Here's to the new year.
We understand it's harder to accept that the year is over for some.
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ExtraCareful:
2014. Oh, 2014. What can I say? The downs were great, the ups were few, and in between there was many a laugh followed by a sigh. A lot of fan-favorites this year ended up being relatively straightforward and unimpressive adaptations, sometimes plagued by a lack of budget or dedication by the studio to fill out the animations in the parts that people would actually watch. The original series started out with decently uncommon premises but failed to deliver a COMPLETE package that would entrance the viewers, much like Hyouka in 2012 or Kyousogiga in 2013. All around, it was a year that shouldn't have happened. More people than ever are watching, reading, typing up, talking, writing, creating anime and manga. More money than ever is flowing into the scene (although, like most fields, the distribution is top-heavy). The studios, the publishers, the designers should have more quality talents than ever before to choose from in order to make a product worthy of notice. And yet, the overall quality wasn't noticeably better.
It's a sad year when the most oft-uttered phrase from my mouth is "how disappointing."
This calls to a very troubling trend in anime, something much more fundamental than formatting, or biased merchandise sales affecting production, or whatever. At the very beginning of 2014, Miyazaki had an interview where he criticized the people in anime production as being anime otakus - that is, people that make anime for the sake of anime, that treat anime as a set of concepts isolated within itself, without considering how people would act in real life given the situations in modern series. The creators were the fans of the pre-existing material.
Now what's wrong with that? There are plenty of cute and cool stuff that appear in anime that aren't available anywhere else! The statement holds, but it's also evident that for anime to reach a wider audience or even to just become a more powerful and flexible medium, it must have content that reaches out to a variety of people and also has more and better concepts than what was previously done. Stagnation is not a welcome theme in any field, much less in something like art and literature. And anime should follow suit.
By not having a broader perspective, by not putting in the research, by keeping the status quo as uninformed "anime otaku", content creators deprive the story of a chance to become well-rounded. It deprives characters of complex interactions and thought processes and moral decisions that they would have reached if the writers had simply considered what a perfectly normal human being would think. The plots can become dull and uninspired if writers do not research and build on previous works, and furthermore the characters do not supplement and ENHANCE the plot by being smart and thinking outside of the box instead of dancing within the obvious bounds of the story. Extreme decisions and emotions become commonplace and facetious due to the fact that they are not products of gradual, natural thought processes like most prejudices, but rather because the plot forces the character to have such emotions. These are just a few of the problems that plague writing in anime today, and they can all find the root of the problem in Miyazaki's criticism.
Although there will always be a shift in taste over time, I think it would be a good idea to start being cautious sooner rather than later. We as viewers and readers and content contributors must be aware that these series and stories are not a finite set of re-usable tropes that will appeal over and over again. Anime and manga are simply different forms of media that give body to the story, the moral that the writer/artist is trying to tell in a unique way. Anime and manga do not have to be simply limited to "dark dystopian mysteries" or "fanservice" or whatever. They can talk to the reader about the economy, about a wild fantasy in space, about how to expect things in life as well as towards death, about anything and everything in depth. Just like with any medium or field, I always expect more. I demand more.
It is extremely hard for many writers in Japan to even make minimal wage off the royalties via book sales. It is hard to make money while also sending your own unique message as a writer that you and your readers can be proud of. But (as cliched as it sounds) if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. As writers, contributors, readers, viewers, translators, publishers, and more - we should not be okay with or praise a series because it impresses upon some of the values we hold dear to us. We should expect 100% from each series, every time. Unrealistic? Certainly. But expecting less allows for flaws to go unnoticed and to be implicitly praised. Expecting less is dangerous.
In 2015, I hope everybody will hold these media up to a higher standard - because it can, and it should.
It's a sad year when the most oft-uttered phrase from my mouth is "how disappointing."
This calls to a very troubling trend in anime, something much more fundamental than formatting, or biased merchandise sales affecting production, or whatever. At the very beginning of 2014, Miyazaki had an interview where he criticized the people in anime production as being anime otakus - that is, people that make anime for the sake of anime, that treat anime as a set of concepts isolated within itself, without considering how people would act in real life given the situations in modern series. The creators were the fans of the pre-existing material.
Now what's wrong with that? There are plenty of cute and cool stuff that appear in anime that aren't available anywhere else! The statement holds, but it's also evident that for anime to reach a wider audience or even to just become a more powerful and flexible medium, it must have content that reaches out to a variety of people and also has more and better concepts than what was previously done. Stagnation is not a welcome theme in any field, much less in something like art and literature. And anime should follow suit.
By not having a broader perspective, by not putting in the research, by keeping the status quo as uninformed "anime otaku", content creators deprive the story of a chance to become well-rounded. It deprives characters of complex interactions and thought processes and moral decisions that they would have reached if the writers had simply considered what a perfectly normal human being would think. The plots can become dull and uninspired if writers do not research and build on previous works, and furthermore the characters do not supplement and ENHANCE the plot by being smart and thinking outside of the box instead of dancing within the obvious bounds of the story. Extreme decisions and emotions become commonplace and facetious due to the fact that they are not products of gradual, natural thought processes like most prejudices, but rather because the plot forces the character to have such emotions. These are just a few of the problems that plague writing in anime today, and they can all find the root of the problem in Miyazaki's criticism.
Although there will always be a shift in taste over time, I think it would be a good idea to start being cautious sooner rather than later. We as viewers and readers and content contributors must be aware that these series and stories are not a finite set of re-usable tropes that will appeal over and over again. Anime and manga are simply different forms of media that give body to the story, the moral that the writer/artist is trying to tell in a unique way. Anime and manga do not have to be simply limited to "dark dystopian mysteries" or "fanservice" or whatever. They can talk to the reader about the economy, about a wild fantasy in space, about how to expect things in life as well as towards death, about anything and everything in depth. Just like with any medium or field, I always expect more. I demand more.
It is extremely hard for many writers in Japan to even make minimal wage off the royalties via book sales. It is hard to make money while also sending your own unique message as a writer that you and your readers can be proud of. But (as cliched as it sounds) if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. As writers, contributors, readers, viewers, translators, publishers, and more - we should not be okay with or praise a series because it impresses upon some of the values we hold dear to us. We should expect 100% from each series, every time. Unrealistic? Certainly. But expecting less allows for flaws to go unnoticed and to be implicitly praised. Expecting less is dangerous.
