Fall 2023 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Fall 2023 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I'm excited to shout out my superlatives for the season!

(Original) Anime Of The Season

Apothecary Diaries is my pick for the anime of the season and I love the fact that there's so much more of this show to go! Once again part of me wonders if maybe I'm jumping the gun here by choosing this show to be my favorite of the season given that it's only halfway over but the rest of me thinks that it was leaps and bounds better than any other seasonal anime that isn't a sequel so I can't help but choose it anyway. By now you probs all know that I love romance anime but I also love detective shows and period dramas so the fact that this anime has all three plus an amazing protagonist, a fun cast, and beautiful world building really just makes this show built for me! I love that the show is so dark given that this story exists in a world with extremely harsh circumstances for anyone who was born poor or a woman and yet there's comedy in the way our protagonist interacts with the world with her sense of pragmatism. I'm so curious to see where this story takes us.

Runner Up - Tearmoon Empire

Hidden Gem 

Tearmoon Empire is my pick for hidden gem of the season. I am truly such a sucker for villainess anime the way most guys are suckers for power fantasy isekais (which always makes me laugh when people complain oh no there's another villainess show when literally we get one a season whereas there is always at least two or three isekais a season!) so I'm always up to check out a new one whether I finish it or not. Fortunately this one ended up being my more favorite of the two airing this season and the kicker is that it's not a typical villainess anime because it actually involves time travel where this anime's version of Marie Antoinette goes back in time to try to save her life by fixing all the problems that led her to be beheaded. The comedy in this show is fantastic and so tongue-in-cheek and I love the romance that blooms in this show but the thing I love the most is the slow burn mystery in discovering who actually was behind her original downfall.

Runner Up - MF Ghost

Best Sequel 

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is the best sequel of this season and though it had a bit of competition especially at the start of this season honestly after the Shibuya arc I can't think of any other sequel I enjoyed more. Now I will be talking spoilers from here on out so if you're not caught up in either the anime or the manga step away now. Okay? Okay. So seriously I did not expect as many deaths as happened or for the show to go as dark as it did! I mean I grew up on shounens like Naruto and Fairy Tail and even My Hero and Demon Slayer recently and through all of those shows I've basically been trained to believe that the power of friendship and goodness with defeat all so our protags never really have to go through that much darkness or lose people that aren't mentors or part of their backstory! Here we have not only two mentors taken out (though one isn't dead) but also one of the people who I really thought was one of our main trio! I love that Sakuna took over and slaughtered so many people and left Itadori reeling over how he failed to save so many people. This show does a fantastic job stripping down a character who starts out the typical shounen protag who's just excited to be here and help out to realizing the world is hard and that he can't just snap his fingers and fix things! I can't wait to see more.

Runner Up - Spy x Family Season 2

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Apothecary Diaries had the best animation this season and seriously this show had no right to go as hard as it did! From the beautiful animation style that switched from ethereal to chibi to the saturated color palette made it such a pleasure to watch!

Runner Up - Rurouni Kenshin

Best OP 

Special Z by King Gnu from Jujustu Kaisen is the best OP of the season. It's so haunting and lovely to listen to and the scenes that playout really make you want to watch it every time!

Runner Up - Hana ni Natte by Ryokuoushoku Shakai from Apothecary Diaries

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

Maomao from Apothecary Diaries is my protagonist of the season because she really was the most interesting character to follow this season. I did have a bit of trouble choosing between her and Itadori but in the end I went with Maomao cause I feel like Apothecary Diaries did more this season to give her character than Jujutsu Kaisen did with Itadori (he was more rectory.) I love that Maomao isn't the typical "not like other girls" protagonist of a period drama in which the character is basically a woman from the modern world fighting against the rules of the society cause seriously there's no way those kind of characters would do anything in one of these period dramas but get killed! Maomao actually feels like she's grown up in this world where society is not good to those who are poor and those who are women. She doesn't like to get involved in other people's business unless she has to cause she knows that commoners can be killed for less. She hides her beauty behind freckles in order to keep men away and yet she's still so kind and caring even if she tries to hide it under her hard exterior that she's built to survive. 

Runner Up - Itadori Yuji from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

Mahito and the Curses from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 are my antagonists of the season cause they seriously accomplished things in this one season that most shounen antagonists can't achieve across like 100 episodes! They are so dark and twisted and part of me still doesn't exactly understand their motivations outside of wanting to cause harm to humans and sorcerers but the rest of me has trust in the writer of this show to slowly tell us what they want later. I love that they had such a great plan from the start and also had multiple back ups in case Plan A failed but more than that they were actually able to achieve their intended goal. They wanted to capture Gojo and cause havoc and they accomplished both. All the deaths they caused were added benefits!

