Konnichiwa, folks. I hope you enjoyed the actor version of this article. Honestly, the actress version was much harder to write. I think I am just more picky when it comes to female characters in general. Female anime characters have a tendency to annoy more than male ones, too. So, here are my picks for best live action anime actress performances.
1. Ueno Juri, Nodame Cantabile
This actress was Noda Megumi. She had Nodame’s wild and unpredictable personality down to an art. She was crazy and cute at the same time. Ueno was a genius in this role. She looked very close to how Nodame does in the manga and anime. I will never forget the way she says, “Chiaki senpai!”
2. Inoue Mao, Hana Yori Dango
Mao did a good job of capturing Makino’s indomitable spirit. The F4 could not bring her down. She is the best Makino out of all the HYD versions. I love her attitude. She was a great foil for MatsuJun’s Doumyouji. Who can forget the famous punch in the face?
3. Nakamura Yukie, Gokusen
Gokusen is a classic. It was the female answer to Great Teacher Onizuka. Nakamura’s Yankumi was a great blend cute and toughness. It was always fun watching her go into terminator mode. Yankumi was raised by Yakuza but she wanted to be a teacher and fall in love. Nakamura was able to play her split life perfectly.
4. Omasa Aya, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge
Omasa’s Sunako was hilarious and well done. She did a great job playing all her eccentricities. She acted like she was in an anime. It was interesting to see Omasa go into berserk mode when she was called ugly. Of course, Sunako is actually very beautiful. She just had to realize it.
5. Kawaguchi Haruna, Ouran High School Host Club
Out of all the anime characters Haruhi is the most like me and one of my favorites. I had some bias going in. I was not disappointed by Kawaguchi’s Haruhi. She captured Haruhi’s air of indifference to wealth and her practical nature. She was never impressed by the antics of the host club boys.