Love to Hate Him

Some bad guys do their thing so well you can't help but hope they'd win sometimes. Some villains are so good at it you sort of root for them the whole time, and when they lose (as they eventually must) you tend to feel for them. Let's just say that some antagonists are so bad they're good, and that they're sometimes better than the good guys.

Not Quite Standard Disclaimer:
The images here were gleaned from many different sites--wherever I happened to see a good picture of the Leading Man in question...In some cases I had to chop him out of a bigger picture, brighten the image itself--anything to get HIS solo mug up there. If I'm using your image and you don't like what I've done to it, tell me about it and I'll take it out. Remember: all images here belong solely to their creators.

All guys are plugged in ALPHABETICALLY per page, and in the order I received the suggestions, to avoid the reams of hate-mail I can imagine for inadvertently maligning *your* Leading Man.

Wait! Before you go in disgust, hear me out. Chichiri isn't really a bad guy, nor are these pages pulling your leg. I just thought that
          (a) as my fave anime guy and
          (b) because of a stellar performance,
Chichiri deserved to be mentioned here.

I'm refering of course to his brief incarnation as the nefarious Nakago. Chichiri can impersonate virtually anybody, albeit in his own inimicable style. He was certainly unforgettable--so unforgettable that I started Chichiri's Webring No Da! in tribute to him!

Rei-chan says:
          I know people are gonna think I'm crazy, but you gotta look at the episodes of Evangelion where it shows Gendou young (ie. Rokubungi Gendou, when he first met Yui). He's so cute!!! And he was sincerely devoted to his wife until her death.... he might have been a better father to Shinji without the accident. Sure, in the series he needs a few good slaps, but he's still a great character!

Add to that the fact that he'd walk through fire (okay, boiling LCL) to save Rei, so there must be something there!

Eu-chan had this to say:
     ...not only is he a sassy dresser. = ) He's up front about his demands and will go at any lengths to get them; I mean he nearly blows up the earth to get what he wants! He lets nothing stand in his way! But at his core he is a scientist, and with his last line at the end of OVA 6, he proves it!

Foxfire emailed me, saying:
     My compliments on people's good tastes on adding Kagato to the Leading Men...however, I noticed the picture is of Kagato from the TV series, not the OAVs. (Don't ask my why they look totally different, but they do.)

I admit, Kagato was a way cool villain. I think he was the only guy to really understand what connection Tenchi had to the "wings of the lighthawk"--whatever that is!

Miaka says:
          Nakago is so evil and not trusting. He uses Yui for her power and tries to destroy Miaka and Tamahome's relationship by telling Yui a few things to separate them...

He's a ruthless sonuvab*tch alright. He's among the most diabolically evil bad guys EVER. He manipulates--not just Yui--but Soi, Miaka, Tamahome, Amiboshi, just about every character in the whole series. He's got a back-up plan for his back-up plans and doesn't regret or dilly-dally over any aspects of his master plan. He's so cold and calculating, you don't feel any pity for him at all, until the very end...
Image courtesy The Continuous Fushigi Yuugi, the Nakago Image Gallery section...
 
 

WhiteCat and Phoenix say:
          He did kill Tamahome's family, but otherwise, he's very lovable. ^_^ Around the people he loves (like Amiboshi and Yui), he's a complete sweetie and a totally different person. The reason he did the horrible things he did is because he thought he was getting revenge for his brother. He's too hot-headed and quick-tempered, but he has good intentions underneath.

I almost couldn't forgive him for all the things he did to Tamahome's family...