Hamtaro is a children’s anime from the early 2000s that captured the hearts of children all over the world. We follow the adventures of Hamtaro and his huge group of friends known as the “The Ham Hams” as they explore, learn, and even protect their owners. This cute crew aired on Cartoon Network and helped introduce children to the kawaii side of anime. This adorable 3D hamster will find his way into your heart. The artist for this box is a Japanese woman living in the Netherlands. She holds bento making workshops for people interested in learning the art of bento. This bento is mostly rice, with the body of Hamtaro being made of white rice and yellow tinted rice. The easiest way to tint rice a different color is to use colored furikake, or rice seasoning. She then shaped a 3D body for Hamtaro so it looks like he is just resting inside the box. Ham was used for the pink parts of his hands, feet, and ears. For the dark eyes she used a thick kind of seaweed called konbu. Surrounding Hamtaro are star cut-outs of carrots, eggs, and wieners. Unfortunately, the artist could not find a sunflower seed, so Hamtaro is seen holding a peanut, which is sure to be equally delicious if you can bring yourself to eat this cute bento.

If you want your wish to come true, just travel the world and gather the seven magical dragon balls, that when combined will grant any wish. Dragon Ball Z is a classic that is known to all children growing up in the 1990s or early 2000s, whether they watched it or not. It is Goku and his friends’ mission to save planet Earth from a multitude of enemies that seek to destroy it. Dragon Ball Z has a plethora of kyaraben online so it is impossible to choose just one favorite. We went with this one of Vegeta because of the careful details used to make his Scouter that read power levels. Without it, we would not have that famous line that is still quoted to this day. This bento is in a 2D style with a layer of rice supporting the image of Vegeta. It looks like his face is made of ham, cheese, and the extremely detailed cuts of nori, or seaweed, to create that signature smirk. Recreate this bento and your kyaraben skills will definitely be over 9,000!

Case Closed follows a detective who, through nefarious circumstances, has been transformed into a seven-year-old boy. This does not stop Conan from continuing his detective services and solving crimes. Conan is now a boy genius who hides his identity from everyone and solves crimes though the official detective Mouri Kogorou, who gets the credit. For this bento, there is an entire tutorial online by the artist. She gives step by step instructions on the process of making this bento. She explains the trick to making such accurate 2D images in your kyaraben. The trick is to print out an image of your character and trace it in several layers. She makes 4 layers for Conan and cuts out ham and cheese to create the image. In the video she doesn’t hide the fact that this is a process and not the easiest bento to create. If you are interested in creating your own kyaraben, this tutorial is a great place to start!

One Piece is the treasure left behind by the pirate king Gol D. Roger after his demise. His declaration right before his death, was that he had hidden the greatest treasure known to man, One Piece. This began the battle of pirates for this coveted treasure. The show follows a huge cast of characters, and after over 700 episodes, the search for One Piece still goes on. This is another anime that is popular to create bento boxes for. You can find cute creations everywhere. For this list we went with a 3D bento of One Piece’s signature cute character, Chopper. The artist uses furikake rice to make Chopper’s huge pink hat, and a small quail egg to create an adorable skull and crossbones. There is no speaking in this video, but the instructions are easy enough to follow. This video has many unique and creative methods to try out when making kyaraben. Follow her tutorial to create your own treasured kyaraben.

Natsume just wants an ordinary high school life. He doesn’t want to see yokai, or demons, he only wants to find a place where he belongs. After being taken in by a sweet elderly couple, he is determined to make this family work. But his plans go awry after encountering the demon he later names, Nyanko-sensei. He learns about his grandmother and the book of demons’ names she created during her life. This book has the ability to control the demons whose names are written inside. Because of this, it is highly sought-after by demons who wish to control others and by those who want to free their name. Despite the amount of demons seen in this anime, it is a surprisingly slow-paced and heartwarming story. We are able to see the friendship between Natsume and Nyanko-Sensei grow as Natsume accepts parts of himself he didn’t before. In this bento, the artist created a 3D version of Nyanko- Sensei jumping out of the box. He is joined by small replicas of other friendly demons seen in the show. The details of this box and the touching story behind it is why it is on our top 10 anime character bento list.

