Edit (ExtraCareful): The others will come up momentarily, so mine will be published first.
Edit (OboeOtaku):
LOLICON IS HERE SORRY FOR THE WAIT
God I want to watch the last 5 eps of Kyousogiga.
All the celebrations
We'll do the usual - a summary of the year, 5 wishes and 5 resolutions for the upcoming year, and last of all, the awards for 2013. Keep up!
ExtraCareful:
2013 was a busy year for me, but I'd like to think I kept up with most of the series that I would regret not watching. As usual, a lot of the series that I liked got shitty sales while many of the ones I think were over-hyped or not very good hit the right buttons for their audience and skyrocketed to the top of the charts. Ah well, I guess that's just business, eh? Can't live with popular series, can't live without 'em.
Regardless, this year had quite a lot of up-and-down moments where sequels and adaptations that I expected to be good did not match up to par. I think this is a worrying trend in which adaptations are starting to have trouble with adapting the original media into an animated form, especially within the 12/24 episode seasons. Due to the competition facing a lot of manga, light novel, and visual novel creators, artists and authors have branched out into very different lengths of plot and forms of presenting their story, even within the confines of the same piece of paper or number of pages. This being said, a lot of anime production teams nowadays seem to have thrown their hands up in the air and just try to stuff as much of the plot in 12/11/10 episodes as suitable and leave the rest to bonus OVAs at the studio's leisure. Slightly disappointing, at least.
Say what you will about the integrity of the original author's story - if I'm watching a show, it should flow smoothly and be interesting in its own right. I should not be anticipating a series based on my pre-reading of the original material. If I have not read the original material, it should detract minimally from the anime. Not following these guidelines devalues the anime as an individual entertainment product and forces it into a position of "I'm watching this because I want to see these characters animated" - nothing more than fanservice, in the actual sense of the word. Unfortunately, the trend for adaptations seems to lean strongly towards these "copy-and-paste" methods and I'm largely disappointed every season.
However, the saving grace is the increase in more unknown light novels and anime originals within seasons. "Honorable mention award winners" such as Kyoukai no Kanata and originals such as Kyousogiga were much more interesting this year than the endless march that was Monogatari S2, even if it was simply based off the fact that Monogatari tiptoed too much on the character development. I wish to see more of these unique series, and this is not just speaking as a hipster - this is speaking as a sensible watcher.
I mean, even I get tired of rom-com sometimes.
OboeOtaku:
For the most part, I consider 2013 to have been a pretty shitty year. With the exception of the fall season, most of the series were a disappointment. Yes, there was always at least a series or two that I could watch and not cry frustrated tears over, but...considering the number of series there are each season, that's pretty darn terrible. There were so many series that I was really excited for that ended up flopping on their meager asses. Until the fall, most of the series I enjoyed ended up being from series I had originally expected to be bad or mediocre (I thought Hataraku Maou-sama would be meh but it ended up being one of my favorite series of the season). It doesn't help that Kyoto Animations went through a dry spell of mediocre series.
On that note, the fall season kind of blew me out of the water I guess. But it still had its fair share of shitty series (fuck you IS). I don't really expect much of an improvement for the coming year since I'm a pessimist, but I hope that at least we'll see better handling of the series that I'm excited for. I like it when expectations are surpassed, but I would rather that more expectations simply be met at this point.
RightToLeft:
Before 2013, I was a casual manga
reader to save time. However, 2013 was the year I really started
getting into anime. I think I went a little overboard with it
though, because I marathoned a lot of series on the weekends. Most
of them were mediocre at best, but I would get bored if I didn't
watch something. I still can't believe I watched all 145 episodes of Eyeshield 21, when I didn't like the anime adaption that much.
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For the upcoming year (and for the future in general), here are our 5 wishes and 5 resolutions!
ExtraCareful's:
5 Wishes:
1) I wish that Toei Animation would produce more series for older demographics. Let's face it, we all know that with the audiovisuals that Toei must provide for younger children, Toei could probably blow some shit out of the water if they decided to really invest in a 12/24-episode anime.
And we were right.
Kyousogiga was fantastic. The background exposition became slightly tedious, and perhaps part of the "off-the-wall" nature of the plot was due to the fact that it was an anime original, but the production value itself was top-notch and Toei's talents fitted onto a more smoothly flowing story could really go places. Here's to you, Toei.
