40. Run Makoto Run
editor: qwaqa
anime: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, various
music: Apollo 440 – “Don’t Stop the Rock”
VPR Warning: All

qwaqa’s return to editing was never “impossible,” but it certainly wasn’t inevitable. What’s really unlikely? That he’d come back and deliver his most ambitious project yet, the sort of boundary-breaking take on the AMV form that “PencilHead” and “PaperHeart” once set the standard for. “Stop the Rock” pushes his skills in editing, compositing, animation and what I’ll broadly just describe as “effects” to new heights that have rarely been glimpsed from afar, let alone reached by anyone else in this hobby. While there are a handful of extremely work-intensive AMVs on this list that push the limits of what one person can do with a desktop PC and a bundle of editing software, “Stop the Rock” is still several orders of magnitude more complex in its design and execution than all of these efforts combined. So it goes for all AMVs released this year, or probably ever, for that matter. What does this video really have in common with, say, the next AMV on this list, or anything that mere mortals like you and I could conceivably create? I don’t know, but if qwawa says it’s still an AMV (as he does, right there in his video title), who am I to argue? God bless him for still slumming it with the rest of us.

39. I want to be him – 1985
editor: EloquentFaun
anime: Mob Psycho 100
music: Bo Burnham – “1985”

It took me fifteen years longer than it should have to properly learn who Bo Burnham is and to finally understand what it is that he does (and to learn that he and comedian Bill Burr are, in fact, different people). Despite your certainty that this newfound fandom is what brought me to this AMV by EloquentFaun, allow me to blow your mind by revealing that that’s the opposite of how it really happened. Somehow this AMV ended up in my feed and it was the gateway to finally watching Inside and his YouTube channel and no longer being out of the loop when it comes to one of the funniest comedians of this century, or whatever you want to call him. I wouldn’t normally spend this much time talking about the musician responsible for a song in any one of these AMVs, but comedic music in general and the sort of AMVs they often inspire tend not to be my thing. So when something like this bucks the trend, I’m always surprised and more curious than usual to see who and what’s behind it.

If it seems like I’m poised to set this up as a pinnacle of hilarious editing, this is not a “comedy” AMV that’s going to leave anyone clutching their sides in uproarious laughter, so if that’s your expectation or the bar you need these to clear then I can guess I can see this video doing a whole lot of nothing for you. How many guts have I really busted while watching this a dozen times over the last two months or so? One? Two at most? This video would probably bomb at a convention comedy contest but it never fails to make me smile. EloquentFaun’s sync between the visuals and the lyrics is, for the most part, pretty loose, but oh my gosh it just works wonders on me. Even the copious lip flap, sometimes veering into unintentional lip sync, has a sloppy but relaxed effect that doesn’t mar the effort in the slightest to my eyes, but kind of adds to the overall sense of absurdity. The editor gets the joke here and doesn’t ram it down our throats, understanding the intrinsically droll appeal of Mob Psycho 100 and especially of Reigen himself, even (or especially) in some of the most ordinary-looking clips they could have picked from the anime. The transition at 1:17 is one of my favorite AMV moments from last year. I’m probably under-ranking this one, if I’m going to be honest here.

38. The Storyteller’s Burden
editor: Seasaltmemories
anime: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
music: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “When We Were Close”

At this point, I get the feeling that most people within the AMV hobby no longer care about spoilers. If there’s any truth to that, then I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume it’s because the AMV hobby is no longer a sub-branch of whatever the “anime fandom” constitutes in 2024, but its own separate pursuit with a completely different set of concerns outside of, say, regularly watching Japanese-produced animated narratives as a form of entertainment. When you can mooch off the sweat and blood of minimum wage animators to hook followers eager to praise you as a visionary badass with every new remix of someone else’s work, why bother with 20th century pastimes like watching TV?

So because I still love watching anime, maybe even to a degree that’s a little concerning and even suggestive that I’m resistant to change—most people “age out” of the fandom at this point, which seems regrettable from a certain point of view but is probably a inevitable process of changing priorities and passions, a natural metamorphosis of the mind that seems to have come to a complete stop in my life some time ago (I know this is TMI but this is my blog and I’ll fill the space here however I want, consider yourself lucky I don’t elaborate on this for pages like I could right now)—I try to avoid AMVs that spoil major plot points when it comes to any anime that I might want to watch in the future. “The Storyteller’s Burden” reveals what seems to be several very important revelations that a newcomer to Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju isn’t supposed to know about. This definitely wasn’t lost on me while watching this AMV. But I was hooked so quickly and so captivated by how well Seasaltmemories weaves these sources together that the hesitation I sometimes experience when this sort of thing happens just never set in. This AMV was my introduction to this anime and despite knowing where its story might be going, I’ve already started watching it and it’s an absolute delight.

