2005 In Review

It's that time of year again! 2005 has been memorable in oh so many ways, but unfortunately the crap anime has out numbered the good once again! But do not fear, my list of top 5 (yes that's right top 5! Not top 10 because there wasn't any more good enough!) should put everyone back on the straight and narrow path - with lots of bends along the way!



Top 5 Anime of 2005:

5. Mai Otome
Relatively easily to make fun of and so far, nothing out of the ordinary story-wise. Take Mai-HiME, throw out any decent plot that it may have had and add in lots of shoujo-ai fanservice. Admittely it's fun to watch, if nothing else (Natsuki x Shizuru FTW). Due to this dry year of anime, Mai-Otome sneaks in at number 5 with more uber gay blue roses, swimsuit offings and lesbian CPR than one can shake a fist at!

4. Jigoku Shoujo
Certainly not the best anime I have ever seen, but I am prone to good bit of dark gothy horror. Mamiko Noto is made out of win - as she plays the oh so cool Enma Ai. Who can reisist the lure of the internet in times of depression? Remember boys and girls, revenge is a dish best served cold. ;)

3. The Snow Queen
It was a hard choice but I placed this superior anime in third place. Dezaki has made this charming fairy tale into a drama-fest that certainly deserves a place in everyone's top anime of this year! A likable cast and Gerda's struggle would melt even the snow queen's heart (if that's possible!) Looking forward to seeing more episodes in 2006!

2. Gokujou Seitokai
This wacky all-female school comedy gets a well earned place at number 2. A very fun cast with shoujo-ai hintings - they even put the word of 'Paya-Paya' into normal everyday language for us anime geeks! The humour comes thick and fast, it will make you laugh, it will make you sad but most of all: it has the supreme and elegant beauty that is Kuon! Surely enough for every anime fan to appreciate? :D

1. Glass Mask
Not a surprise here, Glass Mask is the hands down best anime of 2005. It picks up the previous anime and quite literally, 0wns them completely. The drama and OTT music is simply breathtaking in terms of plot and storyline. There are no gimmicks such as fanservice or boring characters that put you to sleep ala Honey & Clover. It's drama in it's finest form and is clearly underrated in the fansub community. So if your looking for something a bit different, a bit shoujo and overall extremely enjoyable - then look no further. The pinnacle of 2005 is Glass Mask.


Worst Anime of 2005:

5. Paradise Kiss
Overrated and the characters designs look like as if they have been hit with the ugly stick! (twice!) This so called drama and romance is about as entertaining as watching paint dry.

4. Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokoro-Chan
Tries to be as zany as Excel Saga and shocking as Puni Puni Poemy and fails both miserably. The characters were extremely irritating and the only thing it had going, was the amount of blood that poured out of everyone's bodies. The humour was crude and puerile but did not manage to crack even a smile out of me. Gokujou Seitokai for the win!

3. Kamichu!
Slice of life that was more of a disappointment than anything after hearing how great it was. Never has an anime been so boring - oh wait that's held for the number one spot ;) Perhaps it was due to the lack of action, lack of any likeable characters and of course, lack of anything interesting at all! Surely the borefest of 2005 - it's so much like Ghibli works that it should die a slow painful death.

2. Ichigo Mashimaro
Another slice of life anime (seeing a pattern anyone?) and people who justify watching this loli-infested trash say it's for the shoujo-ai! What? Even I condone under 10 year olds partaking in that kind of thing - but it doesn't matter - the characters made me want to throttle the anime itself. I was dumbfounded about the lack of anything they did. Some people might think this anime is cute. Correction - it is moe-loli pure and simple and is targeted towards the male otaku who scour around the boards of not4chan!

1. Honey & Clover
Ever had an anime that was so utterly boring, cliche and yet again BORING? I have to say that Honey & Clover made me want to switch it off half way through - but I managed to watch one whole episode of this drivel. It was most sleep inducing as I could feel my eyes rolling back, when the happy campers of the college go on and on about how life is made out of this and that. *gasp* A girl appears as if they never saw one before! Infact this loli looking girl was love at first sight and then out comes the most CHEESY line I have EVER heard in anime.
"So that's what falling in love looks like"
WTF?
Oh how utterly sad. Neon Genesis Evangelion might be my most hated anime but Honey & Clover comes so very close. An anime worthy of getting DAS BOOT!

Best 3 anime characters of 2005:

3. Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo)
Mamiko Noto FTW!

2. Maya (Glass Mask)
For triumphing over evil and getting one over her drama friends!

1. Kuon (Gokujou Seitokai)
A Michiru clone who is utterly cool and confident. :D

Worst 3 anime characters of 2005:

3. Anyone out of Paradise Kiss

2. Anyone out of Ichigo Mashimaro

1. Anyone out of Honey & Clover

Enough said! ;)

That's enough rambling from me this year, hopefully anime in 2006 will trumph 2005 as there wasn't alot to choose from!
To infinity and beyond 2006!