The 2021 Leo Lovelace Anime Awards
Check out the summary of the 2021 show down below!
The 2021 anime awards featured 41 unique nominees and 14 different winners across its 30 categories – the full list of nominees and winners is broken down by section and category below! This was also the year I first introduced the Best Supporting Character and Best Movie awards (older years have had awards retroactively given to them!)
Genre Awards
Best Action
WINNER
Jujutsu Kaisen
Oftentimes in action series, I feel as though there tends to be more emphasis in one on one fights. And while there’s nothing wrong with that and those duels that occur after some notable build up can hit the right emotional notes, Jujutsu slightly deviates from that by featuring numerous memorable group fights – 2 on 1, 2 on 2, etcetera. And it’s those fights with the added dynamic that I felt made Jujutsu stand out this year. It still has the high stakes, the intensity, and the expressive animation with characters jumping all over the screen and firing off a flurry of powerful techniques. But it also has that cool group dynamic to mix things up and allow the animators to play with a wider variety of set pieces that just blows the field wide open, with the best example being the Boogie Woogie fight in the second cour. These unique fights paired with MAPPA’s fluid animation and the intensity the story brings to those fights made Jujutsu the clear winner to me
Other nominees:
Best Adventure/Fantasy
WINNER
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S2
Slime was one of my favorite shows back when it debuted in 2018, and it continued to deliver with its second season, taking on a darker tone and more consistent antagonistic presence to drive the story forward. In doing so, it introduced many new characters and factions that further developed an already intriguing world. After a relatively lighthearted first season, I was caught off guard between this season’s betrayals, notable character deaths, and a full out war fought between Rimuru and a demon lord. But those events and what they did for the story and world building kept me coming back for more, and I’ll keep on doing that as long as they keep the series going
Other nominees:
Best Comedy/Slice of Life
WINNER
My Senpai is Annoying
As someone who’s been reading the manga for this for over two years now and considers it one of my favorites, to say I was excited for this series would be an understatement, and it more than delivered on my expectations. Doga Kobo, who also did Gabriel Dropout, another of my favorite comedy anime, knocked it out of the park with this adaptation. The animation did a great job of depicting the expressiveness of each character, the voice actors all perfectly captured their characters’ personalities, and combining the two of those with the incredibly likable cast and their in and out of office hijinks had me genuinely laughing out loud in every episode. My Senpai is Annoying is one of my favorite comedies in recent memory
Other nominees:
Best Drama
WINNER
Fruits Basket: The Final Season
At its core, Fruits Basket is a character drama. The first two seasons gave us the opportunity to get to know its large and extremely varied cast, and this final season allowed us to see their stories to the end and say goodbye. I found myself very impressed with the way the final season was able to not just take the interconnecting threads of all these unique characters and somehow effortlessly weave them all together in a way that allowed everyone to have a definitive end to their arc, but also cap off the overall story of the curse affecting the main characters. We also had numerous romance subplots come to fruition and an incredibly worthwhile, emotional payoff to the overall 60 plus episode journey. And after the credits of the final episode rolled, I was convinced. Fruits Basket is one of the best dramas I’ve ever watched
Other nominees:
Best Romance
WINNER
Fruits Basket: The Final Season
I briefly alluded to it when I was talking about it for it’s win of best drama, but Fruits Basket has a heavy romance aspect to it’s story as well, and it was seamlessly woven into the overarching story. I can think of nearly 10 unique pairings in the show that each get their own development. Each of these pairings have their own dynamics and are made up of different types of characters, and that makes each one feel fresh and interesting despite the sheer quantity of pairs that receive attention. No matter what type of character or dynamic you like, there’s probably a ship here for you. And because of how well written the characters and story both are, it felt immensely rewarding to see some of these ships finally set sail after all of the build up to their true feelings being revealed. Fruits Basket’s final season packs in a ton of romantic progression, emotionally charged scenes, and satisfying payoffs across both the main and side couples, and it’s a series that I’d confidently say any fan of romance anime should definitely watch
Other nominees:
Best Suspense
WINNER
Link Click
I was hooked on this series before even finishing the first episode, but the twist at the end totally locked me in. Link Click is an original series about two guys who can use photographs to temporarily enter the past and use that ability to solve mysteries while they’re there. Like other time travel anime such as Steins;Gate tell us, the past is better off not being changed, but as our main characters continue to investigate kidnappings and other requests, they find themselves embroiled in a bigger conspiracy than they ever could have imagined. The story and overall concept are further elevated by a tense soundtrack, multiple well used insert songs, and brutal cliffhangers that pull you further and further in. Link Click is full of mystery and intrigue, and I can’t wait for the second season after the jaw dropping moment that the first one ended on