In 2015, I hope everybody will hold these media up to a higher standard - because it can, and it should.
OboeOtaku:
This time last year, I was sure that we had hit rock bottom with regards to anime. I considered the year 2013 to have been a dry spell, with remarkably few head-turning series until the fall season came around (which saved the year from being a complete train wreck). I fully expected the following year to be…well, not the year of the return of anime Jesus, but at least a decent year with a selection of maybe 5 or so series which I could look back on and truly praise.
I never thought that one day, I would consider the 2013 year to have been a good year for anime. I also never thought that day would come a mere one year later.
Unlike ExtraCareful, I don’t mince my words (read: I’m blunt to the point of being asshole-ish). So I’ll say it; this year sucked.
…haaaaaaard.
Nearly all the series I was hyped for ended up flopping in one way or another. Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil and Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta started off with interesting premises with lots of potential, but ultimately ended up falling into rote tropes without delivering anything impactful or feel-worthy. Sekai Seifuku Bouryaku no Zvezda wowed everyone from episode 1, but spent episodes 2-9 doing absolutely nothing, before throwing the plot back at you in episode 10. Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin was good for the most part (especially compared to the aforementioned series) with solid pacing, but failed to deliver anything truly grand or spectacular at the end due to the 11-episode constraint it had (god I hate this problem).
Even adaptations from manga proved to be lackluster. Barakamon and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun ended up relying on the brilliance of the original source material to stay afloat, and D-Frag!!, though pleasant to watch, was also just a straight adaptation of the manga in the end, with no added sparkle to make the anime truly worthwhile over the manga (unless you like animated Takao tits I suppose). Only Denki-gai no Honya-san managed to impress me…out of 4 series which should rightfully have become animated masterpieces if done correctly.
Lastly, all the studios that I’ve come to expect great things from also failed to live up to my expectations. KyoAni did a fantastic job at continuing its streak of bad series by going with second seasons for Chuunibyou and Free!, then transitioning into Amagi Brilliant Park (which, although I have not seen personally, have heard enough flac about from EC to know it’s not up to my expectations from KyoAni). Shaft continued its dry spell from last year by going with 2 very obvious moneygrubbing attempts in the form of Mekaku City Actors (i.e. let’s get money from Vocaloid lovers) and Nisekoi (i.e. let’s get money because Japan loves mediocre series with no redeeming features as long as it has reasonable art, tsunderes, blonde transfer students, and every trope under the sun). P.A. Works disappointed spectacularly with Glasslip (I’ll reserve judgement on Shirobako until it finishes, but I don’t have my hopes up for it).
After 4 seasons of complete and utter mediocrity, I can’t wait for this year to be over. God damn.
Let’s move on to some happier stuff now.
RightToLeft:
This Year's List:
Silver Spoon S2, Sekai Seifuku, Mahou Sensou, Space Dandy(drop), No-Rin(drop), Nisekoi, Chuunibyou Demo S2, Noragami, Seitokai Yakuindomo S2, Mekaku City Actors, Brynhildr in the Darkness, Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, Date A Live II, Black Bullet, Haikyuu, No Game No Life, Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to, Akame ga Kill!, Aldnoah.Zero, Barakamon, Free! Eternal Summer, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma 2wei, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Hanamonogatari, Glasslip, Rail Wars!, Psycho-Pass 2, Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?, Sword Art Online II, Tokyo Ghoul, Zankyou No Terror, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Log Horizon II, Kiseijuu:Sei no Kakuritsu, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road
Completed: 35 Dropped: 2
No leftovers included. Probably forgot some.
This year was definitely an odd year for anime. It started off with, what I think, was an incredible dry spell. Winter was saved by the leftovers from the fall season, but I hoped for more from a variety of series. Black Bullet and Mahouka piqued my interest toward the beginning. However, neither could really deliver towards the end. This was a theme for a variety of series: the good turned to bad, the mediocre turned to horrible. It was as if taking risks were the only way to save anime. A big problem was that show content was a little more than a cour length, but they were given a cour worth of airtime. The intellectual shows never ceased to piss me off with their supposedly intelligent thought process. MC’s slowly went from being intelligent to being omniscient. Logic slowly turned sour, and the audience is forced to just take it as it is.
Almost all of the anime that I would come to like would be in the current Fall season. The sports genre did especially well throughout the year, and comedy will endure regardless of what year it is. Hopefully, we can see this continue throughout the next few years. I have long since looked for a sports anime that could be everything that the Eyeshield manga was, but everything that the anime could not.
The season 2’s of anime were mainly disappointing to me. SAO II started off well with GGO storyline. Unlike its predecessor, there was actually character development in terms of PTSD. However, the latter half appeared somewhat purposeless. The only season 2 that I was happy with was Psycho-Pass 2, but it wasn't much of a sequel as a standalone adventure.
The drama series did OK. Kill la Kill! preceded to save anime (lol).
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5 wishes, 5 resolutions, awards. Let's go.
ExtraCareful's:
5 Wishes:
1) PLEASE, for the love of God, KyoAni and P. A. Works, come back to your senses. Stop dicking around with Nishimura Junji and a half-assed writer on some stupid slice-of-life with awful pacing and character interactions. Stop using Free and Chuunibyou as crutches for the next series you're going to make. Hold a quick competition or something, like what Shueisha is doing (invite or open, doesn't really matter). Give us something that shows clear thought and care put behind every aspect of it, instead of doing basic animations + gloss on a one-off series with uncommon premise. Give us something that we can be proud of as viewers.
2) I wish that Key Studios/Visual Arts would stop relying on Maeda Jun. Key Visual Arts is already announcing an anime-original project set for 2015 called Charlotte, with the scenario written by Maeda and character design by Na-Ga (of Little Busters fame), with P.A. Works heading the production efforts.
Let's cut the fucking shit. Key is so dependent on Maeda for new projects it's not even funny. Little Busters didn't deliver very well on the various routes it delegated to different writers, Rewrite was a mess with overly dramatic character interactions and a climate change theme that stuck out like a sore thumb, and the next major VN project by Key is a re-hash of Angel Beats.
I mean, what is FUCKING GOING ON?!
Someone needs to learn basic management skills over at Key, because they're clearly not able to hire even one writer worth a damn after Maeda left. It's a sad sight and it disgusts me, to be quite honest.
