#Summer 2021 Anime nominated for the Aspect Awards in the 8th Anime Trending Awards

The staff of Anime Trending has finally selected the Summer 2021 anime that will compete in the seven Aspect Award categories of the 8th Anime Trending Awards! As per its existing procedures, the staff has nominated two anime per awards category. 

Later this year, four more nominees will be added to each category. Two of these will come from the currently ongoing Fall 2021 season, and the other two will be wildcard picks from any season this year. 

As for the Summer 2021 nominees, you can find them in the list below:

Best in Adapted Screenplay:

Aims to recognize anime adaptations that excelled in pacing, dialogue, and other scriptwriting/ series composition aspects.  

1. Kageki Shoujo!!

•  Series Composition:  Tadashi Morishita (Yona of the Dawn)

2. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S

•  Series Composition:  Yuka Yamada (Asteroid in Love, WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me)

Best in Animation:

Aims to recognize anime that impressed with their animation. 

1. Love Live! Superstar!!

•  Chief Animation Directors: Saitou Atsushi, Tomioka Hiroshi, Sano Keiichi
•  Animation Directors:   Katou Ai, Nishimura Aya, Kimura Ayaka, Irei Eri, Shimizu Fumino, Deng JiaMei, Yamazaki Jun, Ichihara Keiko, Tokuda Kenrou, Ishii Kumi, Tominaga Mari, Itou Mariko, Hinata Masaki, Tsuji Masatoshi, Satou Masayuki, Nagayama Megumi, Sugimoto Miho, Gotou Nozomu, Hisamatsu Saki, Ojiri Shin`ya, Yamamura Shunsuke, Kikugawa Takashi, Mogi Takuji, Mizuno Tatsuya, Yoshida Yuuichi, Kitajima Yuuki
• In-Between Animation: Kodama Hikaru, Ooizumi Yurina, Satou Rumi, Tominaga Takeshi, Adachi Masahiko, Nakagome Toshie, Suzuki Fumiko
• Key Animation: Abe Takuji, Arai Hirotoshi, Arai Tatsuya, Arakaki Issei, Deng JiaMei, Ebisawa Maiko, Higashi Kentarou, Hirano Emi, Hisamatsu Saki, Honda Hiroyuki, Iimura Shin`ichi, Ikegami Rie, Ikezu Sue, Imoto Kazuaki, Irei Eri, Itou Yuki, Kajitani Mitsuharu, Kakihata Fumino, Kameda Tomoyuki, Kamei Daisuke, Kanetaka Rika, Kasukawa Miyuki, Katou Teruyo, Kawamori Noboru, Kimishima Shigeru, Kimura Ayaka, Kudou Yuki, Kuroiwa Natsumi, Matsuda Moe, Matsumoto Genki, Matsuura Miho, Miyahara Takuya, Mizuno Tatsuya, Mogi Takuji, Mori Atsushi, Morimoto Akie, Nagahara Keita, Nagayama Ayumi, Nakai Jun, Nakayama Naoya, Nishida Asako, Nishimichi Takuya, Nishimura Mariko, Nishimura Yuuki, Nozawa Karen, Ogawa Rina, Okamura Reiko, Onoda Masahito, Ooizumi Yurina, Oota Nobutaka, Sada Takeshi, Satou Kouichi, Satou Masayuki, Shibata Kotone, Shima Arisa, Shimizu Fumino, Sugitani Kouichi, Sunrise Sakuga Juku, Takahashi Ayako, Takahashi Tatsuya, Tokuda Kenrou, Tokunaga Ryuushi, Tomiki Yumiko, Tomioka Hiroshi, Tsuji Masatoshi, Umezu Akane, Watana Ken`ichi, Watanabe Yukari, Yamamoto Hiroshi, Yamamoto Yuuko, Yokota Takumi, Yoshida Kousuke, Yoshida Yuuichi, Yoshiyama Takashi, Yoshiyama Yuu, Yutoku Haruka

2. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S

• Chief Animation Director: Nobuaki Maruki (Amagi Brilliant Park)
• Animation Directors: Kayo Hikiyama, Kazumi Ikeda, Kohei Okamura, Mariko Takahashi, Miku Kadowaki , Seiya Kumano, Yuki Tsunod, Nobuaki Maruki
• In-Between Animation: Emi Nakano, Fumiyasu Kodaka, Hana Hosoda, Haruki Sakamoto, Hiroko Kuroda, Kaori Furukawa, Kazuhiko Horikawa, Kenji Murayama, Kiyoka Negi, Maki Inoue, Manami Natsumeda, Motoki Matsumura, Nami Kumasaki, Naoki Nakanishi, Naoko Fujita, Natsumi Tada, Nishizaki Hayana, Noriko Kashihara, Teruyoshi Shidou, Tomofumi Sugitani, Yukiko Kai, Yumi Ookawa, Yumiko Hashi, Yuuki Noguchi
• Key Animation: Aoi Matsumoto, Aya Hikita, Chiharu Kuroda, Chinatsu Kamo, Hiroshi Karata, Kayo Hikiyama, Kengo Narimatsu, Kohei Okamura, Kunihiro Hane, Kyōhei Andō, Maiko Hado, Mariko Takahashi, Mei Isai, Minoru Ōta, Momoka Yoshizaki, Nami Kumasaki, Rie Sezaki, Ryo Miyaki, Ryouhei Muta, Sae Sawada, Saeko Fujita, Seiya Kumano, Shinpei Sawa, Shun Itokawa, Taichi Ishidate, Taira Yamaguchi, Tamami Tokuyama, Tatsuya Satou, Tomomi Sato, Yoshinori Urata, Yuki Yokoyama, Yurika Oono, Yūsuke Miyahara,

Best in Character Design

Aims to recognize anime that have distinctive and eye-grabbing character designs.

1. Love Live! Superstar!!

• Character Design: Atsushi Saitou (High School Fleet)

2. The Case Study of Vanitas

• Character Design: Yoshiyuki Ito (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Best in Original Screenplay  

Aims to recognize original anime that excelled in pacing, dialogue, and other scriptwriting/ series composition aspects. The category counts shows that premiere around the same period as their non-anime media counterparts (eg. Scarlet Nexus) are counted as “originals.”

1. Sonny Boy

• Script: Shingo Natsume (One Punch Man)

2. The Aquatope on White Sand

• Series Composition: Yuuko Kakihara (IRODUKU: The World in Colors, Tsuki ga Kirei) 

Best in Sceneries and Visuals

Aims to recognize anime that impressed with their background art, as well as other elements like compositing, colors, storyboarding, and layouts. 

1. Sonny Boy

• Art Director: Mari Fujino (Dororo)

2. The Aquatope on White Sand

• Art Director: Kurumi Suzuki (IRODUKU: The World in Colors)

Best in Soundtrack

Aims to recognize anime that consistently featured fitting and memorable tracks and insert songs. 

1. The Case Study of Vanitas

• Music: Yuki Kajiura (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Fate/Zero, Sword Art Online)

2. The Duke of Death and His Maid

• Music: Gen Okuda (debut work), Takeshi Watanabe (To Love-Ru)

Best in Voice Cast

Aims to recognize excellent voice acting performance by an anime’s cast.

1. Kageki Shoujo!!

• Main Cast Members: Yumiri Hanamori, Kana Hanazawa, Mikako Komatsu, Takehito Koyasu, Risae Matsuda, Satsumi Matsuda, Hiroki Nanami, Kenji Nojima, Rico Sasaki, Sayaka Senbongi, Junichi Suwabe, Yō Taichi, Kengo Takanashi, Yuka Terasaki, Sumire Uesaka

2. Life Lessons with Uramichi Onii-san

• Main Cast Members: Natsuki Hanae, Kenyuu Horiuchi, Hiroshi Kamiya, Ryohei Kimura, Shinichiro Miki, Mamoru Miyano, Nana Mizuki, Kazuya Nakai, Yūichi Nakamura, Daisuke Ono, Rina Satou, Tomokazu Sugita, Kenichi Suzumura, Minami Takahashi

The Aspect Awards are just seven out of the 28 awards annually presented by Anime Trending. The partial list of nominees for the other awards to be presented in the 8th Anime Trending Awards are available on its nomination portal.