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You might have heard of jumping the shark before, but now I posit that we can talk about fighting the snake. I hope that this arc is over now, it's honestly been so dumb.

Not an explanation per se, but all monsters do it in Frieren's world, not just demons. You'll notice that when they kill normal, non-speech-having monsters, they dissolve away as well.

The foley work on that bread was exquisite.

What a great chapter. I feel like we are getting more and more straightforward romances that manage to mostly avoid contrivances that prevent the leads from communicating how they feel.

This is the first time we've seen a cremation happen. Before, she has always taken the bodies away to a crematory. Also, not sure what to make of that ending. Should it be hopeful that we'll return here in a more peaceful time, or ominous? Time will tell I guess.

I've been enjoying this one a lot too. Frankly, more than I thought I would. Yeah, the production quality is not great, but the characters are a lot of fun. Yamabuki isn't the most likeable, but he is definitely way more interesting than most other harem MCs out there. Also agreed about the unadulterated tsundere-ness on display. Best tsundere out there since 100 Girlfriends and Karane.

I still regularly listen to both the OP and ED of Bravern. Incredible show from top to bottom.

Alright, I'll see if I can correct rikka.

Onee-san used pudding. It was super effective!

FAQ Time!

Why limit the number of nominees in each category?

As you might be able to tell, I capped the number of nominees in each category to six. Going through all the nominations, this seemed like a reasonable tradeoff between the amount of work I needed to do while still capturing entries that were nominated the most often. Going beyond 6 entries basically meant that for most categories, I was having to choose from a long list of potential titles that were only nominated by a single person. For example, there were 42 distinct songs nominated in the musical sequence category. However, the vast majority of those were nominated by just one person. It is frankly too much work on my part to try to jury or tally votes for that many nominees.

Why is X series in Y category?

Well, because it was nominated there. I didn't impose any kind of limits this year on how many categories a title could appear in. Instead, it was purely based on your nominations. If there were any that were obviously wrong (like Orb in Comedy or something), I would have intervened, but that didn't happen at all.

Voting methodology?

Ranked choice voting! You will submit your ballot and order the nominees that you want to vote for (or delete ones you don't want to vote for) in order of preference within each category. Then I will process the ballots and run an RCV election in each category. I don't yet have the code written to do this, but will soon.

How long will voting stay open?

Probably a bit over a week or so? I don't have a set end time yet and it kind of depends on my irl workload. It probably won't extend much past March 1st if at all.

Happy to answer any additional questions you might have in the comments!

Edit: thanks to @crank@ani.social for the post's artwork.

I should know better than to read this when I'm hungry. That Sara Udon looks really good.

This was the good stuff. Plant that seed for a future payoff. I wonder if we'll ever get any more insight into red and blue.

Yeah, this wasn't very clear in the manga, but I think the anime makes it more or less explicit that she tipped off the paparazzi. Kana texts her exactly where they are going and she ducks away and makes a call right after being told they are heading to his studio.

Welcome! The Frieren adaptation is shockingly good. I kept waiting for a quality drop as the first season went, but it just kept delivering episode after episode.

I liked the 269 credits joke too. I feel like mining this Kuzumama vein is yielding some rich credit page fodder.

Saotome has to be one of the only MCs I've ever seen to have multiple girls confess and kiss him and still be so unsure about things. I am amazed that this arc is basically ending with a friendship bracelet. So much for Ushigome and Takae's efforts to move things along.

This season has been great so far...too much so. I have been pretty busy and can't keep up with everything, so dropping stuff hurts at this point:

Oshi no Ko - Absolutely outstanding episode this past week. I didn't think anything was going to top Frieren for me this season, but...idk...this might be it.
Frieren - As good as it ever was.
Polar Opposites - Such a great ensemble in this show. The main couple is great, sure...but the full cast is really what elevates this to the next tier up.
Demon King's Daughter - Another great installment of Sing-Along with Doux!
Midnight Heart - Yes, it feels a bit contrived. Yes, the animation quality is a bit lacking. However, this has managed to keep me engaged so far.
Chained Soldier - It's been fun. I am not the biggest fan of this Azuma arc we are in right now, but it's managed to keep me watching so far.

