I have been reminiscing on anime shows that remind me of my wonderful and carefree childhood days. I used to be really fond of anime back then so I started downloading complete series of my favorite shows to refresh my memory on their storylines.
Surprisingly, I actually encountered German characters among those shows. This discovery made watching more exciting since I never had any interest with German characters when I was still young. It was only now that I appreciate and go crazy every time I find German stuff.
Here are some German characters from the shows:
Asuka Langley - "Neon Genesis Evangelion"
Trowa Barton- "Gundam Wing"
Fuhrer King Bradley- "Full Metal Alchemist"
"The Knight Hunters" aka "Weiß Kreuz" (White Cross) not only had its title in German but its episode titles including the protagonists and antagonists of the show also had German names (e.g. Neu, Schwarz, Fräulein).
It kept me thinking why German characters and terms were so prominent in Japanese anime and manga. Other nationalities weren't that highlighted. It also occurred to me that the band name "Tokio Hotel" was actually derived from Tokyo City in Japan. What is it between Japan and Germany?
So I searched it up and realized that both countries really had tight relations that even go back to the Edo period (1600–1868). Germany and Japan, being the United Nations' second and third largest funders respectively, were also G8 partners. Both were also part of the Axis alliance during the World War II which probably explains why military characters in anime shows include Germans. They did not only have military, economic, political, and academic ties, but also artistic and cultural relations. 
I guess that's another thing to like about Germany! XD
Another thing, just for laughs, here’s another noticeable German word worn by a girl in this video: 
Follow this link to watch this! HILARIOUS!! XD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5l9gm4ymLw&feature=related
