The Grand Search for the Best Anime of the 2000s

[Zeldafan2]

Paprika: I don't see myself watching Puella anytime soon. Maybe if I was bored, but I've never been a fan of the magical girl genre. Paprika, however, is simply another excellent work from Kon.

This round was tougher, but I'm going with The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya here. This series just stuck with me, its wonderful characters, excellent animation, and the voice acting was also great. It also stands as one of my gateways into anime.

[Atria35]

Madoka - I WAS going to vote for Paprika, but honestly, I feel that Madoka has enough visual treats to match Paprika, and while it doesn't do the human psyche bit, it does a great job at not being your average mahou shoujo.

Whatever isn't Haruhi - Because I do not like Haruhi.

[blkmage]

Madoka is the perfect blend of things and people I like.

Haruhi, because it was personally influential.

[KnightOfFive]

Whatever isn't Haruhi - Because I do not like Haruhi.

LoL so I'm guessing that's a vote for FMA: B then?

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Paprika was a pretty good movie but I think Madoka tops it in pretty much every category other than visuals, which I'd say they're about even at.

On the other hand, Brohood is a pretty fantastic adaptation of my favorite manga that is a massive accomplishment as far as long storytelling goes.

[mechana2015]

Paprika, for being one of the most visually inspiring and interesting movies I've seen.

Abstain.

[Maokun]

Now we have the last results for Round 3:

Paprika 5
Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica 8

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 7
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 5

And so, we have our four finalists!

Without further ado, let's plunge into the first match, shall we?

[SIZE="5"][color="DeepSkyBlue"]The Girl Who Leapt Through Time[/color][/SIZE]

Movie
Aired: Summer 2006
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Studio: Madhouse
Defeated: 5cm/s, Fullmetal Alchemist, Durarara!!, Ouran High School Host Club, Spirited Away


[SIZE="3"]VS[/SIZE]


[SIZE="5"][color="Magenta"]Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica[/color][/SIZE]

TV series, 12 episodes
Aired: Winter 2011 to Summer 2011
Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
Studio: Shaft
Defeated: Ouran High School Host Club, Haibane Renmei, Macross Frontier, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Paprika

Coting will be open until Wednesday at 21:00 EST

[Neane]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a great movie but I didn't like it as much as Madoka

[MangaRocks!]

[align=left]Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica

[/align]
Well, I'm pretty sure that anyone who has seen my comments throughout this contest knows that this is not even a question for me here, LOL. However, I can quite easily say that even if I had fully enjoyed-- and been perfectly satisfied-- with TGWLTT, my vote would still go to Madoka, because in its elements of ambition, direction, and plot (...and even its music, as well!), Madoka is just on another level entirely.

[mechana2015]

Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica - Effective, beautiful and well told. Madoka is the best of these two.

[ClosetOtaku]

I was in a bookstore in Shibuya, Tokyo, when I saw the advanced marketing poster for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. I could tell immediately by looking at it that it was going to be an anime that I would enjoy -- slice of life, realistic animation, beautiful scenery. I kept a lookout for it when it was fansubbed shortly after release. It was such a good movie that, when it (finally) was licensed in the U.S., I went out and bought four copies to give to friends and family. It still ranks among my favorite anime titles, movie or series.

So, then, why my vote for Puella Magi Madoka Magica? After all, the anime is more stylized and less artistically pure; the Witch encounter sequences look like something out of a bad Dali dream; the theme is just barely slice-of-life, following all the tropes of anime -- the girl(s) who live alone, devoid of parents, or parents who are passive in the day-to-day struggles of their daughters. There's nothing Tokikake-like to compare it to. It's not necessarily even original in its deconstruction of the Magical Girl genre.

Yet there it is -- somewhere between the misogynistic Hitchcock suspense thriller (you didn't think The Birds was about our avian friends now, did you?) and Clive Barker's Hellraiser, Madoka pulls back the curtain on the underpinnings of a hidden world gone mad. Unlike most anime (the dreadful D Grey Man comes immediately to mind), we aren't treated to a preemptive explanation, just a slice of an apparent dream at first, with Madoka waking in her bed, safe. We are slowly inculcated, lulled into thinking this might be a rendition of Sailor Moon on LSD, and even the end music sequence is all unicorns and teddy bears. Then, at the end of episode 3, the wheels come off, and suddenly nothing is what it seems.

And then, when we are expecting a nine-episode denouement, it does it to us again, and again, and again -- each pass through the hopeless time loop leaves us, not with a light at the end of the tunnel, but an increasingly blacker and deeper pit below the precipice we stand on.

