General Discussion

A little late, but better late than never right? Anyway, in my attempt to start using AnimeVice again, I'm going to post a blog listing the best of anime, 2010 edition. To clarify which anime are covered here, any series that ended its run in 2010 and have also aired the majority or (in the case of FMA: Brotherhood) a significant chunk of it's episodes in 2010 are eligible. Series that started in 2010 but have not concluded are not eligible for the awards that require an evaluation of the entire series (i.e. genre awards), but are eligible for some special awards. Of course, any series that I have not watched obviously will not be included (:P) Also, OVAs and movies are also generally not eligible except for a few very specific instances. So without further adieu, let's get started. 

Special Awards 

Best Animation

 
Winner: K-ON!! 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Runners up: Angel Beats, FMA: Brotherhood, Star Driver 
 

Best Music

Winner: Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood 
 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Runners up: Angel Beats, Nodame Cantabile Finale, Durarara!!

Best Story  

 
Winner:  Durarara!! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Runners up: Occult Academy, Giant Killing, FMA: Brotherhood
 

Best Female Character

 
Winner: Ika Musume (Shinryaku! Ika Musume) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Runners up: Hotori Arashiyama (Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru), Sohara Mitsuki (Sora no Otoshimono Forte), Misaki Ayuzawa (Kaichou wa Maid-sama!)
 

Best Male Character  

 
Winner: Shizuo Heiwajima (Durarara!!) 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Runners up: Kohta Hirano (HOTD),  Keima Katsuragi (TWGOK), Izaya Orihara (Durarara!!)

Best OP  

 
Winner: Durarara! ("Uragiri no Yuuyake" by Theatre Brook) 
 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Full Version: 
    
 
TV Version: 
      
Runners up: HOTD ("HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD", by Kisida Kyodan & The Akebosi Rockets), TWGOK ("God Only Knows", by Oratorio The World God Only Knows), Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou ("REALOVE:REALIFE", by Sphere)

Best ED  

 
Winner: FMA: Brotherhood ("Let it Out" by Miho Fukuhara) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Full Version:  
      
TV Version:
     
Runners up: K-ON!! ("Listen", by HST), Durarara!! ("Trust Me", by Yuuya Matsushida), Nodame Cantabile Finale ("Kaze to Oka no Ballad" by Real Paradis with Nodame Orchestra)

Best Studio

Winner: Kyoto Animation (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-ON!!) 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 


Runners up: SHAFT (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru), Madhouse (Trigun: Badlands Rumble, Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail), BONES (FMA Brotherhood, Star Driver), Brain's Base (Durarara!!, Kuragehime)

Most Surprisingly Good Anime:

Winner: B Gata H Kei 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Runners up: Giant Killing, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou

Most Disappointing Anime:

Winner?: Eden of the East Paradise Lost 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Runners up: Senkou no Night-Raid, Angel Beats, Heroman  
 
Best Adapted Genre  

Winner: Comedies (especially 4-koma comedies) 

As I think back at the anime series that I've enjoyed this year, comedies saturate that list (i.e. K-ON!!, B Gata H Kei, Working!!, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Oreimo, TWGOK). Also, while comedies in general were the top genre this year, out of those comedies, those based on 4-koma manga really surprised me (i.e. they were surprisingly good). Anime based on 4-koma, or 4-panel manga are nothing new. Lucky Star or Azumanga Daioh are good examples. But I don't think we've had a year where so many 4-koma manga have been adapted into anime series that are actually end up be funny, well-made, and enjoyable. Obviously, this type of anime isn't for everybody as there are those who despise slice-of-life comedies that don't have much narrative substance. 
  

Most Wasted Potential

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Winner: Legend of Legendary Heroes  

Dark fantasies aren't anything new in anime, and while LOLH didn't present anything particularly innovative or original in terms of storytelling, its dark tone, penchant for blood and gore, and consistent comedic overtones gave it a lot of potential. However, it's uneven storytelling, poor pacing and overly protracted adaption of the light novel series is disappointing. It feels more like a prequel than anything else, which is a very unfortunate statement for a 24-episode long anime series. And while I did very much enjoy many parts of the series, at the end it just feels lacking in cohesion or purpose for that manner (despite the fact that the story definitely showed a lot of promise). If XEBEC had managed to adapt the story cohesively and paced the episodes evenly, this could have potentially been a great anime. Instead, it's sitting straight in the mediocre (abet enjoyable in spurts) bin. 
 

