“#FEATURE: We Can't Help But Root For These 7 Anime Pig Characters”

The first day of March is National Pig Day, a day in which we humans give thanks to the humble domesticated pig. To show our appreciation for this clever animal that makes up 1/12th of the Chinese Zodiac, we've compiled a list of pig and pig-adjacent characters so we can celebrate by pigging out on anime. In no particular order, we present to you, gentle readers, a passel of porcine profiles as we look at seven anime pig characters that live high on the hog:

Hawk (The Seven Deadly Sins)

(Image courtesy of Netflix)

We're leading off this list with a proper porker indeed: Hawk from The Seven Deadly Sins. Life is tough when you're both a talking pig and the “straight man” for a band of supremely super-powered misfits. While Hawk doesn't initially have any incredible abilities (aside from a penchant for running away with great haste and occasionally ramming an enemy with his stout body), his sarcastic wit and down-to-earth attitude is a welcome contrast to Meliodas' wandering hands and the rest of the Sins' simmering angst. Hawk gets bonus points for having a cool mom: his mother transports the Boar Hat Inn on her head whenever Meliodas and company need to haul up stakes and trot out of town.

Ryoga Hibiki (Ranma ½)

(Image courtesy of Funimation)

A young man with literally no direction in life, Ryoga is a martial artist with a grudge against his childhood friend/rival, Ranma Saotome, whom he blames for his current accursed condition. Having fallen into a magical spring that transforms him into a juvenile pot-bellied piglet whenever he's splashed with cold water, Ryoga has a rough life. He's often the brunt of jokes where people intend to eat him — and that's not even addressing the fraught sexual politics of him posing as a pet named “P-chan” in order to be physically affectionate with Akane Tendo, on whom he has a crush. But despite his scheming and his boorish temper, Ryoga is a good boy at heart.

Porco (Porco Rosso)

(Image courtesy of GKIDS, copyright notice: © 1992 Studio Ghibli – NN)

“Better a pig than a fascist.” Porco is a former soldier turned mercenary-for-hire whose love of flying is matched only by his love of freedom. Despite his gruff and bristly exterior, he's secretly a big softie with a heart of gold. His current porcine appearance is the result of the sorrow he carries for all the friends and fellow flying aces who never made it home from the Great War. The sadness within him, combined with a sense of machismo, makes it difficult for Porco to express his true feelings. Will Porco ever work up the courage to confess his love to Gina, his best friend's widow? Maybe when pigs fly …

Emma (TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy-)

The daughter of the chieftain of a tribe of Highland Orcs, Emma is also a skilled magic-user and a gifted administrator who proves to be an invaluable aid to Makoto after he is banished to the Wasteland by a temperamental Goddess. She's also cute as a button (voiced by Saori Hayami in Japanese) with a firm but nurturing personality. So if you find yourself muttering “must protect swine princess,” you might just be a prospective member of the Emma fan club.

Oolong (Dragon Ball)

(Image courtesy of Funimation)

Although his manners are quite boorish and he's a bit of a male chauvinist pig, there's a reason Oolong behaves the way he does. Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball began life as a martial arts gag manga loosely based on Wu Cheng'en's classic Chinese folktale, Journey to the West, so Oolong's laziness and lecherousness are a reference to the reformed pig-demon that accompanies the Tang Priest on his journey to fetch the Buddhist scriptures. Also, any porker that's willing to waste an entire wish from a legendary dragon on acquiring a pair of lady's undergarments — or, in the German dub, a “hat with two holes for my ears” — deserves a grudging degree of respect.

Kensuke Shibagaki (ODDTAXI)

Savvy viewers may consider this entry a bit of a cheat, but despite appearing as an anthropomorphic boar, Kensuke is anything but boring. A struggling stand-up comedian and one half of the duo Homo Sapiens, Kensuke is much older than his partner, Atsuya Baba. As time passes and Baba begins to surpass him in success and popularity, Kensuke grows bitter and envious. The funnyman in the duo, Kensuke is actually pretty hidebound when it comes to comedy — although at one point he's willing to take a bullet from a deranged gunman just because he thinks it'd make for a great gag. So you've got to admire Kensuke's commitment to the bit.

Mr. Galigali (sweetness & lightning)

Our final popular porker is a bit of a twist: Mr. Galigali is a fictional character within sweetness & lightning, appearing as a wooly pig mascot from the Magi-Girl TV anime, which is Tsumugi's favorite television show. Although we only glimpse bits and pieces of Mr. Galigali's personality through Tsumugi's viewing habits, we know that he's a helpful little fellow who supports his magical girl charges by hiding their transformation wands in his thick and fluffy fur. He also makes for some adorable character goods and inspires Tsumugi's costume for the school play, so Mr. Galigali is a winner in our book.

Let's face it, there are a plethora of pig characters in Japanese animation to pick from, and we certainly couldn't hope to chronicle them all. What do you think? Can we tell a silk purse from a sow's ear, or are we just casting pearls before swine? Did your favorite pig character make the cut? Let us know in the comments section below, and be sure to wallow in happiness for National Pig Day!

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on Google News too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.

For forums sites go to Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com

If you want to read more anime-manga articles, you can visit our anime-manga category.

Source