Rory’s Autumn 2013 Anime Awards

Welcome to the second quarterly anime awards! Once again, a festival of positivity celebrating all the anime I have watched in the previous season can be found here.

First up, the anime I have watched from this season:

• Beyond the Boundary
• BlazBlue Alter Memory
• Coppelion
• Galilei Donna
• Kill La Kill
• Log Horizon
• Miss Monochrome -The Animation-
• Non Non Biyori
• Outbreak Company
• Pokémon Origins
• Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

Baring all that in mind, watch out for spoilers for each of those anime listed above. Now, let’s give out some awards!

Best Opening Theme
Let’s kick things off starting at the beginning. Which anime had the best opening theme?

• “Kyoukai no Kanata” by Minori Chihara – Beyond the Boundary
• “BLUE BLAZE” by Faylan – BlazBlue Alter Memory
• “ANGEL” by angela – Coppelion
• “Synchromanica” by Negoto – Galilei Donna
• “Sirius” by Eir Aoi – Kill La Kill
• “database feat. TAKUMA (10 Feet)” by MAN WITH A MISSION – Log Horizon
• “Nanairo Biyori” by nano.RIPE – Non Non Biyori
• “Univer Page” by Suzuko Mimori – Outbreak Company
• “Beautiful Dreamer” by Kyoko Narumi – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the Best Opening Theme for Autumn 2013 is “database feat. TAKUMA (10 Feet)” by MAN WITH A MISSION. Database, database! Just living in the database! Ahem… yeah, I think that song is pretty damn neat.

Best Plot
Many different stories were told, but which one was the best?

• Beyond the Boundary – The half-youmu, half-human Akihito Kanbara encounters a glasses-wearing girl named Mirai Kuriyama. Mirai is from a clan with cursed blood, and strange events concerning youmu start to take place.
• BlazBlue Alter Memory – Ragna the Bloodedge goes to Kagutsuchi, where he clashes with Hazama, who seeks to use Noel Vermillion for nefarious purposes.
• Coppelion – Three girls who have been genetically modified to be immune to radiation are sent to the devastated Old Capital in order to rescue any survivors.
• Galilei Donna – The Ferrari sisters are labelled as international criminals and pursued by people who seek the Galileo Tesoro.
• Kill La Kill – Ryuko Matoi enrols in Honnouji Academy in order to track down the person responsible for killing her father. She clashes with the school’s Elite Four and their leader, Satsuki Kiryuin.
• Log Horizon – Many gamers are trapped in the world of Elder Tale, a MMORPG. One of them, Shiroe, takes the lead in readjusting to their new lives.
• Miss Monochrome -The Animation- – The android Miss Monochrome seeks to become a popular idol.
• Non Non Biyori – City girl Hotaru Ichijou moves to the countryside, where she attends a school with only five pupils.
• Outbreak Company – Otaku Shinichi Kanou signs up for a job as a missionary of the otaku culture in the empire of Eldant; his job is to spread otaku culture throughout the land.
• Pokémon Origins – Pokémon trainer Red sets out on a journey to complete the Pokédex for Professor Oak, challenging gym leaders and evil organisations along the way.
• Wanna Be the Strongest in the World! – The idol Sakura Hagiwara enters into the world of womens’ professional wrestling.

The winner of best plot for Autumn 2013 goes to Log Horizon. We’ve only had half of Log Horizon so far, but it makes for an intriguing watch.

