Having helped host the /r/anime Awards the past couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure
of experiencing some… you could say “unique” moments.
The first year we did the livestream, technical difficulties led to Aleczandxr being stuck
in a loop, saying “Every show has to have an endgame” over and over, much to chat’s
amusement and my chagrin.
We had some similarly quirky moments this year, like when Hayasaka drastically changed
appearance,
or witnessing Arkada’s utter disbelief at our results.
But I have to say, the most impactful one must be unveiling Anime of the Year.
It was like watching a dam in a torrential downpour, straining against all of the built
up anticipation 4 long hours had wrought—just knowing it was about to burst.
And uh, burst it did, unleashing with it a mixture of disbelief, confusion, and above
all else, immediate skepticism.
Hugtto Precure?
Winning against powerhouses like Attack on Titan, Mob Psycho, and Vinland Saga?
Had anyone even heard of it?!
Almost immediately, the subreddit thread was flooded with comments about how the result
was so obviously biased, asking where we found all these teenage girls to make up the AotY
jury, and many, many unsolicited suggestions at how we could prevent something like this
from ever happening again.
Not to say there weren’t supportive and nice comments, but never in my life have I
been so disappointed by the amount of vitriol the result received.
I mean, I know awards are supposed to be salty but this is ridiculous!
Especially because even disregarding my own personal feelings towards the series, I think
the fact that these awards allows for this kind of result to be its greatest strength.
First of all, jurors are selected and sorted into juries completely based on a blind application.
You’re chosen based on just how well you can articulate your thoughts, how much time
you have to cram shows into your brain, and where you want to be placed.
The application is posted months before the awards start and is open to everyone, meaning
if you want your voice to be heard, all you have to do is put in the work.
Show after show is systematically considered, watched, and discussed, for months on end!
Almost none of the AotY jury had even seen Hugtto coming into the awards, and therein
lies the power of the system.
You just need one person advocating for a show to bring a good amount of attention,
and that attention can snowball if you’re able to make your case.
And considering the result, I’m guessing that case was made.
Look, I’m sorry some beloved shows got placed under what on the surface is a slightly more
grown up version of Lazy Town.
But rather than automatically taking that as an insult like it seems most people did,
how about maybe accepting that it might be a testament to its quality?
Because now this *is* on a personal note, I’m betting the majority of, if not 90%,
of those complainy comments have seen any Precure, let alone Hugtto, and never even
planned to give it a chance.
Which I find to be a real shame, because you do no favors artificially limiting yourself
and the shows you watch.
My mean score is like an 8, I think Attack on Titan is good.
I think Kimetsu no Yaiba is… good.
It just so happens that I think Hugtto is just as good, if not better.
And almost ironically, I see a lot of the best parts of the other nominees in Hugtto
as well.
For example, many people adore Vinland Saga for its depiction of a truly morally ambiguous
character in Askeladd.
It’s a delight when a show is able to have a character do absolutely horrible things,
and somehow still have the audience on their side.
We’re constantly in the dark in regards to his motivations, unpredictable up until
the very last moment.
And I completely agree that having antagonists you can root for in a series is a major boon.
It shows a level of writing skill and care in characterization that is hard to find.
However, I find Hugtto’s villains similarly empathetic.
Criasu, a portmanteau of “kurai” meaning darkness, and “asu” meaning tomorrow,
combining to make “crisis,” form a corporation whose employees serve to impede the Precure
at every opportunity.
But at the end of the day, their motivations are quite noble.
Their goal is to freeze time in place and rob humanity of their tomorrow…comically
evil I know.
But they believe it to be in service of the greater good.
Each individual villain the Precure face has seen the harm and suffering that the future
possibly brings—their own dreams dashed as their wills succumb more and more to the
harsh reality of society.
All they want is to do is prevent others from suffering in the same way.
While quite obviously misguided, this sentiment is hard not to identify with.
Life *is* continually a struggle—it is this premise that Hana and friends are forced to
accept, but also try and convince Criasu that it is worth pursuing true happiness anyway.
As such, villains in Hugtto are not treated as monstrous demons whose bloodlust must be
stopped at all costs, but rather hurt individuals who need to be shown that there is another
way.
It is here that Hugtto and another Anime of the Year nominee, Demon Slayer, blend together.
One of the most defining traits of Tanjirou is his quizzical compassion towards creatures
that others deem abominations.
A recurring theme of Kimetsu no Yaiba is the grey nature of life, and that although sometimes
one must fight, you can do so with compassion.
He acknowledges that very rarely, if at all, do demons wish they were demons.
Instead, they often carry very real, very human concerns—whether that be doubting
their ability in a past life, or simply just desperately wishing for a family of their
own.
Likewise, the Hugtto villains suffer from their own relatable worries that often spill
forth from them, desperately striving to be heard and understood… and the Precure are
there for them.