3) I wish studios would really put effort into creating a polished, complete package when producing anime. Now I'm not saying every anime needs to do everything well, like give a deep story while also having great fanservice, great animations, and juggling eggs while at it. But what anime series really need to do is spotlight what they're displaying and go for it. If it's a series centered around references and fanservice, with an obvious lack of attention to realism or realistic character interactions, go for it - make the fanservice 110%, make sure there are lots of references and good humor. If it's a "deeper" series with more introspection or moral calculus, then PUT IN THE EFFORT. Do not show me the same "determination" or "but I have to do this in the end" or "is it really right to kill?" nonsense I've seen over and over again. People are flexible, smart, adaptable. They have a wide spectrum of thoughts, and delving into only a small segment of that is disappointing.
And most importantly, when you're aiming towards adding multiple stuff, DON'T HALF-ASS EVERYTHING. That makes me extremely angry. Don't add a bit of character realism then toss it away the moment you have to go for fanservice, or plot action. In these cases, "dark" series such as Kiseijuu or Attack on Titan or Aldnoah.Zero are just as guilty of flawed writing as the fanservice series people look down on. By not polishing up every asset, the anime series becomes an incomplete pile of concepts that looks like it just wants to make maximal profits instead of a story, a statement, an objective. Don't let that happen.
4) I wish that more series about XYZ field (e.g.: music, games, etc.) would really do their research and create good series. I don't want to see any more "music clubs" with a random assortment of instruments and players that "just want to play good music". I don't want to hear bits and pieces of trivia about a topic, half of which are inaccurate or plain wrong at times. I don't want to sit around and smile like a series is good at representing its hobby when it's really not. Unless you're using the hobby or sport or field as a vehicle for some other, more important plot (and even then), please get the facts straight. Writers, please don't be lazy.
5) I wish that this year will be a great one for all anime watchers - a year that we can proudly point to a series and tell everyone, "I watched this."
2) I wish that Key Studios/Visual Arts would stop relying on Maeda Jun. Key Visual Arts is already announcing an anime-original project set for 2015 called Charlotte, with the scenario written by Maeda and character design by Na-Ga (of Little Busters fame), with P.A. Works heading the production efforts.
Let's cut the fucking shit. Key is so dependent on Maeda for new projects it's not even funny. Little Busters didn't deliver very well on the various routes it delegated to different writers, Rewrite was a mess with overly dramatic character interactions and a climate change theme that stuck out like a sore thumb, and the next major VN project by Key is a re-hash of Angel Beats.
I mean, what is FUCKING GOING ON?!
Someone needs to learn basic management skills over at Key, because they're clearly not able to hire even one writer worth a damn after Maeda left. It's a sad sight and it disgusts me, to be quite honest.
3) I wish studios would really put effort into creating a polished, complete package when producing anime. Now I'm not saying every anime needs to do everything well, like give a deep story while also having great fanservice, great animations, and juggling eggs while at it. But what anime series really need to do is spotlight what they're displaying and go for it. If it's a series centered around references and fanservice, with an obvious lack of attention to realism or realistic character interactions, go for it - make the fanservice 110%, make sure there are lots of references and good humor. If it's a "deeper" series with more introspection or moral calculus, then PUT IN THE EFFORT. Do not show me the same "determination" or "but I have to do this in the end" or "is it really right to kill?" nonsense I've seen over and over again. People are flexible, smart, adaptable. They have a wide spectrum of thoughts, and delving into only a small segment of that is disappointing.
And most importantly, when you're aiming towards adding multiple stuff, DON'T HALF-ASS EVERYTHING. That makes me extremely angry. Don't add a bit of character realism then toss it away the moment you have to go for fanservice, or plot action. In these cases, "dark" series such as Kiseijuu or Attack on Titan or Aldnoah.Zero are just as guilty of flawed writing as the fanservice series people look down on. By not polishing up every asset, the anime series becomes an incomplete pile of concepts that looks like it just wants to make maximal profits instead of a story, a statement, an objective. Don't let that happen.
4) I wish that more series about XYZ field (e.g.: music, games, etc.) would really do their research and create good series. I don't want to see any more "music clubs" with a random assortment of instruments and players that "just want to play good music". I don't want to hear bits and pieces of trivia about a topic, half of which are inaccurate or plain wrong at times. I don't want to sit around and smile like a series is good at representing its hobby when it's really not. Unless you're using the hobby or sport or field as a vehicle for some other, more important plot (and even then), please get the facts straight. Writers, please don't be lazy.
5) I wish that this year will be a great one for all anime watchers - a year that we can proudly point to a series and tell everyone, "I watched this."
5 Resolutions:
1) Be productive, as usual. What did you expect?
2) Watch a broader spectrum of series. I'm trying to get into yaoi and mecha (somewhat succeeding?) I think it's always great to have a bigger perspective, and anime watching is no different. Hopefully I can do a few classic magical girl series this year without shying away.
3) Learn Japanese/Chinese/Russian. Before, I just wanted to learn it so I could browse through light novels/visual novels. But now I'm finding the learning itself pretty interesting, so I'll see how far I can go in terms of learning the language (JP first, then CN/RUS). Hopefully I can also bring deeper insight if I learn the language and translate some stuff for you guys.
4) Be a more accepting person. I'll try to realize that not every production studio or writer necessarily has the forethought or time or money to make series that I can respect. I think I'll still criticize them, but acknowledge that they have their place (whatever impact they may have) in the anime ecosystem.
5) I'll be less critical/afraid of venturing into popular series. You guys really make me afraid to watch series, you know that? Slobbering all over Kill la Kill, Shingeki no Kyojin, etc etc. This might be an extension of (4) above, but when a series gets roof-raising praise, I expect all cylinders to be firing, all aspects of the series to be well-done and respectable. Often these standards don't match up, and I've become fearful of investing into series that people have told me are good just as a comment based on relatively biased values. Well, this time I'll try them out early on so I can criticize it BEFORE people tell me that it's the best series they've ever seen.
OboeOtaku's:
5 Wishes
2) Watch a broader spectrum of series. I'm trying to get into yaoi and mecha (somewhat succeeding?) I think it's always great to have a bigger perspective, and anime watching is no different. Hopefully I can do a few classic magical girl series this year without shying away.
