The 2018 Leo Lovelace Anime Awards
Check out the summary of the 2018 show down below!
The 2018 anime awards featured 32 unique nominees and 9 different winners across its 19 categories – the full list of nominees and winners is broken down by section and category below!
The 2018 awards were my first iteration, and thus were the smallest in scale – I’ve since added 11 more categories!
Because the Best Adventure/Fantasy, Suspense, Couple/Ship, OST Track, Insert Use, Insert Track, Art, Underrated/Underwatched, and Episode awards weren’t added until 2019, and the Best Supporting Character and Movie awards weren’t added until 2021, I’ve retroactively given these awards to anime I felt were deserving!
This increased the total number of different nominees to 33 and winners to 13
Genre Awards
Best Action
WINNER
Attack on Titan S3
Despite the heavier focus on story and political drama that permeated this season, there were plenty of incredible action scenes. And between the uprising, which results in human on human violence, and the standard titan slaying, there was a lot of it to take in. The action is immensely satisfying to watch thanks to the fluid and detailed animation, and because of the stakes and animation quality, there was no question in my mind that this was the most deserving nominee
Other nominees:
Best Adventure/Fantasy
Editor’s Note: The Best Adventure/Fantasy award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Record of Grancrest War
Best Comedy/Slice of Life
WINNER
Grand Blue
Led by a great cast, Grand Blue had me laughing out loud in every single episode. The situations range from realistic to absurd, but nearly all of them set up funny jokes, and there are so many quotable lines and memeable reaction faces. Being a college student made this a bit more relatable, considering all of the characters are in college themselves, but even excluding that, I think most can acknowledge the strength of the voice acting and entertainment posed by the characters and all of the situations they get into, which are hallmarks of great comedy anime
Other nominees:
Best Drama
WINNER
A Place Further Than The Universe
Violet Evergarden put up a hell of a fight, but in the end I think that it’s A Place Further Than The Universe that deserves the win. It expertly balances comedy with character development, leading to a thoroughly engaging story with a wonderfully written cast and superb dialogue. Not only is there a central conflict that is addressed throughout, but each character has their own sub-conflict, and all are explored and resolved without resorting to melodrama. When the final message presents itself, it really drives home how meaningful the journey was. It’s relatable, entertaining, exciting, funny, and oozes staying power. This is drama at its best
Other nominees:
Best Romance
WINNER
Bunny Girl Senpai
While the romance between Sakuta and Mai wasn’t the main focus of the show, it was a major subplot and would often impact each character’s arc. The two of them are well written and likable, and the romance never feels forced. There’s no melodrama, they’re mature in the way they handle disagreements and other problems, they communicate well, they have great chemistry, and there’s plenty of endearing moments between them
Other nominees:
Editor’s Note: I didn’t have enough nominees for a full 6, so there were only 4 in 2018. I’d also change this to WotaKoi instead if I were picking winners now, but I don’t want to change my past picks since that’s how I felt at the time!
