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The Best of the Best!

[2012 Persona 4: FES - The Golden Awards Presentation]

Most underplayed character - Lewis Keys

Following a year in which the adopted son of Odin threw down the Norse Pantheon and defeated the Yatagarasu in order to claim a treasure trove of power for his own, much was expected of one of the Guild's resident sexiest men in the 12 months following. However, due to a dearth in storylines and the two-month time of peace granted at the resolving of the World's End, Lewis Keys and his designs on Japan were pushed to the side for a while.

Devious, charming, and cunning as ever, those embroiled in his web still wait with bated breath for the day that he returns and begins his campaign anew. For 2012, however, his presence added up to a disappointing non-show and a mysterious challenge levied at the Second Persona War.

Surely, more is expected in the year to come...

[Other Nominees: Mataki Hito, Lewis Keys, the Orochi, Kai Kuzunoha, Rise Kujikawa]

Most believable character - Colm Watanabe

Colm is the perfect example of a character, a person, who is not perfect...but whose imperfections never escape the bounds of reality, either. Though his tongue is sharp, it is never quite so offensive that you can imagine his friends abandoning him...and though he shows flashes of kindness and growth, his transformation into a beloved member of the SEES-2 unit has not been instantaneous...it has been slow, arduous, lined with missteps (Zazi's accusations), mistakes (laced brownies), and at the same time, respectable valor.

In a world where characters often stray too close to the tropes of 'ur-hero' and 'anti-hero', it's nice to have someone in the fold who reminds us all that these characters are...at their very core...still fallible, changing human beings.

[Other Nominees: Minori Koroko, Yasuo Utsumi, Miyako Kurashima, Colm Watanabe, Gin Mishima]

Most idiotic character - Eido Aeroda (with help from Aleister Crowley)

In what truly must seem a monumental upset for reigning MIC Award favorites Rednal and Zeo, a new and entertaining contestant stepped forward from the pack to establish himself as one of the Guild's new benchmarks for idiocy in Inaba. Though Rednal still had his bouts of androgynous indifference to the plight of those he calls friends, and Zeo remained as ludicrous as ever (in sparse, hilarious appearances), it was the ill-fated suitor of Rose (and indeed, many beautiful women with whom he crosses paths) who enjoyed some of the most entertainingly ludicrous encounters of the year.

Highlighting his unintelligent resume for the year was his wacky apprenticeship to the world's foremost master of (and failure at) magic, Aleister Crowley. Together, their failed attempt at making Eido more attractive...summoning an incomplete-demon-wang-monster upon Yasogami High School and enduring all of the sexual innuendo that followed...must be marked among the gold standard of hilarious deeds in the history of Persona 4:FES - The Golden.

[Other Nominees: "Yatsuda" Hudamora, Zeo Kirijo, Eido Aeroda, Rednal Ak'Thias, Mika Katsuragi]

Most lovable character - Suzume Kirihara

In a year that at times was light on joy and heavy on drama, the brightest stars and most huggable of the Guild's characters did not enjoy the time in the spotlight that years past might have afforded to them. However, for each of our candidates there was a light that shone through, and genuine moments of 'D'aww' came to pass for all of them...whether it was Minori's heartwarming reunion with Duke at the Festival, WYNN's sugary new nickname for 'Onii-Shu', Hatsu's Charming Honesty, or Crowley's Heartrendingly Forced Smiles, any single candidate could have emerged with the title this year.

However, in the end there are few who can contend with the endlessly adorable optimism and the brilliant smiles of Oshu City High School's clumsy track star. Her ongoing relationship with the haunted Urban Legend of Oshu provides a continuing source of hope and cuteness for all of those who follow them...and for her turn as this year's host of GUILDMAS2012, she noses ahead for the final victory!

[Other Nominees: Hatsu Harima, Suzume Kirihara, Minori Koroko, WYNN, Aleister Crowley]

Most Epic Non-Player Character - Zazi Pazzia

Though the deeds of the Second Persona War were many and great, and individually may outclass any of the winner's singular accomplishments...but really, this was the year of Zazi Pazzia, whose involvement in events prior to the Killing Joke, running as the sole and main opposition to the SEES-2 Team, only set the stage for his months-long trial set forth before Hatsu Harima, Rose, Sylphie, and the rest of their teammates at the Mist Wall.

While the Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team remained mixed up in the mysterious Grand Prix, it was Zazi who made the most ambitious move of the year (after Persona War) to conquer their headquarters and devise a trial for Akihiko's pups. And even as the conclusion draws near today, the abominations of the Mad Mime run free...both inside of the Mist Wall to be soon conquered, and beyond...

[Other Nominees: Soji Seta (Persona War II, P1 - Grand Prix, Orochi-Shadow Attack), Zazi Pazzia (The Killing Joke), Oda Nobunaga (Persona War II), Naniyori (Sapporo Storylines), Tatsuya Suoh (Persona War II), Mitsunari Ishida (Persona War II)]

Most Epic Player-Character - Hatsu Harima

When the world around becomes increasingly remarkable with each passing day, there are times when the most lauded of all efforts is put forth by someone who does not share in the great power of those around him...and yet tries his hardest to be a hero, nonetheless. In a year where many levels in badass were taken, where Jo(Shu) Michieru completed his collection of Charmers and great as apprentice to the stealthy Kuzunoha Kyouji, where Minori mastered her darkest depths, where Rednal stood like a devil over the fallen form of Amelia and berated her as though he were a god, and where NIx Gallen matured into a powerful and respected member of the Investigation Team's formidable squad...it was the neophyte member of the SEES-2 Team that perhaps made the greatest impression.

By sheer force of will and charming personality he emerged from the intended role of 'storyline extra' and became perhaps the heart of the SEES-2 effort against Zazi Pazzia. Armed with little more than a supernatural toughness and a fist to shatter shield and bone alike, he helped free Colm from the possession of shadows, shattered the shield of Haseo the Bulwark, and near-sacrificed his arms to save the life of a friend (Gin in the elevator shaft) and the chance at saving the world (against Zazi's barrier).

And if that weren't enough, to hearken to Sylphie's fearful cries in the dorm and brave her door, only to endure her slap...takes the epic heart of a true man.


[Other Nominees: Jo(Shu) Michieru (Sapporo Excursion, others), Hatsu Harima (Caesar's Gym Showdown, Endgame, The Killing Joke), Minori Koroko (Facing the Shade), Nix Gallen (P1 - Grand Prix, Persona War II, Facing the Shade), Rednal Ak'Thias (Grand Prix, Facing the Shade), Zeo Kirijo (sic) ]

Most Heartwarming Couple - Rednal Ak'Thias and Aselia Bluespirit

With apologies to the other women in Rednal's life, the outsider's view over the past year has become almost wholly focused on his relationship with a single girl...of singular syllable. Long after their official 'get-together' at the party for Soji's return from the hospital, their relationship grows as they spend time together, spend time apart, and then are reunited in heartwarming fashion each time. However, perhaps the most enduring of images left by these two in the past year was Aselia's frenzied search for her missing boyfriend, leading her around the city and gathering those who could help her recover her love from the clutches of a madwoman.

...Sure, Sai and Suzu were as heartwarming as ever...enough perhaps to carry the torch for another year. And sure Shu's relationships were charming, though never definitive enough to clear the bar set by the former...but in a year filled with longing and empty space, Aselia and Rednal helped to fill the gap with warmth and affection enough to soothe even the harshest of souls.

Now if only they could manage to solve that Yuno situation...

[Other Nominees: Sai Sakurazaka and Suzume Kirihara, Hatsu Harima and Seika Murakami, Jo(Shu) Michieru and Saiga Giriko/Kanade Tachibana, Rednal Ak'Thias and Aselia Bluespirit, Zeo Kirijo and Nix Gallen]

Least Likely Couple - Rednal Ak'Thias x Kanade Tachibana

Because after all this time, somebody really needs to learn how to take a hint and just let it go...

[Other Nominees: RednalxKanade, ZeoxMitsuru, AmeliaxRednal, SuigetsuxNix, YatsudaxRyofu)]

Most Heartwarming Moment in RP - Minori and Duke are reunited by Zelkova

It's not just that they were together, nor that they were together under the beautiful scenery of the Inaba Tanabata Festival...and it's not even that they were surprisingly reintroduced at the pageant, before the entire crowd, so that they ran to one another in teary-eyed happiness like the scene out of some romantic Hollywood film. It wasn't the kisses or the hugs, or even the way that they clung to one another as though the world itself might end, or one or the other might disappear, should they begin to let go of their embrace...

It was the hurdles that it took to get there, the evil plan of the Mori and the devious manipulation of the girl to separate her from the man...the way that he struggled with his decisions in the heat of Persona War II, the way he was pulled out of darkness by the Ally of Love Izuru, the way that Minori stood at the heart of the Shogun's scheme and saw the hopelessness that drove Duke away from her...and that after all that they had seen and endured, they were still brought together. They still knew that their love for one another was real.

And all it took was a nudge from one impish Festival Announcer...with a childlike smile...and two star-crossed lovers were reunited beneath the shimmering stars of Tanabata.

[Other Nominees: Minori and Duke are reunited by Zelkova, Sai and Suzu's Festival Kiss, Kusuri's Family Welcomes Nix Home, Izuru Shimazu pulls Duke out of the Darkness, WYNN finally finds Oni-Shu again.]

Most Badass Moment in RP - Soji and Oda Nobunaga Meet on the Battlefield

Tempting as it is to grant the Badass Moment crown to another conquest of a Tower, there can be no greater moment than the penultimate showdown...the ultimate showdown...of the greatest battle ever seen upon the history of the Guild. Persona War 2 had everything from swaying momentum, to monumental victories, to agonizing and horrifying defeats...but when the Demon King unleashed his cruel Hell upon the city and left so many of the survivors dead in the wake of his terror, there was nothing, not a sliver even of hope that the world could be set right...that his evil could be righted...or that the man who ruled the Age of the Warring States before any other could be defeated.

...Until a gray mop of hair and a solemn resignation to battle descended upon the field before him. Still battling with the demons of his fall and the failure of his to protect his friends from his shadow, it was only at this hour of utmost need that he was able to cast aside the bonds of uncertainty that shackled him and knew, with absolute certainty, that this was an evil only he could now stay from Japan. With his power and the weapons of his personae, he could defeat the Demon King and give some hope that the lives lost to his power could be restored...

...And there, on the battlefield of Sumaru City, the two fought like gods with power beyond reckoning for the fate of the city and all who lay dead within it...their souls to be saved or cursed dependent upon the winner...

It was the singular moment of the Guild...and Inaba's...hero's great revival. His reentry into the wars of the supernatural. And his victory there was one of the greatest to be told in the ages ever after by those who remember...

[Other Nominees: Tala and Kisa Face-Off, Soji and Oda Nobunaga Meet on the Battlefield, Tatsuya's Sacrifice to End the Persona War, SEES-2 No-Sells Zazi's Killing Joke, Shu's Tower Conquest in Sapporo]

Dumbest Moment in the RP - Yatsuda Persists, Ryofu Resists...and Beats a Poor Soul Down

With respect to the governing board's lingering uncertainty as to exactly what of the conversations between Rednal and Amelia were real, false, and its inability to decipher the exact emotional affect (or lack thereof) of the moment upon them, the title for dumbest moment must be given instead to the newcomer Yatsuda for his forehead-slappingly stupid approach to the Guild's resident pint-sized dragon.

You could practically hear the groans when after his first and second dismissal he persisted in spouting off increasingly forward and foolhardy nonsense to a volatile woman who clearly had no interest in continuing their discourse. ...It could almost be said even that it was a mercy what happened to save him from imprisonment thereafter, the appearance of a being that strikes fear into the heart of all...and that statement alone sums up why Yatsuda and Ryofu emerge at the tail end of the year with its crowning incident of 'Duh'.

[Other Nominees: Yatsuda Persists, Ryofu Resists...and Beats a Poor Soul Down, Rednal and Amelia's Failures to Communicate, Kisa's Headlong Dive Under the Orochi-Shadow, Colm Devours 'Special' Brownies and Slogs Through the Killing Joke, The Yuno Situation...]

Most Terrifying Moment - Minori's Shade Plays with Genji

There is an inherent fear when confronted with a demon of power beyond reckoning...as evidenced by the appearance of Tala (The Guild's Resident Walking Apocalypse) and the response it evoked in those who dwelt within Sapporo at the time. However, it is a different sort of fear entirely to face the devil within...and when that devil goes mad, released from its prison, to torment those around you with all of your pent up wickedness (and you, bless you, who have no way to stop it).

Thus it was a very real, very striking, and a very bitter sort of dread that filled the hearts of all who watched as the puppet-like Shade of Minori Koroko jerked in unnatural movements and began to assault the Gentle Fist of Genji Amagai, aided unseen by the monstrous forms of others just like her. Seeing the darkness of one of the I. Team's own so closely, so raw, even as it ripped apart one of their own precious friends elicited a fear and an uneasiness that will linger long after the wounds suffered mend...and after the Shade's own defeat. Knowing that something so evil and horrifyingly twisted as that could be born from your own heart is a type of fear that cannot simply be bested...

...Only fought, and overcome...but never entirely.

[Other Nominees: Tala Appears in Sapporo, Oda Nobunaga unleashes Hell on Sumaru City, The End of the World Dawns, The Mist Wall Becomes Zazi's Funhouse 2.0, Minori's Shade Plays with Genji]

Most Confusing Character - Zazi Pazzia

Perceived insanity is trumped in its inability to be understood by genuine insanity this year; Rednal's flirtations with the unintelligible and misunderstandings were surpassed by a Mad Clown who likely doesn't even fully understand the workings of his own plans, who seems to make things up on the fly without any sort of rhyme or reason. To confront such a strange character is to face a riddle...to which the answer is nonsense and the question is gibberish.

In short, Zazi's brain is likened to a Bag of Cats...as the Green Philosopher once said...certainly not to be understood by the likes of you and me.

[Other Nominees: Yatsuda, Rednal Ak'Thias, Jo(Shu) Michieru, Zazi Pazzia, Colm Watanabe]

Biggest Airhead - Mika Katsuragi

In a world filled with eccentric characters and those who are so easily fooled that they believe a holdup to be nothing more than offering protection from the rioters outside, that they believe near any story told to them by others, or that they believe a magic potion brewed by the world's most infamous failure of an alchemist could make them a hit with the ladies, there has never quite been a character of the like of Mika Katsuragi. Having somehow missed the evolving supernatural world around her until recently, her awakening in Inaba to the evils of Orochi-Hetero set into her mind not that the world was bent to some strange darkness, haunted by specters as it seemed...but that Inaba was instead besieged by a race of aliens using guile and subterfuge to pose as...other unusual beings!

Yes, it takes a special brand of endearing eccentric to finally bear witness to unusual things when all their life they have been looking for them...and then promptly label them the wrong thing entirely! And though her reactions at time do, thankfully, border on sane and even nearly-responsible, one conversation with her about the 'aliens' and their 'ships' is all you need to hear to know you're not dealing with your average Jane.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost would be proud...

[Other Nominees: Suzume Kirihara, Hatsu Harima, Eoria Ansul, Yatsuda, Mika Katsuragi]

Most Unlikely Badass - Weston Smith

Originally created to be a one-off rioter in the wake of the Ending of the World, there was a charisma that strangely exuded from the one-eyed bandit from the outset of his appearance in Sumaru City. He was a despicable rogue who seemed to have some relationship, oddly enough, with the eternally-heroic (albeit occasionally misguided) Hatsu Harima...but little did anybody reckon that this casual baddie with a Summoning App would later not just survive the abruptly-halted apocalypse...he also managed to stick around with Hatsu and Seika themselves, being press-ganged into the service of SEES-2 by Akihiko Sanada himself!

There, his strength became truly formidable, and someone whom fate had marked for death and defeat from the moment he was conceived now stood as one of the last bastions of hope against a true madman in Zazi Pazzia...delivering bullets and one-liners alike in the final assault against him in the Mist Wall. True, Nix Gallen's rise from shrinking violet to a more confident and powerful member of the team was impressive...but even she must admit that Weston's improbable badassery not only elevated him to the level of a defender of the world...it spared him a trip to the proverbial gallows.

[Other Nominees: Asuka Bokuro, Anyastacia Renee, Weston Smith, Rainbow, Nix Gallen]

Best Fight - The Grand Melee in Persona War 2]

What makes a great fight? Is it the reluctance of one person to answer the bell, before rising to the challenge of his foe to battle with all of his power in defense of his own life and sense of justice (Rednal against Faust)? Is it the struggle of several forces of good desperately hoping to stave off the darkness in a last-ditch attempt to save the world (SEES-2 against Zazi and his Minions in the Mist Wall)? Is it to come face-to-face against an enemy that is so decidedly evil and twisted that the very idea of its existence unsettles you to the core, that looking into its face fills you with fear, and that the more you think of it you can't imagine how it is it came to be or how you will defeat it (Minori's Shade against the I. Team)? Or is it even just the fight, swift and incredible, with two unstoppable forces smashing against one another in elegant combat...before an ending so heart-stopping and definitive it leaves you speechless (Mitsunari's defeat of Balmung in the Second Persona War)?

Or is it a combination of all of those elements rolled into one, a myriad of challenges and brave souls that rise to these challenges, that hope against hope and fight against the worst odds and even unto the ending of the world...with a definitive ending that casts aside all doubts, that leaves no room to debate the outcome? The Grand Melee that saw many of the Guild's greatest villains and heroes fall before at last, Soji Seta struck down the Demon King and ended that segment of the Second Persona War had a little bit of everything that makes a fight great. And simply remembering the highs, the lows, the splendor and the terror of that battle is enough to leave one wanting to go back and read it again, and again, and again...

...And whets the warrior's spriit for the inevitable Third...

[Other Nominees: Faust v. Rednal (P1 Grand Prix); Hatsu, Seika, Weston, and SEES-2 v. Zazi, Oizys, Haseo, and Miyuki; The Grand Melee (Oda, Shingen, Soji, etc.) in Persona War II; Investigation Team v. Minori Shade; Balmung of the Azure Sky v. Mitsunari Ishida (Persona War II)]

Most Likely to Be Stabbed by Yuno - Rednal

Finally wresting the title away from Faust, Rednal's dabbling with other women has ingratiated said girls with his stabby stalker none-too-much...

And really, isn't double suicide the most beautiful form of love?

[Other Nominees: Rednal, Faust, Aselia, Zeo, Kanade, Yatsuda]

Least Trustworthy Character - Naniyori

Consider this hypothetical situation...in which all of the five nominees offer you a box and promise that what's inside is an item that will grant you great power and a wish of your own come true. With Suigetsu, you know that whatever it is will likely be ambiguous and it's patently untrustworthy...but unlikely to be of too much harm either way, really. With Orochi-Hetero, you can trust that the bargain will grant you with power...at a Faustian price. With Zazi, you can guess that the contents will be the result of some experiment...one not like to work to anyone's favor but his own. And with Weston you can trust that whatever it is, it was stolen recently by the Sumaru City Rogue.

But with Naniyori, there's just no knowing what the Hell might be in there. It could be a bottle of the good booze, seven Atma Cores from Ari, or even the severed head of your best friend's corpse.

And that is why Naniyori remains the Guild's least trustworthy guy.

[Other Nominees: Zazi Pazzia, Weston Smith, Naniyori, Orochi-Hetero, Suigetsu]

Most Badass Normal - Sakurazaka Sai

With respect to Spider-Mao and his awesome array of gadgets, there are still no characters who command the respect and fear of those around him without any inherent powers (that we know of) to his name like the Urban Legend of Oshu...so much so that even at the ending of the world, he was set to become a beacon of hope and a leader for those in his city who hoped to survive the apocalypse.

And as more of his past with the Amakusu is revealed, we learn why it is that people are drawn to him, why they believe in him and why enemies fear him...and we see why it is that he and his friends may be the last hope for Oshu City in the war against the crime of the Syndicate...and other supernatural threats to pass through the land once ruled by the Date.

[Other Nominees: Anya Renee, Sakurazaka Sai, Mao, Yuno, Kensu]

Character Who Took the Biggest Level In Badass - Minori Koroko

At the outset of the year there was a prevailing thought that the villains of the Guild must have grown tired of kidnapping Minori Koroko or those who were close to her...as it had been done and repeated to exhaustion over the time that had come before. And in most of these situations it was with great frustration that the only daughter of the Koroko family and the adopted daughter of the Dojima family realized she lacked the power to fight with the people who were truly doing her the greatest harm. Before Motonari Mori she could only watch his plans unfold, and as her love was changed before her eyes she still could only watch and wish that her fate were different. Her family was lost, and her brother became evil, tormenting her over time with his bipolar assaults against and refusals to engage her.

And then something strange happened...as she began to use the spirit of the god that was entrusted to her, as she came face-to-face with the hidden darkness that she could not accept (her Shade), and as she began to realize the depths of the things she could accomplish if she only believed in herself...and that thing was that she had become strong...that she had always been strong and was only getting stronger! From a damsel at times with the power to help, she became fused with her persona and against all odds in the eyes of her enemies...Minori Koroko became a very real threat to them.

Advancing all the way into the semi-finals of the P1-Grand Prix, defeating the brother who left her, and smacking down her own Shade were only the fruits of the levels that she herself chose to take in badass this year. And that is why she is recognized as this year's climber in badassery. Congratulations!

[Other Nominees: Zazi Pazzia, Shu Michieru, Hatsu Harima, Minori Koroko, Nix Gallen]

Most Heartbreaking Moment - The Shades Torture Genji Amagai

A truly heartbreaking moment isn't simply one that makes you feel badly for the one who is at the wrong end of a beatdown, of suffering, of the delivery of the line that breaks their heart and spirit...but one that makes you feel pity for the one doing the breaking as well. And few things ignite an emotional response quite like the coming of a Shade, the darkest side of a person that nobody wishes for others to see. Seeing the awful way in which Minori seemed to think of herself in the darkest reaches of her mind...a puppet for manipulation, eyeless, senseless, toyed with by those she felt bound to...and then the twisted forms of the other Shades that fought with her...

...Even as they laid into the heir of the Amagai Family, there was an undeniable twinge of sadness and pity for the creatures doing the beating...and for those from whom they were borne, their darkness laid plain for the world to see.

...And then to see the berry-haired boy strung high above his home like a sacrifice to their dark creator, bleeding, dying...after such a valiant struggle...was a sight that could dust up even the clearest of eyes.

[Other Nominees: Nix Fights a Crippled Genji, Amelia's Breakdown in the Grand Prix, The Shades' Torture of Genji Amagai, Naoki Konishi's "Resurrection", Tatsuya Suoh's Sacrifice, The Fall of the Winged Warrior of the Azure Sky]

The Kamina "Real, Manliest Man" Award - Kanji Tatsumi

They say that in a championship fight, to win, you have to BEAT the champ...and in a year that was short on repeated deeds of heroism, there were none who could claim they had fully surpassed the might of the Slayer of Czechoslovakian Assassins, the Thrower of Desks By the Teeth, and the Warrior of the Second Persona War, Challenger of the Messiah, and All-Around Badass...that is, Kanji Tatsumi.

Special mention to Zeo and Naniyori for being as eccentric and manly as ever, to Eido for surviving Mara, to Soji for his sturdy approach to all his threats this year, and to Hatsu Harima especially for his solid heroism in the darkest of times...but if you want to unseat Kanji as the Guild's PREEMINENT ALPHA MALE, YOU BETTER COME A LITTLE HARDER NEXT TIME, SON!

[Other Nominees: Naniyori, Kanji Tatsumi, Soji Seta, Hatsu Harima, Zeo Kirijo, Eido Aeroda]

Most Courageous Character - Hatsu Harima

Diving through fire, facing down a berserk shadow, leaping down an elevator shaft to save a friend from a falling compartment, besting an armored knight with his bare fists, climbing many stories up a skyscraping tower via ladder towards an inevitable boss fight, and even throwing a punch against an impenetrable barrier for the sake of his friends...and all of these things in just one night! Hatsu Harima's manliness was overshadowed only by his courage in times of great need of it...

...And that's without mentioning his being the first to heed Sylphie's distress in the dorm...

...Or his ongoing, nigh-masochistic relationship with one Seika Murakami, either...

[Other Nominees: Hatsu Harima, Minori Koroko, Jo(Shu) Michieru, Kisa, Kanade Tachibana]

Magical Girl Miku Girliest Girl Award - Kanade Tachibana

When you bear a frilly dress and wear it with the title 'Magical Frost Girl Snowflake'(?) into battle, even if you were a man (especially if you were a man named Faust), you would have to be up for consideration for an award called the 'Girliest Girl' Award. And when she wasn't moonlighting as Inaba's newest and most kawaii magical superheroine, she was approaching an important decision in her life with the demure confidence and courage possible only for a truly inspiring young woman.

Shine on, Magical Girl Frost Snowflake! And be a beacon for ladies everywhere who want to let their girlie sides show with pride!

[Other Nominees: Naomi Fujiyoshi, Amelia Heartilly, Eoria Ansul, Kanade Tachibana, Suzume Kirihara]

Best Rivalry - Rednal Ak'Thias v. Amelia Heartilly

In what has long been one of the most obnoxious feuds in the history of the Guild, to the ongoing displeasure of the Investigation Team and all of its members who have to put up with it, Amelia and Rednal's mutual dislike for one another has been about the worst-kept secret amongst the team's members for some time. However as battle after battle called upon the entirety of the team to work together with one another for a greater good, they were thus far able to put their dislike aside (if not their barbed words) long enough to fight together and get the job done with their team (even if the exchanges afterward...and their disagreement about their methods and performance...always escalated things after the face).

All things came to a head, however, when the two rivals were pitted against one another at the first Round of the P1-Grand Prix, perhaps even because of their distaste for the other. And the fight itself was explosive, with both parties suffering massive damage on a physical...and in Amelia's case, a great psychological level as well. It was as ruthless a fight as you will ever see fought between those who dare to bandy the word 'friend' about with one another, and the result was even graver than expected. A forlorn and lost Amelia practically deteriorated from the world and withdrew from her friends, and Rednal...well, was mostly as unmoved as ever, really.

Still, to see the culmination of this ongoing rivalry of years reach such a pitch-perfect head was smashing, as the British would say! And far and away the rivalry earns them the nod in this category for the year 2012.

[Other Nominees: Rednal v. Amelia, Crows v. Mori Shogunate, Aselia v. Yuno v. Kanade, Zazi v. Hatsu and SEES-2, Rose v. All Challengers in the Cup Challenge, Zeo v. All Aspiring Perverts]

Best Main Storyline Villain - Zazi Pazzia

Though there are few who can deny the terror both JOKER and Mitsunari brought to the Persona War this year, nor could it be said that they did not have moments of impeccable awesomeness, both of their influences upon the year ended simply with that. However, as the year progressed it was the Mad Mime of Strega who began to stand out on his own...twisting SEES-2 and taunting them as he could, all setting up a single strike that would shake the foundations of Mitsuru and Akihiko's crews to the very core.

...Nobody expected it when the Shadow Operatives revealed themselves in the P1-Grand Prix as an organization. No one, that is, except for Zazi Pazzia...and his sudden move against their base, turning the Mist Wall into another Funhouse filled with artificial Dark Hours, Shadow-Puppets, and fake-Victor Talbot's, made for this year's most all-around chilling and varied dungeon. And behind every trap, behind every taunt, there was the Mime himself and his obnoxious cackle...making that penultimate fist across his jaw once they finally got through all of his traps and laid hands upon him all the sweeter in the coming...

...Perhaps the most satisfying of all moments in 2012. And to create a satisfaction like that, it can only come from a villain worthy of this award.

[Other Nominees: Zazi Pazzia, Okita Shisui, JOKER, Mitsunari Ishida, Itachi Kishikido, Amon, Yuno]

Best Comedic Moment - Zeo Aux Follies

See: Manliest Man Award. In the words of the great Omar Little, "If you come at the King, you best not miss..."

And despite worthy efforts, there were none who could outpace Persona 4:FES - The Golden's resident King of Comedy, the Perpetual Automaton Pervert, Zeo Kirijo and his ludicrous antics. ...Seriously, just look them up. Even the OoC isn't safe...

[Other Nominees: Zeo's Aux Follies, Zazi's Funhouse Song Redux, Naniyori...Super Train Troll, Saiga and Shu's 'Healthy' Relationship, Miss Min-Jee Park's Orihime Tanabata Pageant Declaration]

Best Kiss - Sai and Suzu's Festival Kiss

In a year that was relatively thin on romance, there were few kisses more honest and beautiful than the kiss shared by Sai and Suzu in their impromptu visit to Inaba for the Mori Shogunate's Tanabata Festival. Again, beneath a shower of colors exploding in the sky, these two mismatched young people showed why opposites attract...and why one is simply not complete without the other by their side.

For an animated version of our winner, check out the doodles of Hibarii chan! You may have to convince her to show you, though...

[Other Nominees: Sai and Suzu's Festival Kiss, Eria's "I Want to Eat You" Kiss with Shu, Saiga's "I Want to Kill You" Kiss with Shu, Aselia and Rednal,

Least Moving Death - Belobog Boogies to the NEXT DIMENSION!!!!

