Music Awards Winter 2017

The winter season is over and with every season comes new great music but which OP's and ED's were the best of the season? Today I will be giving out four music awards for winter's set of music! The four awards are:

• Best Audio OP 
• Best Visual OP
• Best Audio ED
• Best Visual ED

For each award I will be doing a top 3. I will only be posting music for the top spot in each category but I will talk a little about the runners up as well so don't worry. Out of the 12 possible spots a show could land in, I only have six shows that are featured on here. That's not to say that other shows not mentioned here did a bad job. It just means that these six shows pulled in clutch in each respective category. I would like to remind everybody that this is based merely on my opinion so you don't have to give two shits but I hope you enjoy this little post. Also I have more awards coming up exclusively on my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime, so check out my channel to see that exclusive content.Without any further interruptions, let's start these music awards!

Best Audio OP

        Let me just start off by saying that female singers really killed it this season. I generally prefer female singers but all of my OP award spots go to groups with female leads. That's insane! 3rd place in this category goes to Scum's Wish (Kuzu no Honkai) for their opening song, "Uso no Hibana" by 96neko. This Pop-Rock song was absolutely great to listen to. From that infectious guitar rift (you guys know which one I'm talking about) to the lead singer's vocals, The slightly fast paced song really represented the roller coaster of emotions this show was. Aw, and that piano bit at then end hits me good! 

In 2nd place is Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu for their opening song, "Imawa no Shinigami" by Megumi Hayashibara. I really like the feeling this song gives off. It feels for lack of a better term 'other-worldly.' The mix between Orchestral and Jazz was a very good decision. Add that with Hayashibara's voice and you have a smooth jam that gives you a bit of chills. 

Finally, in 1st place for 'Best Audio OP' is 3-gatsu no Lion for their OP, "Sayanora Bystander" by YUKI. This was my favorite song of the season! The music is good but what makes this song my favorite is YUKI's voice. It's like rough but sweet at the same time and I LOVE IT! Especially in the second half of that song; she begins to sing with much more emotion and it nails me in the heart so good! I also like the inclusion of piano; I am a big fan of pianos in my OPs so that was a plus. Overall, this is the type of song that gets me going. I like songs where I can feel the emotion; feel the very nature of the show! This song did that for me and for all these reasons it lands in my number one spot!

Best Visual OP

There were a couple of OPs this year that did a great job visually. They used a variety of different techniques to make their openings come to life! This award goes to the show that dazzled me best with their OP performance! 3rd place goes to Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid for their OP "Aozora no Rhapsody" by fhana. Kyoto Animation did a great job with this show in general but the OP is just fantastic. The whole OP just screams zany and weird much like the show. We have dragons doing silly worm dances, multiple Tohrus sprouting from each other, Fafnir's head blooming from flowers. I love the weirdness of this OP because it's just so eye catching. That and fluid animation from Kyo-Ani make this OP all the better! 

       2nd place is 3-gatsu no Lion for their OP, "Sayanora Bystander" by YUKI. Aside from the fact that this song is my favorite of the season, Studio Shaft really made the OP creative and just artistically beautiful. For example, the scene with the flowers blurring in and out was beautiful  and then when the chorus hits, we just get an explosion of animation in its glory. Rough line art and constant movement make those 15 seconds look badass! 

In 1st place is Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju for their OP, "Imawa no Shinigami" by Megumi Hayashibara. That's right, we had a little switcheroo with the #1 and #2 spot. The Opening for this show was well directed to say the least. This opening is full of meaning and symbolism that I can't touch on (case then this post would be long!!!) but If you look at the OP and start to think what happened in the show, you'll be able to notice what little scenes in the OP mean. In fact, it's kind of fun because you find new meaning in scenes every time you watch it. Anyway, this Opening lands at #1 for being full of everything an OP should be filled with like symbolism and deeper meaning. 

Best Audio ED

Onto a new award. Now, the EDs weren't as strong as the OPs but there are some golden gems worth talking about. This award goes to EDs that had killer music and awesome vocals. Starting with 3rd place is Saga of Tanya the Evil for their ED, "Los! Los! Los!" by Aoi Yuki. Aoi Yuki (the voice actress for Tanya) delivers a great song! It was actually quite unexpected but I guess for that very reason, this song makes the list. The song gives off a victorious feel; Patriotic in a way. I guess it should since the lyrics are about going to war and fighting for the empire! I especially love the part where she stops singing and just shouts out like a military commander. That part gives me the chills!

