Launched in 1978, Animage was the first non-industry magazine about anime and manga. It's had a relationship with Studio Ghibli and serialized Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa manga from 1982-1994. And, In 1979/1980, it introduced an Annual Anime Grand Prix in which readers voted for their favorite anime, episode, character, voice actor and actress, and song. Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype magazine, launched in 1985, launched their own awards, voted by readers for 2011. Shortly before compiling that amazing age chart, @kasumi1973 constructed one for ALL their leading ladies.

Here are the top Animage picks. The Grande Prix wasn't split into gender catagories until '83. Before that, it was Captain Harlock for '79, Char Aznable, then Cyborg 009's Joe Shimamura for 1980 (they did two that year) and Six God Combination Godmars' Takeru Myoujin for both 1981 and 1892.

Newtype picks were



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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.