The trend of "found families" in anime and manga is heartwarming and uplifting, showing that true family is not just inherited through genes but also found in the heart. Families can be found in some of the best anime, including the Kenpachi/Yachiru duo in Bleach, the Forger family in Spy x Family, and Luffy's Straw Hat pirate crew. It is possible to directly compare some of these families, and you'll find that they frequently have striking similarities.
A tsundere Westalis spy who adopted the telepathic Anya Forger for his mission and married the dander Yor Brair to complete the family, Loid Forger has established himself as one of anime's best foster fathers. In the meantime, Yachiru Kusajishi, the pink-haired young girl who Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Bleach adopted, is a fellow tsundere. Fans of anime adore these precocious foster daughters, but one of them has a much more significant story arc than the other.
Loid Forger: Berlint's Most Stressed-Out But Loving Foster Father
Out of necessity, Loid Forger took on the role of foster father. He had to gather information about Donovan Desmond, who had a younger son named Damian who was about to enroll at Eden Academy, as part of his mission in Ostania. So Loid was asked to start a family and bring his foster child with him to Eden. When Loid Forger visited a dubious orphanage, Anya, who had pink hair, won his favor by using telepathy to solve a crossword puzzle. Anya was thrilled to have a loving parent and some stability in her life when she was soon adopted as Anya Forger. For Anya, having a good parent who was also a super-cool spy made life great, but for Loid Forger, it was initially a burden that was necessary.
Loid Forger saw Anya as a tool or at least attempted to do so for the sake of his mission. Loid Forger may be a deceptive spy who prioritizes the mission, but even he does not have a stone heart. Despite himself, he grew to care deeply for Anya, and during the Eden enrollment interviews, he was fiercely protective of Anya and her happiness. Loid tells himself not to become overly attached to his new wife and daughter, but he can't help himself. Loid Forger considers them his new family, and he may have needed them as much as they did him. This aided in fleshing out Loid's character arc, as well as advancing Anya's own arc, with Anya striving to impress her spy father and become more like him.
Captain Kenpachi Zaraki: The Gotei 13's Best Dad
Apart from Byakuya Kuchiki having Rukia as a foster sister, very little is known about the families of the Soul Reaper Captains who are confirmed to be parents. The brutal Captain Kenpachi Zaraki stands out as an exception because he adopted the Gotei 13 as children and overcame all odds to become their Best Dad. Before he was recognized as a Soul Reaper, Kenpachi Zaraki used to wander the most destitute areas of the Rukongai District with his stolen Zanpakuto. One day, he encountered a strange youngster. The young girl with the pink hair didn't fear Kenpachi Zaraki or his Zanpakuto, and Kenpachi, who might have been more lonely than he thought, took her in as his own. He gave the child the name Yachiru in honor of the Soul Reaper he admired, and he gave her the last name Kusajishi in honor of the area where she resided. They remained together forever after that day.
Kenpachi Zaraki gained some entertaining extra tsundere warrior skills from being a foster father. Even though he won't say it, Kenpachi harbors feelings for Yachiru despite his outward appearance of being a big, tough guy. Yachiru frequently rides on Kenpachi's back while they are on adventures, and she may even give him directions, but they frequently get lost. When anyone threatens Yachiru or if she disappears, Kenpachi will also erupt into a murderous rage. In addition, Kenpachi Zaraki has a laid-back attitude toward parenting and ensured that Yachiru was appointed as the official Lieutenant of his squad under his direct supervision. He doesn't care if Yachiru, for instance, jokingly abuses her authority as president of the Soul Reaper Women's Association.
Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Loid Forger: Who's The Better Foster Father?
Both Kenpachi Zaraki and Loid Forger make excellent foster fathers for their daughters with pink hair, and they actually share more things in common than they might think. But in the end, Loid Forger is the more compelling and superior parent. Kenpachi's role as a foster parent is really just a novelty in Bleach's narrative and doesn't even qualify as a side plot, in contrast to Loid's familial connection to Anya, which serves as the central theme of Spy x Family. As a result, the dynamics of the foster family are explored in great detail with lots of drama, humor, and action. Loid won over viewers when it became clear that he genuinely loves his pink-haired foster child, and the same is true of the dandere Yor Forger and her motherly ways.
In contrast, Kenpachi and Yachiru's relationship is mostly just for comic relief in Bleach. For instance, their interactions together in the "Soul Society" arc, as well as Kenpachi's tsundere attitude when he saved Yachiru from Nnoitora's attack, are just a few examples. Kenpachi's character arc, in which he proves that he is much more than just a fight-crazed thug, includes that small foster family, but regrettably, it is neither the main plot nor even a B-plot. The foster family of Kenpachi and Yachiru was tucked away in a back corner where it occasionally can amuse viewers but always has to give way to the drama of the main plot. Family and plot are one and the same for Loid and Anya, so they don't experience these problems.