3) Learn Japanese/Chinese/Russian. Before, I just wanted to learn it so I could browse through light novels/visual novels. But now I'm finding the learning itself pretty interesting, so I'll see how far I can go in terms of learning the language (JP first, then CN/RUS). Hopefully I can also bring deeper insight if I learn the language and translate some stuff for you guys.
4) Be a more accepting person. I'll try to realize that not every production studio or writer necessarily has the forethought or time or money to make series that I can respect. I think I'll still criticize them, but acknowledge that they have their place (whatever impact they may have) in the anime ecosystem.
5) I'll be less critical/afraid of venturing into popular series. You guys really make me afraid to watch series, you know that? Slobbering all over Kill la Kill, Shingeki no Kyojin, etc etc. This might be an extension of (4) above, but when a series gets roof-raising praise, I expect all cylinders to be firing, all aspects of the series to be well-done and respectable. Often these standards don't match up, and I've become fearful of investing into series that people have told me are good just as a comment based on relatively biased values. Well, this time I'll try them out early on so I can criticize it BEFORE people tell me that it's the best series they've ever seen.
OboeOtaku's:
5 Wishes
1) Better Music: The yearly struggle. This year had some decent OPs, but very few really wowed me. And no OSTs really stood out to me either (this made the awards section fun…not). I spent more time going online and surfing through random eroge songs this year than in previous years…because overall, there was less aural wow from the series I followed.
Also, Supercell x Yanagi Nagi reunion when?
2) Better Series: Evidently, it’s hard to make good series. Because this year had almost none of them. So, since all the studios decided to take a collective break for a year and make absolute shit, I’m hoping that next year, they can can get their acts together.
This is my blanket wish to address all the things done poorly with anime this year lols.
3) Choosing series based on creative potential and worth rather than $: Looking at you Shaft. Fuck your 2nd season of Nisekoi in the works.
4) Better translations of worthwhile series: Yea ok, I get that HorribleSubs is actually readable now, but that doesn’t mean every subbing group needs to go and use those as a baseline, change a few bits of grammar, and and OP/ED subbing and call it a day.
Also, people still have shit taste when it comes to TL-ing LN’s as usual. HOW’S HYOUKA GOING GUYS?
We're not going to talk about the Mahoyo TL attempt by Commie.
5) Revival of the big 3: …studios. Not Jump series. I did not watch anything from Key or Shaft this season, and the one series from P.A. Works I tried did not sell me (read “Shirobako feels like Bakumen: 5 girls version…with too much emphasis on anime production and not enough focus on the girls).
If P.A. Works somehow manages to fuck up Charlotte next year, I will probably stop watching anime lol.
5 Resolutions (largely unchanged from previous years):
1) Work harder, be more productive, study more, etc. The usual. Also read “watch less Twitch.” I'm also somewhat trying to self-study Japanese like EC, but I'm much slower than he is when it comes to picking up new languages.
2) Exercise more. So that one day I too might be able to dance to Love Live OPs in front of the Eiffel Tower.
3) Try out more airing series. Instead of rewatching Derpa/Hidamari Sketch every break.
4) Make more time for friends. Instead of sitting in my room being antisocial.
5) SSBM. To style harder and disrespect everyone.
RightToLeft's:
5 Wishes:
1) More Action Animation. Nothing really appeals to me more than beautifully animated action scenes. It’s one of the reason I was hooked on the remake of the Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. It’s all about aesthetics.
2) More Drama. I was really hoping for something from Glasslip, but it didn’t really do anything for me. The only drama that was decent that I can think of was Your lie in April. It is hard to find a good Slice Of Life/Drama/Romance series these days. The right amount of tension is really important.
3) “Intelligent” MCs actually being intelligent. After watching GoSick, I have become increasingly irritated by genius MCs. The premise is that the MC is actually smart, but usually this involves either everyone being extremely dumb, or the MC basically sees the future. There is a big difference between intelligence and prophetic abilities. At least do it like they did in Psych (that TV show).
4) Following up on novel concepts. It seems that a lot of interesting anime is coming up, but there is a huge problem of whether they can actually deliver. I would rather the anime suggests a next season than rush an ending. Akame ga Kill could have actually been a good anime adaption if they actually waited a bit longer. However, giant Gundam out of nowhere was not cool.
5) An anime I can empathize with. I watch a lot of novel concepts, but I want anime that hits close to home. MC experiences something that I personally have as well.
5 Resolutions:
1) Find someone to tell me what’s good. I want someone to tell me what I will like. These two people have really odd tastes if you ask me.
2) Study hard. I’m going to graduate, so I should probably study and get it over with
3) Find the next Big Three. Naruto ended. Bleach is ending. One Piece will live forever. I want epic shounens to replace them. Something refreshing would be nice.
4) Dunk. Still can’t do it. Have to stick with the Skyhook. All hail Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
5) Drop anime. Still don’t do this.
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With a strange lull year, it's a bit harder to write an awards section that has a lot of crazy series that you might want to catch - but we do our best to deliver! Here are our awards, contemplation, confusion, and more for 2014:
Infinity And One 2014 Awards
ExtraCareful
Best OP: Be mine! (Sakamoto Maaya, Seikai Seifuku Bouryaku no Zvezda); honorable mention to VOICE (ZAQ, Chuunibyou demo koi ga Shitai! S2)
Best ED: Kanade (Sugawara Sayuri, Isshuukan Friends)
Best Insert: Amefurashi no Uta ~ Beautiful Rain ~ (Maeda Rena, Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii)
Best OST: Log Horizon
Best Visuals: Fate/Stay Night - Unlimited Blade Works (honorable mention to iM@S movie - Kagayaki no Mukougawa e!)
The 'Please Fire All Your Animators' Award for Worst Visuals: Ai Mai Mi
Best Protagonist(s)/Main(s): [ ] (Sora/Shiro) (No Game, No Life)
Best Antagonist: Miyanaga Teru (Saki)
Worst Protagonist(s)/Main(s): Fukami Touko (Glasslips)
Worst Antagonists: Yuri Meichi (Akuma no Riddle)
Best Supporting Character: Sean Conecone (D-Frag!)
Best Overall Cast: Log Horizon (honorable mention to Broken Blade, D-Frag!)
