Anime Awards 2007 ni Youkoso! Part 3 ~ ONE MORE FINAL
This one was a long time in coming but it’s finally here. It originally started off with Youko and I but with the addition of a new writer a few weeks back, Blade has now joined in for the final award entry. Most of our choices might or might not surprise you. We agree on some and differ greatly on others. These were some of the more difficult categories we came across and required some thought which is one factor as to why this entry took so long to come out.
I hope you enjoy this final installment to the Anime Awards 2007 and look forward to 2008’s at the end of the year. Now, jump the cut to view our ONE MORE FINAL!
Best Original Story
Ah yes. Best original story. Well, this one wasn’t simple to pinpoint since I was torn between a series and a movie. When it comes to CODE GEASS you will hear mainly two opinions about the story, I think. You’ll either hear that it was excellently written or that it was a mess. I’m of the former opinion in that I loved the way the plot and script blended so seamlessly and the characterization was just awesome. I laughed at what I was supposed to laugh at, cried at what was meant to be emotional, cringed at the more visibly painful moments, and was on the tips of my toes at the exciting and intriguing portions of the story.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was easily one of the two most popular options for me here. Sure, it was based off a manga but the movie was a totally original take and therefore I believe more than qualifies for this award. There’s not much I can say about how amazing the storytelling of this movie was. Any attempts for me to try and explain it would not live up to the greatness you’d experience from watching it yourself. Maybe Youko can do a better job since I can only comment on the awesome experience I had from the moment it started and ended. I was blown away. Which doesn’t happen very often. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie yet GO AND DO SO.
This took a bit of a while for me to think about, but when it comes down to it, the best stories that came out of ’07 definitely were the theatrical kinds, and thus my choice, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo. A girl who is able to time loop herself back and change the future? That pretty much sold me. I really enjoyed the transition from comedy to drama. At first Makoto was having thrills leaping back and changing things like getting a better score on her test and saving her friend from getting hit. Later on it started to take a more serious route and things get pretty deep from there. The entire movie was a brilliant watch and I recommend it to everyone.
I also want to point out that Paprika was also a really great story. You basically have this new invention called the DC Mini, a new revolutionary peace of a trinket used for psychotherapy. The protagonist Atsuko Chiba uses this device to enter people’s dreams where she roams as her alter-ego codenamed Paprika, and finding anything that might affect their consciences. The prototype DC Mini is stolen and that’s bad news. A terrorist could easily tweak a person’s dream and screw them up internally or mentally. So it’s up to the doc to find the perp and end the nightmare.
And yes, I realize these were back in ’06 but it’s not like it was screened everywhere, so I’m going by DVD release.
When I see an anime, there are episodes that I love and episodes that bore me. Code Geass is one of the rare occasions I don’t get bored. It starts strongs, and ends even stronger. You know the story is well done if tons of fans are frustrated that about a year ago the show took a 4 month hiatus until the last two episodes aired, just there to show you how addictive Geass is.
Best Music
This category includes OP/ED/OST. Unfortunately we have too many favorites so we have a list of our top ten favorite opening and ending themes instead.
BEST SOUNDTRACK
El Cazador and Darker than Black
I had to choose two winners here. Both of these series had OSTs that are absolutely heaven to my ears. Naming specific songs would be useless since practically every track in all of the OSTs are worth listening to endless of times. Though honestly, it comes as no surprise that the lovely ladies that composed these soundtracks are none other than Kajiura Yuki and Kanno Yoko respectively.
