Here it is! Just like we do a post on the good and the bad of every season, we have decided to do a yearly post of it this time! Enjoy this post to your hearts’ contents, despite it being really long (and possibly very biased).
Please note: This post is not based off poll results, it is only our own opinion on the shows that were aired this year. Moreover, we aren’t machines and haven’t watched every single show out there, so don’t mind us if we don’t mention your favourite show. If you wish to take part and tell us what you think, simply copy and paste the outline at the bottom of the post and just fill it out. You may post it in the comment box when you are ready 😀
~Genres Category~
Best Romance
Eva: When it comes down to romance…. well I’m actually not too sure what struck my romance cord at all this year. I mean, there were romance shows- but did romance actually happen? Did I enjoy it? Most of them I didn’t enjoy it or it just didn’t happen, period. Looking over from what I’ve watched, I suppose Kimi ni Todoke Season 2 will be my nomination for this category since confessions took place and romantic development occurred. It wasn’t my favourite, but for the sake of real romance, I think it’s better than The World Only God Knows II who’s romance is forgotten varying on the situation with the girls (I can’t say anything explicitly because it’d lead to spoilers unless you guys read the manga).
ZeroG: I’m afraid the only real romance I watched was Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi, and therefore it is the best I saw by default.
Vantage: The Amagami SS OVA and Specials Come to think of it, I didn’t really watch all that much romance, apart from The World God Only Knows II, so I’ll go with that. And even that’s more a romcom than a “pure”.
Myst: Oh my, oh my. As I have basically watched and more often than not, blogged all the romance shows this year because I’m that much of a fanatic, I have to admit that The World Only God Knows II Unfortunately the first season was in 2010 was my personal favourite, by far. Anything else couldn’t even compare.
Best Suspense
Eva: Mawaru Penguindrum. ENDLESS CLIFFHANGERS
ZeroG: Steins; Gate wins for this one. It is the only show that I could not have any idea what so ever what would happen next, every new episode would completely change the story and the unexpected would happen.
Vantage: I will have to agree with Zero on this one, Steins;Gate was fabulous max with suspense (and as a show overall too). El Psy Congroo!
Myst: Kaiji: Hakairoku Hen was super good! I’ll be honest, I’ve never watched the first season, but the second season that came out this year was really addicting, and the suspense was crazy. Loved it!
Best Mecha
Eva: Hm let me think this over… Gundam Unicorn? Okay so it’s an OVA, but who cares! If you want good mecha, go there. All the others were pretty much shit- except for Guilty Crown– okay actually, Guilty Crown’s mecha is awesome, it earns this category. But seriously check out Gundam Unicorn if you haven’t, it’s fucking amazing- and still on-going.
ZeroG: Guilty Crown was the best show in term of Mecha this year, Tiger and Bunny or Infinite Stratos was mecha too, but the mecha were not nearly as awesome as Guilty Crown, Guilty Crown was a remake of Code Geass but in less awesome, but it was still good enough to be the best mecha this season.
Vantage: While Guilty Crown did use mecha, the Endlaves I felt were just a plot device to initiate big flashy battles instead of being more central and personalized, like the Knightmares. Thus, I shall go with IS: Infinite Stratos, and ignore the fact it had a damn stereotypical harem ending.
Myst: Well, mecha-wise, I watched Infinite Stratos and haven’t gotten the chance to finish Guilty Crown yet, but I think Guilty Crown is still much better than IS, so it wins this.
Best Fantasy
Eva: I’m conflicted between Mahou Shoujo Madoka and Mawaru Penguindrum, but I think for the genre’s sake this belongs to Mahou Shoujo Madoka.
ZeroG: Puella Magi Madoka Magica was an amazing fantasy/magical girl show. It was both beautiful and interesting and the plot hooked me from the beginning.
Vantage:Jumping on the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica bandwagon here, and it certainly deserves every single bit of hype it got. Such an immense show xD
Myst: Mawaru Penguindrum! Because it’s that messed up. And because I haven’t watched Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica yet.
Best Drama
Eva: Ano Hana for many reasons.
ZeroG: I don’t remember my drama too much, but I think No.6 was about the best I saw in term of drama, I fear I might have forgotten an important show somewhere though…hum.
Vantage: Am I allowed to say parts of The Idolm@ster? Cause if not, then Ano Hana will be my pick, with its amazing character cast and dramatic, tear-jerking scenes. So that’s…yeah, nearly all of them.
Myst: Um, in terms of drama, so many shows can be considered as such… Although, Hanasaku Iroha was probably what was the best drama in what I’ve watched.
Best Slice of Life
Eva: Hands down to Hanasaku Iroha! Not only the animation was drop dead gorgeous, but also the storyline. Nothing has topped my #1 favourite Slice of Life ever since.
ZeroG: The only Slice of Life show I watched was Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, so It wins the spot by default.
Vantage: This genre was created for Hanasaku Iroha. It’s just awesome like that.