What someone once said about writing probably applies to editing as well: 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration, etc. I have no idea if this was a difficult video to pull off but Seasaltmemories makes it look easy. I’m not a country music fan, but oh boy, this song goes down so easy (once again, being “so country” that it isn’t really country at all, if that makes any sense) and it clicks with these characters and these moments that are playing out onscreen so effectively that nothing feels forced. Even the narrative of the song and its specific emphasis on musical performance, and not Japanese rakugo storytelling, does not land like an incongruent mistake but like an inspired cross-cultural parallel that’s actually really satisfying to engage with. I’m well aware that the art of storytelling in AMVs is not “dead,” but with so much of the hobby racing to embrace meaningless yet addicting noise and slush, delights like this grow just a little more rare with every passing year.

37. Cmon
editor: purple bell
anime: Space Fantasia 2001 Nights
music: Fred Again.. & Brian Eno – “Cmon”

This song subtly introduces and removes different elements over its five-plus minute runtime, never really “going” anywhere in a traditional sense but certainly building a mood in the process. Sublime mood sync is probably this video’s biggest strength, but investing yourself and your attention in it is a must if you’re going to get anything at all out of this slow-paced video and its almost certainly unfamiliar narrative. There’s nothing here telling you how to feel or any recognizable cues that you’ve ever been trained on before this, so for the majority of AMV viewers this is going to be an absolutely perplexing experience. But I have good news: if you’re actually reading this, you’re not one of those viewers! Just try to appreciate how well the editor first establishes the setting, then the characters, and finally a conflict, and just let your mind fill in the gaps however you want. This is okay, you’ve been doing this all your life and you don’t even know it. You’re actually an expert at this.

The film used for the visuals in this AMV is now over 35 years old. I guess it shows, doesn’t it? You kind of have to go back that far to get a taste of anything resembling classic sci-fi, with the exception of certain contemporary works that are content to simply drape themselves in the style of the most chic-looking retro visuals without too much thought for any of the wonder or thought that once defined the genre. Everyone loves science fiction now, so long as it depicts an exciting or dangerous world where people can use technology to flex their beautiful individuality! That couldn’t possibly be further from what seems to be happening onscreen in this AMV, a journey into the wholly unknown and uncertain, losing oneself in raising a family instead of chasing status or the fulfillment of self-expression, arriving at an ambiguous ending (or just another beginning?) in the place where a sense of finality and triumph is usually expected, if not outright demanded by viewers who crave closure. This is uncomfortably close to the truth of real life, but whether you like it or not, there’s more to relate to here than most of the power fantasies we’re continually encouraged to see ourselves in.

36. Final Boss: The Ballad of Buu
editor: UnluckyArtist
anime: Dragonball Z
music: Tenacious D – “Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)”

If I had a wishlist of projects for this editor to make, I don’t think there would be anything quite like “Final Boss: The Ballad of Buu” on it. Fortunately, we live in a world where editors don’t have to care what I want and are free to make what’s important to them, and above all, are actually allowed to have fun. While I’m not really craving any more AMVs with songs by this band or set to scenes from this movie, UnluckyArtist turns in what might be the best executed, most fun Tenacious D AMV we’ve ever gotten… at least from the realm of “traditional AMVs.” The lip sync is great, the visual gags are hilarious, and as the AMV becomes more and more action oriented… well look, there’s not much this editor can’t do so just know that every little bit of this is just about perfect. I’ve been a fan of this editor for years–I think at least 5% of what’s on this blog is nothing but embarrassing adoration for his work–and I’m always on the lookout for UA’s psychedelic or retro-themed videos, but when he sets himself to working outside of the zone that’s contained what I consider his absolute coolest works, maybe that’s when I can actually learn something from him.

35. MY GIRLS
editor: Prostrate Constantly
anime: various
music: Animal Collective – “My Girls”

Composed of individual portraits of Vtubers and unapologetically low-res animated gifs, “MY GIRLS” was never going to pass for a typical AMV, and I’m sure that Prostrate Constantly wouldn’t have it any other way. The barrage of would-be idols, OCs and avatars flickering in and out of view (in stereo!), perhaps appearing for only a frame or two at a time, is absolutely unrelenting, but it’s a perfect sync device for this song, and if you don’t reject it within a couple of seconds then you’re probably going to be entranced by it for the whole five and a half minutes that they’re keeping this baby in motion. Contrasted with the low quality, low framerate animated gifs looping in the center of the frame, the visual effect is—Lord I pray I haven’t overused this word at this point in this countdown like I always do—hypnotic, not to mention continuously inviting a question of what this distinctly 2020’s phenomenon has to do with any of the iconic 90’s anime visuals that the editor is drawing our eyes to in the center of the frame. Is there a tension at play between them? Or is one generation’s idealized 2-D girl the same as the next? You can think hard about that or you can just bliss out and stare at this until it all starts to melt into a pixelated dream.

