Best Anime of 2010: Tournament-style

[ich1990]

Summer Wars is beating FMA:B? What has the world come to?

I am sure Summer Wars is good and original and all with its socially awkward nerd falling in love with a girl and finding his self-confidence and saving the day, but have you guys forgotten, so very soon, the sheer level of awesome that FMA:B channels from the manga?

Let me take a moment to remind you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5H7CDPsa4g&list=SL#t=8m20s (If it doesn't auto-skip, fast-forward to 8 minutes 20 seconds)

Are the lines as good as they were in the manga? No. Are the fights as good as they are in the manga? No. Is it still unbearably awesome? Heck yes.

I have my bones to pick with FMA:B (har har), but even as a derivative work it is fantastic. I haven't seen Summer Wars, and when I do I will probably like it. Still, from its tired premise to its girl-with-bunny-ears art I can't see it coming close to matching FMA:B.

EDIT: Probably helps to put the vote code in: <2;FMA:Brohood>

[blkmage]

but have you guys forgotten, so very soon, the sheer level of awesome that FMA:B channels from the manga?

Nope, I haven't.

And that's how I feel about Summer Wars.

[goldenspines]

<2;FMA:Brohood>

Alchemist bros in the hood. What more do you want?


Plus there was that awesome finale.

[Sebastian Michaelis]

Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
because i love fma and the cast and well major armstrong is awesome along with roy to pick on some of the cast in general that and the story line was awesome

[Midori]

<3#SummerWars>

To recap: Seen Summer Wars, loved it; not seen FMA, sheer popularity doesn't do it for me.

EDIT: Armstrong, did you forget the vote code?

[Atria35]

Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
because i love fma and the cast and well major armstrong is awesome along with roy to pick on some of the cast in general that and the story line was awesome

You need to post the code for your vote to count.

[Fish and Chips]

To recap: Seen Summer Wars, loved it]

I know everybody believes FMA is the best thing since unsliced bread, but...meh. I'm just not interested in popularity for popularity's sake.

So I think what Midori's trying to say here is FMA is popular.

[Midori]

Well, I can't very well say anything bad about something I haven't seen. That'd be like the kid who insists he doesn't like carrots without ever trying them.

[blkmage]

FMA: Brotherhood: 4
Summer Wars: 7

Banned from OZ for hacking.

***



[SIZE="6"]Cross Game vs. Letter Bee[/SIZE]

[SIZE="4"]Cross Game (クロスゲーム)[/SIZE]
"Pretty much Touch 2"
Rank: 31
Aired: Spring 2009
Studio: SynergySP
Director: Sekita Osamu
Cast: Irino Miyu, Tomatsu Haruka
Adaptation: Manga by Adachi Mitsuru
Defeated: Yumeiro Patissiere, Black★Rock Shooter
[color="Lime"]Voting Code: <31^CrossGame>[/color]

[SIZE="4"]Letter Bee (テガミバチ)[/SIZE]
"CG beetles"
Rank: 7
Aired: Fall 2009
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Director: Iwanaga Akira
Cast: Sawashiro Miyuki, Fujimura Ayumi, Fukuyama Jun
Adaptation: Manga by Asada Hiroyuki
Defeated: Mobile Suit Gundam UC, Ookiku Furikabutte Summer Tournament chapter
[color="lime"]Voting Code: <7*LetterBee>[/color]

[color="Red"]Voting closes at 2300 EST.[/color]

[goldenspines]

<7*LetterBee>

*points to avatar*

Who knew an anime about postmen would get this far?

But really, I think Letter Bee is one of the few anime that would sit comfortably in my top ten. It's beautiful visually (except the CGi monsters, but the rest makes up for that ), and the story can be both heartwarming and heart wrenching. Appropriately, it tugs at your heart strings with characters who are striving to achieve their dreams, despite all the obstacles that come their way; most notably, the main character Lag Seeing, who can cry enough to fill most of the lakes in Amberground, but can also man up more than most of the characters when he needs to to save...well, just about everyone, and of course, deliver all the letters entrusted to him.

