How do YOU define "Best Girl"?

I've seen this term used a lot in various Anime and Manga with multiple prominent female characters, usually in harem genre stuff. I've never seen a consistent use for it as a describer, so I want to ask what everyone else here thinks it means to them.

i believe it began as a phrase to describe your favorite waifu/girl in harem series, because that's kind of the point of the genre to begin with.

people began using it in other things which aren't harems specifically but which might contain romantic options (like persona). even that isn't really necessary at this point.

A quick Google search shows that it's generally agreed that the term refers to your favorite female character though there are other definitions used as well. I tend to go with that one though.

Is she the best?

Is she a girl?

Then there's you answer.

It's basically another term for waifu, although in my days I've seen it less as "my waifu" and more "should be the protagonist's waifu".

Whoever my favorite female character in the series is.

Ren-chon. The definition of best girl is Ren-chon.

It doesn't have a consistent meaning. To some people it's waifu, to others it's should-be-protagonist's-waifu, to me it's simply the female character I most enjoy watching in action.

This could be because they're awesome or it could be because compared to the other lunatics they annoy me least or I could be putting my writer hat on and appreciating them as a character from the effort put in or the most interesting to work with perspective.

At this point it's just a meaningless buzzword thrown around by waifu warriors, to give the impression that their preferences are objective truth.

If her name is Homura Akemi

Usually favorite harem member or female character, depends on genre.

Favorite character/waifu. Doesn't matter if the character/waifu is actually a girl.

edited 30th Aug '15 9:27:26 AM by Bur

Pretty sure it's usually used semi-ironically, to announce your favorite character while also keeping a social distance from your opinions in case people disagree.

Also, Kaiki is the best girl.

No Hideyoshi Kinoshita is best girl

edited 30th Aug '15 7:06:04 PM by TheMainCharacter

I noticed there's never a Best Boy analysis with fangirls. :P

I got this laptop from Best Boy.

Best boy is obviously Hibiki Tachibana.

Or Ichigo.

For me I always ask myself:

Would I want to be in a friendship with this girl? Not romantic relationship, just friendship.

As a result, no Yandere has ever been my Best Girl.

Not even Nadeko? She'll be your friend all your life.

Never watched any Gatari anime, and never will, so I can't say.

And don't ever tell me I'm missing out. Just please don't.

Why anyone would wanna hook up with a yandere character confuses me.

Also who or what is a Gatari?

It's Nihon-go for "story". He's just saying he'll never watch an anime with a coherent narrative.

But hooking up with Nadeko is easy and harmless. She'll be the one throwing the hook at you. On the end of her barbed harpoon.

And I would never say you're missing out from not watching Akine Shinbo's stuff. I'd say you're getting shafted.

edited 8th Sep '15 6:16:30 PM by Reymma

Gatari is referring to the Bakemonogatari franchise, probably.

Yup, Bakemonogatari and its related series.

Actually, personally speaking, I don't care for anything made by SHAFT, really.