Myst: Hanasaku Iroha was absolutely amazing in that sense. I usually find the Slice of Life genre to be incredibly slow, but never got sick of that one, and waited impatiently for every episode that would come out.
Best Comedy
Eva: Level-E. Hey guys, anyone remember that one? The one where the alien Prince Baka liked trolling everyone? If you haven’t, you ought to see it- as much as it may look like fillers from time to time and have one or two boring episodes… WATCH IT TILL THE VERY END.
ZeroG: Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Season 2 was my favorite comedy this year, I laughed so much during this show it was really incredible.
Vantage: Shinryaku!? Ika Musume was the most entertaining comedy I watched this year. Funnily enough I never got tired of the various renditions of Ika-chan’s name, or the squidding puns they put in. (See what I did there).
Myst: Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka!!!! As a parody show, it was incredibly funny and the concepts in it were just so plain hilarious, I loved that show. I can’t wait for next season in April!
Best Musical
Eva: There were very few musical animes this year, but out of all of them, it’s definitely Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% and The iDOLM@STER! I can’t choose okay, so here we have one show for the girls and one for the boys!
Note in Advance for The iDOLM@STER: Very slow start, 1st episode may turn you off, really picks up at Ep 11 – but with that said, DON’T SKIP THE FIRST 10 EPISODES. *Smiles sweetly In fact why not skip Episode 1 instead?/SHOT
ZeroG: I haven’t watched a single musical. Music is for nerds and people with ears.
Vantage: This category I can give a clear answer for without even thinking about it: The iDOLM@STER. True, it did start a bit slow but it really picked up around halfway and by the final few episodes, it really was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Myst: Well I only watched one music show, Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000%, so that’s what it is right?
Best Mystery
Eva: UN-GO! I’m not a huge mystery fan, but UN-GO was really enjoyable! The first few episodes may seem predictable and the mysteries may be cheesy, but don’t stop there- it gets really sick! 8D
ZeroG: I’ll have to go with Dantalian no Shoka. Kamisama No Memo-chou and Gosick were simply not good enough to beat this pure piece of art. While Dantalian no Shoka did not have has complex plot, the aura of the show was simply amazing.
Vantage: Will I get shot if I say Gosick? UN-GO may have been “better”, but I liked Gosick much more.
Myst: Un-Go messed up my brain. But it was really good 🙂 I enjoyed it very very much. shoots Vantage Done deal.
Best Sci-Fi
Eva: We all know the answer to this one: Steins;Gate
ZeroG: Steins; Gate was the best show of the year, so of course it is the best sci-fi too!
Vantage: I don’t actually remember any other notable sci-fi shows, but Steins;Gate would have topped them all anyway.
Myst: Denpa Onna to Seishunn Otoko really surprised me. To be honest, when people told me it was amazing, I didn’t believe them one bit, but when I started watching it I really didn’t regret it. It was really cool.
Best Action:
Eva: FATE/ZERO BABY!!! SOBS WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL APRIL FOR PART 2?! Guys, for your own sake of sanity, DON’T START UNTIL APRIL, THEY TROLL YOU SO BAD IN THE LAST EPISODE THAT YOU WANT TO FLIP YOUR DESK GOING, “FFFFFFFFFF NOOOOOOOO!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US?!?!?!“
ZeroG: Fate/Zero was the best action show of this year, even with the cliffhanger at the end, the show had a deep story, interesting character and amazing visuals of explosions and swords and awesomeness.
Vantage: Seeing as I haven’t gotten round to watching Fate/Zero yet, best action for me goes to Shakugan no Shana III (Final), especially with the current massive war arc and all the amazing plot twists so far.
Myst: Fate/Zero~~~ It was reallllly badass. 🙂
Best Sport:
Eva: Chihayafuru is my favourite, hands down.
It’s not just any card game, it’s f****ing Karuta, the one ‘card game’ I ACKNOWLEDGE AS A SPORT. SHOT
ZeroG: The only sport show I watched was Chihayafuru, so it wins by default.
Vantage: Chihayafuru was the only sports show I watched, but even if there were others this would still probably be the best one.
Myst: cricketcricket… Chihayafuru? I haven’t watched any other sports show…
Best Game-Based:
Eva: Yu Gi Oh 5Ds – Trust me guys, I wasn’t a YGO Fan before I watched this and started it by a whim- but this HAS PLOT!!!1!!!! DON’T LET THE WHOLE IDEA OF “CARDGAMES ON MOTOCYCLES” STOP YOU! THERE’S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!!!
ZeroG: Steins; Gate was by far the best adaptation of a video game this year, it was the best goddamn show! I have an erection just thinking about Okabe.
Vantage: Why is Steins;Gate in so many categories? picks Steins;Gate Though, the only adaptation from a game that comes anywhere near Steins;Gate would be The iDOLM@STER…
Myst: … Am I allowed to put in Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai… Because I really liked it… Despite its retardedness…
Best Ecchi:
Eva: …What did I watch that was Ecchi…? (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:･ﾟ✧
ZeroG: In terms of pure ecchi, R-15 was the best, it was really intense at time and it was kind of funny. Of course the show sucked overall, but for the ecchi factor, it was good.