Best Suspense
Editor’s Note: The Best Suspense award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Steins;Gate 0
Character Awards
Best Protagonist
WINNER
Okabe Rintarou (Steins;Gate 0)
Seven years removed from the original Steins;Gate, Okabe is still one of the best protagonists in anime. He’s incredibly well written, with great dialogue and development. He’s engaging and relatable in the way he cares for his friends and struggles to help them however he can, he has swings between emotional highs and lows as he faces a new problem to solve, and he’s fun as hell to watch. While I thought Steins;Gate 0 had an overall weaker cast than the original, Okabe remained a solid constant – a protagonist who you love to sympathize with and root for, from the beginning to the end
Other nominees:
Best Antagonist
WINNER
Kenny (Attack on Titan S3)
Kenny was a good change of pace for Attack on Titan. In the previous seasons, the villains were always the titans. But with the developments in season 3, the survey corps face a new enemy in Kenny, the leader a squad of former military police. Kenny is a brutal character, but one who is surprisingly fleshed out. The show explores his past and his goals, and while you dislike his methods, you can’t help but sympathize with his motivation and acknowledge that he’s a human being – albeit a flawed one
Other nominees:
Best Supporting Character
Editor’s Note: The Best Supporting Character award was introduced in the 2021 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Kouhei Imamura (Grand Blue)
Best Cast
WINNER
Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy has a massive cast full of varied characters. And with such a varied cast, it’s inevitable that some are better written and developed than others. But even with that, the sheer variety of characters is commendable. Golden Kamuy is a story driven by characters that all have their own motivations, methods, interests and goals. Many characters make you relate to and empathize with them in different ways, and uneasy alliances and sudden betrayals make for a rollercoaster of a ride
Other nominees:
Best Girl
WINNER
Zero Two (Darling in the Franxx)
This was definitely my hardest choice in these awards. Zero Two had been running strong as the number one up until the fall season, when Mai burst onto the scene with her fun writing and dialogue. However, in the end I feel that Zero Two still deserves the award for one main reason: Her incredible backstory, which was unveiled across two episodes at the peak of Darling in the Franxx’s popularity. It answered so many questions and served as a massive turning point in her character development in addition to much of the rest of the cast’s. It shined a light on much of her actions and fully unveiled her motivations, and it made me appreciate her character all the more. I could see a good argument for either side, but Zero Two is my best girl of 2018
Other nominees:
Best Guy
WINNER
Sakuta Azusagawa (Bunny Girl Senpai)
Sakuta is one of the rarer male main characters in a harem style anime that isn’t a bumbling fool, but rather is dry, sarcastic, witty, and intelligent. And it’s not exactly a harem either, given that Sakuta actually has a girlfriend in Mai, but each arc focuses on a different girl and Sakuta helping them solve their problems. He has great chemistry with not just Mai but the entire cast in general, and his often deadpan delivery makes some of the dialogue much funnier. Sakuta is entertaining to watch and an overall good guy in general
Other nominees:
Best Couple/Ship
Editor’s Note: The Best Couple/Ship award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Narumi & Hirotaka (WotaKoi: Love is Hard for Otaku)
Music Awards
Best OP
WINNER
Kokkoku
Flashback – MIYAVI ft. KenKen
The color usage is borderline psychedelic, the visuals are all over the place but always have something interesting going on, and the song itself is a bass-heavy jam. It’s one of the most unique openings out there
Editor’s Note: I’d pick Darling in the Franxx, Grand Blue and WotaKoi all over Kokkoku now, but again, no changing answers!
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Best OST (Soundtrack)
WINNER
Violet Evergarden
Evan Call
It may not have had the high energy and hype filled tracks like some of the more action oriented anime, but what it did have was a soundtrack that perfectly complemented the drama and emotions on display throughout the show. It’s filled with tracks that, when you go back and listen to it afterwards, you’ll instantly be taken back to the scene it was from and to the emotions you were feeling. Another nice touch was the inclusion of typewriter sounds in some of the tracks: considering the typewriter is a catalyst for Violet’s character development, it made the tracks feel more personal to her
Other nominees:
Best OST Track
Editor’s Note: The Best OST Track award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Violet Evergarden
Letters From Heaven
Editor’s Note: Plays during Episode 10 during the letter scene. Beautiful song that adds a ton of emotion to an already incredibly emotional scene
Best Insert Use
Editor’s Note: The Best Insert Use award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
A Place Further Than The Universe
Best Insert Song
WINNER
A Place Further Than The Universe
Sora Wo Miagete
Editor’s Note: Plays during Episode 2 in the running scene and it still chokes me up every time I hear it. One of the best insert songs of all time in my opinion
Best ED
WINNER
Grand Blue
Konpeki no Alfine – Hiroki Yasumoto, Katsuyuki Konishi,Ryouhei Kimura, Yuuma Uchida
This ending actually made me laugh the first time I saw it – and most times after that. Featuring the guys from the cast out doing karaoke, there’s not much to it aside from it being a ton of fun, a catchy song, funny visuals, and just an all around very entertaining ending song. It perfectly fit the vibe of the show and I never skipped it
Editor’s Note: I’d give it to Asobi Asobase or A Place Further now, but no changing answers!
