Saiki Kusuo occupies a unique position in anime, and, by extension, all media by being a ‘largely assumed’ representative figure of asexuality. It is sad to say that asexuality is an underrepresented orientation in fiction and media. However, the visibility of the ace spectrum is slowly increasing due to some iconic characters like Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb and Saiki Kusuo from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, who have paved the way for this orientation, irrespective of whether or not they are asexual or just ace-coded.
While Western media has been far more perceptive towards LGBTQ+ inclusion, anime has to do a lot to catch up. As such, Saiki K has been a breath of fresh air who has served a void for all asexual weebs. Being a high-school student with various psychic abilities would bring a whole lot of trouble for anyone, hearing things you wouldn’t normally want to. For someone who appears aro/ace, this is a nightmare. Saiki Kusuo avoids romance like the plague and actively avoids characters who are interested in him. However, he might have found his interest in coffee jelly, which he consumes regularly.
What is asexuality?
Firstly, it is important to define “asexuality,” which is itself a very niche part of LGBTQ+ communities. A lack of sexual attraction to others, as well as little or no interest in or desire for sexual activity, is known as asexuality. It might be regarded as having a sexual orientation, or perhaps not. It can also be classified more broadly to cover a wide range of asexual sub-identities.
Despite their similarity, asexuality is actually distinct from celibacy and refusing to engage in sexual activity, both of which are behavioural choices that are typically influenced by someone’s personal, societal, or religious convictions. It is thought that sexual orientation is more “enduring” than sexual behaviour.
For a variety of reasons, including the desire to physically please oneself or romantic partners or the desire to have children, some asexual people participate in sexual activity despite lacking physical attraction or a desire for the same.
Is Saiki Kusuo an asexual? The relevance this has for the plot explored
Saiki Kusuo from the Disastrous life of Saiki K is asexual ! pic.twitter.com/65EUDuZWnk
— Your fav anime character is lgbtq+ (@lgbtqanichar) December 6, 2020
Saiki is pretty much the epitome of asexuality, the ace icon for all manga-readers and/or anime-watchers, craving for some asexual representation. He basically spends the most part of the anime devising unnecessarily convoluted schemes to evade every girl who has a crush on him since they irritate him so much. He has no interest in dating at all. He doesn’t even care about other people at all really. He truly doesn’t give a damn about anyone else and would much prefer to be alone all the time eating coffee jelly.
Saiki Kusuo has stated specifically that, after having seen it a lot, he does not see the appeal in the naked form but feels aesthetic attraction as he calls Teruhashi “pretty.” In the online forums, some fans see him as a transgender male, intersex, or genderfluid character as Kusuo used his powers to transform into a male fetus in the womb. As such, fans of this anime certainly see the character as an aromantic asexual icon who has helped others understand and accept their own sexuality and gender as well.
Other characters in anime that fans think are asexual
https://twitter.com/chillinkan/status/1666889700458520588
While most shonen anime feature clueless protagonists, who do not even seem to understand or reciprocate the romantic attraction of the opposite gender, this is often played for gags. Yes, we are looking at you Goku. However, the said Super Saiyan actually went on to marry and have kids, destroying that particular headcanon. However, this hasn’t stopped fans from drawing their own theories and headcanons that take a deep dive into the character’s mannerisms or preferences, which is also the reason why aro/ace representation of canonically married characters are still seen in fanarts, fan discussions, or fanfictions. Some of the characters who are largely thought to be aces just like Saiki K include:
- Soma in Food Wars
Soma Yukihira has experience preparing meals for diners. because he grew up working at a diner with his professional chef father. As of right now, Soma isn’t interested in anyone, regardless of how conventionally pretty the female is thought to be by others. He accords the same treatment to Megumi Tadokoro, Erina Nakiri, Alice Nakiri, Ikumi Mito, and all other females. In other words, they’re not important to him, and he cares more about staying up late and honing his cooking talents than he does about finding love. - Monkey D Luffy in One Piece
Luffy’s asexuality is also thought of by fans due to his seemingly naïve and clueless nature. While Oda neither confirmed nor denied it, his antics and especially his seeming immunity to Boa Hancock’s charms (which neither gender seems to be able to refute) caused fans to think that he has not developed any form of attraction. Even when Hancock expressed interest in Luffy, he continued to deny her charms. As such, while we cannot confirm Luffy’s orientation as it is, to a degree, played for gags, we can certainly say that he is placed at the opposite end of the spectrum representation by his own crewmate Sanji. - Nina Fortner in Monster
One of the key characters in the Monster series is Nina Fortner. And given the type of terror depicted in the main plot, that is not at all surprising. According to her backstory, she was traumatised as a result of her awful childhood experiences and sickening environment. especially the interactions she had with her brother Johan. Nina doesn’t exhibit any interest in other guys, not even in college or in the later episodes of the anime, even when those guys make it clear they like her. She may not express any love or sexual interest in other people because of her trauma, according to some. However, she is certainly implied to be asexual in either case. - Kino from Kino’s Travels: The Beautiful World
Kino is a 15-year-old girl who travels the world with her motorbike. The only thing she cares about is travelling, learning about people and cultures and moving continually so as not to get very comfortable in his own life. Along the way, while meeting interesting people from all walks of life, it becomes clearer than an empty glass that Kino’s an asexual character. Every interaction she has, with both boys and girls, showcases her utter lack of romantic or sexual interest in them, although that might just be because she is a child. - Najendra from Akame Ga Kill
The assassination team night-raid, led by Najenda, aims to overthrow the oppressive government and institute a new global order. Najenda spends his time organising a revolution in the capital because Akame Ga Kill’s regime is so abhorrently corrupt. There isn’t a single relationship or love-related tidbit in Najenda’s past. She has never given a damn about that. But even after all of that, it’s only a “perhaps” that she is asexual. Since there are no overt cues to this throughout the anime, we cannot conclusively state that she lacks attraction; rather, we may say that she is too preoccupied with other things in her life to give it much thought.
Do you think that there are more asexual characters in this list? Do you agree with it? Let us know in the comments below!
