Present Confusion Awards 2006

Welcome back to the Present Confusion Awards!! It’s been a drought for me and cinema as a whole, having seen far less films over the past few months, but there’s still a measure of good films seen over the past year. Not much arty art films as last year, so there’ll probably not be as much a feature for that as before. The greatest disappointment for myself is the reduced number of local films seen. I’d have wanted to see something from the Philippines, but, alas, there was no time.

Best Watched Movie of the Year: Last Life in the Universe

sleeping on couches: bad for your neck...

I’ve been waiting to watch this movie for a very long time. When I finally saw it, what I saw was a revelation. Brilliant acting from both leads, and a great story that crosses the line between fantasy and reality. Plus, Christopher Doyle, which is pretty much icing on the very delicious cake. Shows us that cinematically Thailand kicks our ass.

Runner-up: Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

Last of the Park Chan-wook vengeance trilogy, and, in this writer’s opinion, a fitting thematic end to it. This deserves a spot in here. This is the most straightforward of the three films yet proves equally unsettling, and evidence of a maturing style from director Park. I hope to see more of his movies in the future.

Best B-Movie/Guiltiest Pleasure Award: Battlefield Baseball

Hmm...

This category had no contenders for a very long time, I admit. Who knew that at the very last day of the year this sprung up on me like a coiled viper. It has all the insanity of Japanese Comedy AND THEN SOME. Zombies! Characters reviving spontaneously AND changing appearance! An applause track walking in at inopportune times! RAMEN! Truly something that can only be made in Japan.

Best Romantic Film: Failan

Over all the formula and sugar of this year’s disposable romantic films comes this diamond in the rough. It is a story of two people, falling in love yet never physically meeting each other. It is a simple story, yet it can devastate you with the way it shows us its characters. Add great acting to that and you get a sure winner.

Asskicker Award – Tak Sakaguchi (Battlefield Baseball)

Who can kill a guy with a baseball pitch? He can. Well, in the movie, anyway.

Asskicker Award – Female Category: Lee Young Ae (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance)

"Lord, please unglue my hands... they've been like this for months!"

She may not have the physical prowess of the others, but she does vengeance in style.

J-drama of the Year Award: Gokusen

kicking ass with style... and great hair

Sure, it’s formula all the way, but it’s pretty endearing and it teaches life lessons too. Plus it’s really funny. It’s easy to pick up and quite addicting once you get hooked. It’s an instant classic in j-drama and one that no one should ever miss.

J-drama actor of the Year Award: That guy who played the evil coach in Attack no. 1

I choose him because from the start you know he was really a creepy evil bastard, and he showed it every time he dragged some poor soul out of the training area. Plus, he’s unrecognizable from his other roles, specially with that beard on.

J-drama actress of the Year Award: Rosa Katou (Dance Drill)

Rosa-chaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!!!! \(^_^)/

Just because I can.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAerm…

Runner-up: Aoi Miyazaki (Junjo Kirari)

I guess the frazzled look is in this year...

Aoi Miyazaki is a phenomenal actress; she was in my favorite short this year from Inu no Eiga, and recently in Suki da. Her performance in NHK’s 2006 Asadora Drama (Daily Morning Drama, like for housewives) was so good it gave them their best ratings in a decade. I hope to see more of her in the future.

Manga of the Year Award: Death Note

we had to put in the title... you know, just in case you mistook it for shounen-ai between that guy in the middle and the freaky thing beside him... no that was a lie...

Quite well written and astoundingly clever, this manga is quite an addiction, although dreadfully short. Who knew that reading through lines of dialogue could be exciting?

Anime of the Year Award (Finished): Honey and Clover

This anime is the little surprise of 2006. It’s funny and heartbreaking and bittersweet all at the same time. The last episode of the second season broke me like a twig.

Runner-up: Mushishi

Although episodic, this fantasy/light horror anime is quite good and surprisingly deep, and asks a lot of questions about ourselves and why we are the way we are. This anime is different from 99% of the anime out there, a true gem in the sea of anime.

Anime of the Year Award (Unfinished): Death Note

Basically they adapted the manga faithfully – and that’s a good thing.

Well, that's about it. See you folks next year, hopefully with more movies!