they can be just characters but they´r real in the virtual world and why you asck? because even if they'r not real they provoque feelings in the most animê lovers. you can look at a drawing and say that its very preety but that thing that your seeing doesnt realy exist ( if your looking at a draw of a árvore for example). its just a drawing and not something that moves or you can touch it like it was a real árvore (on this case). do you understand now? even if he is a character we can see the art on it, the beuty of the personality and phisicaly aspect.Simple as this!! ho and my favotire is absolutly naruto XD