Top 10 Favorite Christmas Cake Girls in Anime

The metaphor “Christmas Cake” is used to describe women who are past their youthful age, or in this case, women who are over the expiry date (usually over the age of 25) so they are deemed undesirable by men. There are many reasons why women are still single like they love their profession or simply they’re not attractive. So with that said, this list is about 10 “unfortunate” ladies who are past the age where one should marry.

You’ll be seeing a lot of teachers on this list many because, well, the school setting is the most popular setting in anime, so, of course, our lovely cakes are teachers. And at the end of the list, we will give you a slightly more in-depth description for the term “Christmas Cake.”

Let’s dive right in with our list of the Top 10 Favorite Christmas Cake Girls in Anime!

10. Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist

In times of crisis, especially in the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, a soldier hardly takes a breather and the only break they can get is they get crippled in the conflict or mentally broken down. And for a soldier like Riza Hawkeye, a romantic relationship is not an option, especially during the homunculi threat. Strict, stern, professional and highly skilled with firearms of any caliber, Riza Hawkeye is the shining example of a model officer in the Amestrian State Military.

She hardly shows any emotion during duty, she is courteous and distant, but when she’s off duty, Riza is actually has a soft spot who understands the difficulty carrying a heavy burden. However, there are many hints suggesting a closer relationship between Riza and her superior Colonel Roy Mustang.


9. Kirihara Misaki from Darker than Black

A lot of people rarely think about marriage and settling down when they’re dedicated to their job. Let’s face it, marriage is a crutch to some and if Kirihara Misaki is distracted with a relationship or concerned about marriage and her age, she wouldn’t function properly and wouldn’t be the badass police and became chief of Section 4, a division dedicated in investigation Contractors. Or maybe she hasn’t found the right man who is bad ass as she is? Hei was very close, though.


8. Tanizaki Yukari from Azumanga Daioh

Either Yukari has extreme mood swings or is bipolar who can change moods regularly and sometimes unpredictably. She often drags her friend and fellow teacher Kurosawa “Nyamo” Minamo around during off days like going to drinking parties and eating food and Minamo ends up paying. You could say Minamo is Yukari’s friend with benefits. Heck, throw in any negative personality trait, Yukari has all of them and she’s is a total road monster if she gets behind the wheel often traumatizing anyone unfortunate enough to sit on the passenger seat. But despite all of that, though, Yukari is still loved by her students.

It would take a literal madman to date and eventually marry Yukari because you have to be equally insane to even get a chance, if ever. Yukari never made any clear mentions of her getting married, but looking at her chaotic life, her love for her students and having a friend like Minamo, Yukari will be single in the foreseeable future.


7. Yoshinoya-sensei from Hidamari Sketch

Very eccentric and egotistical, loves making frilly clothes and wearing them at school, and eternally 17, Yoshinoya-sensei is very notorious in a good way among her students and peers. While she’s a tad bit excessive with her cosplaying hobby, Yoshinoya-sensei is a perfect wife any guy would want. But alas, Yoshinoya-sensei is still single and she’s not upset about it. She has no plans on marrying because she’s content with her life and she does love teaching and have fun with her students. Yoshinoya-sensei is a cake and she wears the badge with head held up high.


6. Takanashi Touka from Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!

After the family broken up after their father died, Touka left her younger sister Rikka and started living on her own because of her job as a chef. Touka did eventually return to show support Rikka financially and emotionally (sometimes it involves a ladle). There are a lot of reasons why someone prefers to stay single because of work or family, and it Touka’s case, it’s both.


5. Yamanaka Sawako from K-ON!

In her high school days, Sawako is a very shy girl who fell in love with a boy. One day Sawako mustered all of her courage and confessed, but unfortunately, the boy prefers girls who are more “wild.” Undeterred, Sawako changed her image to more punkish and founded the metal rock group Death Devils.

Unfortunately for Sawako, she went a bit too far and the boy turned her down again. And when choosing her career, she worked to become a teacher because the boy she liked also aims to be a teacher. But sadly, the boy turned her down again, and 2 K-ON! seasons later, Sawako is still single. Maybe she still likes the boy she met back in high school and still working hard to win his heart, or she gave up because she’s one after the third strike?