In 2nd place is Scum's Wish for their ED, "Heikousen" by Sayuri. I like this song because I think it's very beautiful. Beautiful and lonely at the same time, much like the show itself. Even the lyrics give a lonely feeling; talking about never being able to touch the one they love so they'll just have to do their best to move on! Oh god the tears are starting to roll! This song touches my heart and for that, it gets 2nd.

In 1st place is Tales of Zestiria for their ED, "INNOSENSE" by FLOW. The best way to describe this song is...'RAD!' This is the kind of song you listen to get pumped up; like a battle song! Yeah, if you haven't noticed, EDs have done a good job of representing the show! The best part is the very beginning! The guitar rip followed by the string section followed by the yell from FLOW make those beginning seconds truly epic! The 'flow' of the song (see what I did there) is pretty damn good too; It immediately gets you excited but then cools down a bit and then comes back with full force to give us a cool ending! This is my favorite ED of the season and gets the award for Best Audio ED.

Best Visual ED

The last award! There weren't a lot of EDs with great visuals. There were many that were just single shots and maybe they pan toward a direction but that's about it. I was able to find a couple of EDs that had great visuals though so lets start. In 3rd place is Tales of Zestiria again for "INNOSENSE" by FLOW. Ufotable always does good animation work but it really shows here in the ED. The beginning starts with some stills that look incredible. Each character looks like a bad-ass hero of justice and then the shot of them looking up at the lord of calamity is epic! Then there's the section where everyone jumps out to fight transition to a still posing all cool like!  This Ed definitely deserves to be up here.

In 2nd place is Scum's Wish for their ED, "Heikousen" by Sayuri. What I love most about this ed was the art style. It's very rough and almost mosaic. Everyone is nude but not graphically nude and the mirroring is interesting. It really mixed well with the song and lyrics; this is why I say the mirroring effect is interesting because it compliments the lyrics (Parallel line and what not). For these reasons, this songs gets 2nd place but who's number one.

In 1st place is 3-gatsu no Lion for their ED, "Orion" by Kenshi Yonezu. This was a nice ED to look at. I love how the blizzard was animated and just the overall minimalist style of animation. There's a light watercolor touch to the ED which is always a plus in my book and seeing Rei in some of those scenes had me choke up a bit (especially the scene with Rei in the rain). Combine that with some kickass singing from Yonezu and we have our winner. Studio Shaft did a good job this season and their ED gets 1st place in my book.

Sorry, couldn't find a video for this one so here's a shot from the ED.

I hope you all enjoyed this post! If you did, please check out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime. I got exclusive content on there such as anime episode reactions, and more reviews! I'll have more posts up as soon as possible so stand by and I'll see you all later!

Top 10 Blonde/Yellow Haired Anime Girls

Blondes...the hair color of beauty over here in the western hemisphere. It's not the most creative hair color in anime but it's still just as beautiful! Yellow and blonde tend to represent confidence, happiness, naivete, and stubbornness. My list of cute blondes may not reflect that but I do love them all. Here are my top 10 blonde ladies of the anime world.

NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS

10. VORONA

To start off this list, at number 10 is Varona from Durarara. I couldn't make this list without adding this feisty Russian to the lineup. Now, I didn't put her here just because she's Russian; there are many other aspects to like about. I like women that can kick my ass and Vorona can definitely kick my ass! Her combat skills are pretty top notch; they have to be since she's an assassin otherwise that would be embarrassing! I think the biggest reason I like her is her character design. Her slender build, eyes, outfit, and hair design are awesome. I don't like the hair over the eye look in real life but in anime, that's some good stuff (That's why I like Rem from ReZero so much). The last reason (most useless reason) why I like her so much is because she rides a motorcycle! I like girls that can ride motorcycles and look good doing it!

