Fanime AMV Contest 2018
With the close of Fanime, it is time to look at the wonderful AMVs that people far more talented than I have created for our amusement. For those who do not know AMVs, or anime music videos, are videos created using an audio backing, such as a song or movie trailer, and many clips painstakingly cut from one or more anime. Below, I will discuss the highlights of Fanime's AMV contests with links (when available) to the videos.
ACTION
Category Winner: Hell of a Feeling by shorisquared
There are some times when the style of the anime and song are so perfectly matched that the creation of a winning video seems almost inevitable. The surreal violence of Kizumonogatari works beautifully with Panic at the Disco's upbeat song "Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time." Check out the video here:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3d0dC9ef8M[/embed]
My Honorable Mention: Psiodyne by AlbinoPlant
I have not had the pleasure of watching Mob Psycho 100, but the anime pairs well with Chop Suey! by System of a Down - one of my all time favorite bands. The cutting in this video is smooth and the song punctuates the rage of the protagonist with Serge's screaming. Check out the video here:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhySJdXf_yE[/embed]
DRAMA
Category Winner and Judge's Best in Show: Familiar by shorisquared
The video's description on YouTube reads "I just wanted to make people cry." And with a combination of Sarah McLachlan's When She Loved me from Toy Story and the depressing anime about a girl and the loss of her cat, She and Her Cat: Everything Flows, there is no doubt the creator was going to succeed. If you have ever loved and lost a cat, this video will speak to you on a gut level:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wawpaPDsSpA[/embed]
Audience Best in Show: You Will Never Leave Me by Maboroshi Studio
The song Hidden Citizens by Fur Elise is the quintessential suspense music. The creator of this video paced his cuts from Memories beautifully, punctuating each intense moment of the song with sudden movement from the anime. The fact that it lost its category but won best in show from the audience tells me that people loved it, but didn't want to vote forr it for drama because Familiar made them cry much more. Check it out here:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML5oKWDdHnY[/embed]
TRAILERS
This was the year for trailers. Unlike with the others, I am not able to really separate the best from the worst. They were all great combinations. The winner pairing of Attack on Titan with Sausage Party is the most comedic, but all of these were so well done combined that they are individually worth watch. Check them out below:
Outlaws of the Galaxy 2:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNw2j4pNYlE[/embed]
Pride + Prejudice + Butlers:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr9mVHzj1VQ[/embed]
Beauty and the Ancient Magus:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9GW-42utkI[/embed]
Sausage Corps (Winner):[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRxJjNXL9Hs[/embed]
Manly Manly Models - I could not find this video, but here is a link to the author's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChf-c-4sxTpQFHAgszE33eQ
UPBEAT
Category Winner and My Vote for Best in Show: Shiny Teeth by Glitzer
This is probably one of the best supercuts of multiple anime that I have seen combined with a wonderfully fun song. The anime are combined seamlessly to beautiful comedic effect. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the video on YouTube. But here is a link to the author's YouTube page. Maybe by the time you read this he will have uploaded it: https://www.youtube.com/user/GlitzerAMVs
My Honorable Mention: Anime MasterChef by AntaresHeart07
I was sure this was going to be my vote for this category until I saw Shiny Teeth. I know little of the song, but the video includes a chef's competition between characters from different anime that was so well edited that I had trouble telling which characters actually didn't belong in the competition kitchen. You'll see what I mean when you watch this:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs_mH4QnAe4[/embed]
COMEDY
Category Winner: Dunces & Dragons by Mycathatesyou69 and King Redeem
Ninja Sex Party is hard to beat since their songs are already very funny. The Authors do a great job of linking the song to most Konosuba in a way that feels fun and fresh. Also, the surprise ending of this one really makes the video. Check it out below:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1lprPyCVqg[/embed]
My Honorable Mention: Bizzare Dancer by Mr. Shmucker
Handsome Dancer is generally a kind of weird but enjoyable song. The combination with Jojo's Bizzare Adventure pushes this one over the top, though. If you like strange and weird and bright and fun, this is the video for you. Unfortunately, he has not uploaded this video yet, but here is a link to his channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7CUY8gKVU_DcFS2hu9Nm9Q
SPECIAL HONORABLY MENTION
While this video did not play at Fanime, who doesn't love an upbeat My Hero Academia video? Zero to Hero is a great pairing given the similarities between the journey in MHA and Hercules. Check it out below:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofqWWMjeW_I[/embed]
