Anime is filled with a variety of fantasy settings that have helped millions of people across the world escape the hardships and mundanes of regular life. That is until the anime itself starts reflecting those very same cadences of normality. While the anime world is filled with all manner of knights and demons, that doesn't mean those same heroes don't report to some leader, even if that leader is just middle management.
Here, anime either gets to play a hopeful fantasy as to what the perfect boss should look like or prey deeper into the employee's nightmares with some of fiction's worst bosses. This list will be looking at both, as it rates its managers of the month and those who really need to see HR.
10 Best: Yoshimura (Tokyo Ghoul)
A huge part of what made the first season of Tokyo Ghoul so endearing to fans is the sharp contrast between its tragic ending and the warm family it had come to build up until that point. Kaneki Ken adjusted back to some form of normalcy when surrounded by the kind staff of the Anteiku Cafe.
And perhaps that very warm energy is due to the experience, wisdom, and overall good leadership of the establishment's kind manager, Yoshimura. Yoshimura is the very kind, accepting, helping hand that always finds its place during divided periods of human history, and that same hand can be trusted to make some pretty good coffee.
9 Worst: Sakata Gintoki (Gintama)
Gintama focuses on the adorkably lovable misfits that comprise Odd Jobs. This iconic trio has been trusted to handle all manner of handiwork, including everything between finding someone's cat or fighting giant robots. Leading the charge for this group is one of the most popular anime characters of all time, Sakata Gintoki, whose laid back style and deep sensibilities have attracted fans everywhere.
Unfortunately, as lovable as he is in the series, he is by no means a good boss. He's constantly putting two teenagers at the front line of danger and rarely pays them their due, sometimes taking what little profits they do make to spend at a casino. Funny doesn't always mean good.
8 Best: Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)
At the other end of the management spectrum, Attack on Titan's Levi Ackerman is the type of serious and hard-hitting boss who is an obvious subscriber to tough love. He does whatever's best for his groups, even if they don't do it, and exudes dense and stoic energy that just commands respect.
Whether it's with his striking tone or genuine talent on the battlefield, citizens and fans alike are comforted by the idea that someone like Levi is leading the charge against Titans.
7 Worst: Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100)
Much like Sakata Gintoki, Reigen Arataka is a fan favorite, comedic, character whose endearing traits can often distract from the fact that the individual themselves would be a huge HR disaster. Despite Mob's rose-colored lenses, Reigen is a conman who simply became faux psychic just to avoid a real job.
While he has treated Mob pretty kindly, he has consistently put this small child at the front lines of various danger missions, depending on him as the core of the entire business. When the main leadership philosophy is just to step out of the way, it may be better for the office just to downsize.
6 Best: Aoi Miyamori (Shirobako)
As evident in Shirabako, the anime industry is a tough, competitive environment that either sees the artists and animators competing with their audience or the clock itself. It takes strenuous effort, talent, and patience to work in this industry, and Aoi Miyamori has all and more when she rises as a production assistant.
Portraying organizational skills, dedication, and sincere honesty with her coworkers, Aoi is constantly developing an office environment that never needs to be more taxing than it needs to be.
5 Worst: Diavolo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventures)
When the boss' main enemies during a story are their literal underlings, they're doing something wrong. Whether it's the conspiring Giorno, the righteous Bucciarati, or the vengeful Risotto, Diavolo's primary enemies always seem to be his own team. When that reality sinks in, he does the only thing that reasonable boss does.
He tries to murder them in addition to his own daughter. Diavolo rose to power with no actual charisma or organizational skills of his own, and his main claim to fame is essentially ripping off the villain's plot from The Usual Suspects.
4 Best: Sadao Maou (The Devil Is A Part-Timer)
A lot of people like to claim that their boss is the devil, but the employees at a certain MgRonald's don't seem to mind. Sadao Maou was a dark king within his own world; but even there, he was a benevolent ruler that only sought to protect the rights of demons. When he came to Japan, his main plan is a fundamental one premised in good customer service and consistent communication with his managers.
Such a positive attitude helped him rise to management, where his constant drive to support his coworkers and serve his customers sits at a comfortable throne.
3 Worst: Griffith (Berserk)
Griffith was the leader of the once acclaimed Band of the Hawk. He was feared by his enemies, respected by even royalty, and, best of all, admired by each and every one of his soldiers. When that same loving command clashes with his own ambitions for power, Griffith does the noble thing. He picks power.
In one of the most horrifying scenes in anime/manga history, Griffith sacrifices all of his beloved soldiers in a demonic ritual so that he may ascend to a higher power. Once there, he returns to earth only to start a new campaign bolstered by conspiracy and a literal army of demons. Guts, to this day, is still waiting to file a complaint.
2 Best: Seiya Kanie (Amagi Brilliant Park)
Seiya Kanie may very well be the coolest kid ever. While a lot of people can only dream of running their own theme park, Seiya is literally picked up from his high school and specifically chosen to run one, and a fantastical one at that. The Amagi Brilliant Park is a magical place whose quirky citizens literally need customers to thrive, and above-average high schooler Seiya has just the managerial skills to save them.
He's like their knight in a shining business suit who uses calculators and phone calls instead of swords to defend his kingdom. While he may clash with his workers quite a bit, there's no denying that his business expertise and passion have a magic all of their own.
1 Worst: Kazutaka Hyoudou (Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues)
The world of Kaiji is one where the rich get to eat, the poor fight for scraps, and the people with gambling addictions try to eat each other. It's a tough world whose managerial hierarchy is just as petty, hostile, and competitive as one that hosts death games should be. The constant face of those games is none other than Mr. Tonegawa whose stoic tone and organizational skills have made all of this possible.
While there is plenty to praise within Mr. Tonegawa, he is just another cog that helps keep Kazutaka Hyoudou's tinker toys running. Hyoudou is the real king at the top who only seems to make decisions at a whim and barely recognizes the hard-working people around him. Unless they're Hyoudou himself, no one's ever really dealer in this world, just another player being dealt a fixed hand.