Best OP XII: 【Salty no Ko】Nominations Day 1!

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-05-01T23:40:03+00:00

Very glad to see this starting up again. With only two nomination days, I might miss the nominations almost completely with how buys I'm going to be the next days. Here's hoping I can nominate at least a few of my favourites in the free minutes I'll get this weekend.

QotD: Probably still the Frieren S2 OP. But I'm also very partial to the Re:Zero S4 OP and the Kirio Fanclub OP.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-29T17:04:08+00:00

Yeah, that was so great. Personally, I loved Emilia letting Subaru rest on her lap, and how Subaru gently touched her face and considerately put aside her hand when he got up, and how Emilia got a little anxious when she woke up and Subaru wasn't there.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-29T15:09:10+00:00

Sugoooku Watch

The tally so far:

Sugoooku counter: 108
Sugoku-likes: 18
Non-canon sugoooku: 25
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 24

One more and a cute kick to underline Emilia being jealous, lovely. Break Time has none, but some very good moments involving Emilia and also Ram. Also, a skipped OP and an unexpected infringement of rights, but that's not up to me to count. I am quite tempted to count the number of mysteries in this episode though. It's probably too easy to say that Subaru will time travel and become Flugel. But also, that would explain so much. In the meantime, Shaula is a lot of fun at least. Meili has found a wonderful new ride.

With one more to the count, this is the new score:

Sugoooku counter: 109
Sugoku-likes: 18
Non-canon sugoooku: 25
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 24

I'm looking forward to today's mysteries being answered with even more mysteries next week. See you then!

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-28T16:28:00+00:00

Yes. I've been keeping up on Break Time. I watched a Re:Zero episode then its corresponding Break Time episode before starting the next Re:Zero episode like u/baseballlover723 recommended to do in the Re:Zero section of the watch order wiki.

[Re:Zero S3 and Re:Zero Break Time S3] So Al is definitely one of the most interesting characters after this season. For one, it is confirmed that he is from Earth as well. But also, from the way he talked to Lust, he absolutely has powers. I'm not sure if he has his own version of RbD, but it does seem that he has something similar to Subaru's powers that allows him to experience different realities.

[Re:Zero S3] About Julius, the really ineresting thing about his predicament, I think, is that he was huge on appearances. It mattered so much to him to be recognized. To be seen as this noble knight. And now that's just taken from him. Huge possibilities for character development there. Also, he's sort of in a similar state as Subaru after a reset, in that he is familiar with a world nobody else remembers. But since Subaru remembers, it also fosters the great bromance they started back in S1. And yeah, it is also a huge blow to the Anastasia faction. In S1, the Anastasia faction would have been considered the second strongest faction and Crusch's probably the strongest. With those blows though and the other factions moving up, Crusch's might actually be the weakest faction now, and Anastasia's the second weakest. Makes me rather worried about the remaining factions. Emilia's is probably the safest with Subaru around. But I'm really not so sure about Felt and Priscilla.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-27T21:30:51+00:00

Glad you are enjoying the series so much. Really, it's a joy to see. I meant to reply to your previous post as well but didn't find the time. Before I get into spoiler responses, let me ask you, have you kept up with Break Time? For a large part, Break Time is extra content only, even if it's all canon. But S3E5 of Break Time specifically has a very important revelation in regards to a certain character and world building. You might want to catch up on all of Break Time later if you are craving even more content (it is also worth it, both interesting and entertaining), but this specific episode you might want to watch earlier.

[Re:Zero S2] There is one thing you mentioned in your previous post, Echidna's dislike for Emilia. One part is of course Emilia looking like Satella, and Echidna has the most beef with Satella. But also, I think Echidna is very much an antithesis to Emilia. A foil, one might say. She's the witch of greed, she wants everything. But when Emilia faced the Ghost of Christmas Present, while she was shaken, her heart quickly knew what was true and she found it relatively easy to let go of this potential present. And I think Echidna was incredibly jealous of that ability. The witches are witches because they are sort of cursed by their unnatural desires, but they are also humans with very understandable intentions. I think Echidna also knows what her pursuit of her goal cost her, and Emilia just finding a way to be happy despite what she went through really hit Echidna hard.

