Entertainment

5 iconic shows with relatable female characters

From silly to badass!

Published

March 12, 2020

Leez

Happy Women’s month! It’s that time of year to look at all the progress we’ve made and be empowered by stunning women everywhere in the world. But, not all of us are put-together as every woman we strive to be. Some of us are sassy, silly, clumsy, and even sometimes, nasty. Here are a few iconic women characters I personally relate to:

Jessica Day from New Girl

Alright, she needed to be here because she revolutionized quirky nerdy girls and made them so charming in being themselves.

Jess is the only lady living in her shared apartment where she struggles to get almost absolutely everything done. Sound familiar? Yes, it’s all of us lost and struggling ladies out here trying to just get through every day.

Jess is awkward and charmingly so which is why, as much as we may not all be as charming when we’re silly, she’s undeniably relatable.

Gina Linetti from Brooklyn Nine-nine

This one was a little bit sombre for lovers of the Nine-nine but, I’ll skip any sort of spoiling. Gina is essentially Brooklyn Nine-nine’s civilian administrator. She’s funny, sassy, and sometimes, reasonably self-absorbed but, seeing her character progress and mature, she deserves to gloat.

She’s sensitive to everyone in the Nine-nine and is surprisingly the voice of reason sometimes. Gina can be a hell of a lot smart when she wants or needs herself to be so the girl deserves all the cred she’s wanted.

Connie Maheswaran from the Steven Universe Series

Connie is Steven’s best friend. She’s a strong and smart character who has stereotypical strict Asian parents. Granted stereotypical, I admit, having strict Asian parents myself, I relate to her a lot especially when she often plots her future while reassuring her parents of her safety.

She struggles a lot with trying to maintain a sense of almost usefulness to the Crystal Gems since she wants to protect the planet she calls home. She may seem like a bland character but she’ll surprise you with how she develops in the series.

Maeve Wiley from Sex Education

I’ll preface Maeve’s description with the fact that I studied under a curriculum that allowed me to discover wonderful female writers, authors, and novelists. I was pretty much introduced to literary concepts and so it was nice to find a character that had an interest in female writers.

When I brought this up with my boyfriend, he then talked about how she seemed cool and gave me a joking glance. To which, I replied saying, “The girl has baggage too and I can relate to that.” Getting by isn’t easy and Maeve has her own demons, which is why I think she’s relatable in how she forcibly portrays someone who juggles the gritty parts of life.

Nairobi from Money Heist (La Casa De Papel)

Alright, alright. Nairobi isn’t exactly someone we can all relate to. She’s right smack in the middle of a messy heist! How are we meant to relate to her character at all? Well, I think if you’ve been in a group project you’ll understand that Nairobi is the one that puts everyone in their place.

Tokyo is too erratic compared to the sensible-under-pressure Nairobi. She gets things done, says things as it is, and still manages to sympathize. To me, she’s the character I admired the most in the series.

There’s a lot of female characters across platforms that we strive to be, but sometimes, we just need someone to make us feel like we aren’t alone. I’m sure you’ll find something you find relatable in unlikely female characters like Nairobi from Money Heist.

There are a ton more women in series than there were before but, I don’t think there’s been enough. It’s slow-paced progress to giving women a safe and supportive platform where they can speak. We obviously aren’t there yet but, we’ll keep pursuing it. So, to all the fabulous, stunning, and true-to-oneself women out there, Happy Women’s month. Let’s keep kicking ass.

Related Topics:B99 Brooklyn Nine-Nine La Casa De Papel Netflix New Girl Sex Education Steven Universe

Entertainment

Crunchyroll: Sports anime to watch during the FIFA World Cup

Get pumped up even during World Cup downtime

Published

July 9, 2026

GadgetMatch

The FIFA World Cup has officially taken over the planet, causing chronic sleep deprivation, spontaneous living-room screaming matches, and an sudden urge to wear jerseys to formal events.

But what are you supposed to do during those agonizing hours between match kick-offs? Stare at a blank TV screen? Absolutely not.

While the world’s best footballers battle it out on the pitch, Crunchyroll has a bench full of elite sports anime ready to keep your adrenaline levels dangerously high.

From ego-driven strikers to lightning-fast running backs, grab your snacks and settle in for a marathon of victories, setbacks, and comebacks worthy of the world stage.

Who knows, it might inspire you to begin your sports journey too.

BLUE LOCK

Following a disappointing World Cup exit, the Japanese Football Association decides they’ve had enough of “teamwork” and launches a brutal, hyper-isolated training camp called Blue Lock.

The goal? Throw 300 of the country’s best high school forwards into a cutthroat battle royale to breed the ultimate, entirely selfish, world-class striker.

Only one will survive to lead Japan to glory.

Haikyu!!

Shoyo Hinata is pint-sized but possesses an insane vertical leap. After his middle school team gets absolutely demolished by the genius “King of the Court” Tobio Kageyama, Hinata vows revenge.

He enrolls at Karasuno High School to finally crush his rival, only to walk into the gym and find out Kageyama just enrolled there, too.

Now, the sworn enemies have to weaponize their freakish chemistry to bring a fallen powerhouse school back to the national stage.

Shoot! Goal to the Future

Kakegawa High School used to be a legendary name in high school soccer. But these days, the team is a shell of its former self.

Enter Atsushi Kamiya, a former Kakegawa captain turned international soccer star, who returns to coach the struggling squad.

His biggest hurdle? Hideto Tsuji, a profoundly talented player who has completely given up on the sport.

It’s a race against the clock to spark the team’s passion before the whistle blows on their season.