Vantage: Freezing was a pretty ecchi show, and it had a really interesting plot as well! I wasn’t in it for just the boobies…honest.
Myst: *whistles Oretachi ni tsubasa wa nai was really good! But I’m a bit too ashamed to like it that much…
Worst Romance
Eva: Probably Dragon Crisis.
ZeroG: Not actually a romance, but if you count it as one, the love story in R-15 was worst than what you see in porn and hentai.
Vantage: Oh yeah, R-15! I’d forgotten about that actually xD
Myst: DRAGON CRISIS. Stupid corny shit. It wasn’t intended to be mostly romance, but that’s all it was. Corny and disgusting romance.
Worst Suspense
Eva: Scared Seven. I can’t really think of anything else.
ZeroG: I’ll have to go with Phi Brain, just because it was the worst overall in everything it did and I think there might have been supposed to be some suspense in the show, but I never felt it.
Vantage: Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi takes this one. It leaves you on an amazing cliffhanger, then it’s like they forgot about it and just ignore it to the point that you forget the suspense existed. In the end, we have more things unexplained than explained.
Myst: …Can Yumekui Merry be considered suspense? If so, then this fits in completely. It was really bad.
Worst Mecha
Eva: Sacred Seven. Don’t even BOTHER watching it, it’s a waste of your time – I watched it till the very end and it was not fun.
Zero: Sacred Seven. Just…What the hell was that crap, seriously I’m disappointed in you Sunrise.
Vantage: Sacred Seven. Though I didn’t stick around long enough to get to the ending, so I’ll assume it continued its crappy crap.
Myst: Well, it was a hard pick… Between all the mecha shows I’ve watched, meaning Infinite Stratos, Infinite Stratos and Infinite Stratos, I think I pick Infinite Stratos.
Kaitou: coughStar Drivercough
Worst Fantasy
Eva: No Comment. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ:･ﾟ✧
ZeroG: Astarotte No Omocha! this show was more of a pedophile fantasy land than anything else, the only thing shinier than the golden leaves of the tree was the constant exposure of underage girls panties.
Vantage: …What panties? cough Asuha cough*
And the giant gold tree in Lotte was probably the only construct without an innuendo to it…I think. Anyway, worst fantasy, oh you can win this one too, Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi.
Myst: Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera. O________O I’m still traumatized because of the granny…
Worst Drama
Eva: Hm, I did a good job AVOIDING shitty dramas… and if I seen any, I don’t remember them! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
ZeroG: While it was not completely a drama, Manyuu Hikenchou was a trauma, so It will get this spot.
Vantage: Yumekui Merry was a dramatic flop, even though it didn’t have too much drama. Usually dramas are good at their job, unlike J.C. Staff is.
Myst: Kimi to Boku? Actually, both that and Yumekui Merry can win this spot, they were both horrid.
Worst Slice of Life
Eva: Kimi to Boku, I’m sorry – and exactly HOW is this getting a second season?! Unfortunitely for me I didn’t enjoy it.
ZeroG: I have seen only one and it is already declared the best and I don’t feel like creating paradox and destroying the world right now.
Vantage: I’d go with SKET Dance, if that counts. It was nice at first, and probably was at it’s best in the Switch’s Past arc. As they said in a crossover, SKET Dance is a poor man’s Gintama.
Myst: I’ve only watched the first episode, but Kimi to Boku wins this firsthand. Seriously.
Worst Comedy
Eva: Sket Dance, never got into it.
ZeroG: Blood C, that show was just one bad joke.
Vantage: The only reason I even tried A Channel other than in the hopes that they would start a light music club was the title. A Channel? A channel of what?
Myst: A Channel was terribly bad… It was like an attempt to try and redo Lucky Star, but it just ended up being terrible.
Worst Musical
Eva: MYST HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! GLARES Nothing to say here. I liked what I watched- No that doesn’t include the Pretty Cure one.
ZeroG: I’ll say Uta no Prince, I haven’t watched the show, but it will piss off Eva so that’s good.
Vantage: Uh, I was only familiar with IM@S and Utapri in this category, so by default, Utapri ^_^
Myst: *whistles* Uta no Prince…? I have nothing else to put down… @Eva: I don’t even like it that much… *ducks*
Worst Mystery
Eva: I haven’t watched any other mysteries besides UN-GO so I have nothing to say here.
ZeroG: Gosick was the worst in term of mystery, the show was really cute and beautiful, but the mysteries were boring.
Vantage: I’ll have to put down Kamisama no Memo-chou. I don’t really want to, I didn’t think it was bad, it’s just that out of the three mysteries I watched this one came in third, so that’s what has to go down I guess.
