blog好き

Apr 13 2010

Categories: best of 2009

16 Comments »

With the top ten set, now it’s time for some Individual awards.

The Ecchi na no wa Ikenai to Omoimasu Award of 2009

Winner: Sora no Otoshimono

It’s official. “The Ecchi na no wa Ikenai to Omoimasu” Award is now officially the Allen Houston of awards– Mahoro doesn’t even get to win it! But it just means that Tomoki/ko, Ikaros, and friends were just so on-the-ball with over-the-top and outrageous fanservice. You know, the kind we all like. Flying underwear. Exploding underwear. Tomoki Tower. Tomoko. Pilgrims.

Honorable Mentions: Asu no Yoichi, Maria+Holic, Needless, Princess Lover.

Best Franchise Killer of 2009

Winner: Studio Deen

Thanks Studio Deen for killing two franchises this year! Both Seitokai and Umineko were great potential anime that you dug graves for. We’ll probably never see anymore Seitokai thanks to your penny-pinching animation budget, shoddy choice for seiyuu, and slapdash scripts. But at least we’ll get a chance at Umineko Chiru when you need money for heroin again.

(Please, let’s get AIC to remake Seitokai and Bones to start work on Umineko.)

Honorable Mention: Kyoto Animation.

Most Improved Studio of 2009

Winner: AIC

I used to lump AIC in the not-so-good studio pile. Not anymore! Maybe they’re one trick ponies that can only do fanservice harem shows, but that’s not a bad strength. That’s like having a great defensive center… sure, Ben Wallace (in his prime) couldn’t score, but he did anchor a championship team. AIC did a great job with Asu no Yoichi, making it seem like the second coming of Love Hina (not a bad thing), and then rocked imageboards everywhere with Sora no Otoshimono. Love live Tomoki!

Best Seiyuu of 2009

Winner: Chiwa Saito

She said so!

Honorable Mentions: Kobayashi Yu, Marina Inoue, Saori Hayami.

Best Comeback of 2009

Winner: Spice and Wolf

Let’s see… top tier source material shoddily done by studio “A”… series handled over to competent but not great studio “B”… series seems rejuvenated. What a concept! The only thing going against Spice and Wolf now is… Lulu and Kallen. I’m beginning to think it was casting genius. If you want that borderline sexual tension where the two protagonists could tear off each others clothes one minute yet know they won’t, what better duo than Lulu and Kallen? I’d just watch out if Takahiro Sakurai gets a voice role.

Honorable Mention: Chris Hansen (see next award).

Most Likely To Meet Chris Hansen Award of 2009

Winner: Adam Blade, Needless

Tough, tough category this year with many solid competitors. Adam Blade wins for (a) being a priest (b) walking into number loli-inspired traps and (c) rejecting hawt developed women because they are, well, developed.

Honorable Mentions: Battler, Umineko; Araragi, Bakemonogatari; Hei, Darker Than Black Gemini; Chizuru, Seitokai no Ichizon.

Best OP/ED/Insert of 2009

Winner: Don’t say “lazy:, K-On!

I have to say… this has been one hell of a competitive year in this category. Don’t say “lazy” didn’t claim this top spot because it made the (wise) decision to feature Mio over Yui. It didn’t win because the song itself was enjoyable, chock full of nonsense, fun refrains, and plenty of Engrish. It didn’t succeed because it fit with what the anime did so nicely. No. It struck a chord with fans everywhere. Lightening in a bottle. More so than What ’bout my star but less so than Hare Hare Yukai. YouTube is dominated with fans trying to play DSL, features niconico tributes, and even has band covers. Oh, parodies to boot. Now that, my friends, is knocking the baseball out of the park.

Honorable Mentions: Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari, Bakemonogatari; Aggressive Zone, Needless; only my railgun, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun; Hanaji, Maria+Holic; Falling Down, Eden of the East.

