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4:04 am
January 17, 2012
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I can't decide on whether I should pick a series I've always been a fanboy or give a new series a shout out.
2011 did have at least 3 series that ended which I followed.
Kekkaishi ended with 35 volumes, the last chapter should have been the 2nd to last because the main characters barely appeared. The battle at the end was strange story telling as always and left me anti climatic at times. Defiantly a mixed happy / sad ending.
Mirai Nikki ended with 12 volumes and 2 extra side stories. Everyone knew how it was going to end since it was a constant theme relayed by the diary. The action packed story was enough to make it a solid series.
Defense Devil ended with 10 volumes. Great artist, he went back to work on March Story while the author is a japanese version of M. Night Shamalalala. He really took it to the extreme at the end of the series. Changing plots and characters identity is not a problem for him. I had fun with the series but it could have been longer with slower and efficient story telling.
I'm not going to pick any of the series, instead I'm going to pick Toriko because they finally introduced Zebra and all the waiting was worth it. Back to the basics with classic hunting for a food item and doing it all over again with some important plot points at the end of an arc. The point system with calories was the only thing that put me off in a bad way. Seems like a strategic writing scheme so playing cards and video games can have a system. Whatever he is trying to do I have faith it will turn out okay.
6:46 am
January 13, 2012
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For me, this would be it:
Best New Series: Kurogane, since I simply love how it plays on the cliche sports stuff. Plus it's a kendo manga. I really like the pacing of this one, not to mention the art fits the manga very well. (Honorable Mention would be Buyuden)
Best Love Interest: Shion and Emma from Magico. The execution of pure fluff is just adorable.
Best Art: Nurarihyon no Mago by Hiroshi Shiibashi. I love the fusion of manga-style drawing and the traditional japanese art (Sumi-e and even Ukiyo-e). Shiibashi manages to make each relevant scene artful. This panel would be a great example: http://i.imgur.com/fBZa5.png
Worst Decline: Medaka Box. This manga has gone so off-rail I reading it just because I want to know the ending.
Series of the Year for me would be… Nurarihyon no Mago. The Nura Rikuo Hunt was a very pleasant surprise. A very good twist that came out of nowhere (with good repercussions as well).
12:41 pm
January 11, 2012
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I agree with so much of what each of you said.
- The ending to Kekkaishi really let me down. There were a couple chapters leading up to the end that were great, but I can't believe the climactic battle with Oumi never happened, and the last chapter was indeed disappointing.
- I haven't read Mirai Nikki yet, but it's been recommended to me enough times now that I'll need to read it soon.
- Defense Devil should have been a bit longer, but it did end nicely.
- Kurogane is really enjoyable. Best New Series was the hardest category to pick, since I enjoyed nearly every new series I read in 2011; once Kagami no Kuni no Harisugawa started getting good, pretty much every new series was enjoyable except Sengoku Armors, really. Anyway, yeah, Kurogane is moving nicely, and it has good characters and rivalries already despite being so new. Buyuden is also good; it moves a bit slowly, but it feels like Mitsuda is building another long-term story after Major.
- You're spot-on about the art of Nurarihyon no Mago. That combination of art styles is stunningly beautiful.
I'm glad to hear both of your opinions, thanks!
2:09 pm
February 7, 2012
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I'll just comment on 2 categories since I agree with the SB 2011 awards winners for the rest.
Best New Series: Magico, but I'm probably biased because it somehow feeds my Double Arts nostalgia. Then again, I think that I enjoyed this series the most. Ditto for Best Love Interest. KKH just couldn't deviate from typical Kanō plots (and all the "Mx0 successor" hype just made it worse for me) and Nisekoi has yet to grow on me. Time will tell. My runner-up for the spot would be Silver Spoon. Big Order shows great promise in my book as well, but it's way to early to judge.
Worst Decline: I'll go with Negima for this one. While reading KNIM certainly is a slap to the face, it has been like that for a long time. Negima's ending to the Magic World arc/fight/you-name-it was completely anticlimactic and terribly lackluster and subpar, despite leading into it for months and with lots of Akamatsu's trademark 2-week hiatuses in between.
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