Other nominees:
Character Awards
Best Protagonist
WINNER
Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan: Final Season)
If I’m being honest, up until this most recent season, I was never big on Eren as a protagonist. Sure, I enjoyed seeing him gradually change as his worldview grew, but I generally found my interest lying more so with the supporting characters. Well, no longer – Eren is an entirely different beast in the final season. Now that Eren has been exposed to the true nature of the world, he shifts into extremely morally gray territory, and I often felt like I didn’t know what Eren was truly thinking or what his ultimate objectives were – and I mean that in the best way. Eren has developed into a very interesting character, and I can’t help but eagerly await the next time he appears on screen to find out what he’s gonna to do next
Other nominees:
Best Antagonist
WINNER
Sakura Matou (Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel III. spring song)
Sakura is a prime example of the type of antagonist I enjoy most – one who I can easily empathize with. Sakura is an antagonist who didn’t even start off in that role, but in the first two movies we can see her gradual descent as she’s pushed more than before. Heaven’s Feel III finally unleashes a broken Sakura teetering on the brink of being unable to return to her past self. The film puts Sakura in a position to push Shirou and Rin to their limits, but does a great job of framing her inner conflict with the role she’s been both forced and manipulated into playing. Despite her opposing Shirou, you can’t help but want her to be saved and find happiness. Heaven’s Feel III delicately walks that balance between depicting both the light and dark sides of Sakura, making you feel for her even when she’s the enemy, and that makes her my favorite antagonist of the year
Other nominees:
Best Supporting Character
WINNER
Shigure Soma (Fruits Basket: The Final Season)
Shigure became my favorite character from Fruits Basket within a couple episodes of the first season, and the final season rewarded my early interest in him with some great scenes. Early on, Shigure comes off as a comic relief character with occasional moments of wisdom, but over time we get teased with a darker, more toxic side to that cheery exterior, which is shown in his wildly different dynamics depending on what character he’s interacting with. The final season reveals Shigure’s ultimate agenda and his true nature, and after the drip feed of hints leading up to it, it reaffirmed why I found him to be such an engaging character from the start. This is further emphasized with Yuuichi Nakamura’s ability to seamlessly switch between Shigure’s light-hearted voice he uses as a front, and the deeper, more malice and anger laced voice when he starts to speak his mind. Shigure is a character I found incredibly interesting, unpredictable, and ultimately entertaining, and one who I was always excited to see make appearances on screen
Other nominees:
Best Cast
WINNER
Fruits Basket: The Final Season
Of all the varied casts this year, I would say Fruits Baskets was the most so. Full of interesting characters who don’t succumb to traditional archetypal roles, the final season wraps up every character’s individual and intertwining arcs in a satisfying fashion that made me truly appreciate their roles in the overall story. With such a huge cast (I’d say there’s roughly 20 notable characters), juggling all of them and their stories is no easy task, but Fruits Basket made it feel natural. I felt that just about every character in the series ultimately had their stories resolved in a way that gives each one the proper attention and respect, which really impressed me. Even the couple characters I initially hated at their first appearance had enough development and opportunity given to them to make an impact in the story that I often found myself sympathizing with them by the end. It’s a cast full of people who support and care for one another, and one where I wanted everyone to find the happiness they searched for. Fruits Basket is full of loveable characters who feel believable, and saying goodbye to them at the end of the series wasn’t easy, but they’re a group more than worth getting to know
Other nominees:
Best Girl
WINNER
Nino Nakano (The Quintessential Quintuplets S2)
When I watched the first season back in 2019, Nino was actually my least favorite of the quintuplets because of her standoffish attitude essentially pushing her into an antagonist role. But season 2 is practically the polar opposite of that, and adapts the arc of the manga that moved Nino to the top of my list – it’s a very Nino focused season and gave her the development she needed to come into her own and really shine. While the other quints either haven’t realized their feelings or haven’t acted on them, Nino instead decides to take an offensive approach that totally shakes up the show. As Nino realizes the depth of the bond she and her sisters share and also comes to terms with her own feelings, she becomes the driving force of the plot that spurs some of the other girls into motion. Her great development from an antagonistic annoyance to an endearing tsundere was a lot of fun to watch, and easily solidified her place in my favorites list
Other nominees:
Best Guy
WINNER
Satoru Gojou (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Picking Gojou was a no brainer for me – from the first scene he’s introduced, he exudes this captivating presence that just makes you want to see more and more of him. Aside from his top tier design, he’s an incredibly powerful sorcerer whose fights are a feast for the eyes, and that contrast with his more upbeat and funny personality makes him a ton of fun to watch in general. The brief scene of him calling Yuuji and Nobara homewreckers and then taunting Fushiguro is one of my favorites of the year, and Yuuichi Nakamura perfectly brought both Gojou’s power and antics to life. Gojou was one of my favorite characters of the year, and I can’t wait to see more of him in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 when it comes out this year
Other nominees:
Best Couple/Ship
WINNER
Machi & Yuki (Fruits Basket: The Final Season)
I’m not sure if it’s a controversial opinion to pick Yuki and Machi over Tohru and Kyo for favorite ship in Fruits Basket, but they were the pair that I found myself gravitating towards – especially considering Yuki is my favorite Fruits Basket character behind only Shigure, and Machi is my best girl from the series. Both Yuki and Machi experienced difficult childhoods and aren’t treated the way they truly want to be by their peers, yet they can both see each other for who they truly are. Yuki understands that Machi isn’t some freak who flies into a destructive rage unprovoked, and Machi knows Yuki isn’t nearly as prince-like as everyone else seems to treat him as. It’s the little moments between them that really sealed it for me. Yuki promising to make footprints in the snow with Machi, Machi making a bookmark out of the leaf Yuki gave her, and of course, Yuki breaking the chalk, which was my favorite low-key romantic moment of the year and is the epitome of the deep understanding the two have for one another. Their dynamic works well, their relationship developed in a way that felt completely natural, and I was incredibly happy to see it come to fruition
Other nominees:
Music Awards
Best OP
WINNER
Link Click
Dive Back In Time – Bai Sha JAWS
I fell in love with this opening right away thanks to the fluid character dances and flashy neon visuals in the chorus, and upon further watches and listens found more and more about it to appreciate. The song, of course, is catchy on its own – and it being sung entirely in English made it even easier to get stuck in my head. But aside from the great character animation and colorful visuals, there were also a few cool shots depicting the relationship between Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang that I found interesting and to work well in the opening. The first was the shot of Cheng’s blurry reflection in a small piece of the city immediately followed up by a clear shot of Lu Guang looking over a wider view. The second was the one of Cheng’s eyes covered by a film reel, while Lu Guang is unimpeded. I thought these were creative ways to showcase how Lu Guang is the “eyes” of the operation, being the one who can see the bigger picture of the fragments of the past they enter, while Cheng Xiaoshi is restricted to his own personal field of view and generally relies on Lu Guang’s guidance. That being said, Lu Guang can’t do it on his own, as Cheng Xiaoshi personally experiencing the past is a vital component to them being able to solve the puzzles they encounter, and that’s where the final shot of the OP comes in. The screen is split down the middle with Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi occupying either side of it, and it shows how they’re two halves to a whole – the operation to infiltrate and understand the past requires their partnership. Overall, the catchy chorus with the cool hand dancing animations and neon visuals are what really drew me in, but the added symbolism made me appreciate this opening more and solidified it as my favorite of the year
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Best OST (Soundtrack)
WINNER
The Aquatope on White Sand
Yoshiaki Dewa
Yoshiaki Dewa, the composer of Aquatope’s soundtrack, has previously worked with studio P.A. Works on some of their previous original anime like Iroduku and A Lull in the Sea, and this familiarity shows. P.A. Works originals tend to be emotional character dramas, and Dewa is able to use his prior experience working on similar shows with the same studio to craft an absolutely beautiful soundtrack that enhances Aquatope in every way. It takes a great tropical sound befitting of the setting and incorporates some mystical and emotional elements into that baseline to create an overall soundtrack that stays true to Dewa’s sound while also preparing a track for any possible situation. As main characters Kukuru and Fuuka struggle, overcome, and develop throughout Aquatope’s 24 episode runtime, the soundtrack accompanies them every step of the way, letting us as viewers better understand their headspace in any given scene. The happiness as they spend time together, the pain as pent up emotions spill out, and the sense of wonder as they experience mystical visions and delve into their passions in a journey of self discovery and growth are all perfectly represented by the more than 60 tracks in this score. I imported the soundtrack from Japan and translated the titles using DeepL, so I’m not sure how accurate the titles are or when the soundtrack itself will be available online, but when it is, I’d definitely recommend checking out the tracks listed on screen, though really the whole soundtrack is worth a listen