The visual cues are like something out of an early David Lynch film, perhaps the suburban counterpart to the industrial park Eraserhead. The repeating themes assault us: food (and the not-so-subtle suggestion of Kyubey at the top of the food chain); draining water; the pragmatism that trumps moral responsibility; and to top it all off, the procession of girls to witches that is mirrored in Madoka's mom's office politics and, presumably, extensible to all ambitious women in the eyes of the creators.

This is not some haphazardly thrown-together story line. If intentional, it is expertly crafted and internally consistent. It is also brutal.

Madoka: "It would have been better if you'd never come to Earth."
Kyubey: "You'd still be living in caves, I think."

The search for a better life, then, comes at an expense born by a lowly few. And, even worse --

"Eternally missing...that's how Magical Girls die," says Homura-chan. "Even if we're ignored, even if we disappear, it's part of the contract."

This isn't a kid's anime, even though the artwork is primitive compared to most series for 'older' fans. There are layers upon layers to ponder.

Which is why I'm voting for it. This is another one of those few series that demands a second and third watching, if for no other reason to appreciate the amount of conscious detail that goes in to every scene.

[skreyola]

Which show to vote for...
why, Madoka, of course!
It's the only one left I want to win!

[GeneD]

Considering I've hardly seen any other magical girl series, the deconstruction angle of Madoka doesn't have that much significance for me, but I do like an anime with a few good holy crap moments, and Madoka certainly has plenty those. The story is moving, keeps you on the edge of your seat and I think packs more of a punch than TGWLTT.

After writing all of that, I realised it's very unlikely that Madoka will lose, so I can underdog vote for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, since I don't want to see it go with zero votes, in the off chance that Maokun doesn't vote for it.

[KnightOfFive]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time A masterpiece such as that should not lose to something as cheesy and ridiculous as Madoka.

[blkmage]

Puella Magi Madoka Magica A masterpiece such as that should not lose to something as cheesy and ridiculous as TokiKake.

[Maokun]

since I don't want to see it go with zero votes, in the off chance that Maokun doesn't vote for it.

Haha good one. But no, not in my watch! Yeah yeah we all know that Madoka is better and we all always knew that Madoka would get to the final so here we are. It's kind of weird seeing TGWLTT being the underdog but that's them breaks.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is one of my favourite movies, anime or otherwise. If there's anyone here who somehow hasn't come around to watch it, please do yourself a solid and put it atop of your list.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica A masterpice such as that should not lose to something as cheesy and ridiculous as TokiKake.

Shame on you for giving the obvious response, blkmage I know you can do better.

[Neane]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time A masterpiece such as that should not lose to something as cheesy and ridiculous as Madoka.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica A masterpice such as that should not lose to something as cheesy and ridiculous as TokiKake.

You know guys, you are doing a really good job not explianing why you believe that the anime you are voting for are quote un-quote "masterpieces", I like both but you are not doing a really good job explaining your votes.

[blkmage]

itt we miss the joke/scathing commentary

but okay, fine, if you do a better job explaining why people saying Madoka is a deconstruction (which, you're right, it isn't!) makes you cringe (because that's just as derisively dismissive as what you were chastising us for doing! (which, again, you're right about! (because that was my point!))) then I'll do a better job explaining my vote

also, it is hella rude to edit away controversial parts of your post without indicating that you've done so

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Haha good one. But no, not in my watch! Yeah yeah we all know that Madoka is better and we all always knew that Madoka would get to the final so here we are.

:< We do?

Anyways, contrary to all appearances I do think Madoka is a fantastic show and I had to wrestle with what I should vote for. However, I think where Madoka falters for me and keeps it from being a top favorite is that it has a little of that "written by a robot" thing I complain about in Monster, though nowhere to the same degree. While the plot is fantastically tight, the visuals are fantastic, and the twists induced many a dropped jaw, I'm just not all that concerned about these characters. They are all appropriately tragic and I like them all but I never found myself devastated at their fates during the show, my crush on Mami aside. Madoka conveyed a general sense of despair excellently but I never really personal felt say, Homura's devestation during episode ten. It feels a little like ol' Urubochi was like "This is what is supposed to make people cry, right?" and wrote without really feeling it. I do think this is an issue because Madoka was supposed to be a pretty tragic show until the ending.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on the other hand, has amazing visuals and fantastic twists but had me infinitely more involved in the characters. I am totally biased because Hosoda is my favorite person ever and makes movies that appeal to all my sensibilities but I do think this movie is capable of topping Madoka, and it certainly isn't something we should all just know Madoka is better than.

