The 2019 Leo Lovelace Anime Awards
Check out the summary of the 2019 show down below!
The 2019 anime awards featured 41 unique nominees and 16 different winners across its 28 categories – the full list of nominees and winners is broken down by section and category below!
The 2019 awards were also a huge expansion compared to 2018, and I introduced 9 new award categories this year: Best Adventure/Fantasy, Suspense, Couple/Ship, OST Track, Insert Use, Insert Track, Art, Underrated/Underwatched, and Episode!
Because the Best Supporting Character and Best 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 42 and winners to 18
Genre Awards
Best Action
WINNER
Mob Psycho 100 II
The first season already had its share of impressive action, but this season turned everything up to 11. The action sequences are incredibly dynamic with constant movement that never manages to get overwhelming despite how much is happening. The scale of some the fights is massive, and whether they incorporate a couple or a dozen participants, each fight is hype as hell. And what’s also nice is that the action never feels forced – characters don’t fight just to fight, and the action doesn’t feel like it’s there for the sake of being there. Every fight has a purpose and in universe implications, and that makes each one even more intense to watch
Other nominees:
Best Adventure/Fantasy
WINNER
Astra Lost in Space
Astra is an adventure in every sense of the word, taking place in the vast unknown that is space. As we follow our cast as they travel from planet to planet in their journey back home, facing new challenges and developing all throughout it, I found myself as excited and anxious as they were with each new planet they stepped foot on and mystery they unraveled. It’s an adventure on the grandest of scales and one that I loved watching
Other nominees:
Best Comedy/Slice of Life
WINNER
Kaguya-sama: Love is War
Anime rom-coms are a dime a dozen, but Love is War set itself apart early on with its unique and hilarious setup. Watching Kaguya and Shirogane try to get each other to admit they’re in love via mind games, competitions, and other tricks set up a solid base, and the expressive animation, voice actor’s delivery, and heartwarming underlying story built it up to be a comedic tour de force
Other nominees:
Best Drama
WINNER
Vinland Saga
Studio Wit absolutely knocked it out of the park with Vinland Saga, a viking story that’s epic in every way. What starts off as a revenge story gradually develops into a political drama where every faction has characters that I found incredibly engaging. The dialogue was well written, the cast is full of interesting characters, the antagonist is one of the best in recent memory, the story kept me glued to my seat, and the conclusion to it all left me speechless. If you enjoy a good drama, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not watch this
Other nominees:
Best Romance
WINNER
Given
I was initially drawn to Given because I love music, and I enjoy seeing that be a main part of the story in some way. So imagine my surprise when I found out that Given was actually a romance, and one that I felt could even beat out a juggernaut like Love is War at that. The way Mafuyu and Ritsuka’s relationship develops across the runtime of the show and came to an emotionally charged and worthwhile payoff was charming, and I even thought the side ship of Haruki and Akihito could stand on its own as one of the best of the year. As the characters grow closer to each other via their experience in the band and themes such as accepting your past, looking towards the future, and struggling with your sexuality are all explored, I found myself thinking that the way Given handled its romance was easily the best of the year
Other nominees:
Best Suspense
WINNER
The Promised Neverland
This was one of the first anime I watched all year, and it had one of the most intense debut episodes I’ve ever seen. I could practically feel the desperation the cast had in this thrilling survival story, with some surprises I didn’t see coming and a suffocating aura that perfectly complemented the confined setting the characters found themself in. The Promised Neverland pulls no punches in its story, and that combined with the strong voice acting and impressive directing resulted in an anime that was captivating from beginning to end
Other nominees:
Character Awards
Best Protagonist
WINNER
Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100 II)
If I’m being completely honest with you all, I can’t say that I really cared for the first season of Mob Psycho, or even for Mob himself. But that all changed with the second season, which, as far as I’m concerned, was a massive improvement in every way. Mob’s development, as he comes to terms with his powers and the positive ways he can use them, begins to feel confident in himself, and strives toward his overall goal of improving himself was a journey I could empathize with in numerous ways and loved to watch
Other nominees:
Best Antagonist
WINNER
Askeladd (Vinland Saga)