Stan Lee Award for the Most Disappointing East-Meets-West Collaboration

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Winner: Heroman 
 
While I still have some hope for Wolverine, Heroman shows us that it's usually not a good idea to mix Japanese and American styles of animation/storytelling in a single series. While Heroman wasn't bad, it had generic animation, generic storytelling, annoying color pallet (yes I understand America's flag is red, white, and blue, I get it, really) and overall just felt unnecessary. Hardly the best of two worlds. (Ironman wasn't much better honestly, though at least somewhat more tolerable) While this is not to say that a combination of Japanese and American animation styles can't work, Heroman is an example of how not to approach things. Let's hope Wolverine fares better. 
  

Best Fake-out OP

 
   
And for reference, the original OP:
 
      
 
Winner: Ring My Bell: Tomoki's Version (Sora No Otoshimono Forte) 
 
Pretty self-explanatory: just watch the video. I nearly fell off my chair when I first saw this. 
  

Worst Use of Censorship

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Winner: Seikon no Qwaser 
 
If you were to watch the TV edit of Seikon no Qwaser, it would be like watching Dexter on CBS rather than Dexter on Showtime. Not only are the "naughty" bits edited out, but the essential merits of the story are basically changed. For those who haven't watched the series, Seikon no Qwaser is essentially a typical shounen series, except that the main character gets his power up from breast milk (i.e. "soma") rather than more traditional methods. The results? Well, watching the edited TV version, which basically edits out all the "soma-sucking" and replaces it with other scenes, is bound to leave the viewer confused and nonplussed at exactly what the hell is going on. This is not to imply that I think this is a good series (it isn't really, and no I don't suggest you go seek out the unedited version either) but that the use of censorship is such that it is essentially a different show after all the editing involved in the broadcast version. 
 

Best OVA

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Winner: Black Lagoon Roberta's Blood Trail 
Runners up: Mobile Suit Gundam UC, Halo Legends, Darker Than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha Gaiden 
 
I've always loved Black Lagoon. It was an anime that succeeded both on the level of its action set-pieces as well as dramatic performances. In many ways, Roberta's Blood Trail is more of the same as it is just as dark, just as violent, just as dramatically resonant as the TV series that came before it. But considering how good theBlack Lagoon TV series was, more of the same isn't a bad thing at all, and formating the series in OVA form allows for tighter storytelling and of course much higher production values. So what it's lacking in originality it makes up for with it's splendid execution. Madhouse delivers once again.
 

Best Feature Film

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 
 
Winner: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Runners up: Break Blade, Trigun: Badlands Rumble,  Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, Gundam 00 The Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer
 
After making a rather large misstep in Endless Eight, KyoAni has redeemed themselves with perhaps it's best animated work to date. Melancholywas light-hearted and quirky but never reached the type of emotional resonance and dramatic storytelling that Disappearance has in spades. As a long time fan of the Haruhi franchise, Disappearance is the ultimate payoff, yet also the ultimate teaser for what's yet to come in the future. Of course, I haven't even talked about how amazing the film looks: this could easily be the best looking anime of the year. Those who started to doubt KyoAni after the Endless Eight fiasco should find solace in this wonderful film. Easily the best anime feature film of 2010. 
  

Best Action Series

 
 
 
 
 
  
 

Winner: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 

Runners up: Legend of Legendary Heroes, Strike Witches 2, Durarara!!
 
This wasn't a tough category as there weren't really many action series this year, not to mention that FMA: Brotherhood just set such a high bar that I doubt any other series could have topped it anyway. Given that I had already seen most of the action scenes depicted in the manga, I'm even more impressed by how much I still enjoyed the action sequences in the anime. This isn't just quality, however, it's also quantity. If you haven't noticed Brotherhood has 64 episodes, the majority of which contain a significant amount of action. The fact that they were able to keep the action sequences consistently high quality and also consistently enjoyable is no easy feat. 
 

