Summer 2017 Anime Awards

Technical Awards

Best Original Soundtrack/Score

Koi To Uso

Music by Masaru Yokoyama and Nobuaki Nobusawa

Sound Direction by Youta Tsuruoka

Best Insert Song (New Category)

"Confessions" (Koi To Uso)

Music by Masaru Yokoyama and Nobuaki Nobusawa

Best Opening Song

"Hello! My World!!" (Knight's And Magic)

Performed by fhana

Best Ending Song

"Junjou Emotional" (In Another World With My Smartphone)

Performed by voice cast

Best Adapted Story

Koi To Uso

Created by Musawo Tsumugi

Directed by Seiki Takuno

Best Original Story

Sakura Quest

Written by Masahiro Yokotani

Directed by Souchi Masui

Best Artwork/Animation

Welcome To The Ballroom

Animation Direction by Takashi Mukouda

Character Designs by Takahiro Kishida

Acting Awards

Best Supporting Actor

Toshiyuki Toyonaga

For Tasuku Uehara in Gamers!

Best Supporting Actress

Maaya Sakamoto

For Makagami Chikujoin in Re:Creators

This is her second win

Best Leading Actor

Nobunaga Shimazaki

For Haruto Tsukishiro in 18if

Best Leading Actress

Kana Hanazawa

For Misaki Takasaki in Koi To Uso

Character Awards

Best Supporting Character (Female)

Magane Chikujoin (Re:Creators)

Played by Maaya Sakamoto

Best Supporting Character (Male)

Yuusuke Nisaka (Koi To Uso)

Played by Shinnosuke Tachibana

Best Main Character (Female)

Ririna Sanada (Koi To Uso)

Played by Yui Makino

Best Main Character (Male)

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji (Classroom Of The Elite)

Played by Shouya Chiba

Best Character Ensemble

Tsurezure Children

Character Designs by Etsuko Sumimoto

Created by Toshia Wakabayashi

The Final Awards

Best Director (New Category)

Seiki Takuno

For Koi To Uso

Best Anime

Koi To Uso

Directed by Seiki Takuno

Produced by LIDENFILMS

Horimiya Vol. #08 Manga Review

If not now, then some day...

Creative Staff:

Art: Daisuke Hagiwara

Story: Hero

Translation: Taylor Engel

Lettering: Alexis Eckerman

What They Say:

The Kiri High crew dives into the sports festival...and thanks to some fighting words from Hori, even phys ed-phobic Miyamura is fired up and raring to go?! As Sengoku's apathy, Sakura's lack of rhythm, and Hori's manly cheerleading take center stage, his fellow third-years might get some great last memories out of their final sports fest, but for Miyamura, they'll be his first!

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

The time has come for the first (And most likely the last) sports festival in the lives of Hori and Miyamura! Unfortunately, the couple has been separated -- Hori represents Team East alongside Sengoku and Yoshikawa, while Miyamura represents Team West with Remi and Tooru. While being torn apart at a sports festival may be a bit of an obstacle for most couples, it fuels the competitive nature of our protagonists and, in a roundabout way, brings them closer together. This whole volume really does its best to shy away from the romantic aspect of the couples' relationship and instead focuses on their friendship with not only each other but everyone around them. The downside of this, however, is that this installment goes on to be a bit underwhelming in terms of actual content.

The eighth volume of Horimiya is easily the most action-packed book thus far. Though, that doesn't really say much considering it's a romantic comedy. Either way, expect a hefty dose of some traditional Japanese sports-festival trials. Relay races, relay races that are also scavenger hunts, and relay races where two people are tied together are all present at this event. And if there's anything I learned from this festival, it's that the Japanese really love racing each other. At the end of the day, Hori's competitive nature propels Team East to victory and she forever wins bragging rights that she can use against Miyamura. After field-day comes to a close, we jump back to our standard, slightly-spontaneous formula of different, unconnected events being weaved together to create an enjoyable high school romance. And while these brief, yet hilarious scenarios all add a little bit to the story, the most important one would be the glimpse we get into the mind of Tanihara -- one of the kids who used to bully Miyamura around.

As it turns out, Tanihara's thoughts have been weighing down on him lately. As he continues to move on with his life, the one thing that haunts him is how he treated Miyamura when they were younger. Hell, he even starts dreaming about it. At the same time, Miyamura's memory of this period in his life begins to emerge as well. After stumbling upon Hori's yearbook, Miyamura begins to recollect a time in which he wasn't even a fraction of as happy as he is now. Several pages and one heavy conscience later, Miyamura and Tanihara are reunited, albeit very briefly. It's apparent, even to Miyamura, that Tanihara wants to apologize. However, boys will be boys and even though Tanihara is begging for forgiveness, he can't really bring himself to actually say anything. For him, though, this is a huge step forward and I expect it will pave the way to a much more significant event later on in the series.

In Summary:

Even with this being an underwhelming volume in terms of content, Horimiya's lovable character roster and excellent sense of humor go on to create another incredibly enjoyable addition to the series. Each character has taken on a life of their own and there isn't a single one that becomes a chore to watch. Considering just how large this roster has grown to be, I'd say that's pretty damn impressive. As of right now, I'd imagine that the ninth volume will be a bit heavier plot-wise, but I've expected things like that before and been let down, so we'll just have to wait and see. Regardless, Horimiya is just as great as ever and fans of the series will love this book just as much as the other seven.