2) Stop making bad feudal Japan/Romance of the Three Kingdoms derivative series. They're awful. I don't even care about historical inaccuracies, having the "spirit of Oda Nobunaga" and other rampant name-branding of Japanese figures to random things is quite inane, especially when I really can't tell the difference between one Japanese general's ferocious personality to another's (and neither can the writers, apparently). I'd be fine if they were really setting it in the era, trying to make it somewhat informative, and doing a unique spin that doesn't mess with a history-focused plot. But don't just call random shits on the wall Oda Nobunaga and expect me to watch it. Oda Nobuna no Yabou was decent because it tried to showcase a lot of actual events (regardless of accuracy). A series like Sengoku Collection...I'll pass.
3) I wish studios would put more unique spins on adaptations. I know that I already mentioned this in the above paragraphs, but I just have to emphasize it again. For all the hate I gave Little Busters, I still really respect J.C. Staff for trying to create a perspective on the storyline that included the entire cast more heavily - it at least kept my interest even after I had already finished the game. I'm seriously tired of series that just have one-to-three mini-arcs from the original, fizzle out after 11 episodes (sometimes 10), and then expect me to keep interest. The arcs are often poorly timed due to season constraints, so the introduction/first arc could be 3 episodes, while the next one could be 8 episodes plus a beach scene to round out the season. It's rough, sub-par, and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Don't do it.
4) I want more humor-focused series. I know rom-coms hit buttons and gets people money, but I just want to have a good, consistently funny series sometimes to brighten my day. Stuff like Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku or GJ-bu. These series also often require much more originality than the same "herp girl + romance" or "tsundere + romance" package that series like to sell nowadays. Whereas I can see most interactions from the latter genre coming from halfway around the Earth, the former set of silly series are unexpected in their small jokes and approaches - and more enjoyable because of them.
5) I wish that everyone would have a prosperous year, and many more to come!
C'mon, I can do that for my last wish, right?
5 Resolutions:
1) Do more stuff, be more productive. Had to get this one out of the way.
2) Watch more "classic series". So I can shit on them.
3) Be more tolerant of popular series. Even if Free! does get 30k+ sales while Kyoukai no Kanata probably won't.
4) Don't shit on Western conventions. But they suck, seriously guys.
5) Write more introspective posts. This I heartily apologize for, but the posts I'm thinking of currently (e.g.: the one on traps and so forth) require actual research, and thus takes a bit of time. Sorry for the delays and hope you can partake in my analyses in the near future!
Anyhoos, now onto OboeOtaku's stuff!
OboeOtaku's:
5 Wishes:
1) Better Music: Same thing I wish for every year yo. This applies to both theme songs and bgm tracks. I should probably mention that if a theme song is reasonably catchy, I expect the full version to be good as well. Too many songs this year could not fulfill that requirement, the most notable being the Shingeki no Kyojin theme songs.
Also still waiting for the magical reunion of Supercell and Yanagi Nagi. The golden duo.
2) Better Series: Because we can dream right?
3) ...From Good Studios: Not to hate on other studios, but some just seem to spout out more memorable works than others, you know? The drought of good series from KyoAni was very disappointing; we went from a badly ended Chuunibyou to a pleasant but mediocre Tamako Market to a rather homosexual swimming anime. Only after all that were we graced with the likes of Kyoukai no Kanata. Shaft did well with Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, and I guess Monogatari is Monogatari, but it'd be nice to have something else new and interesting from them. And by that, I mean "not Nisekoi."
4) Growth in the Translation Community, and Better Projects: Yes, I still am bitter that Derpa has like nothing while High School DxD gets updated at the speed of light. More and more series these days are also being left to Crunchyroll/HorribleSubs, which is never really a good thing (yes, they've improved, and they're better than Hadena, but still...). The translation progress of VNs is also irksome; we have crap like Bukakke Ranch and Boob Wars being translated by Mangagamer while things like Little Buster EX are presumably ignored.
Also, to all the people complaining about the Kyoukai no Kanata ending, or shitting on the KyoAni style; you know, if they had translations for the light novels, maybe we could actually have informative discussions about it, especially with regards to pacing in the final parts.
5) More Creativity/Freshness: Arguably, true creativity is relative, seeing as it's hard to find anything that hasn't been done before, but a series can still be fresh, you know (shoutouts to Iihiko btw)? Properly done character interactions are a good way to do this (though that may just be because many series flub it), and slapstick humor also has a tendency to feel fresher. But...there's not enough of either at the moment in the series lists for each season I feel.
