Anime shows where the main character (MC) refuses to be a simp?
If you watch a lot of anime these days, you’ll find that many characters can’t help but “simping” for women, or do anything considered simping like throwing away their self respect to make a woman feel special.
But there is also a rise of MCs who refuse to behave this way and have more standards, self respect, and most of all, self esteem that would never let them act in this manner.
Let’s talk about it.
1. Redo Of Healer
We can start with one of the more savage and crude examples. That would be Keyaru from the famous revenge series Redo Of Healer.
He’s a character who even when he was considered “Pure”, he still never lowers his standards in the presence of women who are attractive.
But once he is drugged, abused, manipulated, and used for personal gain by the Kingdom of Jioral, he seeks out revenge and the chance of him ever being a “simp” is non existent.
If anything, it becomes the other way around for the women he attracts into his life.
2. Oregairu
Oregiaru is a slice of life series.
Hachiman at the end of the series does end up in a relationship, which at first seems unlikely when you know the context.
Still, in the earlier days of the story, we never see Hachiman beg for attention, simp, or lower his standards just so he can get some attention from other girls.
He had high standards from the very beginning, which just means he had enough self respect to never devalue himself or “get on his knees” for a woman so to speak.
Hachiman desires genuine relationships and friendships. He pointed this out many times in this slice of life anime series. This is the one thing that bothered him quite a bit being a deep thinker and someone who can’t stand fakeness.
If anything, his lack of simping is what made him seem cold or unemotional from afar.
3. Shield Hero
Naofumi changed forever once he had his wake up call. In the first episode, the famous red haired BITCH starts kissing Naofumi’s ass, leading him to lose himself in the affection.
Then this red haired princess claims he r*ped her, and that changes Naofumi so deeply that he is never the same person ever again for the entire franchise.
Even after getting his name cleared he still isn’t the type of man who will cut his arms and legs off just to get a woman to notice him or reciprocate his feelings.
The anime might have been a bit shaky since the first season, but as an MC, Naofumi is a prime example of doing the job right and good writing in this case.
4. I Parry Everything
This anime is hilarious or annoying in many ways depending on how you view the plot and its main character Noor, but the facts remain.
As an MC who has trained for over 10 years but doesn’t realize how strong he has become. Noor is so modest, pure, and of course dense that he couldn’t notice a woman’s interest if it punched him in the face.
This is also part of the reason you don’t see him simping in any capacity because his headspace is elsewhere, to begin with and the thought would never cross his mind unless the situation was deliberate or undeniable.
5. Oshi No Ko
Aqua Hoshino is the son of Ai Hoshino, the famous singer who was brutally stabbed to death right in front of Aqua and his sister Ruby.
Both of them were reborn as Ai Hoshino’s children in a strange twist of reincarnation.
Aqua is the colder of the siblings and one who hasn’t forgotten the murder of his mother. He refuses to let it slide and is intentionally working in the acting business to find out his mother’s killer.
This sets the stage for Aqua’s personality, his attitude, and of course, his detachment from romance. He may be in a relationship with Akane, but even then, it’s not like he’s falling over himself to please her (not to say that’s bad).
Aqua has never had a simping bone in his body as an MC, it doesn’t match up and he doesn’t have time for that shit either.
6. Cautious Hero
The man himself and the MC of Cautios Hero, another Isekai, are similar to Aqua in a sense but not.
He is a serious man who takes things deliberately. If threatened, he won’t just respond equally to the threat, he’ll go the extra mile to ensure he absolutely obliterates the threat so it has no chance of recovering.
If beaten, he will change for 6 months non stop to guarantee his victory the next time. Or in other words, he’s a cautious hero.
He doesn’t get overly excited or out of character for women, despite his attraction to them, and tends to operate normally and not like the cliche MC who can’t keep it together.
7. Fairy Tail
It’s easy to forget that Fairy Tail’s male MCs don’t simp at all. This is true for the female characters, NOT just the male characters.
Lucy Heartfilia doesn’t lose herself in her interest in Natsu when it’s shown. The same is true for Erza towards Jellal Fernandes.
Gray doesn’t act out of character for Juvia and never has, and finally, Natsu Dragneel isn’t the type to behave this way.
Whichever MC you choose the answer is the same in the end.
All MCS are composed and have tons of self respect.
8. Death Note
Light Yagami, the anime’s main character and the most important one of all, clearly doesn’t simp for any woman in the entire series.
