Board 8 > Anime of the Year 2020 - Results [AotY]

(+) Yeah! (+)

And so another year has come and gone! Pretty good year for anime too imo, it seemed like everything was going to be delayed at first, but we had a pretty packed Fall season to help make up for it. Once again, I highly appreciate everyone who took the time to vote, even those who didn't vote in every category. Every little bit of participation makes the project better.
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Best Villain

Runner up: Rachel (Tower of God)

Winner: Gentle Criminal (My Hero Academia)
https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/My-Hero-Academia-Gentle-Criminal-header.png

There was a very wide variety of nominations in this category! It also seemed like people weren't interested in considering villain protagonists, considering the lack of nominations from Akudama and Nana, not to mention Sleepy Princess. And we still kind of ended up with a pair of "good guy" villains anyway!

Here at #1 we have Gentle Criminal from My Hero Academia, who was, in my opinion (and possibly others, not sure about their nominating motivations), the saving grace of the whole fourth season. Every moment he's on screen is delightful, and his small-time villainy gets extremely well-developed motivations/backstory to fill it out. It's nice to have a villain you can understand and cheer for sometimes.
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Oh, good choice. I didn't watch the anime, but he was great.

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The runner up is not a good character, boo.
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Bless that runner up even if I didn't vote for them, I thought they were fun with that

And yay Gentle Criminal, he was my +5

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Best Visuals

Runner Up: Magia Record

Winner: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

Huh, much more concentrated voting in this category, and we ended up with a pretty surprising runner-up! Magia Record was definitely a great looking show, though, so it's probably worthy. Jujutsu Kaisen and Akudama Drive also came quite close to it.

Eizouken isn't really like other shows when it comes to animation, though. Not only is it a show that has great animation all the time, it has multiple animation styles, and it's about animation, too. It's hard to ignore the greatness of the animation cuts when the characters in the show are constantly calling them out! The animation is used as a storytelling technique as well, and the show would be pretty different if it didn't look like it does. Nothing else came close to getting as many votes as Eizouken did.
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Not surprising that one would dominate. Science SARU too strong.

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Wow, I considered voting for it because I loved the show (clearly, as we go along with other categories) but I was going back and forth on if the idea segments were enough to push it, not that the regular segments didn't look good too. But happy to have it win!

+5 Great Pretender
+3 BNA
+1 Jujutsu Kaisen

I mostly did Great Pretender for how much I loved its background style and BNA for that Trigger goodness

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Best Visuals
+5 Jujutsu Kaisen
+3 Haikyu!
+1 Eizouken

in hindsight probably should have swapped haikyuu and eizouken but it doesnt seem to have mattered so all's well that ends well

Best Villain
+5 Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen)
+3 Rachel (Tower of God)

never good with villains. gentle criminal was a good one though that i forgot about since i only read the manga

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Best Visuals
+5 Jujutsu Kaisen
+3 God Of High School
+1 Akudama Drive

Best Villain
+5 En (Dorohedoro)
+3 Mahito (Jujutsu Kaisen)
+1 The Doctor (Akudama Drive)

I would have voted for Eizouken in best style, but I think the beautiful action MAPPA gave us in both GoHS and JJK were better, visually speaking. Still, I get it.

Really surprised Magia Record was the runner up, it didn't stand out to me too much.
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Both of those are not even the best villain from their own show.

I guess Gentle Criminal might have been the only eligible one from MHA if only the latter half of S4 was allowed but I mean he's pretty easily a low tier MHA villain for me.
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Forgot Magia Record even came out

Gentle's the best MHA villain by a lot IMO. Every member of the League of Villains is abysmal, and Overhaul really disappointed after a great introduction.
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To be fair, I guess I wasn't really thinking about the entire cast of the League of Villains--only the people I thought of as the "major villains". I probably like Gentle more than at least half of the League.

Overhaul is my favorite of the series by a lot though.
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Best Visuals
+5 Keep Your Hands off Eizouken!
+3 Magia Record
+1 God of High School

Gentle Criminal never really clicked with me. I liked Overhaul more but he wasn't eligible. Due to only the back half of season 4 counting, very few My Hero Academia characters actually qualified for this category this year.

Magia Record was my top pick for visuals so I'm glad to see it made it to second place. I've seen Eizouken mentioned in a bunch of places so far. Maybe I should try watching it some day although even now I have no idea what it is about.
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Best Visuals
+5 Akudama Drive
+3 Tower of God
+1 Eizouken

Not unhappy with the results!

Best Villain
+5 Rachel (Tower of God)
+3 Echidna (Re:Zero)
+1 Roswaal (Re:Zero)

Had a feeling that my 2nd and 3rd wouldn't even be counted by a lot of people, and wasn't even confident if they did myself.

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I think the 3rd is okay, but I really don't consider the 2nd a villain in the slightest.

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LapisLazuli posted...

Best Visuals
+5 Akudama Drive
+3 Tower of God
+1 Eizouken

Not unhappy with the results!

Best Villain
+5 Rachel (Tower of God)
+3 Echidna (Re:Zero)
+1 Roswaal (Re:Zero)

Had a feeling that my 2nd and 3rd wouldn't even be counted by a lot of people, and wasn't even confident if they did myself.