5 Resolutions:
5 Wishes:
1) Better Music: Same thing I wish for every year yo. This applies to both theme songs and bgm tracks. I should probably mention that if a theme song is reasonably catchy, I expect the full version to be good as well. Too many songs this year could not fulfill that requirement, the most notable being the Shingeki no Kyojin theme songs.
Also still waiting for the magical reunion of Supercell and Yanagi Nagi. The golden duo.
2) Better Series: Because we can dream right?
3) ...From Good Studios: Not to hate on other studios, but some just seem to spout out more memorable works than others, you know? The drought of good series from KyoAni was very disappointing; we went from a badly ended Chuunibyou to a pleasant but mediocre Tamako Market to a rather homosexual swimming anime. Only after all that were we graced with the likes of Kyoukai no Kanata. Shaft did well with Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, and I guess Monogatari is Monogatari, but it'd be nice to have something else new and interesting from them. And by that, I mean "not Nisekoi."
4) Growth in the Translation Community, and Better Projects: Yes, I still am bitter that Derpa has like nothing while High School DxD gets updated at the speed of light. More and more series these days are also being left to Crunchyroll/HorribleSubs, which is never really a good thing (yes, they've improved, and they're better than Hadena, but still...). The translation progress of VNs is also irksome; we have crap like Bukakke Ranch and Boob Wars being translated by Mangagamer while things like Little Buster EX are presumably ignored.
Also, to all the people complaining about the Kyoukai no Kanata ending, or shitting on the KyoAni style; you know, if they had translations for the light novels, maybe we could actually have informative discussions about it, especially with regards to pacing in the final parts.
5) More Creativity/Freshness: Arguably, true creativity is relative, seeing as it's hard to find anything that hasn't been done before, but a series can still be fresh, you know (shoutouts to Iihiko btw)? Properly done character interactions are a good way to do this (though that may just be because many series flub it), and slapstick humor also has a tendency to feel fresher. But...there's not enough of either at the moment in the series lists for each season I feel.
5 Resolutions:
1) Be more focused and more productive in school: Priorities yo. Need to start getting my head on straight. Don't wanna be a hobo later in life >_>
2) Move more: Biking to school will probably help with this.
3) Less coffee: Once, I consumed 2 cans of Monster, 2 cans of Red Bull, and about 13 packets of coffee within a 24 hour period. I should stop shaving years off of my life span before it's too late.
4) Be more cognizant when watching series: So I can actually say pseudo-intelligent shit, instead of just being bad all the time. I should also be better with the season previews, I never really say anything there.
5) Get better at SSBM: I still regard Melee as one of the most complex fighting games out there. It's just so dynamic, and so situational with regards to comboing. I can definitely say that I improved from last year though. Just nowhere near enough (L cancelling, why you so hard).
RightToLeft's:
5 Wishes:
1) More
memorable series.
The biggest problem is the lack of substance in today's anime.
However, I rather have a few really good series, then a bunch of
mediocre fodder. The only “new” series that could rival
masterpieces was Shingeki
no Kyojin,
which is probably why it jumped to number 9 on MAL before it was
finished. Series
that make the year are always appreciated.
2)
Anime adaption
staying true to original novel/manga/game.
A lot of the problems with anime adaptions are that they spend too
much time diluting material. This means we end up with pacing issues
like Danganronpa
and
to a lesser extent Golden
Time.
Kimi no iru
machi
adaption was especially horrendous, since it told the first half of
the story with flashback episodes with in flashback episodes. Of
course let's have some common sense for this issue, so we don't have
2/13 episodes being extra stories like Highschool
DxD.
3)
Cooler MCs.
Too many series have vanilla main males in a sea of boobs. Why?
Even if we could superimpose ourselves onto the main character, I
wouldn't want to be Ichika from IS
just because he has the girls. I want to see some bamfs do bamf
things. Someone
that doesn't need anyone else to support him/her. Basically,
we need more Hei from Darker
than Black
before he became a drunk. Girls
shouldn't just be fluffy idols that talk two octaves higher than
normal, but Mikasa from Shingeki
no Kyojin
with a little grit to them.
4)
Being more
inventive with animation.
I really like the Monogatari
Series,
because they do a bunch of random shit in terms of storytelling.
I
for one enjoy crisp clean animation more than just about anything
from an anime, but it is always good to see a show really experiment
with effects to make the story more interesting. Maybe a more dilute
version of FLCL
that isn't for stoners.
