The 2012 UK Anime Network Awards

Written by A. H. on 31 Dec 2012

It's been a decidedly busy year here at UK Anime, to the point where I'm suspicious that we haven't actually lived through an entire year at all and that the boss has secretively kept me in stasis for large chunks of it as part of his evil plans for world domination which I've promised not to mention in any articles.  Oops.

Anyhow, busy or not the calendar suggests that 2012 is about to grind to a halt, and without any prophetic Mayan nonsense either, so that means it's time for us all to sit around a table and argue out what 2012's highlights were in terms of UK anime, manga, live action and gaming releases, before handing the proverbial microphone over to you for perhaps the most important award of them all - the UK Anime Network Reader's Choice prize, voted for by our readers.

So, with the preamble out of the way, let's get cracking - be sure to let us know what you think of our picks and winners at the bottom of the article!

Best streaming anime

GIRLS UND PANZER

Honourable mentions:
- Space Brothers
- Humanity Has Declined

No sooner do our awards begin than we find ourselves bending the rules a little by picking out a couple of shows that haven't actually finished airing for our "best streaming" category.  With so much streaming anime available these days it can often feel like we're receiving quantity over quality, but as always there are a few gems to sooth our cynical hearts - Space Brothers has been slow-paced but delivered a beautiful, uplifting and moving tale that shows no sign of abating after over thirty-five episodes, and Humanity Has Declined served up perhaps one of the biggest surprise packages of the season with its hefty serving of deliciously cynical comedy that defied out (admittedly low) expectations throughout.

Our winner, however, is the main reason for bending the rules in this category - despite being left unfinished until 2013 due to production delays, GIRLS und PANZER nabs our 2013 streaming award for simply being the most fun anime series any of us can remember watching in quite some time.  The story of girls learning to drive tanks for sport in a world where "Tankery" (as it's known) is considered ladylike sounds utterly daft -and it is, but the loving care and attention applied to the show's roster of military hardware is palpable, yet never overshadows the comedy and entertainment value that the scenario offers.  In terms of keeping you on the edge of your seat to the point where you fall off it from laughing too hard at a perfectly-timed gag, we haven't seen anything like this show in quite a while, and we can only hope that it gets recognised for what it is and released physically in the UK at some point.

Best sci-fi anime

MARDOCK SCRAMBLE: THE FIRST COMPRESSION

Honourable mentions:
- Bodacious Space Pirates

One of the more nebulous categories each year is that of "best sci-fi", with a lot of series skirting around the outskirts of our definition of that genre while few anime shows hit it head-on.  Thus, after purging Puella Magi Madoka Magica from the running in this category (don't worry, it'll get its due later), our only real notable mention goes to Bodacious Space Pirates, a fun tale of futuristic space-faring which makes the jump from streaming to DVD in 2013 - who knows, perhaps we already have next year's winner lined up?

Our victor in this category is a simple choice however, with the first in Tow Ubukata's Mardock Scramble trilogy, The First Compression, gaining our plaudits for its superb action and emotional resonance combined into an occasionally surreal yet engaging futuristic world, topped off with a visual aesthetic that does a lot to draw you into said world - and no, we aren't just referring to the cute talking mouse.  With the second film reaching the UK on DVD and Blu-Ray in 2013 and the third film to follow, this could be the beginning of a sci-fi dynasty in anime fandom.