The Aspect Awards are where the Anime Trending Awards group technical categories, such as animation, character design, and episode storyboarding and directing, with nominees selected by Anime Trending staff through popular vote. Below are the Aspect Awards winners for the 12th Anime Trending Awards.
The winner of the Best Animation race this year was Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, whose sway over voters’ hearts allowed it to emerge victorious over mighty opponents like CITY THE ANIMATION, Takopi’s Original Sin, and Mono. The horse girl sports anime’s closest competitor turned out to be the climactic My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, while the second runner-up was GACHIAKUTA.
Umamusume: Cinderella Gray’s domination also extended to the Best Character Design and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. Takuya Miyahara and Keigo Sasaki were credited as character designers on both cours of the anime, while Yosuke Fukumoto joined them in the second cour. The series composition was handled by Aki Kindaichi.
When it came to Best Sceneries and Visuals, voters flocked to the historical-Chinese-like scenery of The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 (Season 1 was present in the last Anime Trending Awards, but was not nominated for this category). It secured 31.9% of the voting shares for Best Sceneries and Visuals, the highest percentage of any Aspect Award winner this year, and the only one above 30%. Conversely, it won Best Soundtrack with a slim lead of under a hundred votes over Kenji Kawai’s Umamusume: Cinderella Gray score.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 has color design from Misato Aida, background art direction from Katsumi Takao, and compositing/photography direction from Mayo Suzuki. The music was composed by Arisa Okehazama, Kevin Penkin, and Satoru Kousaki.
In the Best Episode Directing and Storyboarding category, the impactful, unfiltered introduction to the troubling world of Takopi’s Original Sin (“To You in 2016”) scored the most votes, although My Dress-Up Darling Season 2’s own first episode, a charming premiere with immersive layouts, came close to taking the win. “To You in 2016” was storyboarded and directed by Shinya Iino, the show’s director and series composer.
For the remaining categories, anime production-themed isekai ZENSHU (series composer: Kimiko Ueno) won Best Original Screenplay, while Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- S3: Counterattack Arc won Best Voice Cast. The Re:ZERO cast at present includes Yusuke Kobayashi (Subaru Natsuki), Rie Takahashi (Emilia), Satomi Arai (Beatrice), Kohei Amasaki (Otto), Rie Murakawa (Ram), and Takuya Eguchi (Julius Juukulius).
Below are the full results:
| BEST IN ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Series Composition | Votes | % |
| 1 | Umamusume: Cinderella Gray | Aki Kindaichi | 5,076 | 27.26% |
| 2 | The Apothecary Diaries S2 | Norihiro Naganuma | 4,420 | 23.74% |
| 3 | Takopi’s Original Sin | Shinya Iino | 3,903 | 20.96% |
| 4 | Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- S3: Counterattack Arc | Masahiro Yokotani | 3,397 | 18.25% |
| 5 | My Dress-Up Darling S2 | Yoriko Tomita | 3,288 | 17.66% |
| 6 | Orb: On The Movements of the Earth | Shingo Irie | 2,387 | 12.82% |
| 7 | The Summer Hikaru Died | Ryouhei Takeshita | 2,056 | 11.04% |
| 8 | Blue Box | Yuuko Kakihara | 1,515 | 8.14% |
| 9 | Medalist | Jukki Hanada | 1,209 | 6.49% |
| 10 | This Monster Wants To Eat Me | Mitsutaka Hirota | 753 | 4.04% |
| 11 | Anne Shirley | Natsuko Takahashi | 697 | 3.74% |
| BEST IN ANIMATION | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Chief Animation Director | Votes | % |
| 1 | Umamusume: Cinderella Gray | Chief Animation Directors: Yousuke Fukumoto Atsushi Komori Masashi Nomura Sayuri Sakimoto Akira Takata | 4,958 | 26.69% |
| 2 | My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON | Chief Animation Director: Hitomi Odashima | 4,273 | 23.00% |
| 3 | GACHIAKUTA | Chief Animation Director: Satoshi Ishino | 4,025 | 21.67% |
| 4 | My Dress-Up Darling S2 | Chief Animation Directors: Kazumasa Ishida Jun Yamazaki Yohei Yaegashi | 3,649 | 19.64% |
| 5 | Takopi’s Original Sin | Chief Animation Director: Keita Nagahara | 3,484 | 18.75% |
