#chise is so cute here; I just liked her face. These are simply the most wonderful moments I saw there! oh this is so romantic

[listranz]

[empty-dream]

So I read 86 LN vol 1

S1 anime covers the entire Vol 1 except for the latter's epilogue, so full anime spoiler here.

And as of this writing, I'm still on Vol 2 so the things I mention here are solely those that happen in Vol 1. Idk if a thing happens in the latter volume, gotta dodge spoiler so I don't browse about it.

There was an interview with a person inside the anime industry that basically said "The point of an anime adaptation is not to be an exact replica of the original material, but to shine as its own medium for a story." I forgot who it was and I can't find the interview anywhere for the life of me, but that statement opened my eyes. I agree with it, that's why I can appreciate the differences between LN/manga and anime, especially if they turn out good and/or interesting.

And that's exactly what happens in 86. I'll start with this: I watched the anime first, and after I read the Vol1 novel, I actually like the anime more. Because there are a lot of meaningful original scenes in it

And because the Vol1 novel turns out exactly what I fear when I first watched the anime: that I won't care much about the squadron aside from the main 5. (Look, the anime promotional materials mostly only have Lena and those 5 only. As shocked as I was in the anime, I did have an idea where the story would go from those alone). The rest are barely mentioned. Not even the girls are named in the novel, even though they do talk and Lecca is even prominent in anime.

For example, the second half of the first episode, the one that shows Spearhead squadron's daily life right before Lena contacts them, is anime original scenes. Kujo already dies the moment the novel starts focusing on the squadron. Simply put, a lot of the squadron members that aren't the main 5 or Kaie get a *lot* more focus in the anime, like Daiya, Haruto (For characters who appear on the introduction page, their novel screen time is less than I'd expect), Kujo and Lecca. While the other members often appear in the background and actually behave like equal members instead of glue-them-on figurines.

(Idk if those other members are named and/or designed in the light novel before the anime is a thing or when the anime becomes a thing.)

The anime also adds relevant information in the Raiden's talk with Lena in EP7, like Kaie receiving racial abuse from 86 (in fact in both versions, she is the first one to get highlighted about this) and Haruto also having prominent Giadian Empire blood like Anju and Shin. These weren't in the novel.

I might be just nitpicking here because I love Kaie and Haruto, but see, this scene is amazing on its own. This is where Raiden and the squad reveal the weight of their motivation all along, that they *each* have different backgrounds and different kinds of sufferings, yet they are all sentenced to die, and they all choose to fight because they know no side is saintly but some things are still worth fighting for.

The prominent characters' deaths (besides Kaie's) are often mentioned with only one or two dry lines. I expected at least Daiya's to be detailed more, but it's just that so matter-of-fact-ly. Well I came from the anime, so I guess it's normal if I expected something as heartbreaking.

I broke down HARD at the last half of EP10 and that is nowhere in the Vol 1 novel. (Having Hands Up to the Sky playing in the background is also an advantage for being an anime. Fuck that song, I now play it 24/7 in despair)

Having a lot of original anime scenes really complement the story's nature. That there are two different sides of life here, it's not just Lena's or 86's only. And those couldn't have intertwined if not for their willingness to listen and communicate.

I know I mentioned this some days ago but really, I can't get over how many of the merch are Lena (and Annette) being cute doing cute stuff while the story itself is actually depressing. Merch staffs know the market lol.

- Novel side -

That said, the novel does have an advantage that the anime/visual media doesn't: Internal explorations and explanations.

It's obvious from the get-go, but Asato confirms that the inspiration of Republic of San Magnolia and its racial discrimination and genocide is taken from Nazi Germany in WW2. The Republic who favors the white/silver haired-eyed Alba drives Colorata out of the 85 sectors, overtakes their properties, and forcibly sends the now-called-86 to either fight their war and die, or work on the wall and die.

