Personally, I love spotting characters in fiction that flip huge birds to the gender binary so forcefully imposed upon us all by the heteronormative patriarchy. It's a little sad that many of these characters are alone; a single token surrounded by a cisgender, binary cast, but they are delightful additions to many anime and manga that deserve more love from fans of the works they appear in. While such minor representation certainly isn't enough and honestly, isn't very realistic at all (since when do genderqueer folk go out of their way to surround themselves exclusively with The Cis Hets™?), it's still a small step in the right direction. In no particular order, here are some gender nonconforming and genderqueer characters in anime and manga that deserve more time in the limelight!

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1. Aoi Hyoudou - "Maid Sama!"

Despite generally identifying as a cisgender male, Aoi poses as a woman on the internet due to his love of cute beautiful things. Over the course of the show, he comes to terms with being OK with being a guy who loves cute stuff!

2. Inugami - "Gugure! Kokkuri-san"

Though technically not human (Inugami is the vengeful spirit of a dog), Inugami is portrayed as able to present themselves as male or female without any particular preference for one or the other.

3. Nathan Seymour - "Tiger & Bunny"

What's this? A confident canonically agender queer POC? In my anime? With a relatable backstory? Who is capable of exercising greater control over his flame powers than most of the rest of the cast with their own powers? Who is a successful owner of their own company? Incredible.

4. Seiko Kotobuki - "Lovely★Complex"

What's that? We need more trans girls in anime and manga? I agree, and Seiko delivers! She's not a major character, but she does get her own arc revolving around her struggles with her gender identity.

5. Kuranosuke Koibuchi - "Princess Jellyfish"

Another cisgender male makes it onto the list for being secure and confident in his love for pretty, beautiful clothing. Crossdressing is more than just a hobby for Kuranosuke; it helps him connect with his estranged mother in a way. He's happy and he looks great in whatever he wears!

6. Yuu Kashima - "Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun"

She is beauty, she is grace, she is the handsome Prince Charming! Yuu openly flirts with her female fans and plays the princely roles in the Drama Club's shows because no guy in the school is better at making everyone swoon than her!

7. Pretty Much Everyone - "Otomen"

Most of the men in this delightful manga series are "otomen!" They all take pride in "feminine" hobbies and interests like flower arranging, drawing shoujo manga, baking pastries, et cetera! Then there's the lead's love interest: a girl who is a martial arts master, can't cook to save her life, and is overall just about as "masculine" as your run-of-the-mill dudebro! The main's estranged father is a trans woman! This manga does so much good stuff.

8. Masumi Okuyama - "Nodame Cantabile"

Behold Masumi, the gay timpani player that, when given free reign to pick a costume for the school festival, makes his own dress from scratch! This young man is a gift.

9. Isabella Yamamoto - "Paradise Kiss"

What's this? Is your thirst for beautiful trans ladies not satiated? Good! Have this goddess of womanly fashion, the mom friend, a blessing!

10. Hange Zoë - "Attack On Titan"

Need more agender babes in your life? I know I do! In a world where fear lurks around every corner and death is just a single wrong step away, who cares about the gender binary? Hange doesn't!

11. Crona - "Soul Eater"

I hear you banging your fists on your desks demanding more agender babes, so here you go! There are never enough agender babes!

12. Haruhi & Ryoji (Ranka) Fujioka - "Ouran High School Host Club"

What about a genderqueer family? Yes? Of course! Give us more of this genderfluid protagonist and her beautiful drag queen gay dad!

13. Grell Sutcliff - "Black Butler"

More trans women! More trans women! More trans women!

14. Half The Cast - "Hourou Musuko"

Saving the best for last! This bittersweet story is about some kids in middle school coming to terms with gender dysphoria and identities. It handles their questions in a careful manner and addresses many struggles kids face when realizing that they may not be cisgender. The manga covers more than the anime does, but if you'd like a cute short story with a unique art style and good music, check out the anime.