Black Characters I Loved in 2020 (Anime edition)
Back at it again with part 2 of the Black Characters I Loved in 2020 series, the anime portion. If you didn't peep part 1, which covered cartoons, you should go check that one out as well.
When looking back at the anime that I watched during 2020 I was kind of hurt because there weren’t really that many this year that had a Black character that really played a prominent role. But maybe I was just slaking and missed some, so I would definitely take some suggestions if anyone has any. I will say, though, that it seems that there is more anime that have included more Black characters and have done so in a respectful way, so it’s great to see that. I think with anime becoming more popular and mainstream it has pushed to create more diverse casts with accurate portrayals since there is a more diverse audience. This has also led to multiple animes that feature Black main characters such as Neo Yokio, Cannon Busters, Michiko & Hatchin, as well as others.
Gotta throw out the spoiler warning again before I dive into the characters. If you had the most recent seasons of Fire Force and Haikyu!! on your radar and don’t want to risk spoiling for yourself, you might have to skip (but make sure to come back after you watch).
Ogun Montgomery (voiced by Makoto Furukawa (Japanese) and Zeno Robinson (English)) — Fire Force, Season 2
Fire Force Season 2 was certainly that heat (no pun intended), and we got to see more of some of the characters in other Companies. One of these characters was Special Fire Force Company 4’s very own Ogun Montgomery. Ogun is a long time friend of both Arthur and Shinra, going back to their academy days, and he was even head of the class back in the day. Love to see the Black excellence. In the first half of this season, Ogun was a pretty major character. We get the first real glimpse of Ogun when Shinra gets possessed and attacks Company 4. Ogun assists in holding Shinra back along with Arthur, Pan Ko Paat, and Captain Hague. We also get to see more of Ogun during the Chinese Peninsula Arc as he sets off with Shinra, Arthur, Tamaki, Victor, and Takeru under the leadership of Pan Ko Paat. I was hella hype seeing my guy Ogun getting all this screentime.
There’s a lot of things I love about Ogun. I like his character design, especially when he goes into “Flamy Ink” mode. I love the personality. He’s a smart and calm individual but has some witty remarks and funny moments throughout the season, especially when off that gas. But one of the things I love most about Ogun is the representation that he brings as a Nigerian character with his heritage being on full display with his character. I believe Ogun is the first Nigerian character I’ve come across in anime and certainly the first one where it’s so openly evident. Timi Ofarn talks about what this representation means for him and breaks down some aspects of Ogun, saying
It’s certainly refreshing to see an anime go the extra mile in creating more diverse characters in their work and to not just stuff it to some non-essential, background character. Ogun is an OD strong character in Fire Force, especially when initiating Flamy Ink. When Ogun is in his Flamy Ink mode, he’s able to increase his strength to be on par with Leonard Burns, the captain of Special Fire Force Company 1. Ogun was also instrumental in helping the Peninsula squad hold off the demon they faced while on their mission to retrieve info on adolla bursts. I hope that there’s a lot more Ogun to be seen in the future because it would be a waste to sideline such a great character.
Aran Ojiro (Voiced by Jun Kasama (Japanese)) — Haikyu!!, Season 4
Another Black character that was portrayed very well in anime in 2020 was Aran Ojiro. Haikyu!! is probably one of my favorite animes of all time, and they always seem to do everything right.
Aran is a third-year member of Inarizaki High’s Men’s volleyball team, and he isn’t just some average, run of the mill, player. Aran is Inarizaki’s outside hitter and ace. In Japan, Aran ranks in the top five among aces and, when he’s really on his game, he has the skill to be up there with the top three. He’s a pivotal part of Inarizaki’s squad and was the on-court captain for the match against Karasuno this season.
During this match, Aran definitely showcased his power as a top 5 ace and created plenty of trouble for the Karasuno squad. Aran received the first set from Atsumu in the game and quickly made it known why he’s considered one of the best as he spiked the ball right past Kageyama with ease, leaving the whole Karasuno squad stuck. When it got around to Aran’s first serve of the game, he came through with a no-touch ace. Even when Karasuno started targeting Aran with their serves, he was able to regain composure and handled the pressure well. And when Karasuno was able to block and receive a couple of Aran’s spikes, he showed resiliency, and his team showed faith in him as they continually went back to him until he was able to power through a spike.
Aran also showcases a calm and laid back personality, even from a young age. But he also shows to be a bright spot among the Inarizaki players, which can be seen when he tells Shinsuke “Who cares about the small stuff. You don’t need a reason for emotions. If you’re happy, you’re happy.” This came when Shinsuke was in deep thought about what it meant for him to have been named captain.
Another reason that I chose Aran as one of my favorites from 2020 was because of the way that he was received when his character was introduced in the anime. I remember seeing tons of tweets talking about how hyped people were seeing Aran for the first time and how well Haikyu!! had done on his character portrayal. I believe he was even trending on Twitter after that episode where the match between Inarizaki and Karasuno started. There was instant love for my guy and it helped propel buzz for the show. I definitely can’t wait to see what’s next for Aran, especially when they get to the eventual time skip.
Again, it’s super refreshing to be seeing more Black characters in anime and to also see them with accurate portrayals instead of over-exaggerated and often racist features as has been prevalent in years past.
