The Academy Awards have not had a Best Animated Feature prize for long, but the category has been around long enough to snub some great films. Over the years, anime fans have resigned themselves to being slighted, but the fandom could not take the Oscars’ most recent upturn.
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After all, Boss Baby ended up getting a nomination while titles like A Silent Voice were left in the dust.
If you hopped on the Internet today, you likely saw this year’s Oscars nominations trending. Many fans took to social media to share how pumped they were about Get Out being honored, but plenty more questioned the Academy’s choice to nominate Baby Boss over some truly stunning anime titles.
Last year, the world learned there were nearly 30 animated features submitted to the Osacrs for consideration. The Boss Baby was one such title, but anime stunners like Mary and the Witch’s Flower, In This Corner of the World, and A Silent Voice also made the list. The anime trio may hail from Japan, but their themes were truly transcendental to audiences around the globe.
And – of course – they were kicked to the curb.
“Are you ready to learn what it takes to get an Oscar nomination?”
A Silent Voice gulped.
In This Corner of the World shuddered.
Your Name sweated nervously.
“Yes, The Boss Baby” they said in unison.
โ Jimmy Gnome (@jimmygnome9) January 23, 2018
people were apparently expecting a nomination for A Silent Voice but keep in mind Oscar nominations are almost entirely political. Your movie needs a powerful and resourceful marketing machine to pull it off. A Silent Voice did not have that kind of money behind it here.
โ Zac Bertschy (@ActionZacku) January 23, 2018
The 2nd most Disappointing thing of 2018 after Super Ending is “Koe No Katachi”(A Silent Voice) not nominated for Oscars……
And F%ยฉK “The Boss Baby”
โ GovetaXV (@GovetaXV) January 23, 2018
How and Why?
The Boss Baby gets a Best Animated Feature Oscar Nom. A Silent Voice and In This Corner of the World do not. I am truly living in the darkest timeline pic.twitter.com/tnKo5JNPfi
โ Cameron Thrower (@ScandaIus) January 23, 2018
Not going to mince words at all — “A Silent Voice” not getting a nomination is an absolute disgrace.
โ Mike T (@Janny_Nash) January 23, 2018
Your Name AND A Silent Voice getting snubbed in favor of Boss Baby is the most pure, condensed Oscars thing I’ve ever heard
โ Kasey ๐ (@spacekase) January 23, 2018
for the oscars, the boss baby gets a nomination while anime films like koe no katachi/a silent voice do not
โ ใใใฃใก ๏ผใซใ๏ผ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ผ (@highimpactsex) January 23, 2018
the boss baby is thus a superior anime and should be added onto myanimelist as a 10/10 film
I know almost no one cares about the “Best Animation” category of the Oscars, but in a just world Naoko Yamada’s A SILENT VOICE (2016) certainly deserved a nom. Skillfully tackles disability, bullying, social anxiety, depression, and suicide – all rarely addressed in animation. pic.twitter.com/2p5y9IpAfi
โ Trevor Habermeyer (@thabermeyer) January 24, 2018
As you can see above, people have not taken the snub very kindly. While Boss Baby may do it for some, it is hard to overlook the controversy the film has caused. Rotten Tomatoes’ aggregate score for the feature sits with a 52% critics’ score and 3.3 rating from fans. As for A Silent Voice, the gorgeous feature has a 91% score with a 4.4 audience rating – and In This Corner of the World fared even better with its 98% status.
Fans are understandably frustrated by the Academy’s latest slight, but the community is used to being overlooked by the awarding body. While Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away did take home the category’s top prize years ago, no other flick has won over the Academy since. The heralded event isn’t one to value quality anime titles over the politics of Hollywood’s award ceremonies, and the fandom wishes they were surprised by the Oscars’ latest dig at the medium.
Are you surprised by the Academy’s nominees? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!