The life inside the Republic is also elaborated on. Class always exists, even inside one race only. The center of the republic is for the elites, Lena and Annette's families included. The farther a sector is from the center, the lower the education and economy there is. Most of the military come from these areas, which explains why Lena herself is in difficult situation. Since no one in the military is either capable or willing to bring change.

It's *insane* how easily the Republic could create such vile lies, and how easily the majority of the citizens go along with it.

Gotta admit, Asato does a good job at foreshadowing the fate of the 86, the truth that we can only see after Ep7 of anime. It is mentioned that supposedly, 86 soldiers will be welcomed back once their 5-years term is up. Lena once wonders about it, but ultimately she buys it thinking that surely they must have come back to another sector. She only realizes it's utter bullshit after Annette points out how, 9 years later, they have never seen even one Colorata inside the Republic when they should have seen at least some. This also shows that Lena has never ventured to the other sectors to find out more, probably due to work or maybe she's still a sheltered noblewoman in the end.

And the mentality of the majority of Alba is shown differently. Whereas the anime uses the academy classroom to show how deeply rooted the racism against 86 is, the novel uses Lena's mother who a) more or less does the same as the classroom, and b) presses Lena to get married and preserve their pure noble bloodline. This, when the nobility doesn't actually mean anything anymore. This version shows not only Alba's racism but also Lena's strained family life.

There is a scene of an Alba high school valedictorian who, during his graduating speech, says “My friends died fighting the Legion.” I’m not sure this will make it to the anime, and it’s just a minor scene in the novel, but the weight of that scene is heavy.

The science of Para-Raid is explained, which has something to do with tapping the collective consciousness of humanity and connecting it to one another. A bit far-etched but I guess that works, science fiction and all. But I like the part where despite (or maybe because?) of connecting via hearing only, the other senses are faintly receptive as well. For example, one can sense that the other side is biting their lips in frustration, something like that. Of course, actual real life things like sensing the hidden bitterness or elation in a talking partner's words are present, this being a story where listening matters.

The novel elaborates on Raiden's stay with the Alba old woman. He calls her Old Hag, but it's clear he greatly respects her. The part where she screams and curses in the middle of the road at the Republic soldiers who take Raiden and the other children away stays in Raiden's mind forever, and so it does to me. Ngl it is quite a chilling scene.

Same with the story of the previous Laughing Fox, Theo's Alba commander. It turns out, the entirety of Theo's first squadron didn't like him at all and bet on how fast he'd tuck tail and run back to the Republic. When he faced his death the way Theo explained, he sent a message to Theo revealing he knew about it and knew his place to not ask for acknowledgment or forgiveness. This made Theo regret why he didn't try to talk more with his commander and he keeps thinking about it forever. Now it makes even more sense why Theo, blunt as he is, is willing to listen to Lena and when he snaps, he wonders if his late commander would do the same.

What actually happens in Kurena's backstory is also touched upon. While in the anime some viewers could think "Man, I get where you're coming from but chill out." The novel graphically shows her parents being toyed on by the Alba soldiers while her sister protected her, the two could only watch, and then the same sister got sent to the battlefield to die. Now at that, anyone would think "Man, no wonder she can't chill out. Not with all that trauma."

I also like the addition that Lena can sense Kurena is the one who dislikes her the most.

The novel describes greatly that it isn't just Alba and Non-Alba. Essentially speaking, Non-Alba is called Colorata, and they consist of different race groups as well. Just as Alba is associated with the color silver/white, the other race have their associated colors as well. Asato assigns races to the named members in Vol1 and what their distinguished color features are. This also explains why Anju is exiled despite looking like an Alba.

It's a question that I pondered on when I first saw Shin's armor plates, and that I pondered harder on when Chise died: What happens if there is no armor plate to carve its processor's name's on? So it turns out Shin would substitute it with anything; piece of wood or some random piece of metal. For Chise's case, Raiden, Chise's leader, suggested using the wing of Chise's in-progress airplane model. Which did my heart so bad because I'm strangely fond of Chise and finding out that in his spare time in his limited lifespan, he was working on an airplane model made me sob.