Myst: sobsob Gosick was a huge disappointment… It started so well… Then got terrible… And in the end got slightly better, but it was still bad…
Worst Sci-Fic
Eva: No Comment. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
ZeroG: In term of Science-Fiction, Infinite Stratos was absolutely lame, well the show was just one big orgy in the end and the only good thing about IS is all the fan-made porn doujinshi, otherwise the show was crap.
Vantage: The vast majority of the IS doujins are all of Charlotte anyway. And for worst sci-fi, I pretty much dropped all the sci-fi I didn’t like, so nothing from me here.
Myst: Anyone remember Haiyoru! Nyaruani: Remember my Mr. Lovecraft? I sure hope not, because it was disgustingly bad. The only reason why I finished it was because every episode lasted less than 5 minutes.
Worst Action
Eva: Err… I’ll give this to Hidan no Aria because they wasted more time with the gags and fanservice than action.
ZeroG: I believe Sacred Seven was supposed to be a mecha action show, never made it far enough to confirmed the theory, the show sucked too much.
Vantage: Er, Blood-C. The only conditions that had to be met by the fight scenes was the insane amount of blood.
Myst: OHAI, Yumekui Merry! Why you back so soon? Oh, right. That show was terrible. It deserves to go in more than one category.
Worst Sport
Eva: MoshidoraFACEPALM It SUPPOSED to be about baseball, but- NOTHING HAPPENED, LIKE, IT WAS ABOUT A BUSINESS BOOK HELPING THEM SUCCEED!!!
ZeroG: I believe the worst sport to be any sport you actually have to practice in real life.
Vantage: I made it into 3 episodes of Moshidora. Did they think airing an episode every day would boost ratings or something?
Myst: cricketcricket I haven’t watched any other sport than Chihayafuru, and there’s no way I’m putting this down as worse sport.
Worst Game-Based 
Eva: >_> ……. YGO ZeXal – it’s still On-Going, but omg it’s SO BAD. IT’S PAINFUL. I stopped watching it altogether (Up to Ep 32 thinking it’d get better eventually…LIES!!!) It’s more suited for a younger audience who is new to the Yu Gi Oh Franchise altogether since they are basically reintroducing the game and how to play it with little pieces of all the shows in the past (DM, GX, 5Ds) featured. The similarity is almost identical. All you have to do is put the puzzle pieces together… OH THE IRONY! OTL
ZeroG: Persona 4, that show was simply terribly boring, it did not give credit to Persona 3 at all.
Vantage: Yugioh Zexal can have this, I haven’t seen it but I know its bad already. CARD GAMES. IN SPACE~~~
Eva: @Vantage, It doesn’t take place in space at least not yet anyways, that actually happens later in 5Ds, it just takes place in another dimension and a basically a repeat of DM with a bit of GX and 5Ds dumped into it. Honestly speaking it’s the worst combination I’ve ever seen. Then they got the character rip off- now don’t get me started on that, I can go on all day long…
Myst: Starry Sky was pretty damn bad… Ok, well the guys were hot, I’ll admit that. But the rest was terrible. It made me lose hope in shows based on games.
Worst Ecchi:
Eva: Uhhhhh…. What shows did I watch again with eechi…
ZeroG: Astarotte No Omocha was the worst by far, Manyuu Hikenchou while a terrible show, you could atleast fap to it if you were really determined, but to even think anything sexual in Astarotte No Omocha was like picking a “Go directly to jail and do not pass Go!” card. Don’t put ecchi in show with underage characters, even if they are cows and succubus !
Vantage: That thing…that started with Oniichan no Koto and had a looooong name. Basically, it was an Oreimo ripoff that tried to cash in on the success that a premise like that had only to find out that Oreimo was special and by actually coming closer to hentai than Oreimo ever did, completely ruined the whole thing. Moral of the story: there’s more to Oreimo than pantsu, ecchi and imoutos. Probably.
Myst: If anyone ever bothered to watch the first episode of Rio: Rainbow Gate, you’ll have all you need to know to figure out that it’s a terrible, terrible show. And there’s definitely tons more to Oreimo, it was so awesome!
~Characters Category~
The Cutest
Eva: MENMA FROM ANO HANA!
ZeroG: Yune from Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, that little girl cuteness was over 9000.
Vantage: Ika-chan from Shinryaku!? Ika Musume! Yes, again.
Myst: NARUUUUUUU OMG OMG OMG ^.^ If you ever feel like watching Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai, just remember that the cutest character ever is in that show. She’s so cute ^.^.
The Most Despised
Eva: Maverick from Tiger & Bunny. It’s been a LONG LONG time since I’ve despised a character so passionately.
ZeroG: Fukone Narukara, that little girl that plays the flute in R-15 was the worst character on the show and she ended up with the main character, I hate her with a passion.
Vantage: Yoshida Kazumi from Shakugan no Shana III (Final). The resident “broken record” character of Shana, even her seiyuu is probably sick of going SAKAI-KUN, SAKAI-KUN, SAKAI-KUN, SAKAI-KUN all the time. She needs to get raped by Sydonay or something. (See synonym: “Inoue Orihime” for further examples).