Best Comedy Series

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Winner: Shinryaku! Ika Musume 

Runners up: Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru, Working!!, B Gata H Kei, Ore no Imouto
 
The best comedy series category is a much tougher fight this year due to the shear number of comedies that came out, whether they be traditional or slice-of-life comedies. Out of all those though, the one series that had me laughing week in and week out consistently was Shinryaku Ika Musume. It's definitely does not have the most intelligent humor or necessarily even the most clever but its combination of slapstick, puns, and overall silliness/nonsensicalness edges out the competition. No doubt the comedy that I enjoyed the most this year.

Best Drama Series

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Winner: Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

Runners up: Shiki, Yosuga no Sora, Giant Killing
 
Rainbow is far and away the best anime drama of 2010. For people who have been griping recently about how all anime has been reduced to moe nonsense and fanservice-fueled train-wrecks, Rainbow's here to punch them in the face, hard. This is a dark and gritty drama filled with ruthlessness and hatred and yet also with surprising camaraderie and hope within such a bleak and depressing atmosphere. And while comparisons to the likes of the Shawshank Redemption or Green Milemay be somewhat of a stretch, Rainbow arguably at least approaches that level of dramatic and emotional resonance. It's a shame that most people probably overlooked this series as it's no doubt one of the best I've seen in years.

Best Romance Series

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Winner: Amagami SS 

Runners up: B Gata H Kei, Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Kimi ni Todoke
 
Though I'm not necessarily a big fan of romances, they can be enjoyable from time to time. Amagami SS, while definitely having some frustrating moments (as all romances typically do) turned out much better than I thought it would, especially in how it handled each arc (i.e. each one being one possible path). Also, unlike many other anime romances, there aren't really any gimmicks or major contrivances here: it's mainly an anime about romance within a normal high school setting. The focus was also clearly on the girls, and their different reactions in varying situations. The variety is probably one of the major reasons why the series managed continue to be interesting. It's definitely not the most emotionally-involved or romantically charged series but it has just enough realism and believability which many anime in this genre seem to lack these days.

Honorable Mentions

Just because a series doesn't make it into the best of genre categories doesn't mean they aren't worthy of mentioning. Aside from the winners and runner ups above, here are the anime that are definitely worth mentioning: 
 
Arakawa Under the Bridge is a silly, nonsensical, wacky, and very fun to watch comedy that isn't for everyone but definitely delivered for me.
Angel Beats! ultimately did not satisfy but it was enjoyable enough to be worthwhile.
Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls was surprisingly good, despite a questionable premise.  
Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou proves that ecchi series can be fun to watch, though you have to be willing to put up with its gratuitous fan-service and harem tropes.
Katanagatari's unique art style and once-a-month long episode format may put some people off, but there's a lot to like in this above average shounen series.
K-ON!! is still the standard when it comes to slice of life anime, despite a weaker showing than its predecessor. 
Kuragehime really spoke to the NEET within all of us in a way that is both scary and yet strangely comforting.
Nodame Cantabile Finale is a great conclusion to arguably one of the best shoujo anime series in recent history. 
Occult Academy finally delivered for me on the promise that Anime no Chikara made in 2009 and showed that original stories can be just as good as adapted ones.
Seitokai Yakuindomo would be a runner up in best comedy series if I wanted to make the list even longer. 
Sora no Otoshimono Forte somehow managed to be even more outlandish and nonsensical than the previous season, which is actually a big plus.
The World God Only Knows would have been given a nomination (do to no small part to Elsie's kawaiiness and Keima's epic speeches) if it only fit better into one of the above categories. 
 
And finally . . . 
 

Overall Best Anime of 2010

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Winner:

Runners up: Durarara!!, Ore no Imouto, Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

This choice shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. While there have been some great anime series this year, none for me was as enjoyable, as remarkably consistent, as well crafted, or as well executed as Brotherhood. It's not easy to create a 64-episode anime that manages to carry its momentum from the start all the way to the finish with a payoff that was not only incredibly satisfying but also just plain awesome to watch. From the great storytelling, memorable characters, great action set pieces, awesome villains, and superb production values, Brotherhood is truly a complete package that is not only my favorite anime of 2010 but also the most worthy of being called the best anime of 2010. 
 
That that about does it for the best anime of 2010. Like any other year 2010 definitely had it's ups and downs as well good trends and bad trends. But it was by no means a bad year for anime. Out of the 100 or titles that would have been eligible for these lists, I would say that at least a quarter of them are worthwhile watches, not bad for what's supposed to be a fledgling medium. Let's hope that 2011 will turn out to be yet another good year for anime.
 