9. IRINA JELAVIC

At number 9 on the list is...wait...oh my god, another Russian!!! You should know at this point I like Russians. Yes, at number 9 is Irina Jelavic aka Bitch-Sensei from Assassination Classroom. Other than being Russian, I'm going to continue with the sexy assassin angle I did with Vorona. If you can be beautiful and deadly with a gun, that's a plus in my book. She's more of the classic assassin; infiltrating and fooling men to their own graves. SO HOT. She's also...um...very well endowed and what can I say, I'm only human. But besides those superficial reasons, I also like that Irina has another side to her that makes you love her. Irina can be clumsy and childish due to her disconnection from regular society. She even has insecurities like everyone else which I like. I like someone I can relate to somewhat which puts her above Vorona. 

8. CHITOGE KIRISAKI

Next on the list is Chitoge Kirisaki from Nisekoi. I love all the girls from Nisekoi but Chitoge is pretty cool (she's still number 2 on the show though). I like Chitoge because she's a person I would actually be romantically interested in. Irina and Vorona are cool and everything but I'm not gonna meet someone like them in real life. Chitoge is a person you could meet in real life cause she has normal great qualities. She is intelligent given by the fact the she speaks two languages fluently and has valedictorian level grades. She is athletic and very talkative (unlike my antisocial ass). She cares abot people she associates with and goes the extra mile for them if need be. On top of that, she has a nice figure and awesome hair (The pink ombre at the end is amazing). I tend to not like tsnderes but she's on my list of Tsunderes I actually like (along with Taiga Aisaka and others).

7. MIO KUSAKAI

Next girl up on the list is Mio Kusakai from Keijo. I've put Mio on this list for a couple reasons. One, which is the obvious reason; she is smokin! Now that I think of it, she reminds me (design wise) of Rias Gremory with yellow hair and a swimsuit. Besides her gifted proportions, she is quite the fighter. She's considered to be a keijo prodigy and she definitely shows that. I don't think she even gets hurt during the entire show! She's fast, agile, and has some real power tucked into her.........weapons. Her ability to hypnotize competitors with her breasts is something to behold but in all honesty, she doesn't have to do anything to hypnotize me! Sorry, that was demeaning. Personality wise, I like how forward she is. Anime characters don't tend to be forward people but Mio doesn't give no shits! She hits on girls out the wazoo! I think she just does that for fun but none the less, I like people who aren't afraid to say things that could be seen as questionable.

6. LUCY HEARTFILIA

Number six on my top 10 list is Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail. Lucy is a celestial mage working for the Fairy Tail guild. Her celestial spirit magic is pretty cool and unique. I had never seen magic like that before I watched the series so seeing her do that was pretty awesome to witness. She's also pretty funny; she often plays the role of comic relief but I do laugh whenever she has something to say, so that's alright with me. Her design is so good! The show's always changing her hair style and wardrobe and she always looks good. I don't like it when characters have like 2 outfits because it just seems lazy to me but Lucy always has something new going on. Lastly, I respect her love for her friends. If you've watched Fairy Tail, you know Lucy gets emotional and at times makes big sacrifices for her comrades and I respect that. As a famous person once said, "Put some respek on it!"

5. TSUGUMI KOTOBUKI

At number 5 on the list is Tsugumi Kotobuki (Mugi) from K-On. Ah, the K-On girls are definitely a group to be adored and it wouldn't be the same without Mugi. Besides being super moe, I love the fact that Mugi is just so darn nice. I like girls (and people in general) that are nice. She's a gentle spirit who does her best to be considerate. I hate girls who attract drama cause I ain't about that life; nice girls who everybody likes are way better. I also like how sometimes she's not in tune with common sense. I find her quirkiness to be adorable and it makes me want to hug her!!! Lastly, I love that fact that she loves food! I am a man who loves food and I like girls that aren't afraid to eat a big old slab of ribs drenched in sauce and the only way you could ever eat it is like a wild animal. Mugi loves to eat cake and snacks and I love her for it. Also cute eyebrows...

