AMVs! Thousands of ‘em!
Well seven. But they’re all really good.
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Anime: Various
Song: Vanilla Sky – Umbrella
I’m not in love with the song for this one and I’m only vaguely familiar with most of the featured anime, but in the end I only really ask one thing of an AMV, and that’s that it makes me tingle. This one makes me tingle.
Best Selection: 2:30 – 2:36. Build-up, pause, release, tingle.
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Anime: Star Trek (Star Trek is an honorary anime)
Song: Maps
I’m not much of a shipper. When I do ship it’s usually for at least vaguely canonish couples like Mustang x Hawkeye or Tanis x Lauralanthalasa, but Kirk x Spock is a love for the ages.
(Actually, just writing that I couldn’t help but think, “Kirk x Spock IS a canon couple”.)
(Don’t ship Kirk and Spock? You do now.)
Best Selection: STAR MAPS.
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Anime: Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Song: Ellie Goulding – Every Time You Go
I recently finished watching Puella Magi and, as expected, it tore me apart—not least because the way in which it tore me apart was totally different to what I was expecting. I cried all the way through the last episode then couldn’t sleep for thinking about it. Great series. Great series.
(By the way, this AMV contains some pretty big spoilers for a show that really shouldn’t be spoiled at all—I was lucky enough to go in knowing nothing about it except that it was something of a deconstruction of the Magical Girl genre. If you haven’t already I recommend you watch the show now—NOW—and then watch this.)
Anyway, I haven’t watched many AMVs for Puella Magi yet (spoiler avoidance, you know how it is) but out of those I’ve seen I chose this one because if you don’t ship Madoka x Homura then WHAT WERE YOU WATCHING?
Best Selection: do you know the regrets I paid / for all the times I saved
(Oh Homura.)
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Anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Song: My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
he said son when / you grow up / would you be / the saviour of the broken / the beaten and the damned
It’s almost spooky how well this song matches the anime. Fantastic AMV. Just excellent in every possible way.
Best Selection: Kind of, sort of, basically all of it. Look, just the fact that it manages to make TTGL even more epic is incredible.
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Anime: Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Song: Globus – Orchard of Mines
Another tingly AMV, although I felt the ending was a teensy bit weak—or just not quite as strong as the rest, maybe. I’m in the middle of re-watching Brotherhood now, and it’s amazing just how much I want to just keep going all the way through. That’s the mark of a truly great story, I think, even when you know what’s going to happen you still get pulled through so strongly.
Best Selection: Ed trying so desperately to reach Al with the music and the flashes of memory and excuse me I’ve just got something in my eye
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Anime: Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuuutsu
Song: The Veronicas – 4ever
There are a lot of things to praise about this one, but mostly I like it because it reminds me of how much I like Haruhi, despite her faults (and she has her share).
Best Selection: Haruhi failing to throw grass in Kyon’s face was basically a perfect moment. I mean … it’s not really anything the AMV did. But still. Perfect moment.
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Anime: Darker Than Black
Song: Darkwing Duck Theme
THE CONCEPT ALONE MERITS INCLUSION
Best Selection: DARKER THAN DUCK