34. Deathrattle
editor: hilovids
anime: March Comes in Like a Lion
music: The Prize Fighter Inferno – “Death Rattle”

I’m sure AMV editors would love to craft some more character profile-style videos that don’t focus on misfit healthy boys or sickly yet still effortlessly beautiful girls but the animation industry just isn’t giving us much else to work with here. Up against this status quo, “Deathrattle” feels like such a breath of fresh air. This simply isn’t the kind of character we ever get to watch an entire AMV about, so kudos to this anime for actually including one, not to mention the writers of this song for writing a tune that’s not about being young and overflowing with feelings (or kudos to the editor for digging deep to find these absolute unicorn sources). hilovids does a fantastic job of treating this material with a real seriousness while still maintaining an unambiguously upbeat mood that never lapses into anything too one-dimensionally grim or morbid. This character, whose name I’ll eventually learn when I watch this anime—this AMV finished the work of several others in nudging me across the “okay, I’ll watch this next” line—is treated with dignity and empathy, and in the process, feels fleshed out and interesting and just as worthy of our attention and curiosity as the latest Best Boy or Girl. Shoutout to my Salonpas brothers and sisters, this one goes out to you.

33. How You Remind Me
editor: Kisuke
anime: Bleach
music: Nickelback – “How You Remind Me”

I really enjoyed VRSaskayzx’s 2022 Bleach AMV “Memories in the Rain,” but I was too much of a coward to admit it here. It was a unexpectedly thoughtful and dreamy sort of video that was dripping with a certain kind of edgy angst that, for the first time in years, suddenly felt compelling and meaningful. The editor told a story that a complete Bleach neophyte like myself could still follow and even made the sort of overly dramatic cover song that I typically despise feel like an appropriate choice that, maybe for the first time, decidedly worked in favor of their overall concept instead of landing like a copyright-dodging compromise or a pointless diversion away from the genuine article. This felt like a one-off event that I was never going to have to acknowledge. The reason I’m doing so now is I’m once again faced with another Bleach AMV that’s forcing me to reconsider my biases and preconceived notions, this time around set to one of the least-likely songs I ever expected to soundtrack such an occasion. If I don’t humble myself and give credit where it’s due, the pileup of good butt rock AMVs will soon overwhelm me.

If “How You Remind Me” has any weakness, it’s that the overall lyric sync is… not particularly strong. But it’s telling that I never really considered this until several viewings, and at that point I was not exactly looking for flaws, but simply thinking about this video on a much, much deeper level than I ever thought I’d have reason to. Another drawback, if you can even call it that, is that it’s short enough to resemble a throwaway AMV or an incomplete project. But for every one of its 90 seconds, this is a solid and watchable video that stays in the most-traveled lanes of this kind of AMV but never feels like the kind of cliché that it ought to have been. The first half builds a moody atmosphere out of surprisingly pretty shots that are so much more thoughtfully composed than I ever would have expected from an assembly line anime like Bleach, little bits of internal sync that draw out once-unappreciated moments of beauty in the song, extremely subtle Ken Burns zooms and velvety fades, the kind of soft touch that you don’t expect to see shaping a batch of such short clips (much less in a hard rock/action AMV). This eventually builds to something resembling a standard action video, but every moment in this just… works. The tools to make this were all right there back in the era of the “Big 3,” but such an interesting work would have been wasted on me back then.

32. Epitaph
editor: TRUTH CRAB
anime: Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
music: Puma Blue – “Epitaph”

Things are dour indeed in TRUTH CRAB’s return to Jin Roh, understandable given the personal circumstances this AMV was edited under and who it’s dedicated to, exploring realms of gloom that are too grounded and relatable for viewers to ever feel like safe spectators peeking in on some character’s contrived, heightened emotions. Watch this AMV and you might see shards of your own blues reflecting back at you. Yet at the same time, the mood is mellow, detached and ultimately aloof enough to endure. Once again, TC captures a unique feeling as only he can and almost no one else is busy bothering to even attempt: the essence of a mournful, overcast afternoon with a numbing sense of loss hanging in the air. I promise this isn’t as utterly bleak as I’m probably painting it as, but if you don’t open yourself to those feelings while watching all two minutes of it, then you’re doing it wrong.

31. Vitreous Floaters
editor: Abrogate Need
anime: Horizon Blue, Zashikiro
music: Death Grips – “Billy Not Really”
VPR Warning: High contrast, flashing, static

As he did with “Milk It” two years ago, Abrogate Need reaches deep into the depths of anime at its… um, least conventionally appealing, I guess I’ll put it, and summons some of the most haunting and violent imagery that you’d find in any AMV last year. Or ever? Thing is, this is fun and so visually creative, never solely relying on shock value to leave an impression, that it sort of defies its own nature and the expectations of the viewer to go places you’d never expect. I’ll stand by that statement until the day I die, but this massive headache is keeping me at arm’s length from giving this the critical viewing that it really deserves. If only this had been released a few days earlier or later, we wouldn’t be in this mess! Anyway, this is one of the boldest videos this editor has ever made and one of the least boring ways to spend the next three minutes.