gbsmith
Now, I’m not going to close out discussion of SOTY, but there does seem to be a consensus building around Yuri!!! on Ice emerging as what most would agree on as the top show this year. Anyone strongly object to that?
ink
Honestly, Showa’s got WAY better storytelling than Y!!!OI, but I’m not opposed to letting Sayo Yamamoto steal the spotlight (especially given the respective adaptation vs. original nature of the two).
painicus
I actually never finished Showa. I fell prey to the slow burn of the series. I liked it but I have a smaller attention span than I care to admit when it comes to shows of any kind. I think Yuri definitely capitalizes on that better, you can plop someone down for an episode and they essentially know what’s going on. Key to mass appeal there.
venus_angel9
Haven’t finished Showa either but definitely, plan to (lack of time mostly). However, I think Yuri deserves attention for having LGBT representation and not backing out of it by saying “but they’re really only very good friends” or pushing it to the background or throwing in a member of the opposite sex who could also be… you know. It’s a very rare thing in mainstream anime (outside of actual BL or Yuri) and it’s a step in the right direction. (And yes, Saya Yamamoto also deserves her time in the spotlight).
bctaris [Brian Threlkeld, editor]
Agreement with Ink about Showa Genroku (it’s my favorite of the year) as far as storytelling, over YOI, but it’s not all that fair of a comparison. Constraining YOI to the sports/competition genre, its storytelling in the form of pacing and character development was excellent. (From a directorial (+ storyboarding) perspective it’s well deserving.) For more intricate and detailed and even emotional storytelling, Showa Genroku is unparalleled by anything else this year, except for perhaps half of Erased.
Easy list for reference:
1. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
2. YOI
3. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless / Konosuba
We argued this already in the Fall Mid-Season discussion, so I don’t want to just lob hand grenades everywhere, but I still respectfully disagree with the intent of YOI’s portrayal of Yuuri/Victor as a unique or fair LGBT representation. It’s still too much in the language of very particular anime/manga yaoi/yuri genre tools that were designed for also particular audiences. On the other hand–if the reception on the audience’s side (though particularly on our foreign side) is that it was fair, fair enough, or more fair than usual, then it may not matter.
venus_angel9
Fair enough, Brian, I get what you’re saying and I’m not implying it’s perfect, but I do believe it’s pretty fair compared to what we usually get. They’re both equally important characters, their relationship develops through trust and understanding (BL has a lot of issues regarding consent), and they’re complete characters defined by their personalities more than the fact that they’re gay (which isn’t’ the only reason I liked it either). There’s some breaking of gender roles as usual in Sayo Yamamoto’s’ work which is always appreciated on my part. Maybe it’s a bit rose-colored, but considering the mentality in Japan about these types of things, I would say it was fairly surprising it even got made.
From what I’ve seen on the internet, LGBT audiences seemed to embrace it pretty well. Speaking as a woman, it always makes me happy to see a female protagonist who’s kickass and who isn’t defined by her gender even if it’s not perfect, so I think mainstream representation definitely helps. This is just my opinion, though, no hand grenades thrown.
As far as Showa goes, as I said I haven’t finished so it would be unfair on my part to judge it (I really liked what I saw). I just wanted to clarify my point of view a little bit.
daemoncorps
I honestly feel like YOI is benefiting from it being the current It Anime when it comes to the short term. It’s definitely show of the season, but SOTY? Still iffy, though I haven’t seen that many solid anime this year, so maybe it’s just slim pickings on my part.
bctaris
Karyna, you’re very right that any mainstream representation matters, and to that, YOI’s is not a negative one.
kestrelswift [Kestrel Swift, reviewer]
1. Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou
The latest season of Haikyuu!! is the best yet, spending its entirety on a single match but making every moment of it gold, delving deeply into the emotion of every character on both teams and ramping up the tension with its unmatched animation. It gets me more invested in a sports game than anything else.
2. Yuri!!! on Ice
It’s not quite my #1, but it’s damn close, so with the growing consensus, I have no problem with it taking SOTY. I would characterize it as having the best representation of a gay relationship in anime thus far, even if there’s still room to grow. And of course, spectacular choreography and music usage.
3. Erased: Boku dake ga Inai Machi
If it had really stuck the landing, it could’ve been a lot higher up, but its first three quarters or so are so utterly captivating through the strength of the writing, both for the riveting plot and the nuanced character work, that it still goes down as an incredible roller coaster and, yes, one of the best of the year.
Since we’re talking about Yamamoto’s work, I feel it’s also worth noting that the other two of my top three were written by Taku Kishimoto, who I think has really established himself as the finest character writer of TV anime in 2016, following up not only on previous seasons of Haikyuu!! but also Usagi Drop.