Best Main Character

• Akihito Kanbara – The protagonist of Beyond the Boundary. He is obsessed with girls who wear glasses, oh and he happens to be an immortal half-youmu.
• Ragna the Bloodedge – The protagonist of BlazBlue Alter Memory. Also known as the ‘Grim Reaper’, Ragna has a hefty bounty on his head.
• Ibara Naruse – The protagonist of Coppelion. She is a Coppelion – a human genetically engineered to be immune to radiation. She leads a team of Coppelion tasked with rescuing survivors.
• Hozuki Ferrari – The protagonist of Galilei Donna. She is the youngest of three sisters, but that doesn’t stop her from being a genius with machines.
• Ryuko Matoi – The protagonist of Kill La Kill. She seeks revenge for her murdered father, with the help of a sentient uniform known as Senketsu.
• Shiroe – The protagonist of Log Horizon. The former strategist of a group known as ‘Debauchery Tea Party’, Shiroe is extremely intelligent. He is also known as ‘the Villain in Glasses’.
• Hotaru Ichijou – The protagonist of Non Non Biyori. Well, sort of… the other characters seem to equally share the spotlight, but it is Hotaru’s arrival in the country that starts things.
• Shinichi Kanou – The protagonist of Outbreak Company. He is an otaku, whose obsession with anime, manga and video games nets him a job as a missionary for the otaku culture.
• Red – The protagonist of Pokémon Origins. A boy who sets out on a journey to fill the Pokédex. He learns what being a Pokémon trainer means during his journey.
• Sakura Hagiwara – The protagonist of Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!. She is an idol with the group Sweet Diva, before she gets swept up in the world of female professional wrestling.

The winner of the best character aware for Autumn 2013 is Ryuko Matoi. Kill La Kill‘s main character, and one who is capable of holding her own in a fight. She seeks revenge for her murdered father, even if it means taking on an entire school.

Best Antagonist
Not all stories require a villain, but out of those that have them, who is the best?

• Miroku Fujima – An antagonist from Beyond the Boundary. He is a Spirit World Warrior who seems to be at odds with the Nase family, and actively seeks to capture Akihito.
• Hazama – The antagonist of BlazBlue Alter Memory. He is a captain in the NOL who seeks to awaken the god-slayer Kusanagi, using whatever means necessary.
• Ozu Sisters – Two antagonists from Coppelion. Kanon and Shion Ozu are both Coppelion. Kanon can manipulate electricity, whilst Shion possesses superhuman strength.
• Roberto Materazzi – The antagonist of Galilei Donna. He hunts the Ferrari sisters in order to acquire Galileo’s Inheritance.
• Satsuki Kiryuin – The antagonist of Kill La Kill. She is top dog at Honnouji Academy, and possesses the power to back up her status.
• Hamelin Guild – A guild from Log Horizon. They enlist new players and take their XP Pots from them.
• Matoba – The person who gives Shinichi his job in Outbreak Company. He is part of a plan to take over Eldant through culture.
• Blue/Green – Red’s rival in Pokémon Origins. He always seems to be one step ahead. Oh, and he’s known as Green in Japanese, and Blue in English.
• Blue Panther – A mysterious masked wrestler in Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!. She interferes with Berserk’s matches in order to issue a challenge to Sakura.

The winner of the best antagonist for Autumn 2013 is Satsuki Kiryuin. Very much the leader of Honnouji Academy, she possesses information on the killer of Ryuko’s father. She is willing to give that information up, as long as Ryuko fights for it.

Best Cast of Characters
There are main characters and their enemies, but what about everyone else? Which anime provided the best cast of characters?

• Akihito’s Friends – From Beyond the Boundary, we have Mitsuki and Hiromi Nase, Mirai Kuriyama, Ayaka and Ai.
• BlazBlue Cast – There are many characters in BlazBlue Alter Memory, but the more important ones are Noel Vermillion, Tsubaki Yayoi, Jin Kisaragi and Rachel Alucard.
• Other Coppelion & Survivors – From Coppelion. The other Coppelion are Taeko, Aoi and Haruto, whilst the survivors include Hibiki, Gennai, Kurobe and Gojiro.
• Ferrari Sisters, Anna & Black Ganymede Pirates – Hazuki, Kazuki & Hozuki Ferrari, Anna Hendrix and Cicinho and his crew, all from Galilei Donna.
• Elite Four & Mankanshoku Family – From Kill La Kill, the Elite Four consists of Ira Gamagoori, Houka Inumuta, Nonon Jakuzure and Uzu Sanageyama. The Mankanshoku family are Mako’s parents, her younger brother and their dog.
• Round Table Alliance – A group of guilds brought together by Shiroe in Log Horizon. They intend to bring laws into an otherwise lawless land.
• Miss Monochrome’s Acquantainces – Ru-chan, Mana, Maneo & Kikuko, all from Miss Monochrome -The Animation-.
• Shinichi’s Househould, Petrarca & her Vassals – Miusel, Elbia, Minori & Bluk, who live with and work for Shinichi in Outbreak Company. Petrarca is the empress of Eldant, and Zakhar and Galius number among her closest vassals.
• Gym Leaders & Elite Four – The foes a Pokémon Trainer must overcome to become a champion in Pokémon Origins, and no relation to the other Elite Four mentioned previously.
• Berserk Gym & Sweet Diva – From Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!. The Berserk Gym is were Sakura trains to become a professional wrestler, and Sweet Diva are the idol group she left to follow that path.