Best VA/Character Combination: Nekoyama Suzu, voiced by Touyama Nao;
The 'Why is this Accent so Good' Award for Best Overall VA: Sakura Ayane (Cocoa in Gochuumon, Levi in Trinity)
Best upcoming VA: Nagatsuma Juri (Satone in Chuunibyou, Ichika/Onee-san in Onee-chan ga Kita)
The 'Hanazawa Kana' Award for Most Overrated Voice Actor: Hanazawa Kana (previously awarded in 2013)
Best Studio: A-1 Pictures
Worst Studio: Shaft
Best Fansub Group: Vivid (honorable mention to Underwater)
Worst Fansub Group: AnChanZSubs
The 'Pray to Jesus' Award for Biggest Hype Next Season: iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls
Best Sequel: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
Worst Sequel: Ai Mai Mi: Mousou Catastrophe
Best Anime Original: Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda
The 'I'm Probably Just Watching this Necause of Yuri Lolis' Award for Best Yuri Lolis: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
The 'OniiAi' Award for Best Fanservice: Ore, Twintails ni Narimasu.
The 'Pantsu Shot During Narration' Award for Worst Fanservice: Shinryakusha no Rokujyouma!?
The 'Rocks Fall, Irrelevant People Get Eaten' Award for Most Overly Dramatic: Gokukoku no Brynhildr (honorable mention to Akame ga Kill!)
Most Frustrating Series: Amagi Brilliant Park
The 'I'll take these concepts...AND TRASH THEM' Award for Most Half-Assed Series: Jinsei
The 'Not Directed by Diomedea' Award for Worst Pacing: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin
The 'Wat' Award for Strangest Concept: Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu.
The 'Little Busters' Award for Biggest Disappointment: Grisaia no Kajitsu
The 'Christopher Nolan is so Cool' Award for Darkest/Most Purposefully 'Edgiest' Series: Aldnoah.Zero (honorable mention goes to Cross Ange)
The 'Amazon Package' Award for Biggest Pleasant Surprise: Majimoji Rurumo (honorable mention goes to Sakura Trick)
The 'Banana' Award for Most Forced/Awkward Sexual Jokes: Seitokai Yakuindomo*
Best Short: Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san
Best Slice of Life: Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? (honorable mention to Barakamon)
Best TLed Light Novel: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
Best Manga: Yasashii Sekai no Tsukurikata
And the best series award goes to....
Best Series of 2014: Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii
This year, it was extremely difficult to give the Best Series award definitively to any one series. The problems mentioned before in my introduction created huge obstacles for me, since many of the series that could have gotten awards really were incomplete in my eyes and simply did not deserve an award that described the series overall. Nanana and Zvezda are two prominent candidates that were poised to be some of the best series of the year, but both ultimately fell flat - either due to formatting/pacing issues or otherwise. No Game No Life had the most well-rounded package of them all, but it was extremely hard to call it remarkable, or outstanding. The music wasn't very impressive, the visuals were flashy but rather simple in nature, and the adaptation was straightforward with some unfortunate truncation that really did a disservice to a more involved plot.
So instead of hoping to find a 'best' series, I settled with a nice, stable gem that provided me with some unique character interactions - Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii. The main character is down-to-earth and doesn't react in extreme ways. She meets a young king - and although the series does fall into the usual background tropes of cool male guy whisking away the female, the male lead feels much more human in this case. He is a great manager, is on top of most matters, but can be goaded and can become angry, and jealous, and so on. Furthermore, there are one or two scenes that do emphasize the male lead's struggles with making rash mistakes and how it impacts the kingdom he rules. Seeing these characters act out within their worlds was very refreshing during an anime season where many characters had a two-step or less moral decision-making machine. The visuals were quite nice, and the insert song stuck in my head for quite some time.
Although the series is not something I'd proudly hold up, it is something I highly enjoyed watching this season and would recommend it above all the other series I have seen this year as a solid product with little flaws. With slight reservations, I award Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii the Best Series of 2014.
OboeOtaku
Best OP: Itsuka no, Ikutsuka no Kimi to no Sekai (fhana, Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou)
Personally never cared about awards, because I just remember all the bad. Hence you can see how much I tried on this.
Best OP: Ignite (SAO II OP1)
Best ED: Fallen (PsychoPass 2)
Best OST: Uhh Fate/Stay Night
Best Animation: Fate/Stay Night
Best Drama: Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Best New Girl: Sinon (SAO II)
Best Concept: Parasyte- the maxim
Worst Visuals: Please, I wouldn’t watch it if it had bad visuals.
Best Protagonist/Main Character: Kirito (SAO II) still OP Best=Strongest
Best Antagonist: Sibyl System (PsychoPass 2)
Best Sports Anime: Haikyuu!!
Biggest Comeback (Sports): Onoda and Tadokoro (Yowamushi 2)
Worst Protagonist/Main Character: umm MC from Rail Wars!
Worst Antagonist: Anyone from Rail Wars!
Biggest WTF finale: Black Bullet
Best Supporting Character: Kaiki (Hanamonogatari)
Worst Supporting Character: Stephanie Dora (NGNL)
Smartest Character: Gaen (Hanamonogatari)
Biggest Drop in popularity: Glasslip
Biggest Character Change: Tokyo Ghoul
Shaft headtilts: Mekakucity Actors
Funniest Anime: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Best Cast: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Best Fanservice: Monogatari series
Best VA: Sawashiro Miyuki or no one
Worst Adaptation: Akame ga Kill! Seriously who wrote those last 3 episodes
Biggest Harem: SAO II
Best ED: Kanade (Sugawara Sayuri, Isshuukan Friends)
Best Insert: Amefurashi no Uta ~ Beautiful Rain ~ (Maeda Rena, Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii)
Best OST: Log Horizon
Best Visuals: Fate/Stay Night - Unlimited Blade Works (honorable mention to iM@S movie - Kagayaki no Mukougawa e!)
The 'Please Fire All Your Animators' Award for Worst Visuals: Ai Mai Mi
Best Protagonist(s)/Main(s): [ ] (Sora/Shiro) (No Game, No Life)
Best Antagonist: Miyanaga Teru (Saki)
Worst Protagonist(s)/Main(s): Fukami Touko (Glasslips)
Worst Antagonists: Yuri Meichi (Akuma no Riddle)
Best Supporting Character: Sean Conecone (D-Frag!)
Best Overall Cast: Log Horizon (honorable mention to Broken Blade, D-Frag!)
