2007 was a rather strange year in many respects, and that goes for anime as well. We saw games of paper, scissors, rock taken to the extreme. We saw an Idolmaster anime… possibly the most bizarre adaptation of a source of all time (thank you, Sunrise). Higurashi gave us answers, while Myself; Yourself asked the question: “what were the writers thinking?” And who could forget “Nice Boat”? For better or worse, it’ll change how fans will look at eroge conversions forever. The two most talked about anime of 2007… one kicked reason to the curb, while the other asked the ultimate question: “which end of a chocolate cornet do you start from?” The fact that these two titles couldn’t be more different demonstrates the variety of the year. There are a lot of titles that we, as individual reviewers, thought were outstanding that didn’t make this year’s list, but I balk at the idea of calling this an “outstanding” year. Nonetheless, these are the titles that we think deserve recognition for defining the year. I think it’s a list that will almost certainly raise eyebrows… much like the year itself has.
Introduction by: Sorrow-kun

DarkKanti on: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Unlike traditional mecha anime such as Gundam or Macross, Code Geass is more of a psychological thriller than an all-out action packed robotic melee. Of course, that’s not to say Code Geass doesn’t know how to kick a little ass when it comes right down to it. Unfortunately the first season ended on one of the biggest cliffhangers in all of anime. Of course, if you want to see the end you’ll have to wait for the second season coming in the spring of next year.

AC on: Nodame Cantabile
How many slice-of-life anime series can you name now? Well, how simple can that be? Now, how many slice-of-life anime series can you name that features classical music by geniuses such as Mozart and Beethoven and manages to tickle your funny bone every episode? Just one: Nodame Cantabile. The factor that sets Nodame apart from the rest of the slice-of-anime series is the use classical music as a brilliant theme to propel the story and characters into immense popularity. Combined with humor guaranteed to induce laugh-out-loud moments, particularly from the air-headed Noda Megumi, the series has become an instant hit and a wonderful start to the year 2007 with what the world of anime has to offer.

TypicalIdiotFan on: Seirei no Moribito
Proof that Kamiyama Kenji didn’t blow all his directorial genius on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Seirei no Moribito is feast of smooth animation, beautiful backgrounds, pulse pounding action, and a creative universe of the secular and the spiritual. Though the pace flows like ketchup from a freshly opened bottle, I couldn’t help but be enthralled by the detail that went into everything. The story, the characters, and the development of the main plot all come together so well and with such fluidity that you’ll feel as though you’re turning the pages of a time honored tome instead of watching twenty-six half hour episodes. Kamiyama seems to enjoy weaving stories where good and evil are ambiguous, and he has done it again here. Nobody is really a vaillain, and nobody is truly a hero, but by the end of the story you’ll definitely feel as though the struggles the characters endure were justly rewarded. Highly recommended by your’s truly, and is my Anime of the Year candidate.

royal crown on: Bokurano
The manipulation of mere children can seem taboo at times, and without a doubt Bokurano holds its share of controversy when dealing with its uncomfortable presence. Despite the horrific and dismal atmosphere, Bokurano really shines in its ability to empathetically display the innermost thoughts of the adolescents, and ultimately humankind itself. The plot can get stagnant at times, and very nearly avoids becoming formulaic, but ultimately feels complete and satisfying. Despite the sheer amounts of emotion thrown at the audience by the gallon, Bokurano manages to achieve its message without being overly preachy or sappy. If for nothing else, Bokurano stands as an interesting analysis of the human psyche.

Akira on: Lucky Star
At once a hilarious comedy romp and at other times a silent nod to its awesome predecessors, Lucky Star is an anime produced by the otaku for the otaku. Addressing almost all aspects of the otaku lifestyle in a manner that is neither satirical nor condescending, it merely presents the facts and quirks of daily life in a way that one can appreciate and feel fondness and nostalgia for. Anyone who’s ever lived in Japan or is really into the otaku culture will probably find himself nodding his head as a self-indulgent smile appears on his face while watching Lucky Star. While most of the jokes and references may simply seem boring or mundane to most, Lucky Star is a real treat for anyone who just wants a charming, normal story of high school otaku life.

TypicalIdiotFan on: Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann
GAINAX has done many great things and GAINAX has done many bad things. Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann is both. Even though it was absurdly popular, this typical idiot fan cannot help but notice how this show went from incredibly fun and awesome to “WTF?” thanks to a little time skipping. Yessir, Gurren-Lagann jumped the shark; a stupidly huge, spiral powered, boob jiggling, human race annihilating, roh roh fight the power‘d shark. Watch the first half for it’s frenetic energy, lovable characters, enjoyable music, and epic-feeling storytelling. Make sure to take special care to watch the DVD version of episode 5. Everything after episode 15 is forgettable, trite, and loaded with more deus ex machina then the Bible. Skip it.