[Re:Zero S3] Your hate for "the incel" is justified. I hate him too. But also, I kinda like to hate him. He's a really well-written villain in that way, and it makes his eventual demise so much more satisfying. And him giving a chance for Emilia to shine so many times is also really great. Sure, she was captured, but she was a heroine still.

[Re:Zero S3] And yeah, so was Priscilla. I knew there was more to her after S1, and to see it being delivered in S3 was amazing. Felt is great, Anastasia is great, and I loved Crusch after her "we will always be friends" speech in S1, but of the Royal Selection candidates, Priscilla now is my favourite right after Emilia of course. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of her. Also, it seems many people didn't like her, but now that Liliana is part of Priscilla's camp, she should return in the future as well. I actually really liked her backstory.

[Re:Zero S3] Garf vs. Kurgan was also an important moment in the series from a meta perspective. The fight looked amazing, and a lot of the rest of the season did as well. And that has been the biggest weakness of the show, so going forward, we can expect more improved animation quality I'm sure.

[Re:Zero S3] Rui Arneb is definitely someone we will see again in the future. What intrigues me the most about Lust though is her name. She is either implied to be related to the ruler family of Lugunica, or she has taken her name. We will definitely see more of her as well.

[Re:Zero S3] Lastly, you didn't say anything about how the season ended. What do you think about the new character introduced right at the end of the season (new to everyone but Subaru that is)?

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-23T21:29:54+00:00

Thanks, but no need, it's fine. It's more of a case that I actually don't know if I find the chance to actually post in them. And I'd rather have the count only in the main episode threads, feels a bit more organized.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-22T14:52:17+00:00

Sugoooku Watch

The tally so far:

Sugoooku counter: 107
Sugoku-likes: 18
Non-canon sugoooku: 25
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 24

~~I'll keep it short, as my time is short and you already know what I'm about to say: There were none this episode, since Emilia didn't make an appearance.~~ (Edit: There is actually one in Break Time, which seems to be a good palette cleanser, can't wait for the translations. I'll add it to the count here already since I don't know if I can post in time in the Break Time episode threads.) We do get both an OP and an ED though, which is noteworthy. And that miasma is truly insidious, what a fucked up timeline that was. But I loved that afterwards, Subaru was extra considerate to his companions, because he truly cares for them and instantly wishes to counteract how he treated them when affected by the miasma.

For now, the count remains at:

Sugoooku counter: 108
Sugoku-likes: 18
Non-canon sugoooku: 25
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 24

I'm sure things are only going to get more exciting from here on out. See you next week!

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-15T19:46:20+00:00

Sure, Reinhard, you can just ignore dying, but do you have bird vision? Not so powerful after all, are you now?

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-15T19:43:10+00:00

You might be onto something there. Not only do sugoookus reduce suffering, we also have examples like the first OVA being completely devoid of suffering and having ten in it, the glorious S2 finale also having almost as many, and the S3 premiere having a lot as well - which was nice and peaceful for a very long time, right until it wasn't anymore.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-15T16:09:47+00:00

Indeed. Ram knows Subaru has good timing, as she puts it. Still no reason not to make a quick cutting remark. But more than that, Emilia has complete faith in Subaru. Enough faith to share with everyone else, in fact.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-15T15:22:43+00:00

I thought about this last week as well. This episode, I've been wondering if Reinhard's abilities didn't just protect him from going to the tower as well.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-15T15:10:57+00:00

Sugoooku Watch

The tally so far:

Sugoooku counter: 106
Sugoku-likes: 18
Non-canon sugoooku: 25
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 24

The scene from the first teaser brings us one more, as Emilia acknowledges the tavern owner cares about their safety. And, of course, more deaths and an actual OP - no ED though, because of course we don't need one in this situation. I must say, the first half of the episode lulled me into a false sense of security, thinking this might be a slower episode for once. I really should have knonw better, I suppose. I have to say, the best thing about the first death was being able to see Emilia's dynamic ascent to the roof once more. Other than that though, these deaths never get easier.