Even if you don't vote for Letter Bee, at least give it a watch. You'll be glad you did. :3


/end speech that wasn't long enough to rival Blkmage's Summer Wars thing, but whatever.

[ich1990]

Darn you all, now my bracket is all messed up.....

Guess this means I should see Summer Wars sometime soon.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

<31^CrossGame>

First time I've had to vote between two shows that I have enjoyed a lot. I think my love for Letter Bee is known. It's a great show. But for me, Cross Game is the easy choice here.

As cool as Tegami Bachi can be, I am all-in emotionally invested in the story and relationships of Cross Game and have been since the first episode (guys...dat first episode...give it a chance, just one episode!).

I may be the one person in anime fandom (certainly on this forum) who enjoys baseball, but I couldn't care less if there wasn't one more iota of baseball played in Cross Game. If all the characters up and quit the team, I would still have to get my fix of those families, that neighborhood, those people.

About a year before I started watching this anime, I unexpectedly lost the most important person in my life. Just that like that, they were gone. Though it's not what I would call a heavy show, Cross Game deals a fair bit with grieving and living after loss. It does so realistically and respectfully. The writer is aware of all the major events and minute details of life that the grieving have to endure and ultimately overcome, along with the complex, layered and at times contradictory emotions that they feel. Cross Game really affected my life because it truly helped (and still helps) me through the grieving process. I can't think of much higher praise for a piece of art than that.

[mechana2015]

<31^CrossGame> I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I've rarely seen a show where the first episode gripped me so well and echoed through the rest of the show like Crossgame's does.

[Cadence]

<31^CrossGame>

Because it actually makes me care about these characters and their lives.

I really, really love Letter Bee. But Cross Game just stands above it in basically every way.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

<7*LetterBee>

Letter Bee, to me, isn't something I can marathon, at least not the anime. It is something I can watch, listen to the music, and feel some warm and fuzzy feelings by the end(excluding the future adaption of chapter 44). It wasn't perfect, in fact, it was very flawed, but it did have heart.

[blkmage]

<31^CrossGame>

Cross Game is a very, very good series. I read the entire thing and watched a fair number of episodes before deciding the anime was close enough to the manga that I didn't need to watch it. I distinctly remember Irino Miyu and Tomato being perfect for Koh and Aoba. The baseball is pretty good, speaking as someone who knows nothing about baseball (but I think Oofuri did baseball better). But most importantly, there are some amazing moments in the story that made my jaw drop when I read them.

[MasterDias]

<31^CrossGame>

I've liked both but Cross Game was more consistent and a better adaptation really...although even that aside I would still generally be inclined to vote for Cross Game.
Tegami Bachi had some issues during it's first season, especially quite a bit of filler. Tegami Bachi Reverse has so far fixed most of the major problems the first season had.

[blkmage]

Cross Game: 5
Letter Bee: 2

Reaches speeds of 160 km/h.

***



[SIZE="6"]Time of Eve vs. The Tatami Galaxy[/SIZE]

[SIZE="4"]Time of Eve (イヴの時間)[/SIZE]
"Race relations, robot edition"
Rank: 17
Aired: Summer 2008
Studio: Studio Rikka
Director: Yoshiura Yasuhiro
Cast: Fukuyama Jun, Nojima Kenji, Tanaka Rie
Adaptation: Original
Defeated: Otome Youkai Zakuro, HEROMAN
[color="lime"]Voting Code: <17|TimeOfEve>[/color]

[SIZE="4"]The Tatami Galaxy (四畳半神話大系)[/SIZE]
"The rose-coloured campus life"
Rank: 6
Aired: Spring 2010
Studio: MADHOUSE
Director: Yuasa Masaaki
Cast: Asanuma Shintaro, Sakamoto Maaya
Adaptation: Novel by Tomihiko Morimi
Defeated: Bakemonogatari, Tamayura
[color="lime"]Voting Code: <6?TatamiGalaxy>[/color]

[color="Red"]Voting closes at 2300 EST.[/color]

[Atria35]

<6?TatamiGalaxy>

Time of Eve had brilliance in how it did the robot/human relations. It reminded me so much of Isaac Asimov. It was beautiful to look at, and overall just a fantastic experience.