5)
A realistic anime
that exposes some grand conspiracy about every day life.
Enough said.
5 Resolutions:
1)
Watch less shit.
So many bad series that I finished.
2)
Read more.
Light novels and school
3)
Get around to
starting some of the manga/novels I put as reading on my list.
4)
Dunk.
Kagami makes it look so cool.
5)
Drop anime.
I should really drop anime, if I think they are bad. I don't know
why I finish it.
-----
ExtraCareful: Awards, awards~ Lovely awards~
To be quite honest I've always found this section to be the most fun to write for this post. And this year's no different (although probably more cumbersome due to the number of series this year)! But anyways, without further ado, here are:
Infinity And One 2013 Awards
ExtraCareful
Best OP: Jiyuu no Tsubasa (Shingeki no Kyojin OP2)
Best ED: Baby Sweet Berry Love (Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko; with heavy reservations)
Best OST: Kyousogiga
The 'Fireworks In Your FACE' Award for Best Visuals: Kyousogiga; honorable mentions to Sasami-san@Ganbaranai and Suisei no Gargantia
Worst Visuals: Aku no Hana
Worst Visuals: Aku no Hana
Best Protagonist/Main Character: Sakamaki Izayoi (Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?)
Best Antagonist: Wakamiya Shinobu (Chihayafuru 2)
Worst Protagonist/Main Character: Mizuno Takahiro (Walkure Romanze)
Worst Antagonist: Kugel (Suisei no Gargantia)
Best Supporting Character: Sinbad (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic)
Best Overall Cast: Magi: Labyrinth of Magic
Best Character/Voice Actor Combination: Tokisaki Kurumi - Sanada Asami (DATE A LIVE)
Best Lesser-known Voice Actor: Miyamoto Yume (Megumi in GJ-bu)
Most Overrated Voice Actor: Hanazawa Kana, Taketatsu Ayana (two-way tie)
Best Studio: Toei Animations
Worst Studio: Arms Corporation (just for producing Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!)
Best Fansub Group: FFF
Worst Fansub Group: Commie (that Monogatari S2 episode numbering confusion alongside Crunchyroll/Horriblesubs and the delays and whatnot just tanked my mood every week. Thanks, but no thanks.)
The 'Amazon Package' Award for Most Surprisingly Pleasant Series: GJ-bu
The 'Oreimo OVAs' Award for Most Disappointing Series: Suisei no Gargantia
The 'Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga Choo Choo' Award for Best Pacing: Log Horizon
The 'There Is No Sequel' Award for Worst Pacing: Yuusha ni Narenakatta Ore wa Shibushibu Shuushoku o Ketsui Shimashita.
Best Sequel: Magi S2
Worst Sequel: Hayate no Gotoku: Cuties
The 'Dear God Why' Award for Most Frustrating Series: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san W
The 'o___O' Award for Weirdest Premise for a Series: Galilei Donna
The 'OniiAi' Award for Best Fanservice: Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru
The 'OniiAi' Award for Best Fanservice: Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru
The 'I Really Can't Watch This Anywhere' Award for Worst Fanservice: Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!
The 'AnoHana' Award for Most Overly Dramatic Series: Outbreak Company
The 'Waterfall' Award for Most Heartwarming Series: Kyousogiga
The 'The Stanley Parable' Award for Most Meta Series: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san W; honorable mention to Sasami-san@Ganbaranai
The 'Jeopardy' Award for Best 'Random Club with Girls + Trivia' Series: Yama no Susume
Best Anime-Original Series: Kyousogiga
The 'Fedora' Award for Most Underrated Series: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai
The 'Shingeki no Kyojin' Award for Most Overrated Series: Shingeki no Kyojin; honorable mentions go to To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S and Free!
The 'Dream.exe' Award for Series Most Deserving of a Sequel: Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?
Funniest Series: Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku
Worst Series: AKB0048
Best Slice-of-life Series: Golden Time; honorable mention goes to Love Lab
Drum roll please.
Best Series of 2013: Kyousogiga
From the moment I saw that ONA (original net animation) of Kyousogiga, I thought that this could be something special. Toei was behind it, sure, but they had a good graphics department, this looked very unique, and if not with a solid plot, the series could always deliver on eye-candy stuff.
When it came out, the series did not disappoint.
