How They Did It

Last week we discussed and Anime Award nominee that I couldn't wrap my brain around how they accomplished everything they did in a short amount of time. Today, we talk about a nominee that I know exactly how they did.

My personal pick for Anime of the Year is Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! As I stated in my review of the nominees, Jujutsu Kaisen will almost certainly win, but just like last year, there is an underdog deserving the spotlight, and this is it.

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is an incredible piece of work, unlike anything I have ever seen. It genuinely encompasses the love and magic of anime. The story is about a group of three high school companions: Midori Asakusa, Tsubame Mizusaki, and Sayaka Kanamori. The first two love anime with all their heart and dream of becoming professional animators one day; the latter is more business like and see's an opportunity to capitalize on making their dreams a reality. These three form a "film club" at their school in order to have the space, equipment, and funding to start their adventure as animators. There are challenges along the way, but they find themselves learning and creating more than they believed possible. Their creations leave a clear and lasting impact on all their nay-sayers- solely using the power and beauty of their passion for anime.

That sounds sweet and all but why does that mean it deserves Anime of the Year? Great question, peanut gallery! One of which I was about to answer, so hush! It is sweet, but what makes it so unique is how cleverly it walks you through the entire creation of an anime. It breaks it down in an enchanting way that felt magical at times. There is no doubt in my mind that the animators that worked on this project had so much fun and poured their all into it. The pure love of anime and the effect it can have on people seeps through every scene. They show the struggle animators go through to create, but also the worth they find in their creation. Since I am not an animator, I can't confirm or deny that, but I can see truth in it mainly because I see the love and care they put into creating this anime. And it is in that fact that I can clearly see how they accomplished 9 nominations, including Anime of the Year.

Eizouken!'s genre is labelled as comedy, but I really feel it should also be considered slice-of-life for its heartwarming nature. I point this out because one: I always do, but also two: to show you how odd it is to see an anime of that genre accomplish so much in one fell swoop. You don't see slice-of-life anime raking in awards, unfortunately, but this did something unique: it encompassed something that fans of any genre could appreciate- the love of anime. Because no matter what the genre, we all watch it because we love it. This show openly encourages and shines a light on that love, which makes its genre not really matter in the end for fans. Plus, its whimsical nature brings out a childish glee in those who watch it- and who doesn't love capturing that feeling even for just a moment?

Nobody, apparently. This series was so well received it actually has a total of four adaptions. This series was originally a manga which started in 2016 and is still running. In 2020, it received three additional adaptations back-to-back. The anime (which ran from January to March, with a total of 12 episodes), the live-action tv drama (which ran from April to May, with a total of 6 episodes), and finally a live-action movie (which aired in September). The manga and anime have already won multiple awards, and the anime even made The New York Times "Best TV Shows of 2020" and "Best International Shows of 2020" lists. It's reception has been diverse and vast, and it deserves every single bit of it.

Though I know it most likely will not win Anime of the Year, I hope it leaves the Anime Awards with more wins to add to its much deserved collection. If you have not seen it, I highly suggest taking the time to check it out. The art is unique, the score is powerful, the love is pure, and it is patiently waiting for you. Go on an adventure and rediscover why you love anime all over again.

We've got more work to do. -Midori Asakusa

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Thank you so much for joining me for another installment of Nerdom. I have been having a blast coving all this new content thanks to the Anime Awards. Reminder that the awards show will air live on Crunchyroll on February 19th. You do not have to have a subscription to watch, so if you want to see it, no worries there. I hope you all are having a great week! Finish strong and give yourselves a little reward for making it this far! You got this! Have a wonderful rest of your week and I will see you back Sunday for The Mess. In the meantime, stay safe, stay nerdy and stay messy otaku!