Welcome to Waifu Wednesday, Nicchiban’s new column where we talk about anime characters, their appeal, and a little on their history.

Today on Waifu Wednesday, Oosuki Mamako from Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?! With Mother’s Day on the horizon, we’d be remiss here at Nicchiban to not acknowledge a series where maternal love is -heavily- featured.

Debuting in her original work in 2017 from writer-artist duo Inaka Dachima and Iida Pochi, Mamako is a loving mother who gets accepted as a beta tester for an online game with her son Masato. However in contrast to her son, Mamako’s power in the game world is off the charts. With her holy swords and “cheat” abilities she’s able to two-shot most threats in the game.

While this is a source of embarrassment for Masato, Mamako is more than happy to be there for her son. This motherly protection is a common theme throughout the series and it’s made all the more endearing by how attractive Mamako is.

Getting away from talking about the series, let’s focus on Mamako herself. The great thing about Mamako is despite being a mother her youthful face and curvaceous physique have inspired multiple statuettes and figures and are also a source of concern for Masato in the show. Mamako’s adorable pouting face even became a relatively popular image macro in weeb circles.

What makes Mamako an exceptional waifu for this week’s Waifu Wednesday, is that despite being a “mother” character, she’s not relegated to the background or as a source of awkwardness for a couple in romantic comedy (it happens a lot!). Rather, Mamako is the star of the show, given the chance to show off her best “assets” whether that’s her kindness or something more obvious.

Mamako ultimately fills a saturated niche as a maternal figure, but few women are as well-represented as her in the shows they appear. Her youthful appearance contrasts with her mature softness and makes a character that’s difficult to hate.