Otaku's Verdict 2011 Picks

http://otakusverdict.zenhonbuph.net/ov2011/nominees/

Although the voting period is done, I kinda voted on the poll but I didn't understand all the choices except for the easy choices. So here we go. No results yet released.

Event/Convention of the Year: Major Category

• Ozine Fest 2011
• 10th Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention (Toycon 2011)
• HERO Face Off 2
• Best of Anime 2011
• Cosplay Mania 11
• AME Monogatari
• TOEInty Five! – Toei Animation Philippines 25th Anniversary Celebration 

Ozine Fest is the easiest choice. It's the biggest event of the year and it happens in April. It's a summer so a lot of folks go to this event. Cosplay Mania and Best of Anime seem to be big events but Ozine Fest is everything, not only catered for the cosplayers, but for the casual anime fans as well. There are gaming tournaments and a lot of games and bands performing.

Event/Convention of the Year: Minor Category

• 4th Philippine Cosplay Convention
• Tamashii Con
• Metro Comic Con
• 5th TAGCOM Toys & Hobbies Collection
• Otaku Expo 2011
• Cosplay Got Talent – Season 2

I picked Otaku Expo. PCC looks big so they can be put into the semi-major category. Everything else is minor. Otaku Expo is the smaller version of Ozine Fest but a few people go at this time. It happens in January.

Event/Convention of the Year: Online Gaming Events

• Pinoy Gaming Festival
• Level Up LIVE!
• E-Games Domination

I picked Level Up Live! Since the merge with E-Games, I think Level Up is so much better now.

Male Anime Character of the Year

• Endou Mamoru of Inazuma Eleven
• Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail
• Takumi Usui of Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
• Joey of Heroman
• Saito Hiraga of Zero no Tsukaima
• Souta Takanashi of Working!!
• Shin Kanzato of Persona: Trinity Soul
• Rygart Arrow of Broken Blade
• Rikuo Nura of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
• Lag Seeing of Letter Bee
• Akihisa Yoshii of Baka and Test: Summon the Beast
• Tatsumi Oga of Beelzebub
• Joon Sang Kang of Winter Sonata
• Takashi Komuro of Highschool of the Dead

I picked Nura because he has the patience and the strength when fighting. Others are driven by emotion/emotional or that they are clumsy, has the White Knight trait in them. Oga fights delinquents so he is a little annoying. Lag feels stupid sometimes. Takashi shows his emotional side a lot. Souta likes small girls. Kanzato is not as appealing. Usui is more of the face. Natsu seems to be aggressive. I don't find Mamoru, Joey, Joon Sang Kang and Arrow interesting. Saito is still loyal to the bitch even if he goes with other girls. Akihisa is a baka.

Female Anime Character of the Year

• Lucy Heartfillia of Fairy Tail
• Misaki Ayuzawa of Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
• Lina of Heroman
• Louise de La Vallière of Zero no Tsukaima
• Poplar Taneshima of Working!!
• Sigyn Erster of Broken Blade
• Mizuki Sakaki of Lovely Idol
• Tsurara Oikawa of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
• Niche of Letter Bee
• Mizuki Himeji of Baka and Test: Summon the Beast
• Hilda of Beelzebub
• Yoo Jin of Winter Sonata
• Rei Miyamoto of Highschool of the Dead

Misaki is my pick because she seems to be a popular choice. Tsurara is another but I find Kana and Yura more interesting. Saeko and Saya instead of Rei, Aoi instead of Hilda, Yamada instead of Poplar, Henrietta instead of Louise and Erza instead of Lucy. Shouko is more interesting and maybe Minami over Himeji.

Anime Theme Song of the Year

• “Kanpeki gu~no ne” by Watarirouka Hashiri Tai – Fairy Tail ED1
• “Dadada” by Group Tamashii – Beelzebub OP1
• “missing” by Kylee – Heroman OP2
• “SOMEONE ELSE” by Kana Asumi, Saki Fujita and Eri Kitamura – Working!! OP1
• “Magia” by Kalafina – Puella Magi Madoka Magica ED1
• “Destin Histoire” by yoshiki*lisa – GOSICK OP1
• “Asu e” by Galileo Galilei – Mobile Suit Gundam AGE OP1
• “My Dearest” by supercell – Guilty Crown OP1

Since all of the songs are awesome in their own way. Let's pick. missing's tune is kinda catchy. SOMEONE ELSE is good but there's something better than that. Kanpeki is not interesting for an ED. Be as one is a better ED from Fairy Tail as well. The 3rd OP of Beelzebub is good and is much better than Dadada. Asu e seems gloomy. Destin Histoire has power but could not beat Magia. Magia from Kalafina is one of their best singles but even if they are good, the experience of supercell wins here. My Dearest gets my vote. Kalafina is still young. The girls started their career at 22/23 years old, they blend their voices together but the experience is still lacking. In a few years, they will only get better. If they can match the popularity of Kuribayashi Minami and Mizuki Nana (even if they are pop stars and not singing in a group), maybe they will be very successful.

Of course I would have put other songs in there given the chance. Light My Fire by KOTOKO should be in nomination, Love Song by LM.C, In My World by Rookiez is Punk'd are just some of the songs that should have been up there.

Japan’s Newest Title

• Puella Magi Madoka Magica
• GOSICK
• Tiger & Bunny
• Steins;Gate
• Ano Hana
• Denpa Onna
• Blood-C
• Mayo Chiki!
• Gundam AGE
• Persona 4
• Fate/Zero
• Guilty Crown
• Kimi ni Todoke 2
• The World God Only Knows 2
• Shakugan no Shana III – Final

Steins;Gate is my pick. Madoka and Ano Hana don't come as close as this. Fate/Zero is divided into 2 seasons and Shana doesn't reach the level of Ano Hana. Tiger and Bunny is good but it seems to be overlooked. GOSICK is not as good as the ones above but decent story. Kimi ni Todoke 2, Kaminomi 2 and Mayo Chiki! are not even half of the success of Steins;Gate. Guilty Crown had a lot of negative criticism even if the ending was decent. Blood-C is at the bottom of the list but the saving grace was Mizuki Nana-sama and Junketsu Paradox. I find it weird that Mawaru Penguindrum is not on the list. It's severely underrated but could be on the top 5 anime of 2011.