Content Grade: B+

Art Grade: A

Packaging Grade: B+

Text/Translation Grade: A+

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: July 18, 2017

MSRP: $12.99

NTR: Netsuzou Trap Episode #08 Anime Review

I'm not leaving here without you.

What They Say:

Yuma, a high school second-year, is enjoying every day now that she has her first boyfriend. After she asks for relationship advice from Hotaru, her beautiful long-time friend who has had many boyfriends, Hotaru teases her for her inexperience and playfully does things to her that even her boyfriend doesn't do. Yuma and Hotaru's secret relationship continues to escalate, and Yuma finds herself unable to deny how it makes her feel. This school drama tells the story of the interwoven lives of these two girls with boyfriends.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Okay, so, Hotaru works at a maid cafe now. I know this might be a little too much for some people to handle (Considering just how heavy the plot has gotten thanks to this turn of events), but I can assure you that NTR remains just as dull as ever and that there is nothing to worry about. One thing to note, however, is that Yuma completely disagrees. In fact, she apparently puts working at a maid cafe on the same level as prostitution -- something I'm sure we can all safely disagree with. That being said, it doesn't make much sense when she is persuaded to work there as well for a whopping thirty minutes. In fact, I'm pretty sure this episode only exists because the writers wanted to see what the girls would look like in maid outfits. To be fair, they would look pretty attractive if it weren't for the fact that the actual outfits have more personality than the girls wearing them.

After we get our traditional minute and a half of fan service, we are reminded that Fujiwara is also a character in this show -- a character that [unsurprisingly] agrees that a job like Hotaru's really isn't all that bad. Of course, he then goes on to announce that she's only doing it so she can save up enough money to move out, and we can all imagine just how frustrating it is to live right next door to your best-friend/sex-friend. However, the idea of Hotaru earning enough money to afford a small, one-bedroom apartment off of her part time work at a maid cafe makes almost as much sense as the friendship between our protagonists. At the end of the day, we have another carbon-copy episode of NTR: Yuma figures out something weirdly sexual about Hotaru, Hotaru acts aloof and seduces Yuma, Yuma thinks Hotaru is weird and that there is no possibility that she actually has feelings or anything, and Fujiwara throws out a suspenseful tag line for the end of the episode.

In Summary:

I would have already dropped this show if I didn't like bashing it so much. And really, this isn't me just bashing this series for the sake of it -- this show is just honestly horrible. I don't know how anyone can put up with it. Like, yuri is the greatest thing ever. I'll buy any anime series under the sun if there are girls kissing each other. But having to put up with such nonsensical, forced plot twists and a roster of characters who probably need a diagram in order to tie their shoes is just physically taxing. I said a lot of things in the early stages of this series about how it would greatly benefit from being long-form instead of short-form. Well, now I understand why it's not. I can only imagine how hard it is to put together a full-length series when you don't have a story.

Grade: D

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected Vol. #05 Manga Review

No one in this world fits the classic mold of the villain.

Creative Staff:

Original Story: Wataru Watari
Art: Naomichi Io
Character Design: Ponkan8
Translation: Jennifer Ward
Lettering: Bianca Pistillo

Cover Design: Hiroyuki Kawasome

What They Say:

A summer break without anyone around is the perfect scenario for loner Hachiman Hikigaya, but Hiratsuka-sensei knows just how to shatter his dreams. Instead of a quiet vacation, the members of the Service Club (as well as Hayama's circle of popular students) are helping out at a children's day camp. While elementary school is a distant memory for these teenagers, Hachiman ends up meeting a young kindred spirit a loner named Rumi Tsurumi!

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Summer break is perhaps the most pivotal point of each school year. Despite being stripped from the bulk of who you'd normally associate (Which is a whopping...four people for Hachiman?), you still have time to improve upon your relationships with those you care about -- or, in this case, those you are forced to care about. This summer was supposed to be easy for Hachiman. He planned on lounging around, avoiding contact with anyone other than Komachi for the next two months or so. In a calculated turn of events, however, Komachi winds up forcing her big brother to participate in good ole' Shiratsuka-sensei's summer 'training camp' along with all of the other rejects...and the popular kids?

Shortly after arriving at their temporary summer-retreat, it becomes evident that neither Hachiman nor Yukinoshita plan on using this time to assimilate with the popular kids. However, in an incredibly roundabout way, this man-made wall is torn down. This camping trip isn't just for high-school kids. In fact, Hachiman and the others have only been brought along to supervise a group of elementary school students. But amongst the children they are told to watch walks a girl that directly mimics both Yukino and Hachiman -- her name is Rumi Tsurumi. From this point on, the mission of the service club becomes apparent. Hayama, who obviously volunteered for an outing like this along with his clique, has his own idea of how this should be done. But in the words of our protagonist, "Only a loner knows how to deal with a loner."