Best VA/Character Combination: Nekoyama Suzu, voiced by Touyama Nao;
The 'Why is this Accent so Good' Award for Best Overall VA: Sakura Ayane (Cocoa in Gochuumon, Levi in Trinity)
Best upcoming VA: Nagatsuma Juri (Satone in Chuunibyou, Ichika/Onee-san in Onee-chan ga Kita)
The 'Hanazawa Kana' Award for Most Overrated Voice Actor: Hanazawa Kana (previously awarded in 2013)
Best Studio: A-1 Pictures
Worst Studio: Shaft
Best Fansub Group: Vivid (honorable mention to Underwater)
Worst Fansub Group: AnChanZSubs
The 'Pray to Jesus' Award for Biggest Hype Next Season: iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls
Best Sequel: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
Worst Sequel: Ai Mai Mi: Mousou Catastrophe
Best Anime Original: Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda
The 'I'm Probably Just Watching this Necause of Yuri Lolis' Award for Best Yuri Lolis: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!
The 'OniiAi' Award for Best Fanservice: Ore, Twintails ni Narimasu.
The 'Pantsu Shot During Narration' Award for Worst Fanservice: Shinryakusha no Rokujyouma!?
The 'Rocks Fall, Irrelevant People Get Eaten' Award for Most Overly Dramatic: Gokukoku no Brynhildr (honorable mention to Akame ga Kill!)
Most Frustrating Series: Amagi Brilliant Park
The 'I'll take these concepts...AND TRASH THEM' Award for Most Half-Assed Series: Jinsei
The 'Not Directed by Diomedea' Award for Worst Pacing: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin
The 'Wat' Award for Strangest Concept: Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu.
The 'Little Busters' Award for Biggest Disappointment: Grisaia no Kajitsu
The 'Christopher Nolan is so Cool' Award for Darkest/Most Purposefully 'Edgiest' Series: Aldnoah.Zero (honorable mention goes to Cross Ange)
The 'Amazon Package' Award for Biggest Pleasant Surprise: Majimoji Rurumo (honorable mention goes to Sakura Trick)
The 'Banana' Award for Most Forced/Awkward Sexual Jokes: Seitokai Yakuindomo*
Best Short: Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san
Best Slice of Life: Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? (honorable mention to Barakamon)
Best TLed Light Novel: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
Best Manga: Yasashii Sekai no Tsukurikata
And the best series award goes to....
Best Series of 2014: Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii
This year, it was extremely difficult to give the Best Series award definitively to any one series. The problems mentioned before in my introduction created huge obstacles for me, since many of the series that could have gotten awards really were incomplete in my eyes and simply did not deserve an award that described the series overall. Nanana and Zvezda are two prominent candidates that were poised to be some of the best series of the year, but both ultimately fell flat - either due to formatting/pacing issues or otherwise. No Game No Life had the most well-rounded package of them all, but it was extremely hard to call it remarkable, or outstanding. The music wasn't very impressive, the visuals were flashy but rather simple in nature, and the adaptation was straightforward with some unfortunate truncation that really did a disservice to a more involved plot.
So instead of hoping to find a 'best' series, I settled with a nice, stable gem that provided me with some unique character interactions - Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii. The main character is down-to-earth and doesn't react in extreme ways. She meets a young king - and although the series does fall into the usual background tropes of cool male guy whisking away the female, the male lead feels much more human in this case. He is a great manager, is on top of most matters, but can be goaded and can become angry, and jealous, and so on. Furthermore, there are one or two scenes that do emphasize the male lead's struggles with making rash mistakes and how it impacts the kingdom he rules. Seeing these characters act out within their worlds was very refreshing during an anime season where many characters had a two-step or less moral decision-making machine. The visuals were quite nice, and the insert song stuck in my head for quite some time.
Although the series is not something I'd proudly hold up, it is something I highly enjoyed watching this season and would recommend it above all the other series I have seen this year as a solid product with little flaws. With slight reservations, I award Soredemo, Sekai wa Utsukushii the Best Series of 2014.
Yes. The male lead is a bit young for this couple. Let's not talk about this.
OboeOtaku
OP with Biggest Improvement from TV size to Full Version: The♡World's♡End (Horie Yui, Golden Time OP2)
The ‘Everlasting Guilty Crown’ Award for Most Disappointing Full Version of an OP: Rashisa (Super Beaver, Barakamon)
The ‘Everlasting Guilty Crown’ Award for Most Disappointing Full Version of an OP: Rashisa (Super Beaver, Barakamon)
The ‘Linked Horizon’ Award for Worst Remastering in an OP: Rashisa (Super Beaver, Barakamon)
Best ED: Han'eikyouteki ni Aishite yo♡ (Horie Yui, Golden Time ED2) It's Horie Yui w/e.
Worst ED: Uramote Fortune (Ozawa Ari, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun)
Most Overrated ED: Witch☆Activity (KMM Gang, Witch Craft Works)
Best OST:Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu Ka? Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha (Edited. This series has a pretty godlike soundtrack).
Best Protagonist: Yama Juugo (Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin)
Best Overall Cast: D-Frag!
Best Visuals: Sakura Trick, honorable mentions to Denki-gai no Honya-san and Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de.
Best Studio: Brains Base
Worst Studio: Shaft, honorable mentions to Silver Link
Best Studio at Imitating Shaft: Studio Deen
Most Volatile Studio: Dogakobo
Worst Subbing Group: Commie (read: Mahoyo friggin when?)
Best VA/Voice Combination: Hio-tan, voiced by Takamori Natsumi, honorable mentions to Yonomori Benio, voiced by Matsui Eriko.
Best Overall VA: Sawashiro Miyuki
Most Impressive/Surprising VA: Hayami Saori, for her voicing of Kushikawa Hatoko.
Best Accent: Hara Suzuko, for her voicing of Kotoishi Naru. They used a friggin 9-year old, that’s legit yo.
The ‘Kokonoe Rin’ Award for Best Loli: Ikkyuu Tensai (Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin), honorable mentions to Kotoishi Naru (Barakamon)
Biggest Disappointment: Sekai Seifuku Bouryaku no Zvezda, honorable mentions go to Jinsei and Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de
Most Anticlimactic: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin
The ‘Amami Haruka’s Episode 25 Blush’ Award for Worst Fanservice: Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?