Runner Up - Bastard Children Of Sabaramond from Dead Mount Death Play

Ship Of The Season

Mia Luna Tearmoon and Abel Remno from Tearmoon Empire are my ship of the season cause they're honestly so cute! Mia having traveled back in time to save herself from being killed for being a tyrant is still very selfish and really only thinks about herself despite circumstances honestly conspiring around her to make others think she's this benevolent and wise ruler. Abel is a playboy with a chip on his shoulder and a boatload of insecurity towards his older brother and Prince Sion who's the model of what a prince should be. It's only once these two are together that they start bringing out the best in each other. Abel wants to make Mia proud and work hard to prove to her and himself that he can be good. Mia starts to put his wants and needs first rather than her own in both a metaphorical and physical sense. And that's not even mentioning that their blushing and embarrassing scenes are totally precious on their own!

 

Runner Up - Kaoru Kamiya and Kenshin Himura from Ruroni Kenshin

So now that concludes my Fall 2023 anime awards and I'll definitely see you all at the end of the Winter 2024 season but do keep an eye out for my Year Ends Awards which starts tomorrow with my Top 10 Movies Of 2023!

xoxo Allie

Summer 2023 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Summer 2023 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I'm excited to shout out my superlatives for the season!

(Original) Anime Of The Season

Rurouni Kenshin is my pick for the anime of the season which may or may not be a slight cheat cause while technically this anime isn't a sequel it is a remake of one of my favorite early 2000s anime. In my defense though I usually stick to choosing anime that aren't sequels for this category so I think ultimately it counts. I also know that the writer for the original manga for this anime is not a good person on so many levels but honestly I can't help but separate the art from the artist in this case cause I adore this story so much. I really am such a fan of this remake so far cause while it's still hitting the same beats the original story did, the story and characters have been tweaked slightly in order to modernize them. Kaoru especially benefited cause she's no longer the butt of every joke especially with her crush on Kenshin which low key feels requited much earlier than expected! 

Also as a side bar Zom 100 really was going to win this category for so long only to lose my interest because of it's terrible airing schedule!

Runner Up - Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead 

Hidden Gem 

Dark Gathering is my pick for hidden gem of the season and I seriously think not enough people have checked this anime out! I know technically this show is supposed to be a horror anime and though I'm not sure that anything in this anime is all that scary something about the tone of the show, animation style, and story gives me the perfect amount of creepiness to have a blast! I love that this show is able to balance the cutesy character designs with short shots of creepy faces and the dark tone of what the story is telling without giving you whiplash. Our main trio is so interesting and fleshed out in their own ways and I seriously adore that there's no harem for our main lead cause I can't tell you how tired I am of that trope! I did wish that we had spent a bit more time on the evil spirit that Yayoi was hunting for but I also really liked each evil spirit of the week.

Runner Up - Undead Murder Farce

Best Sequel 

Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 is definitely the best sequel of this season hands down. I actually can't believe that we managed to have two new seasons for this show in one year and that makes me so happy cause not only do I adore this show so I'm always down for more, season 4 and season 5 tell the same continuous story so it's nice to not have to wait that long for the continuation. I'm just such a fan of the way this show fleshes out it's ensemble cast and tells it's stories in this hopeful tone that makes you want to believe the best in people. I also really love how devious and well thought out our villains are this season cause it really feels like for the first time our Detective Agency is playing defense rather than offense which leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering how they're going to be able to turn it all around cause duh there's no way they lose!

Runner Up - Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead had the best animation this season. This whole anime is just a love letter with how detailed the animation is. I loved the way the show uses color or the lack thereof to show us how bleak life is when you're depressed v when you're living life to the fullest.

Runner Up - Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2

Best OP 

Spiral by Longman from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 is the best OP of the season cause not only is it so nice to listen to but I love the way the visuals in the OP fit the somber tone of the song and the somber tone of the season given that it's all about Rudy finding his way after Eris left him.