When you think of characters that might pop up in a bento box, your first thought probably isn’t something creepy like the skinless, giant titan from Attack on Titan. But he is here to break any walls or preconceptions about kyaraben. It can be cute or creepy, and this bento definitely pulls off creepy perfectly. The artist for this bento box only uses a flat bed of rice and creates the image of the titan’s face on top. She uses a variety of meats to create the different muscle tones (Yum!). Imitation crab, ham, and cheese are the main ingredients for this creation. She has a video tutorial going into detail on how to create this kyaraben yourself. While this isn’t the most appetizing box you might see, it doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Fall in love with your bento box! Ren from Uta no Prince Sama is the kyaraben heartthrob that we have all been waiting for. From the popular reverse harem anime, Ren uses his killer voice and dance moves to win the hearts of all the girls. While not as popular as One Piece or Attack on Titan, Uta no Prince Sama is definitely at the top of its own genre. This bento was also chosen because it uses a technique not usually found in most kyaraben. Instead of tinting the color of the rice using furikake, or cutting out individual pieces of seaweed to create the 2D image of the character, this artist has come up with a whole new method. She uses thin, transparent sheets of starch called oblaat, and draws directly on them before placing them over the rice. This gives the bento an almost printed effect and shows a real level of skill and innovation.

The most famous magical girl show, of course, has an enormous amount of kyaraben dedicated to it. Sailor moon and her Sailor Scouts are so cute and beautiful it would be a sin to leave them out of our top 10 list. The main character, Usagi, must save the world several times over from the powers of evil with the help of her friends. To do this, they all must transform into the lovely warriors, the Sailor Scouts. This bento was chosen because it includes not only one Sailor Scout but all four the Outer Senshi seen in the show. The amount of time and work put into this bento is incredible. As we saw earlier, creating the realistic 2D images of anime characters takes an amazing amount of effort, and this bento has four! Each strand of hair and eyelash had to be meticulously cut-out and carefully put in place. Huge props to the creator of this bento!

Pokémon is a show full of characters, how could we not include it on our list? With so many adorable creatures to choose from, the options are endless. Truly, we had such a difficult time picking just one Pokémon kyaraben for this list! But in the end, we decided that going with undying favorite character, Pikachu, was the best choice. This 3D creation is so cute that when you open it you will think there is a real Pikachu waiting inside. This smiling Pikachu is so lifelike it is like you’ve somehow transformed the inside of a pokeball into a bento! The artist for this kyaraben has an image-based tutorial showing the basic steps of making Pikachu’s face. On her website there are several other variations of Pikachu that you can choose from. But, this bento is our personal favorite, with Pikachu smiling back up at you!

We could not complete this list without something representing the most popular kyaraben character. My Neighbor Totoro is a classic, cute anime movie that is the first choice for most kyaraben creations. From dust sprites to Totoro himself, people can’t help but recreate the cuteness in food form. While there are many Ghibli movies to choose characters from, My Neighbor Totoro seems to be the top choice because of the simple character designs. Now, most people will choose to create Totoro from this anime movie, but we decided to go with this Cat Bus bento because it also included many characters from the classic Ghibli film. Dust sprites made of meatballs, a baby Totoro made from a quail egg, and of course the fun-loving Cat Bus himself. The artist goes into detail on how she created this masterpiece. This is a New Year’s themed box, so not only is it full of Totoro themed characters, but also lucky food to bring in the new year!

Love Live! is the idol show that has swept the whole world up and away with it. It tells the story of many different school girls and their journey to become music idols through their talent at singing and dancing. Love Life is strongly centred on the idea of friendship and how it plays out between the girls. Its popularity has led to many OVAs, spin-offs, and other extra content - which is where our next entry, Bokura no Live Kimi to No Life comes in. After all, Love Live! may not exactly be where you're expecting to see female archers, but you would be surprised! In Bokura no Live Kimi to No Life, we get a glimpse into just how talented with a bow Umi Sonoda is! On top of her talents in areas like kendo and traditional dance, Umi is also a member of the school archery club. Bokura no Live Kimi to No Life highlights her skills and showcases her talent as an archer. Sure, she may not be changing the tides of battle or saving lives like some females on our list, but excelling at her skill within the archery club at her school still shows how talented of an archer she is. You don't have to fight real battles to have real skills, and Umi proves that.

