It’s the feeling of being included, of your own preferences being validated by others who share the same ideas and flavors that you choose. It’s why we seek the approval of others and sometimes it’s also why we reject others and their ideas. I think in our annual quest to hit F5 while waiting for that mysterious Momotato Daioh update which never seems to change from its heartwarming 2009-feel, it’s really the thing we’re looking for, that lost time when the our perceived world was just a tad smaller and a tad more homogeneous.
It is also why I keep watching that blasted 2ch saimoe nonsense. It’s also why I enjoy this video. I think we all can agree or disagree with 2ch’s selection to some degree, but if a top 10 (or 50) list can be a story of something, this is one uplifting story personally. It’s got even the signature 2ch “taste” to it–one that I do not personally share, but somehow I think it adds to the charm of the whole thing.
As a matter of personal compatibility, to no one’s surprise, I match pretty well with 2ch’s. The first match (Tsuritama) comes at #30, and all but 2 shows on my top 12 for 2012 are on it (as Fate/Zero and Chihayafuru are disqualified AFAIK because the poll didn’t count shows started in 2011). You can pick out trends–Horizon S2, for example, scored nowhere nearly as well as S1. And I picked that example not only because it is an easy one to spot, but it also reflects my own opinion. On the other hand, you can clearly see a bias for shows that are more recent, although that is no justification for Girls und Panzer. (Frankly, I’m not sure anything can, even if I can understand it well.)
To make it simple, here are the list ranked from bottom to top. Ones with * are in my picks for 2012.
50. Natsume Yuujincho
49. Ixion Saga
48. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia
47. Oniai
46. High School DxD
45. Black Rock Shooter TV
44. Ano Natsu de Matteru
43. BTOOOM!
42. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san!
41. Utakoi
40. Kokoro Connect
39. To-love-ru Darkness
38. Kuroko’s Basketball
37. Dog Days S2
36. Zetsuen no Tempest
35. Tonari no Kaibutsu
34. Busou Shinki
33. Ginga e Kickoff!!
32. Natsuiro Kiseki
31. Uchuu Kyoudai
30. Tsuritama*
29. Smile Precure!
28. Horizon S2
27. InuxKami SS
26. Shinsekai Yori
25. Danshikousei no Nichijou*
24. Sengoku Collection*
23. Senki Zesshou Symphogear
22. Hidamari Sketch S4
21. Accel World
20. Little Busters!
19. Jormungand
18. Oda Nobuna no Yabou
17. Yuru Yuri S2
16. Nisemonogatari*
15. Kill Me Baby
14. Another
13. Nazo no Kanojo X
12. Psycho-Pass
11. Mouretsu Pirates*
10. Sakamichi no Apollon
09. Sword Art Online
08. Joshiraku*
07. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
06. Saki Achiga-hen episode of side-A
05. Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita*
04. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
02. Tari Tari*
02. Hyouka*
01. Girls und Panzer*
Homework:
1. You know how people complain about how moe is ruining anime? Here is a pretty good test to see where you stand on that issue. Just how many of these anime are so-called “moe anime”? How do these internet arguments align with facts? How do you appraise the current situation? Why are some shows ranked the way they are?
1a. How many noitaminA shows are on the list? Is it dead yet? Is it drifting from its roots? Does this data support those claims? Are there any other claims one might want to make in regards to noitaminA? (How about: It’s just wasn’t very good in 2012?)
2. How do you align with 2ch’s tastes? Which blogger aligns with 2ch better than others? Does it even mean anything? How does 4chan rank to this?
3. How many of them sell well on home video? How do sales and popularity align? How does 2ch’s popularity rank and match with perceived popularity by other metrics (such as sales but also ratings, when available)?
4. JPMeyer’s theory on ethnic-specific affinity probably plays a role. It seems a straightforward case as applied to Tari Tari. But does this apply to Hyouka too? I think so.
Bonus: Clearly, Jinrui wa Suiitai Shimashita is the best comedy this year, by most metrics, not just this one. But what is the worst? This is a top 50 list so we don’t really know, but surely it cannot be Kill Me Baby?
January 4th, 2013 at 9:26 pm
I think it’s pretty obvious the worst anime from 2012 is Gokujo. Gokurakuin Joshikou Ryou Monogatari or as I call it, “Bitch Student Council”
Other contenders are: Papa no Iukoto o Kikinasai, Marimo no Hana, and Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan
Some disappointing shows that weren’t terrible, but not very good either: Ozuma, Shiba Inuko-san, and Arcana Famiglia
Is Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita really a comedy? I hadn’t realized.
January 4th, 2013 at 10:39 pm
I think Jintai is comedy in a classic sense (ie,. it’s not a tragedy).
As for “worst anime” you have some good picks. It’s not quite what I was asking for though. As bad as the Shining Hearts anime was, I didn’t think it was super terrible.
January 5th, 2013 at 1:21 am
The game was better, if only because the badness of bad game stories is usually ameliorated by the game parts.
January 5th, 2013 at 10:35 am
Well, I don’t think you can infer an anime is a comedy ‘in a classic sense because it is not a tragedy’. Just what anime IS a ‘classic’ tragedy in your view? Tricky question, as you need to use a non-classic definition to answer; and then you no longer can apply your ‘classic’ definition for a comedy either. The dichotomy doesn’t look functional to me. My take: Jinrui is a comedy because it has jokes and satirical elements. One could even argue it has identifiable skits. Simpler, isn’t it?
You give lovely homework. I addressed the noitaminA matter on my blog and I happened to be researching moe in prepararation for a violent article about moe and against the support it receives. It is going to be delicate to write comprehensively and I still have some academic papers to review on the subject, but please look forward to it.
January 5th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Well, Jintai is clearly a comedy in a non classic sense.
The dichotomy I’m inferring is this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_ancient_Greece
January 5th, 2013 at 10:26 am
[…] article is my answer to a question asked by omo to his readers, which I found interesting. “How many noitaminA shows are on the [2ch top 50]? Is […]
January 7th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Well, 4 out of 7 for noitamina (not counting Thermae Romae since it was just a few minisodes) with 10th and 12th isn’t too bad. I’m honestly much more surprised though that Kids on the Slope was their highest ranked show this yeah.
Although it is a drop over last year which had Bunny Drop at #5 and AnalHana at #7.
January 7th, 2013 at 9:31 pm
Basically what I was getting at.