Runner Up - Tetsu No Ori by GRANRODEO from Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

Miyo Saimori from My Happy Marriage is my protagonist of the season cause of all the protagonists I've watched across all the anime this season, Miyo was the one that had the strongest character growth! She starts out the show this quiet and meek girl who apologizes at the drop of a hat after having been mentally, emotionally, and physically abused her entire life. She never voices her own opinions or stands against what she's told to do even if she disagrees until she meets Kiyoka. After being given the space to actually be a person and not just an object and affection from all those in the Kudo household, Miyo slowly learns not to hide. She is able to say when she wants something and say no when she doesn't. Of course like most people she does regress a bit when she meets the Usuba by being unable to voice her opinions but after a time is able to once again be stubborn about wanting what she wants and it was so fun to experience across this show.

Runner Up - Keitarou Gentouga from Dark Gathering

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

The Hunting Dogs from Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 are my antagonists of the season cause like I said in my best sequel section, the Hunting Dogs actually felt like the first villains across the 5 seasons I've watched of this show to actually feel like they have the Detective Agency with their backs to the wall! Usually the Detective Agency is running circles around their antagonists but the Hunting Dogs managed to wreak such havoc that they not only separated the Detective Agency members from each other physically (when we know they're stronger together!) but they removed all the Detective Agency's allies from the situation through making them out to be terrorists and they even hurt so many of her members to the degree that if this were another show I'd be wondering if they were actually dead!

Runner Up - Geto Suguru from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Ship Of The Season

Kaoru Kamiya and Kenshin Himura from Ruroni Kenshin are my ship of the season and maybe that's cheating again cause of all the couples that I actually watched this season, Kaoru and Kenshin might be the only one that actually haven't had any real romantic moments yet but in my mind the fact that I've seen so many versions of this story in which these two are a couple that I think it counts! I just love everything about these two! I love that Kaoru is one of the first people that Kenshin meets in his life since the war that gives him a safe place to put his head down. She doesn't judge him for his past or require anything from him outside of companionship. Meanwhile his one trigger is her. He'll be calm and in control 99% of the time until Kaoru's kidnapped or in danger and I think that's such a trope that I adore.

 

Runner Up - Miyo Saimori and Kiyoka Kudo from My Happy Marriage

And with that I'll see you all in the Fall 2023 Season!! Here's hoping that we get a better crop to choose from!

xoxo Allie

Spring 2023 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Spring 2023 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I'm excited to shout out my superlatives for the season!

(Original) Anime Of The Season

Oshi no Ko is my pick for the anime of the season and seriously you if haven't seen this anime yet you definitely have to! The first episode was a full hour long and it will give you whiplash with how many different genres of anime it goes through until it finally settles into what it will be and I loved that about it! I am also low key fascinated with shows that focus on celebrities and though I've seen a lot of kdramas about idols, I don't think I've really watched an anime about them that isn't focused on handsome bois doing handsome things or pretty girls doing pretty things. I was fascinated that this show actually looks at the dark side of the entertainment industry without sugarcoating anything and yet gives you enough reason to understand why someone would even bother getting into such a dark world! The main lead is so grey in terms of his morality and it makes it so fun to watch him play everyone else like a puppet.

Runner Up - Heavenly Delusion 

Hidden Gem 

My Love Story With Yamada-kun At Lv999 is my pick for hidden gem of the season. I really do have such a soft spot for romance anime so when one actually hits and hits hard I'm thrilled. A lot of romance anime either fall apart in the middle or have so much will they won't they misunderstandings in them that I get bored but this show managed to balance character development and emotional growth alongside a growing romance. The leads changed as people separately and found a groove together and I loved that about them. This show also had an amazing supporting cast that were fleshed out and given time to shine on their own so they didn't just feel like props for the leads. 

Runner Up - Skip & Loafer

Best Sequel 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Swordsmith Village Arc is definitely the best sequel of this season which might be a bit unfair cause duh it's Demon Slayer but how can you not be so hyped about this show?? I mean okay in all fairness the middle chunk of this season did falter a bit but then the ending hit so hard that I ended up forgiving everything else! I mean Nezuko literally became a daywalker and she can speak now which makes me so excited cause I've loved her but felt like she got such a raw deal with how she couldn't speak! I do wonder why this season highlights two Hashira rather than just one like the previous two seasons cause it gave us less time to emotionally connect to either Tokito or Kanroji and less time to see everyone in action.

Runner Up - Birdie Wing: Golf Girl's Story Season 2

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Swordsmith Village Arc had the best animation this season which once again might be cheating cause if Demon Slayer can't do anything else it's animation will always hit.

Runner Up - Oshi no Ko

Best OP 

Idol by Yoasobi from Oshi no Ko is the best OP of the season. It truly slaps no matter how many times I listen to it!