Fin.        

Can't honestly say much about most of these, though your synopsizes were very informative. I gotta say though, I think Angel Beats! may have had the best opening AND ending of the year, not to mention some of the best I've ever seen.  
 
Also, its never too late. I'd rather someone waited three months to make their decisions than to crown the last three winter shows they saw kings in all categories. Patience gives a reviewer perspective. 

@spazmaster666:  Great job on this, SpazMaster. Also, It's great to see you here. I thought you were only at Giant Bomb at this point.

@Burntlettuce said:

" Pretty nice list, although I am quick to be hesitant about any best of 2010 as it was such a sup-par year. Durarara! was definitely a good one, by lacking in depth and the ending was far from satisfying. Bortherhood was pretty much clear to be the winner, probably the best anime to come out in the past couple of years.  "

Not sure that I'd agree with 2010 being a subpar year. I would say that I definitely was more interested in and ultimately watched more series in 2010 than 2009. Also, like most anime years nowadays,  you're only going to get about 10-20% that are worth watching any given year.

@AgentJ said:

" Can't honestly say much about most of these, though your synopsizes were very informative. I gotta say though, I think Angel Beats! may have had the best opening AND ending of the year, not to mention some of the best I've ever seen.   Also, its never too late. I'd rather someone waited three months to make their decisions than to crown the last three winter shows they saw kings in all categories. Patience gives a reviewer perspective.  "

This would be true if I actually did that (:P), but most of the awards on this list were already decided when I posted them over at GB. Though I did make a few edits such as including the two films I had previous not watched (Trigun and Gundam 00). Also while I liked the animation for the Angel Beats OP and ED, the music didn't really resonate with me and they weren't nearly as interesting as the Durarara!! OP (one of the most unique OPs I've seen in a long time) or as fitting to the series as the Brotherhood ending.
 
@Bigheart711 said:

" @spazmaster666:  Great job on this, SpazMaster. Also, It's great to see you here. I thought you were only at Giant Bomb at this point. "

Yeah I recently left an anime forum (kinda got tired of the arguments that happened over there) that I was active in for a long time and figured I should probably start being more active in another site. Since Anime Vice seems to be more lively lately, I figure I might as well give it another shot.

@spazmaster666: Fair enough, but I've been listening to the opening and ending on my ipod as much as or more than Hitomi no Tsubasa (Geass) which was my previous favorite (probably still is.) The OP especially just seems to rub me the right way. I've caught myself humming it a couple times a day since it first hooked me. 
 
Also, don't mean to split hairs here, but Durawawa's OP is so similar to that of Baccano that I can't imagine its a coincidence. So not quite "original". 

I’m fairly certain I commented on this blog when you posted it originally on Giant Bomb.  It’s been sometime though between that thread and this one, and during that interim, I’ve seen a few more shows so my earlier comments are likely out of date.  Honestly, I’m not too sure what I said back then, but I’m going to guess that I agreed with you on “Squid Girl” and probably mentioned Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. 

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood began back in 2009, but since it ended in 2010, I accept it as your choice for "Best of the Year."  For me, I believe I would choose The Sacred Blacksmith as the best of 2010 with Sora no Woto and Mitsudomoe as runners-up.  I really enjoyed the characters and the action in the story.  What’s more, it’s probably the series I have the strongest (realistic) hope for a season 2.  Sora no Woto is complete in my mind and while I enjoyed Mitsudomoe even more than the previous two, it has no real story.  I want to know what happens next in the Sacred Blacksmith storyline, so that elevates it above the others.  Mitsudomoe is the best comedy of 2010 in my opinion, just edging out PSG. 

I still haven’t gotten around to seeing Angel Beats or Durarara!!, but Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru would win best music from my limited experience with the category.  That show had some memorable music as it highlighted the accordion in the maid’s band.  The closing song, “Maids Sanjou!” and the in-show song, “Sou wa Ittemo Sekai wa Owaranai” are both catchy and unique.  The jazzy opening, “Downtown” by Maaya Sakamoto has become a favorite of mine, too.  

