Best of 2007 Anime Awards, Day 4 - Drama
Posted by 0rion on December 29th, 2007 - 5:00 am
A gripping and intense story is something that captivates us regardless of the medium, be it film, anime, theatre, or literature. The term “drama”, however, is used pretty capriciously nowadays and usually has the connotation of trite relationship infidelities or other such drivel. Disregarding that unpleasant parlance, we felt there were some pretty epic moments this year worth mentioning and reminiscing about.
I’ll warn you upfront that today’s awards are also a bit of a mixed bag, and are a lot heavier overall than our previous awards posts, so get your serious business pants on.
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Nicest Boat
Winner: School Days
Runner-up: Kaiji
The Nice Boat phenomenon will not be forgotten any time soon, it seems. Indeed, it appears to have already entered into anime fan vocabulary as a slang term similar to “jump the shark”, implying a “Bad End” for a show, preferably involving violence.
Of course Kaiji’s Nice Boat, the Ship of Hope: Espoir, was pretty epic as well, but it didn’t cause nearly the kind of sensation that Nice Boat did.
You wouldn’t expect yakuza types hell-bent on enslaving hopelessly indebted degenerates to have such a scathing sense of irony. But what else can you say about a ship named Espoir (hope) that is essentially a one way ticket to the forced labor camps? Even if you escape the hellish barge, you’re quite likely to end up in greater debt. To make matters worse there’s no bar, no buffet, and no room service.
And no cake, either. :shock:
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Coolest and Spiciest
Winner: Hinamori Amu, Shugo Chara
Runner-up: Epic Win Blog
I’m generally not a big fan of brightly colored shoujo series, nor of magical girl shows, but somehow Shugo Chara seems to have risen above the usual cliches and become a different kind of animal. It’s got all the usual mahou shoujo trappings, sure, but it also delves into slice-of-life and comedy fare, which has helped to keep things interesting. Well, that and Su is awesome.
Additionally, Cool & Spicy™ has definitely got to be one of the better catchphrases this year. It never ceases to make me chuckle when I hear it. 
Pointiest Nose
Winner: Kaiji, Kaiji
Zawa zawa!
While many people seem to be turned off by Kaiji’s gritty art style and lack of moe characters, I think this is one of the selling points of the series. It really gives the series its unique flavor and sets the tone for the entire show.
Also, in a nosestabbing contest I’d put money on Kaiji any day. Even if the other guy was Pinocchio. 
If the gritty, tense, dark world of Fukumoto’s gambling epic Kaiji doesn’t captivate you, perhaps the sheer nosestabbing manliness of it all will. It’s enough masculinity to break a Gundam emo-tard in half with a single stab.
True it could be argued that Akagi’s nose is slightly pointier than Kaiji’s making him decidedly more GAR. Others argue that the ratio of manly tears to nose pointiness give Kaiji more credibility. The issue is hotly contested to this very day.
Best “You Got Owned” Face
Winner: Kaiji, Kaiji
It’s always gratifying to watch the hero gloriously triumph after many setbacks, and one of the key parts of properly enjoying that triumph is seeing the protagonist dancing in the proverbial endzone. And while Kaiji’s psychological gambling victories are perhaps not as epic in scope as some, he certainly doesn’t come up lacking in the triumphal gloating department. Whenever he overcomes another setback and another opponent, he always makes sure the other guy gets a good dosage of his “You just got owned” victory dance.
In previous posts we’ve compared the “Ron” face of Kaiji and Akagi respectively. However, among shows in the past year, it’s unquestionable that Kaiji has the most scathingly smug “pwn3d” expression. It’s not just that his smirk reeks of superiority, it’s the fact that he looks so damned gleeful about it. Talk about devastating.
Best Meta-Show
Winner: Sensei and Ninomiya-kun, Minami-ke
“Ninomiya-kun!”
“Sensei!”
“NINOMIYA-KUN!”
“SENSEI!”
“NINOMIYA-KUN!”
What started off as a mere cameo developed into a great running gag that seems to have taken on a life of its own. In addition to serving as the set up for several jokes among the Minami sisters, it also employs some excellent comedy in its own right. In particular, it parodies many anime related cliches, such as recycling animation to cut costs, and the mysterious hit-and-run vehicle.
In case you’re a bit behind with your Minami-ke watching (for shame!) or you’ve forgotten, here’s a video compilation of all the Sensei and Ninomiya-kun clips.
Most Underrated
Winner: Baccano!
Despite being ABSOLUTELY FRICKIN AMAZING, it sometimes seems as though nobody has even heard of Baccano. It’s received extremely limited coverage in the anime community; even my esteemed co-writer Guff hasn’t seen it yet.
