Anime is known for having a plethora of inspiring, incredible characters. Most of these characters are in the so-called "springtime of youth", being high schoolers or those on the precipice of adulthood or some other kind of major change. Shonen anime, given its intended demographic of young boys and teenagers has spawned innumerable child characters who are all legendary in their own right.

Characters like Goku, Monkey D. Luffy, and Naruto are introduced in their respective series as children who grow into their greatness, but since they grow older over time, they lose their status as some of the best child characters in anime. So, that begs the question: who are the four most lovable, most interesting child characters in recent anime and why?

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4 Kotaro Sato – Kotaro Lives Alone

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First up is Kotaro, the titular character of Kotaro Lives Alone. Given some strange circumstances, the precocious four-year-old lives in an apartment building on his own, and relies on himself for the most part. The adorable youngster speaks in an old-fashioned manner based on the speech patterns of samurai due to the influence of his favourite anime, and gets by on a weekly stipend delivered to him from an unknown "kind person".

While the show is cute, it is definitely not lacking in depth, as the series progresses, it delves deeper into Kotaro's past and ventures into various uncomfortable realms. Kotaro's biggest draw as a character is his positive influence on the world around him as he often renders adults speechless with his pearls of wisdom beyond his years while maintaining an innocence that prevails despite the objectionable and neglectful conditions of his upbringing.

3 Anya Forger – Spy x Family

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While the series has only had a single episode air thus far, fans of Spy x Family media will agree that Anya Forger is one of the series' biggest draws. The enigmatic child is six years old, and her secret is that she's an esper developed by some mysterious organization. She is cheerful and outgoing, but also very precocious – which is partly a side effect of being able to read minds. Due to her strange ability, she has made scores of adults uncomfortable and was never retained by any adoptive family as a result, at least until now.

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Aware that her new parent is a spy, Anya feigns ignorance of his true motivations for adopting her and attempts to be the exact daughter he needs for this mission; however at this point in the anime, the mission fails if they can't find her a mother, and as she puts it, "Mama doesn't exist."

2 Somali – Somali and the Forest Spirit

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Somali and the Forest Spirit follows the story of the titular character and her adoptive father, an inhuman entity called a golem which happens to be the guardian deity of a particular forest. When the guardian finds Somali abandoned and in chains as a toddler, he is taken aback when she refers to him as "Dad". The golem does something unusual and begins taking care of her in a world that is hostile towards humankind.

The two become inseparable, and throughout the course of the series the viewers see how much this supposedly unfeeling entity cares for and is changed by Somali. The child's cheerful personality stands as a direct contrast to the emotionless musings of her father, and the series is a beautiful depiction of filial relationships transcending the common boundaries of kin or kind.

1 His Highness, Bojji – Ranking of Kings

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This past winter season saw the rise of one brilliant anime child: Bojji, the crown prince of the Bosse Kingdom and the son of King Bosse and the giantess, Queen Sheena. He cannot speak nor hear, but he is hyper-aware of his surroundings and communicates extremely well to those who can understand him.

He is looked down upon by the citizens of the kingdom, but he is incredibly intelligent, sincere, and hardworking, which makes him very charismatic despite his disabilities. Despite being the descendent of a giant, Bojji has a small frame even for regular human children, but his stature is immaterial in the wake of his overwhelming abilities with the sword. His earnestness makes him earn your favor, whether you like children or not.

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