4. Takanashi Kozue from Working!!

Kozue is probably the only girl on this list who is constantly rejected by a lot of guys. Every time she is rejected, Kozue gets depressed and goes on a drinking spree, and ends up getting drunk and sometimes annoy the heck out of his little brother Souta, especially when she visits Wagnaria to complain about her not-so-successful love life.

It’s unclear why she often gets rejected despite her tall height, attractive looks and physique, very affectionate and is a self-defense instructor. But one thing’s for sure, at the age of 25, Kozue was rejected by more guys than anyone one else on this list. Kozue is trying, though… There’s still hope… Hopefully...


3. Katsuragi Misato from Neon Genesis Evangelion

One of the talented and beautiful women in the series, Katsuragi Misato is your textbook perfect woman to be with. Unfortunately, Misato is still single and she is over 30 years old. Outside of work, she is generally a slob who drinks a lot, never cleans her apartment, and can’t cook. Maybe these are the reasons why didn’t marry or not appealing? Or is maybe is it because she is flooded with work as a ranking official at NERV, or experienced an “alleged” bad relationship with someone back in her college days, or has major daddy issues?


2. Matilda Ajan from Mobile Suit Gundam

Matilda is an officer of the Earth Federation supply corps and she often ends up getting assigned to support the White Base with supplies and repairs. With her knack for showing up when the crew of the White Base is in trouble, she is seen as a guardian angel. Her resourcefulness aside, she is very beautiful and gets the attention of every young soldier in the army. Too bad for the boys though because Matilda is already engaged and will get married after a major military operation.

Sadly Matilda was later killed in action before putting on the ring. She died as a cake and is forever a cake.


1. Nanako Kuroi from Lucky Star

Nanako Kuroi is an attractive lady and yet she is still single. Is it because she is too busy working as a world history teacher, or does she loves teaching she doesn’t want to settle down yet, or video games are more engaging than having a boyfriend? There are many reasons, but she’s not too worried about her single status… until one of her students Izumi Konata mentioned about the fate of the unbought Christmas cakes in Christmas.

Kuroi’s position is nothing unique but what makes her number 1 is simply because she is a true Christmas cake - a leftover that’s way past the expiry date no one will buy. Plus it was Lucky Star that popularized the term in the West.


Final Thoughts

The very definition of “Christmas Cake” is specific. A Christmas Cake doesn’t mean a woman who are over the age of 25 and not married, this term isn’t used to describe every unmarried woman Japan at all. In Japan, any woman over the age is called a “baba” or “old hag” and “arasa-” Engrish shortcut for “almost thirty.” The most plausible definition of the term Christmas Cake is “a woman over the age 25 who had no one to spend Christmas with.”

The Japanese celebrate Christmas in different ways like it is the time for the family and friends to get together, but Christmas is also a holiday for lovers to spend their time together, preferably alone. Similar to Valentine’s Day. If you’re a woman who is over the age of 25, still single on a romantic day like Christmas, then you’re a cake, an unsold and expired Christmas cake.

Then why are we calling all unmarried women Christmas cakes? You know it’s funny, the West love to generalize everything into convenient categories like the term hentai means porn in general, shoujo, shounen, seinen, etc. This is not really the case. Same goes for the Christmas Cakes. It’s just calling someone a cake is certainly more funny than calling someone an old hag.

So that’s our list. Did we miss out other notable cakes on the list? Oh, and while we’re at it, can you name a girl who spent their Christmas time alone? Please don’t hesitate and post your thoughts and picks in the comments section below!

anime-expo-2023-cosplay-TopIMG-1-500x281 Top 10 Favorite Christmas Cake Girls in Anime

Writer

Author: Antoine Rizal

I've been an anime fan for as long as I can remember. Actually, anime is very much a part of me now for I have extended my reach beyond just watching them. I am a fansubber for more than 8 years now and contributed a lot to the anime community. Me and my group has translated shows, manga, drama CDs and doujinshi. Right now I'm learning Japanese so I can better serve the community and read interesting stuff about the Japanese culture as well.

Previous Articles

Top 5 Anime by Antoine Rizal


Recommended Post

Top 10 Sexy Christmas Anime Girls [Updated]