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Production Awards
Best Art
Editor’s Note: The Best Art award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Violet Evergarden
Editor’s Note: Only some of the most gorgeous art of all time, nbd
Best Character Design
WINNER
Violet Evergarden
As this ties in closely with best art/animation, it’s no surprise that Violet Evergarden would also take this one home. Each character is beautifully designed and easily recognizable, and every character’s design fit their personality perfectly. The way that you can clearly tell someone’s emotional state based on a quick shot of their face, especially their eyes, was something I found particularly remarkable. Like it’s art and animation as a whole, I think that Violet Evergarden could be heralded as having some of the best character designs in anime
Other nominees:
Best Animation
WINNER
Violet Evergarden
There were many impressively drawn and animated anime this year, but in the end it was Kyoto Animation’s Violet Evergarden, with its gorgeous backdrops and character animations, that I felt deserved the nod. This is one of those anime that you can show to anyone and, regardless of their interest in the medium, elicit a “wow” reaction. KyoAni has proved once again just why they’re regarded as one of the best of the best when it comes to art and animation. In fact, this might just be one of the best looking anime of all time
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Male)
WINNER
Ryouhei Kimura
Kouhei Imamura (Grand Blue)
I honestly don’t know how Ryouhei Kimura was able to say some of Kouhei’s lines with a straight face. He really got into this character and played a great comedic role, expertly delivering each of his lines. Be it daily life with the diving club, arguing with Iori, or bemoaning the fact that he doesn’t have a harem of high school girls worshipping him even though he’s in college, Kimura crushed this performance
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Female)
WINNER
Kana Hanazawa
Shirase Kobuchizawa (A Place Further Than The Universe)
There’s a reason that Kana Hanazawa is considered to be one of the best voice actors in business right now, and it’s on full display in her role as Shirase. Expertly nailing all facets of Shirase’s personality, Hanazawa shows off just how talented she is. The amount of conviction with which she delivers her lines and plays up Shirase’s drive to reach Antarctica is amazing, and there’s no way her performance won’t resonate with you in some way
Other nominees:
Overall Awards
Best Story
WINNER
Steins;Gate 0
As a huge fan of the original Steins;Gate, it would be an understatement to say I was excited for Steins;Gate 0. This is darker than the original, following a depressed Okabe in the Beta worldline who never fully recovers from losing Kurisu. And it’s also, to an extent, slower paced. However, the lengthy build up is worth it for the incredible conclusion. The story in Steins;Gate 0 can stand on its own as a great one, but what solidified it as the best story of the year for me were the clever and meaningful tie-ins that it made to the original story, making me appreciate the franchise even more
Other nominees:
Most Underrated/Underwatched
Editor’s Note: The Most Underrated/Underwatched award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Iroduku: The World in Colors
Best Movie
Editor’s Note: The Best Movie award was introduced in the 2021 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions: Take on Me
Best Episode
Editor’s Note: The Best Episode award was introduced in the 2019 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2018. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
A Place Further Than The Universe
Episode 13 – We’ll Go On Another Journey Someday
Editor’s Note: A perfect, heartfelt and emotional finale for an incredible anime
Best Sequel/Spinoff
WINNER
Attack on Titan S3
There were a number of impressive sequels in 2018, but none jumped out as much as Attack on Titan Season 3. There was a huge tonal shift as the focus moved from titan slaying to political drama and the seedy underbelly of Attack on Titan as you see what really goes on under the hood inside the walls. In addition to the plot being more engaging, all of the other aspects of the production, such as the animation, soundtrack, voice acting, and overall direction, were similarly impressive
Other nominees:
Anime of the Year
WINNER
A Place Further Than The Universe
A Place Further Than The Universe was the very first show that I started watching in 2018, and a year later, it’s still the best one. A Place Further is phenomenal in every way, from the story to the characters, the animation to the soundtrack, the writing to the direction. There was no show I related to more and no show I went back to more. It’s a wonderfully engaging and emotional adventure led by a lovable cast with a great message and fantastic conclusion, and an anime that anyone who appreciates the medium – or even just good storytelling in general – should make it a priority to watch
Other nominees:
Final Summary of Nominees
You can check out the full list of anime that were nominated for awards below in alphabetical order!