| 6 | Solo Leveling S2 -Arise from the Shadow- | Chief Animation Directors: Chiaki Furuzumi Tomoko Katasho Hiromi Ogata Tomoko Sudo Hirotaka Tokuda Kento Toya Yukiko Busa | 2,754 | 14.82% |
| 7 | CITY THE ANIMATION | Chief Animation Director: Tamami Tokuyama | 2,058 | 11.08% |
| 8 | My Happy Marriage S2 | Chief Animation Directors: Yuki Fukuda Kuniyuki Itou Kazuko Nakayama Ga Young Park Hikaru Sato | 1,642 | 8.84% |
| 9 | APOCALYPSE HOTEL | Chief Animation Director: Natsuki Yokoyama | 1,009 | 5.43% |
| 10 | Mono | Chief Animation Director: Takuya Miyahara | 809 | 4.35% |
| BEST IN CHARACTER DESIGN | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Character Designer | Votes | % |
| 1 | Umamusume: Cinderella Gray | Keigo Sasaki, Takuya Miyahara | 4,972 | 28.12% |
| 2 | The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity | Kohei Tokuoka | 4,420 | 25.00% |
| 3 | My Dress-Up Darling S2 | Kazumasa Ishida | 4,282 | 24.22% |
| 4 | Takopi’s Original Sin | Keita Nagahara | 3,768 | 21.31% |
| 5 | Blue Box | Miho Tanino | 2,671 | 15.11% |
| 6 | The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really REALLY Love You S2 | Akane Yano | 2,064 | 11.67% |
| 7 | SANDA | Masamichi Ishiyama | 1,299 | 7.35% |
| 8 | My Happy Marriage S2 | Shouko Yasuda | 1,263 | 7.14% |
| 9 | APOCALYPSE HOTEL | Natsuki Yokoyama | 1,053 | 5.96% |
| 10 | My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s | Hirona Okada, Kaori Saito | 997 | 5.64% |
| 11 | Yaiba: Samurai Legend | Yoshimichi Kameda | 694 | 3.92% |
| BEST IN EPISODE DIRECTING AND STORYBOARD | ||||
| Rank | Episode Title – Anime Title | Episode Director and Storyboard | Votes | % |
| 1 | To You in 2016′ – Takopi’s Original Sin EP 1 | Shinya Ino (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 5,243 | 30.84% |
| 2 | ‘Wakana Gojo, 15 Years Old, Teenager’ – My Dress-Up Darling S2 EP 1 | Keisuke Shinohara (Episode Direction and Storyboard), Yusuke Yamamoto (Storyboard) | 4,968 | 29.23% |
| 3 | ‘The Shrine of Choosing’ – The Apothecary Diaries S2 EP 8 | Wazuka Komamiya (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 4,670 | 27.47% |
| 4 | ‘The Times Are Changing’ – Orb: On The Movements of the Earth EP 21 | Tomoya Kitagawa (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 3,836 | 22.57% |
| 5 | ‘Feelings Burst Free’ – Honey Lemon Soda EP 11 | Kiyotaka Oohata (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 1,878 | 11.05% |
| 6 | ‘Surely’ – The Shiunji Family Children EP 7 | Mitsuhiro Oosako (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 1,451 | 8.54% |
| 7 | ‘Good Day to You♡ / Quit Playing the Guitar!!!’ – Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty EP 1 | Ori Yasukawa (Episode Direction), Shinya Watada (Storyboard) | 1,206 | 7.09% |
| 8 | ‘Consumables’ – Arknights: RISE FROM EMBER EP 2 | Junya Iwake (Episode Direction), Yuki Watanabe (Storyboard) | 1,132 | 6.66% |
| 9 | ‘Tower / Bad Time / Abacus and Braids / Running Through Youth / Definitely Safe Niikura’ – CITY THE ANIMATION EP 5 | Minoru Oota (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 1,070 | 6.29% |
| 10 | ‘The Unexpected Mr. Bat’ – Yaiba: Samurai Legend EP 6 | Yuji Tokuno (Episode Direction and Storyboard) | 1,002 | 5.89% |
| BEST IN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Series Composition | Votes | % |
| 1 | ZENSHU | Kimiko Ueno | 4,100 | 26.27% |
| 2 | APOCALYPSE HOTEL | Shigeru Murakoshi | 3,790 | 24.28% |
| 3 | New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT | Hiromi Wakabayashi Hiroyuki Imaishi | 3,249 | 20.81% |
| 4 | Lazarus | Shinichiro Watanabe, Dai Sato, Takahiro Ozawa, and Tsukasa Kondo | 2,587 | 16.57% |
| 5 | Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast – | Yuniko Ayana | 2,068 | 13.25% |
| 6 | Dusk Beyond the End of the World | Naokatsu Tsuda | 1,798 | 11.52% |
| 7 | Food for the Soul | Yoshihiro Hiki | 1,629 | 10.44% |
| 8 | Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX | Yoji Enokido | 1,500 | 9.61% |
| 9 | Sorairo Utility | Yu Sato | 1,049 | 6.72% |
| 10 | Turkey! Time to Strike | Naomi Hiruta | 999 | 6.40% |
| BEST IN SCENERIES AND VISUALS | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Art Director, Director of Photography, Color Design | Votes | % |
| 1 | The Apothecary Diaries S2 | Katsumi Takao (Art Director), Yuuki Sakitani and Mayo Suzuki (Director of Photography), Misato Aida (Color Design) | 5,366 | 31.92% |