I'm not particularly into mecha, and could care less about how it moves. But Asato did a good job describing the fight between a glorified suicide car and a line of brand-new solid A-grade tanks. Special mention to I-IV because wow the concept arts for all the mechas are so cool, even though I don't really understand. (Asato even said to I-IV "Go draw a tank so horrible it's stupid for the Juggernaut" and I-IV came up with the current Juggernaut)

You know how the Republic greeting is "Glory to San Magnolia and the five-colored flag"? I won't disclose who says this in what situation, but there is someone of Colorata saying "If you hate colors so much, you should have just colored your flag white" AND OOOH THE BURN SO HOT HOT HOT

Tl;dr: Bottom line is, I personally enjoy Vol 1 because I already watched the anime and got attached to it. If I were to read the vol 1 first, most likely I wouldn't fall this hard for the series. Hell, maybe I wouldn't even pick it up in the first place because I knew it'd be depressing. But this is not to say that the LN is bad. It’s very good, it just does not really touch the lives of other soldiers whereas that’s the very thing that I love from the anime.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 4/25/20

Caste Heaven, Vol. 1 | By Chise Ogawa | SuBLime – I have to wonder why I read this. The warning signs are right there on the back cover—once the ruthless king of his class’s secret social hierarchy, Yuya Azusa is dethroned and given a choice to “become the new king’s plaything… or service the entire class!” I had hoped for more psychological suspense, perhaps, but instead there is sexual assault (that the protagonist later says he enjoyed), threat of more sexual assault, several scenes in which the sadistic new king (a rich kid named Karino) inserts foreign objects into Azusa’s orifices, and once-proud Azusa growing clingy and desperate. The last two chapters are about a different pair who seem to have a healthier relationship, but the main story so put me on edge I kept waiting for the double-cross to happen. I’m still not convinced it won’t, but that doesn’t really matter as I likely won’t be reading further. – Michelle Smith

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, Vol. 1 | By Yuji Kaku | Viz Media – Gabimaru is a notorious assassin whose ninjitsu skills are so great that he’s nearly immortal. Unfortunately for him, that means he spends most of the first chapter of Hell’s Paradise being subjected to (and surviving) a series of increasingly gruesome executions. His death sentence is temporarily stayed by a highly skilled swordswoman who offers him an opportunity to earn a full pardon for his crimes. If Gabimaru can find and retrieve the elixir of life for the shogun, he will be released. But he’ll also be in direct competition with other convicts and not everything is as it seems. There are many aspects of Hell’s Paradise that I found reminiscent of Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal (a manga that holds a special place in my heart), so it’s probably not too surprising that Kaku’s series appeals to me. I’m very curious to see where it goes from here. – Ash Brown

Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, Vol. 1 | By Yuji Kaku | VIZ Media – I’m not ordinarily drawn to grim-looking Edo period manga with ninjas in it, but something about Hell’s Paradise intrigued me (maybe it was simply that striking cover) and, ultimately, I’m extremely glad I gave it a chance! The infamous assassin Gabimaru the Hollow always thought he felt no emotions until his wife proved otherwise. Set up by his clan for daring to want to leave their lifestyle, Gabimaru is sentenced to death, though he keeps resisting the various execution methods that are attempted. When he’s offered the chance of a pardon—and the chance to reunite with his wife and pursue a simple life together—he accepts, even if it means journeying to a mysterious island with a bunch of other bloodthirsty criminals in search of an elixir of immortality for the shogun. This is a pretty fascinating, if grisly, premise, and I’m very keen to see how it develops! – Michelle Smith