4. CHARLOTTE DUNOIS

Next on the list is Charlotte Dunois from Infinite Stratos. I tend not to choose too many girls from harems because they tend to be one dimensional but I really like Charlotte. I enjoy her mature personality; Everyone else on the show is somewhat tsundere but Charlotte is very kind and polite (Kind I say, not a coincidence the farther we go down this list the nicer these girls get). Although she is mature, she does have impulses of childishness which I love cause I'm a big kid inside. When I saw her in her one-piece cat pajamas, I thought to myself "She's the one!" Cuteness overload over here! Also, she's just straight out cute! Her long hair, purple eyes, angelic smile; she just makes my heart flutter! Move out Miss Universe 2017 (who happens to be french),  Charlotte beats you by a mile! 

3. MITO IKUMI

Number three on my list is Mito Ikmi from Shokugeki no Soma. Women who can cook are pretty awesome. I can't cook for shit so when I see someone make a fantastic dish with ease, you know I'm gonna respect that! Not only that, she got the looks to go with those skills. She has a much more western body; more curvy, darker skin, more endowed. That appeals to me being an American and I especially like the fact the she has darker skin. There aren't enough dark skin girls in anime so seeing her is awesome! I enjoy her fiery personality and confidence in her skills. She isn't afraid to get into a cooking brawl and show what she can do with thick meat (that sounded sexual)! Women with confidence and passion in their eyes always seem cool to me!

2. KAORI MIYAZANO

At number two on this list is Kaori Miyazano from Your Lie in April. Where do I even begin. One thing I love about Kaori is her ability with the violin. I've never said this to anyone but... I think women who can play violin are hoooooot! I love the sound of violins so seeing a women who can rock it gets mad thumbs ups from me! I also love the way Kaori lives life. Always trying her best to live in the moment and giving it all she's got to leave an impact on people. We could all learn from that kind of living and for that Kaori gets all the way up here in the 2nd spot. Kaori is super cute and I love her big innocent looking eyes. Her overall design is lovely which is a plus and her long Rapunzel like hair is captivating. Lastly, If you've finished this show and know what happens, you can't help but fall in love with Kaori and her efforts to live life. Her desire to live a life she could be proud of is heart warming and makes her a pretty cool lady!

1. SABER

We've finally come to the number one blonde (in my opinion) on the list and it's none other than Saber from Fate. If there ever was a blonde that was the embodiment of awesome it would be the king of England herself. She wields her holy phantasm, Excalibur, which cuts wind and armor with ease. That might be the greatest sword in anime so major props for her on that. Her fighting skills are just as impressive being a master swordsman and winning the holy grail twice (I think). That screams epic to me! Aside from her combat skills, she is a loyal knight all the way through. She's a woman who fights for her ideals and what she believes in; a symbol of justice for everyone to admire in awe. Let's not forget that saber is a very beautiful woman. Everything about her is lovely from her emerald green eyes, pale skin, and lovely blonde hair tied with a ribbon. Whether she's wearing armor or a dress, this girl always looks top class! These reasons make Saber the best blonde lady in anime!!!

I hope you guys all enjoyed this post! Leave comments down below about what you thought about my list. Is there another girl who should have been on this list? Make your argument not that I care! If you like what I do, follow the blog or check out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime, for more great content! That's all for now, hope you guys had fun reading and I'll see you for the next post. 

The Great Passage Review

One of my favorite genres in anime is the Slice of Life genre which explores the issues that can be found in everyday life and gives avid watchers a nice needed break from all the crazy content anime gives us. A recent show that I fell in love with is Fune Wo Amu also known as The Great Passage by Studio Zexcs. Most of us would describe most anime as a race, intense and competitive but The Great Passage isn't like that at all; it's better described as a leisurely stroll through the park. I'll explain what I mean later below so lets get into this, shall we?

REMINDER

• There may be spoilers (can't really tell)
• Synopsis down below for those of you who need it
• Skip synopsis if you don't need it

Synopsis

This story is about a shy quiet man by the name of Mitsuya. He works in the sales department at his publishing company but he's obviously chosen the wrong path. That's when he meets a fellow co-worker named Masashi who's also in the sales department but sees that Mitsuya would be a better fit somewhere else. Masashi introduces Mitsuya to the dictionary department which holds only three members. The department learns about Mitsuya's talent for definitions and editing so soon they hire him to work in the dictionary department and that's where our story takes off!