| 2 | The Summer Hikaru Died | Kohei Honda (Art Director), Naomi Nakano (Color Design), Tomohiro Maeda (Director of Photography) | 4,457 | 26.51% |
| 3 | Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun S2 | Hiromasa Ogura (Art Director), Mizuho Shimada (Director of Photography), Saki Tada (Color Design) | 3,566 | 21.21% |
| 4 | Takopi’s Original Sin | Sakako Itakura (Art Director), Yuki Akimoto (Color Design), Yu Wakabayashi (Director of Photography) | 3,492 | 20.77% |
| 5 | Ruri Rocks | Shunichiro Yoshihara (Art Director), Makiko Doi (Color Design), Takuya Ogata (Director of Photography) | 2,266 | 13.48% |
| 6 | Blue Box | Oonoo Fujii (Art Director), Yuuki Kawashita (Director of Photography), Narumi Konno (Color Design) | 2,008 | 11.95% |
| 7 | CITY THE ANIMATION | Shiori Yamazaki (Art Director), Kana Miyata (Color Design), Hiroki Ueda (Director of Photography) | 1,695 | 10.08% |
| 8 | APOCALYPSE HOTEL | Kohei Honda (Art Director), Miyuki Sunako (Color Design), Masaharu Okazaki (Director of Photography) | 1,250 | 7.44% |
| 9 | My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s | Akira Suzuki (Art Director), Yuki Mori (Color Design), Akihiro Takahashi (Director of Photography), | 1,023 | 6.09% |
| 10 | SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary S2 | Akira Ito (Art Director), Yuki Akimoto (Color Design), Tomoyuki Shiokawa (Director of Photography) | 876 | 5.21% |
| 11 | With You, Our Love Will Make It Through | Masakazu Miyake (Art Director), Miyuki Kowatta (Color Design), Arimasa Omi (Director of Photography) | 427 | 2.54% |
| BEST IN SOUNDTRACK | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Music | Votes | % |
| 1 | The Apothecary Diaries S2 | Arisa Okehazama, Kevin Penkin, Satoru Kousaki | 4,733 | 25.88% |
| 2 | Umamusume: Cinderella Gray | Kenji Kawai | 4,677 | 25.57% |
| 3 | Call of the Night S2 | Yoshiaki Dewa | 4,029 | 22.03% |
| 4 | My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON | Yuki Hayashi | 3,598 | 19.67% |
| 5 | Secrets of The Silent Witch | Haruna Kubo, Rina Tayama, Takuya Ichihashi, Yoshihisa Katou | 3,103 | 16.96% |
| 6 | The Summer Hikaru Died | Taro Umebayashi | 2,377 | 13.00% |
| 7 | Medalist | Yuki Hayashi | 2,239 | 12.24% |
| 8 | Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty | Saiki Tatsuhiko, Sakuma Kanade, Tabuchi Natsumi, Tanaka Tsugumi | 1,580 | 8.64% |
| 9 | Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast – | Junpei Fujita, Hitoshi Fujima | 1,277 | 6.98% |
| 10 | This Monster Wants To Eat Me | Keiji Inai | 1,093 | 5.98% |
| BEST IN VOICE CAST | ||||
| Rank | Anime Title | Core Cast Members | Votes | % |
| 1 | Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- S3: Counterattack Arc | Core Cast: Kohei Amasaki, Satomi Arai, Chika Anzai, Akira Ishida, Yuusuke Kobayashi, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Rie Takahashi, Aoi Yuuki | 4,731 | 26.80% |
| 2 | My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON | Core Cast: Yuki Kaji, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Kouki Uchiyama, Daiki Yamashita | 4,337 | 24.57% |
| 3 | My Dress-Up Darling S2 | Core Cast: Shouya Ishige, Maki Kawase, Ayumu Murase, Hina Suguta, Atsumi Tanezaki, Hina Youmiya | 4,300 | 24.36% |
| 4 | Secrets of the Silent Witch | Core Cast: Saya Aizawa, Ai Kayano, Hitomi Nabatame, Yoshiki Nakajima, Shougo Sakata, Hina Suguta | 3,902 | 22.11% |
| 5 | WITCH WATCH | Core Cast: Kouhei Amasaki, Kaito Ishikawa, Rina Kawaguchi, Tomori Kuzunoki, Ryouta Suzuki, Yuuki Wakai | 3,525 | 19.97% |
| 6 | Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty | Core Cast: Natsumi Fujiwara, Ayaka Fukuhara, Akira Sekine, Miyuri Shimabukuro | 2,005 | 11.36% |
| 7 | Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast – | Core Cast: Kanon Takao, Yuzuki Watase, Rico Sasaki, Mei Okada, Akane Yonezawa | 1,558 | 8.83% |
| 8 | CITY THE ANIMATION | Core Cast: Yui Ishikawa, Mikako Komatsu, Aki Toyosaki | 1,188 | 6.73% |
| 9 | My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In for Me | Core Cast: Haruki Ishiya, Tomori Kusunoki, Sayumi Suzushiro | 1,110 | 6.29% |
| 10 | Flower and Asura | Core Cast: Minori Fujidera, Miyuri Shimabukuro, Shouya Chiba, Seiichirou Yamashita, Fuuka Izumi | 869 | 4.92% |
The full results of the 12th Anime Trending Awards can be found here.
