With so much anime being released these days, it’s a bigger conundrum to decide on what to watch let alone finding the time to watch full seasons. Thankfully the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024 have just announced all of their winners so you can pick from what’s truly the best out there that deserves your time. Seasons come and go but Super Mario is forever, and what better way to show your love for the iconic series than through the Black Milk x Super Mario collection. Speaking of anime, Bocchi The Rock! now has a collaboration with Lawson convenience store where you can rock out while on a sugar rush. Lastly, we’ve all got our eyes on Maison Yoshiki Paris, the latest high-end fashion line behind Japan’s most famous musician, Yoshiki.
Winners at The Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024
Anime has never been cooler. This was evidenced in the 34 million votes cast for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024 as well as the star-studded guest list which included the likes of voice acting idol group member Sally Amaki, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, Japanese singer and songwriter LiSA, Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, the directors of the films in the Spider-Verse series and more. Here’s what went down at the awards show.
Jujutsu Kaisen was the overall king of the night, having picked up the coveted Anime of the Year prize as well as 10 other awards, such as Best Action, Best Character Design and Best Cinematography. Surprising no one, Yoasobi went away with Best Anime Song for last year’s super hit, “Idol,” while the beloved titles Spy x Family and One Piece won Best Comedy and Best Continuing Series, respectively.
Looking for some top recommendations? Check out our full list of awards and winners below:
- Anime of the Year – Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Action – Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Animation – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith’s Village
- Best Anime Song – “Idol” by YOASOBI for Oshi no Ko
- Best Art Direction – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith’s Village
- Best Character Design – Sayaka Koiso and Tadashi Hiramatsu for Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Cinematography – Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Comedy – SPY x FAMILY Season 1 Part 2
- Best Continuing Series – One Piece
- Best Director – Shota Goshozono for Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Drama – Attack on Titan The Final Chapters (Part 1)
- Best Ending Sequence – Akari by Soshi Sakiyama from Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Fantasy – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith’s Village
- Best Film – Suzume
- Best Main Character – Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece
- Best New Series – Chainsaw Man
- Best Opening Sequence – Where Our Blue Is by Tatsuya Kitani for Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- Best Original Anime – Buddy Daddies
- Best Romance – Horimiya: The Missing Pieces
- Best Score – Attack on Titan The Final Chapters (Part 1)
- Best Slice of Life – Bocchi the Rock
- Best Supporting Character – Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
- “Must Protect At All Costs” Character – Anya Forger from SPY x FAMILY Season 1 Part 2
An All-Star BlackMilk Super Mario Collection
Want some gamer clothes but need them to actually be fashionable? Check out the recent BlackMilk x Super Mario collaboration. This restock comes just in time for the global release of Princess Peach: Showtime!, an upcoming adventure game for the Nintendo Switch.
The collection, which features the main Super Mario characters and iconic enemies and bosses, is back by popular demand. This includes activewear shorts called the Bowser HW Smack Downs, the Boo Tie Front Tee plus the Piranha Plants Sheer Midaxi Dress and Warp Pipes Business Time Shirt with the iconic vicious plants all over them. For something that’s a little more “cottagecore,” we love the Toad’s printed fabric which has been turned into a pink apron dress and two variations of blue T-shirt dresses. Perfect for summer is the Yoshi Garden Mini Strappy Dress that also comes as cuffed shorts.
Stealing the fashion show, however, is undoubtedly all things pink and Princess Peach. We particularly love the Princess Peach argyle print which goes on both a short sleeve dress and on cuffed pants for that punk racer vibe. There’s also a pink and white crop top and active leggings bearing Princess Peach’s iconic crown. This look is perfect for looking cute at the gym and a reminder that Peach isn’t a damsel in distress anymore. Last but certainly not least, let the world know that you are team Peach with the Princess Peach Shiny Bomber Jacket.
If you’re at all interested in picking up these threads, it’s best to do it as soon as possible. According to the BlackMilk Clothing website, there is no end date for the collaboration. However, some pieces have limited availability so it’s best to buy your favorite pieces as soon as you can. Others are marked “7 Day Unlimited,” which means you have until March 12 to purchase before preorders close.
Bocchi The Rock! Takes Over Lawson
Your favorite socially anxious rockstar anime girl is now available via exclusive merch in Lawson convenience stores. Starting from March 5, the Bocchi the Rock! x Lawson campaign will offer a range of limited prizes featuring original illustrations, acrylic stands and chocolate.
All you need to do is purchase three of the several eligible Meiji confectioneries. This will give you the chance to pick your choice of clear file, featuring Bocchi, Nijika, Ryo, Seika and more. There are six variations in total featuring a different Bocchi the Rock! character. This means if you want to complete the set, you have an excuse to overload on chocolate. For the super Bocchi fans with a sweet tooth, you can even buy a Meiji Chocolate Box (¥758) which comes with five pocket-pack-sized chocolate, Bocchi The Rock! character illustrations on the outside and an original magnet.
By buying two Monster Energy drinks you can also get cute backstage pass stickers with chibi illustrations of the girls. And if you want merch with Bocchi and the gang without the drinks and snacks, you can grab acrylic keychains and standees from ¥770 and ¥1,650 respectively.
In addition to this, there are acrylic stand coasters, T-shirts and a cap that can also be ordered via the Loppi self-service system in-store or online at HMV&BOOKS.
There’s no time limit as goods will be available while stocks last. However in our experience, some Lawson stores might run out of popular characters quickly while others will have stock. Your best bet at getting a full set of any of these items will be to go explore a more residential area that has several different Lawson convenience stores so you can try your luck several times.
Rockstar Yoshiki Debuts His New Fashion Brand
Household name Yoshiki (full name Yoshiki Hayashi) is best known for his piano-playing prowess but he has also been working on something off the stage and on the runway. Debuting at the Milan Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 shows was Maison Yoshiki Paris, his luxury fashion brand.
Yoshiki took being an artist to the next level at his show, transfixing all attendees with the immersive world he was able to create. The fashion line fuses his visions of fashion, design and lifestyle with a global view of what is glamorous and genderless. The collection is predominantly black with a few pieces accented in red or white. Silhouettes range from body hugging to billowing, but all carry the message of modern, romantic and edgy. In total, 37 items were created for this cutting-edge line ,which includes apparel, accessories and shoes.
“It’s going to be a feminine but also genderless collection, flamboyant with a rebellious touch, which has always been important to me. All the natural and eco-responsible materials are sourced from Italy and France.” said Yoshiki prior to the event.
Yoshiki himself composed all of the music used throughout the show, including one collaborative piece with fellow musician and designer, Hiroshi Fujiwara. At the end of the walk, Yoshiki took to his iconic crystal piano and played “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s opera Turandot in a special arrangement by the man himself.
This isn’t Yoshiki’s first foray into fashion. The rock star was born into a family of kimono creators and first produced Yoshikimono back in 2009. It has taken top billing at Tokyo Fashion Week several times since 2015 and Yoshiki himself was the first Japanese male to be featured on the cover of Vogue Japan.
The entire performance can be viewed on the Maison Yoshiki Paris website. The collection doesn’t seem to be for sale just yet, but keep an eye out on the website as that may change at any moment.