Other nominees:
Best OST Track
WINNER
86 EIGHTY-SIX
Hear My Voice
I honestly couldn’t even tell you the number of times I rewatched the scene that Hear My Voice appears in – I was obsessed with the song and its usage, and I bought the soundtrack as soon as it came out so that I could have a copy of it for myself. The track begins quietly, with some soft, slow piano, but then begins to pick up in intensity and speed as Lena desperately tries to contain her emotions. This continues until Lena reaches her breaking point, where there’s a brief moment of silence from both her and the song before they both erupt, the song swelling at the same time that Lena lets out a scream with the song eventually drowning out her cries as the screen is filled with red spider lilies, infamous for symbolizing goodbyes. That synchronization of the music with Lena breaking down elevated a great scene to the next level, and its impact on the scene combined with the music itself being fantastic is what locked it in as my winner for best OST track
Editor’s Note: The bit at 1:52 when it swells up and crescendos is just perfect
Other nominees (click the song names to listen to them!):
Best Insert Use
WINNER
Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-
Across Vivy’s 100 year journey to try and prevent a war breaking out between humans and AI, we’re treated to a great mix of insert songs performed by Vivy and side characters alike. Whether it was a straight up performance scene, a lullaby to help people calm down during a disaster, or a re-imagining of a previous track during a tense fight, Vivy had both the highest number of inserts as well as the most variety in the types of songs. And while the other nominees certainly had either enjoyable songs or impactful usage, I felt as though Vivy had the best combination of the two factors, and that’s what ultimately made it the winner in my book
Other nominees:
Best Insert Song
WINNER
Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-
Fluorite Eye’s Song
Surprisingly, this is my first year of awards where the same show has won both best use of inserts and best insert song. From the start of the series, Vivy is given one order – to make people happy with her singing. Over time, she starts to wonder how she can do that, and comes to the conclusion that putting her heart into singing will accomplish that. But then, what does that mean? What is the heart? That’s the main question that Vivy wrestles with as an AI, and it’s the question she finally finds the answer to when she performs this song. Fluorite Eye’s Song is the culmination of Vivy’s 100 year journey – the experiences she had, the people she met, and the memories she made. It’s a song that she herself writes to put those feelings into words, and one that she fittingly returns to where it all began to perform. The combination of the harmonies in Fluorite Eye’s Song with the lyrics and the context the song has in the story creates an emotional set piece that serves as a fitting end to Vivy’s long journey. Considering her goal was to make people happy with her singing, I’d say she more than achieved that given how much I loved the song and what it meant to her and the story
Editor’s Note: I can’t get enough of 4:17 and on
Other nominees (click the song names to listen to them!):
Best ED
WINNER
86 EIGHTY-SIX
Avid – Hiroyuki Sawano ft. mizuki
To be frank, the visuals for Avid are pretty bland compared to any of the other nominees. But the reason I ended up picking it for best ED, aside from liking the song itself quite a bit, is because of how the song is used in the show. It splits appearances with 86’s other ED, Hands Up to the Sky, so Avid only appears in roughly half of the episodes of the first season, but it makes those appearances count. Something I often personally enjoy about endings is when the song starts playing before the episode actually ends, both to indicate that something big may be about to happen and to ease you into the actual ED sequence. Avid does that multiple times, with my particular favorite instances being at the end of episodes 3 and 11 for the “I don’t want to die” and “I can keep walking” scenes respectively. The slow pace and somber tone of the song fit the show to a T, and the way it’s actually used in the episodes thanks to its ability to elevate those scenes, as opposed to being a song that simply plays at the end of the episode, is what made it my favorite of the year
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Production Awards
Best Art
WINNER
The Aquatope on White Sand
I’ve always been impressed with the art in P.A. Works’ original shows, and Aquatope was easily their best showing yet. Taking place at an aquarium in Okinawa, Aquatope’s art is full of beautiful shots of the everyday scenery the cast lives in, the ocean, and the sea life they spend so much time interacting with and caring about. It’s one of those series where I’d actually find myself pausing or rewinding at times so I could take screenshots or simply admire the artwork and all the effort that went into creating so many breathtaking shots
Other nominees:
Best Character Design
WINNER
Odd Taxi
What immediately struck me about Odd Taxi and its unique world full of animals of different species all living together was how incredibly diverse the designs were. And as I got to know the characters throughout the story, I felt like even though they were animals, their personalities and designs were so well realized that I could even clearly picture what they’d look like if they were human. And really, how many other anime can you say you’ve watched where the main character is a walrus, his love interest is an alpaca, his best friends are a gorilla and gibbon, and who gets entangled in a yakuza power struggle involving a baboon and porcupine? Odd Taxi is already a unique show as is, but the expressive, memorable, and outright fun character designs made the show more enjoyable and the characters stick around in my head for a while