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 9 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – Again, the basic theme of this series, which otherwise tends to run on “cute girls doing cute things,” is that sometimes you need to grow up and mature, even though it can be hard… but it doesn’t have to be right away. This can also sometimes lead to odd continuity—there’s a brief moment where Umaru imagines her brother moving out one day, and he’s clearly meant to be seen with Ebina… only Umaru doesn’t seem to have realized Ebina’s crush on her brother in reality. Despite that, this is another fun, fluffy volume in the series, with gags about trying (and failing) to cook, buying furniture, and being a bit nicer to your brother even though you think he’s a creep (that last is for Kirie). Fans should enjoy it. – Sean Gaffney

The Ideal Sponger Life, Vol. 5 | By Tsunehiko Watanabe and Neko Hinotsuki | Seven Seas – As ever with this series, the so-called “romantic rival” introduced at the end of the last volume, isn’t one at all, mostly becaase Zenjiro is still completely besotted with his bride, polygamy or no. The politics remains the reason to read this, and while our hero is getting better at it, he still screws up on occasion. He’s also up against a master, as seen on the cover, a goofy and over-the-top prince sort who is in reality using that as a front… but it’s so much a part of him that it’s very hard to tell the difference even if you’re an expert. As for Bona, she genuinely does bond with Zenjiro right away, causing Aura to get a bit jealous. Something might eventually come of that, but for the moment the series is content to be about glass and politics and not about haremettes. – Sean Gaffney

I’ll Win You Over, Sempai!, Vol. 3 | By Shin Shimoto | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This is the story of a relentlessly positive girl (Koharu, who refuses to be rejected by her crush and so confesses to him day after day) and the tsundere object of her affections (Kanzaki-sempai, who repeatedly shoots her down). When I embarked upon this series, I thought it might be annoying and was delighted to instead find that I love it to pieces! Kanzaki-sempai is quirky and prickly yet also compassionate and Koharu truly cares about his happiness more than her own. In volume three, Kanzaki-sempai advises Koharu when her childhood friend confesses his love for her. There are many sweet moments where the main couple shows they really get each other, and though I do not love how often he calls her a moron, I’m still enjoying this series very much overall. Only two volumes to go, alas! – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 6 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – It’s good to see that although Komi is starting to make friends and get her thoughts across to people… even if it’s only just Tadano… she still has an amazing amount of difficulty with communication—the title is not any less wrong in the sixth book than it was in the first. Given that just talking to others is tough, karaoke proves a shivering nightmare, and even clothes shopping with her equally-bad-at-extroversion father is tough. As for the rest of the cast, well, the three guys who discuss which girl would be best as a girlfriend would be a bit creepy if it weren’t also pretty wholesome, and we meet a new guy who has resting thug face, so also has trouble communicating to people. Fun comedy. – Sean Gaffney

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 7 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Since I last briefed Ran the Peerless Beauty, not only has she gotten together with Akira, but we’ve even had the first female rival come and go. This volume is mostly about the first male rival, and I will admit he can be hard to take—he’s very blunt in the fact that he likes Ran, and tries to force a kiss on her at one point (she deflects him), so the reader is really not loving him. He also has a past with Akira that we’re starting to find out about, and comes from a farm/greenhouse family environment, so his story will continue to tie into the flowers motif. I admit it’s probably a good thing we have him, as Ran and Akira are so soggily sweet that they’re best taken in short, adorable doses. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 11 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – I also seem to have missed briefing the tenth volume of this. I’m sure it was funny, because this one is quite funny. The jokes are no longer “how does Syalis sleep,” though the final page does still end most chapters on her settling down for the night. Sometimes we see stressed-out demons ashamed she’ll see their old cringey photos. Sometimes it’s about Syalis trying to give out Valentine’s chocolates and not understanding the meaning of the word embarrassment. And in the funniest chapters, it IS about her sleeping, as she accidentally ingests some demonic No-Doz and also tries to have a “typical” girls’ pajama party that isn’t typical at all. I love this series. – Sean Gaffney