Fortunately, unlike the demons in Kimetsu no Yaiba, they are often in a position to
be rehabilitated rather than needing to be beheaded.
Hugtto says that there is a strength in femininity, that it is far harder to act with compassion
than hatred, but also that nothing in this world worth having comes easy.
We can acknowledge that much of life is suffering, but that truth only means we must work harder
than ever to support one another.
Redemption exists, be you demon or corporate slave, if you just believe in not only us,
but in yourself.
Believing in yourself isn’t limited to what others expect you to be or any so-called lane
you fit in.
That is one of the major themes of Mob Psycho, but especially its second season.
Time and time again, stereotypes are shown to be descriptors rather than definers.
Being part of a group or having a particular hobby doesn’t say anything about you other
than that you belong to that group or have that hobby.
You determine your own path.
If you’re a gyaru that likes to write, you can write.
Just because you’re a so-called delinquent or brawny jock doesn’t mean you can’t
be supportive or have respect for your fellow classmate.
And as long as you’re earnestly striving to be better and pushing forward—your past
atrocities do not define you.
You owe it to yourself to push back against those who would lead you astray, but also
recognize that there is a seductive siren call in relinquishing the fate of your own
future.
Instead of chastising others for finally having had enough, we can try to provide them with
the tools and support to succeed.
Hugtto’s unceasing catchphrase is “you can do anything, you can be anything.”
When asked in an interview, producer Keisuke Naito explains that the two things they wanted
to focus on were themes of diversity and self-affirmation.
He says, “Yes, that’s right.
‘You can be more confident in yourself,’ ‘you have more potential within you,’
‘you can like yourself more,’ these are all messages we somehow wanted to convey.
And then, ‘the future stretches out in front of you and you can become anything you want
to be.”
Hugtto’s cast reinforces this idea that you should love yourself, no matter who you
are.
They span across a great spectrum, coming from different backgrounds, family situations,
and gender identities.
When the shows says you can do anything, you can be anything, they mean you, regardless
of who you are and where you come from.
If you’re a girl, you can be a hero.
If you’re a boy, you can wear a dress.
If you’re either or neither, sometimes you still need to rely on others for protection
and support—and that’s okay.
You’re not lesser for needing so.
If you want to be a Precure, you can be.
We’re all in this together.
Lastly, Precure operates with a level of genre savviness and understanding of tropes that
is hard to find.
Those same aspects are why something like Kaguya is so consistently praised.
Not only is it a romcom that doesn’t rely on meaningless drama and convoluted love dodecahedrons
to be engaging, it does so while poking fun at those same shows… and itself.
Progression is slow but there, and no cliche or expectation is free from potentially being
exploited or escalated to the point of ridiculous hilarity.
I find that Precure also relishes in the cliches and tropes of both the mahou shoujo genre
as well as romantic implications.
They certainly know how to harness the power of expectation, leading you one way until
putting its own spin on it and doing it different from the rest.
There is an arc in particular that deals with the subject of one-sided love through the
lens of The Little Mermaid, and it is a fantastic exploration of those feelings and nuances
seldom seen in other shows.
Hugtto itself is utterly unique, both as a Precure entry as well as a mahou shoujo show.
I find it interesting that a main criticism of Hugtto Precure is “I’m not a little
girl so why should I watch a show for one,” when it accomplishes so many of what all these
shows do—many of which just so happen to be targeted at little boys.
I watch anime because it provides a completely unique experience I can’t get anywhere else,
and for the very fact that it does offer so many varied perspectives.
I’m not saying that if you don’t like Hugtto, you’re wrong, or even necessarily
that it deserves Anime of the Year.
But is it so bad for it to be really?
You think that it’s so baffling, so incomprehensible for it to be even considered?
Rankings are the ultimate matter of taste, and no matter what combination these ten shows
were in, you’d have some people moaning.
What’s so wrong with celebrating a show that describes the best that humanity can
be?
That celebrates differences whether that be your interests, long-term goals, or orientation?
That acknowledges that sometimes people make mistakes or get frustrated and can do bad
things, but that your worst moments and thoughts don’t define who you are?
A show that’s helmed by Junichi Satou, the wildly renowned quote unquote “father of
mahou shoujo,” accompanied by some of the most skilled cinematography, animation, and
sound production that I’ve seen?
It’s one result of 10, and there’s an entire separate ranking for you that has it
dead last.
Instead of reacting with intense skepticism, disdain, and contempt for an awards show that
dozens of people worked for free to bring you—how about trying the impossible.
Giving it a chance?
And if all of that didn’t convince you, I’ll just leave off on the immortal words
of the Pedantic Romantic.
Thanks for watching!
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Tune in a couple days from now for a channel update describing some ideas I had for the
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And of course, if anything I said was wrong, I’m sorry.
I must’ve stuttered.