The Best of 2015

And here we are, the very final post of 2015 on my little corner of the internet!  And as every year, it`s my own personal and SUBJECTIVE look on some of the coolest things I saw / did / read in the past 365 days.

And of course, feel free to discuss whatever you like or don`t agree on true here, my FB page or my Twitter account of course :-)

But without further ado, here is my selection of the coolest things from 2015!

1. Best Movie: Space Captain Harlock

Or `Albator` as he was known in my youth.  The movie, that came out in the beginning of the year, is a true masterpiece of CGI and big space pirate battles.  What more can one want?

It might also be a bit of a suprise to many, as it wasn`t wildely released over here, and that in a year with a new Star Wars movie (to much A New Hope for me) and a CGI Saint Seiya movie (suffering from having to fit in an hour and a half), but really, find this film, watch it and enjoy the awesomeness of this japanese gem.

2. Best Series: Sense8

The brainchild of the Warchowski siblings, this Netflix original was a very strong series.  Taking it`s time to build up strong characters, the gradual awakening of the Sense8`s connections, and the heavy finale made this a true gem.

3. Best Book: Lego Bouw Je Eigen Ridderwereld

Perhaps not a novel `per se`, but I selected this book in the end due to it being so damn handy for my own building techniques, like trees and round millwheels.  While the (mostly part 2 to 4) Harry Potter books where a revelation to me this year, I opted this one in the end because of all the practical use I gained out of it.

4. Best Lego Set: Ant-Man Final Battle

It`s a Marvel set this year, and it ain`t the Helicarrier.  The sole set that came with the fun summermovie just hit me at the right points.  The `big build` Lego elements to make the minifigures appear small was just a clear winner for me.

5. Best Toy: Liveman The Machine Buffalo

A pure nostalgia choice, the Machine Buffalo from one of the old Super Sentai series was a find I payed less then a euro for, including all it`s animal machines and even it`s missiles.  I liked it so much I even used it as the base for an Andromeda`s Gates APC build.

6. Best Anime: Fafner in the Azure Exodus

Spanning two seasons in one year (it`s an anime thing, they often release a series split in two, and labelling them different seasons unlike US series that have a `summer break`), Fafner was a true suprise for me.  Drawing on the style of Gundam SEED in animation, it is a very raw series, yet without getting gritty.  A true recommendation for any Mecha fan out there.

7. Best Game: Lego Jurassic World, PS3

Combining all 4 movies of the franchise in one game, this game in the traditional TT style was another winner.  The hunor is a plenty, and it comes close for me to the best Lego game I ever played, Pirates of the Carribean.  Oh, and you get to play as dinosaurs as well...

8. Best Music: TIE

I couldn`t make a choice here, really couldn`t, though neither will ever beat Lion from Macross Frontier for me.  While Gundam Tri-Fighters might not have been the best series out ever, the moment in episode 12 when the Meijin arrives in the arena with his Perfect Gundam, this south american song plays.  Six Times the Passion of Ordinary Flamenco: it`s just epic in rhytm, building up to a superb climax after an explosive opening.

On the other hand, there is The Hefty Naru Faita.  This came along rather late in the year in the final episode of Saint Seiya Soul of Gold.  It is a strong mix of copperblowers and electric guitars, playing when the twelve gold saints take on Loki.  It`s a goosebump song, making you feel heroic inside, especcially in the first part of the theme.

9. Best Trade: Two Yellow Castles for some Barbie dolls.

It was a trade over on a local website, somebody offered a few kilo`s of Castle Lego because the granddaughter didn`t have intrest in old knights.  I had seen on the pictue there was a yellow castle in it, and when it turned out she was looking for vintage Barbies, I reached an agreement.  Upon receiving the parcel and checking it... it contained even two of those classic fortresses, putting my tally on four of them now.

10. Greatest Disappointment: Eureka Seven AO

This could have been the Helicarrier actually, but the longer I watched that beast on my cabinet, the more it grew on me, so the dubious honour this year goes to the named anime series.

Eureka Seven was a very strong, and gorgeously drawn mecha anime. While AO retains the drawing style, I`m afraid the story is coming not even anywhere near it`s ankles.  You won`t miss anything if you miss out on the series, except perhaps the final two episodes to see the stars of the original return.


And so we close the door on 2015, and hope to see you all again tomorrow, in the sparkly new 2016!