Admittedly, it’s a difficult show to describe to someone else. The cast is so huge and the story so involved that coming up with a good succinct way to introduce the plot while still doing it justice is nearly impossible. About the only way I can think to do it is by painting a brief picture of the setting in which it takes place:
Baccano is set in the 1930’s USA amidst the dark mafia underworld. In addition to the usual suspects that would be expected in that sort of setting, it also features a number of characters referred to as immortals (不死者 fushisha) who, having drunk the elixir of life, are essentially, well…immortal, enabling them to regenerate and get up unscathed even after receiving fatal injuries. It features a twisting story involving several disparate plotlines which slowly converge together in a fashion that would make even Tom Clancy proud.
Other strong points Baccano has to offer include beautifully evocative artwork, a strong soundtrack, amazingly fluid and well choreographed fight scenes (nearly Samurai Champloo caliber, IMO), and a varied rogues gallery cast of characters, some which you love and some which you love to hate.
The story certainly is not without its shortcomings. It’s a tad predictable in the later episodes, can be somewhat confusing to following the earlier ones, and has a lot of blood and gore, but if you can overcome those obstacles, there’s a real gem of a story hidden within, one that not many people seem to discovered so far.
It’s one part pulp fiction, one part steampunk, one part mafioso, one part Tarantino, one part Fullmetal Alchemist, and two parts pure undiluted win. A delicious recipe indeed, and one you won’t find anywhere else in anime.
Best Drama
Winner: Darker than Black
Runners-up: Kaiji, Dennou Coil, Ghost Hound
Of all the awards we’ve given out so far, none has been as hard to write about as Darker than Black. There are so many things to say, yet words seem so ineffective at adequately conveying the brilliance of this series. It’s one of those rare stories that manages to strike a delicate balance between developing a theme and yet still allowing, perhaps even requiring the viewer to actively think and engage with the show’s thematic elements in order to extract those nuggets of wisdom. Where most series are very blatant, leaving little to the imagination, Darker than Black is subtle, often relying on small details to convey large ideas.
It focuses on emotional themes and philosophical conjectures, weaving characters and story threads in and out to create a fascinating tapestry of memory and humanity. While some complained about the lack of explanation for the many mysteries of the Darker than Black universe, I feel that this is missing the point. The show is not about the larger sci-fi elements; it’s about the characters and their story.
“I was by far the faster.”
Darker than Black certainly incorporates some excellent fight scenes and HUERRGH-laden action sequences, of course, but ultimately it’s larger than those moments alone. It’s a cerebral show, one that can’t be fully appreciated without some effort on the viewer’s part. I love it because it has real and meaningful things to say, and because it doesn’t insult my intelligence in the process of cultivating those thoughts by holding my hand the entire way.
The little moments - Yin pulling the corners of her mouth up to smile, Huang gruffly telling his teammates to go on without him as he sacrificed himself, Hei refusing to make the “logical decision” time and time again, instead choosing to protect those valuable to him - these are what carry the series and give it its depth. If you know how to look for them, Darker than Black can become a delightfully rewarding and immersive experience.
“If you’re happy and you know it…”
Although we’ve discussed at length the narrative excellence, the cinematographic splendor, and the compelling nature of the characters in previous posts, there’s still much to say.
Darker than Black’s plot is complex without feeling overbearing or pretentious. It portrays a world that is inextricably divided by those who have traded their humanity for power and those who haven’t. The human crime syndicates exploit contractors for their cold, logical obedience. Government agencies cover the conspiracy and use contractors to their own ends. The world is one of intrigue and distrust. The contractors themselves are plagued by an obeisance, a ritual they must perform as penance for using their powers.
Elements of destiny, human emotion, suffering, and freedom all come into play and are fought over in an ever more engrossing conspiracy involving the mysterious gate incident, when the stars as we know them vanished forever.
The characters are well defined and remarkably genuine. Their experiences resonate with you. The episode of Huang’s back story, in particular, was a personal favorite of mine. With classic film noir flair, the tale of a man with a betrayed past and washed out memories becomes a rich and palpable microcosm within the greater plot. Similarly, even the seemingly stoic “Doll” Yin becomes integral to the story as she learns what it means to feel again.
“Hei! Watashi wo hitori ni shinai de!”
One of the great character arcs of the series is her redemption of Hei at the story’s climax. “Don’t leave me alone!” I get chills just thinking about that scene; talk about solid execution.
Another awesome aspect of Darker than Black is that it refuses to cut corners on any of the characters, even in more episodic segments, like episodes 17 - 18 (I’ll Sing a Love Song at the Garbage Dump), you have emotionally powerful movements. And what about Havoc’s heart wrenching backstory? Who couldn’t avoid being moved by such a powerful sequence? It speaks volumes to the show’s meticulous narrative. Even the side characters become underdogs that you cheer on and relate to.