I don’t even know where to begin with Askeladd. He’s not just an antagonist to me – he’s the most compelling character in all of Vinland Saga. At times a brutal killer, and at other times a borderline empathetic father figure, Askeladd is a complex character with many layers to peel back. But as each one is shed and we get a look at his true motives and backstory, I found myself realizing I was seeing something special: an antagonist who made me empathize with him more than any other character, who truly made me see his side and understand his goals, who dare I say even made me root for him at points. Askeladd isn’t just my antagonist of the year – he’s one of the best antagonists I’ve had the pleasure of watching, and now firmly holds a place as one of my favorite characters of all time
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 2019. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Chrome (Dr. Stone)
Best Cast
WINNER
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
I absolutely adore the cast in Slime, and being a fantasy world, the series touts one of the most varied casts I’ve ever seen. We’ve got our gelatinous blob protagonist, goblins, wolves, orcs, ogres, demons, humans, dwarves, lizard people, dryads, fairies, and even a tsundere dragon. I mean, come on. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is an anime that constantly made me smile and emphasized everything that makes me love anime as a medium, and how enjoyable the cast was played a huge role in that. In fact, I don’t think there wasn’t a single character I disliked
Other nominees:
Best Girl
WINNER
Takemoto Uruka (We Never Learn)
Kaguya put up a very tough fight, but in the end there was no one I enjoyed watching as much as Takemoto. From her cheerful and upbeat personality to her top tier blushes, she constantly had me smiling whenever she was on screen and I loved her gradual development throughout the show. In fact, I enjoyed her so much that as soon as the show finished airing, I actually found her catapulting herself into my top 10 favorites of all time
Other nominees:
Best Guy
WINNER
Haruki Nakayama (Given)
Given was a late entrant to the awards, as I only finished it a week ago, but Haruki immediately shot up my list to take the number one spot. Throughout the show, he often acts as a voice of reason to the rest of the cast, helping them keep their cool when things got heated or offering advice when people found themselves in tight spots. He seems like an all around genuinely great guy, and one who I’d love to have as a friend
Other nominees:
Best Couple/Ship
WINNER
Kaguya & Shirogane (Kaguya-sama: Love is War)
They may have both come a spot short in best girl and best guy, but I can say without a doubt that there is no ship I wanted to sail more than these two. They’re hopelessly in love with each other from the start, but both too proud to admit it first. It’s one of those ships where they’re perfect for each other and where you know it’s going to happen eventually – it’s just a question of when. So with every bit of progress and cute or funny thing that happened between them, I got more and more hyped for how satisfying that inevitable scene would be. From their cute rapport to the little ways they show their love for each other, Kaguya and Shirogone easily take the top spot for this category
Other nominees:
Music Awards
Best OP
WINNER
Dororo
Kaen – Ziyoou-vachi
Kaen is the full package when it comes to anime OPs. The song has catchy vocals that are somehow both upbeat and chilling at the same time, which fit the tone of the show really well. The visuals are sharp and expressive, with the shot of Hyakkimaru fighting in the reflection of the blade being one of my favorites of the year. Oh, and there’s a great bass drop. As I just mentioned, when it comes to OPs, the song, visuals, and way they work together are all equally important, and Dororo checks all the boxes with ease
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Best OST (Soundtrack)
WINNER
Boogiepop and Others
Kensuke Ushio
I feel like this anime, and as a result its brilliant soundtrack, really flew under the radar this year, which is a huge bummer. The heavy usage of electronic components is expertly used to help emphasize the unsettling and mysterious tone the anime sets, and despite generally having a slower vibe to it, a few songs kick in fast and hard when needed for the big climaxes. It was my favorite part of the show and is absolutely worth a listen if you at all care about or enjoy music
Other nominees:
Best OST Track
WINNER
Granbelm
Wish of the Doll
Granbelm, like Boogiepop, is another anime with a criminally underrated soundtrack, and this song was one of the best off of it, being used during one of the most intense scenes in the show. Sitting at seven and a half minutes long, there’s a 5 minute build up from strings before a somber transition on the piano, climaxing with eerie vocals from a choir which sound full of sadness. This is a great piece of music on its own, but its usage in the show elevated both the song and scene to new heights, and that’s what makes it such a fantastic track
Other nominees (click the song names to listen to them!):
