The List

6 Prestigious Art Schools

Little known fact: I attended an "art magnate high school" for two years as a literary arts student. More well known fact: students at art schools are really weird. More so than average. The six listed schools are the most prestigious art schools found in anime. They also have some of the strangest students.

6. Suimei University of the Arts (The Pet Girl of Sakurasou) The students in Suimei University of the Arts ' have astounding grades and even more impressive artistic abilities. The "pet" girl herself is an internationally famous artist, Nanami is working toward a voice acting career, Misaki is a talented animator, Jin writes plays, and so forth. The aforementioned students are also considered the school's delinquents, so who knows how talented the average attendee is there.

5. Yazagaku Fashion School (Paradise Kiss) Yazagaku's reputation depends on who you're talking to in the story. Yukari's mother has an ill opinion of the place, but the fashion competition held there is amazing. George, Isabella, Miwako, and Arashi put together George's graduating show for his brand "Paradise Kiss" with Yukari as the model. While the group doesn't win, they graduate with successful careers in the fashion industry lined up.

4. Seiso Academy (La Corda D'Oro) Seiso Academy houses both a general education section and an illustrious music education section. The school hosts a concours where students compete with one another in front of a judging panel. The students' abilities are beyond exceptional, performing classical music pieces on trumpet, violin, flute, clarinet, and piano.

3. Tokyo Art School (Honey and Clover) The five friends in Honey and Clover attend an art school in Tokyo where they Visual Arts and ceramics. The school is probably more lax than Guillard, given that one of the main characters manages to be enrolled for six years and isn't tossed to the curb.

2. Yamabuki Art High School (Hidamari Sketch) Yamabuki Art High School and its attached Hidamari Apartments is the idyllic setting where Yuno and her friends sculpt their budding art skills. The school has talented staff, like the cosplay-fanatic Yoshinoya.

1. The Momogaoka College of Music (Nodame Cantabile) The Momogaoka College of Music is one of the most prestigious (fictional) music colleges in Japan and attracts a very talented body of students. Chiaki and Megumi "Nodame" Noda are creative types at opposite ends of the spectrum, one being a perfectionist and the other a purebred eccentric. The school also houses renowned instructor Maestro Franz von Stresemann and the student-formed RS Orchestra.

The new poll: Of the listed "vertically-challenged" male characters, which is your favorite? For the sake of the poll, I'm defining "short" as 5'5" or less.





The old poll: The last poll asked what is your favorite new Neon Alley show?

1. Madoka Magica 27.3%
2. Gurren Lagann 25.05%
3. Magi 14.29%
4. Utena 13.8%
5. Ranma 1/2 13.7%
6. Other! They should add ___ (see forums) 4.01%
7. Chikara (Japanese live-action wrestling) 1.86%