spoiler of my next musing but what the hell? This ma is a splitting image of my own ma. Incredibly bold, very loving, cheeky, perceptive, and astute, Sachiko Fujinuma, a retired reporter, is an awesome character in my opinion. Her strengths certainly mold Satoru, the protagonist of Erased, and drive his decision making trying to solve the murder of his friend, Kayo Hinazuki, and prevent it in the past. Though her appearances throughout anime are limited to the past and present Sachiko, you can certainly feel her presence in Satoru. Much of her traits bleeds out of him. And she is often referred to as a Witch by Satoru because of her personality and youthful appearance despite her 50s. When he meets her again when he’s younger, you see how she’s relatively frozen, because looks and acts near identically.
THE YOUNGEST, POSSIBLY MOST AMBITIOUS, YET POSSIBLY MOST MISFORTUNATE MAMA
Ai Oshi Ko anime is incredibly recent and really has earned much of my adoration relatively briskly. The pilot had me hooked and brought me to a sobbing wreck with its conclusion. I didn’t expect another anime would hit me so hard, so soon after Rankings of Kings, but here we are. The anime follows aspiring pop idol, Ai, is a sensation and generational talent because of her brilliant ability to lie and mold herself to her audience desires. She’s pregnant at the start of the anime and learns to love through her children after living years of lying to the world and deceit of fake love. Her final words broke me because of both potency and circumstance: ” I was finally able to say it. Sorry it took so long. I am so relieved… Those words definitely weren’t a lie…” If you haven’t watched that anime yet, what the hell are you doing. It’s a high recommendation!
Soooo…
So ends my musing. If you enjoyed and want to discuss, chime ya thoughts down below. And if you have suggestions yourself, I’m certainly interested in any chimed below. And most importantly… give thanks and appreciate the women who have carried us, sacrificed for us, and nurtured. Today is their day to be pampered and revered. Happy Mothers Day all the anime mothers, both drawn by pen or drawn to the fandom!
Additional dedicated to a dear comrade…
IT FEELS ONLY APPROPRIATE TO GIVE MY THOUGHTS, LOVE, AND CONDOLENCES ON THIS DAY FOR MY DEAR BROTHER, DEVON URI MERCURY CAMPBELL, THE VIRGO HASHIRA’S, MOTHER RECENTLY PASSED. SHE WAS THE EPITOME OF A MOTHER OF ANOTHER BROTHER. I REMEMBER BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL, I OFTEN CHILLED AT HIS HOUSE TILL LATE EVENING AND OFTEN GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK. I REGRET NOT CHATTING WITH HER MORE AFTER HIGHSCHOOL. SHE WAS SUCH A SWEET SOUL.
WHEREVER HER JOURNEY TAKES HER NOW, I CAN ONLY HOPE IT IS SAFE AND TRANQUIL. REST WELL MRS. CAMPBELL. MUCH LOVE TO YOU AND YOURS… MUCH LOVE TO YOU DEVON