Something’s Wrong with Us, Vol. 1 | By Natsumi Ando | Kodansha Comics – Remembering my disappointment with the finale of Arisa, I wasn’t sure how I would like Something’s Wrong with Us, Natsumi Ando’s foray into josei suspense. Happily, I enjoyed it quite a bit! Our protagonist is Nao Hanaoka, a 21-year-old confectioner whose mother was accused of murder fifteen years ago and died while on trial for the crime. After Nao receives a note proclaiming her mother’s innocence, she’s willing to do anything to gain access to the renowned confectionary where it all happened and find out the truth, including agreeing to marry Tsubaki Takatsuki, who as a boy was the one to accuse her mother in the first place. She thinks that neither Tsubaki nor his cold and calculating mother recognize her—they knew her under a different name—but is that really the case? I hope the rest of the series is as fun as the first volume. – Michelle Smith

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 8 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – This series has proven that it works at its best when there’s more structure or more at stake. This isn’t to say that the chapters that are just “there’s a thing, Nishikata challenges Takagi, he loses, she teases him” aren’t funny and cute, because they are. But sometimes things get better when there’s a bit more than that, such as the start of this volume, which has… no, not the festival that was implied at the end of last time—not sure where that went… but Valentine’s Day, showing off Takagi having fun torturing Nishikata all day before and confessing in such a way that he would get a real answer if he manned up but he doesn’t. And as usual, Nishikata wins when he doesn’t try, like rock skipping. My favorite “teasing girl” series. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[recentanimenews]

CR Features Argues About Best Girl of 2018

*Anime Awards voting starts this Friday and WE'RE SUPER EXCITED! However we have gotten so loud with our individual opinions on who we think should win that we’ve been told to duke it out via written words instead of continually disrupting our coworkers (sorry fam).

  We’ll hit each category by the time we hit the evening of Anime Awards! Today’s piece gets down to the nitty gritty of Best Protagonist, Best Antagonist, Best Boy, and Best Girl. *Let’s down to business!

  Best Protagonist

Retsuko of Aggretsuko

The lady red panda’s life is starkly relatable in some way to everyone. She stresses the necessity of staying true to oneself and taking care of said self by any means necessary. Whether it’s with death metal in a karaoke bar or yoga with the girls despite being an awkward human, decompressing is highly important and she shows that through example.

-Ricky Soberano

Sakata Gintoki of Gintama

  Who better to lead the charge than everyone’s favorite lazy-ass, strawberry-milk-loving samurai? Even with war tearing Edo apart, Gintoki has stayed the same lovable jerk--he may have to grit his teeth a little more, he may have to take a harsher beating, but he’s still the same idiot we all cheer for, even when he’s being total slothful garbage.

-Nate Ming

  Saichi Sugimoto of Golden Kamuy

  Sugimoto is a breath of fresh air for protagonists; he’s vulnerable, but strong, determined, funny, and absolutely devoted to helping other people. I thought he would be a ruthless killer at first, and while he can be, Sugimoto’s relationship with Asirpa has really changed him as their journey went on. Watching Sugimoto change from the somewhat lost and aimless “I just need money” to “I am going to help you, Asirpa” has been amazing, and Sugimoto’s strong personality that grows and develops over time is one of the reasons that hooked me into Golden Kamuy, so him being my pick is a no-brainer!

-Nicole Mejias

Chise Hatori of The Ancient Magus’ Bride

In a year full of super powered heroes with abilities that could level mountains, my favorite protagonist is a bit more modest in her abilities. Chise Hatori does possess powerful magical abilities, but it’s something else that sets her apart--her empathy. All of the outlandish abilities in the world wouldn’t have helped her in her journey if she wasn’t able to feel the experiences of those around her so deeply. The Ancient Magus’ Bride told the story of Chise slowly learning to love herself, and it was only through her ability to love others that this was made possible. And that, for my money, is the most heroic character arc of 2018.

