At the end of each year, the Anime community love to reflect on what were considered to be the best shows of that specific year. They love to discuss what shows had the best animation, the best characters, the best narrative and so on. Most people who are active in this community love to do it. Even I did it.
And it’s good fun. It’s an enjoyable little practice that I absolutely love. I enjoy seeing everyone’s personal opinions on what they enjoyed throughout the year and what they didn’t enjoy so much.
But then comes the Anime Awards Features ran by websites such as Anime News Network and most recently Crunchyroll, where a panel of judges is selected to nominate particular shows from the year for various Award Categories and then ask the community to vote for which show they find to be deserving of that Award.
And with this system, to no ones surprise, a little show called Yuri!!! On Ice won pretty much every category it was nominated in by a humongous landslide in the recently announced Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
And also to no ones surprise, a large portion of the community proceeded to act like babies, both negatively and positively over the results.
Apparently, people really care about the outcome of these Award Polls. Yuri!!! On Ice fans were very quick to exploit the fact that the polls had no limit to how many times an individual could vote in the damn thing and fans of everything else were just as quick to share their absolute disgust at the fact their favourite show didn’t “win” the moment the category it was nominated for had its results announced.
People were furious. People were overjoyed. But the saddest part is, people were arguing over this. People are still arguing over this, and I honestly don’t understand why.
Because, in my opinion, these kind of Award Shows mean nothing to me. I don’t care about them, and I honestly don’t know why anyone does.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards, like all other Awards Shows are just another subjective opinion that may or may not differ from yours. There is nothing objective about these Awards, and a show “winning” is not a sign of its quality being superior to the shows that didn’t win. And just because a show didn’t “win” anything, that doesn’t mean it was a bad show or that it was a worse show than those that did win. Quality is completely subjective and always reflected according to the person who is observing the thing that is having its quality measured.
Look, I get it. You wanted Mob Psycho 100 to win the Award for Best Animation. I know I did. I definitely think it had a far better art direction and a far greater amount of well animated scenes. Yuri!!! On Ice is a great looking show as well, but is it the best animated of the year? No. It’s not the best looking show of the year. Not by a mile. And this happened with a lot of the categories. I mean, the killer in Erased even managed to defeat Yoshikage Kira from Jojo, which is kind of absurd considering that Kira is a far more complex and clever serial killer than the guy who’s name I can’t even remember.
I get why people are mad. I guess. But at the end of the day, why are people getting so worked up about this when we knew the whole thing was based on a community poll? This was destined to be a popularity contest right from the beginning, and guess what? Yuri!!! On Ice was arguably the most popular show of 2016 along with Erased and Re:Zero which all won a great deal of Awards that many people felt they shouldn’t have. Of course the most popular shows were going to win.
This happens every year. It happened in 2015 with One Punch Man and Death Parade, it happened in 2016 with Yuri!!! On Ice and Re:Zero, and it’ll no doubt happen again this year with Attack on Titan Season 2 and Welcome to the Ballroom. I guarantee it.
I honestly just hate this stuff more than anything else. I hate seeing the community becoming so divided and watching everyone act like immature children because their show did/didn’t “win” some silly Award that has no significant meaning to anything. So your favourite show didn’t get “Best Story”, so what? It’s still the best story to you, so why not just go and enjoy it all over again? Or better yet, why not share your thoughts on the show with the community in a positive way and why you personally thought the show had the best story instead of attacking fans of the show that did win. Don’t start telling Re:Zero fans that their show was “a disgrace to good storytelling”. Why would anyone do that?
And on that note, to the people who’s show did win: grow up. Please. Don’t jeer at people because their show didn’t win. Especially if you rigged the polls by voting for your show 50 times despite being one person. Your show “winning” means nothing , rigged or not, and it doesn’t give you the excuse to act like you have superior taste or that your show is “better”.
I just don’t get it. Why can’t we all just not care about these things and just go like what we like and put out our own lists and have nice discussions about those lists? These Awards are just another way of breeding negativity in a community where it already runs rife and I’m sick of it.
My point? Don’t care about Awards. Just go like what you like and never let any Award List or other person make you think otherwise. Never question your taste, because it’s all subjective and it matters only to you, no matter how many people disagree.
Awards mean nothing.
I’m joking obviously.
*yawn*
Just wanted to get this out there as it’s been on my mind since last night.
Lethargic Ramblings 
“. . .the polls had no limit to how many times an individual could vote. . .”
This fucked the system from the start. I don’t understand why they still even do this. This guarantees that the popular vote wins. Always. Or a troll with a lot of spare time picking something stupid.
“. . .and I honestly don’t know why anyone does.”
Because Award Shows are typically indicative of one’s quality, hence the “Best” at the beginning of each category nomination. As you say, it’s simple popular vote, but some (or most) see this as a means of objective fact.
“. . .the whole thing was based on a community poll?”
So is WatchMojo. People still shit on those lists, too.
“Why would anyone do that?”
To reaffirm their own opinions. People enjoy having their thoughts validated by others. It’s a means of feeling accepted and strengthening the confidence they have in their own opinion. Not to say this applies for everyone ever, but typically those who lash out and attack others for having an opinion are either too confident in their selves or not confident enough in their selves.