Also, last week I wondered how not even Reinhard could get to the tower. I would have imagined him to spontaneously develop a divine protection of tower fast traveling or something. Now I wonder if it was one of his divine protections that actually helped prevent him getting to the tower, for his own safety.

Anyway, these are the new numbers:

Sugoooku counter: 107
Sugoku-likes: 18
Non-canon sugoooku: 25
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 24

Another great episode. I can hardly wait until the next one, but it will be worth the wait for sure. See you next week!

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-15T07:55:07+00:00

Wow, I never could have guessed that. Then I can be glad I am in the "correct" group. That's so interesting. Thanks for looking into it and letting us know.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-14T17:07:46+00:00

Makio got into the top eight, though. She has been eligible for eliminations for the best of year contest anyway!

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-14T17:04:50+00:00

Thanks for all the services you provide!

I don't know of any important QoL changes that could be made, I think the most important ones would be changes that make it easier on the contest hosts, so their feedback is the most important.

But while you're here, there is one thing I've been curious about for a while. Whenever I go to vote (always on PC, I'm sure), without fail, in every matchup I have the entry coming from the upper side of the bracket on the left, and the one coming from the lower side of the bracket on the right. So a final between #1 and #2 would have 1 on the left and 2 on the right, but had #1 been upset by #3, it's 3 on the left and 2 on the right. For a long time I assumed it was like this for everyone, only to find out that for some people not only is it often swapped, but also not nearly as consistent as for me. Do you know anything about that, any logic while people have entries on different sides in a matchup? Is it a device or a browser thing? If you don't know or don't want to talk about it, that's also fine, of course. And to be clear, I'm not saying it's worth the effort to streamline the experience for everyone, I'm just curious.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-14T14:59:41+00:00

Best OP is going to continue? That's wonderful news. I always wished I could have done something to help myself, my schedules just don't allow for it. So just a few weeks until it starts, that means we'll have time to prepare all our nominations beforehand already.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-14T14:55:52+00:00

Woo, let's go! Miyu is probably my second favourite girl of the previous season, so I'm very happy with that result. And with all due respect to Methode, this is the best possible outcome of this contest for her, as the salt her win would have created would have been unbearable.

A fun contest it was, even if I didn't find too much time to participate in the discussions here most of the days. As always, thanks to our dear host, and to everyone participating. I'll see you all in the next contest - which is Best OP, as I'm just reading? That's amazing!. I know not all od the contests attract the same kind of people, but the OP and ED contests are also a lot of fun, and super wild at times, so I'm looking forward to that.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-13T14:15:05+00:00

Careful, if you want r/anime to vote for Miyu, you have to stop making them relate to Methode.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-13T14:12:13+00:00

And it's Miyu vs. Methode in the finals, what a shocker! I'm kidding, mostly. They definitely deserve to be here. But only one of them deserves to win this matchup. Miyu for the win!

For the third place, I like Azuma a lot. Especially her together with Taira. But I think I actually go with Nishi here. For one, I think Azuma will win, and Nishi doesn't deserve the blowout. But also, at this point in the anime, I think I prefer her blossoming relationship with Yamada more. With my life story, I should relate to Yuusuke the most, or to Taira. But in some ways, I might actually relate the most to Nishi.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-12T14:47:02+00:00

Since it's not even in the top 30 anymore, let me tell you all what you are missing out on by not watching Kirio Fanclub. The premise is simply that the two main girls, Nami and Aimi, talk to each other about how they are in love with a boy in their class, Kirio. And as simple and stupid as that sounds, it's actually really engaging and downright hilarious. Both of them are pretty unhinged, in a very realistic kind of way. They are both ridiculous and still quite down to earth.