The music from the beginning. The peculiar introduction of the even more peculiar cast. The purposefully fragmented exposition that brought it all together. The "abstract" undertones that necessarily handwaved away the fantastical world at large and made it feel like being there was awesome instead of naive. The main cast - not individually fantastic, perhaps - each has their unique contribution to the story that makes it so that the sum of their interactions is much greater than what each part has to offer.
The main story, however, is not about the fantasy world, or gods, or demons, or parallel universes. No - it's simply about dealing with family in all forms: faithful, whimsical, frustrating, conflicting, empathetic. It's a hidden family story behind the whirlwind of 3D shapes and production value that Toei throws at you, and it's noticeable but frequently submerged behind the obvious explosions.
This series is not without flaws. It had close competitors (such as Sasami-san@Ganbaranai), especially after you notice that there's too much background exposition compared to actual healthy plot development. But the other things it provides - the strongly supported themes, the creativity of the premise and the world, and the top-notch audiovisual package - carries this series to the top.
When you watch, just sit back and enjoy - the strangest family in the world is about to have a reunion.
When you watch, just sit back and enjoy - the strangest family in the world is about to have a reunion.
OboeOtaku
Jesus Christ this is hard. Also, yes I am a troll
Best OP: Koko (Kyousogiga OP)
Best ED: Sweet & Sweet Cherry (Golden Time ED) and Maware! Setsugetsuka (Unbreakable Machine Doll ED) - two way tie.
Best OST: Kiniro Mosaic and Kyousogiga; honorable mentions go to to Gatchaman Crowds
Best Insert Song: Future Star (Kyoukai no Kanata)
The "Febreeze" Award for Most Refreshing OP: See-no! (Yuyushiki OP)
The "Marble" Award for Best Strings in an OP: Koko (Kyousogiga OP) & Baby Sweet Berry Love (Hentai Ouji to Waranai Neko ED) - two way tie. Honorable mentions to See-no! (Yuyushiki ED)
The "Everlasting Guilty Crown TV Size was Better" Award for Most Disappointing Full Song: Guren no Yumiya (SnK OP2), honorable mentions to Jiyuu no Tsubasa (SnK OP2)
Best Visuals: Kyousogiga
Most Unexpected Visuals: Aku no Hana, honorable mentions go to Unbreakable Machine Doll
Worst Visuals: Aku no Hana everyones a shit eater
Best Protagonist/Main Character: Harusaki Chiwa* (OreShura)
Best Antagonist: Gen Urobuchi (Suisei no Gargantia)
Worst Protagonist/Main Character: Natsukawa Masuzu (OreShura)
Worst Antagonist: Kuroki Tomoko (WataMote), honorable mentions to the Sentucky Fried Chicken guy from Hataraku Maou-sama
Best Supporting Character: Alsiel (Hataraku Maou-Sama).
The "Kokonoe Rin" Award for "Best Loli": Harusaki Chiwa (OreShura), honorable mentions to Alice Cartlet from Kiniro Mosaic
The "MorningLescue" Award for Best Blonde: Kujo Karen (Kiniro Mosaic)
The "Nimu Nimu" Award for Most Pinchable/Squishable Cheeks: Koto (Kyousogiga)
Best Overall Cast: Uh...no idea tbqh. This hurts my head.
Best Name: Yamagami "Lucy Kimiko Akie Airi Shiori Rinne Yoshiho Chihoko Ayano Fumika Chitose Sanae Mikiko Ichika Yukino Reina Eri Ai Tamiko Chikage Emilia Julia Shizue Erina Chisa Yumeka Natsuki Ranran Rieko Setsuri Chikako Azumi Marina Hideko Chiaki Misaki Naomi Campbell Miku Yuka Masako Sachiko Nana Mutsumi Haruka Yuna Shimako Yukie Rin Sakura Kanna Wakana Hazuki Hanami Ruri Mihane Momoka Himari Nozomi Futaba Mayuyu Ayano" (Servant x Service)
>Honorable mention goes to Raul (Yuushibu).
Best Voice Actor/Voice Combo: Narrator&Heavenly Voice / Jouji Nakata (Noucome)
"Bag of Tricks" award for most unexpected voice actor: Nase Mitsuki / Chihara Minori (I only realized it was her when they were singing "Future Star"), honorable mention goes to Koto / Rie Kugimiya.