Speaking of side characters, how amazing was the hilarious detective duo of Kiko and Kurasawa Guy? It’s always great to see a story knock its own genre, tongue in cheek, with such a stereotypical character. Guy is the classic Sam Spade type, with the chain smoking, cheesy one liners, and fedora to boot; quite the mismatch for a bossy and diminutive cosplaying coworker. Honestly though, even those characters you grow attached to. They make the world of Darker than Black such an immersive experience, and that’s what good storytelling is all about: drawing you into another world.
If you missed Darker than Black previously, consider ringing in the new year with this spectacular anime series. I assure you the amount of win you’ll ingest will make you feel positively gluttonous.
There is no steampunk in Baccano!
I still need to marathon DtB to form a more concrete opinion, but for me it never amounted to the sum of its parts. There were so many amazing, touching, dramatic moments but as a cohesive whole it was lacking. Too much time was wasted with loose, aimless storytelling and it never really banked on the potential it constantly promised.
I think that’s my biggest problem with the show and why I’m quite negative about it: it proved constantly that it had the chops to be a bonefide classic yet always left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Like eating half a gourmet meal when the whole thing is required to appreciate the many flavours. It was too long; too many carbohydrates and not enough flavour. As a compressed twelve episode show it could’ve been completely astonishing.
But anyway, enough food metaphors. When DtB pulled itself together it was fantastic. I’m just sour it wasn’t constantly fantastic as it easily could’ve been.
Kaiji’s art style is amazing! I find it to be cool and stylish rather than offputting, personally. It is really expressive (proven with his RON face) and compliments the overall mood. It would not have the same impact with pretty looking characters.
It is really surprising that Baccano hasn’t gotten more attention. The fact that it’s an action series with western influences should attract people. One of the most entertaining shows I have seen in a while. Excuse me while I go listening to the opening theme again.
Didn’t Hayate no Gotoku have a boat too, in the first (Or second) episode? Definitely not the nicest, but worth a runner up.
And if both Orion and TJ Han say that Baccano! is good, I think I’ll give it a try. After all, I did so for Mushishi and Gintama, and they worked out great. Thanks for all the recommendations.
I think that I shall have to watch both Baccano! and School Days soon to see what all the fuss is about. Fortunately I’ve been thoroughly spoiled for SD and am not anticipating it actually being any good.
DtB is a good show - I’ve sold it to friends as the nearest contemporary anime has to something like Angel - but it’s hard to love, unlike previous Bones productions. Eureka Seven was a show that you could clutch to your heart and laugh and cry along with, but DtB, exciting and well made as it was, doesn’t really have the same emotional centre. Although I did get the wobbles with Mao’s final scene….
A term I saw spawned over at IKnight’s blog (The Animachronism): Kaiji is GARmbling. Couldn’t agree more. XD
I contemplated for a bit what Shugo Chara is doing in the drama section, but it does seem to have at least a little underlying drama, in the romantic tension sense. (they seem to be setting up a nice triangle, maybe a square or other oddly shaped object)
But Kaiji = cool, Shugo Chara = spicy, and School Days = boat, so I agree with this post. XD
Baccano! should also be a runner up for nice boat category. Just because it’s a “nice train” shouldn’t disqualify it entirely.
Kaiji is the winner GAR winner, If not that he is definately the most Zawa… Zawa…-est winnar of all.
You’ve really spoke some big words about Darker than Black. I really disliked it, I thought the first episode was absolutely great and of course the soundtrack was brilliant but I seemed to get uberly bored of it around episode five and stopped watching completely. I’ve seen some people say it gets better but this is the most praise I’ve seen for DtB any where.
I’m not sure whether to re-watch and/or get the DVDs now. =/ You two have left me in such a horrible predicament.
@ Hige
Interesting, it’s not often that I’ve found myself in disagreement with your opinion.
Again, I think many people get sidetracked (or maybe it’s that they don’t get sidetracked enough) in getting caught up in the so-called “main plot”, which is very loosely held together and not developed very well, thus missing the underlying thematic stories that Darker than Black is trying to tell throughout each of the 2-episode arcs. That’s the real narrative, but it’s one that’s easy to miss exactly because DtB doesn’t forcefeed you everything.
It’s like playing a RPG in order to do all the sidequests and discover all the secret stories and areas rather than focusing on the primary plot.
@ blue
I think part of the reason more people are into Baccano is because the narrative structure can be kind of hard to follow, with all the different story threads.
@ Sylon Beta
Ahh, you’re probably thinking of this boat from episode two where the yakuza are taking Hayate away.
@ A Transfer
School Days is rather overrated, in my opinion. It’s mainly notable only for the Nice Boat thing and the bloody final episode. Baccano, on the other hand, is an excellent choice for a new anime to check out.
@ CCY
Ahhh yes, GARmbling, I love that term.
