Another year comes to a close, as too does another season of anime. As such, time for me to look back over this previous season and remember fondly the various things about it that stood out.
The shows I watched for this season were:
– The aquatope on white sand
– BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!☆PICO FEVER!
– BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS
– The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!
– Let’s Make a Mug Too 2
– Mieruko-chan
– One Piece
– PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~
– SELECTION PROJECT
– Tropical-Rouge! PreCure
– Waccha PriMagi!
– Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter
As usual, there will potentially be spoilers for any of the shows listed above. With that said and done, I present to you my personal Anime Awards for Autumn 2021.
Best Opening Theme
“We Are” by Hiroshi Kitadani
The One Piece changed its opening theme back to its very first one for a single episode. Said episode was number one thousand, and this was certainly a fitting tribute for the anime’s voyage so far. We get the same old great song, with updated visual reflecting the Straw Hats journey so far.
Runners-up: “Mienaikara ne!?” by Sora Amamiya (Mieruko-chan); “Glorious Days” by 9-tie (SELECTION PROJECT)
Best Plot
Sentinels and Past Heroes
The third season of Yuki Yuna is a Hero takes the focus away from the present day Hero Club, and instead gives us a look at the first Heroes, as well as the Sentinels, a group who contribute a lot to the cause but with almost none of the recognition.
Runners-up: A new aquarium (The aquatope on white sand); Restoring the Dark Realm (The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!)
Best Protagonist
Miko Yotsuya
The main protagonist of Mieruko-chan has been giving the ability to see ghosts, and it’s clear that is something she really wish she couldn’t do. She tries to go through life just ignoring the grotesque apparitions that appear before her, but sometimes it all tends to get a little much.
Runners-up: Jahy (The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!); Matsuri Hibino (Waccha PriMagi!)
Best Antagonist
Butler
This seahorse from Tropical-Rouge! PreCure is probably the most dangerous foe that Cure Summer and company have to face. He doesn’t often step up to fight, but it is certainly noteworthy when he does. At the time of writing the season is still on-going, but seems to be that Butler might wind up being the biggest threat in Tropical-Rouge! PreCure.
Runners-up: Kaido (One Piece); Big Mom (One Piece)
Best Female Character
Kyoko Jingu
I was enjoying The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! a lot, but then the magical girl went and pledged her loyalty to Jahy, and things only seemed to get even better from that point. A fun character before, and an even better one once she is smitten with Jahy.
Runners-up: Hina Yayoi (Waccha PriMagi!); Mimori Togo (Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter)
Best Male Character
Kuya Yakamashi
The aquatope on white sand continued into this season, and Kuya continued to be the best guy on the show. His workplace may have changed, but his attitude certainly hasn’t.
Runners-up: Tokishiro Toyokawa (Let’s Make a Mug Too 2); Zen Toono (Mieruko-chan)
Best Cast of Characters
Jahy and her acquaintances
There’s some pretty solid casts in this season, but the characters from The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! are definitely the stand outs for me. I like each and every member of the central cast.
Runners-up: Hero Clubs/Sentinels (Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter); 9-tie (SELECTION PROJECT)
Cutest Character
Kokoro
Kokoro from The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! is absolutely adorable. I adore her interactions with Jahy, and her innocence makes even the Dark Realm’s second-in-command melt.
Runners-up: Uta Koizumi (SELECTION PROJECT); Jahy (The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!)
Most Badass Character
Yuki Yuna
She may be relatively inactive throughout the majority of the third season of Yuki Yuna is a Hero, but the feat that she pulls off towards the end definitely more than qualifies her for this one. A true hero.
Runners-up: Mebuki Kusunoki (Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter); Chikage Koori (Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter)
Best Couple
Yuki Yuna & Togo Mimori
Those two sure have to go through a lot in Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter. Togo is key in helping Yuna pull off the aforementioned feat, and then the two of them embark on a new adventure together.
Runners-up: Riko Saginuma & Naomi Takagi (PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~); Suzune Miyama & Rena Hananoi (SELECTION PROJECT)
Best Battle
Chikage Koori vs. Wakaba Nogi
This an emotionally charged battle, with everything going proving to be a little too much for Chikage. She snaps, and directs all her anger at her friend. It does not end well.
Runners-up: Sarada vs. Cho-Cho (BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS), Denki vs. Tsubaki (BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS)
Best Soundtrack
SELECTION PROJECT
Who would’ve thought that the show about idols would have the best soundtrack? I particularly enjoyed the GapsCaps performance, although there are plenty of other songs to enjoy, too.
Runners-up: PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~; Waccha PriMagi!
Best Finale
Watching the fireworks together
All of Jahy’s friends gather together (even if there may be a little tension between a couple of them), and they get to enjoy a festival together. It’s such a nice way to end of this particular series.
Runners-up: After the end (Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter); 9-tie’s performance (SELECTION PROJECT)
Best Ending Theme
“Mita na? Mita yo ne? Miteru to ne?” by Sora Amamiya
Mieruko-chan‘s ending theme sums up the entire concept of the anime, and happens to be quite the catchy song. The touch of the various ghosts screaming every now and then is also interesting.
Runners-up: “Only One Yell” by 9-tie (SELECTION PROJECT); “Petals” by Miho Okasaki (The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!)
Best Anime
The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!
Having to choose between The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! and Yuki Yuna is a Hero as my favourite anime for this season was a tough one, but I think Jahy manages to just claim the victory. It has exactly the type of humour I enjoy, but also plenty of heat-warming and hear-meltingly cute moments. There have been other shows similar to this, but The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! does away with the mean-spiritedness that the others possess, or at least has it in much smaller quantities.
Runners-up: Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter; SELECTION PROJECT
That concludes my Anime Awards for Autumn 2021. Let’s do this again at the end of the Winter 2022 season.
Rory Muses 