Best Subbing Group: UTW & Underwater
Worst Subbing Group:Commie (for either not making proper progress on Mahou Tsukai no Yoru or just refusing to post updates on their progress). They've made good progress, so I'll let them off lols
Most Disappointing Adaption: Aku no Hana, honorable mentions go to Golden Time
The "There Is No 4th Wall" Award for Most Meta: Kitakubu Katsudo Kiroku
The "Sword Art Online" Award for Most Overhyped: Shingeki no Kyojin
The "Railgun" Award for Most Unreasonably Hyped: Kill la Kill
The "Dat Flower" Award for Most "Drama": Nagi no Asukara
The "I Want To Eat Bricks" Award for Most Autistic: Yuyushiki, honorable mentions go to Yuushibu
Best Romanization: "Mangirl"
Best Fanservice: NouCome
Worst Fanservice:Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai! Boob wrestling.
Most Underappreciated/Underhyped Series: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, honorable mentions to Kitakubu Katsudo Kiroku and Kiniro Mosaic.
The "Nichijou" Award for Best Humor: Kitakubu Katsudo Kiroku, honorable mentions to Love Lab and Hataraku Maou-sama.
The "Xanax" Award for Laxest Series: Non Non Biyori
Worst Series: Infinite Stratos 2 (dropped within 5 minutes due to overwhelming idiocy from Ichikathe blockhead).
*Probably not true, but I have a beef with this series lol. Chiwa needs more love.
And finally...
Best Series of 2013: Kyoukai no Kanata
You can call me a KyoAni fag all you like. I will never deny it. But that's because Kyoto Animation has a phenomenal track record with their series. From Clannad to K-On! to Nichijou to Hyouka, and now to Kyoukai no Kanata, KyoAni has managed to thrill me time and time again with simply delightful works. In other words, Kyoukai no Kanata is my pick for best series of the year because it's truly and legitimately excellent, and not because I merely like fawning over KyoAni works (because let's face it, Chuu2 was disappointing, and Tamako Market was just average).
Many people are going to see this and say something like "yea it was all right, but the ending seemed really rushed" or "that ending was a major asspull." And they are completely right; the very ending of Kyoukai was a completely blatant feel-good asspull (unless you try to read deeply into things and theorize all sorts of possible mechanisms). But there are reasons I can forgive this. First and foremost, the rest of the series was amazing. This wasn't like Chuu2 where shit started getting shaky from like 3 episodes from the end, this was just a slipup at the very damn end (because I don't really consider the last few episodes to have been all that rushed). And second, it gives the series more possibilities, such as the chance for a sequel (yea it could have been done better, but hey stop complaining. As for those who think it was rushed...well, I didn't feel that, tbqh. Also, maybe KyoAni would have invested more in the series, maybe with a longer run, if people appreciated longer series like Nichijou or Hyouka, instead of giving shit like Chuu2 or Free! all the damn bluray sales. On a side note, we might be able to have a more informed discussion on the pacing of this if we could have actual comparisons to the light novel (which is still ongoing). But that goes back to my complaint about TLs picking better projects.
The rest of KnK was amazing. Amazing graphics, great music, but most importantly, an engaging cast and over the top character interactions. Be it through casual conversation, humorous jabs, or through deeper, more emotional talks, the flow of dialogue never left anything to be desired. It was natural and engaging, drawing the viewer into their world, which is arguably the goal of any series. I was completely and utterly satisfied after every episode, which is something that almost never happens. But don't take my word for it. Watch it and see for yourself. And be prepared for the best treat of 2014.
RightToLeft
Best Series of 2013: Shingeki no Kyojin
Best OP: Koko (Kyousogiga OP)
Best ED: Sweet & Sweet Cherry (Golden Time ED) and Maware! Setsugetsuka (Unbreakable Machine Doll ED) - two way tie.
