Generation Z has voted Haku from Spirited Away into first place in a survey asking about favorite Studio Ghibli boys.
As reported on Tokyo Otaku Mode, the Japanese app Simeji held a survey asking users in the 10 to 24 age bracket who their favorite male Ghibli characters are. There were 373 responses, from both male and female users. Simeji ranked the results and posted the top ten characters, with the dragon boy Haku emerging as the winner.
Some top ten characters were Sosuke from Ponyo in spot number eight, and Baron from The Cat Returns at number four. Excluding Haku, the top three included, Kanta from My Neighbor Totoro and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.
According to the report, Kanta was a popular choice as he's a cute kid with a tsundere side. In one scene, he pushes an umbrella at the female lead Satsuki and then runs off without saying anything. As for Howl Pendragon, voters loved his handsome appearance and how he genuinely cares for Sophie. For nearly every male character included in the poll, his relationship to the female lead was a major factor in his popularity.
Spirited Away
Haku is no exception, as his connection to Chihiro is central to the film. In the survey responses, voters complimented Haku's cool good looks and his dragon form. As a non-human river spirit, he's charmingly mysterious. Gen Z also admired his kindness and determination to protect Chihiro.
In Spirited Away, the human girl Chihiro becomes trapped in the spirit world after her parents are transformed into pigs. From the beginning, Haku goes out of his way to protect the girl and tells her what she needs to know to survive. It is later revealed the boy has been trapped in the spirit realm for a long time and was never human at all, but the spirit of the Kohaku river. When Chihiro was younger, she nearly drowned in that river, but then Haku rescued her. With that memory, Haku remembers his true name and is freed.
Spirited Away was released in 2001 and remains one of Ghibli's most popular movies. It has been acclaimed by viewers and critics and is often named one of the greatest animated films of all time.
Source: Tokyo Otaku Mode