I like the post. Keep it up, you SAOtard—whose story is objectively horrible in every way. Don’t @ me.
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Oh yeah, it definitely messed things up and I find it pretty dumb myself. It should be done according to the judges decisions, a selection of people will still be mad no matter how it’s judged, but that’d cause less issues I feel.
I’m well aware that people act the ways I mentioned to validate their opinions or reinforce how they feel about a show, but I’ve always found it baffling that people feel the need to attack others to do so. I think it’s perfectly possible to reinforce your points without coming across as condescending or nasty: I do it all the time on and off this blog. At least, I don’t think I come across as those things… Do I…? Now I’m doubting myself, goddammit! 😛
I’m not sure if the SAOtard thing was a joke or not… I do think SAO is fine though. Flawed, but fine.
Anyhow… Glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks for your comment bro!
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“I’m not sure if the SAOtard thing was a joke or not…”
It was. I tried to make it obvious with the “Don’t @ Me,” which is a popular phrase on Twitter similar to that of “Dropping the mic.” You are also not like that. Promise.
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I thought so 😛 I’m awful at detecting these things because I’m slow and Glaswegian. I learned something new today!
Haha 😀
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It’s because divisiveness is human nature. In the absence of one thing, people will fight about something else. Where (online) anonymity removes the divisions of age, gender, and race, the simple notion of different taste in entertainment becomes something to hold over each other.
People like to feel validated, and grow smug when their interests are favored in any arbitrary contest. Likewise the ones that aren’t favored are put on the defensive, as though they have something to answer for. Short of a proper defense (because there’s nothing to actually defend), they go on the counterattack. The notion of “right” and “wrong” has to be firmly cemented, even for something as biased as a popularity poll. Rising above this takes either a certain level of disinterest or a particular mindset that no one is encouraged to cultivate anymore.
Sorry. I’m especially pessimistic today.
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I appreciate your pessimistic insight 😛 I agree that that’s most definitely the logic behind people acting this way towards these kinds of things.
Personally though, I honestly think we should all just adapt the mindset that many people aren’t willing to adapt to: just like what you like and let others do the same.
I believe its wholly possible to do so and still engage in analysis and discussion and have debates about the things you don’t agree with. I do it all the time, and even if people attack me harshly, I just respond calmly and tell them that I disagree and that no amount of calling me names of insulting my tastes is going to change my mindset.
It may sound like a weak or lazy defense, but it’s genuine.
Anyhow, thanks for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and I enjoyed your thoughts!
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Listening to people’s opinions and being able to present your own for thoughtful discourse is definitely more enjoyable than attacks, but when you’re arguing over “best girl” I’m not sure thoughtful discourse is among your top priorities. Like I said, a mindset that no one is encouraged to cultivate.
I wish everyone took the position you do. I want to talk to people who think differently than I do because it makes me think about their opinions, and that’s fun. Your defense isn’t weak or lazy. It’s the only logical thing to do in the face of that sort of pointless behavior.
I tend to avoid channels where I may suffer mindless abuse. I much prefer circles like this where I can actually have a discussion.
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The negativity and personal attacks are really annoying. It’s an opportunity for the community to have an actual discussion about the shows from last year and their merits (or lack of merits as they might see it) and instead too many people are using it as an opportunity to insult others for their tastes. Absolute silliness. Of course there have been some good discussions about the shows and it is good to see these taking place.
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I agree. This is the sort of thing we should all be discussing and having fun with together as a community, yet it’s being completely overshadowed by childish bickering and relentless abuse.
There have definitely been a ton of good discussions in the mix as well, and I’m glad they aren’t completely absent. But it’s a darn shame that they’re not the majority of what’s taking place.
Thanks for reading!
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…i kinda like watching drama…
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The drama is funny, but in large dozes it’s freaking nauseating.
It got to the point where I couldn’t even tell someone I thought Kira from Jojo was a better villain in my eyes than Guy Who’s Name I Still Can’t Remember from Erased without Erased fans laughing at me and telling me they “can’t take me seriously”.
Ugh 😛
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I know my twitter-sphere and blog-sphere are small, but even I still heard that people were unhappy about this and I honestly don’t understand why. I truly don’t. It is the last thing I’d get upset about. I’m with you in that it really doesn’t matter in the slightest and even if it did, does it really matter if someone disagrees? Isn’t that chill, people having different opinions?
It’s so silly. 🙂
Anyway, good post, Leth!
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People having different opinions is commonplace and it’s what makes discussion amongst Anime fans so interesting in the first place.
If everyone had the same opinions, it would be boring. There’d be nothing to discuss, nothing to share and nothing to talk about.
I disagree with the consensus all the time and I have very strange and weird opinions that pretty much nobody else agrees with. And I’ve been attacked for it frequently, yet I never lash out and attack back. Because it’s a waste of my time. I could be spending that time enjoying the things I enjoy more.
I think people should do the same, instead of wasting hours of their lives bickering like babies.
Anyhow, I’m glad you enjoyed the post Shoujo! Thanks for reading!
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