Shadowmage on: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
Answers, answers… who needs them? Being a jaded math major, I find that so long as there’s a method to derive the answer, solving the actual problem is trivial. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai takes off immediately where the murder mystery, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, left off, and it attempts to answer all of the questions left behind. While this sequel never manages to be as epic as the original, it brings forward some ingenious solutions to various nagging questions. When I originally walked into this franchise over a year ago, I expected a modest size puzzle of sorts with the mystery slowly coming together piece by piece. Walking out of this sequel, I realize that what was put together was the Sistine Chapel.

Ascaloth on: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
For a series which has a cast of 2-dimensional characters, Shinbo Akiyuki going hog-wild with his WTF-class animation techniques, and a complete lack of any overarching plot whatsoever, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei beats the odds by being one of the quirkiest, yet well-done social satires to ever come from Japan’s shores. Throwing cynical shots at everything from the social ills of Japanese society to the Kyoto Animation otaku phenomenon with wild abandon, SZS is for those who know enough about contemporary Japanese culture to see the dark humour in its sillier aspects. Not for nothing has this series spawned a fanbase of viewers “in despair”, looking for a way to “make themselves taller” at the conclusion of the series; at least there will be a sequel coming up in January, this year.

royal crown on: 5 Centimeters Per Second
Shinkai Makoto is nothing short of a genius when it comes to realistically portraying the emotions of characters. So little actually happens plot-wise, but within this seemingly empty void is a massive display of character development. Psychologically delving into the emotions of the protagonists, 5 cm/s manages to pull off some genuinely heartwarming moments while gracefully keeping the tone from becoming overly melodramatic. The emotional balance that the film manages to keep is nothing short of spectacular, as levels of angst, drama, happiness, and nostalgia all mix together seamlessly and leave the audience wanting more. Unfortunately, it also takes a nosedive with arguably the worst ending in an anime film to date, which hurts 5 cm/s significantly - despite this, it stands as another of Shinkai’s brilliant works.

Shadowmage on: Mononoke
There is beauty in subtlety just like there is beauty in bombastic, in-your-face imagery. At first, Mononoke seemed to go for the former with subdued dialogue and a slow paced sequence of events, but by the second episode, it becomes nothing short of obvious that it’s the latter. Mononoke is an ambitious artistic experiment about a man traveling the world in search of demons known as the mononoke. What distinguishes it from other anime from the same genre is its ability to manipulate its unique animation style to push forward a certain mood. While art and animation are often passive vehicles of the story, Mononoke uses them as active players of the plot.

Sorrow-kun on: Shigurui
Dark, brooding, deliberate, intense and shocking, Shigurui is the most gory and disturbing action piece of the year. In many ways, this anime is over the top, but it never allows its plot to give way to the excessive violence. Set in the Edo period, the story follows the intertwined paths of two rival swordsman in their bid to become the successor of the Kugen-ryuu dojo, their rise, their fall and their loss of humanity, which is exchanged to master the techniques of their school. The art is incredibly detailed, while the liberal use of novel visual effects pushes the boundaries of animation. And, as usual, Madhouse does a magnificent job with an ominous atmosphere.

Akira on: Moyashimon
This show’s got it all. Comedy? Check. Education? Check. Fanservice? Available for men and women. One of the “late bloomers” in the 2007 season, and one of the more obscure due to its bizarre premise, Moyashimon represents the best of the Fall season. Great voice acting and marvelous animation only enhance the watching experience, already made enjoyable by an educational attitude that never takes itself too seriously. The quirky and unique personalities of every character make the show utterly unforgettable; from the humans down to the bacteria, every voice and every face will be imprinted upon your mind. If you haven’t seen it yet, see it now. You can cry with me at the enormously unsatisfying ending to Season 1. No worries, Season 2 will be just around the corner… I hope.

AC on: Baccano!
For your information, Baccano! is Italian for ‘ruckus’ or a ‘loud noises/commotion’, and man, this series is making all the right noises. Kicking off with perhaps one of the best opening sequence yet, the series distinguishes itself from the rest with its non-stop action scenes, addictive jazzy music and significantly, its colorful smogasboard of characters each with their own unique agendas. The ‘grand commotion’ begins when their stories intertwine on just two settings… in thirteen episodes. This is one series that has everything and then some.

Sorrow-kun on: ef - a tale of memories
Moé melodrama, done right. SHAFT love pushing the boundaries of animation, and do so here again with highly dynamic uses of colour and grayscale, erratic camera angles and animated backgrounds. The visual effects themselves go so far as to enhance the story by acting as symbolisms. A romance anime, ef - tale of memories avoids the pitfalls and clichés of most in the genre, and is genuinely dramatic, dealing with complex themes, while giving them the respect and analyses they deserve. With intricate characters and a well written script, while I won’t deny this is melodrama, it’s still incredibly enthralling.

Ascaloth on: Clannad
It is hard to believe that only two years ago, a small, relatively unknown animation studio would make a splash on the anime scene with an adaptation of an H-game; fast forward to 2007, and Kyoto Animation has become synonymous with the term “Key anime adaptation”, as well as the benchmark by which all other visual novel adaptations would be measured against. With Clannad, KyoAni has since come full circle since their adaptations of Air and Kanon (2006), now that they’re working with what is most probably Key’s best story ever made. At the time of writing, it remains to be seen how well Clannad would eventually be executed; however, judging by their track record and what has been shown thus far, all indications point to KyoAni being on course to following Key’s success story, to make Clannad the best Key adaptation they’ve made.

