Best Anime of 2010 2: 2011

[Neane]

Oh, I wasn't talking about it in the context of voting or winning. I just meant those are the only ones I'd consider to actually be "the best".

You forgot Usagi Drop. It's the most mature one this year.

[blkmage]

No. I did not "forget" Usagi Drop. I love Usagi Drop as much as anyone, probably more than most people here, but I simply don't consider it good enough. And if I did actually forget a show, then it's probably not good enough to begin with.

[goldenspines]

You forgot Usagi Drop. It's the most mature one this year.

I won't argue with this fact since I agree Usagi Drop was one of the more grown-up anime of the year. It touched on a lot of mature topics and presented it in a beautiful way.
But just because an anime is mature doesn't make it the best of the season. Usagi Drop was done brilliantly, but others surpassed it in dynamic execution and new inventive ways of using story, animation, etc.

You can love to watch a lot of series, but you have to know when to acknowledge that some took it further, made themselves better, and pushed the limits of tropes, stereotypes, art style, and beyond.

Also, not voting this time around since Madoka is going to shut out poor Unicorn anyways.

[Vii]

For me (as in, if I skipped this tournament and just declared a best anime by fiat), there are only three that make the cut: Madoka, Penguindrum, and Disappearance. Out of those three, it'd really be a fight between Madoka and Penguindrum (pending its conclusion), but Disappearance made it just because it's so good.

Those would be the same three I would choose.
Although mine would probably be a fight between Penguindrum and Disappearance instead of Madoka.

[MomentOfInertia]

<snip>
and Penguindrum (pending its conclusion),

Is that why the voting sessions are getting longer? o_O

[blkmage]

Actually, no, I just decided the final match would end on the 31st and then spaced out the matches appropriately.

[Maokun]

Sorry about that, I missed that condition the first time. Fixed now

[blkmage]

yay, you made it on time

However, I take issue with your assessment that the genre is stale or that repetitiveness and predictability are necessarily negatives.

[blkmage]

Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica: 7
Mobile Suit Gundam UC: 1


[font="Times New Roman"]THE THRILL OF THE FIGHT[/font]
[SIZE="5"]REDLINE [font="Times New Roman"]vs.[/font] Chihayafuru[/SIZE]
<ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ> ★ <ちはやふる>

[SIZE="4"]REDLINE[/SIZE]
Directed by Takeshi Koike
Rank: 5
Aired: Summer 2009
Studio: Madhouse
Director: Takeshi Koike
Cast: Kimura Takyua, Aoi Yuu
Adaptation: Original by Ishii Katsuhito
Defeated: Nichijou, The World God Only Knows II, Natsume Yuujinchou San, Hourou Musuko
Voting Code: <ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ>

[SIZE="4"]Chihayafuru (ちはやふる)[/SIZE]
Even when the gods held sway in the ancient days
Rank: 5
Aired: Fall 2011
Studio: Madhouse
Director: Asaka Morio
Cast: Seto Asami, Miyano Mamoru, Hosoya Yoshimasa
Adaptation: Manga by Suetsugu Yuki
Defeated: GOSICK, Tiger & Bunny, Tegami Bachi Reverse, Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season
Voting Code: <ちはやふる>

Voting closes on 18 December at 2300 EST.

[Neane]

Cards and Drama!

<ちはやふる>

[goldenspines]

<ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ>

While Chihayafuru has some brilliant things going for it, Redline achieved near perfection in its genre of racing and beyond.


[SIZE="1"]By ArseniXC
[/SIZE]


Oh, and listen to this while you're waiting to make up your mind!

[mechana2015]

<ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ> While chihayafuru is very good. Very very good, it's not a must own for me. It's DVD release dates havn't made me rage, and I wouldn't care to see it in IMAX. Redline on the other hand...

[ich1990]

Woohoo! I didn't miss it this time around.

<ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ> because even in the space age the Trans Am is the coolest car around. And this movie is awesome enough to know it.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

I was thinking about abstaining this round, because these two things are pretty hard to compare, except then I realized Redline has the best chance of stopping Madoka, so <ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ>

[blkmage]

<ちはやふる>

The main difference between Redline and Chihayafuru is that one takes something that should be exciting and makes it exciting and the other takes something that's boring and makes it exciting and emotional.

There's something to be said about executing well and Redline does that. That said, it's not particularly hard to do so, it's a matter of going wild on CARS GOING FAST and restraining yourself from doing anything that detracts from that. It's just the nature of the thing, so it can't really be blamed for that.

Unfortunately, that thing isn't what I'm looking for. I mentioned Madoka, Penguindrum, and Disappearance as being the only anime that I thought are good enough to be "the best" and the reason for that is that they all execute just as well as Redline does and have the same sort of polish, but they are also ambitious in ways that Redline aren't and can't be.