Editor’s Note: To Destroy the Evil isn’t available on YouTube
Best Insert Use
WINNER
Carole & Tuesday
This should come as no surprise to anyone who’s watched the show. Carole & Tuesday revolves around musicians and the music industry, and features one of the most varied, ambitious soundtracks in anime. And that soundtrack is highlighted by the dozens of insert songs. Ranging from pop to indie, from rap to EDM, Carole & Tuesday basically had it all, and so many of those songs were fantastic, both musically and in the way they were used in their scenes. Even now, 5 months after the show finished airing, I still often find myself going back to listen to the songs. Be it guerrilla street performances, a competition a la American Idol, recording albums, live shows, or a once in a lifetime event, the insert usage in Carole & Tuesday is as good as it gets
Other nominees:
Best Insert Song
WINNER
BanG Dream! S2
Returns
This was probably one of the hardest choices I made for any category in these awards, as I felt like all 6 of these songs, aside from being great songs in general, had a very powerful impact in their respective scenes. But in the end, it was Returns that I felt had the strongest impact. Written by one of the band members in Poppin’Party in the midst of what was building up to be the band breaking up, she pours her heart into the lyrics to express what the band means to her and how she doesn’t want them to split up. The scene it debuted in is heart wrenching and left a huge impression on me, instantly becoming one of my favorite Bang Dream songs. And then to put the cherry on top, after the band revises it together, they add a single line to the end of it – Thank you. A song that makes my heart tremble with joy, Returns. The line symbolizes what the song means to them, and every time I see it it chokes me up
Other nominees (click the song names to listen to them!):
Best ED
WINNER
Kakegurui xx (S2)
AlegriA – D-selections
The first season of Kakegurui has one of my all time favorite endings, so I had really high expectations for the second season’s and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. The song is an absolute banger, boasting a ridiculously catchy chorus and impressive vocals. The art features some of the things Kakegurui is well known for – the crazy eyes and erotic imagery. And then the chorus has a callback to the first season’s walk animation, featuring Yumeko walking confidently all while some crazy visuals with nice colors go on in the background. .…I swear it didn’t win just because of the tights, ok?
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Production Awards
Best Art
WINNER
Vinland Saga
If I had to sum up Vinland Saga’s art in one word, it would be “breathtaking.” From the roaring waves of the sea to the mountainous terrain of Wales, from snowcapped villages to usage of natural light, Studio Wit put their all into the art of Vinland Saga and it shows. The art did a fantastic job of really driving home the natural beauty of the land, and the gorgeous setting made this adventure one well worth embarking on
Other nominees:
Best Character Design
WINNER
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
It almost feels fitting that my winner for best cast would also win best character design, as one of the reasons I enjoyed the cast so much was because of their designs. Being a fantasy world, the amount of races represented is massive, and that’s reflected in the character designs themselves. They use bright, attractive colors that make each character pop, the eyes are nice, and I loved the clothing style. It’s everything I could have asked for from the characters in a fantasy anime
Other nominees:
Best Animation
WINNER
Mob Psycho 100 II
Bones absolutely flexed on all of us with the animation in Mob Psycho this year. The action scenes are some of the best of the year, with a constant sense of movement as characters, weapons, and debris alike fly throughout the scene. The use of colors is fantastic, the sense of scale is unparalleled, the style pops off the screen, and it all combines to make one of the most visually engaging TV anime I’ve seen in awhile
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Male)
WINNER
Makoto Furukawa
Miyuki Shirogane (Kaguya-sama: Love is War)
Furukawa had a tough role to fill, as Shirogane is one of the most popular characters in a rom-com out right now, but he did a fantastic job in this role. Regardless of what the scene called for, he delivered. Be it the loud and in your face comedy, the touching emotional moments, the tsundere reactions, or the devious schemes he plots, Furukawa nailed all of them
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Female)
WINNER
Satsuki Yukino
Magase Ai (Babylon)
Satsuki Yukino brings in the psychotic edge you’d expect from a character like Magase. Her voice acts as a double edged sword – at times sweet and seductive, encouraging strangers to do her bidding, and at other times passionate and unhinged, taunting the cast as she continues to stay one step ahead of them. Her voice practically drips malice as she torments our protagonist, and even just as a viewer, the emotion that Yukino managed to bring into Magase’s character makes me feel uneasy whenever she appears on screen. This is an absolutely phenomenal performance through and through
