There's something attractive about the idea of a stranger joining a close knit class of students. Anime and manga have long played off the idea of the transfer student. So long that it was a cliché joked about in the 80s with the likes of Project A-ko and Blazing Transfer Student. Charapedia explored the subject of which of these mysterious newcomers are most fascinating in their latest 10,000 reader poll.

The respondents skewed more male than many of these polls at 56.4%. It also skewed a bit older than most with 35.7% coming from fans in their 30s or older.

Aggregate

20. Persona 4's Yu Narukami - 95 votes

19. Brynhildr in the Darkness' Neko Kuroha - 101 votes

18. Kill la Kill's Ryuko Matoi - 104 votes

17. Free!'s Sousuke Yamazaki - 109 votes

16. Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea's Manaka Mukaido - 123 votes

15. Non Non Biyori's Hotaru Ichijou - 129 votes

14. Assassination Classroom's Itona Horibe - 146 votes

13. Cardcaptor Sakura's Shaoran Li - 147 votes

12. Smile PreCure's Miyuki Hoshizora - 163 votes

11. Assassination Classroom's Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artiller - 171 votes

10. Kinmoza's Alice Catelet - 173 votes

9. ToraDora's Ami Kawashima - 198 votes

8. IS: Infinite Stratos' Charlotte Dunois - 206 votes

7. Nisekoi's Chitoge Kirisaki - 263 votes

6. Evangelion's Asuka - 270 votes

5. Kinmoza's Karen Kujou - 328 votes

4. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders' Noriaki Kakyoin - 381 votes

3. Haruhi Suzumiya's Itsuki Koizumi - 431 votes

2. Detective Conan's Ai Haibara - 509 votes

1. Madoka Magica's Akemi Homura - 555 votes

Male voters

10. Non Non Biyori's Hotaru Ichijou - 105 votes

9. ToraDora's Ami Kawashima - 134 votes

8. Kinmoza's Alice Catelet - 136 votes

7. Nisekoi's Chitoge Kirisaki - 160 votes

6. Haruhi Suzumiya's Itsuki Koizumi - 181 votes

5. IS: Infinite Stratos' Charlotte Dunois - 196 votes

4. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders' Noriaki Kakyoin - 273 votes

3. Kinmoza's Karen Kujou - 274 votes

2. Detective Conan's Ai Haibara - 316 votes

1. Madoka Magica's Akemi Homura - 328 votes

Female voters

10. Assassination Classroom's Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artiller - 89 votes

9. Smile PreCure's Miyuki Hoshizora - 91 votes

8. Nisekoi's Chitoge Kirisaki - 103 votes

7. Free!'s Sousuke Yamazaki - 104 votes

6. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders' Noriaki Kakyoin - 108 votes

5. Cardcaptor Sakura's Shaoran Li - 142 votes

4. Detective Conan's Ai Haibara - 192 votes

3. Evangelion's Asuka - 221 votes

2. Madoka Magica's Homura - 227 votes

1. Haruhi Suzumiya's Itsuki Koizumi - 250 votes

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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.