2011 Anime Year in Review
I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday with their families and friends. I realized I haven't posted in awhile. Not much is going on still working at a temp job and since it's December I have been going to more movies: I saw the Artist, Hugo, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (all of which I enjoyed, especially the first two).
But anyways I've been doing this anime year in review now for several years. Every year I change the categories depending on what stood out to me to highlight and this year is no different. What is different is this has been the best year for anime since maybe 2007. There were so many good series that I did have a harder time choosing than usual. Although if you have been reading this journal I doubt there will be too many surprises ;)
Anime of the Year
Mawaru Penguindrum
Although I always knew this was going to be one of my favorites after a few weak episodes leading up to the ending I wasn't sure if it would make my anime of the year. But you know what the ending sealed the deal that this was definitely my favorite of the year.
Penguindrum was certainly not perfect and it was definitely flawed but I feel it was an ambitious project and I can't exactly fault something when I see so much love & creativity put into it. Perhaps not everything worked for me but more things worked than not. More importantly Penguindrum was a wonderful experience that pulled me back into anime fandom in a big way. I had great fun discussing it with others, reading theories about the symbolism and well just getting "trolled" by Ikuhara every week. Not every question was answered in the end but both my heart and mind were engaged. Penguindrum made me laugh, it made me cry, it even made me angry and well I couldn't really ask for anything more from a series.
4 Other Series I really Loved This Year
Ikoku No Meiro Croisee: For Most Heart Warming & Best Slice of Life
Steins Gate: For Best Sci-Fi & Best Overall Plot
Tiger & Bunny: For Best Action & Most Fun
Chihayafuru: For Best Continuing & Best Sports Series
Favorite Characters
Best Male Character: Kotetsu T. Kaburagi Aka Wild Tiger (Tiger & Bunny) Japan we need more lovable & cool bearded adults in anime!!!!
Runner Ups: Shouma (Mawaru Penguindrum) Taichi (Chihayafuru)
Best Female Character: Makise Kurisu (Steins Gate) I thought she was the most dynamic female character of the year. Yes you can label her as a Tsundere but she was also funny, intelligent, and caring. And on a shallow note I think she has an awesome character design.
Runner Ups: Homura (Madoka Magica) & Ringo (Mawaru Penguindrum)
Best Villain: Kyuubey (Madoka Magica) Such a magnificent bastard XD
Best Mascot Character: The Penguins (Mawaru Penguindrum)
My Husband of 2011: Rider from Fate Zero :P
Favorite Relationships
Ringo & Shouma (Mawaru Penguindrum) As my favorite romance. I would have liked for the series to spend more time on these two (especially in the 2nd half) but I think of all the anime romances I was most invested in these two even if it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted; it was beautiful all the same.
Barnaby & Kotetsu (Tiger & Bunny) As my favorite developed partnership & friendship (I still need to finish that analysis of their relationship)
Runner Ups: Yune & Claude (Ikoku no Meiro Croisee), Kurisu & Okabe (Steins Gate), Rider & Waver (Fate Zero), Madoka & Homura (Madoka Magica)
Music
Favorite OSTs
I have two Ikoku no Meiro Croisee composed by ko-ko-ya for overall background soundtrack & The Penguindrum Triple H CD consisting of ending and insert songs from the series. Both these soundtracks are AMAZING!
Favorite Opening
I can't decide between them but Penguindrum Op 1 & Penguindrum Opening 2
Favorite Ending
Ano Hana Ending Secret Base.
Although for the actual sequence I also really loved the Usagi Drop ending with how it changed each week to fit the episode & you could just see how much creativity was put into it and that is usually reserved for openings
Favorite Insert Song
Tooku Kimi (h)e This is one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard.
Rock Over Japan from Penguindrum would be next but I can't find good clip of that. found it
Voice Acting
Best Male Seiyuu: Mamoru Miyano I have to give this to Miyano this year who didn't just voice 1 character I loved Okabe Stein's Gate but also Taichi in Chihayafuru. These characters could not be more different from each other as well.
Honorable Mention Hiroaki Hirata whose performance of Kotetsu is one of the main reasons I fell in love with his character. And it was nice to hear him get a big role other than Sanji.
Best Female Seiyuu: Yui Horie This is mainly for her role as Natsume Masako in Penguindrum I am so used to Yui Horie playing the Genki/Sweet female characters. Masako is such a far cry from the characters she usually gets to voice and I am so glad she got this chance because she did a phenomenal job. And not just as Masako but as Masako's penguin Esmeralda. I can still here her Kukuku in my head XD
Best Casting Choice I just want to give props to the production team of Usagi Drop of casting a real 7 year old as Rin Kaga. That really added to the realism of the performance.
Best Overall Cast For me this has to be Mawaru Penguindrum just because I really enjoyed how Ikuhara cast relative new comers with veterans in the industry. It was great to hear what everyone brought to their role.
Disappointments of the Year
While this was a great year for anime there were certainly many series I dropped and was disappointed in. The only series I finished all the way through that I think I completely wasted my time on was No 6. But overall the biggest disappointments for 2011 were not series themselves but
1) noitaminA changing its focus from mainstream adults to show series like every other anime block and especially crap like Guilty Crown (I apologize for my harsh words if anyone is a fan but that's just how I feel)
2) After all the buildup for the new Rurouni Kenshin project it turns out to just be a new movie on the Kyoto arc. Can you kill all excitement or Been There Done That.
But despite those set backs I will look back at the 2011 anime year very fondly.