Ninja Slayer from Animation takes place in dystopian Neo-Saitama, where evil ninja souls from an age long past when ninjas ruled Japan are resurrecting themselves and causing destruction. After his wife and child are killed in a battle between ninjas struggling for territory, salaryman Kenji Fujikido becomes possessed with a ninja soul himself. He transformed into Ninja Slayer, a powerful warrior whose goal becomes to destroy all the evil ninja and try to not only restore order but get vengeance for the death of his family. One of the characters that help Kenji, who becomes known as Gendoso Dragon, is Yukano Dragon. Yukano is a formidable ninja as well, though she has lost most of her memories of who she is, typically going by the name “Amnesia” instead. As a ninja, one of Yukano’s main weapons of choice is a bow. She is a talented archer on top of having the normal qualities that top ninjas have, like stealth, which makes her pretty cool. After all, what could make a ninja more cool than adding in an unexpected proficiency with a weapon like a bow?

Tari Tari is also a high school anime about music and singing, but this time, not about idols. Instead, Shirahamazaka High School gives its students the chance every year to perform their musical talents in front of actual professionals. Konatsu sadly did a poor job her previous year, and while she wants to try again, the vice principal won't let her sing with the school choir. Rather than be discouraged, however, Konatsu instead forms a singing club with her friends to perform! But making her own club and having it ready in time is proving harder than she had expected... One of Konatsu's friends is Sawa Okita, a third-year student. Sawa lives at a temple and has a pet horse, and spent most of her like dreaming of becoming a jockey despite her father's discouragement. However, when Sawa learns she is over the weight limit to join the equestrian club at school, she turns her sights and passion toward Japanese archery. Of course, Sawa never gives up riding, either, and even learns to shoot her bow while riding her horse! Her determination and perseverance in the archery club lead to her developing quite a talent for it and make Sawa Okita a great female archer.

Tokyo Ravens is set in a Japan where a powerful magic called Onmyoudou was used to help the country fight in WWII. However, a master of Onmyoudou called forth the "Great Spiritual Disaster," which caused Japan to lose the war and continues to plague Tokyo with demons until the present day. Onmyoudou continues to exist, but in a modern and more refined way where it is used in fields like technology and medicine. But when another large scale Onmyoudou disaster threatens to destroy Japan again, it is up to a few members of the Onmyou Agency to try to save their country! Natsume Tsuchimikado is already great at using Onmyoudou despite her young age and holds the position of being the heir to the Tsuchimikado household. Because of her position, she has to present herself as male most of the time, but Natsume is definitely a girl. She can use her Onmyoudou abilities in the form of magical archery, and with her prodigal skill as a magic user, it makes her a very formidable archer indeed. She helps the main character or Tokyo Ravens, Harutora, to overcome the challenges they face and to try to save Japan from a terrible fate - and she wouldn't be able to do it without her magic bow and arrows!

R.O.D the TV, also known as Read or Die, is the story of four girls and their journey to save the world from a criminal named Mr. Carpenter. One of the girls is a novelist struggling with writer's block, and the other three are known as the Paper Sisters. They have the unique ability to use paper in incredible ways - perfect for this group of bibliophiles that would rather be reading than anything else. The four girls form a bond when they are brought together, and only that bond will be able to save the world from Mr. Carpenter. One of these four girls is Michelle Cheung, the leader of the Paper Sisters. While they can all manipulate paper in incredible ways, Michelle chooses to do so by using it in the form of a bow. She's an incredible archer, and with her magical ability, she can do more than average. Her arrows can trap enemies in webs, or split into multiple arrows at once! And Michelle knows how to use her ability not only to support her sisters in battle but how to lead the battle as well. Her strong leadership abilities coupled with her mastery of paper archery makes Michelle an extremely powerful female archer indeed.

InuYasha is a classic anime that is a favourite of male and female fans alike. It tells the story of Kagome Higurashi, a teenage girl who finds herself 500 years in Japan's past after she is pulled into a cursed well by a demon looking for the magical jewel reborn within her. When the jewel shatters, Kagome ends up on a journey with a group of unlikely warriors to find the shards of the jewel before the demon does - a journey that takes them all over feudal Japan and through adventure after adventure. Kagome would never be able to survive in feudal Japan and against demons if she wasn't a warrior, and as you have probably guessed by now, she's an archer! The rest of her party of companions is made up of human/demon hybrids and demon slayers, so Kagome has to have something to keep up with them in battles. And her archery ability lets her do just that! There are plenty of fights throughout the series, and Kagome's skills as an archer help to fight in them and support her friends all the time. She likely wouldn't be able to succeed in their difficult mission without them!

