Year in Review: N-Listing

UlasanAnime.com – This article is a tribute to the “12 days of Christmas” blog event, featuring a list of 12 items, each containing a sub-list of 12 entries. Some lists are presented in countdown, others in count-up, and some are unnumbered. The author apologizes for the late publication due to their blog being down, highlighting the inconvenience of not being able to access past writings.

1. Best simulcasts – The true first year of simulcast for the whole duration, yeah?

OreImo – For breaking street, achieving a zero-day release that’s practically negative. Unlike less popular shows, it garnered significant attention. Heroman technically had earlier leaks, but that’s being kept quiet.
Kuragehime – A win for Funi in simulcasting. Hulu even managed to place ads during appropriate commercial breaks.
House of Five Leaves – A relaxed viewing experience.
Shiki – A more intense viewing experience.
Tatami Galaxy – Ranked lower only because Funi didn’t stream the bonus episodes. The collaboration between Funi and Fuji was quite impressive.
Sora no Woto – The flagship title for Anime no Chikara, offering good content and even OVAs, similar to Durarara. The high-quality feed was also a plus.
Sora no Otoshimono – The seiyuu video featuring Hayamin and the cast created by Crunchyroll was a standout. Given the show’s tendency to be spoiled, speedy simulcasting was greatly appreciated.
Panty Stocking w/ Garterbelt – Extremely stylish. Appreciative of all the Gainax titles, including Hanamaru Kindergarten.
High School of the Dead – TAN’s “simulcasts” are now well-timed, despite the show’s poor management and frequent technical issues.
Occult Academy – A fun, retro-inspired show from Anime no Chikara.
Giant Killing – This type of anime is ideal for simulcasting, with weekly releases enhancing the impact of cliffhangers. It also benefited from World Cup synergy.
Basically any show that aired within 24 hours of Japan. Down with simulcasts that are a week behind.

2. Anime with CHIKARA, in no particular order. The meaning of this is unclear.

Panty Stocking and Garterbelt
Heroman
Qwaser
Yosuga no Sora
Strike Witches 2
Occult Academy
Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Mai Mai Miracle
Chu-Bra
Sora no Woto
K-ON!!
Star Driver

3. Sex jokes, no order:

Is there an Android app for “Training with Hinako”?
Yosuga no Sora ED – The deep throat shot of Sora and the associated joke.
Star Driver – Is kissing through glass without glass still considered a kiss?
Amagami’s instructor play – genuinely funny.
Fate /stay night: Unlimited Blade Works – Dolphins.
BakaTest’s Hideyoshi – Gets his own gendered changing room at the bathhouse.
Panty & Stocking episode 3b – A segment that confirmed the series was worth watching.
Chikyubi (the hamster from Mitsudomoe) – A running gag about its small size.
Seikon no Qwaser – The “tsurupettan” song.
Shino Amakusa – The lead character from Seitokai Yakuindomo, often humorous once you get used to her pace.
B Gata H Kei – The entire show is essentially a sex joke.
Koe de Oshigoto – Features MAKO and is also entirely a sex joke.

4. Scenes from 2010 anime that I remember, no order:

Gundam UC episode 1: Banager’s father smiles as they float into the fiery inferno.
Cross Game: The final confession.
Seikon no Qwaser: The breast fountain scene.
K-ON!!: Lycopene…
Eden of the East: The King of Eden walking around the Angelika Film Center in NY.
Asobi ni Ikuyo: Manami and Aoi’s skinny bike chase.
MM!!: Mio’s debut as a maid in episode one.
Panty & Stocking: The car “chase” scene in episode 6.
Macross Frontier: Nyan^2 Clips: Northern Cross is… wow.
Working!!: NEW ITEM.
Yosuga no Sora: He just keeps going.
Bakatest and Mayoi Neko Overrun: The spats/bloomer feud.

5. Episodes from 2010 that I remember, no order:

Strike Witches 2 6: The rocket episode.
Panty & Stocking 13: Bitches, and more bitches, and a pair of legs.
Hidamari Sketch *** 12: Tomato jamboree.
Seikon no Qwaser 13: A recap episode.
Mayoi Neko Overrun 6: The music video episode, remembered more than episode 4.
K-ON!! 20: The final school festival, a moment of euphoria.
SoreMachi 12: The day Hotori died, a possible reference to “Bye Bye Miss American Pie.”
OreImo 11: Most jokes were solid, even the dad joke.
Angel Beats 3: Iwasawa’s impactful presence and CD sales. Angel Beats 10: Yui-nyan! also sold CDs, highlighting a theme of deceased musicians.
Gundam UC 1: Visually stunning.
The World God Only Knows 4: A playful reference to “Minori City” with music by Tenmon and attractive girls.
Katanagatari 12: A fitting conclusion for a Nisioisin work.

6. Things that can’t be something else:

My MM can’t be this fanservice-free.
My foot fetishism can’t be this pervasive.
My little sister’s anime’s title can’t be this verbose.
My Love Plus habit can’t be this expensive.
My camel militants can’t be this racist.
My blog hosting can’t be this cheap.
My AsoIku can’t be this furry.
My Prime Minister can’t be this good at mahjong.
My Azunyan can’t go all the way in Saimoe.
My Bisei Tokei apps can’t be iOS only.
My Aniki can’t be this hedgehoggy.
My Selvaria figure can’t be this expensive.