Story

So what do I mean by leisurely stroll. Instead of being fast paced and full of twists and turn, this show decides to take its time to tell its story. That's pretty difficult considering that this show only runs for 11 episodes. Many people (including some of you) probably feel that 11 episodes is not enough to execute a story properly but I think that 11 episodes was the right number of episodes for this show. It fully explored every topic it needed to explore (more or less) and that's due to its good pacing. This story centers around the lives of the members of the dictionary department as they work to complete their dictionary, "The Great Passage." The show encompasses around 15 years from the point Mitsuya joins the department until the books completion. Because we cover so much time, a lot of things are covered. The show never gets boring (in my opinion of course) because there are plenty of problems that come along the way just as in ordinary life. So why does it also feel so gentle and slow paced even though so much time passes. I think this is because the approach to the show is very peaceful. Plenty of internal monologues and talking things out. This show isn't a wild roller coaster of emotions like a romantic drama or a shonen. It's a show meant to help us think about our position in life and contemplate what we should live for.

One thing I love is how the show focuses on the individual as much as the entire dictionary department. Characters get a chance to share their thoughts and not just be 1 dimensional. Mitsuya, being the main character gets most of that spotlight but the supporting cast gets a good portion to demonstrate their views and personality. You see that this show isn't just about making "The great passage"; It's about the entire lives of this cast and their dedication to this project which acts as the glue that sticks them together. This story includes romance and dramatic situations, just like in real life where there are multiple things going on in one's life. Time with individuals opens up the show to another layer by giving us more than just dictionary making. That's not to say that the time the group is together is bad. I'm enjoying the show just as much when they're together working on the dictionary. The struggles of making a dictionary from the ground up was interesting to experience. Seeing the chemistry between the characters as the show progresses was good. When the show covers 15 years, you expect things to be different from point A to point B. Good pacing and good content make this show awesome. 

Characters

I enjoy this lovely cast of characters that make the show feel real. My biggest compliment is that the characters all feel natural. No character feels rushed or put in a situation just for the hell of it. Everyone plays a role which does differ in importance but are necessary none the less. They have great chemistry as I said earlier which helps the show flow smoothly without too many awkward scenes. Character development is another issue. I can't say the character development is awesome. Characters get plenty of screen time but not enough to justify 15 years passing us in the blink of an eye. Mitsuya gets the most development which is fairly decent. He doesn't learn to be any more social but he learns to take action and work hard for what he's passionate about. Seeing Mitsuya being a bit of a leader isn't something you'd expect when first watching the show but seeing that development made me happy for Mitsuya. The other characters don't really get character development; they're not 1 dimensional people as i said previously but the amount of change they go through compared to Mitsuya is significant so I have to deduct points for that.

Music

The music reflects the show wonderfully. The majority of the music is orchestral, using woodwind, string, brass instruments, and piano. Most of the music has a peaceful tempo similar to the show's feel since it covers a vast amount of time and has a simple approach to the issues of life. The music is great at enhancing emotions or the situation at hand. For example, in moments of deep thought, the show plays music to represent that or when the show is expressing a moment of success, the show will play music that sounds victorious. I can't say this is the best music of all time, but its music that does its job and is enjoyable to listen to. 

Animation

The animation for The Great Passage is lovely. It gives off a mature feel. Nothing crazy is done with the animation because this is a slice of life show so the show wants to reflect real life as much as possible. It uses a lot of soft colors; nothing vibrant is used like bright yellows or pastels. I wouldn't say the color palette is monotone but it's somewhere in that direction. The character designs are also pretty mature. There are no big eyes or moe girls; Everyone looks mature and simpler. The movement of the animation is decent. I didn't notice any sloppy movement; for the majority of the show, the movement is natural and flows nicely. The art direction on the other hand is average. There are some nice moments of imagery with the ferris wheel and the ocean of words that Mitsuya has to deal with but that's pretty much it. There aren't any crazy camera angles or deep symbolism but overall, the show's animation is great. 