Runner Up - Innocent Arrogance by BiSH from Heavenly Delusion

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

Aquamarine Hoshino from Oshi no Ko is my protagonist of the season because like I said in my original anime of the season section, I'm fascinated with him as a lead. He's not our typical anime protagonist cause he's not idealistic or kind or forgiving. In fact most of the typical protagonist traits went to his twin sister Ruby who could support an argument that she's the co-lead of this show but in all actuality we spend most of show in Aqua's head and I'm more interested in the way he's playing everyone. Aqua is ambitious and obsessive and cunning. He's able to read a person and play whatever character they need him to be and yet he's still not a villain cause he's doing all these twisted things in order to solve him mother's murder. Underneath it all he's still a good kid and it's just his singleminded focus and PTSD that seem to stop him from acting as anything but cold and calculating.

Runner Up - Chise Hatori from Ancient Magnus Bride Season 2

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

Aoi Amawashi from Birdie Wing: Golf Girl's Story Season 2 is my antagonist of the season and maybe you're surprised by this cause Aoi isn't actually a villain like my usual picks but by definition an antagonist is simply just someone who acts in opposition to the protagonist and no where does it say that this person can't be a good or even a low key love interest! All that to say that I find that I no longer really watch that many anime that have clear cut heroes and villains so it opens up the antagonist pool if I don't just focus on villains. If I did that the demons from Demon Slayer would be my only option to choose and I really didn't care for either of them from this season so I went with Aoi. Aoi was the reason that Eve went to Japan and joined the Golf school in the first place and she's also the reason that she left and went back home to find her family and go pro. She was the reason that Eve was able to fight hard enough to create her own golf and to come in number 2 in the competition!

Runner Up - Demons from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Swordsmith Village Arc

Ship Of The Season

Raeliana McMillan and Noah Volstaire Wynknight from The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke's Mansion are my ship of the season which is hysterical cause they didn't even end up together by the end like Yamada and Akane but I was just fascinated by these two. Whereas most guys are obsessed with overpowered isekai harem shows my guilty pleasure is definitely a villainess anime and I especially love when the lead isn't the typical soft sweet naive heroine. I loved that Raeliana and Noah both had schemes of their own and wanted things for themselves and yet fell in love with each other anyway. I love that he was fascinated by her wit and intelligence and she his gentle nature despite the coldness he shows to the world. She was able outwit him several times and he was down to do crazy things for her even before he realized she meant anything to him. It also low key helps that I've read the manga for this show and I know where the story goes!

 

Runner Up - Akane Kinoshita and Akito Yamada from My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999

And with that I'll see you all in the Summer 2023 Season!! Here's hoping that we get a better crop to choose from!

xoxo Allie

Winter 2023 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Winter 2023 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I'm excited to shout out my superlatives for the season!

(Original) Anime Of The Season

Blue Lock is my pick for the anime of the season and like maybe it's cheating slightly given that this show is a continuing one from Fall of 2022 but I really couldn't find it in myself to pick any other original anime to win cause of how Blue Lock was leagues better than everything else! For the longest time I wasn't the biggest fan of sports anime but in the last few years I've found myself enjoying more and more of them cause they really are just shounen anime set in the real world and I find that sports shows that focus on the crazy over-the-top action like shounen do are exactly my cup of tea which is exactly what Blue Lock does. I mean this show's entire premise is literally that soccer is not a team sport and that the teams that will win are the ones full of selfish egocentric players which is hilarious and wrong cause of all the sports soccer definitely is entirely based on the team but I had so much fun watching this show anyway! It was basically one big tournament arc and I loved seeing our characters grow and I can't wait for more!

Runner Up - Tomo-Chan Is A Girl!

Hidden Gem 

High Card is my pick for hidden gem of the season. This show basically follows the idea of what if 24 playing cards was spread out around the world and each card gave it's user a superpower. We follow one team that works for the government in order to collect the cards back to keep the peace but they're constantly running up against a mafia who's also trying to collect cards in order to rule the underground world. It's full of action and adventure but there's also a heavy focus on character development as we really get to dig into each character and what makes them tic. I honestly haven't heard of anyone watching this which is totally unfortunate cause it's a fun heist show!

