Anime's Best of 2006

I'm oddly nervous about this post, so I hope it's acceptable. *awkward bow to admins*

After losing the Suncoast in my city, it became obscenely difficult to find one of my favorite anime magazines, Anime Insider. Luckily, it appeared on the shelves in my local FYE recently, just in time for their annual 'Best of the year' issue. Here are the results for some of the categories and a few reasons as to why they were chosen (which were put under spoiler cuts to save room). I'm sorry its so long, I tried to be picky with the categories.

I want to know everyone else's opinions on these results. Do you agree, or think that there's another character or anime that came out this year that deserves this title? Be forewarned: I'm not looking for ' Inuyasha should have gotten best because he's so cute and stuff!!11!!1'. Think about it: who deserves these titles? And if the ones below do deserve them, why do you think so? (Also, there are links in the names of the character/series if anyone needs reminders about who/what it is.)

The Best of 2006

Best Hero
Kikychiyo- Samurai 7

Spoiler:

Although he begins as a brash, foolish fighter, in the show's climactic battle, Kikuchiyo is the one to take a stand. He no longer fights for the payment of rice. He fights for those who cannot fight on their own. He fights when he doesnt have to, for no other reason than because its the right thing to do. In the end,

Spoiler:

he doesn't hesitate to give up his very life: a hero to his last breath,

and our number one guy for 2006.

Best Heroine
Rukia Kuchiki- Bleach

Spoiler:

Bleach's Rukia is only following orders the night she meets Ichigo Kurosaki- until she throws herself between him and a rampaging Hollow. When viewers watched Rukia give up her powers to a human she didnt even know, it wasnt just a strategic move to save lives. Losing her sword meant losing a fundamental part of who she is, but she didnt complain. Whether its getting hurled into the air to face a Hollow, teaching a clumsy human boy her job or simply fighting back with her powerless temporary body, Rukia shows each viewer what it means to stand strong and protect others, no matter the consequences.

Best Villian
The Count- Gankutsuou

Spoiler:

Some villians want to take over the world. Some villians want to up their body count to ridiculous levels. The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes, just wants to break up your family, ruin your business, and make your life a living hell- and he does it with style. He's not pure evil- who wouldnt sympathize with a guy who was betrayed by his friends, torn away from his fiancee, and locked up in space? Revenge is understandable, and The Count takes it- slowly, painstakingly, and absolutely devastatingly. The way he gradually dismantles every part of his enemies' lives is executed so well that he deserves this award just for his intricate planning. He doesnt just do what was done to him, he does worse. What better way to repay sins of the fathers then to go after their sons and daughters? It's not just that he's evil- its that he's so good at it.

Best Manga
Monster

Spoiler:

Up-and-coming doctor Kenzo Tenma has it made: he's dating the hospital director's daughter and possesses incredible surgical abilities. But his life spirals downward after he ignores the director's orders and operates on a young boy named Johan, who promptly disappears. Never short on unexpected twists and engrossing subplots, Monster is a political thriller and murder mystery all in one. The story hovers between very real characters and moral dilemmas, and surreal psychological horror, taking readers along for a viciously compelling ride.

Best Dub
Ghost Stories

Spoiler:

Character changes, plot-distorting dialogue, references to American Pop Culture- all things you'd expect from a bad dub. But for Ghost Stories, they're what make it an excellent one. ADV dub director Steven Foster took a mediocre horror anime and transformed it into a side-splitting comedy. Scenes of pretty senior student Monoko invoking the name of Jesus against ghosts and main-character Satsuki's little brother babbling incoherently when frightened help make this dub the funniest since Goku went to 'HFIL'. Sure, otaku purists can still turn to the subtitled track for the original, but who would want to?

Best Series on TV
Naruto

Spoiler:

No one with a pulse can deny that Naruto has made huge waves in America, but the award for Best TV Series doesnt just go to a great anime series that happens to be airing on television. To even qualify for a nomination, a show must not just be a stellar series, but be intrinsically suited for broadcast by being episodic enough that a casual viewer can drop in and still get the most out of each episode while simultaneously having a solid, developing storyline that keeps fans coming back for more. Naruto does all that and more. Now that VIZ has given them what they want, fans have been keen to follow Naruto and his teammates to the point that the Cartoon Network series is available for streaming viewing online.

Best DVD Series
Eureka Seven

Spoiler:

The layered story of normal kid Renton, otherworldly pilot Eureka, the band of mercenaries they live with and a plethora of air-surfing mechas came in a fittingly loaded package. Bandai included a t-shirt, a soundtrack CD and the complete first volume of the Eureka Seven manga. And instead of simple language options and previews, DVD extras include cast interviews and commentary on the process of creating the show. But what's truly important is the show itself. Unlike many shows ostensibly made for the sake of young viewers and toy lines, Eureka Seven has an endearing cast and excellent scripting. It's got everything a great anime should: top-notch animation, awesome music, and a story that makes you crack up before making you cry, thus ensuring a permanent space on your DVD rack.