Final Verdict

Technical Score- 7.5 out of 10 (C)

Overall, I thought this was a good show. I'm a big fan of Slice of Life shows and I enjoyed every moment of The Great Passage. The story is good and perfect for watching without a care; A thought provoking story that makes you think about your position in life. A wonderful cast supports the show like pillars supporting a building. The music gives the show a gentle touch that compliments the show's very nature and the animation is nice to look at and presents a mature nature that is perfect for the show. 

Personal Score- 7.9 out of 10 (C+)

I personally enjoyed this show because I enjoy most slice of life shows. I like shows that make me ponder about myself and help me reflect on stuff. If you want to take a breather and watch a pleasant show that may even lead you into a little bit of tears, this is an excellent show to see. If this show Isn't your cup of tea, then what the hell are you even doing here!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Leave a comment down below about what you think about this show and if you like what I do, then consider following the blog or check out my Youtube Channel, GiraffePants Anime for more content. That's all guys, hope you enjoyed and I'll see you on the next post.

Best Animation of 2016

Animation comes in many styles and forms. From highly detailed and polished to sketchy and fluid, anime brings multiple dimensions of art straight to our eyeballs and the result is an EYEGASM. I don't know if other people use this term but all it means is that whatever you're looking at is so good or beautiful it gives your eyes an orgasm! 

As you all see I want to talk about animation today! A while back I had seen Crunchyroll's Anime Awards on their site and I looked at who won best animation (not best anime, animation). I was not personally happy about which show won So I thought it would be great to talk about the shows that were in my opinion top quality when it comes to the animation of a show. I've added a poll that can be seen throughout my blog where you can vote for one of the eight shows I'm talking about today so I can see once and for all which show people think has the best animation. I'll write a paragraph about each show as if I was making the case why that show should win and you all get to decide after reading! 

KEEP IN MIND:

• Spoiler free! \*(^o^)*/
• Vote at the end
• Keep an open mind (Try to be as little biased as possible)
• This is not for best anime, this is for the show with the best animation.

Let's get started!!!!!!!!!!

ERASED

From the winter season I present to you Erased by A-1 Pictures. I would describe the animation of Erased as polished and complex. Every shot you see, every color that's expressed has meaning throughout the show. The symbolism of the color red is impactful and adds a second layer of awe that few other shows can replicate. If you haven't noticed, the color red is used in the show for two purposes; moments of warmth and love and moments of danger. Don't believe me, watch the show again and watch out for it. The animation's polish gives Erased the crisp look we like to see but even better, the angles and art direction of the show give it's animation a new perspective that's rejuvenating. The scenes can be heartwarming and then suddenly turn drastic and intense. This show provides animation that is just jaw dropping! How can you not vote for this one!

KABANERI OF THE IRON FORTRESS

From the spring season, it is Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress by Studio Wit. There's only one phrase that can describe the are of this show; DAAAAAAAMN! I mean have you looked at this, there's so much detail and good motion that I'm having a heart attack just looking at it. The animation for Kabaneri knows how to set the mood when it comes to zombie butt-kicking action. Detailed death animations, explosions of blood pouring out of Kabaneri bodies is just a beautiful thing. Let's not forget the warriors kicking that butt! Characters are highly detailed and have a larger than life feel that you expect from Studio Wit. The landscapes are awesome too. green pastures mixed in with steampunk architecture is something we don't see too often but man does it look good! The animation of Kabaneri just screams epic and that is why there is no other show you should be voting for than Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress! 

My Hero Academia

Spring brings the hit shonen show, My Hero Academia by Studio Bones. I would describe this show's animation as cartoonish and fluid. Studio Bones is great at creating this cartoonish look to anime that they're famous for such as in Soul Eater. The cartoonish nature of the show perfects the sense of adventure that we expect from this story. The animation is at its best when expressing extreme emotions like determination or desire. The animation is used in such a way that it enhances that emotion tenfold! the same could be said about action scenes. Action scenes are well drawn and flow very naturally. People may be turned off by anime that looks a bit cartoony but I say nay! We don't get to see anime like this often so I find it to be a fresh take from the traditional anime we see today. Stellar animation that enhances the feelings of characters and audience is the reason why My Hero Academia deserves to be the show with the best animation!