Runner Up - Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

Best Sequel 

My Hero Academia Season 6 is definitely the best sequel of this season though it only just beat out Bungo Stray Dogs cause the second half of season 6 really took everything that we thought we knew and tossed it on it's head. Manga readers have been hyping up the first half of season 6 for years and I was a bit let down by it if I'm being honest. I mean don't get me wrong it was really good but I just wasn't that emotionally invested until we got to everything with Endeavor and the Todorokis and then we did a time skip and suddenly Deku was finally an interesting protagonist! I have been saying since almost the start of this anime that I always found it hilarious that this show literally took every part of a hero's backstory and growth arc and gave it to Shoto who's a side character while Deku's only character motivation was that he was good. I also hated how overpowered Shigaraki felt in the first half of season 6 cause I could not picture how Deku would be able to keep up with him let alone defeat him but somehow the second half of season 6 made me fully get on board. I loved that he went on a lone wolf arc but that he ended up right back with his classmates knowing that they are his strength. I also low key feel like with half of the pro-heroes quitting that we can finally return the focus back to the kids cause that was my other problem with this show and how they kept struggling to balance the pros with the kids.

Runner Up - Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale had the best animation this season cause it was just so unique. I haven't seen another show animated in this way maybe ever! I loved that everything was so soft and bubbly and pink and yet there was such a dark undertone to this show given that it's literally about enslaving fairies. Every character looked different from each other and the way the fairy wings and the sugar sculptures sparkled was magical!

Runner Up - High Card

Best OP 

Giri Giri Ride It Out by Fantastics from Welcome To Demon School Iruma-kun Season 3 is the best OP of the season. It was a jam like every other Demon School op!

Runner Up - True Story by Screen Mode from Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

Midoriya Izuku from My Hero Academia Season 6 is my protagonist of the season cause like I said in my best sequel section, this second half of season 6 finally gave Deku something else to do outside of just being good. His ideals were finally challenged for the first time when he struggled to decide whether killing one person to save many more would be just or not. He struggled to work as a team cause he was worried his presence would bring harm but he also struggled to be a solo hero cause he still needed the help of others to keep him grounded. I love that he finally had an arc and yet in the end he learned that his best place is by the side of his classmates who give him the strength to fight. He learned that being All Might isn't just about fighting bad guys but about giving hope to those who are hopeless!

Runner Up - Yamano Mitsuha from Saving 80, 000 Gold in Another World For My Retirement

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

Decay Of Angels from Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4 are my antagonists of the season. They are actually the first villains in this show that actually feel like they can outmaneuver our Armed Detective Agency. I mean they even were able to get the government to turn on our heroes and perceive them as the terrorists they were hunting in the first. Almost every step our Detective Agency has taken was already planned out by the Angels and we even lost a few members (though I'm sure we'll get them back.) The craziest thing is that we've only met three of the 5 angels and given that they're scarier than any of the Guild or the Port Mafia members we've been introduced to, I can't wait to meet the other angel let alone the leader! On that note I am super curious about why the leader has taken such a backseat since it really does feel like Fyodor is running the show so far.

Runner Up - Tsukumogami from Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari

Ship Of The Season

Aizawa Tomo and Kubota Junichiro from Tomo-Chan Is A Girl! are my ship of the season and really there was no competition cause they were the only ship this season that actually sailed. We got a full story from these two with how they fell for each other, confessed, and started dating where in most romance anime we don't even get a confession. I loved that these two really loved each other for exactly who they were so neither had to change themselves for the other to like them despite thinking they did. I loved that Jun was always in love with Tomo though he pushed down his feelings out of fear of losing Tomo if he did say something and I loved how much their friends shipped them together! 

 

Runner Up - Kunato Hyoma and Nagatsuki Botan from Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari

And with that I'll see you all in the Spring 2023 Season!! Here's hoping that we get a better crop to choose from!

xoxo Allie

Fall 2022 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Fall 2022 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I'm excited to shout out my superlatives for the season!

(Original) Anime Of The Season

I'm The Villainess, So I'm Taming The Final Boss is my pick for the anime of the season. This might be a low key cop out cause you know I'm a sucker for this new genre of anime in which we see our hero isekai-ed into the villainess of the comic but I loved this one so so so much more than the previous villainess anime I've watched cause Aileen was a star here. She was still a bit of a airhead but not to the degree Katarina was cause it felt like Aileen picked up some of her character's evil traits but just enough so she wouldn't be a placemat for others. She was able to solve every problem that came her way through her own intelligence and with the help of a few minions that she handpicked. I loved that we got multiple story arcs throughout the season so everything felt fast paced and I loved the romance!

