[Akito Kinomoto]

The main female in many anime and manga-related works I've seen or read has had the tendency to not be my favorite character. Whether it's because her tsun side was unbearably annoying or whether that "it" factor for likability somehow went to another character to the point where an ending animation sequence might result from the other's popularity, they just can't seem to capture a rather crucial part of fiction. That said, the title of favorite goes to none other than the titular imouto herself, Kirino Kousaka. Sure, one could argue how abrasive she was throughout the course of the story, but her cute moments (read: anything not usually related to Kyosuke) more than made up for it especially considering how sharply it contrasted with her personality, which leaves the impression of someone older than their physical maturity. Speaking of which, although Ayase has the edge on her in terms of pure aesthetic appeal, the imouto wins out for overall likability since her attitude, in conjunction with her cuteness (not to mention a nice fashion sense that serves as the cherry on top), exudes sensuality yet never comes across as shoehorned, but still radiates more attraction than other female anime and manga characters who try much too hard to excite viewers. And yet her sexuality not once went overboard, which is something to be appreciated. Attitude and appearance; they pretty much serve to have Kirino wield a very strong screen presence that ultimately serve to overshadow the other characters, and though they aren't a waste of space, the imouto's screen command becomes apparent as the few scenes without her felt dull by comparison. Simply put, she's the reason I watched the show and the main reason I kept on watching. And yes, I couldn't believe she was this cute.