[Maokun]

Heh, good call Mr. HnN. You're definitely right about character development in TGWLTT. However, some people find flaws in it as well and I think generally everyone is more forgiving towards Madoka and not undeservingly. When it comes to it they are just two very different animals that are trying to accomplish two very different objectives through the use of very different means. Girl is character-driven (hence the lack of emphasis or elaboration on the devices and mechanics that turn some people off) while Madoka is plot-driven (hence the lack of in-depth character development that allowed for a more emotional investment.)

Girl keeps being my personal favourite, but I understand the strengths of Madoka and I'm happy with either of them advancing. I guess what I actually meant is that I always knew that Madoka is more popular and that I never doubt it would reach the finals because its popularity (for once) its proportional to its merits.

Now I really need you to watch Wolf Children so we can debate where it places in the Hosoda scale.

[Neane]

but okay, fine, if you do a better job explaining why people saying Madoka is a deconstruction (which, you're right, it isn't!) makes you cringe

I have an issue with people saying that Madoka is a deconstruction of the magical girl genre because of its content and themes when Majokko Meg-chan was talking about domestic violence and had the heroine facing imminent death regularly in the 1970s and in literally the first episode of Sailor Moon, which has pretty much defined the entire genre since it came around, you have girls being threatened with death and having the ones they love being sent into another realm. Is Madoka more angsty that Sailor Moon and Majokko Meg-chan? You bet your sweeet [mod snip] it is. Does it move in a new direction for the genre and/or present new juxtapositions? Not really, it just took genre staples have been around since Nixon was in the White House and slapped a new coat of paint on it. Is Madoka a deconstruction? No. Madoka is not a deconstruction because it took what had always been genre staples and basically turned them up to 11. It's a more adult-oriented take on magical girl genre, not a deconstruction.

[Hugo Bernhardt]

itt we miss the joke/scathing commentary

I thought it was funny.

Anyway I've been hesitant to enter this fray becuase I haven't seen Madoka. It's just the sort of Anime I would never consider watching were it not for these discussions telling me how good it is, so if that disqualifies my vote, I'm fine with it.

But since I'm here, I gotta give the big thumbs up to TGWLTT - it's as beautiful and thoughtful as the sunny days the action inhabits. The characters are the more engaging of most in any media, but not in a hit-you-over-the-head sort of way, but in the small often overlooked dramas that happen between friends you regularly hang with. Whatever the merits of Madoka, TGWLTT belongs in the top spots.

[Atria35]

I have an issue with people saying that Madoka is a deconstruction of the magical girl genre because of its content and themes when Majokko Meg-chan was talking about domestic violence and had the heroine facing imminent death regularly in the 1970s and in literally the first episode of Sailor Moon, which has pretty much defined the entire genre since it came around, you have girls being threatened with death and having the ones they love being sent into another realm. Is Madoka more angsty that Sailor Moon and Majokko Meg-chan? You bet your sweeet *** it is. Does it move in a new direction for the genre and/or present new juxtapositions? Not really, it just took genre staples have been around since Nixon was in the White House and slapped a new coat of paint on it. Is Madoka a deconstruction? No. Madoka is not a deconstruction because it took what had always been genre staples and basically turned them up to 11. It's a more adult-oriented take on magical girl genre, not a deconstruction.

At the same time it takes and -discusses- the ideas that are never touched on in SM and Majokko. Remember that whole scene where they discuss the fates of these girls? [spoiler]They can and, realistically, will probably die, and will do so in obscurity. They'll forever be on a 'missing persons' list. They can never share these parts of themselves with their friends or family because they'd never be believed, or be tossed in an insane asylum.[/spoiler]And it's that discussion that makes being a magical girl even more repugnant to them, something that isn't really quite the case in other series where they might be hesitant to take on the role... but never outright horrified.

So while there are a few tried-and-true tropes that are taken to an extreme, it really does approach a number of things quite differently.

[Zeldafan2]

The Girl Who Lept through Time: For reasons I've stated earlier.

[ClosetOtaku]

I have an issue with people saying that Madoka is a deconstruction of the magical girl genre because of its content and themes when Majokko Meg-chan was talking about domestic violence and had the heroine facing imminent death regularly in the 1970s and in literally the first episode of Sailor Moon, which has pretty much defined the entire genre since it came around, you have girls being threatened with death and having the ones they love being sent into another realm. Is Madoka more angsty that Sailor Moon and Majokko Meg-chan? You bet your sweeet *** it is. Does it move in a new direction for the genre and/or present new juxtapositions? Not really, it just took genre staples have been around since Nixon was in the White House and slapped a new coat of paint on it. Is Madoka a deconstruction? No. Madoka is not a deconstruction because it took what had always been genre staples and basically turned them up to 11. It's a more adult-oriented take on magical girl genre, not a deconstruction.

There may be spoilers in this post. Don't read if you haven't seen Madoka Magica.