7. AX 2010 moments:

12. Listening to gabber at the Nokia Plaza felt like being in Akiba.
11. Seeing Konishi cosplay Aniki was impressive.
10. Kitaeri’s panel was fun, featuring High Jumper.
9. Clover Brewed Coffee is good for coffee addicts, offering Kona that weekend.
8. Spotting Kenji Kamiyama scouting locations, suggesting the LACC/Nokia theater/Staple Center complex might appear in his future work.
7. Nabeshin being his usual self.
6. Manga Gamer guests, including CooRie and Kuribayashi, along with High Jumper.
5. Yoko Kanno reprised their MacF/Tanabata routine at the May’n and Mamegu live performance, embodying the MacF spirit in America despite Harmony Gold.
4. Alexd’s “luck and chance” sketch was a success.
3. The “No Photo” sign story.
2. A group photo with KitaEri.
1. Being in on the joke about Horie collaborating with Morita and Asakawa.

8. Things I did to celebrate Satoshi Kon’s memories

12. Made a pun.
11. Whined about it online.
10. Bought a copy of the New York Times, finding the act tedious.
9. Realized that a deceased, somewhat famous person actually had an impact on me.
8. Contemplated the potential value increase of my autograph from him.
7. Searched for copies of his works that I didn’t own, like the limited edition box set for Millennium Actress.
6. Gazed longingly at his storyboards.
5. Learned more about him from others who knew him after his passing.
4. Followed the developments related to his final words and their impact, such as the Farewell Project.
3. Read his final blog post.
2. Rewatched his movies, or at least clips from them.
1. Felt better after experiencing sadness from the news of his passing.

9. Reasons why I can’t pick a favorite character in 2010, no order

Amagami SS’s omnibus format made it difficult to choose a favorite arc, though Tsukasa’s route was considered weak. It was Kaori Nazuka’s last chance for a three-peat.
Runner-up: Noloty from Bantorra is a great character but a side character with limited development and attention.
Too many sequels made it hard to connect with characters from previously disliked series.
The abundance of Kana Hanazawa roles, all sounding similar, made it difficult to pick a favorite due to liking too many.
Hearing Saori Hayami’s moe voice in Love Plus confused me with Manaka flags, as Manaka was not a preferred character.
Runner-up: Teresa from Qwaser lacked sufficient development to be a favorite.
Runner-up: The entire K-ON cast is equally liked, but not intensely.
Runner-up: Shoko from BakaTest hasn’t had enough screen time for development, and many other characters are considered “waifus” by fans.
Runner-up: All the characters from the “endless pleasure sticks” category.
Runner-up: Mii from Railgun lacked character depth.
Runner-up: Rin Tohsaka, a refreshing take by Kana Ueda, but the inclusion of dolphins was questionable, raising the possibility of it belonging in the sex joke category.
A preference for characters from serious shows meant that the disappointing shounen romance series of the year left no suitable choices.

10. 12 OP from this year, no order

K-ON!! OP2 – Arguably the best K-ON opening, though the first season’s OP holds a special place.
Kuragehime OP – Self-explanatory in its quality.
B Gata H Kei OP – A well-choreographed and catchy opening.
Mayoi Neko Overrun OP – An impactful opening with a strong audio component.
SoreMachi OP – Exemplifies SHAFT’s smooth animation style.
Arakawa UB OP – While the second season’s OP was a step down from the first, it was still excellent, likely due to Sayo Yamamoto’s direction.
Angel Beats OP – Lia delivered a moving performance, both vocally and visually.
AsoIku OP – Standard but enjoyable song.
World God Only Knows OP – The full version is interesting, offering a simple yet sophisticated feel similar to Eden of the East OP.
Big Windup S2 OP – Liked for the song and the dynamic animation.
Dance in the Vampire Bund OP – Notable for its shocking depiction of a nekkid loli dance and a good song.
Star Driver OP – Effective in disorienting the viewer while being pretentious yet mesmerizing.

11. ED from this year, no order, due to a lack of list ideas

You might also be interested in : Films of the Year

Durarara ED1 – Catchy and visually interesting, reminiscent of Persona Trinity Soul ED.
Amagami ED4 – Yukana’s alluring voice is irresistible.
K-ON!! ED2 – Acknowledged with a simple “Yeah, yeah.”
Tatami Galaxy ED – Considered the favorite of the year.
Qwaser ED2 – Preferred over ED1 for the song, though ED1 had more cohesive visuals.
Yosuga no Sora ED (second one) – Hilarious and visually exciting.
MM ED – A psychological attack similar to Mayoi Neko Overrun OP, but with Aso Natsuko.
Hidamari Sketch *** ED – Liked for its concept and music synchronization.
Hanamaru Kindergarten EDs – Used to fill the list, with #2 and #7 being recommended.
K-ON!! ED1 – “Cake Fairy” is considered one of the best anime music videos.
Bakemonogatari ED (final) – The composite version was preferred.
Angel Beats ED – A nice song, with the ED itself being a subtle joke. Acknowledges Aoi Tada.