Asuka maintained a high ranking in every popularity poll of the series and has appeared in polls to decide the most popular anime characters in Japan. Merchandising based on her has also been released, particularly action figures, which became highly popular. Some critics took issue with her hubris and her personality, judging these as tiresome and arrogant; others appreciated the series' realism and her complex psychological introspection. Asuka is one of the most successful and influential examples of the "tsundere" stereotype, characteristic of grumpy and arrogant characters with a fragile hidden side, helping to define its characteristics.