I don't have a degree in Philosophy, so I'm on shaky ground, but I'll take up the argument in favor of deconstruction.

Deconstructionism challenges (usually widely-held) beliefs about the underpinnings of the way things 'work'. It aims to criticize our assumptions about the stability of our worldview, or the set of heuristics we apply when we observe or act.

I did not watch all of Sailor Moon. In fact, I've probably seen no more than ten percent of the episodes, if that much. I was mostly a casual observer to my daughter's temporary obsession with the series. And so I did not delve into the deeper aspects of what went on.

Likewise, I've seen other episodes of Magical Girl series (Cardcaptor Sakura, for example). I'm not an expert in the genre, but I can spot them two out of three times.

In a lot of cases, no one seems to question where these powers Magical Girls have 'come from'. The magic is mediated by a crystal or totem, or maybe the mahou shoujou just simply has magical powers, and that's that. No further explanations are entertained, or if they are, there don't seem to be any real far-reaching consequences.

In Madoka, the origin of the powers is clearly Kyubey and his alien brethren. Kyubey's lecture on Thermodynamics was not just some flimsy cover of an excuse (though its execution could have been better). Magic doesn't just 'happen'; it is based on an exchange of energy between the Puella Magi and Kyubey. The equation is simple: what Kyubey gets (the soul) is greater than the sum of the energies used in the wish and the maintenance of the Magical Girl. Because one magical girl in = one witch out, and it appears that witches win more combats, Kyubey has a growth industry on his paws.

Now, the deconstruction is in challenging the assumption that "magic" is free (I'm NOT saying without consequences, just simply that the physics is ignored). In the Harry Potter series, there are political and tactical battles between good and bad wizards, but nobody questions what magic might be doing to the fabric of the universe, entropy, the Second Law, global warming, or other considerations. It just is. Madoka says: you can't get something for nothing. Not only do Magical Girls pay with their time and toil and emotional state and, finally, their lives, and then go on to cause more heartache as witches, but also that there's somebody behind the scenes pulling strings and making out like a bandit. But the equation balances: Kyubey must grant wishes (the outcomes of which even he can't see) to fulfill the contract. Still, the underlying magic is sponsored by an external, extraterrestrial being who is doing this for its own purposes. That's what is missing from most Mahou Shojou series, and why I see it as a deconstructionist anime.

By the way, the logical conclusion of Kyubey's experiment will be the complete destruction of the planet, and all life on it. It is inevitable. It parallels man's excesses and self-destructive tendencies in the seeking of 'progress'. It's a direct challenge to the frilly, Gothic Lolita cuteness that is exhibited by Madoka herself when she first contemplates becoming a Puella Magi.

I agree that in both Sailor Moon (as well as others) we see angsty teens battling evil at great peril to their own safety. But Madoka goes one layer deeper and asks 'how', then comes up with a thoroughly evil answer. In my book, that qualifies as deconstructionism.

But I would be interested in hearing your views as to what deconstructionism is (or isn't), and why Madoka doesn't fit into that category.

[Maokun]

Nice, some great discussion here thanks to everyone participating! This was truly a clash of titans and so far we have a tie. I'm going to leave this round open for 4 more hours to see if we get more votes (psst Goldie, winkwink,) otherwise, I'll declare the winner by the amount of votes (for and against) both titles have accumulated since Round 1.

I was going to answer to Neane but I think that ClosetOtaku pretty much said everything I had to say and, likely, more eloquently that I'd have.

[Atria35]

Madoka. I never cast my vote in my earlier post!

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is fantastic, but in pure feel-goodness, I like Madoka.

[Maokun]

So that's a wrap and we have our first finalist!

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 6
Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica 7

Now, which one of the following titles will be the contender?

[color="DarkOrange"][SIZE="5"]Baccano![/SIZE][/color]

TV series, 13 episodes
Aired: Summer 2007 to Autumn 2007
Director: Takahiro Omori
Studio: Brains Base
Defeated: Eureka7, Princess Tutu, Birdy the Mighty: Decode, Summer Wars, Durarara!!


[SIZE="3"]VS[/SIZE]


[color="RoyalBlue"]Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood[/color]

TV series, 64 episodes
Aired: Spring 2009 to Summer 2010
Director: Yasuhiro Irie
Studio: Bones
Defeated: Tengen Toppa Gurrenn Lagann, Kara no Kyoukai, Millennium Actress, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Princess Tutu.

Voting will be open until Friday at 20:00 EST

[Atria35]

Baccano! - While I adore the FMA manga, the first section of Brotherhood is rushed. Overall, I think B! is better-paced.

[KnightOfFive]

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood As one of anime's most enduringly popular franchises(and one of my long time personal favourites) I could not very well vote against it.