Myst: Takashi, from Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai. “URGH!!!! I HATE THAT KID!!! HE’S RETARDED, AND STUPID, AND HAS RANDOM SEX WITH POOR LIL’ GIRLS DESPITE HIM BEING THE “INNOCENT” BRANCH OF THE 3 GUYS!!!! I WANT HIM TO GO DIIIIE!!!” -Spring 2011 Overview I can’t say it in a better way
The Most Loved
Eva: SHOUMA~, Mawaru Penguindrum! AND KOTETSU~ from Tiger & Bunny!!!! THEY ARE ALSKDHAKSDJHA SO LOVEABLE!
ZeroG: Mad Scientist Hououin Kyoma ! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Vantage: Everyone loves Ika Musume…right? Oh, you haven’t watched either season? Well you’ll be agreeing with me soon enough. WE LOVE YOU IKA-CHAN~
Myst: Hum, I’m not sure, I have so many choices… I think that I’ll go with Ryuu, from the second season of Kimi ni Todoke. Just because, for such a plain and un-main character, he was so loved. Especially by me 😀
The Most Inspirational
Eva: Kotetsu, Wild Tiger from Tiger & Bunny! He’s my hero! BEAMS
ZeroG: Kyohei Kuga from Kamisama Dolls was something in term of character, that guy had something special he was the real deal.
Vantage: I want to be just like Madoka Magica’s Kyuubey when I grow up.
Myst: I was very inspired by Sawako again during this second season of Kimi ni Todoke! ^.^ I love that girl.
The Most Cruel/Twisted
Eva: MAVERICK from Tiger & Bunny
ZeroG: Shiro from Deadman Wonderland, the face of an angel, but my god that girl is twisted beyond redemption. She is amazing.
Vantage: Minatsuki from Deadman Wonderland. She gets turned on when other people are in pain in front of her. Best. Yandere. Ever.
Myst: ALUCAAAAAAARD. From Hellsing Ultimate episode 8. End of story.
The Most Badass
Eva: HANDS DOWN TO SAIREI NO HEBI/YUUJI FROM SHAKUGAN NO SHANA III FINAL!
DUUUUDEEEEE! HE’S SO FUCKING AMAZING, I LOVE IT. “RAWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR“!!!
ZeroG: Kirei Kotomine from Fate/Zero, that Ninja-priest is the most badass person to ever set foot in this world.
Vantage: Damn, Yuuji, what have you been doing to yourself from Season 2 till now?
Myst: Alucard again already? Hello badass and sadistic vampire, I think you win this hands down.
The Biggest Exhibitionist
Eva: Sanetoshi from Mawaru Penguindrum, he’s FABULOUS MAX! But also Prince Baka from Level-E.
ZeroG: Asuha from Astarotte No Omocha, in term of exhibitionism, she was incredibly naughty for a 10 years old, spending most of her days pantyless and jumping around in her low skirt.
Vantage: I have to agree with Lotte no Omocha‘s Asuha. You have to wonder why she hasn’t been raped yet. Or has she…?
Myst: Miyako? I think that title is well earned for you. I’m sick of seeing her go all over Yamato like a horny bitch in Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai. She could probably walk around the whole world naked if it meant she could get in his pants.
The Most Charming
Eva: KOTETSU FROM TIGER AND BUNNY!!!!! He was such a charming character, and can be derpy at the same time!
ZeroG: SAFU MAH WAIFU! This girl was simply amazing, she was gutsy, intelligent and really straight-forwards with things.
Vantage: Hoshii Miki from The iDOLM@STER xD Easily the idol with the most charisma and talent (if she tries). Chihaya can probably match her in singing ability though.
Myst: Katsuragi Keima from The World Only God Knows S2 ^.^ He’s so awesome. So, so charming, you gotta love him.
~Plot Category~
The Best
Eva: Mawaru Penguindrum and Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
ZeroG: Steins; Gate. The show had so many twist and well thought story, it was amazing. we lived the same 3 days for over 10 épisodes and I was never bored in the slightest.
Vantage: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. I completely underestimated this show when it first aired, and I was never so happy to be proven wrong. The twists it had were all immense.
Myst: I’d have to go with Bakuman II!!! It was so awesome, I never knew what would come up next, and made me like manga even more which isn’t necessarily a good thing, since I read them compulsively already…
The Saddest
Eva: Lets see, I cry while watching a lot of shows… but there was one that had me bawling every single episode! That would be Ano Hana! >_> But now Chihayafuru it starting to make that happen too…
ZeroG: I think Chihayafuru is the show that brought me the closer to tears this year.
Vantage: Cried in the first episode, cried again in the last. Oh, and a few times in between maybe. Anohana takes the cake for this category.