Arslan Senki is a story of war, betrayal, and scandal in a fantasy world that seems closely based on Persia or a similar setting. The main character is Arslan, a young prince trying to fight to save his kingdom from the neighbouring country that has invaded it. Throughout the series, he gains a small group of close friends and advisors in addition to the armies and cities that he wins over with an approach and attitude that no previous leader has ever had. One of the main characters who support him throughout his struggle is Farangis. Farangis is a priestess who invites herself into Arslan's group when she shows up mysteriously in the night, claiming the D'jinn that she follows told her to help him and protect him. She isn't unwelcome, though, and her skill with bow and arrow is matched only by Gieve, another member of their party. Farangis regularly supports both their small group and their larger armies, in battle with her archery prowess. She has saved key characters from death by getting to their would-be killers first and helped change battles in their favour by fighting alongside the army. No one ever underestimates Farangis because she is female, and rightly so. She's not a person you would want on your bad side and has never given anyone a reason to question her skill as an archer.

Yona begins Akatsuki no Yona as a spoiled princess in the Kingdom of Kouka, a land she doesn't actually know much about. When her father is murdered and her own life placed in danger, Yona has to flee for her life into the dark reality of Kouka, a land of poverty and danger. Yona is forced to grow up fast and face the real world and has a lot of challenges to overcome if she ever wants to take back her throne and restore order. And all the while she is being chased by the new King of Kouka! Yona has to learn fast if she wants to survive, let alone take back her kingdom! Yona does not begin the series as a strong archer, not by a long shot. As a soft and naive princess, she never had a reason to have that kind of skill set. However, when faced with so many threats, she is forced to learn. While she struggles at first, Yona's relentless practise and dedication help her improve her skills. And over time, Yona does become a strong female archer! Her determination and courage that she develops in the face of danger, and how much she is able to grow as an archer is what makes Yona one of our Top 10 Female Archers.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica is a newer, but no less famous, magical girl anime. As usual with magical girl stories, it centres on the friendship between the girls involved as they transform and use their powers to save the world. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica has a unique twist, though; the girls and their outfits may still be cute and sweet, but the story is anything but. To become magical girls, the girls basically sell their souls to an alien creature in the form of a cute cat-like animal, and without spoiling too much /if you haven't seen it yet, not everyone gets out of the situations alive. Each girl has a wish that they want to be granted, which is why they are willing to make the deal to become magical girls, but will they regret it in the end? While Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica is about a group of girls, the main character is Madoka herself. And she also happens to be the next featured female on our list! While in magical girl form, of course, the girls have to fight, and in this story, they fight witches. Madoka's weapon is a bow and arrows, and she becomes extremely proficient at using them. Countless times she is able to support and protect her friends and defeat the witches despite the odds being stacked against them and is able to fight her way out of seemingly hopeless situations. Madoka may be a cute, pink-haired girl, but she is also a powerful female archer that can get the job done (while still looking pretty cute).

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon is one of the most famous and beloved anime of all time and remains a top choice for many people. It's a magical girl anime following Usagi and her friends who can transform into sailor scouts or magic users whose names are based on the planets. Each of these girls has unique abilities and fighting skills, and they fight to protect the Earth from many different villains that they face over several seasons - and learn more about themselves and who they actually are at the same time. It's a story of friendship and magic, and how those two things are connected. One of Usagi's friends is a girl named Rei Hino, who transforms into Sailor Mars. She also happens to be an incredible archer! She attends a private school away from the other girls, but that doesn't make her any less of an important member of the team. Her archery skills are present both in and out of sailor scout form. Rei works as a shrine maiden, giving her the ability to detect and destroy evil spirits - a key ability on the team! And when you add in her skill with bow and arrow, Rei is, of course, indispensable. She's strong and stands up for what she thinks is right, and is a powerful female figure by any standards.

When mankind is threatened, Athena and her 88 Saints will protect it from all danger. Or so the legend says. Unfortunately, in modern times, the Sanctuary itself has been breached by the darkness, and the latest reincarnation of Athena is in mortal danger. Seiya and his four companions, all of them Bronze Saints, and the lower ranked Saints that protect the Sanctuary, are the only ones faithful to Athena and to the protection of Earth. Saint Seiya is probably the most popular shonen anime in Latin America, as well as an inspiration for some other anime following it in Japan. While some of their storylines –in particular the ‘will they, won’t they’ situation between Seiya and Saori- can seem a bit clichéd now, back in the eighties it was something new. Each of the Bronze Saints have very distinct personalities, from the loyal to a fault Shiryu to the lone wolf Ikki, which means everyone gets to have a favorite. And that is not counting the villains and the other Saints that appear from time to time. Although the manga storyline wasn’t completed in the first anime run, the fandom was strong enough around the world so that in 2003 it got a sequel that finished the manga story, to add to the franchise that already had six movies, a prequel and a little later also got a spin off.