Some fans make comments claiming he must be gay, but in reality, it shows how disturbingly focused Yagami became in his “mission” to rid the world of bad people.
Not only that, but Yagami becomes sociopathic, develops a god complex, and starts to think he has authority over who should live or die based on his own ideologies of justice and what’s considered right vs wrong.
His ego was so massive he couldn’t even see what was in front of him (Misa Amane). All he saw was skin and bones, nothing but a tool he could use for his personal gain.
9. The Eminence In Shadow
Cid Kagenou, better known as SHADOW as he calls himself after reincarnation, is one of the funniest Isekai MCs ever created.
He lives his life like a video game and has the privilege of doing so given how much power he has after being reborn into another world.
Everything is a joke to him, or at least, a game to him, where he does things to get a reaction or see how it plays out, and the same is true for women and his loyal followers.
In a position like that you could argue he could never be a SIMP, and you’d be right, but that’s why he’s an MC who doesn’t fit that role.
10. Full Metal Panic
Full Metal Panic is a military anime about anti terrorist groups, the actual terrorists, and everyone caught up in the middle like the female MC called Kaname Chidori.
Sousuke Sagara, the male MC might come across as an idiot when it comes to romance and love, but one thing you can never say about him is that he’s a SIMP and someone who doesn’t understand he has some worth.
He’s just socially inept to a degree because of his upbringing as a child soldier.
This middle eastern man is smart, dangerously courageous, and unique among protagonists.
11. The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K
Saiki K was born with the ability to walk on air, break reality, recreate it, and threaten the world’s destruction with his immense power. So simping would be the last thing to expect from someone like this.
His perspective on life is different for many reasons, one being that he’s psychic.
That means:
- He can read minds.
- He knows what people really think.
- He knows the masks people wear every day.
And he knows that people can’t be trusted in a lot of cases, as well as what they truly desire despite never showing it on the surface, etc.
A person like this, especially in the case of women and romance, could never subject themselves to being nothing more than a simp with no standards or respect for themselves.
Saiki K is different by design.
12. Eighty-Six
Eighty Six features Vladilena Milizie, a female MC who learns about eighty six, the discrimination going on, and how those connected to her are playing a role in this wide spread discrimination.
She has the mindset to understand it doesn’t have to be this way, and is open minded enough to accept people’s differences.
The main male MC, who is part of “eighty six” may have some hatred in his heart, but for similar reasons to Vladilena, his mindset could never allow him to be that kind of person, especially given his lifestyle and the tragedy that comes with it.
13. Nodame Cantabile
The main male MC is in college along with a girl called Nodame. She is a pianist with immense talent, but outside of playing the piano, she’s airheaded, foolish, clumsy, but hilarious.
SHE is the one doing the simping for the male MC, but not the other way around.
Chiaki as he is called is a male Tsundere and one of the many Tsundere’s that go unnoticed in these conversations.
He’s a serious character who’s focused on his craft and future, and even in a relationship, is somewhat shy and not what you would call the most “expressive”.
14. One Punch Man
One Punch Man features Saitama, which most fans are aware of. The bald headed MC doesn’t give a damn about a lot of things because life seems to have sucked his motivation dry.
He wins battle after battle, effortlessly, since the day he trained for months on end, losing his hair in the process. And these victories make life bland for him.
Not even women it seems is enough to get him excited or enough to lose himself in the romance.
Saitama is laid back, chilled, and someone who needs deep stimulation to feel any sort of true motivation.
15. Food Wars
Soma Yukihira is the anime’s MC. He worked in a mini restaurant with his father growing up, and his mother wasn’t around because well, she passed away.
After learning his skills as a cook, he takes it to the big leagues and that is the story of the anime and how the story is written (around competitions, food, etc).
Soma is a focused individual who cares about his goals, improving, and of course, it’s not like he’s a working adult in any capacity just yet (in a typical way) so that plays into his outlook.
After his encounters with attractive women, Soma still remains the same, which is to say he’s laid back, easygoing, and in control.
16. Clannad
Tomoya Okazaki, the class clown of sorts, is a guy who loves making fun of others in a sarcastic manner and gets a kick out of teasing friends.
He’s a bit of a savage and is one of the original savages in slice of life/romance style anime shows.
Tomoya can even come across as a bit savage with the girl he likes (Nagasi Furukawa) which he tones down over time the more he falls in love with her and matures.
Still, he never loses that childish spirit but he does have tough times in the 2nd season where all hell seems to break loose.
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