Most Anticipated Series for 2012
Right now I will just say more Natsume Yuujinchou (yay!), the 2nd & final cour of Fate Zero and of course the rest of Chihayafuru. :)
But anyways I've been doing this anime year in review now for several years. Every year I change the categories depending on what stood out to me to highlight and this year is no different. What is different is this has been the best year for anime since maybe 2007. There were so many good series that I did have a harder time choosing than usual. Although if you have been reading this journal I doubt there will be too many surprises ;)
Anime of the Year
Mawaru Penguindrum
Although I always knew this was going to be one of my favorites after a few weak episodes leading up to the ending I wasn't sure if it would make my anime of the year. But you know what the ending sealed the deal that this was definitely my favorite of the year.
Penguindrum was certainly not perfect and it was definitely flawed but I feel it was an ambitious project and I can't exactly fault something when I see so much love & creativity put into it. Perhaps not everything worked for me but more things worked than not. More importantly Penguindrum was a wonderful experience that pulled me back into anime fandom in a big way. I had great fun discussing it with others, reading theories about the symbolism and well just getting "trolled" by Ikuhara every week. Not every question was answered in the end but both my heart and mind were engaged. Penguindrum made me laugh, it made me cry, it even made me angry and well I couldn't really ask for anything more from a series.
4 Other Series I really Loved This Year
Ikoku No Meiro Croisee: For Most Heart Warming & Best Slice of Life
Steins Gate: For Best Sci-Fi & Best Overall Plot
Tiger & Bunny: For Best Action & Most Fun
Chihayafuru: For Best Continuing & Best Sports Series
Favorite Characters
Best Male Character: Kotetsu T. Kaburagi Aka Wild Tiger (Tiger & Bunny) Japan we need more lovable & cool bearded adults in anime!!!!
Runner Ups: Shouma (Mawaru Penguindrum) Taichi (Chihayafuru)
Best Female Character: Makise Kurisu (Steins Gate) I thought she was the most dynamic female character of the year. Yes you can label her as a Tsundere but she was also funny, intelligent, and caring. And on a shallow note I think she has an awesome character design.
Runner Ups: Homura (Madoka Magica) & Ringo (Mawaru Penguindrum)
Best Villain: Kyuubey (Madoka Magica) Such a magnificent bastard XD
Best Mascot Character: The Penguins (Mawaru Penguindrum)
My Husband of 2011: Rider from Fate Zero :P
Favorite Relationships
Ringo & Shouma (Mawaru Penguindrum) As my favorite romance. I would have liked for the series to spend more time on these two (especially in the 2nd half) but I think of all the anime romances I was most invested in these two even if it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted; it was beautiful all the same.
Barnaby & Kotetsu (Tiger & Bunny) As my favorite developed partnership & friendship (I still need to finish that analysis of their relationship)
Runner Ups: Yune & Claude (Ikoku no Meiro Croisee), Kurisu & Okabe (Steins Gate), Rider & Waver (Fate Zero), Madoka & Homura (Madoka Magica)
Music
Favorite OSTs
I have two Ikoku no Meiro Croisee composed by ko-ko-ya for overall background soundtrack & The Penguindrum Triple H CD consisting of ending and insert songs from the series. Both these soundtracks are AMAZING!
Favorite Opening
I can't decide between them but Penguindrum Op 1 & Penguindrum Opening 2
Favorite Ending
Ano Hana Ending Secret Base.
Although for the actual sequence I also really loved the Usagi Drop ending with how it changed each week to fit the episode & you could just see how much creativity was put into it and that is usually reserved for openings
Favorite Insert Song
Tooku Kimi (h)e This is one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard.
Rock Over Japan from Penguindrum would be next but I can't find good clip of that. found it
Voice Acting
Best Male Seiyuu: Mamoru Miyano I have to give this to Miyano this year who didn't just voice 1 character I loved Okabe Stein's Gate but also Taichi in Chihayafuru. These characters could not be more different from each other as well.
Honorable Mention Hiroaki Hirata whose performance of Kotetsu is one of the main reasons I fell in love with his character. And it was nice to hear him get a big role other than Sanji.
Best Female Seiyuu: Yui Horie This is mainly for her role as Natsume Masako in Penguindrum I am so used to Yui Horie playing the Genki/Sweet female characters. Masako is such a far cry from the characters she usually gets to voice and I am so glad she got this chance because she did a phenomenal job. And not just as Masako but as Masako's penguin Esmeralda. I can still here her Kukuku in my head XD
Best Casting Choice I just want to give props to the production team of Usagi Drop of casting a real 7 year old as Rin Kaga. That really added to the realism of the performance.
Best Overall Cast For me this has to be Mawaru Penguindrum just because I really enjoyed how Ikuhara cast relative new comers with veterans in the industry. It was great to hear what everyone brought to their role.
Disappointments of the Year
While this was a great year for anime there were certainly many series I dropped and was disappointed in. The only series I finished all the way through that I think I completely wasted my time on was No 6. But overall the biggest disappointments for 2011 were not series themselves but
1) noitaminA changing its focus from mainstream adults to show series like every other anime block and especially crap like Guilty Crown (I apologize for my harsh words if anyone is a fan but that's just how I feel)
2) After all the buildup for the new Rurouni Kenshin project it turns out to just be a new movie on the Kyoto arc. Can you kill all excitement or Been There Done That.
But despite those set backs I will look back at the 2011 anime year very fondly.
Most Anticipated Series for 2012
Right now I will just say more Natsume Yuujinchou (yay!), the 2nd & final cour of Fate Zero and of course the rest of Chihayafuru. :)