"Most Surprising" would go to Tantei Opera Milky Holmes.  This is simply because I thought I’d like B Gata H Kei to begin with since I lean toward romantic comedies more than action and drama anyway.  Milky Holmes is a silly “magic girl” comedy that I expected to be more in line with “Strawberry Shortcake”.  It’s much more a tongue-in-cheek variation on the genre with a safe-but-obvious amount of added fan service.  I knew it was stupid and sometimes even irritating, but I wound up surprised by how much I enjoyed the series.  The 4 girl detectives themselves were cliché, but the thieves were a delight to watch and they were the ones that held my interest throughout.   By the way, B Gata H Kei would take the prize for "Best Romance" just edging Yosuga no Sora.

"Most Disappointing" for me is easily Occult Academy which starts off so good and the early episodes entertain with the X-Files meets His Girl Friday interplay between Maya Kumashiro and Fumiaki Uchida.  Incidentally, Maya would be my runner up for “Best Female Character”.  I’m fascinated by her facial expressions in the series.  I love how every emotion and thought she has is immediately conveyed through her expressions.  The story itself was quite enjoyable but then around episode 8. it changes tone so drastically that it becomes a completely different show.  It felt like I was watching a paranormal thriller one moment and a superhero adventure the next.  I blame the limited episode run for the problem. If the show had been twice as long, I think it could have had time to develop those changes so that when they did appear it didn’t cause “whiplash”. 

Other shows I really enjoyed from the previous year include   

1. Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu – Fun and a surprisingly sweet.  Feels fresh in an often stale genre. 
2. Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou – Quickly paced action harem mixture that held my attention. 
3. Sekirei ~ Pure Engagement – a worthwhile follow up to the first season of this Pokemon with pretty girls show.  A third season is promised at the end and I am eager to see it.
4. Omamori Himari – Another action harem show but this one had more heart than Ichiban…also catgirls!! 
5. Motto To Love Ru – This gets my “Most Improved” award because by completely discarding any pretense of story and surrendering to the fan service palooza that it’s became I could enjoy it for the lowbrow stupid nakifest that it is. 

 
Currently, I am watching Asobi ni iku yo!, and I’m enjoying the first few episodes, so I’ll see if it holds up over the course of it’s run.    I hope to follow that up with Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi,  Shukufuku no Campanella, Highschool of the Dead and (eventually) Angel Beats, but I'm notoriously capricious and often procrastinate with the titles I mean to see.

@PenguinDust said:

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood began back in 2009, but since it ended in 2010, I accept it as your choice for "Best of the Year."  For me, I believe I would choose The Sacred Blacksmith as the best of 2010 with Sora no Woto and Mitsudomoe as runners-up.  I really enjoyed the characters and the action in the story.  What’s more, it’s probably the series I have the strongest (realistic) hope for a season 2.  Sora no Woto is complete in my mind and while I enjoyed Mitsudomoe even more than the previous two, it has no real story.  I want to know what happens next in the Sacred Blacksmith storyline, so that elevates it above the others.  Mitsudomoe is the best comedy of 2010 in my opinion, just edging out PSG. 

I was a little bored by Sora no Woto to be honest (I had barely remembered it by the time I started thinking about these lists) and The Sacred Blacksmith is a 2009 title so it's not eligible. I also found it pretty disappointing despite it being a more or less serviceable action fantasy series. I understand that a lot of people have enjoyed Mitsudomoe, but I just couldn't get past the art style. I know that may sound like a pompous thing to say but a big part of why I enjoy anime is because of the art and hence there are certain series that I just have trouble watching because I really dislike the artstyle. (The main reason I first got interested in anime was because of the artstyle--yes up until college I was one of those "arty" types though only in the sense that I really enjoyed drawing) 
 
@PenguinDust said:

"Most Surprising" would go to Tantei Opera Milky Holmes.  This is simply because I thought I’d like B Gata H Kei to begin with since I lean toward romantic comedies more than action and drama anyway.  Milky Holmes is a silly “magic girl” comedy that I expected to be more in line with “Strawberry Shortcake”.  It’s much more a tongue-in-cheek variation on the genre with a safe-but-obvious amount of added fan service.  I knew it was stupid and sometimes even irritating, but I wound up surprised by how much I enjoyed the series.  The 4 girl detectives themselves were cliché, but the thieves were a delight to watch and they were the ones that held my interest throughout.   By the way, B Gata H Kei would take the prize for "Best Romance" just edging Yosuga no Sora.