TOP 10 OPENING THEMES
1. Hito toshite Jiku ga Bureteiru
2. Doubt & Trust
3. Naraku no Hana
4. HOWLING
5. Hikari no Yukue
6. Uninstall
7. euphoric field
8. Goin ni Mai Yeah~
9. Sorairo Days/endscape
10. Inori ~ You Raise Me Up
TOP 10 ENDING THEMES
1. Mosaic Kakera
2. Zessei Bijin
3. romanesque
4. Antoinette Blue
5. Danzai no Hana ~Guilty Sky~
6. Minna no Peace
7. STAR RISE
8. triangle
9. Madoromi no Rakuen
10. Hanafubuki
BEST SOUNDTRACK
Lucky☆Star
Kousaki Satoru continues to amaze me. I first heard his work in Haruhi and was stunned by the great tunes in the background. The first episode was real great with the B movie thing and using cheap music. Cheap, but hilariously awesome. The real BGM during the series was really the main course though. It can go from intense feelings like Nagato vs. Asakura to really calm like “Itsumo no Fuukei” to emotional like “Aru Ame no Hi.” Now with Lucky Star, you got pretty much the same mix. Funfunfun dayo, Lucky Star is possibly my favorite tune. It’s simple, yet sounds awfully fun to listen to (and play; I’ve been trying). Then there’s the heavy sounds like Anizawa’s theme (where is that, anyway?) and takes it up further with another great track known as Gravity, and we all know where they got that from. The series did seem like it was all comedy and fun but there were a few serious episodes as well, accompanied with tunes that fit the scene quite nicely.
TOP 10 OPENING THEMES
1. Motteke! Sailor Fuku
2. Naraku no Hana
3. Gouin ni Mai Yeah!
4. Hito Toshite Jiku ga Bureteiru
5. Uninstall
6. perfect blue
7. Allegro Cantabile
8. endscape
9. JOINT
10. Sorairo Days
TOP 10 ENDING THEMES
1. Mosaic Kakera
2. Colorful DAYS
3. Taishou a
4. romanesque
5. triangle
6. Konna ni Chikaku de…
7. Beautiful Story
8. Hoshizora no Spica
9. Dango Daikazoku
10. Zessei Bijin
BEST SOUNDTRACK
Darker than BLACK
It’s Yoko Kanno. When Yoko Kanno does a soundtrack, everyone is shutting up so they can hear it. DtB was upbeat when the action started and touching when it needed to be. It also had great theme songs, by artists such as High and Mighty Color, Abingdon Boys School and even Antic Café who was well known before their foray into anime. It was a hard choice, but it came down to the anime that was the best in every category, and DtB was.
TOP 10 OPENING THEMES
1. “Daybreak’s Bell” by L’arc~en~ciel (Gundam 00 OP)
2. “After Dark” by Asian Kung-Fu Generation (Bleach OP7)
3. “LONE STAR” by Captain Straydum (Ayakashi Ayashi OP2)
4. “Be Strong” by Kana Yasumi (Shijou Saikou no Deshi Kenichi OP)
5. “endscape” by UVERwrold (Terra e… OP)
6. “Brightdown” by Nami Tamaki (D.Gray-Man OP2)
7. “Sora iro Days” by Shouko Nakagawa (Gurren Lagann OP)
8. “Kakusei Heroism” by Antic Cafe (Darker than Black OP2)
9. “Seishun Line” by Ikimono-gakari (Ookiku Furikabutte OP2)
10. “Blaze Line” by Back-on (Eyeshield 21 OP5)
TOP 10 ENDING THEMES
1. “Yume no Tsuzuki e” by surface (D.Gray Man ED3)
2. “Sagittarius” by Suemitsu and the Smith (Nodame Cantabille ED2)
3. “Kiseki” by Snowkel (Gintama ED6)
4. “Tane wo Maku hibi” by Kousuke Atari (Bleach ED13)
5. “Hikari no Rock” by Sambomaster (Bleach Movie 2 ED)
6. “Hanafubuki” by ACID (Tokyo Majin ED)
7. “Yoru ni Nareba” by The Loose Dogs (Major ED6)
8. “Dreams” by High and Mighty Color (Darker than Black ED2)
9. “Kimi Mongatari” by Little by Little (Naruto Shippuuden ED3)
10. “Wana” by The Back Horn (Gundam 00 ED)
Best Animation
There’s not much to say about this one. Seirei no Moribito was hands-down one of the most beautiful anime series of last year. I emphasize series because if it were overall then I think the award would go to a certain movie, that being 5cm per Second. Anyway, Seirei provided a lot of eyecandy whether it was just quiet and strolling shots or those filled with intense action. Seriously, you have to see it in motion to understand why I think it looks so pretty. And yes I will finish my entries on it as soon as I can.