The winner of the best cast of characters for Autumn 2013 is the cast of Kill La Kill. The Elite Four and the Mankanshoku family are great characters.

Cutest Character
So, which character is cutest? The nominees look something like this:

• Ai – Beyond the Boundary
• Hozuki Ferrari – Galilei Donna
• Akatsuki – Log Horizon
• Serara – Log Horizon
• Miss Monochrome – Miss Monochrome -The Animation
• Renge – Non Non Biyori
• Miusel Foalan – Outbreak Company
• Petralka Anne Eldant III – Outbreak Company
• Reina – Pokémon Origins
• Moe Fukuoka – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the cutest character for Autumn 2013 is Renge. Without a doubt the fan favourite character of Non Non Biyori, Renge is pure brilliance.

Most Badass Character
Moving on from the previous award, the next award is for the character who is more than capable of handling themselves in a fight.

• Ragna the Bloodedge – BlazBlue Alter Memory
• Ryuko Matoi – Kill La Kill
• Satsuki Kiryuin – Kill La Kill
• Ira Gamagoori – Kill La Kill
• Nonon Jakuzure – Kill La Kill
• Uzu Sanageyama – Kill La Kill
• Tsumugu Kinagase – Kill La Kill

The winner of the most badass character for Autumn 2013 is Ryuko Matoi. This award could easily go to almost every character from Kill La Kill. Ryuko knows she has to fight all of Honnouji Academy to get to Satsuki, and she accepts the challenge.

Best Couple
Characters form relationships over the course of a story. Well, some of them might be more hinted at, but still, everything is fair in love and war.

• Akihito Kanbara & Mirai Kuriyama – Beyond the Boundary
• Ryuko Matoi & Mako Mankanshoku – Kill La Kill
• Ryuko Matoi & Satsuki Kiryuin – Kill La Kill
• Satsuki Kiryuin & Nonon Jakuzure – Kill La Kill
• Miss Monochrome & Kikuko – Miss Monochrome -The Animation-
• Hotaru Ichijou & Komari Koshigaya – Non Non Biyori
• Renge Koshigaya & Honoka Ishikawa – Non Non Biyori
• Renge Koshigaya & Kaede Kagayama – Non Non Biyori
• Shinichi Kanou & Miusel Foaran – Outbreak Company
• Sakura Hagiwara & Elena Miyazaw – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!
• Sakura Hagiwara & Moe Fukuoka – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the best couple for Autumn 2013 is Ryuko and Mako. Mako serves as a calming presence for Ryuko, and she will not hesitate to jump in front of Ryuko’s enemies to cheer Ryuko on.

Best Battle
Character clashed against character, but which battle was the best one?

