WEBVTT

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- [Isaiah] It's Isaiah
Colbert, the Otaku of Kotaku.

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Now that Mother's Day has passed

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we thought it would be good on us

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to remember, like you hopefully did.

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The mothers in our lives.

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Lives here, meaning anime.

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Of course.

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While some anime moms
sadly don't stick around

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as long as they should have

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and shows due to their
fashionable side braids,

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we love them all the same

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for what they bring to the table

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as strong characters.

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In that spirit,

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here is our totally subjective list

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of the best moms in anime.

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But first, before we reveal
our number five pick,

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here are our honorable mentions.

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Chi-chi from Dragon Ball Z.

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Bell-mère from One Piece.

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And Kushina Uzumaki from Naruto Shippūden.

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Take a bow, ladies.

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You may not have cracked the top five,

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but you still the real MVP.

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Number five, Yor Forger from Spy Family.

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She might not be killing it

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in the social cues department.

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But the spy mom who
stepped up, Yor Forger,

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is definitely one

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of anime's most protective mothers.

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If even a whiff of danger,

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wharfs its way towards her
adoptive daughter, Anya Forger,

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as it often does,

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Yor is usually the first
one to make a mole hill

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out of her daughter's problems.

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Whether it be kicking kidnapper's asses

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or parkouring to deliver
her child's school bag.

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For better or worse, Yor Forger
is always doing the most.

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I think we all know moms like that.

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(loud explosion)

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- Sorry to barge in like this.

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- Uh, teacher?

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- [Isaiah] Number four, Izumi Curtis

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from FullMetal Alchemist.

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Not only is the Izumi one
of Fullmetal Alchemist's

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coolest characters,

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but she's also a tough
love, no-nonsense mom

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to the Elric brothers.

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When the Alchemists go
to Izumi for training,

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the trio grow into a found family thanks

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to their shared trauma

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from messing with transportation circles.

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Despite her rough demeanor,

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Izumi cares deeply about the Elrics

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and will do anything within
her power to keep them

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on the straight and narrow.

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Number three, Inko Midoriya
from My Hero Academia.

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Being a shounen anime mom
is a stressful lifestyle.

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- I can't do this anymore.

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I don't think my heart
can handle another scare.

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- [Isaiah] On the one hand,
you wanna support your child

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in achieving their dreams.

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While on the other,

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you don't want them to
get hurt along the way.

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Being able to balance the two
is what makes Inko Midoriya

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a masterclass of a mom.

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Not only will she put her
foot down when it comes

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to her boy Midoriya breaking his arms

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while playing hero for the umpteenth time,

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but she'll also make All Might,

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the world's strongest hero,

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prostrate himself and swear

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that no further harm will come to her kid.

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That's the Plus Ultra
Mom mentality in action.

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Number two, Hana from Wolf Children.

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It's not easy rearing kids,

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or at least so I've heard.

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Now, imagine raising half wolf
children as a single parent.

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That's damn near impossible.

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Luckily, Hana from Wolf Children managed

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to mother her children
into competent pre-teens.

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All it took was moving to the country,

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some dicey late night vet visits,

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weathering teenage wolf-child angst,

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and plenty of tears.

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You know, mom stuff.

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Number one.

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Sachiko from Erased.

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Although the legacy

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of this time-jumping anime's finale

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left a sour taste in an
otherwise promising show.

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What remains undeniable is the fact

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that Sachiko is an S-ranked mother.

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Sachiko lovingly exercises patience

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and understanding for her
standoffish son Satoru.

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She also stepped up

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by giving her son's classmate Kayo,

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an escape from her abusive household.

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Lastly, this list wouldn't be complete

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without our dishonorable mentions.

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Big mom from One Piece,

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Ragyō Kiryūin from Kill la Kill,

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and Isabella from the Promised Neverland.

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You know what you've done.

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And I've already notified
family services of your crimes.

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Let us know in the comments below

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if we missed any anime moms
that deserve a shoutout

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for being awesome.

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Anime forever, kotaku.com.

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(music fading out)