HSMediaNerd's Best Media of 2014 Finalists
Best Setup:
Books
The Maze Runner
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| I stated in my review of this series that the setup is "simple, yet effective". I still stand by that statement. You don't always need something huge and elaborate to grab the audience's attention, but something that is interesting and leaves room for potential. The Maze Runner succeeds in this front, even if later on there is much to be desired. |
Anime
Parasyte
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| I have yet to finish this anime due to the fact that it's still currently airing, but I can safely say that the setup it phenomenal. So far, the show has been utilizing its potential incredibly well, possibly making this one of the best airing anime that I've ever watched. Here's to hoping it stays that way! |
Movies
Nightcrawler
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| I want to see this movie so badly it's not even funny. The setup is so good that it automatically wins even though I have yet to determine if it lives up to its setup. However, according to multiple movie lovers that I follow, apparently it does. |
Best Characters:
Books
Persepolis
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| Out of the many reasons why I love these books, I think the characters all played a huge part in it. Each character introduced all had a part to play, whether it be against or for the main character, and they all felt developed and refined. It's rare to find a cast as well-rounded as this. |
Anime
Kuroko's Basketball
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| Sure, from a critical perspective, these characters aren't the most complex or original. Well, I don't care. I can barely recall a time when I loved a cast of characters this much, to the point where I was literally cheering them on and felt extraordinarily happy when they scored the winning basket. In fact, the characters are the main reason I love the show, and should be recognized for that in my opinion. |
Movies
Fargo
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| This cast of characters wins solely because of how strange and quirky most are, and how I felt really mixed towards them. For example, there was a character whom I wanted to hug and punch in the face at the same time, and I can't remember ever feeling that way about a character before. Also, Margie is awesome. 'Nuff said. |
Best Story:
Books
Don't Look Back
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| Out of all the books I've read this year, none had me on the edge of my seat like this book did. Nowadays, with my limited schedule, it takes me weeks to finish a book. This book took me a day. That says something about the quality of the story. Not to mention all of the themes, twists, and surprises along the way. |
Anime
Kyousougiga
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| It was a toss-up between Kyousougiga and Ergo Proxy for this one, but I'm going with Kyousougiga because of how its story is presented. It's so crazy and non-linear, but knows when to slow down and let the emotions sink in. It can be really confusing, but is also incredibly heartfelt and knows what it wants to talk about. I'll probably review this soon to get my full thoughts across, but for now, just know that this is one of the best family stories ever told. |
Movies
Aliens
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| This story had me on the edge of my seat wondering throughout the entire thing, to the point where I actually felt scared. There is so much creativity and incredibly tense moments in this film that I can't even count them. It's just a textbook fantastic story, nothing more, nothing less. |
Presentations:
Books (Writing Style/Grammatical Errors)
Persepolis
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| Okay, maybe this is cheating because it's technically a graphic novel, but at the same time, the book wouldn't have had the same impact if it had been written normally. I love the illustrations and depictions of Marjane's life through the drawings, and I wouldn't have it any other way. |
Anime (Animation and Sound)
Terror in Resonance
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| I'm going to be perfectly honest; I'm not the biggest fan of this show. It's not nearly as bad as some people will make it out to be, nor is it a masterpiece like others claim. However, one undisputed aspect within this show is the presentation, which is just phenomenal. Shinchiro Watanabe's direction, the gorgeous visuals, and the melancholic soundtrack by Yoko Kano make this show stand out, and is what saves it from being horribly mediocre in my opinion. |
Movies (Presentation)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
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| I've always liked Wes Anderson's style in his films, like how in Moonrise Kingdom there were exaggerated yellows, greens, and browns, while in Fantastic Mr. Fox there is a lot of interesting imagery. Grand Budapest is no exception. The colors in this movie are wonderful, with stand-out costumes and set pieces that are sure to intrigue the viewer. It's nice to see such a creative director in this day and age. |
Crossovers:
Best Anime Movie
Kara no Kyoukai Movie 7
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| No words can describe my love for this film. Shut up, that doesn't sound cheesy. Seriously, though, I can't explain it. It's just a perfect combination of everything I love in anime, and the last half-hour is nearly unmatched in anything that I've seen period. If you decide to watch Kara no Kyoukai, do so, if only to watch this final film. |
Best Movie Adaptation of a Book
The Shawshank Redemption
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| As my first venture into Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption is a fantastic film. I can't say for sure how well it was adapted (I'll read the book eventually), but as a stand-alone movie, it was wonderful on so many levels. |