The ‘Kotakuwrecker’ Award for Best Yuri: Sakura Trick
Worst series: Nisekoi
The ‘Shiawase no Pan’ Award for Worst Eyes: Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka?
The ‘Nimu Nimu’ Award for Best Cheeks: Ichimatsu Kohina (Gugure! Kokkuri-san)
The ‘Kawakami Kazuko’ Award for Best Waifu: Yonomori Benio (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei)
The ‘Medaka Box’ Award for Best Speaker: Kushikawa Hatoko (Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de)
The ‘Is Kamina Really Dead?’ Award for Best Hands-Over-Mouth/Tense Moment: Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de, for the infamous WAKKANAI scene.
The ‘Love Lab’ Award for Most Pleasant Surprise: Gugure! Kokkuri-san
The ‘Nichijou’ Award for Best Comedy: D-Frag!
Best Slice of Life: Mikakunin de Shinkoukei
Best Newcomer Manga: Boku no Hero Academia
Best TL’d Doujin: Anoko wa Toshi Densetsu
Hyouka is a masterpiece and masterpieces are timeless. As such, I believe that Hyouka should be able to fulfill the 2014 slot for best seri-
Eh? I can’t do that? Well fine, but I’m changing the name for the award then.
I can’t say that this is the “best series” simply because that would imply that there were series this season which could be put on the same level as past series such as winners of the past…or even on runner-ups (I mean, look at 2011…Derpa and Hanasaku Iroha weren’t even winners, but they were all leagues above the shows this year). However, all that being said, there were still some solid, recommendable series this year, Denki-gai being one of them.
Denki-gai was one of 4 adaptations of manga-originals which I was excited for this season, the other 3 being Barakamon, D-Frag, and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. However, while the other 3 fell flat in certain areas, Shin-Ei Animation impressed me with how it managed to be produce something more than just a straight adaptation. Rather than just giving me the impression that I was watching a moving, voiced, colored version of the manga, the anime adaptation felt like a work that could stand by itself. The humor was relatively fast-paced and snappy (something many adaptations fail to capture), making sure there was nary a dull moment in the series; it felt like every interaction was deliberately leading up to something worthwhile, be it a gag or a brief moment subdued romance between two characters (this pacing is one of the things that truly set it apart from other candidates for this award). The voicing was done impeccably (I thoroughly enjoyed the voicing for each and every cast member), and truly gave the series new life. The art style stayed very true to the source material with minimal CG usage, and made great use of cutscenes and visual effects to enhance the gags above and beyond the manga. Shin-Ei Animation clearly gave the series a lot of love and effort…and the results show spectacularly.
It’s not often that I would recommend that someone watch an anime adaptation of a manga (because most of the time, the anime adaptation fails to deliver much worthwhile aside from animated breasts and voicing, while having subpar pacing and sometimes missing out on certain plot elements). However, this is one scenario where I would firmly recommend that one watch the anime before trying out the manga. Denki-gai no Honya-san is not a perfect series, and is certainly not as memorable as yearly winners of the past, but the fact that Shin-Ei could take worthwhile source material and turn it into something even more glorious is impressive and deserves respect. And for that, I chose it as the most worthwhile series of 2014.
RightToLeft
Best ED: Han'eikyouteki ni Aishite yo♡ (Horie Yui, Golden Time ED2) It's Horie Yui w/e.
Worst ED: Uramote Fortune (Ozawa Ari, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun)
Most Overrated ED: Witch☆Activity (KMM Gang, Witch Craft Works)
Best OST:
Best Protagonist: Yama Juugo (Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin)
Best Overall Cast: D-Frag!
Best Visuals: Sakura Trick, honorable mentions to Denki-gai no Honya-san and Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de.
Best Studio: Brains Base
Worst Studio: Shaft, honorable mentions to Silver Link
Best Studio at Imitating Shaft: Studio Deen
Most Volatile Studio: Dogakobo
Worst Subbing Group: Commie (read: Mahoyo friggin when?)
Best VA/Voice Combination: Hio-tan, voiced by Takamori Natsumi, honorable mentions to Yonomori Benio, voiced by Matsui Eriko.
Best Overall VA: Sawashiro Miyuki
Most Impressive/Surprising VA: Hayami Saori, for her voicing of Kushikawa Hatoko.
Best Accent: Hara Suzuko, for her voicing of Kotoishi Naru. They used a friggin 9-year old, that’s legit yo.
The ‘Kokonoe Rin’ Award for Best Loli: Ikkyuu Tensai (Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin), honorable mentions to Kotoishi Naru (Barakamon)
Biggest Disappointment: Sekai Seifuku Bouryaku no Zvezda, honorable mentions go to Jinsei and Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de
Most Anticlimactic: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin
The ‘Amami Haruka’s Episode 25 Blush’ Award for Worst Fanservice: Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?
The ‘Kotakuwrecker’ Award for Best Yuri: Sakura Trick
Worst series: Nisekoi
The ‘Shiawase no Pan’ Award for Worst Eyes: Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka?
The ‘Nimu Nimu’ Award for Best Cheeks: Ichimatsu Kohina (Gugure! Kokkuri-san)
The ‘Kawakami Kazuko’ Award for Best Waifu: Yonomori Benio (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei)
The ‘Medaka Box’ Award for Best Speaker: Kushikawa Hatoko (Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de)
The ‘Is Kamina Really Dead?’ Award for Best Hands-Over-Mouth/Tense Moment: Inou-Battoru wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de, for the infamous WAKKANAI scene.
The ‘Love Lab’ Award for Most Pleasant Surprise: Gugure! Kokkuri-san
The ‘Nichijou’ Award for Best Comedy: D-Frag!
Best Slice of Life: Mikakunin de Shinkoukei
Best Newcomer Manga: Boku no Hero Academia
Best TL’d Doujin: Anoko wa Toshi Densetsu
And finally, what you’ve all been waiting for. The best series of the year award goes to…
Best Series of 2014: Hyouka
Eh? I can’t do that? Well fine, but I’m changing the name for the award then.
Most Worthwhile Series of 2014: Denki-gai no Honya-san
I can’t say that this is the “best series” simply because that would imply that there were series this season which could be put on the same level as past series such as winners of the past…or even on runner-ups (I mean, look at 2011…Derpa and Hanasaku Iroha weren’t even winners, but they were all leagues above the shows this year). However, all that being said, there were still some solid, recommendable series this year, Denki-gai being one of them.