The thing about B Gata H Kei though is that the premise at first glance is pretty damn terrible, even for a slice of life comedy. And while I kind of also thought I would like it before I started watching it, because I thought it would be just an absolute trainwreck, but it actually turned to be a a pretty good series, and not a "so bad, it's good" series that I expected it to be. The reason I chose Amagami over the others was because I felt it was the purely romantic series of the year, while Yosuga and BGHK had romance in it, but weren't necessarily purely romantic series. 
 
@PenguinDust said:

"Most Disappointing" for me is easily Occult Academy which starts off so good and the early episodes entertain with the X-Files meets His Girl Friday interplay between Maya Kumashiro and Fumiaki Uchida.  Incidentally, Maya would be my runner up for “Best Female Character”.  I’m fascinated by her facial expressions in the series.  I love how every emotion and thought she has is immediately conveyed through her expressions.  The story itself was quite enjoyable but then around episode 8. it changes tone so drastically that it becomes a completely different show.  It felt like I was watching a paranormal thriller one moment and a superhero adventure the next.  I blame the limited episode run for the problem. If the show had been twice as long, I think it could have had time to develop those changes so that when they did appear it didn’t cause “whiplash”. 

Well I had very little expectations for Occult Academy since the previous two Anime no Chikara titles from Aniplex were pretty disappointing IMO. Hence I was pleasantly surprised at Occult Academy. So for a show that I fully expected to be mediocre, and quirky at best, it turned to be fairly good. Also, after Eden of the East and King of Eden, I had high expectations for Paradise Lost and hence was very disappointed at how mediocre it was. Not to say it was a bad film, but it just didn't live up to the high bar that they set with their previous outings.

Heey! You finally carried your anime interests over from GB! I'm not sure if you remember me, but I commented on your Winter 2011 blog and was wondering why you weren't here. I'm glad you've joined us and hope you're here to blog/post more! 
 
I actually agree with your entire run down. While I'd argue Noitanima put up a great fight as a studio with how Shiki and Kuragehime were dark horse surprisingly great anime series, I'll agree that KyoAni not only delivered as an animation studio, but achieved an important goal in redeeming themselves for literally pulling off Endless Eight on us. While their literal interpretation of Endless Eight wore me out, Disappearance blew me away! 
 
I was also similarly surprised with the quality of B Gata H Kei and feel like Squid Girl beats everyone. Heck, I'd say she beats Sergeant Frog and I'll admit that Sergeant Frog actually is one of the series that got me back into anime in the 2000s. 'xD 
 
Great post!

@spazmaster666:    
You are right about the Sacred Blacksmith.  I don't know why I thought it was a 2010 show.  Probably because I associate "Winter" with the end of a year and since it appeared at the end of 2009, I associated it with a "Winter season" show, which would be January-March 2010.  I'm not sure if that explanation makes any sense, but it's the best I can come up with to explain my faux pas.  With that in mind, Mitsudomoe would then be my "best of 2010".  I understand your feelings about the art, and actually that's one of the things that drew me to the show.  I've seen a lot of "pretty" animation and so forth, so when something uniquely different looking comes along, it piques my interest.  One Piece has a different art style, too and that's another reason why I like it as much as I do.  However, I'm not too great a radical and won't be watching anything that strays too far from the familiar.  I have no desire to see an anime that looks like any of the eyesores that littler Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.  PSG is an exception since it's basically an adaption of the Tartakovsky-McCraken approach to TV animation.  Anyway, I liked the roundness of the art in Mitsudomoe and the shininess of the colors.   
 
I have yet to get around to seeing Amagami, but it's on my "to do" list.   The premise of B Gata H Kei did look controversial at first, but the story was so earnest and sweet and pretty far removed from what I had envisioned that I fell in love with it.  I didn't believe it would be as crass as the early descriptions posted in the season schedule, but I still expected something a bit more ribald.  It was more innocent, confused and charming than I would have believed.  For that reason, I have my suspicions that  Astallote no Omocha ! won't be quite the cesspool envisioned by early descriptions.  The promo-video certainly doesn't make it appear that way.  We'll see next month. 