SPACE PATROL LULUCO

Last contestant coming out of the spring season is Space Patrol Luluco by Studio Trigger. Trigger always does amazing work and it's no different here either. Not many people have even seen this show since the episodes only run for 7-8 minutes but that doesn't make this show any less great! Honestly, thanks to the animation, I've gotten more excitement out of this short than many full length shows that I've seen this year. The animation is best described as being active and fun. When you watch Luluco, you can see that there aren't many times when the show is still; something always happening or changing.The animation is colorful and simpler than traditional anime giving it the lively feel that we enjoy. The animation is great at heightening the comedy and absurdities that Luluco is known for and which really makes the show unique. That's why Space Patrol Luluco is a cut above the rest and deserves the title of best animation.

MOB PSYCHO 100

From the creator of One Punch Man comes a new epic series with the best animation you could ever hope for. From Studio Bones, its Mob Psycho 100. There's only one way to describe Mob Psycho's animation; messy but refined. This purposely messy art style gives a flair we haven't seen in the anime industry for quite some time. The animation can seem lackluster and then suddenly jumps into a burst of detailed and fluid art that has you standing in complete awe. Hours of hard work go into an animation that looks messy but terrific at the same time. Animation  like this is innovative, refreshing, and above all completely awesome!!! The action scenes are the best you'll ever see and that's saying something! Psychic abilities, evil spirits, hand to hand combat is all demonstrated beautifully through the work of Studio Bones.The art-style of Mob Psycho is one of the best that I've seen this year and that is the reason everyone should vote for this show.

YURI ON ICE

From the fall season comes a story of figure skating like it's never been told before. I present to you all Yuri on Ice by Studio Mappa. I didn't think figure skating would ever be so attracting to me but after seeing the beautiful animation done by Studio Mappa, I was highly impressed. This show was definitely an underdog at the beginning of the season but now has become one of the most popular shows of the year. I think the main reason for this is because of the great skating animations that we get to see so often. You an describe Yuri's animation as breathing with life. Skating scenes take a life of their own thanks to fluid animation and great camera work. The camera moves as if you were skating with them inside the rink and the angles the camera takes is absolutely spectacular. Even when watching performances from afar, you feel like a spectator sitting in your seat watching the performance take place in front of your very eyes. Yuri on Ice's animation and approach to camera work make it the best animation of the year and should easily win this competition. 

SHELTER

This next entry isn't a show at all but deserves great praise for what it has done; This is the song Shelter by Porter Robinson and A-1 Pictures. In the span of a couple minutes the animation of this music video had our eyes balling which other shows need an entire season to accomplish. The animation by A-1 Pictures is breathtaking to say the least. The sense of loneliness was perfectly created with the variety of open background scenery. Wide and vast fields, icy tundras, empty neighborhoods; all of it giving the feel that the video aspired to reach. Beautiful effects design give the video that professional touch that you expect from A-1 Pictures and adds an extra layer of depth that makes the video all the more enticing. Overall, it's just great animation doing its job; telling a story. Although this entry will get a lot of debate, I believe that there is no better choice than Shelter to be best animation. 

FLIP FLAPPERS

From the fall season, the beautiful original Flip Flappers by Studio 3hz. This studio may not be all that well known yet but they made sure their voices were heard with this project. Flip Flappers is an extraordinary piece that can only be described as colorful and epic! To start off, I'm not even a huge fan of magical girl anime so it really has to take me away in order for me to watch it and Flip Flappers did just that. The reason I took a liking to the show was primarily for two reasons. The first reason is that the action animations are spectacular. I can genuinely call this a show full of Sakuga (over the top quality animation). The second reason being the the color palette and world creation is top notch. Every new world you see is well drawn and gives off the sense of adventure that this show is all about! The spontaneous color changes with scenery and characters is exciting and keeps you interested in whats going on. That's why Flip Flappers deserves to win best animation of the year for all the great things it does.

So everyone, what do you think? Which show deserves the crown of best animation? Tell me down in the comments below and if the show you thought had the best animation isn't here, then tell me the show i'm missing. Don't forget to vote at the poll for your favorite (or other if you completely disagree with everything I've said). Before you click out, consider checking out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime for more anime content! With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed reading and hope to see you here next post!