DarkKanti on: Kaiji
One of the biggest surprises of the year came during the Fall season when Kaiji came out. While not being one of the most talked about series, Kaiji is clearly one of the best. The story follows a rather unique protagonist in Kaiji, a crybaby loser with nothing to live for but a serious gambling debt and an obsession with slashing tires. When a man in black offers Kaiji a way out, he has no choice but to accept and try to set his life in the right direction.

Shadowmage: If this article asked for my favorite anime of 2007, it would undoubtedly be Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. The best is harder to decide since there is so many great anime to choose from such as Bokurano, Mononoke, Baccano!, Dennou Coil, and ef - a tale of memories. Despite all the competition, Nana has managed to outshine the others as one of the best dramas to come out since Honey and Clover.

Sorrow-kun: I had a lot of fun with series like Baccano! and Kanon 2006, while fantasy period pieces, Seirei no Moribito and Shigurui demonstrated the potency of a polished visual effort. As did Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second, easily the best anime film all year. But, for me, it’s characters that define an anime, and Nodame Cantabile had some of the best characters I’ve ever seen in the josei genre. That’s why Nodame Cantabile is, in my eyes, the best anime of the year by far. But one would be foolish to dismiss the ongoing Clannad at this stage.

Akira: From Nice Boats to comically depressed schoolteachers, the merit and impact of this year on anime will live on for a very long time. From would-be classics like Baccano! and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei to meme factories like School Days(1,2) and Lucky Star, this year saw a plethora of excellence in the anime industry. However, Moyashimon takes my pick for Best of the Year. Golden comedy, excellent production quality AND microbiology, rolled up neatly and packaged together. Some shows make us think, some shows make us laugh, and some shows make us learn, but only Moyashimon does all three.

Ascaloth: The 2007 anime year has been a strong one. From Gurren-Lagann for the hot-blooded to Kanon (2006) for the sensitive, there was quite simply something for everyone. However, I can’t really call Lucky Star the best despite how much I enjoyed it. Neither would I say so of Clannad, because I don’t believe in making a prediction without having finished the series (unlike certain people). Therefore, I can only award “Best of the Year” to the show I’ve enjoyed the most, and even then it barely managed to nick my nomination; that show would be Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

DarkKanti: With as many good titles as there were this year, its unfortunate that there wasn’t anything truly great. Code Geass came close, as did a few others, but nothing so far. With a few late coming titles such as Clannad and ef - a tale of memories, there’s still a chance for this year, but I’d have to say that the best thus far has been the underrated Kaiji.

royal crown: To be perfectly honest, there were several titles that stood out as great, but only one greatly impressed me. I had some fun analyzing Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, which has some of the most interesting symbolic themes since Evangelion. Nodame Cantibile was also excellent, but didn’t break the mold for me quite enough to warrant it being the best of the year. ef - a tale of memories, however, was leaps and bounds above the other ‘07 series. The level of character analysis and sheer emotion, combined with some impressive camera-work and animation, puts ef - a tale of memories at the top of this reviewer’s list.

AC: The year 2007 has introduced different anime series excelling in different fields. Nodame Cantabile proved to us how important seiyuu are in characterization; School Days showed us how an ending can have a huge impact on viewers (both good and bad); and shows like ef - a tale of memories and Byousoku 5cm prove that visuals play a significant role in defining a great anime. However, my “best of 2007” title goes to Baccano! for one simple reason: unpredictability. Unpredictable plot, unpredictable characters, unpredictable premise… the only thing predictable is the high level of fun. Add some toe-tapping jazz music and a bloodbath and you have one hell of a train ride.

TypicalIdiotFan: I’m probably going to be the only person to say this, but this was a disappointing year. We had some really good stuff in the Spring and Fall, but no slam dunks, and Summer was just crap. As much as I love Clannad, we’ve only seen about half of it, so how can anybody declare that to be the best of 2007? I just can’t do it, not yet anyway. Hayate no Gotoku is the best comedy, Clannad is the best drama, but the best overall show of 2007 (that finished in 2007) is Seirei no Moribito for it’s fantastic visuals, epic feel, and engrossing story.

With the year said and gone, it’s time to look back and see the remnants of the pomp, fanfare and train wrecks that have been left behind. Much like most of this decade, 2007 has presented shows we’ve seen a million times remixed into shows that feel inexplicably bold and original. Boundaries that seemed to have been pushed to very edge have found new footing in the continuing output of creativity from the industry. GAINAX dead? Hah! Sunrise can’t make money outside of Gundam? Pizza Hut to the rescue. Timotei? Nice Boat? Flying limbs? As long as there are still shows that can get me out of my chair and genuinely mouth “WTF” in mind-blown glee, I know it’s been a nice year.
Conclusion by: Shadowmage