Runner Up - Chainsaw Man

Hidden Gem 

Raven Of The Inner Palace is my pick for hidden gem of the season cause I truly don't think anyone was watching this gem of a show. I really don't think I've ever seen another anime with the setting in an imperial palace harem other than one anime from long ago that I only ever watched half of. I wonder if it's cause China was more into the palace dramas than Japan was but I imagine at some point in Japanese history we had Emperors so it's an uptapped market! Either way this show was basically saying what if ghosts and the supernatural existed and the Emperor worked alongside one of his consorts to hunt down these ghosts. The music in this show was incredible as was the animation and directing and story!

Runner Up - Blue Lock

Best Sequel 

Spy x Family Season 1 Part 2 is definitely the best sequel of this season and there really was no competition based on how much I adore Spy x Family! This second season gave us more of everything we loved in the first half! More cute Anya faces! More wacky plots! More hijinks! But seriously I liked seeing the small bits of character development we got across the season. Loid and Yor are starting to fall in love given the fact that they don't want the other to find a better partner and Loid is starting to see Anya and Yor more as his family and less as tools in his mission. I imagine that eventually he'll take the two of them with him if he ever leaves. Anya and Damian are still hilariously adorable together and I ship them so hard.

Runner Up - My Hero Academia Season 6

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Raven Of The Inner Palace had the best animation this season and seriously you only need to look at one scene in this show to know why. I love the soft colors and dreamy aesthetic of this show as well as the unique character designs.

Runner Up - Blue Lock

Best OP 

True Fool Love by Liyuu from More Than A Married Couple, But Not Lovers is the best OP of the season. The lyrics are so catchy and the music makes you want to dance.

Runner Up - Kyо̄kan Sarenakute mo Ii Janai by Rie Takahashi from I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

Aileen Lauren D'Autriche from I'm The Villainess, So I'm Taming The Final Boss is my protagonist of the season and you might have actually guessed this from when I was gushing about her earlier! I absolutely adore Aileen to pieces cause she totally takes everything she knows about the otome game she is in and uses it to her advantage which is usually not a thing that female protags do. She is able to solve every problem that comes her way and yet is airheaded enough to act as the female lead when accidentally seducing capture targets after she uses the lines that should win them over. I love that she's unafraid to be a bitch when she has to and at every moment she's ready to thrown down to get what she deserves.

Runner Up - Fran from Reincarnated As A Sword

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

The League Of Villains from My Hero Academia are my antagonists of the season and like maybe that's cheating cause unlike a lot of other antagonists in this season we have had 6 seasons to get to know these bad guys over the others but I can't help but choose them anyway! I mean what other antagonists have had a full half season to give us their backstories to the degree that we low key start to see them as the heroes of their stories the way they see themselves. You feel pity for how society failed them and see that a lot of them could have been heroes in their own rights if only society was built better! The time spent with them is so intense that you even start to wonder if the heroes even have the power to defeat them!

Runner Up - Lilia Reinoise from I'm The Villainess, So I'm Taming The Final Boss

Ship Of The Season

Aileen Lauren D'Autriche and Claude Jean Elmeyer from I'm The Villainess, So I'm Taming The Final Boss are my ship of the season cause they were absolutely the cutest couple this season had from the moment we saw the two on screen together. I absolutely adore the dynamic between the two where Aileen has all these goals and missions and wants and Claude sort of just fangirls for her from behind giving her support when she needs and otherwise not doing anything unless it has to do with her. He didn't even want to become Crown Prince until Aileen's dad was like yo Aileen wants to be the future Queen so you need to step up. I love that they're so in love with each other that they would never allow anyone to step in the middle and they trust each other so much.

 

Runner Up - Eliana Veilstein and Christopher Selkirk Ascherald from Bibliophile Princess

And with that I'll see you all in the Winter 2023 Season!! Here's hoping that we get a better crop to choose from!

xoxo Allie

Summer 2022 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Summer 2022 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I have to say that this season was a bit rough cause I don't know if I really enjoyed any show more than a bit other than maybe one.

(Original) Anime Of The Season

Call Of The Night is my pick for the anime of the season. I really was shocked at how much I ended up enjoying this show cause honestly other than Case Study Of Vanitas, I haven't been all that fond of any vampire animes that I've watched recently. I went into this hoping that at least I'd get a cute-ish romance and luckily I got that and more. I love the way this show portrays the night and I love the relationship between our leads. The environment is something that can only exist in Japan given how dangerous it is in most other countries to be out and about in the middle of the night but it also plays with our fantasies of wanting to be vampires and live without any expectations. I love watched our leads go from strangers to friends to lovers!