If it was antagonist, I'd have.. Considered them. But I don't see them as villains... Yet. We'll see how part 2 goes.
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So about Tower of God, did people not like Hansung? Or did they not see him as a villain?

Idk at least for the arc the anime covers I think he's both a better character and also closer to a villain than the one you guys picked but idk. I guess also I could easily that stuff like body language/voice acting which I couldn't really get from the Webtoon could also make the one you guys picked a lot better in the anime adaptation.
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pyresword posted...

So about Tower of God, did people not like Hansung? Or did they not see him as a villain?

Idk at least for the arc the anime covers I think he's both a better character and also closer to a villain than the one you guys picked but idk. I guess also I could easily that stuff like body language/voice acting which I couldn't really get from the Webtoon could also make the one you guys picked a lot better in the anime adaptation.

The anime did not show a lot of his stuff yet, it would likely be in episode 1 of a season 2. They did the reveal, but the impact is not even close. The Rachel betrayal is the biggest event in the show.

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pyresword posted...

So about Tower of God, did people not like Hansung? Or did they not see him as a villain?

Idk at least for the arc the anime covers I think he's both a better character and also closer to a villain than the one you guys picked but idk. I guess also I could easily that stuff like body language/voice acting which I couldn't really get from the Webtoon could also make the one you guys picked a lot better in the anime adaptation.

He's another person I'd consider an antagonist, but I can't think of anything villainous he actually did...
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Best Cast

Runner Up: Re:Zero S2

Winner: Akudama Drive

Not a huge variety in this category either, but three shows were way above the rest (the above two and Eizouken), with Akudama winning pretty easily. Re:Zero did get some votes specifically calling out the S2 characters as well, so I assume they're pretty good? I haven't watched it yet. Akudama was all about the strength of the ensemble though. From the main, to the Executioners, to the rest of the Akudama, everyone was used well together to form a cohesive whole. Felt like every character had an important role to play, and the show knew exactly what to do with them.
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Oh hell yeah, total slam dunk winner!

Best Cast
+5 Akudama Drive
+3 Kaguya
+1 Eizouken

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Best Cast
+5 Tower of God
+3 Eizouken
+1 Jujutsu Kaisen

re:zero good too, in hindsight that could/should have been at least 3rd i suppose

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i understand why probably nobody else voted for who i did in villain but i'm still slightly disappointed

moriarty in kabukicho sherlock wasn't exactly a well-handled character, but still, when he did the thing, I don't think i was more shocked by anything else this year or possibly in the last few years

Best Cast
+5 Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
+3 Great Pretender
+1 Deca-Dence

Truthfully I wasn't super invested in this category outside of Eizouken

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Best Cast
+5 Akudama Drive
+3 Re:Zero S2s new characters(Echidna and the other witches, Garfiel, Frederica)
+1 Dorohedoro

Fuck yeah, GJ other people agreeing with my top 2.

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Best Fight

Runner-Up: Jin Mori vs Han Daewi (The God Of High School) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj6yeIzmyD4

Winner: Jin Mori vs. Park Ilpyo (The God Of High School) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEW3xDQsD00

This category got extremely poor participation this year, and there were VERY few fights that got votes from multiple users. Having no discussion probably didn't help. I dunno if there was much for big fights in general this year though. Didn't seem to be much people were super excited about. There were series that had a bunch of nice battles, like Bofuri or Akudama, but they didn't have a single standout for anyone to rally around. I'd always heard God of High School had pretty great animation though, and these fights do look nice, I guess, though they're also a bit nonsensical. Hopefully I got the right links here!
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Fight of the Year
+5 Karasuno vs Inarizaki (Haikyu)
+3 Gojou vs Jougo (jujutsu kaisen)
+1 Bell vs Minotaur (Danmachi 3)

i think jin vs han was better if you're gonna pick a God of High School fight

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Fight of the Year
+5 Shirou vs Mercenaries (BNA)
+3 Jin vs Park (God of High School)
+1 Jin vs Han (God of High School)

I honestly didn't watch many shows that had fights so God of High School was my biggest source lol, but then I remembered Shirou's introduction fight in BNA episode 1 that was so cool (that he sadly didn't live up to for the rest of the series) and got me really hyped. It's fairly short but sweet. But anyway, yea GoHS had some fun fight stuff, even with how the show ended up going.

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I forgot to consider Re:Zero 2 for best cast since it was a sequel series. I might have voted for it if I did since I did like some of the new characters quite a bit.

I haven't seen The God Of High School so not much to say about the winners of Best Fight. My top pick was the fight at the end of My Hero Academa 4 but after that I had no real idea what to put on my ballot.
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Fight of the Year
+5 Jin Mori vs. Park Ilpyo (The God Of High School)
+3 Jin Mori vs Han Daewi (The God Of High School)
+1 Brawler vs Master final fight, in the rain (Akudama Drive)

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Mac Arrowny posted...

