Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori – Pacific Rim (2013)

Not only is Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim one of the more fun and loved genre films of the past decade, it also features one of the best realized female leads in Rinko Kikuchi's Mako Mori. While most Hollywood tentpole films would be content to set her up as a prototypical love interest opposite Charlie Hunnam's Raleigh Becket, del Toro wisely never falls into that trap. While there will be those that argue Mako's status as a love interest in the film, the interpretation of the so-called scenes of intimacy could also be interpreted another way. For me what seals the deal is del Toro's conscious decision to avoid the two characters kissing at the end of the film and simply embracing each other following their victory. It's the type of ending reminiscent of the type of romances/friendships found in Studio Ghibli films, and one that lets Mako stand on her own as a capable character equal to Raleigh. In that regard it's not just a great role for Asian representation, but an extremely positive feminist role as well.