As for what Shugo Chara is doing in the “Drama” section, it’s partly because we needed more random awards to fill space in this post, and partly because the so-called “categories” are pretty loose, mainly pertaining only to the final award in the post.
@ /lol/
Oh, what’s this? I’ve just been handed an envelope for a previously unannounced award. Uhhh, let’s see… oh, it says, uh, “Best Snakes on Train Award goes to Baccano”? Well, there you have it.
@ Jayme
Well, like everything we say here, it’s just our opinion and nothing more. Darker than Black perhaps requires a certain type of personality to really enjoy, because it’s very philosophical and tries to deal with lots of delicate thematic ideas. You have to have a certain appreciation for that kind of stuff, and be willing to think a little bit and engage with the dialogue the series develops.
In that sense it’s a difficult series because it’s not one that you can just sit back and enjoy mindlessly, like many other shows. Of course those are important too, but it’s also nice to see something like DtB that gets you thinking.
I don’t know what turned me off from School Days and Baccano. When I saw Baccano in Newtype, I just turned the page without reading it. This is actually the first time in a while that I’ve seen mention of it. And I always put off School Days because I thought it was just another dating sim anime. After I saw all the Nice Boat stuff on here, I figured I’d watch it, but I could only find the first three episodes. Has it already been liscensed? The same thing happened to me with Gurren Lagann, people started taking down the episodes… TT__TT
And I don’t know why people are complaining, Kaiji is the sexiest moe character since Madarame in Genshiken. XD
Hmmmm shouldn’t Tsubasa Chronicle be up there? I mean really… Anyways nice nominations and awards but shouldn’t there be a “Really random crap” category?
Unfortunately, I’m one of the people put off by Kaiji’s character designs (I think it’s the pointy nose), though I was really drawn to its plot. I think I’ll just marathon the series once it finishes :3
and… hurray for COOL and SPICY! XD
Haha. To be honest, I propose differentiating real drama from the “trite relationship infidelities or other such drivel” and labelling those as DORAMA.
School Days, to an extent has been the show in 2007 with the most impact, for those who have watched it, and it really did change on how I view romance/harem shows now. I guess it did start with Kaede going psycho in Shuffle, but SD had totally brought it up to a new level.
Kaiji is also a good show, but it does lack impact compared to Akagi.
Baccano!… still halfway through it. It’s not too much my taste actually.
As for DtB…. I could never really connect properly to it, despite many people labeling it as good. Perhaps it’s because I prefer to focus on fewer characters, so DtB’s 2-episodic formula didn’t give me enough time to get attached to many of the side ones. That being said, I still love Yin’s character, but perhaps it’s because I actually wanted to see more of her and some of the other “main” characters is why I really couldn’t get attached to this show.
@ J
“And I don’t know why people are complaining, Kaiji is the sexiest moe character since Madarame in Genshiken.”
LOL! See, this is why comments are important people (zaitcev); commenters are funny.
@ :l
This whole thing is basically just a bunch of random crap awards that we made up - with one serious one stuck onto the end of each post.
@ Kurogane
OK, here ya go - Day 5.5: DORAMA
And yeah, Kaiji’s no Akagi; that’s for sure. It’s still plenty of fun, though.
Fortunately my anime club showed the first ep of Baccano! during an off night. People liked it so much the it was added to the regular schedule. It’s probably better to watch it in a marathon showing.
Guff and Orion nailed DtB right in the head if you ask me. There isn’t a whole lot more then I can say, but I feel you are given loads of character development for the main cast in DtB in each episode, however you have to be paying attention.
For instance, Nov 11, who was one of my favorite characters - after learning of his death you will notice him very quiet and resolved in the background of many scenes throughout that episode. Whereas in a less mature series they would prolly have you dive into his head turn the background black and have like a 10 minute dialog on how sad he is. Yet instead, if you can pay attention well enough to everything going on, you will catch a number of things.
I also believe you can’t judge a character in DtB until you have seen their entire role in the series from start to finish. Nov 11 didn’t start as one of my favorites, but when he died he became one right at his exit from the series. The same goes for Yin, Huang, Mao, Hei, Pai, Amber, etc. Consequently, DtB has a load of rewatch value just so you can catch, or experience each individual character’s development in the series.
Usually an anime will focus on different characters by giving a long back story on them or devoting an entire arc to them. However, at the end of their backstory or arc they have little to no character development until the end of the series or their death, or the third option in many never ending anime…they never have development again cause the anime never ends. What I found most beautiful about DtB was that even in each character’s back story/arc other characters developed alongside them and continued their development if you paid attention.
Alright, now you guy’s sort of seem to be trying with these ones. Darker Than Black didn’t get much love, so it’s good to see it getting some credit. Now if only the rest of the awards weren’t such a joke.