Kuroko’s Basketball

Seirin High just recruited Taiga Kagami, a powerhouse player fresh out of America, alongside Tetsuya Kuroko, a boy so aggressively ordinary he practically blends into the background.

Kagami is horrified to find out Kuroko is terrible at shooting and dribbling until he sees him play. Kuroko’s utter lack of presence allows him to act as an invisible passing ghost, revealing himself as the secret “Sixth Man” of the legendary Middle School Generation of Miracles.

Together, they aim to take down Kuroko’s former teammates one by one.

Eyeshield 21

Sena Kobayakawa is a timid kid who has spent his entire life running away from bullies. Decades of acting as an errand boy have accidentally gifted him with superhuman speed and an uncanny ability to navigate tight spaces.

When the terrifying, submachine-gun-toting captain of the school’s American football team spots Sena’s agility, he forcefully drafts him into the squad.

To hide his identity from rival schools, Sena is forced to don a tinted visor and take the gridiron under the legendary alias: “Eyeshield 21.”

Yuri!!! on ICE

After a crushing, rock-bottom defeat at the Grand Prix Final, Japan’s top figure skater, Yuri Katsuki, heads home with zero confidence and every intention of retiring.

His career seems entirely iced over until a video of him mimicking a routine goes viral, catching the eye of five-time reigning world champion Victor Nikiforov.

In a shocking move, Victor flies to Japan and offers to become Yuri’s coach, sparking a beautiful, high-stakes journey back to the world stage.

MF GHOST

It’s the 202X decade, and Japan has fully embraced self-driving electric vehicles. Traditional cars are all but extinct.

However, internal combustion gets a roaring second life thanks to MFG, a dangerous street-racing circuit held on public motorways.

Kanata Rivington, a brilliant 19-year-old trained by a legendary racer in the UK, arrives in Japan to compete in the MFG with a humble Toyota 86. In the process, he tracks down clues about his missing father.

Entertainment

Crunchyroll Anime Expo announcements: Solo Leveling, Ghost of Tsushima, more

Roundup of major reveals, surprise announcements, more

Published

July 6, 2026

GadgetMatch

Crunchyroll took the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for Anime Expo 2026, dropping a massive slate of theatrical films, new series adaptations, and world premiere trailers.

Headlining the blockbuster showcase were the surprise announcements of a brand-new Solo Leveling theatrical feature and an early glimpse into the animated world of Ghost of Tsushima.

Solo Leveling: Beyond the System

In one of the biggest reactions of the night, English voice actor Aleks Le took the stage to announce that the story of Sung Jinwoo is far from over.

Fans at the event were the first to learn that an all-new anime theatrical feature film, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, is officially in production.

The movie will serve as a direct continuation of the series. It picks up immediately following the events of Season 2.

Animated by the acclaimed studio A-1 Pictures, the film is a joint production involving Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C MEDIA, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll.

Attendees were also treated to an exclusive teaser key visual and a promotional concept video:

‘Ghost of Tsushima Legends’ character designs

Following last year’s announcement of an anime adaptation of PlayStation’s beloved action-adventure game, Crunchyroll debuted an exclusive first look at the character designs for Ghost of Tsushima Legends.

The upcoming series, which follows one of the last remaining samurai defending his homeland against the Mongol Empire, is being produced by KAMIKAZE DOUGA under the direction of Takanobu Mizuno.

Legendary creators Gen Urobuchi and Satoshi Maejima of NITRO PLUS are handling the script, with Urobuchi overseeing story composition.

Finally, Takashi Okazaki providing the character designs to translate the game’s iconic samurai aesthetic into animation.

Other major reveals, more announcements

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy At All: In a shocking surprise video message, rock icon Dave Grohl revealed that Nirvana’s track “Breed” will serve as the official opening theme song for the anime.
Kagurabachi: Following news that the highly anticipated adaptation is coming to Crunchyroll next year, the panel showcased an exclusive Q&A with Japanese voice actor Taihi Kimura alongside a first look at the provisional character design sheet for protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira.

Crunchyroll rounded out the Anime Expo showcase by locking down release windows and trailers for several highly anticipated fantasy and sci-fi adaptations:

The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5: Naofumi’s perilous journey against the waves of danger will officially return to the platform next year.
Dengeki Daisy: A world premiere trailer was unveiled for this romance-espionage comedy, which is officially heading to Crunchyroll in 2027.
Magical Buffs – The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized!: This new guild-focused fantasy series is locked in for a January 2027 premiere.
The Vermilion Mask: Fans got another look at the dark, mask-destroying journey of Peru, which is set to premiere in October 2026.
Overgeared: The virtual reality gaming anime following the S-Rank blacksmith quest of “Grid” will officially debut on the platform later this year.

Entertainment

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I coming to Crunchyroll

Record-breaking anime film available to stream on July 28

Published

July 6, 2026

GadgetMatch

Anime sensation Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I is coming to Crunchyroll later this month.

The record-breaking blockbuster will be available on the streaming platform on July 28, excluding Japan and mainland China.

And for fans looking to permanently add the film to their digital collections, it will simultaneously drop for purchase on major storefronts on the same day. Digital pre-orders are already live across select platforms.

Infinity Castle I marks the first entry in an ambitious, anticipated feature-film trilogy that chronicles the final battle of the critically acclaimed dark fantasy franchise.

The narrative picks up with protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, who dedicated his life to the Demon Slayer Corps after a tragic attack that left his younger sister Nezuko transformed into a demon.

The announcement follows an extraordinary theatrical run that solidified the film’s status as a global entertainment juggernaut.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I became the highest grossing anime film of all time last year.

Meanwhile, all episodes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train are available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Moreover, these special performances are likewise available on the platform: