 It's the end of 2016 and we at A-to-J Connections decided to undertake a very ambitious endeavor. We decided to list our favorite picks of 2016! Following the variety present in the site itself, these picks don't cover just music, they also cover video games and other media. Also, since our coverage of music is varied as well, we split that category into Idol, Visual Kei, and General. Voting for these categories was all done internally, though we plan to open it up to our fans and readers in 2017. Many of these categories were argued over for days and even in putting this together some members of A-to-J were left unsatisfied with some of the choices even though they mostly represent a majority or consensus. Why tell you this? Just to let you know that this article was brought to you after much work and deliberation and features the uncredited work of several A-to-J members. Like all lists of this type, opinion is everything and we do not claim to be the one true voice in telling you what was the best of 2016. This is simply our picks as best represented as they can be. If you agree or disagree with our picks then please let us know via comments and if some of our choices are ones that you haven't heard of, then we urge you to check them out. Also, for more end of the year goodness check out our individual picks for the best songs of 2016 which can be found HERE! Now, without further ado, let's jump into our list! Idol Cutest Song/MV (Idol) 2016 KOTO - Butoh Yugi KOTO's latest single/MV edged out some other awesome contenders (Like Wa-suta and Morning Musume '16's "Sexy Cat no Enzetsu"), but you can't out-cute KOTO. The antagonists in this PV were all brought down by her amazing idol skills. Song-wise it's one of her best and it was refreshing to see such a strong release from her this year. Especially one that was released via major outlets and not a live-only release. Those who follow us might know that KOTO is a favorite of our's at A-to-J and we've had the opportunity to work with her many times in the past. As a matter of fact, our most recent interview with her can be found HERE. Honorable Mention: The World Standard - Ultra Mirakurukuru Final Ultimate Choco Beam While Wa-suta's long-titled classic did not take the top spot, it is definitely cute! The retro RPG vibe and random lyrics make it an instant classic that was hard to relegate to this second place spot. Most Impactful Song/MV (Idol) 2016 DEEP GIRL - I kill This was almost a no-brainer. DEEP GIRL's first song was not very noteworthy and probably flew under most people's radar. That all changed when the video for "I kill" dropped. People who had ignored or dismissed them suddenly took notice. It was partially this video that inspired us to develop our 18+ IDOL panel. Words don't do it justice so if you haven't seen it yet just scroll down a bit and check it out for yourself. Be warned that it can be pretty graphic at times. Graphic or not, this video tackles some very deep, real topics that you don't often see addressed in music, let alone idol music. DEEP GIRL themselves seem to be on a weird path at the moment as their line-up is ever fluctuating and following up this masterpiece is no small order. Honorable Mention: Zenbu Kimi no Sei da - Mudai Gasshou It was actually hard to NOT include this ZenKimi classic somewhere. It's an awesome song with an even better video that is powerfully moving in its subtlety. Best Comeback (Idol) 2016 Buono! Buono! shocked everyone when they announced they would return for a new single and a concert at Nippon Budokan. Two awesome songs and MVs later various A-to-J members made their way to Japan to see this once-in-a-lifetime concert. (Our coverage can be found HERE) It was definitely worth crossing the globe for and they definitely earned Best Idol Comeback of 2016. Here's hoping for more in the future though it seems less likely with both Momoko Tsugunaga's and C-ute's graduations as well as Natsuyaki Miyabi's current group... Honorable Mention: BiS While we at A-to-J we underwhelmed by new BiS, it's clear that many others weren't and we ever since their reformation we haven't been able to stop talking about them whenever we can...  Best Album (Idol) 2016 BiSH - FAKE METAL JACKET 2016 was the year hat BiSH put out two amazing albums, one while they were still indie (FAKE METAL JACKET) and one once they went major (KiLLER BiSH). Both could have taken this spot, but even though KiLLER BiSH has some truly classic songs on it (Including the near-perfect "Orchestra"), FAKE METAL JACKET works just a little better as an album. The songs here are all great and in BiS fashion, there are more than a few covers from their first album featuring then-new members Atsuko and Lingling. While one can argue that KiLLER BiSH was able to come together without the use of covers, we also can't help but let this one edge its way past BECAUSE of those covers as even they brought something new to the table. Just watch the PV for MONSTERS '16 to see what we mean. They were in rare form here and honestly, whichever of these two albums you prefer, you are no more right or wrong for picking it over the other. Honorable Mention: WHY@DOLL - Gemini A very mellow, jazzy idol album that is very hard to describe so it's probably best to just go out and listen to it. Also, while songs like "Tactics" and "Byousoku Party Night" are great on their own, this is one album that is best listened to as a whole.
Best Song (Idol) 2016 BiSH - Orchestra This was a choice that split us the most at A-to-J. Some were somewhat unimpressed by this song, noting that it didn't really break out of the J-Pop ballad mode, but others praised it for taking that stadard and executing it to near perfection. Everything about this song is great. The production is on point, the cinematography is pefect, the lyrics are strong, the story in the MV is powerful, and Aina The End pulls off one of the best performances in Japanese Pop in 2016 period. Whether you agree or not this song really took the Idol/Alternative Idol scene by storm and won them many fans who held off in face of the whole "successor to BiS" thing. This would be their first MV to pull in over a million views on YouTube and it will almost definitely not be their last. If you have somehow not listened to it, then please do so. You won't regret it. Honorable Mention: KOTO - Butoh Yugi While probably not up to the level of classics such as "Platonic Planet" or "Otokonoko-chan", "Butoh Yugi" is a great song with an awesome video we've already discussed. Besides this song the three different types of this single featured some of KOTO's best songs to date, including the already mentioned "Otokonoko-chan". Best Artist (Idol) 2016 BiSH The fight for Best Idol Artist of the year was just as heated as Best Idol Song. In the end a true consensus was never reached, but BiSH was the closest we got to it. Like them or not, it's hard to deny that BiSH took the idol world by storm in 2016 and were on the lips of most people throughout the year. Even with all the arguing (probably BECUASE of all the arguing) they were definitely the most talked about group in 2016 for A-to-J. This was the year they went major and also the year they released not one, but two, amazing albums. Those albums collectively are arguably the best idol albums of 2016 so it's hard to separate them from that when discussing Best Idol of 2016. While this was their biggest year, they definitely are only going to continue going upwards from here. Honorable Mention: ANGERME Many of us at A-to-J felt that Hello! Project's relevance diminished a bit recently. A Tsunku-less Hello! Project has been tough, but ANGERME has definitely kept the collective afloat with strong releases throughout 2016.  Visual Kei Best Comeback (Visual Kei) 2016 Psycho le Cemu Psycho le Cemu was one of the biggest groups in Visual Kei over a decade ago. They took the genre and made it fun, something that is definitely still lacking even today. The decade following their break-up (2006) produced many amazing new bands (Dacco and Mix Speaker's,Inc. being most noteworthy) and a few false starts at a full-on reunion. All that changed in 2015 which finally saw some reunion shows and a new single. This series of events carried them to 2016 where they not only continued on as before, but succeeded in recapturing some of the magic that made them so special before. 2016 saw a new album, new PVs, a complete tour, and even an overseas performance at Japan Expo in Paris, France. While this new level of popularity and activity meant the members' other bands have taken a slight backseat this past year, it also gave us some amazing music. Honorable Mention: X Japan This is a hard one as X Japan jumps onto this list without actually releasing anything, but are on here mainly due to their newfound relevance overseas that followed in the wake of the award-winning documentary "We Are X". They have arguably never been bigger and will definitely be in the spotlight going well into 2017.  Best Album (Visual Kei) 2016 Psycho le Cemu - NOW AND THEN ~THE WORLD~ We've already discussed the great year that Psycho le Cemu had and it is best seen in their new album "NOW AND THEN -THE WORLD"; an album that we had to wait ten years to get. Thankfully the wait was worth it. The album is classic PLC with all the bells and whistles. Danceable tracks, Lida raps, and amazing ballads are balanced by some re-recorded classic PLC tracks. While more than a third of this album is made up of these re-recorded tracks they are well-done and the songs themselves are amongst the best in their catalog. Being Psycho le Cemu there were new costumes galore and they are nicely on display in a manner remisicent of their third album "Beautiful World". Their comback a success, we will most definitely be hearing more from them in the coming year and hopefully a follow-up album of completely new material to complement this one. Honorable Mention: THE GALLO - LUCIFERO Definitely not an album meant for easy listening, THE GALLO's "LUCIFERO" marked a change in the band's sound as well as the inclusion of new guitarist, Nov. Don't let this deter you though as this album is one that all fans of THE GALLO shouldn't cast off for its differences compared to the band's sound prior.
Best MV (Visual Kei) 2016 Golden Bomber - Yokubou on Uta Golden Bomber realed an amazing ode to old school visual kei this past year with Yokubou no Uta. At first glance you're bombarded by Kiryuin Shou, Kyan, Jun, and Kenji giving a flamboyant nod to Gackt-era MALICE MIZER, but it doesn't just stop there. Throughout the PV are references to X Japan, Lareine and DIR EN GREY. We get to see hilarious, yet perfect executed parodies, of many early Visual Kei bands that set the example for the current new age Visual Kei. Thanks to Golden Bomber we get a pleasant look at that gone, but not forgotten, past. Honorable Mention: THE GALLO - Mao -Yamishi- Words can't describe the levels of excess seen in this video. THE GALLO had an amazing year that also included the release of their album "LUCIFERO". The MV for Mao -Yamishi- though is one that isn't for the faint of heart. You have been warned. Best Song (Visual Kei) 2016 the GazettE - UNDYING the GazettE’s 24th single UNDYING is the grand finale to their DOGMA era. Melodic and dark, the heavy sound is supported by strong bass and guitar, fast-kicking drums, and captivating vocals. Alongside a consistently solid sound is a beautiful approach to macabre elements; their imagery based in the occult and the divine bring together an elegant and despondent idea of a cursed fate. From the music to the visuals, the GazettE once again executes mastery in bringing together their concepts for a complete and eerie package. Honorable Mention: Psycho le Cemu - Oedo Tabigarasu We already mentioned Psycho le Cemu's strong comeback. This came complete with some strong releases, not the least of which was "Oedo Tabigarasu" which was a true return to everything we loved about Psycho le Cemu in the past. Best Artist (Visual Kei) 2016 BRATBAX As popular Visual Kei musicians kept their fans entertained with new releases and forming supergroups, a few unfamiliar faces made a name for themselves throughout 2016, one of them being BRATBAX. The 5-member group consists of XiAN on vocals, guitarists Tohga and Tetola, Melo on bass, and CyLLt on drums. From uploading their first full PV onto their Youtube channel in February to holding their first oneman live in April, the group has already demonstrated a vigorous passion for their job. To add on, BRATBAX is not hesitant to experiment with a variety of genres to delight their listeners. By incorporating alternative rock, pop-rock, and a dash of electronica, these musicians have set up quite a diverse discography in the span of one year. If you're ever in the mood for a softer-sounding band, BRATBAX'S tunes will do just that favor of pleasing your ears. The band recently held their second oneman live on the 26th, further sealing the thought that they are a promising band to look out for. Honorable Mention: the GazettE While some argue that the GazettE's better years are behind them, they definitely had an excellent year full of strong releases and a World Tour and show no signs of letting up going into the new year.  General Music Best Rock Album 2016 THE ORAL CIGARETTES - FIXION THE ORAL CIGARETTES have had an amazing year and it all started with the release of their second official album, FIXION. From the opening of "Kizuke yo Baby" to the more subdued closing of "Everything, this album never lets up and lends evidence to the claim that THE ORAL CIGARETTES are essentially unable to produce a bad song. While the album slipped under the radar of A-to-J at the time of its release, when it was brought to our attention it was clear that this was an instant classic. THE ORAL CIGARETTES were so active this year that it might be easy to not notice this release amongst all the others, but every fan of Japanese Rock should check this one out. Other notable tracks are "A-E-U-I" and "Amy". Honorable Mention: Jun Togawa with Vampillia - Watashi ga Nakou Hototogisu This 2016 release featuring Vampillia is a powerful mix of gothic rock, experimental pop, and noise rock which serves to commemorate the 35-year career of Jun Togawa. Features reworkings of some of the most beloved songs from Jun Togawa's career.
Best Rock Song 2016 THE ORAL CIGARETTES - 5150 It was mentioned before that THE ORAL CIGARETTES had an amazing year. They released two singles leading up to their upcoming third album and "5150" is arguably the best out of these. Strong riffs, powerful vocals, and a style that sets them apart from the other bands like them. This single followed "DIP-BAP" which would almost assuredly take the second spot if we didn't want to include more from others... Honorable Mention: Yoru no Honki Dance - Without You Yoru no Honki Dance have that indie rock sound down tight and also had a very strong year. Without You was their first single following their major debut this year. Best Pop Album 2016 Utada Hikaru - Fantome We waited years for this and we were not disappointed. Utada Hikaru's "Fantome" was a release that was as strong as anything we had seen from her before. Hikki’s return to pop music is a triumphant one. This album is a mix of upbeat catchyness and solemn ballads, touching on topics such as loss, love, and surviving what life throws at you. Strong writing, interesting collaborations ("Nijikan Dake no Vacance" with Sheena Ringo was a standout track), and the absence of filler makes this album a shoe-in for this spot. Here's hoping we don't have such a long window between releases from her in the future. Honorable Metion: Seiko Oomori - TOKYO BLACK HOLE Choosing between these two was very hard as both are bound to be looked back on as classics. Also, not only was Seiko Oomori's 2016 album was a standout pop album, but the MV for "aishiteru.com" very briefly features A-to-J member, Heidi!
Best Pop Song 2016Seiko Oomori - aishiteru.com We talked about this just a second ago didn't we? Well these pop categories were very hard to pick because we had two amazing albums filled with amazing songs released this year. It could have gone any number of ways, but Seiko Oomori wins this one. aishiteru.com is a very sudbued song that nevertheless is extremely catchy with its simplicity. The video is somewhat unique as well and it's already been said that you can spot A-to-J member Heidi in it (at about 2:08). That aside it definitely was an early pick for song of the year and we decided to stick with it in for this category. Honorable Mention: Utada Hikaru - Nijikan Dake no Vanance (feat. Sheena Ringo) Nijikan Dake no Vacance is a song that defies genre and its video is one of the best we've seen in 2016 as well. Even though it and aishiteru.com switched places for this one, it is no less an amazing song. Artist of The Year 2016 BiSH BiSH had a crazy year, plain and simple, crazy and full. They released TWO albums, went major, lost a prominent member in Hug Mii and gained a new one in Ayuni D. They even had to endure the fact that BiS had returned to the scene to compete for the Alternative Idol spotlight. (Though to be fair this didn't prove as big of an obstacle as was first thought) Throughout all this though BiSH maintained a near perfect level of output by releasing the biggest and best songs of their relatively short career. "DEADMAN", "Orchestra", and "Hontou Honki" were classics the second they were released and will probably remain fan favorites for years to come. 2016 might have been their strongest year, but they show no signs of stopping and 2017 will probably prove to be the year where they really explode into full mainstream popularity.  Song of The Year 2016 BiSH - Orchestra While choosing BiSH (and by extension "Orchestra") for the highest spots in this list was a highly debated topic within A-to-J, one thing is for sure: This is one of the best songs on 2016 and many others will wholeheartedly agree with this statement. We've discussed this song on our podcasts and in many other places so there isn't much more to say except that it is one of the best songs of 2016 in any language or genre. Internal arguing aside, it was one of the few songs that several members in A-to-J could agree on. If you are not convinced then please feel free to let us know what your pick is and why. If you have not heard this yet, and somehow skipped it above, watch it and you'll most likely see why we went with it. If you watched earlier, than watch it again, this song deserves it. Video Games Best Role Playing Game 2016 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE This game could easily win the award for most heavily censored game of 2016, (See HERE for more on this.) but that couldn't stop the game from being one of the most unique experiences released this past year. It is all the more interesting that it is a Wii U exclusive. (Which probably explains the aforementioned censorship.) One can combine the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem series can be done in many different ways, but we at A-to-J were particularly pleased to see that this game would feature a modern day Japanese setting that featured the Idol industry front and center. Setting aside, everything in this game's presentation was top notch from the graphics, the gameplay, and especially the original music, much of it produced by mega-label avex. While the censorship left a bad taste in the mouths of many, this game should still be checked out and takes the RPG category easily even over some of the higher profile releases this year saw. Honorable Mention: Final Fantasy XV While this game has all the flash and publicity behind it and more people at A-to-J poured hours into this over TMS #FE, it was agreed upon that the experience it offered wasn't as deep as it could have been.  Best Mobile Game 2016 Pokemon GO A game so big that everyone and probably their moms played it for at least a few weeks. Finding Pokemon in the real world was finally something we could do, and kept us outside at all hours of the day and night, building a weird little short-lived community. While the game's popularity today is only a small fraction of what it was during its height, there is no denying that Pokemon GO was one of the biggest games of 2016 and reinvigorated the Pokemon franchise. You can check out our full review HERE. Honorable Mention: Justice Monsters V A Final Fantasy XV tie-in, this was the mobile version of the pinball game found ingame. Way more fun than it had any right being, Square unfortunately is stopping support in March 2017, so play while you can.  Best Handheld Game 2016 Style Savvy: Fashion Forward See our full review for complete reasons why this game edged out some of the other amazing handheld releases this year, but one thing is definite about this game: Running a fashion empire has never been so fun. Check it out if you haven't already and don't let the subject matter deter you. Honorable Mention: Monster Hunter Generations/SMT IV Apocalypse Both strong rpgs, one building upon the Monster Hunter franchise in a good way, the other bringing back painfully tough JRPG dungeon crawling to the 3DS.  Best Fighting Game 2016 Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- Guilty Gear has always been known for fluid, fast paced, fighting game action, and Xrd -Revelator- is no exception, building upon everything that fans of the series know and love. Edging out some of the more high-profile fighting game releases like... Honorable Mention: Street Fighter V The latest in the Street Fighter franchise, a solid game that was unfortunately kept from the top spot by being bogged down by DLC and having a bad release.  Best Remake / Remaster 2016 Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir See our review for a full look at this game. In an age where remastered games are often mad cash grabs, a remaster has never been so welcomed and so worthwhile. If it was released for the first time this is a strong contender for action game of the year. Honorable Mention: DanganRonpa 1&2 (PC) Finally, more people can play DanganRonpa. Half visual novel, half rhythm game, full of mystery and despair  Best Game 2016 The Last Guardian See our full review for this one. A relic of gaming’s past finally available, upholding the traditions of what makes Team Ico games so beloved and also reviled. Honorable Mention: Pokemon Sun/Moon See our review for this one too. The newest entry in the storied Pokemon franchise proper feels fresh and wonderful, giving something both new and old fans can love.  Other Media Best Anime 2016 Yuri on Ice We at A-to-J uh... really liked the gay ice skating anime. Plain and simple. There was a lot of feeling, a lot of very well animated ice skating, and a dog! Say what you will about how this series took the internet by storm, it was well-produced and arguably the most talked about series in 2016 Honorable Mention: Erased A mystery anime that was a come out of nowhere hit, following the story of a guy who goes back to the past to try and change an unsolved murder from his youth. Best Movie 2016 Shin Godzilla See our review for this. Hideki Anno’s Shin Godzilla is less a monster movie, and more a commentary on how bureaucracy can make a disaster worse. Still, lots of crazy fun “Godzilla destroying stuff” action and dry humor abound, with lots of nods to Anno’s Evangelion series. Honorable Mention: Your Name Makoto Shinkai’s latest film is a worldwide blockbuster hit, about two teens who end up switching bodies. Beautifully animated, the film is a mix of high school drama and sci-fi themes that Shinkai has mastered, and it’s good to see him get the recognition he deserves. Best Documentary 2016 We Are X See our full review for more on this one. While we at A-to-J were extremely excited for the release of this movie, we didn't think it would draw the attention it did. A few years ago few non-Japanese media outlets would mention Yoshiki and X Japan, but 2016 was the year that this all changed. It helps that this is one of the best movies released this year. This is one that everyone should watch, whether you're a fan of X Japan or not. You'll probably become one by the time it's finished. Honorable Mention: Branching Paths See our full review for more. This documentary set out to document the indie games scene in Japan and the only thing that kept it from taking the top spot (besides the release of "We Are X") is it's somewhat lack of focus by including many Western indie developers. That caveat aside, it is still a must-watch. There you have it, our picks for the Best of 2016. These choices were hard to decide on but, to make all this even more crazy, we will open this list's contents up to our readership next year! Keep an eye out for that and be sure to follow A-to-J Connections for more awesome content in 2017 and beyond!
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