-Cayla Coats

Shirase Kobuchizawa of A Place Further Than The Universe

    Although starring an ensemble cast, it’s hard for me to think of any of the girls in A Place Further than the Universe as a lead besides Shirase. She’s the reason the girls end up on the expedition and, although they all tag along to experience their own self discoveries, it’s Shirase’s story about getting closure. Her shy personality that gets subsumed by stubborn determination in the face of doubters is extremely relatable.

-Peter Fobian

Best Antagonist

Vetto of Black Clover

Vetto was the most infuriating opponent that came out of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. He was a monstrously murderous sadist that made every person surpass their limits but not before making sure everyone experienced a personalized version of despair. The slam to Kahono’s throat was what solidified the anger that still makes my blood boil.

-Ricky Soberano

Lt. Tokushirou Tsurumi of Golden Kamuy

Tsurumi’s not someone you love to hate, which is strange for someone who is arguably Golden Kamuy’s deadliest and most important antagonist. In fact, we all kinda like him, warts and all, which makes him that much more memorable… and that much scarier when he shows us what he’s capable of.

-Nate Ming

Viruses, Parasites, Bacteria and Cancer Cells of Cells At Work

  Cells at Work was a charming and amazing show that I really learned a lot from in terms of how the body works in terms of fighting off disease and infection, but a large part of that was the unique ways that the show depicted all of those threats. Each one felt wholly unique and easily identifiable, given traits that fit their natural actions and behaviors, and it made me realize that there are some amazing battles going on inside of my body every day!

-Nicole Mejias

Joseph Cartaphilus of The Ancient Magus’ Bride

My protagonist and antagonist picks are sort of a 2-for-1 deal. Joseph is by far the scariest, most cruel presence in his series, but he is also the most tragic. Condemned to an eternity of suffering because of some misplaced kindness, simply existing for Joseph is unimaginably painful. He exists as a darker version of the traumatized Chise, someone who was transformed into a monster through immense suffering. The conclusion of the series resolves not in a fight to the death, but a surprising moment of tender kindness from Chise--making Joseph the perfect counterpoint to our heroine.

-Cayla Coats

Ladros of Black Clover

The best villains are always the ones with personality and Ladros has an excess. The magically deranged general of the Diamond kingdom made a huge impact in just a few episodes with his unexpected reactions and schoolyard bullying tactics with a huge voice performance from Takeshi Kusao. Within half an episode I went from thinking he was a jobber to falling in love when he screamed “MILLION LASER!”

-Peter Fobian

Best Boy

Goblin Slayer of Goblin Slayer

    Say whatever you want about the single tracked mind of the slayer of goblins: He’s motivated, supremely focused, and skilled. His mission in life to kill beings that not only rape and murder women but utilize women as playthings is admirable and justified. He provides comfort to goblin survivors and we may not know what his face looks like but we know what practically everything else looks like and I’ll take that.

-Ricky Soberano

Honda-san of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san

Retail is a special kind of hell, staffed by a special, hard-as-nails kind of people. Honda-san is a refreshing retail lead in that he doesn’t hate his job--in fact, he loves it! By loving his customers and wanting to help them find the same joy in books that he does, Honda reminds me of the best parts of working in a bookstore… and a handful of the worst when everything’s on fire.

-Nate Ming

Gobta of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

    Okay, so hear me out here. Despite his appearance that didn’t even change when he was given his name, this little goblin seems to be indestructible! Strung up upside down and forgotten in prison? No problem, just summon a tempest wolf and rejoin your party. Be subjected to poisonous cooking? Dude gained the Poison Resist skill to survive, which earns the envy of Rimuru! To add to this, Ranga has unending faith in Gobta due to his quick-witted battling abilities. Gobta is certainly an irreplaceable asset to Rimuru’s group, so don’t make the mistake of underestimating him!

