So in a bid to get new content in the anime section, I've decided to post a series of 'blogs'. This'll be my first one and I'll also be posting reviews of other years, as well as articles about the industry itself. I'll produce a list of categories and give 'awards' to a show based on those categories. Hopefully, I'll post the 2011 review tomorrow, with an article outlining my dismay at the lack of Zombie themed anime to be posted in a few days. With that being said, the presentation will be both simple and sparse. Anyway, let's get started! Note: I'll admit that whilst I watched a decent amount of anime that aired in 2012, I could've definitely watched more. If I miss any of your favourites, post a comment and I'll definitely check it out! Oh and any recommendations for more categories will be accepted as I'm only going with basics for now! 1) Best Character Category is pretty obvious, but I'm splitting it into male and female. Male: Archer, Fate Zero- I wont reveal his actual identity, but Archer is one of my all time favorite characters. He's arrogant, he's a jerk, he thinks he's better than everyone but I loved it. The best way to describe him? BAD ASS! He in my mind is a true King, he completely thinks he's above everyone but he's also immensely powerful and very wise, especially shown by the effect he has on the other characters. In a show that prides itself on being both an action and a talking series, Archer is the true epitome of that ideal. Female: Inaba Himeko, Kokoro Connect- This may be a bit of a surprising pick, but I loved Inaba. She gets an award purely because of her brilliant development throughout the series. She's intelligent, cunning and strong willed. Sounds cliched but she's actually the most interesting character in the show. No spoilers, I must resist. 2) Best Opening- Psycho Pass Op 1 Abnormalize- Ling Tosite Sigure For this, I kind of have to apologise. Truth be told I've seen so many generic, dramatic J-pop tracks, that I honestly struggled to select a best OP. Luckily, I remembered this gem. It's different to the typical opening but to me it sounded epic! Plus, it perfectly encapsulated the mood and atmosphere of the anime, so I think it's fully deserved! Psycho Pass OP1- Abnormalize by Ling Tosite Sigure >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG8Pvu-Liwo 3) Most Disappointing Series Btooom! Now this might be a bit controversial as I gather this show has a quite a few fans. It's premise promised a lot and I heard many good things about it. However, to be frank, it was boring. Boring, boring, boring. It wasn't terrible, but it was so predictable. It was in essence a Battle Royale/Hunger games like show, but it tried to ask questions about morality and human nature and the like and it honestly seemed a bit silly. That being said the main character and Himiko were both good and developed well. In short, could've been great, but was just alright. 4) Most Surprisingly Great Show Kuroko no Basket I saw this show because I was bored and it looked pretty. I never ever expected it to be as great as it was. I knew it was popular but I'm not much of a basketball fan and I automatically assumed this would be a typical shounen. Now, I was kind of right but I was stunned by how epic it was. Truly, it was an amazing anime, I loved the characters, the art, the story, pretty much everything! So it went from a random pick, to placing in my top 20. Not bad at all! FINAL CATEGORY- ANIME OF THE YEAR So I've decided to do a top 5 anime of 2012 list, the likes of Hyouka and Bakuman just missed the cut. Without further ado, let's check them out... 5) Sword Art Online- I loved it tbh. I know it's got a lot of hate but I truly thought it had a great setting, a good story and good characters. I'm actually mystified as to why it's hated so much. 4) Kokoro Connect- This was a great story. Sure it was set in a clubroom, with a school club full of people who don't really fit in society (in other words cliched), but it was a refreshing and unique take which I really enjoyed. Plus, in terms of character development, it's very impressive. 3) Kuroko no Basket- Like I said before, an amazing and surprisingly good series. The whole Generation of Miracles thing is great, and I'm genuinely excited for more. 2) Fate Zero- This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Hugely popular due to its great art, mostly great characters, intriguing characters and, most importantly, it's depiction of famous heroes from the past. It's vastly superior to Fate Stay Night and I especially loved the dialogue in the series. 1) Kingdom- Huh? Some of you may be wondering what this show is and if that's the case then I'm afraid you're missing out on one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. It covers the Warring States period in China and so there are a lot of great battles and, more importantly, a lot of political and tactical battles, factors that really appeal to me. The only real fault is the poor use of CGI earlier on in the series but it's not a major fault, and they fix it as the series progresses. Highly recommended! Well that's the end of my first post, any shows, characters, songs I've missed then please leave a comment and we can DISCUSS! Also, please keep in my mind what I said before, I could've watched more anime last year. 2011 will be posted next time!