Other nominees:
Overall Awards
Best Story
WINNER
Attack on Titan S3 P2
Throughout its first season Attack on Titan crafted an action packed thriller. Taking place in a brutal world, it took no prisoners as it barreled ahead into season 2, which continued to ramp up the action but also added some mystery and plot twists to the mix. In the first half of season 3, it took a turn to more of a political drama, with a great antagonist and some questions about the world finally being addressed. But the second half of season 3 far surpassed any of those, blowing the door wide open by finally answering questions we’ve had since the series debuted in 2013. The revelations we got and direction the story took caught me completely off guard and resulted in some of the most intense, entertaining episodes of the year. There is no story that captivated, surprised, or satisfied me as much as Attack on Titan’s, and for that reason there’s no sequel I’m looking forward to more than this one
Other nominees:
Most Underrated/Underwatched
WINNER
Granbelm
I think a lot of people saw Granbelm and initially wrote it off as “just another dark magical girl anime,” but in reality it’s so much more than that. The story is intense and deals with some tough topics, all culminating in a genuinely emotional and impressive conclusion. The characters are varied, likable, and well written, with many being ones I found myself able to empathize with. The soundtrack is one of the best of the year, containing some heart pounding action themes and heart wrenching emotional tracks. The action features fully 2D animated mech fights so good that it only juuuust missed out on a nomination for best action. And the directing is on point, establishing an eerie, tense, and mysterious tone that never lets up. I really, really wish more people checked this out
Other nominees:
Best Movie
Editor’s Note: The Movie award was introduced in the 2021 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2019. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Promare
Editor’s Note: I didn’t originally consider movies for awards in the first couple years I did it, or else Promare would’ve been nominated for quite a few awards! I loved the art style, soundtrack and action, plus all the callbacks and references to other Trigger anime
Best Episode
WINNER
Attack on Titan S3 P2
Episode 5 (54) – Hero
Hero is everything that’s great about Attack on Titan wrapped up in a single 20 minute block. It touts one of the single best action scenes in all of Attack on Titan, has incredibly high stakes for every character, and left me unable to believe what I’d just seen when the end credits rolled. It was the perfect balance between being hype as hell and absolutely obliterating my heart, and I don’t think there was a single episode this year that could match the impact it had on me, especially as someone who’s been following the series for five years now
Other nominees:
Best Sequel/Spinoff
WINNER
Attack on Titan S3 P2
This probably comes as the least surprising pick of these awards considering how much I’ve been nominating it for, but this season of Attack on Titan was far and away it’s best season yet. The story is the most intense it’s ever been, with some huge payoffs and questions finally being answered, the action is still ridiculously high quality, and the incredible soundtrack from Hiroyuki Sawano elevates it as always. But it was the story that really set this season apart from the pack, with the voice actors, especially Yuki Kaji as Eren and Daisuke Ono as Erwin, bringing their all for every major scene. I feel genuinely lucky to have been able to watch these episodes live and take part in the hype
Other nominees:
Anime of the Year
WINNER
Vinland Saga
Where do I even begin? Vinland Saga is incredible. It’s a dark, mature story that I thoroughly loved every moment of, and one that takes full advantage of both the brutal action and political drama the time period has. The cast is well written, making me sympathize with characters from every faction, both good and evil. Supporting characters like Thors, Canute, Thorkell, and Bjorn kept me engaged, but it was thanks to one man that Vinland Saga truly stood head and shoulders above the rest. Askeladd. He is, without a doubt, my favorite antagonist in anime. Askeladd is complex, and despite the atrocities he commits throughout the show, I couldn’t help but empathize with him. He’s compelling, well written, and the driving force behind the story. His character development and impact on the rest of the cast is some of the best I’ve ever seen, and he immediately took a place in my favorite characters of all time. And that doesn’t even begin to touch on the beautiful art and animation from Studio Wit or phenomenal soundtrack from Yutaka Yamada. I feel lucky to have experienced this series
Other nominees:
Final Summary of Nominees
You can check out the full list of anime that were nominated for awards below in alphabetical order!