Series of the Year
Gankutsuou

Spoiler:

It all sounds ambitious: take the most cherished revenge story in classic literature, throw it a millennia into the future, and then, for a final touch, animate it using an experimental new style. In spite of the many ways that Gankutsuou could have gone wrong, director Mahiro Maeda and Gonzo (Samurai 7, Basilisk) made it so very right. Perhaps the most daring adaption yet of Alexandre Dumas' 'The County of Monte Cristo, Gankutsuou sets its tale of overdue payback against a richly imagined sci-fi backdrop that, for all its spaceships and intergalactic excursions, perfectly evokes the elegance of 19th century France. Bolder still is the anime's switch of perspective; instead of following the Count through his transformation from innocent youth to vindictive nobleman as the novel did, Gankutsuou tells his story through the eyes of Albert, the teenage son of the Count's former fiancee and his greatest betrayer. While most version's sympathize with the Count, , Gankutsuou makes things less black and white as Albert's happy, rich-boy life disintegrates. Dumas' Count was a noble antihero, meting out justice to those who deserved it, but Gankutsuou shows him corrupted by his own thirst for revenge, opening the door to much more troubling questions. Using photoshop textures in ways never seen in anime before, the character's clothing patterns move independently, creating a bizarre yet undeniably eye-catching look. Combined with Gonzo's usual 3-D background flourish, amazing character designs, and a soundtrack that mixes rock and roll with selections from classical composers, its a remarkable feast for the senses.

There were a bunch of other categories I could have listed, but I felt that the ones listed above were the most important. If you're interested, the titles of the categories are here, just ask about it:

Spoiler:

Best Giant Robot; Best J-Pop Album; Best Video Game; Best Theatrical Release; Best DVD Feature; Best by Genre: Comedy, Mecha, Shojo, Sports, Sci-Fi, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance; Best Fight; Fan Service Award; Best Moment; Best Action Figure; Best Death; Best TCG; Best Weapon; Best Reloading Method; Biggest Wuss; Best Long-Term Commitment; Best Headgear; Biggest Jerk; Most Depressing; and Best Kiss.

So what does everyone think? Did the winner that the Anime Insider crew chose truly deserve the award, or is there some other anime that was released (in America) this year that should take the cake?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Best J-Pop Album
FAITH- by HYDE

Spoiler:

The first album to hit the states by L'Arc-en-ciel's singer. Aside from the quality of the music, what really sets FAITH apart from other contenders is the extensive planning that went into it. The album, which HYDE carefully crafted with the support of veteren musicians from U.S. bands like Nine Inch Nails, The Cult, and A Perfect Circle, was even recorded in Enlish, not only making it more accessible for anime fans who dont speak Japanese, but increasing HYDE's potential for crossing over into the mainstream U.S. market.

Best Comedy
Hare+Guu

Spoiler:

This oddball story of a jungle boy and his adopted sister-a girl with an appetite so broad it literally created a dimensional portal in her stomach- is full of enough weirdness to delight anyone.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Everything the magazine voted for had to be anime that was released in American in 2006 in some form... for instance, we all know that Voltron was released in the 80s, but because a set of remastered DVDs were released this year, Voltron was voted the winner for Best Giant Robot. The magazine itself is a part of Wizard, so they had to stick to the anime on this side of the Pacific (they can't encourage kids to pirate anime, can they? After all, NO ONE does that already. )

Because of the lack of Suncoast this time around, I've fallen way behind on anime and only recently bought all of Samurai 7 (hooray for Christmas bonus splurges! ), so I can barely throw many of my own opinions in there. I have to question their choice for 'Best Sports' though:

Best Sports
IGPX

Spoiler:

Putting an end to the debate over whether racing's a real sport, IGPX perfectly captured the competitive air among the diverse teams gunning for first place in its futuristic, fast-track robot battles.

I have to wonder how biased they were about this one, an anime basically written over here in America, then sent to Japan to be animated. Sure, its awesome that Bandai and Cartoon Network worked together on it, but where the honorable mention for all those sport anime/manga that had the fangirls giggling, like Prince of Tennis, Whistle!, or Eyeshield 21? I'm not a big fan of any of them, but Prince of Tennis at least made some sort of visible impact. I haven't noticed any huge fans of IGPX. But that could just be me.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Pez

Hrm... I’ve been loathe to check out Gankutsuou, partially a time related thing and also because I really liked the original story (I read it as a graphic novel, but still…), and didn’t want to spoil one of the great revenge stories. Oh well… have more time now!

Because it was voted Best Series by Anime Insider this year, I'd say go for it. I know that its the next series I'm going to pick up. Their choice for Best Series last year was Samurai 7, which I'm currently watching, and its AMAZING. Samurai 7 was also a 'remake' of an older masterpiece... the Japanese movie The Seven Samurai. I'm loving it.

As for my tops, like my last post said, I haven't been able to see much this year (money going to college and eating and all that as opposed to anime), so I'll list what I can:

-Samurai 7 (Sure it was released last year, but it has to say something when my whole Christmas bonus went into buying the last 5 DVDs of the series.
-Chrono Crusade
-Bleach (I'm more familiar with the manga, but what I have seen of the anime has been pretty faithful.)

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by CLOudkiller

Ah..This is the US anime best of 06'..Thought it was going to be international as well. Though I'm not too sure about Naruto being the best series of 06'. But hey, Rabid fans said so, so be it.

Technically, it wasnt best series of the year... Gankutsuou was. Naruto was best series fitted for TV... something about being a good series that would keep people watching, but also wouldnt be too confusing for the casual viewer. (And yes, the rabid fans scare me... seeing little kids walking around with headbands on, I can't help but think "Aw, and he probably thinks that the dub is GOOD!')

What I listed above was the best for the US, but we have also been talking international, so feel free to let us know what you think... I'm going to have alot of anime to look into after this thread.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Best Kiss? Oh, I remember this one... I have to agree with it!

Best Kiss
Naruto and Sasuke, from Naruto

Spoiler:

Naruto, jealous of Sasuke's top-of-the-class status, hops up onto his desk to stare down his rival. Losing his balance, he accidentally plants a kiss right on Sasuke. The resulting fangirl squeal was heard as far away as Antarctica.

I have to admit, this would get my vote simply because its not what one would expect for the category. And I'm not even a yaoi fan.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?