However, for me, Tatami Galaxy edges it out just a smidge. Not only does it go on a failry original premise, it has many little moments of brilliance that made this a joy to watch. Little things that you noticed in the last episode, or three, ago took on prominence and importance in the next one. It went on wild voyages of the imagination of Campus Life (MAN some of it was SO COOL!) and life in general. And everything led ful circle in the end- pretty much literally! So Tatami Galaxy is the one that gets my vote.

[Falx]

<17|TimeOfEve>

I am choosing Time of Eve due to my personal opinion, and for no other reason. Objectively I can see the merits of Tatami Galaxy, however I simply just could not get into it. And that is why I am voting the way I am.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

<6?TatamiGalaxy>

I've seen an episode of Tatami Galaxy, and thus won't feel bad for voting for it.

[blkmage]

I like Time of Eve, it was executed very solidly and is a nice, original story that we don't often see in anime (real real robots).

On the other hand, everything about The Tatami Galaxy is interesting and original. Not only that, but it's just plain clever at some points. It shares a little bit with Star Driver in that the almost-repetitive and predictable structure of each episode allows it to focus on non-plot related aspects of the show.

<6?TatamiGalaxy>

[MightiMidget]

<17|TimeOfEve>

I have seen the first four or so episodes of Tatami Galaxy, and although I plan to eventually return to it, the level of crassness has put me off--although I will stand by Tatami Galaxy being brilliant.

However, Time of Eve is so simple, yet communicates so much depth of character, setting and plot in fairly short amount of time.

[blkmage]

Time of Eve: 2
The Tatami Galaxy: 3

No robotics club.

***



[SIZE="6"]Durarara!! vs. Kuragehime[/SIZE]

[SIZE="4"]Durarara!! (デュラララ！！)[/SIZE]
"Advanced Baccano!, Tokyo edition"
Rank: 1
Aired: Winter 2010
Studio: Brains Base
Director: Omori Takahiro
Cast: Sawashiro Miyuki, Toyonaga Toshiyuki, Hanazawa Kana, Miyano Mamoru, Hiroshi Kamiya, Ono Daisuke, Fukuyama Jun
Adaptation: Light novel by Narita Ryohgo
Defeated: Kimi ni Todoke, Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0
[color="lime"]Voting Code: <1@DRRR!!>[/color]

[SIZE="4"]Kuragehime (海月姫)[/SIZE]
KURARA
Rank: 4
Aired: Fall 2010
Studio: Brains Base
Director: Takahiro Omori
Cast: Hanazawa Kana, Saiga Mitsuki
Adaptation: Manga by Higashimura Akiko
Defeated: Shiki, Star Driver
[color="lime"]Voting Code: <4+Kuragehime>[/color]

[color="Red"]Voting closes at 2300 EST.[/color]

[Fish and Chips]

<1@DRRR!!>

Because this show was the most fun I've had in a long time.

[Atria35]

<4+Kuragehime>

Another face-off that breaks my heart.

Kuragehime gets my vote because, while I love the pace and storytelling and characters of Drrr!, Kuragehime wins my heart in a gentle, funny way. There's something about the characters that I can relate to, moreso than Drrr!. It might be because my group of friends are so much like the residents of the apartments, it might be because I love their familiar hijinks. But whatever it is, I can't let this anime go without a fight.

[goldenspines]

<1@DRRR!!>

This much fun in an anime should be illegal. But we're thankful it isn't. Somehow Durarara!! manages to make you care about every single one of its characters and their stories from the get go (even the "villains"). I watched a bit of Kuragehime and I didn't get that same impression. It was cute, sure, but I couldn't really care about the characters or the story. I'll probably pick it up again, but for the time being, Durarara!! settles this challenge for me.


Plus, Kuragehime defeated Star Driver and Shiki and that's not cool. :<

[blkmage]

<1@DRRR!!>

Because this show was the most fun I've had in a long time.

Nails it pretty well, I think.

[eternalprincess]

Duarara!!
FMA: Brotherhood

[Falx]

<1@DRRR!!>

This goes to show that sometimes all you need to do to make an amazing story, is create amazing characters and simply let them loose to do as they please.