The Worst:
Least Favorite Character- Books
Patch - Hush, Hush
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| So, tell me if this is logical: the love interest Patch originally treats the main character Nora like trash, and Nora does her best to avoid him. However, he pretty much stalks here, tries to KILL her, and then suddenly in the middle of the book proclaims that he's in love with her. Ah-ha, no. Why is he the love interest again? |
Least Favorite Character- Anime
Hanamiya - Kuroko's Basketball
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| It's funny that from the best cast of characters (in my opinion) this year comes one of the most detestable characters I've ever seen period. Granted, he's a pretty well-written character, as you can clearly see that he has a superiority complex and can't stand losing, but that doesn't really make me hate him any less. He cheats, injures other players, and smiles all the way. What a jerk. |
Least Favorite Character- Movies
Warden Samuel Norton - The Shawshank Redemption
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| I can't really discuss this character without spoiling too much, and being vague about it will just make the Warden sound like a completely generic villain, so I'm going to leave it at this: subtlety will take you a long way. Watch the movie for that to make sense. |
Worst Book of 2013
Predestined
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| Screw this book. While reading it, I was either bashing my head against a wall or laughing at moments that were supposed to be taken seriously. I'm not going to act like Existence was the best book ever, but you'd think that a decent book would have a decent follow-up. Well, you guessed wrongly there. |
Worst Anime of 2013
The Future Diary
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| I get the fact that hating on Future Diary is getting rather old, but that doesn't stop me from disliking this show any less. I'm sorry, while there were some moments I liked and quite a few enjoyable side characters, everything else is just abysmal on so many levels to me! It also doesn't help that the "dark" moments are so over-the-top and incredulous that it's almost insulting. |
Worst Movie of 2013
Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Sea of Monsters
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| As a stand-alone film, it's generic and offers nothing new. As an adaptation, this movie physically hurt me. Somehow, by trying to follow the book more than the last film, this movie was made even worse! Also, for a movie about Greek Mythology, it's rather odd that they got the story about Cronus and his children completely wrong, don't you think? |
The Best:
Favorite Character- Books
Samantha - Never Look Back
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| Samantha is my favorite book character of this year because of how different her past and present selves are from each other, and how the book uses this to its advantage. It made her a very interesting character, and one that I wanted to see make up for her mistakes and become a better person in the end. Luckily, she did. |
Favorite Character- Anime
Hachiman Hikigaya - My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
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| Honestly, are any of you surprised by this? How many times have I brought up on the interwebs that Hachiman Hikigaya is my favorite character in anime? Too many. And I won't be stopping anytime soon. |
Favorite Character- Movies
Ellen Ripley- Aliens
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| Ripley is awesome, 'nuff said. Okay, that's not substantive reasoning, but to be honest, that's...kind of it. I just admire her strength and no-nonsense attitude, putting most other female characters to shame. That's enough for me. |
Best Book of 2013
Persepolis
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| Honestly, by this point, this shouldn't be a surprise. This is the only piece of entertainment that I've given 10s to in every single section. That should say enough about what I think of this book. |
Best Anime of 2013
Steins;Gate
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| Out of all the great anime I saw this year, none really impacted me the way Steins;Gate did. It's creative, well-written, and emotionally gripping. Sure, the first half is slow, but the second half is worth it. Is it for everyone? No. Is it for me? Yes. |
Best Movie of 2013
The Grand Budapest Hotel
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| Hilarious, quirky to a fault, and just incredibly enjoyable, this is my favorite Wes Anderson film and one of my favorites in general. Everything from the presentation to the peculiar characters and situations to the music is wonderful, and it should be recognized by more people. |
What I'm Most Excited For in 2015:
Book:
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| This was recommended to me by a friend, and while I'm not entirely sure if it's already released, I'm excited to read this. According to my friend, it's amazing, and I normally trust her judgment when it comes to books. |
Anime:
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| An anime based off of Death Billiards, my favorite short film of all time? Madhouse studios? It's going to be released in January? Am I dreaming? I'm so excited that I can barely contain myself. |
Movies:
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| As a fan of comic book movies, this film looks like it will be awesome. Will it be clichéd, possibly cheesy, and over-the-top? Yes. But I'm still excited anyway. I hope you all had a fantastic new year. Sorry about the delay, I've been rather busy lately. I'll see you all in my next review! |
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