Like I said, it shouldn't be hard to make an exciting racing movie but I think the fact that Redline gets praised for doing so says more about the genre than it speaks to the quality of the movie.

[goldenspines]

[quote="Mr. Hat'n'Clogs (post: 1522027)"]I was thinking about abstaining this round, because these two things are pretty hard to compare, except then I realized Redline has the best chance of stopping Madoka, so <Ｒ] Actually, I think Penguindrum has the best chance out of all of the choices to beat Madoka.

[snipped for time and needlessness]

[Falx]

[quote="blkmage (post: 1522033)"]<ち]

I was going to vote redline, but you changed my mind.

<ちはやふる>

[mechana2015]

There's something to be said about executing well and Redline does that. That said, it's not particularly hard to do so, it's a matter of going wild on CARS GOING FAST and restraining yourself from doing anything that detracts from that. It's just the nature of the thing, so it can't really be blamed for that.

Like I said, it shouldn't be hard to make an exciting racing movie but I think the fact that Redline gets praised for doing so says more about the genre than it speaks to the quality of the movie.

A good argument, aside from not actually touching on why I like the movie so much. (Actual racing is only about 20 minutes of the movie, it's the other hour of material that really sells it.) I could understand your dislike since you presume it's nothing but racing, but in reality, the racing is pretty much the bun of the show. It's at the beginning and end and pretty tasty, but it's all the stuff in the middle that makes it delicious, otherwise you'd just be eating some pretty good toasted bread.

Also, racing is very hard to make exciting, actually. As a person who has watched a decent amount of car racing, live, in movies and animated, I'd say it's more like trying to direct a martial arts sequence. Improperly handled it looks flat, boring and it's hard to tell what's going on. It's actually somewhat rare for someone to take the time to choreograph a race sequence in a movie well enough that it can be of interest to both the people who sort of automatically like cars going fast, and those who don't.

Initial D comes to mind as one that only can appeal to people who are particularly interested in drift racing. Similarly in real life, most car racing is HARD to make interesting for people that are just dropping in, due to the technical knowledge, and personal required to make the sport interesting. NASCAR often sells interest in it's races more on the personality of it's drivers than on watching cars drive very fast in a circle for three hours. It's actually really difficult to film even the fastest races without making them look pretty static and uninteresting. Redline really does excel in this area as well, keeping their races length down and focusing on the most important action so we can draw an accurate conclusion from the segments presented as to how the race worked, and more importantly, how the race tied to the story of the entire movie.

For me it's not that it's a really good genre movie, it's that it's a really good movie. Period.

[TWWK]

<ちはやふる>

1. Every episode has been excellent. And not only that - the series is getting better and better.

2. Chihaya is a terrific lead character. Take note, Last Exile - Fam the Silver Wing, this is a character who is relentlessly optimistic without being annoying.

3. The supporting characters are surprisingly likable. When Arata largely exited the series, I thought it would be a major loss. But not only has Taichi become so likeable that I think most people would rather him end up with Chahaya, but the other club members are all interesting in their own ways.

[MomentOfInertia]

<ＲＥＤＬＩＮＥ>

I need to remember to vote earlier in the bracket, Mech and Goldy already covered everything I was going to say.

So, uh, yeah Redline is great for reasons previously stated.

[FllMtl Novelist]

I'm sure Madoka would (and might?) mercilessly crush it anyway, but I'm voting for Chihaya.

<ちはやふる>

Redline is an excellent fun movie, and I liked it a lot. Its art, characters, and story were all very nice.

But... despite my general pessimism towards the genre, I think I've always wanted to enjoy a romance if only it were done differently (from what else I've seen at least) and well. Thus far, Chihayafuru has done both. I doubt it's exactly 'original', but it's a far cry from Kuragehime (which while being one of my favorites has a rather boring romance side of things) and all the other silly or stupid things I've read or watched. Chihayafuru has heart, our heroine actually thinks about things other than her romantic interest(s), and the karuta games have been pretty cool too. So assuming its ending doesn't anger me for some reason, I expect to enjoy this series on a completely different level higher than how I enjoyed Redline.

I also pay respects to Chihayafuru for nearly making me cry in episode 3. That is not an easy thing to almost-do.

[MasterDias]

<ちはやふる>

the other takes something that's boring and makes it exciting and emotional.

I think I said why I liked this before previously so I won't reiterate. Instead, I'll be the third person to quote blkmage. This basically encapsulates what I think.

But I'll also shamelessly admit I haven't seen Redline. I sort of have trouble getting around to movies unless they are part of a franchise I'm already invested in.