Best OST: Kiniro Mosaic and Kyousogiga; honorable mentions go to to Gatchaman Crowds
Best Insert Song: Future Star (Kyoukai no Kanata)
The "Febreeze" Award for Most Refreshing OP: See-no! (Yuyushiki OP)
The "Marble" Award for Best Strings in an OP: Koko (Kyousogiga OP) & Baby Sweet Berry Love (Hentai Ouji to Waranai Neko ED) - two way tie. Honorable mentions to See-no! (Yuyushiki ED)
The "Everlasting Guilty Crown TV Size was Better" Award for Most Disappointing Full Song: Guren no Yumiya (SnK OP2), honorable mentions to Jiyuu no Tsubasa (SnK OP2)
Best Visuals: Kyousogiga
Most Unexpected Visuals: Aku no Hana, honorable mentions go to Unbreakable Machine Doll
Worst Visuals: Aku no Hana everyones a shit eater
Best Protagonist/Main Character: Harusaki Chiwa* (OreShura)
Best Antagonist: Gen Urobuchi (Suisei no Gargantia)
Worst Protagonist/Main Character: Natsukawa Masuzu (OreShura)
Worst Antagonist: Kuroki Tomoko (WataMote), honorable mentions to the Sentucky Fried Chicken guy from Hataraku Maou-sama
Best Supporting Character: Alsiel (Hataraku Maou-Sama).
The "Kokonoe Rin" Award for "Best Loli": Harusaki Chiwa (OreShura), honorable mentions to Alice Cartlet from Kiniro Mosaic
The "MorningLescue" Award for Best Blonde: Kujo Karen (Kiniro Mosaic)
The "Nimu Nimu" Award for Most Pinchable/Squishable Cheeks: Koto (Kyousogiga)
Best Overall Cast: Uh...no idea tbqh. This hurts my head.
Best Name: Yamagami "Lucy Kimiko Akie Airi Shiori Rinne Yoshiho Chihoko Ayano Fumika Chitose Sanae Mikiko Ichika Yukino Reina Eri Ai Tamiko Chikage Emilia Julia Shizue Erina Chisa Yumeka Natsuki Ranran Rieko Setsuri Chikako Azumi Marina Hideko Chiaki Misaki Naomi Campbell Miku Yuka Masako Sachiko Nana Mutsumi Haruka Yuna Shimako Yukie Rin Sakura Kanna Wakana Hazuki Hanami Ruri Mihane Momoka Himari Nozomi Futaba Mayuyu Ayano" (Servant x Service)
>Honorable mention goes to Raul (Yuushibu).
Best Voice Actor/Voice Combo: Narrator&Heavenly Voice / Jouji Nakata (Noucome)
"Bag of Tricks" award for most unexpected voice actor: Nase Mitsuki / Chihara Minori (I only realized it was her when they were singing "Future Star"), honorable mention goes to Koto / Rie Kugimiya.
Best Subbing Group: UTW & Underwater
Worst Subbing Group:
Most Disappointing Adaption: Aku no Hana, honorable mentions go to Golden Time
The "There Is No 4th Wall" Award for Most Meta: Kitakubu Katsudo Kiroku
The "Sword Art Online" Award for Most Overhyped: Shingeki no Kyojin
The "Railgun" Award for Most Unreasonably Hyped: Kill la Kill
The "Dat Flower" Award for Most "Drama": Nagi no Asukara
The "I Want To Eat Bricks" Award for Most Autistic: Yuyushiki, honorable mentions go to Yuushibu
Best Romanization: "Mangirl"
Best Fanservice: NouCome
Worst Fanservice:
Most Underappreciated/Underhyped Series: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, honorable mentions to Kitakubu Katsudo Kiroku and Kiniro Mosaic.
The "Nichijou" Award for Best Humor: Kitakubu Katsudo Kiroku, honorable mentions to Love Lab and Hataraku Maou-sama.
The "Xanax" Award for Laxest Series: Non Non Biyori
Worst Series: Infinite Stratos 2 (dropped within 5 minutes due to overwhelming idiocy from Ichikathe blockhead).
*Probably not true, but I have a beef with this series lol. Chiwa needs more love.
And finally...
Best Series of 2013: Kyoukai no Kanata
You can call me a KyoAni fag all you like. I will never deny it. But that's because Kyoto Animation has a phenomenal track record with their series. From Clannad to K-On! to Nichijou to Hyouka, and now to Kyoukai no Kanata, KyoAni has managed to thrill me time and time again with simply delightful works. In other words, Kyoukai no Kanata is my pick for best series of the year because it's truly and legitimately excellent, and not because I merely like fawning over KyoAni works (because let's face it, Chuu2 was disappointing, and Tamako Market was just average).