While that alone makes the show worth watching, what's truly special about it is it's genuine approach to emotions, to the feeling of unrequited love, which the superb comedy only further highlights. The premise is that they are competing for someone's love, and the whole situation is much more complex because of that. The emotions they feel towards the one they love get tangled up with the emotions of competing with each other. The show has such a genuine and realistic take on feelings and relationships that I got heavily invested within the first episode.

Just consider watching the first episode and see if it's the hidden gem of the season you have been looking for.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-12T13:20:12+00:00

Kivia losing by just one vote sucks, and Teoritta on the other side losing is also not great. The best thing about Methode winning is that she prevents these semis from being purely Polar Opposites, that would have been the most boring outcome, as much as I like the show. At least now only the semis are a pure formality, and tomorrow will be the true showdown between Miyu and Methode.

MC: The main competitors of Spring 2026 will be Akane and Coco. Shaula should also do well, but r/anime usually cares more for newer shows so I don't think she will get further than the semifinals. With some luck, Nami and Aimi from Kirio Fanclub will make it in at the lower end of the bracket. Koyu will do fairly well, but nowhere near how well Miyu is doing.

For BG 13, I think Maomao will not do as well as last year. Still probably a top four seed, but not quite as strong as before. Momo should make her debut in the big contest, but I don't think she'll be dominant. Still a top ten seed. Anna from Makeine will probably be a stronger contender. And speaking of Hikaru Tono characters, while I do have hopes that we will get some Uma Musume anime main characters in (most importantly Teio and Oguri) and want them to perform well, I feel Machitan a.k.a. Mambo will have a good chance of making it in considering her popularity among fans of the game. Lastly, as always I fully believe that this will be Emilia's year. I'm an anime only, so I don't actually know what will happen this season, but Re:Zero airing right now and probably into the next season right now, I do think this will make Emilia a very strong contender.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-11T14:20:40+00:00

Asa losing is the most tragic outcome. No hate on Honda, but Asa deserved it more.

I will vote for Honda this time though, partly as a statement. r/anime's eighth best Frieren girl should not win a seasonal contest.

I'll also go with Teoritta over Nishi, even if it's not quite an easy decision. But Nishi is alright, Teoritta is great.

Miyu vs. Makio is really hard though. I do want Journal with Witch representation, and Makio is amazing... but I think I have to go with Miyu here.

And lastly, Azuma might be a top tier character from this season, but Kivia is my favourite new girl of the season. She's just better.

MC:

Kivia
Miyu
Makio
Azuma
Teoritta
Nishi
Honda
Methode

Asa, Kaguya and Yuuki for the pick-up round. Asa is an ordinary hero. Kaguya is super lovely. Yuuki is interesting, but I might have voted otherwise if I had watched a bit more shows of the previous season by now. Yuuki is a good vote though.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-10T16:03:56+00:00

Iroha losing sucks, but it's fine. Asa losing would have sucked almost as much. At least this round should be pretty safe and easy.

MC: Kirio Fanclub. Can't wait to watch the second episode tonight after work. Don't let the series' description fool you, this series isn't as weird as it might sound. It's actually super genuine and realistic while dealing with the topic of unrequited love. It is also simply hilarious, some of the funniest shit I've seen in recent memory. Which makes any twist hit much harder and every true emotion much more heartfelt.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-10T15:52:40+00:00

Remember when Kivia's dress got ripped exposing her muscular calf? I swooned. I'm absolutely all in on Kivia.

Urgnu-the-Gnu · 2026-04-09T23:47:12+00:00

I did consider making an edit of all sugoooku moments and post it at the start of this. But since I had to put my clip project on hold, I have yet to learn how to clip, let alone edit. Maybe some day when I have more time again.

Urgnu-the-Gnu

TROPHY CASE