Here at #1 we have Gentle Criminal from My Hero Academia, who was, in my opinion (and possibly others, not sure about their nominating motivations), the saving grace of the whole fourth season. Every moment he's on screen is delightful, and his small-time villainy gets extremely well-developed motivations/backstory to fill it out. It's nice to have a villain you can understand and cheer for sometimes.

you think the 4th season was bad and needed a "saving grace?" huh?

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Yeah, I wasn't a fan of S4, mainly due to not really being into the Overhaul arc. I was more interested in it in the beginning, when it kinda seemed like we would get Overhaul vs. the League of Villains, but that didn't happen, alas.
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Best Couple

Runner-Up: Nasa x Tsukasa (Tonikawa)

Winner: Hachiman x Yukiko (SNAFU S3)

Pretty concentrated nominations in this category. Probably benefited from there not being a ton of romance series this year, and also there being a couple stand-out couples. Nasa and Tsukasa were basically the core of their series, and they were super cute. They also had the benefit of being a couple that gets together in the first episode, which is pretty unusual for anime. Hachiman and Yukiko were on the other end of the equation, being a couple that only got together after multiple seasons of build-up, but they were also surprisingly cute together, and the execution of their romance was the highlight of the finale season. It's really great to see source material get fully adapted when it happens.
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Best Couple
+5 HachiYuki (SNAFU)
+3 Shuichi/Claire (Gleipnir)
+1 Brawler and Swindler (Akudama Drive)

Says it all that this got my +5 even though my attitude going in to the season was that I regretted watching SNAFU in the first place because it was happening.

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Best Couple
+5 Hachiman/Yukino (Oregairu S3)
+3 Adachi/Shimamura (Adachi And Shimamura)
+1 Nasa/Tsukasa (Tonikaku Cawaii)

Well, it was close, and I never expected Adachi And Shimamura to do well, unfortunately.
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Good winner for Best Couple.

profDEADPOOL posted...

Well, it was close, and I never expected Adachi And Shimamura to do well, unfortunately.

They were on my ballot initially but I wasn't sure if they actually counted so I ended up removing them. Now I think about it, I didn't even completely fill out the Best Couple category for my entry so I should have just left them on. >_>
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I'll take it from your comment that Adachi and Shimamura don't even get together by the end, so I'm not gonna finish that show.

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They would've been eligible.

Adashima could've been better IMO. Felt real slow paced.

LapisLazuli posted...

I'll take it from your comment that Adachi and Shimamura don't even get together by the end, so I'm not gonna finish that show.

If you're curious, the anime adapts the first four LNs, and (LN spoilers) they get together in LN 6.
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Best Couple
+5 Nasa/Tsukasa (Tonikaku Kawaii)
+3 Hichigaya/Yukino (Oregairu 3)

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Most Anticipated Anime

Runner-Up: Beastars S2

Winner: Re:Zero Season 2 Part 2

Kinda a funny category, since a few of the anime nominated here have already started, including the winner! Just goes to show that people are more excited about anime coming soon then the ones coming out in a few months (and also goes to show how many sequels this season has!). Other series with high scores included Attack on Titan Final, The Demon Girl Next Door S2 (^5 good taste people), Zombieland 2, and The Promised Neverland S2. But it's no surprise that the second half of the second season of Re:Zero came out on top, considering how well season 1 did. Going to have to start watching it myself, soon enough.
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Most Anticipated Show
+5 Re:Zero S2 Part 2
+3 FGO: Camelot
+1 Horimiya

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....I didn't even consider that eligible, but whatever!

Most Anticipated Show
+5 Chainsaw Man
+3 Zombieland Saga Revenge
+1 SSSS Dynazenon

Had Made in Abyss S2 on there as +1 but accidentally left off Chainsaw Man originally.

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Most Anticipated Show
+5 Beastars Season 2
+3 The Promised Neverland Season 2
+1 Zombie Land Saga Revenge

I suppose I'm happy Beastars got runner up at least

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LapisLazuli posted...

Had Made in Abyss S2 on there as +1 but accidentally left off Chainsaw Man originally.

Was the MIA movie good? I think it does the arc that takes place in between S1 and S2, so it's essential viewing.
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I have heard great things, haven't watched yet though.

Something I am very interested in is that some people claim that arc of MiA got made into a movie because the counted would not be broadcast able on TV.

Well this upcoming season...definitely also has content like that, so....

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Best Opening/Ending

3 (TIE): Tonikaku Kawaii OP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv1Y2chJRWM
3 (TIE): Kaguya S2 OP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTlzDfhPtFA
2: Jujutsu Kaisen ED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6riDJMI-Y8U

Winner: Re:Zero S2 OP: https://animethemes.moe/video/ReZeroS2-OP1-NCBD1080.webm

Good variety of OPs and EDs nominated this year, though the top two were pretty decisively above the rest. Tonikawa was my personal favorite, so I was glad to see it get recognized. Kaguya's seemed to be popular with the same people who liked the S1 OP. And JJK's seems like it got here mostly on the animated scene, which ended up getting parodied by a lot of videos with characters from other series. Unfortunately, I've never really cared for any of the Re:Zero OPs, so someone else will have to talk about what makes this one great!
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Gentle arc best arc.

Forgot that was this year (not that I voted).

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