Best series this year: Angel Beats, Remember My Mr Lovecraft, and the final season of K on 
Best movie releases: By far NGE 2.0. then the Gundam 00 movie with the Haruhi movie not far behind. 

@sotyfan16:  That's odd about Sora since the guy understanding his situation is one of the things I did like.  It was different than the normal bloody nose or complete obliviousness that's usually seen in these shows.  And, I don't think Sora's a harem since the protagonist only peruses one girl along each separate timelines.  Well, I almost never abandon a series so I'll eventually get around to Campanella, but I'm not too sure when.  I recently finished Sekirei PE and am halfway through Asobi ni Iku Yo.  After that?  I'm a flibbertigibbet, so who can say?  I'll check out FoxxFireArt's reviews of Okamisan soon. 

@sotyfan16 said:

" @PenguinDust:
Yosuga no Sora is in a different romance ballpark than B~Kei. I found Sora interesting an then my friend whole liked Amagami SS stopped Sora after a few eps because he found it too graphic and didn't like the guy understanding his situation (as opposed to the usual harem lead). The thing is though, he watches hentai so his logic makes no sense to me. Anyway, I suggest skipping Campanella. Yes FUNimation picked it up but I got to about ep 10 and stopped because it was not what I thought it was supposed to be. And, the series is based on an eroge but keeps nothing of the sort. I very much suggest you move on to Angel Beats! faster and Okamisan, and FUNi title, is really fun but I still have to watch the last 4 eps or so. FoxxFireArt wrote a review for each episode of Okamisan and I urge you to read those as they are very intuitive. "

I watched a couple episodes of Campanella (despite my better judgment) and while it isn't terrible, there's absolutely nothing about the series that makes it appealing on any level. (In comparison, even a crappy show like Dragon Crisis is at least somewhat entertaining) As for Yosuga no Sora, it is actually quite similar to Amagami, especially in how the show is structure, so IMO someone who likes how Amagami was structured should also like how Sora is structured.  
 
@hitsusatsu11 said:

" Best series this year: Angel Beats, Remember My Mr Lovecraft, and the final season of K on Best movie releases: By far NGE 2.0. then the Gundam 00 movie with the Haruhi movie not far behind.  "

I felt K-ON!! was inferior to K-ON! in pretty much every way except for the animation. Also, why KyoAni felt the need to include filler episodes in a 4-koma adaptation (just to stretch the series out to 24 episodes it seems like) I'll never understand. Eva 2.0 was 2009, not 2010, so it's not eligible. As for the Gundam 00 movie, while I liked it because I liked Gundam 00, as a stand alone movie it can't compare to Disappearance. 
 
@PenguinDust said:

" @sotyfan16:  That's odd about Sora since the guy understanding his situation is one of the things I did like.  It was different than the normal bloody nose or complete obliviousness that's usually seen in these shows.  And, I don't think Sora's a harem since the protagonist only peruses one girl along each separate timelines.  Well, I almost never abandon a series so I'll eventually get around to Campanella, but I'm not too sure when.  I recently finished Sekirei PE and am halfway through Asobi ni Iku Yo.  After that?  I'm a flibbertigibbet, so who can say?  I'll check out FoxxFireArt's reviews of Okamisan soon.  "

Yeah, as I pointed out earlier, Sora is actually similar to Amagami in that they are both presented in an omnibus format, you're correct to say that it's not a harem show. I felt Asobi ni Iku Yo to be a series that had a lot of potential but kind of ran out of steam by the end. I really enjoyed the earlier episodes but kind of lost interest two-thirds of the way through the series.

Great post! I'm glad to see Rainbow get some attention.

@spazmaster666: I guess your right about NGE 2.0, I just see it as a 2010 movie since it was released in english, and I saw it (not in english though) in 2010.  
 
As far as Disappearance, I am a huge Haruhi fan but I was a little disappointed. It was still good, its not like it was another endless 8, but idk I just felt it was lacking.  
The 00 movie I thought had some cool action, but the concept I found a little to out there for Gundam.

i have a question for and i want a answer why did you list eden of the east under most disappointing anime?

i mean there has to be a mistake the actors are good the plot is good and sure there are some parts some people arent happy with

but i had a spazz attack when it was listed under DISAPPOINTING !!!????