-Nicole Mejias

All Might of My Hero Academia

Deku’s great, but the end of the first cour of My Hero Academia Season 3, All Might absolutely stole the Best Boy throne from him. All Might threw himself into danger in order to protect the world and his body was left permanently stuck in his withered form. This was powerful stuff, but what sealed the deal for me was the beach scene pictured above--All Might punches Deku for his recklessness and then embraces him, dedicating himself to training and raising the young hero into someone truly amazing. He’s just SO GOOD.

-Cayla Coats

Rei Kiriyama of March comes in like a lion

I’ll say it again. Every year we get a March comes in like a lion, Rei Kiriyama is automatically best boy. He’s just a nice kid trying to get by despite some pretty unfortunate circumstances. He’s kind, thoughtful, and the way he experiences the world around him hints at an artistic mind that might never get the chance to express itself. He’s compassionate even to those who are cruel and preoccupies himself with finding ways to pay back the generosity he’s been offered. Rei Kiriyama for president.

-Peter Fobian

Best Girl

Mai Sakurajima of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Mai-san isn’t just a gorgeous, intelligent bunny girl senpai that works as a beloved actress. She also keeps her rascal, Sakuta, in check. Not only that, she’s incredibly mature, understanding, and trusting despite Sakuta’s life being constantly thrown in a loop by cute girls to the point that she didn’t object to Sakuta dating another girl. She makes Sakuta work for it but she can also be shy under that poker face.

-Ricky Soberano

Hina Kawamoto of March comes in like a lion

Probably the most criminally underwatched show this year, March comes in like a lion went right for the throat with an intense story arc dealing with bullying at Hina’s middle school. The complicit cowardice of Hina’s teacher and the professional frustration of her substitute teacher play against the casual callousness of the bully and Hina’s undying fire. She did absolutely nothing wrong--and if she just makes it to graduation, she wins.

-Nate Ming

Asirpa of Golden Kamuy

For me, there’s no argument that Asirpa is the best girl of 2018. She’s equal share protagonist with Sugimoto, but more importantly she’s a BADASS! Hungry? No problem, Asirpa knows how to hunt everything and cook it up. In danger? Her accuracy with a bow knows no equal. Need to track someone? She’s got it covered. There’s always talk about ‘strong female characters,’ and honestly I can’t think of many as good as Asirpa when it comes to anime. Asirpa holds her head tall and stands shoulders above the rest!

-Nicole Mejias

Lily Hoshikawa of ZOMBIE LAND SAGA

Lily is a spot of sunshine in Franchouchou, always beaming with a positive and infectious energy! The zombie idol group is comprised of plenty of eccentric and lovable personas, but Lily struck a rather personal chord with me--we’re both girls that used to be boys. It’s rare to find a trans character in any sort of media, rarer still to find one created with the amount of respect and love that was put into Lily. She’s the shining star of 2018.

-Cayla Coats

Nagisa Aragaki of HANEBADO!

  Nagisa literally stole the show in HANEBADO! Despite the subtitle of “Hanesaki’s play” and the focus on the forlorn badminton player, Nagisa got some great moments as she quietly worked on her own game in the background. The result was a redemption story surpassing that of the main character. Nagisa rose up to defeat the opponent who had previously shut her out so completely she’d almost quit the game. Seeing her triumph was a series-making moment for me.

-Peter Fobian

  Anddd that's all folks! Check back in to see us argue about who else we think should win the rest of the Anime Awards categories. Don’t forget to vote for your favorites starting on 1/11!

  Do you have a super intense devotion to a 2018 show or character or want your opinions shared to the world about Anime Awards? Send us an op-ed in written or video form. The nitty gritty details are in here and you may get published in a future article!

Who do you think should win: Best Protagonist, Best Antagonist, Best Boy, and Best Girl? Tell us in the comments below!

-----

Ricky Soberano is a Features Editor, Script Writer, and Editorial Programming Coordinator for Crunchyroll. She’s the former Managing Editor of Brooklyn Magazine. You can follow her on Twitter @ramenslayricky.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com