 

Film Theory & Art Direction: March Comes in Like a Lion

Now that the Fall 2016 season is over with we can look forward to a bunch of new exciting anime to blow our minds but even before that I have to talk about a lot of shows that I witnessed during the past year. One of those is March Comes in Like a Lion. I'm not doing a review on this show because it's only halfway done but I can't help but write about this show a little so I thought it would be a great idea to talk about one of the show's strong points; its art direction. I hope you guys are ready for some film theory and deep analysis (if you're not, read anyway because why not!) because I have a lot of good things to talk about.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS (maybe...)

Before I begin, I'm assuming you know what I'm talking about but if you don't here is a little synopsis (Skip to the next subheading if you know the story):

Rei Kiriyama is a 17-year-old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students. Meanwhile, his professional career has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed on him as the fifth to become pro in middle school, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate.

Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. Despite his reservations about becoming too close to the family, he frequently visits, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home.This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person

-Information provided by: MyAnimeList

Attention to Detail

The first thing I want to talk about is the detail put into the simplest of scenes. If you don't think small attention to details matter then let me tell you, YOU ARE DEAD WRONG!!! Detail can elevate a show to monstrous proportions if done right. It's like when you watch Inception (by the way, great movie) and start picking up on little clues to unfold the story before they tell you. March Comes in Like a Lion is good at putting in subtle scenes that perfectly describe the situation at hand.  

This next picture will be a perfect example but first some context:

Before the following scene, our main character Rei is having a match against a fellow shogi professional who's career isn't going to well. His career is bad to the point where he results to drinking and gambling. Because of this, he now faces a divorce from his wife who can't take anymore of his BS. While Rei and the man play, we might not be sure who is winning but then comes the scene that describes what's going on. 

Rei's side shows a perfectly clean tray but on the other side, the man's tray is contains spilled bottles and some water all over the tray. We can clearly understand the situation thanks to this single frame that anyone can overlook. The man is obviously frustrated and anxious. as we continue the scene, we begin the scene you'll see that Rei is taking control of the game while the man is being backed into a corner. Scenes like these can really tell you what's happening without spelling it out for you and that's a mark of a good show. 

Artistic Decisions Done Right

Now let's get into a little bit of film theory. Continuing with the previous scene I was talking about, the man Rei is playing against is on the losing side of things and then we see this scene.

This is another great scene that shows how powerless the man is to the talent of Rei. In this scene, we see the man looking down towards the shogi board but his body only covers about 10% of the screen. His small size represents how powerless the man is compared to Rei. Rei is represented by the light above the man's head because Rei's talent is bright and prodigious. The light hangs above the man to say that Rei is above him or in a position of power. I could be reading too much into it but then again, who knows what the director was thinking when making this. Okay onto another example. 

Let's get into some more context:

This next scene takes place in an episode prior to the last one where Rei plays against an old man who's career as a shogi player is just abysmal. He plays mediocre at his best and terrible at his worst. This match happens to be important for both Rei and the old man because Rei's income as a shogi player is at stake and the old man intends to retire if he loses. The old man realizes that his chances of winning are slim so instead he accepts that his career will be ended at the hands of Rei. The old man states, followed by the next scene.

 "I could only think of you as a grim reaper, come to close the curtain on my life as a shogi player."

This is another great artistic scene. at first it just looks like Rei silhouetted by a bright light in the background but there's a lot of meaning here. First, the light. The light in the background represents the afterlife. We know this because the old man refers to Rei as being a reaper so we can imply that the light is meant to show the end of his career. Rei's face is black and covered by shadows to give a sense of mysteriousness, power, and supernatural prowess. The purpose of this scene is to strengthen the statement made by the old man and it does just that. 

This show is full of beautiful art and excellent story telling so If you haven't checked it out yet then I highly suggest you do so. It's a great show and I'm excited to continue it in all of its glory. The next blog coming up will be a top 10 of my favorite female characters with blue hair so make sure you follow me on Google+ to stay informed on that. I also have a YouTube Channel just about anime called, GiraffePants Anime so you can check out my videos over there and subscribe if you like what you see (Note* I'm fucking hideous...). With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed this post and I will catch you all later.