Other nominees:
Best Animation
WINNER
Jujutsu Kaisen
I briefly touched on what made the animation in Jujutsu Kaisen stand out to me back when I explained its win for best action, but the fluid fights operating on a huge sense of scale with lots of unique abilities and effects was truly just a sight to behold. Of course, that’s not to say the fights were the only notable aspect of the animation – the domain expansion scenes where characters unleashed their ultimate techniques all had a ton of flair to them that helped showcase each character’s individual strengths and personality. And there were plenty of nice shots and examples of character animation. But the action is what really stood out as extremely memorable thanks to the well choreographed fights and MAPPA’s extremely fluid animation that just begs to be rewatched and appreciated for all of the detail and sakuga packed into each one
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Male)
WINNER
Yuuichi Nakamura
Shigure Soma (Fruits Basket: The Final Season)
I briefly touched on Nakamura’s performance as Shigure during my explanation of Shigure’s win for best supporting character. The reason that I enjoyed his performance as Shigure so much is because of his ability to seamlessly switch and fully embody both the cheery, lighthearted side of Shigure and the darker, toxic side of him. Because he usually comes off as easygoing, those moments when that darkness comes out and his voice is tinged with that malicious edge hit just right, and it was always satisfying seeing characters react to that side of him. Nakamura’s performance as Shigure is a massive part as to why I enjoyed him so much as a character, as he represented Shigure’s duality with ease
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Female)
WINNER
Ai Kakuma
Eris Boreas Greyrat (Mushoku Tensei)
Like with Nakamura as Shigure, I felt as though Kakuma did an excellent job making you believe Eris was a real character. Eris more so than any other character in Mushoku Tensei experiences a ton of character development, going from being a spoiled annoying brat coddled by her parents to a powerful warrior recognized for her strength and setting off on grand adventures. And Kakuma nails both of those sides of Eris – whether she’s loud and belligerent, quiet and reflective, overwhelmed with joy, or scared to death, it really feels like we’re hearing someone experiencing those situations and the emotions that accompany them. And after seeing Eris and the journey she went on, I can’t imagine anyone else breathing life into her character the way that Ai Kakuma did
Other nominees:
Overall Awards
Best Story
WINNER
Odd Taxi
Odd Taxi was a bit of a phenomenon when it first aired – an original series that went under the radar and then blew up seemingly overnight. And after checking it out for myself, I can completely understand why. Odd Taxi takes place in a world inhabited solely by animals, and follows our protagonist Odokawa, a walrus who works as a taxi driver. As Odokawa gives other characters rides in his taxi, he meets and talks to people from all walks of life and ends up getting involved in a missing person’s case and a Yakuza power struggle. Odd Taxi is a fantastic mystery – it constantly drip feeds more information about the overall plot and we gradually learn how all of these seemingly different characters are actually connected to each other as the situation gets more dire for everyone involved. Thanks to the gradual but consistent revelations we get as well as some brutal cliffhangers, I found the series impossible to step away from. So much so, in fact, that Odd Taxi managed to make me do what very few series have ever done before – binge the entire series in one sitting, because I just had to see what happened next. And it was well worth that binge, because it kept me guessing and continued to surprise me even up through the very last scene of the series. This is exactly the kind of engaging experience I look for in a story, and I would highly, highly recommend that you check it out if you’re even remotely interested in a great mystery and character drama
Other nominees:
Most Underrated/Underwatched
WINNER
The Aquatope on White Sand
Aquatope, in my opinion, is the one show from this list that was both underrated AND underwatched, not even ranking in the top 15 most watched for the season it came out in. And that’s a shame. It boasts stunning visuals from studio P.A. Works, a beautiful soundtrack from Yoshiaki Dewa, and an enjoyable story of two girls going on a journey of self discovery and growth as they search for ways to make their dreams come true. They’re supported by a large cast of fun and likable characters, and when the story came to its end, I found myself smiling and happy with the strong characters they’d all grown into, particularly the two leads, Fuuka and Kukuru. From an engaging story to a fun cast to excellent production values, The Aquatope on White Sand absolutely deserved to get more attention than it did, and if you at all like character dramas, then I’d definitely recommend checking it out
Other nominees:
Best Movie
WINNER
Josee, The Tiger and the Fish