• Ragna vs. Hazama – BlazBlue Alter Memory
• Ibara, Aoi, Haruto vs. Iron Spider and the Ozu sisters – Coppelion
• Ryuko vs. Satsuki – Kill La Kill
• Ryuko vs. Uzu – Kill La Kill
• Ryuko vs. Ira – Kill La Kill
• Ryuko vs. Houka – Kill La Kill
• Ryuko vs. Nonon – Kill La Kill
• Shiroe, Naotsugu and Akatsuki vs. Giant Rat-man – Log Horizon
• Nyanta vs. Demikas – Log Horizon
• JSDF vs. a dragon – Outbreak Company
• Red vs. Mewtwo – Pokémon Origins
• Sakura vs. Blue Panther – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the best battle for Autumn 2013 is Ryuko vs. Nonon. Once again, another award that could be given to any fight from Kill La Kill. I’ve chosen this specific battle for the use of the soundtrack, since Nonon fights using sound. She turns classical music into a weapon.
An honourable mention to Outbreak Company‘s JSDF taking on a dragon, as it was one of those rare times the military actually proved to be effective.
Another honourable mention for Pokémon Origins‘ Red vs. Mewtwo.

Best Powers
There were many different abilities on display this season, but which one happened to be best?

• Immortality – Akihito from Beyond the Boundary
• Blood manipulation – Mirai from Beyond the Boundary
• BlazBlue – Ragna the Bloodedge and Hazama from BlazBlue Alter Memory
• Super strength – Ibara Naruse and Shion Ozu from Coppelion
• Heightened senses – Taeko Nomura from Coppelion
• Psychic powers – Aoi Fukasaku from Coppelion
• Electricity manipulation – Kanon Ozu from Coppelion
• Magic – Shiroe and other spellcasters in Log Horizon; Elves from Outbreak Company

The winner of the best power for Autumn 2013 is magic. Seen in both Log Horizon and Outbreak Company, magic can be used in many different ways.

Best Transformation
In the more action-oriented anime, it isn’t too rare to see characters take on new forms in order to combat new threats. This is certainly the case for this particular season.

• Akihito’s Youmu Form – Beyond the Boundary
• Life Fibre Synchronise – Kamui Senketsu – Ryuko from Kill La Kill
• Senketsu Senjin – Ryuko and Senketsu from Kill La Kill
• Senketsu Shippu – Ryuko and Senketsu from Kill La Kill
• Life Fibre Override – Kamui Junketsu – Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill La Kill
• Blade Regalia – Uzu Sanageyama from Kill La Kill
• Blade Regalia Mk.2 – Uzu Sanageyama from Kill La Kill
• Shackle Regalia – Ira Gamagoori from Kill La Kill
• Scourge Regalia – Ira Gamagoori from Kill La Kill
• Symphony Regalia Grave – Nonon Jakuzure from Kill La Kill
• Symphony Regalia Presto – Nonon Jakuzure from Kill La Kill
• Symphony Regalia Da Capo – Nonon Jakuzure from Kill La Kill
• Berserk Ryuko – Kill La Kill
• Mega Charizard X – Pokémon Origins

The winner of the best transformation for Autumn 2013 is Life Fibre Synchronise – Kamui Senketsu. Ryuko finally realises how to effectively use Senketsu thanks to Mako, and thus she is able to deliver an epic battle against Satsuki.

Best Attack
There should be at least one anime series every season that has characters call out the name of their attacks. Fortunately, that has been the case this season, but which one is the best?

• Thorn Bind Hostage – used by Shiroe in Log Horizon
• Cross Slash – used by Naotsugu in Log Horizon
• Assassinate – used by Akatsuki in Log Horizon
• Sen-i-soshitsu – Ryuko Matoi’s finishing move in Kill La Kill
• Shinsoku: Senbonzuki – used by Uzu Sanageyama in Kill La Kill
• Mega Punch – used by Red’s Charizard in Pokémon Origins
• Sakura Special – used by Sakura (duh) in Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the best attack for Autumn 2013 is Assassinate. Log Horizon‘s Akatsuki uses this attack as she is an assassin, and it does exactly what you would expect it to.

Best Soundtrack
In addition to the visuals, each anime has a variety of music to go with what you are watching. Which one of the shows I watched had the best soundtrack?

