It’s almost that time of year again – the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards for Television are almost here. This year’s list of nominees was released on July 12, and we’ve searched the list so you don’t have to. Among hundreds of other nominees in many fields, there are three in particular that will be of interest to anime fans.
The Primetime Emmy Awards are for television programs released between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022. This includes programs that were on mainstream network television in America, as well as programs released through streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. This means there are hundreds of shows that could potentially be nominated, which makes it even more impressive when something is nominated for an award.
The first show of otaku interest to earn an Emmy nomination is Netflix’s live-action production of the beloved anime Cowboy Bebop. The show aired on Netflix on November 19, 2021, releasing all episodes simultaneously. It received mixed reviews from fans and newcomers to the story alike, sparking a lot of heated debate in the otaku community about whether the show should even have been made. One of the few things almost everyone agreed on Cowboy Bebop did well, however, keeping the music true to the original anime. The credits went one step further, keeping not only the music, but also the same style.
Cowboy Bebop is now nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Main Title Design. The full nomination is for Netflix in association with Tomorrow Studios Karin Fong, Creative Director Kiyoon Nam, Designer/Animator James Gardner, Designer/Animator Merrill Hall, Designer/Animator Kathy Liang and Designer Lexi Gunvaldson. The next one is Star Wars: Visions. It was first released on Disney+ on September 21, 2021 and was recently green-lit for a second season.
The first season of Star Wars: Visions gave Japanese animation studios the chance to create their own one-off episodes, telling an original story in the Star Wars universe and done in anime style. Many also had a strong Japanese cultural influence, and the series was very well received. While all of the show’s episodes were special in their own right, one episode of Star Wars: Visions was nominated for an Emmy. The first episode, ‘The Duel’, is an alternative take on the usual Star Wars world. Set in a feudal empire, it reflects Japan’s own history with a sci-fi twist. “The Duel” by Kamikaze Douga and Lucasfilm Ltd. is listed for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program.
Finally, the last thing otaku will be interested in is an episode of the third season of Love Death + Robots, a Netflix original anthology. The third season was released on May 20, 2022 and barely made it in time for the nomination. Love Death + Robots let studios around the world write one-off stories in their own style about, well, love, death and robots. It is notorious for violence and adult themes, as well as generally well received.
Episode 9 of the third season, Blur Studio’s “Jibaro” is also nominated for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program. It’s about a gilded siren in Costa Rica who kills a legion of knights and priests – except for one man, who is deaf and cannot hear her screams. Things take a very different turn when he tries to steal her gold. Interestingly, no anime series was nominated for an Emmy this year, despite so many great titles being released. However, not everyone can have the same refined taste as otaku, so we will cheer for Cowboy Bebop, Star Wars: Visionsand Love Death + Robots see you next year.
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on September 12, 2022.
Source: Variety
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