As for ef, the animation was simply amazing and the direction enhanced it even further. SHAFT’s style is one I’ve always admired since the days of Pani Poni Dash and the more recent Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
When it comes to very great animation, I just gotta hand it to Kyoto Animation. They never cease to amaze me with their consistent animation quality, unlike certain other anime productions (and ones that rely on Koreans). Well, needless to say they did an excellent job on Lucky Star. I wonder just how long it took to do the entire Motteke dance? Surely that took more effort than Hare Hare Yukai. Ah yes, the distinct art style of Anime Tenchou characters, now that had some awesome animation (episode 10!).
My other choice goes to Minami-ke. I was really in it for the story and characters themselves. I really enjoyed the art style but once the first episode came strolling I was again amazed at the good animation. Most notably are the parts with Kana, when she’s jumping on to the table (camera pans around) and when she’s chasing Chiaki. I haven’t actually seen Doumu’s other works but this just makes me want to check them out.
I was in awe when I saw episode 3, and even when I listened to the amazing intro by L’arc~en~ciel watching some of the most jaw-dropping effects in an anime ever. Gurren Lagann is impressive, don’t get me wrong, but Seirei no Moribito has the same animation quality of a feature anime film.
Best Adaptation
When it came to this category there was only one choice that I could honestly think of: Claymore. Of all the adaptations last year the only one I could truly evaluate was this wonderful series since I followed the manga a year or two before the anime was even announced. It was one I definitely looked forward too because I had always wondered what Claymore would look like in motion and how the characters would be portrayed vocally. Needless to say I was blown away with the presentation the anime threw at me. All of the characters were excellently voiced, especially Clare, Miria, Priscilla, and Riful, just to name a few. The animation was more than I could hope for and didn’t once disappointment although I thought it could have been better in a few rare places. Some may be quick to point out how the ending took an original route but in all honesty I had expected something like that to occur since I doubt Madhouse would have just stopped where the manga did and patiently wait a few years for more chapters to build up to continue. Doing something like that sounds easy but I don’t think it’s as simple as it seems. If they wanted, they could easily retcon what they did with OVAs similar to those of Hellsing Ultimate. Those things aside, Claymore is my obvious choice for best adaptation of 2007. There wasn’t anything else that could stand up to it for me.
Lucky☆Star best adaptation? Well, pretty much, that’s the case. What started out as a 4koma has now expanded until an anime with much more than that, and that’s what made this a great show. I think if they stuck entirely with the 4koma it wouldn’t be as great. Not saying the 4koma is bad, but adding references (even to their own shows) and parodies definitely made it better.
Death Note gets an honorable mention here, notably because of Madhouse’s awesome work of staying close to the manga, save for the ending, but I didn’t think it was too bad. I actually found it better than the manga, but I would’ve been satisfied would the original too.
I already covered why I like Seirei so much, but I also want to give the Death Note anime some credit. While I do admit the anime adaptation isn’t as good as the manga, I still admire the staff for spicing the dialogue and adding the stylish animation. Death Note taught us that eating chips can be awesome if shot by multiple angles.
Most Underrated Show
This was the only show that came to mind when I thought of this category. Baccano didn’t seem to attract a lot of attain when it first started and much of it wasn’t recognized, I think, until the series was almost over. There wasn’t a lot of talk about it and, as far as I know, it wasn’t that widely covered amongst the blogosphere. Off the top of my head I could only remember psgsel and myself covering the show from beginning to end (I know there is at least one or two more persons who did so as well) and I really felt that it shouldn’t been more widespread especially since I felt that the characters and the way the story was told was of topnotch quality. It was definitely one of the most unique shows of last year and while at first I thought that executing a story with such a diverse cast would prove difficult it seemed like the animators and script writers had no problems with it at all. Definitely, Baccano! was one of the more underrated shows that deserved more attention last year than any other.