Remi Barberan has bad luck. At 10 years old he finds he is not his mother’s son, and gets sold to a traveling musician, Vitalis, by his estranged father. When he gets used to the traveling life, and grows to love Vitalis, the old man and half the animal troupe they have for their act die in a harsh winter. And that’s only half of the episodes of the series based on the French novel Sans Famille by Hector Malot. This is another series that is not well known outside Japan, but it is one of TMS Entertainment classics. Directed by Osamu Dezaki, with the help of Kobayashi Shichiro in the art direction, and character design by Akio Sugino; Ie naki Ko was also one of the first anime that attempted to create a 3d effect for some dramatic scenes. Ie naki Ko is one of those series that seem designed to make the audience cry, and it succeeds very well. It’s a story of heartbreak and loss, while at the same time managing to be about the pursuit of happiness and true friendship. A true drama, with some truly gorgeous art, as well as an amazing soundtrack, that every anime fan should watch at least once.

Mankind is not alone in the universe, and the crash of a mysterious and gigantic spaceship is the evidence. Fearing a future invasion, the Earth government unites under one single entity and start repurposing the spacecraft, renaming it SDF-1 Macross. Unfortunately, the lack of understanding of exactly how the SDF-1 works, causes that, upon an unexpected attack, the ship and the city that was build around it are transported to the other end of the Solar System. Macross is a pillar of anime, even if most people outside Japan got to know it as the first part of Robotech, back in the eighties. It was directed by Noboru Ishiguro, and included the work of Hideaki Anno as a key animator, as well as Character Design by Haruhiko Mikimoto, all of whom would go on later to other famous series. It has drama, romance and some amazing space battles, even with the limitations of the animation techniques of the eighties. If you haven’t watched Macross, there are not enough words in this article to recommend it. The franchise itself has some weak points, such as Macross II and Macross 7, but also great jewels like Macross Plus and of course, the original series. If you decide to give them all a chance, you will not regret the time invested.

Make a contract, get a wish, become a magical girl. That is the promise that Kyuubey, a strange white creature that identifies as an Incubator, makes to Madoka and Sayaka, after they save him from a dark magical girl named Homura. It seems easy, fun, and a way to help those who are in need. But while Sayaka jumps at the chance, Madoka seems a bit more reluctant as she wants to know what could be the downside of being a magical girl. Magical girls are a staple of anime. From the original Sally in 1966 to the current seasons of Pretty Cure, there’s no year that goes without a magic girl show. This makes it a little hard to do something new with the premise. And yet, Puella Magi Madoka Magica manages it in just twelve episodes that become a rollercoaster of emotions from the opening episode where we see Kyuubey hunted and hurt, to the amazing ending that people should never spoil. As it’s a recent series, there are a lot of spoilers about Madoka Magica and it’s sequels. There is a chance that when you read this, you already know about the big surprise in episode 3, as well as the other big revelations afterwards. But seeing the scenes is much better than just reading about them, so if you haven’t yet had the chance, this series should definitively be in your “to watch” list.

A man is responsible for the life of those he saves. At least, that’s the belief Dr. Kenzo Tenma has followed his whole life. Unfortunately for him, one of the people he saved was a young psychopath who years later would become a serial killer. Unfortunately, the German police is convinced that Tenma is the one guilty of a series of murders in the hospital where he works, so he is forced to escape in order to find his old patient, to prove his own innocence. Adapted from a manga by Naoki Urasawa, Monster is one of the greatest thrillers in anime, without competition. Even when we know the identity of the real killer from the first episode, Urasawa still manages to create suspense every step of the way. Added to that, there’s no such thing as secondary characters in his work. Every character we meet has a specific role to play, and the way in which those roles are revealed is part of the magic storytelling that only Urasawa is capable off. Monster is an amazing trip that every suspense lover should watch at least once, preferably without many spoilers. A great gateway to the work of Urasawa, and a series that one can share even with those who are not very familiar with anime in the whole.