Myst: …I haven’t watched much sadness… Whatever made me cry the most was probably Chihayafuru though, the beginning part so far has already made me cry and I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again.
The Most Heartwarming
Eva: For me, it’s between AnoHana, Hanasaku Iroha. Both stories were emotional and I quickly found myself connecting with the characters.
ZeroG: Chihayafuru I guess, I don’t really find show heartwarming, I want them to tear my heart apart, not the other way around.
Vantage: Anohana! I loved the plot for it’s premise and development, and really loved all the characters (apart from Yukiatsu, who was…Yukiatsu.)
Myst: Hanasaku Iroha was so adorable, I absolutely loved it! It definitely was heartwarming, that’s for sure.
The Most Unpredictable
Eva: Hands down to Mawaru Penguindrum. The plot is so intense, it’s impossible to predict what the hell was about to happen next! It’s pure mindfuck, but in a good way! If you want watch a show that isn’t predictable, Mawaru Penguindrum is for you!
ZeroG: Mawaru Penguindrum win this one hands down, I had no clue what was going on half of the time and there was no way in hell I could predict what was coming only a few minutes later in the show.
Vantage: Yup, Mawaru Penguindrum. Even amidst everyone’s speculation and theories, no-one could guess exactly what was going to happen in the next episode, and I loved it for that.
Myst: Although I do agree completely with everyone’s answers, I have to admit that for those few people who actually watched Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai, you can agree with me that it was the most unpredictable thing I’ve ever seen in my life. That was a retarded show.
The Most Memorable
Eva: Mawaru Penguindrum, Ano Hana, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Puella Magica, Fate/Zero, AND Chihayafuru
ZeroG: The show I remember the most are Steins; Gate, Kamisama Dolls, Fate/Zero and Chihayafuru.
Vantage: Chihayafuru, Anohana, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Mawaru Penguindrum, Steins;Gate and Blood-C (because it was so bad I remembered it)
Myst: Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai again… I’ll always remember the end where you find out this has a serious plot to it… O__o what a mindfuck.
The Ultimate Fail
Eva: :\ There was quite a few failures this year, commonly known as Blood C, Sacred Seven, Yu Gi Oh ZeXal etc…
ZeroG: Blood C, Sacred Seven, Phi Brain, those show were all completely terrible, but Sacred Seven is the only show I could not even watch 6 episodes of.
Vantage: Heh, this was specially put in for something like Blood-C wasn’t it…cause I’m gonna say BLOOD-C.
Myst: It’s too bad I haven’t watched Blood C, and I haven’t watched Manyuu Hikenchou either but considering the plot is all about boobs and considering the comments I got about it, the plot was freaking horrid.
~ Production Category ~
Best OP of the Year
Eva: I’m not sure. If we’re looking at how it was put together, I think I really enjoyed Mawaru Penguindrum OP 2. It held a shitload of symbolism for the show, and I like it when Openings play a role like that. The song’s lyrics is also pretty damn accurate to the circumstances too. The iDOLM@STER OP 2 “CHANGE” was also incredibly addicting to both watch and listen to.
ZeroG: I can’t decide only one, I’ll have to go with the 3 that I consider equally best, the opening for Kamisama Dolls was refreshing, it was really awesome to dance to each episode, While the show sucked, I loved Blood-C opening, it was incredible and the only reason why I kept watching the show and finally, Dantalian No Shoka opening song still gives me shivers when I listen to it.
Vantage: I loved both iDOLM@STER OPs, especially during their live performances when the camera angles lose all sense of restriction and go absolutely mad. Just stunning.
Myst: The Guilty Crown opening stunned me completely 🙂 Although a few other openings can be put into this category, like the Kore wa Zombie Desu ka opening which I could still watch over and over again, it didn’t have as much quality and awesomeness as did Guilty Crown.
Kaitou: Toss up between Guilty Crown and UN-GO. Inori’s outfit wins over all the fans, female or male.
Best ED of the Year
Eva: Ano Hana‘s Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~ (10 years after Ver.) ;A; SOBS It’s like, A PERFECT COMBINATION!!!
ZeroG: The ending for Dantalian No Shoka was incredible, but Gosick was simply amazing in its ending, there is no competition there. Gosick had two ending and both of them are pure magic to the ears. The song beats even the beautiful creepy ending of Dantalian No Shoka.
Vantage: Anohana‘s ending was absolutely perfect, and tied in with the entire show really well too.
Myst: Although the show is one that ended up pissing me off completely, the first ending of Gosick was very detailed and beautiful for an ending, definitely one of the few endings that I can remember.
Kaitou: Mirai Nikki‘s ending, along with Penguindrum, just for sheer extras and originality.
Best OST of the Year
Eva: Reviewing from my OST playlists which had my favourites of 2011, the most played is Mawaru Penguindrum. But closely behind that one was Yu Gi Oh 5Ds Sound Duel 3 (which had the advantage since I’ve had it longer). This show also had a very strong OST, and so even if you don’t like the show or the franchise itself, I would suggest you guys to check it out, it’s very enjoyable. My favourite track is #11: Z-ONE’S Battle, and I think most people from the 5Ds fanbase can agree it’s absolutely epic.
