S-Comics Online

The Voter's Choice has already been posted but what do I think were the year's best?

Below I've listed what my choices were and an explanation as to why I chose them. Hope you can agree.

Manuel's Choices:

Best Opening Song

"Irony" by ClariS from My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute/Oreimo

I just absolutely love this song. Aside from it being unbelievably catchy, the lyrics are pretty sad. It befits the story of the show and sets the right mood to every start. ClariS is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I'm already a fan of theirs. Secretive and just in junior high, these two girls have so much talent and I can't wait to hear more of them in the future. Actually we won't wait long as they're going to do the opening for Magical Girl Nodoha next season.

Best Ending Song

"Bakurock" by YA-KYIM from Bakuman

Now while I do think other songs probably deserve this more, I just love this song for the mood it sets up. Every time I hear it I just want to get out my tools and DRAW LIKE MAD. The singer delivers great vocals and the instrumental is catchy enough to listen by itself. Really one of my favorite songs this year.

Best Soundtrack

-K-On!!

Though I do love Girls Dead Monster, the girls over at the After School Tea Time never fail me. Their songs are always great, the voices are a joy and their style all their own. True, while most hate Yui's high pitch vocals, they give a innocence that can't be beat. And along with Mio, their voices are unmatched in my anime playlist.

Best Animation

-K-On!! (Kyoto Animation)

KyoAni usually does great work but honestly, the amount of detail that went into this show is truly impressive and unmatched this whole year. Those who disagree must really pay closer attention to what's going on on screen. The way the girls move, their facial expression, their very individual mannerism; don't forget the apparent obsession with the hands. This show really went all out with the animation and it only made the girls more cute than they already were if that were possible.

Favorite Male Character

-Kyousuke Kosaka (Oreimo)

While other guys probably deserve more of my attention I'm just gonna go with choosing Kyousuke for the "lucky bastard" reason. I mean look at him. Sure Kirino is a bit of a tsundere pain most of the time but I wish I had a sister that cute! (Don't tell my real little sister.) Don't forget his adorable childhood friend, his new otaku/Lady friend, Kirino's friend Ayase and more... And ESPECIALLY Kuroneko. KURONEKO. Ruri is a cutey beyond cuties. Kyousuke sure is a lucky bastard.

Favorite Female Character

-Azusa Nakano (K-On!!)

Going by my previous choice you probably would've thought I'd choose Kuroneko but alas... Ayana takes this place in my heart. No other character this entire year has grown before our eyes more than Azunyan. Started this year wanted to jam and do her best with her fellow bandmates but as the year went along she realized that her sempais' graduation was dawning upon them. She had to grow up and deal with their departure and I loved watching it all happen. Season 2, at its core, was really Azusa's story and it was great.

Favorite Male Seiyuu

-Jun Fukuyama for Taro Sado of MM!

Come on. Really. He does win in my heart. Anyone who makes those weird noises and gives a performance like he did in MM! deserves this! In his serious moments, he's great but in those wacky times, just try not laughing. It was a great performance and deep down I don't ever wish to hear a guy sound like that in real life.

Favorite Female Seiyuu

-Aki Toyosaki for Yui Hirasawa of K-On!!

Now I love Ayana Taketatsu, and this really was her year, my choice is Aki Toyosaki as my beloved Yui Hirasawa. Now is that a biased choice? Maybe. But listen carefully to her in the show. Wow. For a voice actor to go as far as she does. Toyosaki-san doesn't sound anythng like Yui and that makes Yui seem more real. She makes Yui sound like a real person, even keeping in character while singing.

Best Sequel

-K-On!!

No contest. K-On!! takes the cake here for best sequel. For a show without a real overarching plot, the individual episodes were well written, the animation quality never faltered, the voice acting was always great, the music was wonderful and above all else, the show was cute as hell. Let's not forget that it did what sequels should always do, improve upon the original.

Best Comedy

-Shinryaku! Ika Musume

I LOVED Working!! but it seems like I'm mostly keeping it in the Fall 2010 season as my choice for this category is Ika Musume. Now if you haven't watched this show, do it now. Don't miss out. This show was never boring and just got funnier and funnier. It doesn't help that Ika Musume is just as cute as a K-On! girl. I mean ending her sentences with "-ika" or "-de geso," her crazy outburts and outgoing personality; Ika Musume wins.

Best Action

-High School of the Dead

Despite this show's problems and it being like 50% fanservice, I thought the action seen was the best all year. I mean, the double tap in this show was the coolest thing ever. Or wait... nope, Saeko Busujima was the coolest thing in this show and once she got a real sword, watch out.

Best Drama

-Angel Beats!

No other show, save K-On!!, made me cry more than this one. I made the mistake of badmouthing it before it really began and didn't commit to it from the beginning. My mistake because little did I know how much this show was going to pull on my heartstrings. I won't reveal anything but the last episode was on of the saddest episodes all year and the big reveal at the end left me breathless and in tears.

Biggest Surprise

-Shinryaku! Ika Musume

Like mentioned before, this show was the biggest surprise I got all year. I honestly thought this was just gonna be a kids' show but it turned out to be so much more. Always funny and always cute, this show was a gem to look forward to every week. The last episode was also just so touching. Here's to hoping for a season 2 as there's a lot of material left over from the manga.

Biggest Disappointment

-Heroman

I was so so so excited for this show when it was first announced. Marvel and anime, my two favorite things in the world coming together, should've bore great fruit but the show ended up being disinteresting as the weeks went a long. It doesn't help that Joey Jones is a very boring main lead and plainly put a wannabe Peter Parker. The Stan Lee cameo was cool though and I dug the animation but the cheesiness and the lame villains.. and Heroman's overall design... just wore me out.

Biggest Improvements

-Angel Beats!

As mentioned before, this show made me cry but I didn't believe it in the beginning. To be honest, I found the story to be disinteresting and the show boring when it began. There wasn't really a story going on here either. But as the show moved along, it became increasingly hilarious and increasingly deep as it had some great moments to cry to. Otanashi and Tachibana were great leads too, making up for Yurippe being a physical Haruhi clone.

Runner-up Anime of 2010

-Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

This is the show that blew almost every other show this past season out of the water and took the internet by storm. Kirino and Kuroneko are by far some of the cutest girls anime has dished out in the past couple years and the show makes us take pride in being otaku and part of this fandom. The show is colorful and pleasant to the eyes; the animation feels real and fluid; the sound design increase the reality of this world; and the characters feel like real people. Sure some situations seem forced or improbable but the show never really lost it's "set in the real world" feel. The story was also touching and continues in being very engaging on the light novel front. This is definitely a show that must be checked out and deserving of taking place as second best.

Anime of the Year

-K-On!!

Is this really a surprise that this was not only my favorite series of the year but my choice for Best? As mentioned before, it's production quality was really high, it's story was touching and it was really really cute. These girls are very important to me in that I feel connected to them. Unlike a lot of shows, I actually CARE what happens to these girls. I want them to be happy and to succeed and while other people hate the show's format, I do love seeing their everyday life. Never has an animated show, or show in general, shown girls just being girls. This season was about growing up and dealing with the loss of friends as we grow up and move on different paths but in the end it was about the strentgh of friendship. The thing is, this show actually matters. It's not something made for franchise reasons or just to be cute; it's well written, well acted and well made. Thus, deserving of Best Anime of 2010... or just in my heart, at least.