Anime anthropomorphizes all kinds of topics, from animals to health to history. However, surprisingly, cars don’t usually receive the same treatment. Many of the most famous sentient vehicles, like Lightning McQueen or the Autobots from Transformers, are from western media.
Still, there is something comforting about watching a car take care of its owner or rider by getting them where they need to be while offering kind words, smiles, or enthusiastic honks. Whenever a living car makes its way on-screen in an anime, it tends to make a lasting impression, yet few are more memorable than these five vehicles that were central to their story.
5 The Molcars - Pui Pui Molcar
Pui Pui Molcar is a show where adorable guinea pigs have adapted into cars called Molcars. They have expressive faces and can wiggle around without their owners telling them to go, but they just as often listen in hopes of being rewarded with vegetables. While the series has episodes that deal with emergencies, the Molcars always naturally find ways to make the situation much more manageable and endearing. Much like real guinea pigs, they also often squeak, adding another layer of cuteness to the show.
For its hilarious 2-minute episodes and impressive stop-motion animation that appealed to ages, Pui Pui Molcar was widely considered one of the best anime series of the Winter 2021 season, alongside titles like SK8 the Infinity. Scenes of the show became memes, and the Molcars became reaction images, making it clear how much its viewers enjoyed the soft-looking needle-felted guinea pig cars.
4 Hermes - Kino’s Journey
Unlike the Molcars, Hermes from Kino’s Journey is not a cuddly car. In fact, he is not a car at all. However, Hermes is an iconic talking motorcycle that protects Kino and encourages her on her journeys across the world. He also questions and challenges her thoughts when she talks down to herself or wants to walk into dangerous situations, making him a valuable travel partner. Hermes cannot move on his own, so he often worries about being left behind if something happens to Kino.
Even though Hermes needs a rider, unlike many other living vehicles, it is clear he is alive from his conversations with others and his ability to analyze situations. With the young yet experienced Kino at his side, Hermes sees the world he wouldn’t otherwise know. Kino’s Journey primarily focuses on their travels together and how Hermes and Kino experience the best and worst of humanity, making it a compelling and casual watch.
3 Utena - Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena is a well-known shojo series for its LGBTQ+ representation. It follows Utena Tenjou, a princely young woman who unintentionally enters a dueling competition where the winner will marry Anthy Himemiya, a woman with the power to revolutionize the world. Although Utena joined the contest by accident, she is determined to see it through to give Anthy a chance to live her own life, especially as they begin to get closer.
The success of Revolutionary Girl Utena prompted the release of a movie retelling. The Adolescence of Utena followed the same general storyline as the manga and anime series, with a few key differences and new, compelling scenes. Of all the changes and additions, one of the most captivating was a scene where Utena turns into a car to help Anthy escape from the other duelists and characters. Revolutionary Girl Utena is full of symbolism where the image is just as complex as its meaning, and sentient car Utena is one of the most memorable examples.
2 Morgana - Persona 5: The Animation
Morgana from Persona 5: The Animation is a cat-like creature that guides the Phantom Thieves on their quest to steal the hearts of people who abuse their power. When the group decides to steal someone’s heart, they must first enter a person’s palace or cognitive reality that encourages them to continue their harmful ways. However, in some instances, the Phantom Thieves target someone who hasn’t yet formed a full palace of their own. In those cases, the team has to enter the cognitive reality that belongs to the collective unconscious, Mementos.
Due to the size of Mementos, the Phantom Thieves can’t travel on foot there. Luckily, Morgana has the power to transform into a sentient bus that the others use to get around. Morgana needs someone to direct him and drive the bus, but he doesn’t lose all of his cat-like qualities in that form. In the event of battle in Mementos, he can also return to normal to fight with the style and grace that made Persona 5 famous.
1 Catbus - My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro is one of Studio Ghibli’s most iconic films. Two girls befriend the spirits and creatures of the forest while caring for each other and worrying about their sick mother. The sisters' relationship is touching on its own, but Totoro, Catbus, and the other creatures add a supernatural kind of whimsy and intrigue that brings the film to the next level.
In addition to Studio Ghibli’s popularity, Catbus is a memorable character for its exquisite and innovative design. It has a wide, almost eerie smile with eyes that glow like headlights. It has rats attached to its body that frame its destination sign, and its multiple sets of legs help it run with the wind. It is charming, moving, and simply unforgettable.