Never has a villain died so brutally and with so little fanfare. Truly, this was a storyline better off forgotten...

[Other Nominees: 99% of the World Dies during Endgame, Persona War Deaths, Tobikuma's Murder by Laxus, Miyuki Arisawa Falls, Belobog Boogies to the NEXT DIMENSION!!!]

Most Innocent Character - WYNN

ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU, ONII-SHU!

...Seriously, WYNN, he wasn't gone for a day. He'll be back. But your charmingly innocent assumption he is gone forever, reminiscent of a dog watching its master drive off to work from the wrong side of a screen door, is enough to win you the award for innocence!

[Other Nominees: Hatsu Harima, Suzume Kirihara, Nix Gallen, Eoria Ansul, WYNN]

Best Dungeon - P1 - Grand Prix

Though the Mist Wall lasted longer and will come to a more satisfying conclusion, there was never and will likely not be another dungeon quite like the P1-Grand Prix which pitted friend against friend in battles that proved to be as emotionally charged and draining as they were epic. It also provided opportunities for major and legitimate character growth (Nix, Minori, Yosuke Hanamura) and regression (Amelia Heartilly) in ways that were emotionally, excitedly, and aesthetically pleasing.

And the homage dungeon to the P4:Arena Game was done so well by the players involved that it lent an extra, nostalgic air to the storyline that simply made it the best Dungeon to play of the year...while it lasted.


[Other Nominees: The Mist Wall, P1-Grand Prix Yasogami, Yuno's Abandoned Warehouse, Van's Tower]

Most Beautiful Female Character - Minori Koroko

In a year that was wont for female heroines standing up in a beautiful and proud fashion, seeing Minori's growth and imagining her in what must surely be a rather revealing Persona Fusion outfit (we of the Guild can hope, at least), it is this mature and enduring charm without ever veering too far towards lewd or inappropriate (Highest Cut unfortunate diversions aside) that have always made her one of the Guild's most beautiful and beloved ladies...

...And this year's winner of this coveted award.

[Other Nominees: Minori Koroko, Mika Katsuragi, Aishe the Fortune Teller, Rose's Boobs, Shiranui]

Sexiest Male Character - Soji Seta

What can I say? Power is sexy...and facing the challenges thrown at him by the world as he has this year, with that confidence and humor...not to mention the occasional inclusion of the fanservice-filled topless shot here and there (complete with the added sexy/emotionally-moving battle scar array now borne by him), Soji Seta takes his place at the top of the Guild's most physically desirable males...for now.

Though when Lewis Keys should reappear, perhaps the title will again change hands to its former owner...

[Other Nominees: Soji Seta, Cesc Fabregas, Gin Mishima, Lewis Keys, Naniyori]

Most Annoying Character - Zazi Pazzia

It's not just the painting of the face or the eccentric dressing...it's not just the taunting and the tricking and the insulting as you traverse his dungeons here and there...it's not just the monsters and abominations he throws at you and the dragging out of a battle you wish had been over weeks ago...it's not even the dancing around and the shouting and the multi-colored text that makes your eyes cry out in anguish and be silenced like the Force on Alderaan...

...It's that theme song. That God Damned theme song...!


[Other Nominees: Yatsuda, Kisa, Sylphie, Amelia, Zazi Pazzia]

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Top RP'er of 2012 - Great Ryoman! and Necromonium

It was a long and difficult year for the Guilds, and with a variety of storylines that were aborted, the Captain taking multiple breaks for health reasons, and longtime friends disappearing for one reason or another, it fell onto the shoulders of several other capable RP'ers to keep Persona 4:FES and 'The Golden' running. And when their number was called, nobody answered louder and more reliably than Necromonium and Great Ryoman!, a pair of excellent RP'ers who became the first to truly manage successful storyline events as a moderator in the Guild's history. Of course, this alone isn't enough to win this award...but each had their moments that truly pushed them to the top of the list this year.

Who can forget the zany antics of Zazi Pazzia...the eccentric conquest of Sapporo by Naniyori...or the Grand Melee at the Second Persona War that the artist formerly known as Ryo put on for all of us? Who has ever requested some time RP'ing with one of Necro's characters and been denied? Who hasn't enjoyed the rise of Jo(Shu) as a summoner, or Faust's maturation as a persona-user?

In a time when the Guild needed someone to look up to, to keep things moving, these two stepped up and proved that P4:FES would be around so long as they were around...and that is why the both of them share the award for RP'er of the year!

[Other Nominees: Yokoalchemist, Rednal, Great Ryoman!, Necromonium, Hibarii chan]



Top Hero of 2012 - Soji Seta

...Oh, come on. If he didn't win this award, there would be no need for the next one! And don't forget about his remarkable victory over the Demon King at Persona War II, his gauntlet of battle and duel with Minato Arisato during the Grand Prix, and his remaining the spiritual and powerful heart of the Investigation Team.

If ever the mysteries surrounding Inaba are to be solved, Soji Seta will be at the heart of the investigation...


Top Non-Soji Hero of 2012 - Hatsu Harima

In a year short on heroism, there were few characters who stood their ground and fought unflinchingly against the forces of evil than the five nominees below. But when it comes to heroism, there is more to it than simply fighting battles and winning...it's about enduring the worst and continuing to look forward, inspiring those around you to be better people and become stronger in their own fights, and it's about making the play that you know might not be the safest because it's for the greater good. And while Yosuke Hanamura's victory in the Grand Prix was impressive, Shu's growth as a hero and quest in Sapporo was inspiring, Minori's ability to overcome her own darkness was brilliant, and Nix's perseverance in the face of tragedy was admirable, there were few who could combine those traits in the fun, inspirational, and heroically as Hatsu Harima.

A simple university student from Sumaru City found himself drawn into the world of the supernatural during the Endgame Crisis, but in the wake of its resolution, became embroiled in the war between SEES-2 and the forces of shadow. Chosen by Akihiko to become a member of their team, he quickly became...if not the leader...still somebody who always stood at the front of the battle and put himself in harm's way to protect those in need. From his help in defeating Colm's possession to his daring rescue of Gin to his self-destructive battles with Haseo the Bulwark and Zazi Pazzia, he bore the mantle of hero like others could only hope to do.

At the end, he stood strong and proud...and that is why Hatsu Harima is this year's Top Hero!

[Other Nominees: Yosuke Hanamura, Jo(Shu) Michieru, Minori Koroko, Nix Gallen, Hatsu Harima


Top Villain of 2012 - Zazi Pazzia

For those who remember the horrors of the Second Persona War and the fallout thereafter, there are none who will forget the deeds of Motonari Mori...and an entire city shortly thereafter fell under the control of Naniyori, with few, if any, who are willing to contest his dominance therein. By deception and for mere experimentation, the Serpent of Lore Hetero changed the lives of a group of innocent citizens by drawing upon the shadow wraiths to come to him...and then infected those who came to see the truth of the matter personally...and at the ultimate pinnacle of the Second Persona War, JOKER revealed not just his face but a malice that seemingly surpassed all.

But in the wake of that war, a new evil rose to the forefront of the country...one who tormented not just the bodies of his experiments, but the minds of the heroes that sought to stop him. His chaotic torment dug deeper than physical pain, dug deeper than emotional scarring...in some, his work undermined the very fabric of their being, changing who they were and what they could become. And at the top of the Mist Wall his work was unveiled to have encompassed the destruction of old allies from the very fiber of their person, destroying at its birth the base of an organization meant to thwart him, and unleashed a terror that has yet to be quelled upon the SEES-2 squad.

In terms of villainy, this could only be the year of the Zazi...for better or worse, his screwy theme song plays on!

[Other Nominees: Zazi Pazzia, Motonari Mori, Naniyori, Orochi-Hetero, JOKER]



Top Character of 2012 - Jo(Shu) Michieru and Minori Koroko

In a year that was as scattered and difficult to get through as this one, the 'Top Character' title could only be considered to have split between these two fine candidates. While the first part of the year was very much in the possession of the golden-haired adopted daughter of the Dojima Family, with her emotional victory over her Shade the crowning achievement of the Guild's Summer, the second half of the year (and really, a fair part of the first) saw the rise of a summoner from ambitious self-insert to competent future-Kuzunoha under the guidance of the wily Kyouji Kuzunoha.

So if emotionally this year belonged to Minori and her ability to overcome Mori's influence to join together with Duke once more, her ability to overcome the deepest dark within her...then ambitiously, it belonged to Jo(Shu)'s continuing quest to build his demonic following and become worthy of the great gift, the responsibility that has been given to him ever since the world of demons and supernatural things was introduced to him by a whimsical Great Summoner months and months ago.

And with that in mind, the award could only belong to the two of them...Minori Koroko and Jo(Shu) Michieru...this year's Top Characters!

Other Nominees: Jo(Shu) Michieru, Hatsu Harima, Zazi Pazzia, Nix Gallen, Minori Koroko]



Top Storyline of 2012 - Persona War II

Simply put, the Second Persona War was a storyline that possessed everything which makes this Guild so very fun to be a part of. From the grand battles between immensely super-powered forces, to the emotional struggle between opposing warriors, to the fall of those who are great and the rise of those who are evil, to hints of the romances which give the storyline its heart, to the revelation of a cruel and brilliant deception at the center of the entire conflict, there was always something new and exciting to look forward to at the heart of the War.

And while other storylines might have had more emotional or practical relevance to a single character, nothing quite touched the lives of everyone involved the way that the conflict in Sumaru City between the forces of the Shogun and the Crows of the Yatagarasu (and the Devil Kings, the Masked Circle, and all the rogue agents to appear therein) managed to do.

In a thin year, there was no comparison...the Second Persona War was truly Persona 4:FES's Great War...and easily the Greatest Storyline of the Year.


[Other Nominees: Persona War II, The Killing Joke, P1-Grand Prix, Endgame, Inaba's Tanabata Festival]