Runner Up - The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting

Hidden Gem 

My Isekai Life: I Gained A Second Character Class And Became The Strongest Sage In The World is my pick for hidden gem of the season and really I was torn between this one and a few more but since I'm isekai trash why not go with this one?? I know that this show and Black Summoner are basically the same show copy and pasted with a few changes here and there but something about this one spoke to me more than the other! I think if you're in comedy then this is the one for you cause I live for the voices that are given to the slimes and Proud Wolf. I also find it completely hilarious that our lead is somehow who does not care a bit about the world's politics or story and really only ever gets involved indirectly when it helps him find food or peace. 

Runner Up - Fuuto Pi

Best Sequel 

Made In Abyss Season 2 is definitely the best sequel of this season because I just find the world of this show so fascinating. I love that we have no idea why the world of this show is the way that it is or who our main characters even are or what keeps them alive physically. So many shows and movies feel a need to spoon feed us exposition but here we get piece by piece as the characters do. Each progressive episode and in turn season takes us to a darker and darker world as if the depth of the Abyss is pulling out more darkness inside. I am so emotionally attached to our main trio but the thing this show does so well on top of that is make you care about new characters that appear as well making you wish that they would join our journey south.

Runner Up - Overlord Season 4

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Call Of The Night had the best animation this season and really it's so competition. The color palette, art direction, character design, and sweeping backgrounds take your breath away as you watch and there is no way anyone who sees an image of this show wouldn't recognize it immediately which is another sign that the animation is special.

Runner Up - Yurei Deco

Best OP 

Daten by Creepy Nuts from Call Of The Night is the best OP of the season. It's upbeat and jazzy and totally makes you wanna dance like a vampire!

Runner Up - Hollow Hunger by OxT from Overlord Season 4

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

Momonga from Overlord Season 4 is my protagonist of the season cause I absolutely adore the fact that Momonga is so different from the typical isekai protagonist! We also hear about how good villains think they're the heroes of their story but this is the first time we actually see that on screen cause Momonga is truly the villain in this world! He does not care about humans or their lives outside of how they help or hinder him and he's ready to torture, kill, or manipulate them at a moment's notice. Despite that I also love that he has such a love for his old comrades and that he desperately looks for the day that he finds them again. It's also so fun that his subordinates are so loyal and that he's kind of a bumbling fool in terms of leading them but that he hides it so well that everyone he meets thinks he's playing 4D chess with them!

Runner Up - Chisato Nishikigi from Lycoris Recoil

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

The shadows from Summer Time Rendering are my antagonists of the season cause honestly there weren't that many villains for me to choose from. Having said that, I'm not saying that the shadows are nothing cause actually the shadows are totally terrifying in their own right and I loved watching our heroes slowly uncover what they were. The fact that their goal is to return home gives them a bit of complexity which prevents the audience from just seeing them as tools and I love how intelligent they are given that they have been planning this for decades and decades. Our heroes lost to them so many times and in so many different ways that it really shows how terrifying the shadows are!

Runner Up - Class C from Classroom Of The Elite Season 2

Ship Of The Season

Nanakusa Nazuna and Yamori Kou from Call Of The Night are my ship of the season cause I loved the way the two balanced each other out! I think the best couples in media are the ones that fit the opposites attract trope and that's what we get here. Kou is quiet and broody and so unsure of himself while Nazuna is outgoing and flighty when we first met them but after spending time together Kou was able to gain more confidence in himself while Nazuna was able to get more serious. I love that they are each other's first loves and that they learn not only to grow together but also what's important for themselves.

 

Runner Up - Kofune Ushio and Ajiro Shinpei from Summertime Rendering

And with that I'll see you all in the Fall 2022 Season!! Here's hoping that we get a better crop to choose from!

xoxo Allie

Spring 2022 Anime Awards

Hey guys! The Spring 2022 Anime Season has officially come to a close this week and I have to say that this season was a bit rough cause I don't know if I really enjoyed any show more than a bit other than maybe one.

(Original) Anime Of The Season

Spy x Family is my pick for the anime of the season and really was there any doubt? All I heard since this show was first announced to be airing this season was the fact that the manga was out of this world which made me a bit nervous given that when you go into anything with too high expectations it always lets you down! To my surprise I found that this anime actually was everything I had wanted it to be and more! I love found families and that's exactly what we get here. The story isn't exactly all that deep in terms of plot cause I really do tune out everything that has to do with the East v West spy war that's going on cause the core of this show is the Forger family. I love that each of the family members has a secret that they are hiding from each other and that they all are pretending so much that it's clear that they really will become a family! Anya is a precious baby and needs to be protected while Loid and Yor are so incredibly worried about hiding themselves that they completely tune out the other's weird moments! I need more of this show yesterday!!