Many people are going to see this and say something like "yea it was all right, but the ending seemed really rushed" or "that ending was a major asspull." And they are completely right; the very ending of Kyoukai was a completely blatant feel-good asspull (unless you try to read deeply into things and theorize all sorts of possible mechanisms). But there are reasons I can forgive this. First and foremost, the rest of the series was amazing. This wasn't like Chuu2 where shit started getting shaky from like 3 episodes from the end, this was just a slipup at the very damn end (because I don't really consider the last few episodes to have been all that rushed). And second, it gives the series more possibilities, such as the chance for a sequel (yea it could have been done better, but hey stop complaining. As for those who think it was rushed...well, I didn't feel that, tbqh. Also, maybe KyoAni would have invested more in the series, maybe with a longer run, if people appreciated longer series like Nichijou or Hyouka, instead of giving shit like Chuu2 or Free! all the damn bluray sales. On a side note, we might be able to have a more informed discussion on the pacing of this if we could have actual comparisons to the light novel (which is still ongoing). But that goes back to my complaint about TLs picking better projects.
The rest of KnK was amazing. Amazing graphics, great music, but most importantly, an engaging cast and over the top character interactions. Be it through casual conversation, humorous jabs, or through deeper, more emotional talks, the flow of dialogue never left anything to be desired. It was natural and engaging, drawing the viewer into their world, which is arguably the goal of any series. I was completely and utterly satisfied after every episode, which is something that almost never happens. But don't take my word for it. Watch it and see for yourself. And be prepared for the best treat of 2014.
Fuyukai desu~ (not really though lols).
~~~
Best
OP: Guren
no Yumiya
(Shingeki
no Kyojin OP1)
Best
ED: Sweet
& Sweet CHERRY
(Golden
Time)
Best
OST: Like I
know
Best
Visuals:
Toaru
Kagaku no Railgun S
Worst Visuals: Aku no Hana the rotary scope too strong
Worst Visuals: Aku no Hana the rotary scope too strong
Best
Protagonist/Main Character: Sakamaki Izayoi (Mondaiji-tachi ga
Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?)
Best
Antagonist: Accelerator (Toaru
Kagaku no Railgun S
)
Worst
Protagonist/Main Character: Shinomiya, Kyouya (GJ-bu)
Worst
Antagonist: Meyer, Olba (Hataraku Maou-sama!) also the abnormal titans in the latter half of Shingeki
Worst
Supporting Character: Armin Arlet (Shingeki
no Kyojin)
Worst
Overall Cast: Gatchaman Crowds
Best
Character/Voice Actor Combination: Matoi, Ryuuko – Koshimizu,
Ami (Kill la Kill)
Most
Overrated Voice Actor: Whoever
ExtraCareful says is good
Best
Fansub Group: UTW
Worst
Fansub Group: Commie (didn't know it took months to do an episode
of a weekly series)
Most
Disappointing Series: Suisei no Gargantia
Having
a Dumb Character Name: Raul (Yuusha ni Narenakatta Ore
wa Shibushibu Shuushoku o Ketsui Shimashita)
Best
Sequel: Toaru
Kagaku no Railgun S
Worst
Sequel: IS2 it had 10 minutes of plot
The
'Did you see that' Show for Having the Most Anime References:
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san W
The
'Acid
Trip Award' for Assuming You're High When Watching:
Sasami-san@Ganbarani
The
'Twilight Remake Series': Strike
the Blood
The
'Shingeki no Kyojin' Award for Most Overrated Series: Free!
The
Intellectuals Award: Maoyuu it's about economics yo
The
Series Most Deserving of a Sequel: Mondaiji-tachi ga
Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? this is what all gamers are like
Best
Slice-of-life Series: Golden Time
Most Cringe: WataMote
Flashbackception: Kimi no Iru Machi
Best Series of 2013: Shingeki no Kyojin
Unlike
SAO,
Shingeki no
Kyojin
lived up to hype it got for the most part. The characters all had
their own grit that made them relatable. Of course, anyone of them
can become Titan fodder (PETRA WHY). From a season that lacked
masterpieces, it was a refreshing new series that made the dry spell
bearable. All the characters have a dark side brought on by years of
war. The dichotomy of the rich and poor was ripped to shreds by
persistent threat of titans.
However
no matter how great it was, it was not without flaws. The most
horrendous part the series was the pacing. Seconds became minutes.
Minutes became episodes. Seriously, how long did they think they
could keep that up without people raging. So, I would recommend watching it in groups.
Adrenaline
pumped fight scenes, chaos, and
rainbow of different flawed character. It made the audience always
want more. People complaining that it was over hyped would say that for pretty much anything of that genre, so take it with a grain of salt. It even has a really badly programmed game, so you know it's the biggest thing out there.
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