ZeroG: Dantalian No Shoka music was able to set the mood of this mysterious show and it gave the show its life, it was the best of the year.
Vantage: Though admittedly a fair portion of the music originated from the games, The iDOLM@STER soundtrack was immense, and I enjoyed most of the songs.
Myst: Agreed with Zero’s answer, the OST of Dantalian no Shoka was great.
Best Animation of the Year
Eva: Oh boy… What to pick?! I suppose this will go to Hanasaku Iroha. I really loved the quality and the breathtaking details of the environment around them.
ZeroG: I’ll go with Fate/Zero, it was a show with much action and the animation and art was always perfect and shiny.
Vantage: Hanasaku Iroha gets my vote, for pure quality and detail in its animation. P.A. Works were stellar in that respect.
Myst: There were so many!!! Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai, Hanasaku Iroha, Chihayafuru… But for the sake of this, I’ll go with the second season of The World Only God Knows. Tha adaptation from the manga to the anime was amazing, and animating something like this in such a great way was awesome.
Worst OP of the Year
Eva: Fractale. It was unique, but just… what the hell?! The OP song was okay, but god- the sequence had nothing to do with the show and was annoying to watch after a while.
ZeroG: I don’t dislike anything special.
Vantage: I hate to say this, since I liked almost everything else, but Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai‘s OP didn’t fit well with me at all…it’s like they were looping Lucky Star‘s OP when they made it.
Myst: Fractale. The kaleidoscopes hurt my eyes too much…
Worst Animation of the Year
Eva: Again with Fractale. Yes it was a different style, but the animation faltered a lot.
ZeroG: I think Manyuu Hikenchou had the worst Animation ever, I mean the animation is so ridiculous, no one could have boobs made of so much Jell-O.
Vantage: I don’t really have an answer for this one, some shows had questionable animation quality but they fitted in perfectly with the premise and the show in general.
Myst: Kaiji: Hakairoku Hen was a pain to watch sometimes… The art pissed me off so much, and the “Zawa, zawa” that kep lingering got really annoying in the end -_-‘.
The Most Appealing Animation Studio:
Eva: There were a TON of stunning, mind-blowing animation quality this year! Studio SHAFT, P.A Works, Brains Base and Production I.G definitely stood out this year! White Fox was mindblowing as ever (god i love that studio!!!) You can always expecting promising productions from them.
ZeroG: I’ll go with White Fox because they made Steins; Gate, but honestly I don’t know much about the studio.
Vantage: Studio SHAFT and its Madoka. Seriously, I loved their art style. Oh, and they’re doing Nisemonogatari in Winter, you don’t get more unique or original than that.
Myst: I loved P.A. Works this year 🙂 Hanasaku Iroha definitely made it stand out.
Most Disappointing Animation Studio:
Eva: Sunrise… Tell me what the hell happened to you guys!?!?!? WHY IS TIGER AND BUNNY THE ONLY SHOW THAT I ENJOYED FROM YOU GUYS THIS YEAR?! IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY!!! ;A;
What the hell is with producing shows like, Sacred Seven, Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, and now GUNDAM AGE?! They are all pure BS! THAT’S LIKE- UNACCEPTABLE! You’re letting down your fans! ;A;
PLEASE START MAKING QUALITY SHOWS AGAIN!!!
And there’s J.C Staff constantly disappointed me this year (I know they were never the greatest but they had good titles too), the only show I actually enjoyed by them was Shakugan no Shana III. The quality of their animation was decent/fine, but when it comes down to particular script writers and director… they did a terrible job. :\ Most of the shows had a potential, but most of them screwed up big time. For future expectations, look up who the script writers and directors are. Take a look at the Failed titles and then look at the Successful ones and compare who’s in charge. It makes a drastic difference.
ZeroG: Sunrise made two of the most awful show this year, Sacred Seven and Phi Brain, they deserve the spot of most disappointing animation studio of the year. They are able to pull awesome stuff like Tiger and Bunny, yet they gave us two super shitty show, I am disappointed.
Vantage: I know J.C. Staff was crap, but J.C. Staff were always crap. My vote goes to Sunrise, which only did produce Tiger and Bunny well, and spat out a bunch of other garbled mess that you don’t even want to know the budget for. e.g. Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, Kimi to Boku, Still riding on the success of Code Geass I see, since the reason I picked up some Sunrise shows this year were because of that reputation.
Myst: J.C. Staff!!!! I hate them. I despise them. To no end. I did not know about animation companies until this past year, and what I learned from them was that J.C. Staff was the one I despised the most. Kthxbye.
Kaitou: Madhouse. I can’t believe they made Recollections of a Certain Pilot.
