The List

7 Mafia Princesses

You can't choose your parents, even when those parents turn out be shady mobsters. This week's list takes a look at the children and consequentially the future rulers of anime's criminal underground. Some take on the role with open arms while others would do anything to live a normal life.

7. Ren Mikihara (Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu) Ren "O-ren" Mikihara is a calm, quiet classmate of the Full Metal cast and the student council secretary. She's empathetic and cares deeply about her friends, so everyone was more than a little surprised to find out her father is the local Yakuza boss "Kenji the Killer." She doesn't carry any of the traits expected of a future mafia leader and seems content staying that way.

6. Kumiko "Yankumi" Yamaguchi (Gokusen) Kumiko is next in line to run the Kuroda Ikka clan of Yakuza since her parents died when she was young. Her grandfather is well respected in the crime world but is also a sensitive parent. He supports Kumiko in her desire to be a teacher. Kumiko cares a lot for her students too, but her Yakuza upbringing sneaks into her teaching style when she tries to whip her delinquents into shape. Otherwise, she's harmless.

5. Yukio Washimine (Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage) Yukio was doing her best to live a normal life before inheriting the duties of the Washimine Group from her deceased father. Reluctant but dutiful, Yukio denies any offers of "redemption" from Rock and instead goes to face Balalaika and Hotel Moscow head on with her trusty right-hand Ginji. Yukio was never suited for the fate handed to her, yet she respects the role none the same.

4. Sun Seto (My Bride is a Mermaid) Sun is the only character on the list with the distinguishing role of belonging to a non-human mafia clan. She's sweet mermaid-girl and very devoted to Nagasumi. Her Yakuza heritage really only characterizes itself in a strict code (in Sun's case, chivalry) and she's adept with swords. Sun's father, on the other hand, is really intimidating along with his subordinate, Shark Fujishiro.

3. Alice Wang (Darker than Black) Alice's father is the leader of the Triad clan Qing Long Tang Mafia and Alice is a co-dependent girl trying to make a name for herself. When her best friend reveals she's going to join the police force, Alice decided to become independent --by taking over her father's mob division by sheer force. Her bodyguard Wei, however, has his own ideas about the mafia's future.

2. Mireille Bouquet (Noir) Mireille is one of two lone survivors from the Coriscan crime family with ties to an underground ruling European organization. She was trained in elite assassin skills by her uncle which includes acrobatic target abilities and taking out ambushes in pitch darkness. Even after discovering the truth behind her family's murder, Mireille continues to work as one of France's most elite hitmen.

1. Mion Sonozaki (When They Cry - Higurashi) Just because Hinamizawa is a small town doesn't mean you should underestimate the power of the Sonozaki family. Mion is the next heir apparent (sort of...) in a matriarchal clan and has the brand on her back to prove it. The family is believed to carry on the demon blood line of the original founders of Hinamizawa and possibly the masterminds behind the Cotton-Drifting Festival murders. The clan's far-reaching powers extend all the way to Tokyo and Child Protective Services.

The new poll: Which of the listed restaurants would you want to eat at?

The old poll: Last week's poll asked which anime guitarist would win a battle of the bands contest? Here's the full results:

1. Hisako (Angel Beats!) 19.6%
2. Johannes Krauser II (Detroit Metal City) 16.6%
3. Yui Hirasawa (K-ON!) 16.3%
4. Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka (Beck) 13.1%
5. Azuma Genkaku (Deadman Wonderland) 6.2%
6. Ren Honjo (NANA) 5.5%
7. Hiroshi Nakano (Gravitation) 5.0%
8. Hoshi (Arakawa Under the Bridge) 4.7%
9. Oji Tanaka (Black Heaven) 4.2%
10. Bansai Kawakami (Gintama) 3.9%
11. Nobuo Terashima (NANA) 3.0%
12. Arashi Nagase (Paradise Kiss) 1.0%

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Alright everybody, see you all next week! I look forward to your input in the comments and feel free to follow me on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee or e-mail me at [email protected].