Best Engrish of 2009

Winner: only my railgun, A Certain Scientific Railgun

The Engrish in the song is great enough (“only my railgun can shoot”), but what really takes it over the top is that “fripside” itself is Engrish. Love it. Want more. And the video is great too… especially the guy jamming the keyboard as if he’s Ronald Jenkees or something. FYI, I’m writing this post while listening to Jenkees… my gosh, I cannot ask for better blogging music.

Honorable Mentions: Don’t say “lazy”, K-On!.

Most Confusing Title of 2009

Winner: The Sacred Blacksmith

One, the main character is technically Cecily, not Luke. Two, Luke spends more time trying to shoo Cecily out of his house then he does forging swords. Three, there’s nary a discussion about blacksmithing, but many, many discussions concerning Cecily’s melonpan. Four, 95% of the time, Cecily doesn’t even use a sword that Luke forges, instead opting for the overpowered and voluptuous Aria. (Out of curiosity, how come Aria’s melonpan never gets commented on? It’s always Cecily’s.)

Honorable Mention: Kiddy Girl-and.

Best Use of an App Phone of 2009

Winner: Juiz, Eden of the East

I don’t care if Juiz turned out to be some boring computer. I will still think of her as Hayate‘s Maria in disguise. Noblesse oblige.

Honorable Mention: Level Upper, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun; Eden, Eden of the East.

Best Superpower of 2009

Winner: Dia’s Level Upping Kiss, Kiddy Girl-and

We need to hook Saten up with Dia. That’s the right thing to do.

Honorable Mention: God-like Powers Used Evilly To Annoy Fanboys, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2009.

Best Trap of 2009

Winner: Mariya, Maria+Holic

Let’s see… Mariya managed to get a lesbian to fall for Mariya even though she knew Mariya has a penis… full-time trap… eventually got a priest to fall in love as well… acknowledged beauty queen of the school… and inspired blog好き’s greatest post of 2009. ‘dem are some credentials.

Honorable Mentions: Mako-cakes, Minami-ke Okaeri; Natsuru/ki, Kampfer; Tomoki/ko, Sora no Otoshimono.

Best Movie/OVA of 2009

Winner: Summer Wars

If I asked you to guess which two anime won Tokyo Animation Festival’s best anime award for 2009, what would you guess? Bakemonogatari? You’d be wrong. Eden of the East? You’d be wrong again. K-On! won. As did Summer Wars. I’ve covered this movie already, and it’s fantastic. Take two hours out of your day and go watch it. Much better time spent than waiting in line to buy an iPad.

Honorable Mention: The King of Eden; Denpa Tenki na Kanojo; Mahoromatic.

Best Anime I Never Wrote About of 2009

Winner: Eve no Jikan

I’m not an android. I don’t have the ability to watch every anime that comes out of Japan… and sometimes, I miss things. Hence this award for a series that I have never ever previously mentioned on this blog: Eve no Jikan is a great anime that I missed. Much like how Bakemonogatari put a fresh spin on old occult stories, The Time of Eve put a spin on Asimov’s famous Laws of Robots. It’s a subtle anime that makes you think, and I enjoy the quirky references to Blade Runner, which, really, seems to be the inspiration of Eve on Jikan… except this anime is about a coffee shop. But you’re constantly guessing who is real and who isn’t. While most people are impressed with the smooth 2D animation in 3D backdrop, I’m more impressed with the audio. Wow. Just a killer soundtrack, and the sound really pushes the story along. You just need to listen for yourself– this OVA does a wonderful job at using sound to influence the mood and the story. Really needs a sequel… and more Rie Tanaka.

(I also love all the small things that Eve no Jikan does correctly… like the airlock-like door to protect one’s true identity… the “garden” scenery… the Terminator-like music that played at the beginning of episode four… the awesome table visualization system… the “THX” name… yes, I did enjoy the time of eve.)

(Oddly enough, the next award also goes to an anime about android and human interaction… mmm…)

Best Meido of 2009

Winner: Mahoro, Mahoromatic

One of the greatest meido returned in 2009 for a surprise return engagement. Couldn’t be more thrilled.

Honorable Mentions: Matsurika, Maria+Holic; Shannon, Umineko no Naku Koro ni; Maria, Hayate the Combat Butler