[blkmage]

Redline: 5
Chihayafuru: 6


[font="Times New Roman"]OVERCOMING SHYNESS[/font]
[SIZE="5"]Bunny Drop [font="Times New Roman"]vs.[/font] The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya[/SIZE]
<うさドロ> ★ <ＳＯＳ団>

[SIZE="4"]Bunny Drop (うさぎドロップ)[/SIZE]
Serious business Yotsuba&!
Rank: 7
Aired: Summer 2011
Studio: Production I.G.
Director: Kamei Kanta
Cast: Tsuchida Hirosshi, Matsuura Ayu
Adaptation: Manga by Unita Yumi
Defeated: Bakuman 2, Star Driver, Hanasaku Iroha, Nichijou
Voting Code: <うさドロ>

[SIZE="4"]The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの消失)[/SIZE]
YUKI.N> Ready?
Rank: 3
Aired: Winter 2010
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Director: Takemoto Yasuhiro
Cast: Hirano Aya, Chihara Minori, Sugita Tomokazu
Adaptation: Light novel by Tanigawa Nagaru
Defeated: Fate/zero, Guilty Crown, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Persona 4
Voting Code: <ＳＯＳ団>

Voting closes on 20 December at 2300 EST.

[Neane]

Well, I just re-watched The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (Which [I][I]is[/I][/I] good.) Normally I hate Haruhi but I admit the the movie is really good. But it did not really have a soul in it, it was just really an experience. Usagi Drop on the other hand has the experience factor and the soul in it and also it connects with me better. (Also, it is now one of my all time favorite anime series.)

<うさドロ>

[TWWK]

I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Usagi Drop winning this one. Funny, touching, and subtle, I went in each week expecting to be bored and came out wanting more. And as a parent, I thought it really rang true for a lot of what parents go through, emotionally if not physically.

But The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya was simply one of the best anime movies I've ever seen, and may be the only anime in this competition that I've given a perfect score to on my Anime Planet list (Mawaru Penguindrum may end up being the other). It takes a property that is already full of brilliant stuff - characters, plot, interesting writing, etc. - and cranks it up a notch with beautiful animation (including some really wonderful backgrounds and settings), a compelling story (especially so because we know the characters so well), and throwing in some real dire, violent moments that really surprised me. GREAT film.

<ＳＯＳ団>

[blkmage]

Normally I hate Haruhi but I admit the the movie is really good. But it did not really have a soul in it, it was just really an experience.

I'm confused as to how you expected to find that the movie had soul in it when you don't have any investment in its characters since you hate Haruhi.

[A_Yellow_Dress]

(YES! I can finally vote! )

I really like the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, I really do. The movie was so perfectly executed, with tons of new character development (Here's looking at you Nagato and Kyon! XD). The animation is top notch, and this movie is a great way to make up to those angered fans who hated the endless eight. (I didn't hate the endless eight, just saying.) It is no surprise that it has made it this far. (However, you really ought to have some knowledge of the whole Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya franchise before jumping into it.)

But, in my opinion, when held up against Usagi Drop..... Usagi Drop wins. There's something about how incredibly heartwarming this series is. I love it to pieces and want to share it with everyone I know. I am a total and complete fangirl. The animation here is also really pretty.

I swear, the theme song gets stuck in my head every time I listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv7cZzFV03M

So my vote:

<うさドロ>

[Vii]

<ＳＯＳ団>

It's just so darn good!
TWWK already said a lot of what I was thinking. I love the animation, plot, characters, just...everything.

I guess I'll just say a little about each part then:
Animation - Extremely well done. It reminds me of a less elaborate Makoto Shinkai movie (I adore the backgrounds in his movies.)
Plot/Story - Having never read the novels, I had no clue what the story was about (Other than that Haruhi disappeared. lulz.). I was honestly surprised at who was behind everything. And, of course...*SQUEEEEE*...near the end
Music - I loved the BG music. Gymnopedie No.1, anyone?
Characters - Yeah, this movie gets the benefit of the characters being pre-established, but it gives Kyon and few other characters a lot of character development. That, along with the plot and animation, makes for a great movie.
Rewatchability - This is just a bonus thing, but I've seen the movie about four times in total now, twice subbed, twice dubbed, and each time it manages to grab my attention and pull me into the story. I think that's worth mentioning.

[Atria35]

<うさドロ>

I admit to not having seen Disappearance, but Usagi Drop won my heart over a year ago when I started reading the manga. The anime was just another form of that amazing series.

And I don't really like Haruhi.

[ich1990]

Bah, I don't know why I even try. These threads hate me.