~ Anime of the Year ~
Overall Best Anime of the Year: Mawaru Penguindrum
Yep, that’s right! The show was that amazing. It was really unpredictable, and I think inside, we all started loving penguins this year because of that show. The plot was incredible, the art and animation was great, and the surprising plot twists and the originality of the show made it stand out above all others. I haven’t heard anyone who didn’t like Mawaru Penguindrum, because it appeals to everyone who can tolerate at least a bit of a mindfuck But anyone who watches anime obviously can.
Overall Worst Anime of the Year: Blood C
Oh look at that! here it is again! This being the biggest disappointment of life, let me mention how much Blood C SUCKED compared to what everyone was expecting when it was announced. No, CLAMP did not make the plot of this, they only took part in the art. I don’t need to mention that this is the reason why it sucked so bad. Keep in mind, this is a show that no one should ever watch. EVER. Not even for a dare. You’ll come out of it having nightmares.
Blogger’s Top 5 Favorite Anime of the Year
Eva 
#1: Mawaru Penguindrum
Animation Company: Brains Base
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Psychological
Reason: The most unpredictable show I’ve every come across of. An emotional, yet confusing mindfuck rollarcoaster will take you on a journey to find out the truth and to fight against fate.
#2:Mahou Shoujo Madoka Puella Magica
Animation Company: Studio SHAFT
Genre: Magic, Psychological, Thriller
Reason: This is not your typical happy-go-lucky Magical Girls series. With the girls shouldering the twist of cruel fate, prepare yourself for a blood chilling experience of just how brutal it can be baring the responsibilities and paying the price for powers to protect another.
#3: AnoHana
Animation Company: A-1 Pictures
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life
Reason: An emotional bittersweet tearjerker with a story and characters that connects with the audience.
#4: Fate/Zero
Animation Company: Ufotable
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural
Reason: This is something you MUST check out! You will absolutely adore the characters and be blown away by the stunning animation and tense plot! Fate/Zero is a prequel of Fate/Stay Night- so even if you haven’t seen that you won’t be lost, or so better yet- you won’t be spoiled by the results of the war. Part 2 of Fate/Zero will air in April 2012.
#5: Hanasaku Iroha
Animation Company: P.A WORKS
Genre: Slice-of-life, Drama, Comedy
Reason: This show is a masterpiece when it comes to animation and you will most certainly enjoy the plot development and the evolution of the characters. I highly recommend this, but it will vary on your taste whether you will enjoy it as much as the rest of us has.
Zero
#1: Steins; Gate
Animation Company: White Fox
Genre: Sci-fi, Psychological, Suspense
Reason: Perfect Character/Plot/music/everything!
#2: Chihayafuru
Animation Company: MADHOUSE
Genre: Drama, Sport
Reason: I’m sure I’ll cry by the end of the show
#3: Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Animation Company: Shaft
Genre: Magical Girl, Fantasy, Psychological
Reason: Intriguing story with interesting twist
#4: Kamisama Dolls
Animation Company: Brains Base
Genre: Action, Drama, Supernatural, Seinen
Reason: Amazing story with interesting characters
#5: Fate/Zero
Animation Company: ufotable
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural
Reason: The show is beautiful and bad ass
Vantage
#1: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
Animation Company: Studio SHAFT
Genre: Magic, Psychological, Dark, Thriller
Reason: The ultimate thriller with plot twists.
#2: Mawaru Penguindrum
Animation Company: Brains Base
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Psychological
Reason: It’s electrifyingly FABULOUS MAX!
#3: Steins;Gate
Animation Company: White Fox
Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological
Reason: It doesn’t need a reason.
#4: Hanasaku Iroha
Animation Company: P.A. Works
Genre: Slice-of-life, Drama, Comedy
Reason: The stunning animation, all the loveable characters and the enjoyable storyline
#5: The iDOLM@STER
Animation Company: Aniplex
Genre: Comedy, Music, Slice-of-Life, Drama
Reason: The last four episodes with the unexpected drama, all the character backgrounds and Miki
Myst
#1: Hanasaku Iroha
Animation Company: P.A. Works
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life
Reason: For a slice of life, everything about it was amazing. I loved the art, the story, the romance, the comedy… This show was amazing, and I don’t regret anything from watching this show.
#2: Mawaru Penguindrum
Animation Company: Brain’s Base
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Psychological
Reason: Unpredictable, a complete mindfuck, yet it left me on a cliffhanger every single episode.
#3: Chihayafuru
Animation Company: Madhouse
Genre: Drama, Sport
Reason: It can make something as simple as karuta look so fucking epic.
#4: Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai
Animation Company: Nomad
Genre: Drama, Ecchi, Romance, Harem
Reason: It was retarded. It didn’t make sense. It was ecchi. And yet, depsite all that, I still loved it. It’s retardedness won me over.
#5: The World Only God Knows II
Animation Company: Manglobe
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Shounen, Harem, Supernatural
Reason: One of the best romance shows I’ve ever seen. I was in love with that show, and I still am.