Scrolling through the genre of anime, we see many the likes of shounen, action, mecha, romance, fantasy, and whatever blows in your face, but you never really get to find an anime with such drama, much less one focused on music. Ergo, my choice of Nodame Cantabile. Not only does it have great music (and why should it not, it’s an anime about music!) but it boasts rich characters. Seki brings out the best in Chiaki with his constantly getting annoyed by impotence around him. Can you really blame Nodame though? She may make a weird face while playing, but everyone has their technique and it works! Besides, her playing is pretty elegant to my ears. I know not everyone watches something with this kind of theme, but it shares its comedic moments nearly every episode so why not take a break from uber eye-oriented action that lasts a bajillion episodes and soothe your mind and soul with some awesomeness that is the Cantabile?
It’s sad how no one really talks about this show, it even lasted for 50 episodes. It may be another shounen\martial arts anime, but it’s a damn funny one. You want action? Check. You want comedy? OH BOY, Check. You want breasts jokes? It has a ton of them! It even has a story that makes some sense and has one of my favorite seiyuu, Tomokazu Seki. Please do yourself a favor and watch it.
Best Anime of 2007
Winner: CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion
Surprise, surprise. I’ve said so much about this series in these award entries that anyone should have seen it coming from a lightyear away. There’s really nothing more I can say about Code Geass that I haven’t already said before. This show was the best of the best for me last year. It had some of the most interesting characters across the board. The music was awesome and having CLAMP involved in character design was one of the best things to happen for the series as well. I’m all set and ready for the second season airing in less than a month. R2 ready set GO!
Who knew Sunrise + CLAMP would make such an awesome team? I sure didn’t think of it, but it worked out well, or rather, extremely well. Mecha was never my favorite thing to watch so I avoided them in most cases, but GEASS was an entirely different approach to me, and I believe everyone else had that kind of feeling too. So what exactly drew me in? Well, at first I watched the trailer and thought it had a good concept, great seiyuu involved (Yukana!) and then I hear FLOW’s music playing. The epic sound of COLORS caught my ears and the visuals caught my eyes. I thought “why the heck not?” I had a feeling it would become a hit too because I hear everyone liked the director.
So come October, did it meet my expectations? I think that was obvious. Did it continue to amaze me? Of course. I think this is one series that Sunrise knew what they were doing. Even promotion couldn’t stop the wave of GEASS, nope. It only made me want to go to Pizza Hut even more. There’s a good amount of drama, action, and revelations that I just can’t stop watching. Also, you gotta love Jeremiah, you know?
Months after the cliffhanger, we finally got to see STAGE 24 & 25, the episodes we’ve been anticipating for and what did we get? More action, more drama, more revelations, and… another cliffhanger. Oh boy, they sure know how to end with a bang. Who can say they didn’t go nuts over this? It left a big impression on me definitely. And thus, all the more reason why I think GEASS deserves this award. Don’t stop surprising me now, GEASS. R2 is now closer than we think. Let’s look forward to another great year.
This year was downright awesome. So many great shows that I haven’t even gotten to watch like Toward the Terra or Claymore. Code Geass rose above shows like those for one reason: it kept the quality up throughout the entire time, which is admirable. Lelouch is a scum but you understand his motives, Suzaku is indeed the knight in the shining armor that may be a wonderful guy on the outside but has a dark past and for god sakes Kallen is hot. The only bad thing I can say bad about Geass is that it relies on coincidences too much, like Lelouch and C.C.’s first encounter. At least those coincidences made the show one to remember, and I am glad Sunrise did something to wash the bad taste of those Gundam Seeds. Code Geass is a must watch if you are an anime fan.
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Great entry!!
I’ve been trying to download and watch Seirei No Moribito but I can’t find it. :’(
I’ve also watched Kenichi and it’s a fun show.
Thank god I’m not alone in the Kenichi camp ^^