Runner Up - Dance Dance Danseur

Hidden Gem 

Dance Dance Danseur is my pick for hidden gem of the season. I actually went back-and-forth over what my pick for the season would be but in the end I decided to go with this anime because I actually didn't see anyone else really talk about it other than saying that it was animated very well. The funny thing about the show is that when I first started it I didn't think much of it but as the weeks went on I found myself continuously looking forward to the next episode. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite kdramas (Angel's Last Mission) given that it's set in the ballet world but more than that I love underdog stories! I love the love this show put into depicting how passionate people can be about a thing and I love the slow but deliberate way this story is being told. This whole chunk of episodes was entirely used to show Junpei's growth as a dancer and I loved how dark it got with Luou's backstory and how it ended with Junpei deciding that right now dancing was more important to him than anything else. This is another show that I really hope gets another season!

Runner Up - Birdie Wing Girls' Love Story

Best Sequel 

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic is definitely the best sequel of this season and really there was no competition. This third season was just as fun as the last two and I still live for the way this show uses love and confessions as the typical action shounen scenes but the thing that really stuck with me is the fact that this season actually moves the plot and the characters forward! Both Kaguya and Miyuki finally acknowledged their feelings for each other both to themselves and to other people and the ticking clock of Miyuki leaving for the States gives everyone a reason to stop dallying around and make some real moves! The next season will probably be the last but I can't wait to see how it wraps up!

Runner Up - Ascendance Of A Bookworm: Part III

Greatest Animation/Character Design

Dance Dance Danseur had the best animation this season! I mean every frame of this show was stunning to look at whether the characters were standing around talking or dancing! I also low key love the whole giraffe neck aesthetic cause it definitely separates them from other anime so there's no chance that someone would see them and not know immediately that a character was from this show!

Runner Up - Birdie Wing Girls' Love Story

Best OP 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Queendom from Ya Boy Kongming is the best OP of the season. It's honestly more of a jam than in should be from it's fast tempo to it's silly lyrics! I've definitely downloaded it already!

Runner Up - Giri Girl by Masayuki Suzuki from Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic

Protagonist(s) Of The Season

The Forgers from Spy x Family are actually my protagonists of the season and maybe it's cheating to have the whole family here but I really think Spy x Family wouldn't be the show it is without them! Loid is this perfectionist who tries to make moves without any emotions but it stuck in this mission with these people who don't follow his way so he has to learn to adapt and grow and find new creative ways of completing tasks. Yor is a cinnamon roll who will not hesitate to kill you yet she's also so naive about the ways of the world and humans. Anya is a child who's been experimented on and terrified of being abandoned again so she hides her telepathy but tries to help out her parents anyway. Despite all this the trio are a real family despite how much they would tell you they're not and I look forward to seeing more of them!

Runner Up - Murao Junpei from Dance Dance Danseur

Antagonist(s) Of The Season

Shiho Sawaragi from Tomodachi Game is my antagonist of the season and really she's my pick cause I didn't watch that many anime this season that had antagonists so here I am with little choice. Now don't get me wrong I totally could see Shiho being a great villain that I can clamp my teeth onto but the problem is that we're so early in this show that I don't know enough about her yet! I think it's fascinating that she and her dad are clearly running Tomodachi Game and that people around her keep dying or disappearing but she acts all innocent. It's clear that she knows that she's cute and that men want her and I bet that she knew that Kokorogi liked Yuuichi which is why she confessed to him first and pretended like she was into him. I really hope we get to see more of this show so I can probably dive into her psyche!

Runner Up - The Harem boys from Trapped In A Dating Sim: The World Of Otome Games Is Tough For Mobs

Ship Of The Season

Kaguya and Miyuki from Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ultra Romantic are my ship of the season. Despite there being a lot more canon ships this season that I have had for a while now, I still think these two are my favs of the bunch! There's just something so fun about how truly and utterly these two are head over heels for each other. They've been born in the exact opposite worlds and yet they've found a connection and seen that they are actually more alike than separate at all! I love that they like the things that other people think are flaws in each other and they are so sure of who they are that it doesn't bother them! 

 

Runner Up - Loid and Yor from Spy x Family

And with that I'll see you all in the Summer 2022 Season!! Here's hoping that we get a better crop to choose from!

xoxo Allie