With the decade now being nearly over, I recently got the idea of a massive new anime-related project for ArizUtaku. What is it? Well, you can read more after the jump.
No, it is not a silly idea (contrary to what the lolcat image above may suggest), and I did not get this idea from a cat either. The idea I have is compiling what I think are the "Top 50 Anime of the 2000s."
Sorry, Cowboy Bebop, but you will not be making the cut. It is shocking, I know; but let's face it: you are a little too old.
First things first, my basis for a series being from the 2000s is this: I will be going by the earliest vintage date listed for the anime in question on Anime News Network (ANN). This means anime that originally aired/ran in theaters/were released to video or DVD during the 1990s and earlier in Japan but were not released in the US until the 2000s WILL NOT COUNT. This also means classics like Cowboy Bebop, Berserk, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, just to name a few, will have to be excluded. Having to leave out such great series is unfortunate, but I think that will help to make this list a bit more fresh in the long run. Of course, there are also series that originally began late in 1999 and carried over into 2000, but again, I am going by when the anime originally began. Anything whose vintage date does not fall between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2009 will be overlooked. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Period. So if you ever wonder why a certain highly-regarded anime was not included, first check the vintage date on ANN. This is by no means a "Top 50 Anime of All Time" list, so chances are it does not fit the criteria I have set. Either that, or I simply do not feel it deserves to be included.
This will not be exclusive to titles licensed for North America either. I realize that there has been a lot of debate over fansubs recently, but I do not want to be any more exclusive than I already am. Plus, it goes in line with me going by the original Japanese airing date rather than when it was released in North America. Also, I can show support for anime that I would buy in a heartbeat if they are ever licensed in the future.
Here is how the "Top 50 Anime of the 2000s" posts will work: Starting this coming Thursday, I will post about the first 5 titles, starting from #50. I will then talk about the next five series up the ladder the following Thursday, and so on. That way, I will be making my final post on Thursday, December 31st, which so happens to be the final day of this decade.
All of this said, I am very excited, yet at the same time overwhelmed. This will be the most comprehensive project I have ever undertaken as far as ArizUtaku is concerned. It is a big commitment, and it is sure to wear me out mentally; but if I can complete it, then I know that I will be able to take on similar large projects in the future. This will also help to keep this site updated this site with new content more frequently, as this site tends to go through long stretches of stagnation from time to time. This will help to change that and also help keep my writing juices flowing. Once these 10 weeks are over, it will also be time for a new season of anime in Japan, but hopefully by then I will have come up with more things to write about besides that.
Lastly, if anyone wants an early idea of what qualifying titles may or may not be on this list, you can go here for a peek at my
Wish me luck ...
8 comments:
I think the idea kitty is right, that's a bright idea. I'm looking forward to it. And not in the judgemental "I don't agree with his tastes or logic" sort of way. I'm always looking for good unnoticed series to watch, this might be a good way to find something good that I've missed. Of course I'll be pushing for a few anime, too.
Thanks for the early support, DonKangolJones. I am looking forward to the challenge and I hope that I can introduce people to series they may have never heard of or overlooked as well. I am also interested to see how many of the anime you are pushing for (if any) make the final list. :)
Very nice idea here Matt. Kinda makes me wish I had come up with the idea myself. Of course that kind of project for me would be pretty difficult, especially knowing how busy with life I've been lately.... But I'd still love to pull something like this off myself.
Whatever the case though I'm really looking forward to this project of yours. Should be really interesting.
I really look forward to reading this, JG. Great idea! Let me know if you want any contributing help.
Thanks, NaJ! :D
Your comment got me to thinking as well. How about I e-mail you, Nate and Aaron an early copy of each post. If any of you have anything additional to add for any of the anime in question, simply respond to my e-mail with your thoughts. I'll then add them to the post before it goes live.
How does that sound?
I like the sound of that idea. Would definitely love to add my input on some of these series.
I've got a suggestion for what to do with the remaining series that didn't make the cut though. How about some sort of an honorable mention list? Not sure exactly how you would incorporate it, probably just a list you could post at the very end of it or something. But that would definitely be a great idea to get some credit to those series that deserve it but just couldn't make it into a top 50.
Absolutely. Totally down for that.
I think Nate's idea to post it on the end is good. It makes for a good wrap-up.
I really like the idea of an honorable mention list at the end. I'll definitely add that to the final post when it comes around.
Just finished writing the first post, by the way. I e-mailed you the contents of the post in a text file.
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