Surprising even myself, it was Josee rather than one of the numerous sequels to series I enjoy that ended up being my favorite movie of the year. It’s a drama romance and tells the story of Josee, a physically disabled young woman who wants to experience the world but whose family is reluctant to let her do so, and Tsuneo, a college student dreaming of studying abroad. Their chance meeting sets off a chain of events that melts the ice around Josee and changes both of their lives. I really enjoyed watching their budding romance and seeing how the two leaned on and supported each other as they each faced their own struggles. On top of these two likable leads, the artwork is also gorgeous, depicting some beautiful scenery, and the soundtrack by Evan Call, who also composed the soundtrack for Violet Evergarden, heightens all of the major scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed Josee, The Tiger and the Fish and would recommend it to anyone who likes romance
Other nominees:
Best Episode
WINNER
86 EIGHTY-SIX
Episode 9 – Goodbye
Goodbye is the episode of 86 that features the scene that includes my winner for best OST track, Hear My Voice, and it was my favorite scene of the year, which played a big role in making Goodbye the best episode of the year for me. But that wasn’t the only reason – from the very start of the episode, we’re dropped into a life or death fight that’s been being built up to for a while, we’re treated to a classic Hiroyuki Sawano insert song, we get a much needed confrontation, and of course, we witness some emotional goodbyes. This episode also had some stellar sound design, with the usage of silence at points amplifying the tension as well as letting the intensity of the vocal performances shine through. On top of that, there are numerous scenes with striking imagery and symbolism, which added another layer to the episode to appreciate. Goodbye was a tense, emotional episode that embodies everything great about 86, and it’s the episode that solidified the show as one of my favorites of the year
Other nominees:
Best Sequel/Spinoff
WINNER
Attack on Titan: The Final Season
This win makes Attack on Titan three for three in winning this award when it has a new season, and to those who watched the final season, you can probably see why. The final season takes an already fantastic story and blows the field wide open, introducing a ton of new characters and partially taking place in an entirely new location. The series has shifted from a primarily action show to a tense drama over the years, and this season shows that it’s all the better for it. The twists and cliffhangers had me on the edge of my seat for the whole season, and the voice actors, especially Yuki Kaji as Eren and Sakura Ayane as Gabi, all crushed it. Throw in a killer soundtrack from Kohta Yamamoto and Hiroyuki Sawano, and you’re just about guaranteed to have a good time. Attack on Titan has been one of my favorite anime ever since it actually got me into anime as a medium back in 2014, and this first part of the final season reaffirmed my feelings towards it
Other nominees:
Anime of the Year
WINNER
Fruits Basket: The Final Season
I’ve already talked about Fruits Basket quite a bit across it’s six previous wins in these awards, but it looks like I still need to talk about it one more time. The greatest strength of Fruits Basket’s final season, of which there were many, was its extremely likable and well written cast. They all have their own unique stories, yet these stories and arcs constantly intertwine, impacting one another to create something greater – one of the best character dramas and romances I’ve ever watched. The final season takes the stories and relationships that had been building up over the previous 50 episodes and somehow manages to cap off each one in a satisfying way that respects each character and the development they went through. Even side characters who would normally be no more than a second thought in other series get their own meaningful moments, and I think that showcases the level of care the original author, Natsuki Takaya, had for her work. But this anime adaptation took everything to the next level. Fantastic performances from all of the voice actors, a beautiful soundtrack from Masaru Yokoyama, a script full of dialogue that felt natural and in character, and great directorial choices all elevated the source material, and that’s the best you can hope for from an adaptation. I could go on and on about Fruits Basket’s final season. How much I enjoyed the overall story and the note it ended on, how I’ll be adding many of the characters to my favorites list the next time I update it, how I loved the romantic plotlines and the way they were all showcased in the end, how many screenshots I took, and how many times I got choked up as I watched these 13 episodes. But no matter what I say, I feel like I won’t be able to do Fruits Basket justice. So I’ll leave it with this: Out of everything I watched this year, there was no other series I got as emotionally attached to as Fruits Basket, and it’s ability to get me so invested in the characters and their stories is what ultimately made me choose it for anime of the year. When the credits rolled for the final time and I got choked up realizing I wouldn’t be able to watch the characters I’d grown to love so much anymore, I couldn’t help but think of the admittedly overused but still very applicable quote from Winnie the Pooh – “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Other nominees:
Final Summary of Nominees
You can check out the full list of anime that were nominated for awards below in alphabetical order!