Denki-gai was one of 4 adaptations of manga-originals which I was excited for this season, the other 3 being Barakamon, D-Frag, and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. However, while the other 3 fell flat in certain areas, Shin-Ei Animation impressed me with how it managed to be produce something more than just a straight adaptation. Rather than just giving me the impression that I was watching a moving, voiced, colored version of the manga, the anime adaptation felt like a work that could stand by itself. The humor was relatively fast-paced and snappy (something many adaptations fail to capture), making sure there was nary a dull moment in the series; it felt like every interaction was deliberately leading up to something worthwhile, be it a gag or a brief moment subdued romance between two characters (this pacing is one of the things that truly set it apart from other candidates for this award). The voicing was done impeccably (I thoroughly enjoyed the voicing for each and every cast member), and truly gave the series new life. The art style stayed very true to the source material with minimal CG usage, and made great use of cutscenes and visual effects to enhance the gags above and beyond the manga. Shin-Ei Animation clearly gave the series a lot of love and effort…and the results show spectacularly.
It’s not often that I would recommend that someone watch an anime adaptation of a manga (because most of the time, the anime adaptation fails to deliver much worthwhile aside from animated breasts and voicing, while having subpar pacing and sometimes missing out on certain plot elements). However, this is one scenario where I would firmly recommend that one watch the anime before trying out the manga. Denki-gai no Honya-san is not a perfect series, and is certainly not as memorable as yearly winners of the past, but the fact that Shin-Ei could take worthwhile source material and turn it into something even more glorious is impressive and deserves respect. And for that, I chose it as the most worthwhile series of 2014.
I don't understand how some people hate on the visuals for this series when Shin-Ei is pulling off shit like this.
RightToLeft
Personally never cared about awards, because I just remember all the bad. Hence you can see how much I tried on this.
Best OP: Ignite (SAO II OP1)
Best ED: Fallen (PsychoPass 2)
Best OST: Uhh Fate/Stay Night
Best Animation: Fate/Stay Night
Best Drama: Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Best New Girl: Sinon (SAO II)
Best Concept: Parasyte- the maxim
Worst Visuals: Please, I wouldn’t watch it if it had bad visuals.
Best Protagonist/Main Character: Kirito (SAO II) still OP Best=Strongest
Best Antagonist: Sibyl System (PsychoPass 2)
Best Sports Anime: Haikyuu!!
Biggest Comeback (Sports): Onoda and Tadokoro (Yowamushi 2)
Worst Protagonist/Main Character: umm MC from Rail Wars!
Worst Antagonist: Anyone from Rail Wars!
Biggest WTF finale: Black Bullet
Best Supporting Character: Kaiki (Hanamonogatari)
Worst Supporting Character: Stephanie Dora (NGNL)
Smartest Character: Gaen (Hanamonogatari)
Biggest Drop in popularity: Glasslip
Biggest Character Change: Tokyo Ghoul
Shaft headtilts: Mekakucity Actors
Funniest Anime: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Best Cast: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Best Fanservice: Monogatari series
Best VA: Sawashiro Miyuki or no one
Worst Adaptation: Akame ga Kill! Seriously who wrote those last 3 episodes
Biggest Harem: SAO II
Best Fansub Group: No clue. All the ones I used died.
Most Bull****: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Cow: Silver Spoon 2
Yeah, I gave up on the whole award thing now. I wanted to give best series to a completely novel series, which pretty much limits me to nothing. I was hesitant of choosing a series like NGNL, because I found it kind of cheesy (especially that chess game). Noragami deserves some props, but I don't really know what I would give it. This means that I could really only choose Parasyte-the maxim or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. However, I think it is far too premature to chose either, since only 1 cour of it has finished. Thus, I ultimately ended up choosing Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. I gave up on the whole novel series idea. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun would probably be a good choice, but I prefer my best series to have action and deep plot (shit has to hit the fan).
Best Series: Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
I'm not talking about that bittersweet movie. I'm talking about part 1 of the new series that actually gives Fate/Stay Night lovers the stuff they want. Swords and magic are all you need to make a good series. Too bad the MCs are still in high school. Life pretty much ends after high school. Fact. I thought Shiro wasn’t as much of a derp in this one. Rin definitely had a high points, and it was interesting seeing Saber taking a supporting role. Unlike the movie adaptation, this series really took its time fine tuning content. It got rid of the notion that viewers have some familiarity with the novel or the Fate path, and this made for a more relatable experience. The movie failed in this aspect. It was terrible for someone to just watch on a whim.
Most Bull****: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Cow: Silver Spoon 2
Yeah, I gave up on the whole award thing now. I wanted to give best series to a completely novel series, which pretty much limits me to nothing. I was hesitant of choosing a series like NGNL, because I found it kind of cheesy (especially that chess game). Noragami deserves some props, but I don't really know what I would give it. This means that I could really only choose Parasyte-the maxim or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. However, I think it is far too premature to chose either, since only 1 cour of it has finished. Thus, I ultimately ended up choosing Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. I gave up on the whole novel series idea. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun would probably be a good choice, but I prefer my best series to have action and deep plot (shit has to hit the fan).
Best Series: Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
I'm not talking about that bittersweet movie. I'm talking about part 1 of the new series that actually gives Fate/Stay Night lovers the stuff they want. Swords and magic are all you need to make a good series. Too bad the MCs are still in high school. Life pretty much ends after high school. Fact. I thought Shiro wasn’t as much of a derp in this one. Rin definitely had a high points, and it was interesting seeing Saber taking a supporting role. Unlike the movie adaptation, this series really took its time fine tuning content. It got rid of the notion that viewers have some familiarity with the novel or the Fate path, and this made for a more relatable experience. The movie failed in this aspect. It was terrible for someone to just watch on a whim.
You get the whole visual novel experience and more. The art and animation is as good as Fate/Zero. The OST is still good. One of the big differences between this and Fate/Zero was the presence of MCs at the outset. We never really get to see things from the antagonists perspective.
My choice of this series is a cop out.
Don't say "people die when they are killed."
~~~
Once again, a happy New Year to you all!
Ignore the obvious edit and just enjoy the lolis.
Dibs on the one eating mochi.
People die when they are killed.
ReplyDeleteFite me :V