Please do note that I watch only a handful of shows every season, because I’m not someone who’ll eat up every single shit Japan produces for otakus. (And I have life away from the PC.) So shows that made quite a fuzz this year that I haven’t seen (yet, but might pick up sometime), unfortunately won’t be able to included in my assessment. Therefore NO Cross Game, Natsume Yuujinchou, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Needless, Saki and sequels I have yet to see: Spice and Wolf II and Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. Also, there are anime that I avoided to watch because I’m already reading the manga: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Kimi ni Todoke, Hajime no Ippo New Challenger, Fairy Tail. Shows that will be included in this post and the Top 10 post are only those that STARTED within 2009.
I’m quite uncertain with this list, because I have yet to watch THREE films that have been shown this past year, which are I’m looking forward to. The second Rebuild of Evangelion movie, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Lagann-hen, and Higashi no Eden I. I’ll reserve my judgement for those for now.
Summer Wars
From the creator of Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, Summer Wars is definitely one of the best anime movie of 2009. Slick animation, understandable plot, and cool characters (designed by Eva-famed Sadamoto) made it a hit. The virtual world is Digimon-esque and I like it. The movie was targeted as a ‘family movie’ and created by ‘the next Miyazaki’ Hosoda-san, so this being good is expected. But...
Kara no Kyoukai 7: Satsujin Kousatsu
..we have a tie! The final installment of Kara no Kyoukai series is as always eyegasmic and eargasmic as the rest, but turned out to be more melodramatic rather than action-packed. But that what made this ending so likeable; without throwing insane shounen-esque battles and focus more on the Mikiya-Shiki relationship. This is basically second-best from the whole series, just a little behind the excellent fifth movie.
Runner-up: Cencoroll
Best OVA
Denpa Teki na Kanojo
Yanderes and other batshit insane characters are it's main point. The animation has some faults here there, but overall, it is pretty good to look at. At this point, only two episodes are shown, but they are great so far. I will be keeping an eye on this.
Best OP/ED Song
Kimi ga Shiranai Monogatari (Bakemonogatari)
There are certainly songs that are much musically appealing for me, such as school food punishment's Futuristic Imagination for Eden of the East. But this ED song from Bakemonogatari grew on me. And that's when I almost started to ARE GA ARUTAIRU DENEBU BEGA everyday.
Runner-up: Don’t Say Lazy (K-ON!), Futuristic Imagination (Higashi no Eden)
Best OST
Darker Than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini OST
I usually am not fond to listening to OSTs unless it's Yoko Kanno or Nobuo Uematsu. But DtB's soundtrack is not half-bad. Personally, my favorite would be Galaxy Train, because it is UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ. The runner-up, Aoi Bungaku, has some of the most-spine chilling tracks I've heard this year though.
Runner-up: Aoi Bungaku OST
Best Animation
Aoi Bungaku
Aoi Bungaku series has some of the best animation this year. The most beautifully animated story here would be Run, Melos! and Hell (which reminded me much of Jigoku Shoujo series.) By the way, I refuse to compare series with anime movies in terms of animation, because the latter is obviously has higher budget than most series.
Runner-up: Trapeze
Biggest Disappoinment of the Year
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu S2
What is it that made me drop this series after the fifth episode, even though I felt that the first season is good enough? ENDLESS EIGHT. 'Nuff said.
Runner-up: Umineko no Naku Koro ni (This could have been better, Studio DEEN. I'm disappointed, and to add to that, I haven't even played the VN.)
Tomorrow, I will be posting my TOP 10 ANIME OF 2009. So stay tuned. (God, the layout of this blog is ugly.)
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