• Beyond the Boundary
• BlazBlue Alter Memory
• Coppelion
• Galilei Donna
• Kill La Kill
• Log Horizon
• Miss Monochrome -The Animation-
• Non Non Biyori
• Outbreak Company
• Pokémon Origins
• Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the best soundtrack for Autumn 2013 is Kill La Kill. The original pieces of music are good, and the use of classical music is great as well.

Best Finale
Everything must eventually come to an end, but which anime series had the best finale? Since Kill La Kill and Log Horizon are still airing, they are exempt from this category.

• Akihito & Mirai vs. Beyond the Boundary – Beyond the Boundary (obviously…)
• Ragna confronts Mu-12 – BlazBlue Alter Memory
• Ibara confronts Kanon Ozu – Coppelion
• The court case – Galilei Donna
• Miss Monochrome’s street performance – Miss Monochrome -The Animation-
• Life in the countryside – Non Non Biyori
• Shinichi confronts his superior – Outbreak Company
• Red vs. Mewtwo – Pokémon Origins
• Sakura vs. Blue Panther – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The winner of the best finale for Autumn 2013 is Sakura vs. Blue Panther. Blue Panther’s identity has been revealed, and both are fighting for their beliefs. The end result of the match is extremely satisfying, as well.

Best Ending Theme
Sticking with the theme of ending, which anime had the best ending theme?

• “Daisy” by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION – Beyond the Boundary
• “Reincarnation Blue” by Aira Yuuki – BlazBlue Alter Memory
• “Tooku Made” by angela – Coppelion
• “Bye Bye All Right” by angela – Coppelion
• “Innocent” by Earthmind – Galilei Donna
• “Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai” by Miku Sawai – Kill La Kill
• “Your song*” by Yun*chi – Log Horizon
• “Poker Face” by Miss Monochrome (CV: Yui Horie) – Miss Monochrome -The Animation-
• “Non Non Biyori” by Renge Miyauchi (CV: Kotori Koiwai), Hotaru Ichijou (CV: Rie Murakawa), Natsumi Koshigaya (CV: Ayane Sakura) & Komari Koshigaya (CV: Kana Asumi) – Non Non Biyori
• “Watashi no Houseibako” by Petralka Anne Eldant III (CV: Mai Fuchigami) – Outbreak Company
• “Fan Fanfare!!!” by Sweet Diva (Ayana Taketatsu, Kana Asumi, Yuki Ootsubo, Miku Itou, Sora Amamiya) – Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!

The best ending theme for Autumn 2013 is “Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai” by Miku Sawai, the ending theme for Kill La Kill. I also liked both of Coppelion‘s ending themes.

Best Anime
Now we’ve come to the final award. I’ve watched a few different anime series, but which one is the best?
The best anime of Autumn 2013 is Kill La Kill. Kill La Kill is very much the spiritual successor of Gurren Lagann, and it definitely shows. That is no bad thing, by any means.
Log Horizon and Non Non Biyori would take 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

Now here’s a summary of the rewards.

• Best Opening Theme: “database feat. TAKUMA (10 Feet)” by MAN WITH A MISSION
• Best Plot: Log Horizon
• Best Main Character: Ryuko Matoi
• Best Antagonist: Satsuki Kiryuin
• Best Cast of Characters: Kill La Kill
• Cutest Character: Renge Miyauchi
• Most Badass Character: Ryuko Matoi
• Best Couple: Ryuko Matoi & Mako Mankanshoku
• Best Battle: Ryuko Matoi vs. Nonon Jakuzure
• Best Powers: Magic
• Best Transformation: Life Fibre Synchronise – Kamui Senketsu
• Best Attack: Assassinate
• Best Soundtrack: Kill La Kill
• Best Finale: Sakura Hagiwara vs. Blue Panther
• Best Ending Theme: “Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai” by Miku Sawai
• Best Anime: Kill La Kill

Kill La Kill done really well, huh? I imagine that will be the case for the next season as well. Anyway, that has been the Autumn 2013 Anime Awards. See you next time for the Winter 2014 Anime Awards.