I don't claim to have a good enough memory to remember all of the series I read last year, but here are the ones that stuck in my memory as I was thinking over it:

Best Action

I Got a New Skill Every Time I was Exiled, and After 100 Different Worlds, I was Unmatched

I really, really like this series. You might see the long, descriptive title and lump it together with a bunch of other series that blend into a generic mess, but this one is different. The art in the fight scenes is excellent and dynamic and, most importantly, the story has been super engaging. I love the two leads in this series and if anything happens to them, I will be inconsolable. Highly recommended!

Best Comedy

I Became the World's Strongest Witch

Every chapter of this series is a riot. I fully expect this to get an anime adaptation someday and I can only hope it is given the comedy treatment it deserves. 60 chapters in now and each one still manages to surprise me. It is a madcap mix of meta references to internet culture, buggy game mechanics, and OP protagonist tropes. It really makes you question whether you can call yourself OP as a protagonist until you can turn the power of pop-up advertising against your foes.

IseGure: After Constantly Being Used as a Foil for OP Isekai Protagonists, the Elite Knight has Finally Had It

This series ended up as a short and sweet love letter of a parody to isekai slop. It knew exactly what it was and made fun of itself relentlessly. It is basically an isekai series all about preventing any more isekai series. The isekai tropes themselves became weapons to be wielded against the isekai powers that be. It's a quick, but hilarious read that ends just when it needs to, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Best Romance

Journey Home After School

I have loved this series right from the beginning and it has only gotten better as it has gone. It has been a slow burn, but a satisfying one. These two goobers are so gosh-darned cute and I can't get enough of it. The relationship they have feels so natural and effortless.

The Ice Princess Wants to be Melted by a Small Patch of Sunlight

This is one of those series where the true matchmakers are the younger brothers/sisters that bring together their older siblings through shared babysitting. Nothing about this series is reinventing the wheel, but it is just really well executed. If you are looking for a dose of the "good stuff," this is it.

Best Drama

The Moon on a Rainy Night

This series has been excellent from the jump and it shows no sign of slowing down. I debated including this in the romance category, but I think drama fits it better. It is pretty melodramatic, but manages to stay grounded and heartfelt enough to keep me engaged. If you are looking for a serious yuri story, this is an excellent choice.

Best Art

Slime Saint

Look, some might think this is a crazy pick for best art, but it is one of the few series where I consistently notice the artwork specifically. I love how playful the artist is with facial expressions. Each individual chapter is a veritable scrapbook of expressions on Lady Jelly's face and each is wilder than the last.

Best Slice of Life

Renge to Naruto

I had no idea this series would turn out as great as it has back when I read chapter 1. It might look like an ecchi series about a gyaru infecting people with her genki-ness, and it is that, but it has managed to add so much more depth to these characters as well. This series is comfortable at this point, like a warm bowl of ramen at a table with rowdy friends.

Best Conclusion

Sometimes Even Reality Is a Lie!

It's not every day that a series that has been running for 5 years comes to a close. This series managed to keep me engaged the whole way through and ended on a high note as well. I can't speak too much about the plot without spoiling stuff, but just know that this is a great romcom and one of those rare examples of a romance that continues long after the dating starts (and stays great).

Kirio Fanclub

I might be the only person in this community that read this series, but that won't stop me from singing its praises. It was exceptionally weird at times, but I had a lot of fun. The ending that it built up to was pitch-perfect, no notes. If you give this one a shot, know that you won't be let down by the end.

Just End it Already

Yankee JK Kuzuhana-chan

This series basically spent a whole year spinning its wheels. I think it is time to take this one out to the pasture. Recent chapters have finally pushed the story a bit, but at this point, I fully expect things to reset back soon enough. I am somehow trapped in this endless loop though, so look forward to this being on my list next year as well!

On Android:

Boost - doesn't load.
Voyager - plays fine
PieFed PWA - plays fine
Interstellar - just a link to play in the browser
Blorp - plays fine
Jerboa - plays fine

That's all I have on my phone to test.

Yeah, way back when Shadow saved the Oriana kingdom, he (and Beta) got sucked to Japan. But, Beta dragged Akane back to Shadow's world when they returned (mainly so that she can share knowledge of technology and stuff). So, this is probably shortly after Shadow returned in the story. In the LNs, that is pretty much the last we see of Akane. This feels kind of too important to just be manga filler, so I wouldn't be surprised if the author was involved in this. Next LN volume is slated for release in April.

I was not expecting manga-original story from Akane's POV, so this is a pleasant surprise. I am super curious if the author was involved with this.