Hang on… just let me check… yeah, definitely got the right season this time… *ahem*.
So, another season of anime has come to an end. During the course of this season, I managed to get myself a job, which means I’ve had less free time than before.
However, it also means that my income has increased, which means I am more easily able to support streaming services and such – as well as buy large numbers of DVDs that take me far too long to get through.
Anyway, we’re here for the Spring 2015 Anime Awards. The anime I watched for this season are as follows:
- Assassination Classroom
- Fairy Tail Series 2
- Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
- Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation
- Go! Princess PreCure
- Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Battle in Egypt
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
- Mikagura School Suite
- Ninja Slayer From Animation
- One Piece
- Re-Kan!
- Show By Rock!!
- Sound! Euphonium
- Urawa no Usagi-chan
- Wish Upon the Pleiades
Quite a selection there. Anyway, be wary of potential spoilers for the shows listed above.
Best Opening Theme
JoJo – Sono Chi no Kioku: end of THE WORLD by JO☆STARS~TOMMY, Coda, JIN~
The opening theme for the 2nd season of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders is a hot-blooded tune – it’s great on its own, but then the final two episodes increase the level of awesome when DIO interrupts the opening.
Runners-up: BACK IN BLACK by BOOM BOOM SATELLITES (Ninja Slayer From Animation); Jiriki Hongan Revolution by 3-nen E-gumi Utatan (Assassination Classroom)
Best Plot
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
Whilst I maintain that Fate/Zero is superior, the whole clash between Shirou’s ideals and Archer’s cynicism does prove to be fairly interesting. Besides, it’s not like the things I chose to watch had particularly complex plots this season.
Runners-up: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Battle in Egypt; Sound! Euphonium
Best Protagonist
Eruna Ichinomiya
Mikagura School Suite‘s protagonist is fun to watch, whether she’s battling or just interacting with her fellow pupils. Her interest in girls just adds to her charm.
Runners-up: Jotaro Kujo (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Battle in Egypt); Vivio Takamachi (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid)
Best Antagonist
DIO
The master of the Stand known as ‘The World’. He is an immortal vampire who spends most of his time hiding in the shadows. However, once the Stardust Crusaders finally confront him, DIO proves to be an incredible foe.
Runners-up: Dagger (Show By Rock!!); Don Quixote Doflamingo (One Piece)
Best Cast of Characters
The Stardust Crusaders
Jotaro, Joseph, Avdol, Kakyoin and Polnareff have travelled to Egypt together in order to confront DIO. They are joined by the Boston terrier Iggy in Egypt. This group struggle against a multitude of enemy Stand users, and form a strong bond of friendship with each other during their journey.
Runners-up: Mikagura Private Academy students (Mikagura School Suite); All tournament participants (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid)
Cutest Character
Alice Cartalet
Due to the nature of Kiniro Mosaic, almost all of the cast could count in their own way. However, I’ll be giving this award to the English girl, because she’s my favourite character.
Runners-up: Cyan Hijirikawa (Show By Rock!!); Vivio Takamachi (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid)
Most Badass Character
Jotaro Kujo
He uses the Stand called Star Platinum. On several occasions throughout Stardust Crusaders, he shows that messing with him or his allies is very bad idea.
Runners-up: Shirou Emiya (Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works); Ninja Slayer (Ninja Slayer From Animation)
Best Couple
Nanoha Takamachi & Fate Testarossa Harlaown
They may not be the main characters in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid, but whenever the two of them share any screentime, it is utterly glorious. Vivio’s two adoptive mothers are easily one of the greatest yuri pairings out there.
Runners-up: Alice Cartalet & Shinobu Oomiya (Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic); Cyan Hijirikawa & Retoree (Show By Rock!!)
Best Battle
Jotaro Kujo vs. DIO
The final battle in Stardust Crusaders, complete with ‘ora ora ora!’, ‘muda muda muda!’ and a road roller for good measure. There are plenty of ups and downs in this battle, and it is easily the best part of the entire series.
Runners-up: Einhart Stratos vs. Corona Timil (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid); Miura Rinaldi vs. Micaiah Chevelle (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid)
Best Soundtrack
Show By Rock!!
It’s an anime about using the power of rock to save the world, more or less – of course there’s going to be a strong soundtrack to go with it.
Runners-up: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid; Sound! Euphonium
Best Finale
The Battle Against DIO
The Stardust Crusaders finally face DIO, and it doesn’t take long for them to suffer heavy casualties when faced with his stand, The World. However, Kakyoin is able to figure out the secret of The World, and his final action is to relay this to Joseph. Though Joseph is able to pass the message on to Jotaro, DIO is able to take him out.
Star Platinum and The World collide in a flurry of fists, with Jotaro using some interesting tricks to try and even the odds against his foe.
Runners-up: Eruna vs. Seisa (Mikagura School Suite); Cyan taking down Dagger (Show By Rock!!)
Best Ending Theme
Pleasure Treasure by Yukari Tamura
This ending theme is so upbeat, that whenever it comes in it just invokes pure joy. It probably helps that Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid is a fun watch, so this just adds to that.
Runners-up: ring your bell by Kalafina (Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works); Last Train Home by Pat Metheny Group (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Battle in Egypt)
Best Anime
Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic
A lot of strong contenders for best anime this season, but I’m ultimately going to go for the one that I’ve given my highest review score to this season. Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic is arguably one of the greatest adaptations of a four-panel manga – this is only improved by the use of it gratuitous English and blatant yuri. Hey, I’m also a sucker for English characters, and there was that short but sweet magical girl imagine spot.. yeah, there’s a lot of reasons I chose this.
Runners-up: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Battle in Egypt; Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
Well, that wraps things up for another season. We were brought magical girls, cat girls, rock music, time-stopping vampires, gratuitous English and a whole bunch of new yuri ships. This has been a particularly strong season in my opinion, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future will bring us.
Rory Muses 