It becomes inherently clear early on that Rumi hasn't intentionally distanced herself from everyone. And despite her overwhelmingly cynical (And almost malicious) outlook on the personalities of her classmates, she still wants to fit in. But elementary school is vicious and elementary school-girls are even worse.  As it turns out, these girls have started to sort-of cycle people out of their social circle. Now, in this G-Rated rendition of "Another," Rumi has been chosen as the scapegoat -- meaning no one is willing to talk to her or spend time with her. And while this doesn't seem anymore heartbreaking than any other bullying scenario you'd find in anime or manga, it becomes a bit more...personal when Rumi begins to talk about her mother. You see, before Rumi left, her mother had given her a camera and asked her to take pictures of all the fun times she had. The idea of a little girl returning home with no pictures whatsoever is what got to me as well as the service club.

After some group-brainstorming, Hachiman devises yet another idea that goes on to smooth things over...for the most part. Of course, this comes in the form of a summer favorite -- the test of courage. Rumi's group, deliberately chosen to go last, heads out behind all of the other kids only to be cut short by Hayama and his gang. Working alongside the service club, the popular kids gang up on the elementary-schoolers, forcing them into a position in which they need to leave behind half of their group to avoid everyone getting beat up or killed or something. That being said, Rumi is obviously chosen as the first one to get left behind. But after her, the other girls begin turning against each other, giving them a taste of what it feels like to be left alone. But just when things are starting to get interesting, Rumi uses the flash from her camera to create an opening for everyone to escape -- making her the hero. And while no one really acknowledges this (At least on-screen), she feels like she sort of fits in again, if at least for a moment. This is reinforced through a panel several pages later where she's seen with one of the other girls that were chosen to be left behind.

At the end of the day, Hachiman finds a way dissolve this issue and potentially revitalize Rumi's social life. In a way, though, he also kind of revitalizes his and Yukino's as well. It's clear that these two have been making connections with Rumi, albeit not verbally, so seeing her pushed back on to the right path provides a glimmer of hope for each of them -- whether they want to admit that or not. Eventually, the camping trip comes to an end and, of course, Yukino's sister shows up and abducts her. After throwing out some typical, "Hachiman is off limits to everyone except my sister!" the Yukinoshita's disappear and aren't seen again for the rest of the summer.

In Summary:

In terms of both content and quality, this volume is one of the best and most memorable we've seen from SNAFU thus far. Not only do we learn more about Hachiman and Yukino through a new, younger character, but we finally see the gap between the popular kids and the less-popular kids beginning to fade. And even though it will take some time before this actually happens, the seeds have been planted and we can now sit back and watch them grow. Mix that with amazing attention-to-detail in the art department and some of the most unique and fleshed-out characters to ever fumble into a rom-com and you have a series that transcends its genre with a realistic take on societal norms and how completely BS they are.

Content Grade: A

Art Grade: A

Packaging Grade: A-

Text/Translation Grade: A

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: June 20, 2017

MSRP: $12.99

NTR: Netsuzou Trap Episode #07 Anime Review

A lie should be hidden within something that's 90% true.

What They Say:

Yuma, a high school second-year, is enjoying every day now that she has her first boyfriend. After she asks for relationship advice from Hotaru, her beautiful long-time friend who has had many boyfriends, Hotaru teases her for her inexperience and playfully does things to her that even her boyfriend doesn't do. Yuma and Hotaru's secret relationship continues to escalate, and Yuma finds herself unable to deny how it makes her feel. This school drama tells the story of the interwoven lives of these two girls with boyfriends.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

It's become a bit of a habit for NTR to end each episode on a cliffhanger only to reveal that said cliff is actually a stepping stool. At the end of last week's installment, we had a repeat of the whole "Oh no, Fujiwara is going to do something about our secret relationship!" issue and, just like last time, the entire problem screeches to halt as soon as it arises. Honestly, it's gotten to the point where I'm pooling for Fujiwara to get his threesome simply to spark up at least a slight hint of story in this otherwise worthless drivel. We are now more than halfway through this series and we have yet to have an actual conflict last longer than the week-long gap between its episodes. Every time a new (Yet strikingly similar) situation shows up with potential to de-rail the series, it's essentially-ignored and we're pushed back to the fanservice. But now that it's been three weeks since we've even had any good fan service, what exactly has NTR been using its time on?

As much as I'd like to answer that question, I sadly can not- for NTR has not used even a moment of the last three weeks to further anyone or anything. Hell, the big twist at the end of this episode was that Hotaru works at a maid cafe now. But even with this incredibly shocking turn of events (Zzzzz...) the series remains at a standstill. And now that Yuma and Takeda are talking again, we are literally back to square-one. Hotaru has decided to cease her advances, presumably for one or two more episodes at most, before Yuma is reeled back in and pushed further toward an unavoidable lesbian relationship with her best friend. Meanwhile, Fujiwara will continue to be a character that only exists to force cliffhanger endings and Takeda will continue to be a cuckold. Everyone is happy- everyone except us, that is.

In Summary:

Instead of watching episode seven, you might want to try watching the first episode again. They both leave off at the exact same point but in the first episode, you at least get to see some girls make out.

Grade: D-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll