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katranatHello everyone!
Before I get started on my main top AMVs from 2024 posting schedule, this year I would like to first showcase some videos which I felt were ineligible for inclusion on my main list as well as some honourable mentions.
The ineligible videos are ones I wouldn’t consider to be AMVs (in whatever my very loose definition of this is) and are other types of fan edits. I don’t often like fan videos that aren’t AMVs very much, but in 2024 I found myself enjoying a number of them quite a lot, so I do want to shout them out in some way.
The honourable mentions are AMVs which I enjoyed, and still want to highlight in some way, but didn’t make it onto my main list. To clarify, they are not overflow from my top 50, they are simply videos which I picked out for some unique/neat reason from the entire pool of videos which didn’t make it into my top 50.
Last year when I made my list for 2023 I created my commentary by recording myself talking about the videos and then transcribing that recording as the comments. I wanted to do this again this year, and believe me I tried really, really hard, but for whatever reason I seem to have lost any ability to string a sentence together. So I am back to simply writing up comments and no doubt overthinking them far too much.
The length of my writing varies wildly video to video. Sometimes there genuinely isn’t much I can or even need to add, so please don’t take the amount I’ve written as any kind of indication of my level of enjoyment - it doesn’t work that way.
From tomorrow I hope to begin posting my usual top 50 list, posting 10 videos a day counting down from 50 until we reach the end (at least that’s the plan, I must confess as of writing this I have not completed my write ups for each video as I pivoted to this at the very last minute). I will also include a bit more information about my ranking process etc. in the introduction to that post tomorrow.
For now, I hope you enjoy this eclectic selection of videos!
Ineligible Videos
Video title: Tear In Space
Editor: Lizard People Anonymous
Source: Scavengers Reign (animated TV show)
Song & Artist: Tear In Space (Airlock) - Glass Animals
VPR: Red emphasis scenes, fire, motion, particles/patterns, flashing/flickering, peripherals
CW: Body horror
Comments:
“Tear In Space” is the first I’ve come across Scavengers Reign - it honestly looks like it’s a pretty interesting show, which no doubt I will never get around to watching, but I would encourage anyone reading to check it out in my stead.
I’m not quite sure if Lizard People Anonymous is following any kind of narrative from the show - for me the clips seem slightly random and disjointed, involving a lot of characters in a seemingly non-linear way. Regardless, Lizard People Anonymous successfully creates a magnetic atmosphere through the use of literal lyric sync, glimpses of a mysterious alien world, and emotionally impactful scenes.
The singer of this song pronounces the word “Tear” as in; crying tears from your eyes. The written word “Tear” can also be pronounced as in; tearing (ripping) something apart. This most likely has nothing to do with the video, or the song, and is just a by-product of me reading the title frequently, however I associate the title with both of these meanings, and I find myself thinking that it very much suits the video. There are plenty of scenes including people crying at the corresponding lyrical moments, and as the video progresses there is also a sense that something has gone very wrong with whatever led these people into space and onto a new planet, leaving them fractured and torn asunder.
Video title: Hannigram | Moon
Editor: perks of being an alien
Source: Hannibal (TV show)
Song & Artist: Moon - Devin Townsend
VPR: Nature shots of water/ice which could be particles/patterns, fades to black, peripherals, a swirl effect at 03:09 - 03:15
CW: Blood, gore, dismembered bodies
Comments:
I still don’t quite understand why I enjoy “Hannigram | Moon” as much as I do. There’s nothing appealing for me here from a source perspective. I have not watched this TV show and while I am peripherally aware of the ship of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham due to being in fanfiction spaces, I have no attachment to the pairing and am uninterested in exploring the fandom.
Possibly what keeps bringing me back to “Hannigram | Moon”is that perks of being an alien has come at it from an utterly unusual angle. This is undoubtedly a video about these two characters, however there’s hardly any actual interaction shown between them - instead we are treated to scenes of nature, haunting supernatural imagery and occasional disturbing clips for the majority of the video runtime. Heck, one of the main characters doesn’t even have any screentime until halfway through the video! All of this leads me to believe that there is something greater than the physical hinted at by perks of being an alien - the whole dynamic being shown here is steeped in metaphor that I don’t quite have the understanding of, where these two characters have an effect on each other that transcends ordinary boundaries.
Video title: MEGAN - INSIDE
Editor: Gemma Lemon MV
Source: Swallow (2019 movie)
Song & Artist: Inside (feat. Carla Landy) - Megan
VPR: Quick cuts, red emphasis scenes, distortion effects, blurs, camera shakes
CW: This video centers around the illness Pica, which involves swallowing objects not fit for consumption - the depiction in this video is distressing.
Other warnings: Pregnancy (and probable miscarriage), medical scenes, blood, gore.
There are possibly more warnings I’ve missed. This video is generally very heavy.
Comments:
I’ve occasionally come across videos which are a physically uncomfortable experience to watch - “INSIDE” causes me to reach whole new levels of discomfort by making my throat emphatically tighten up and feel like I’ve swallowed something wrong. I applaud Gemma Lemon for being able to prompt such a potent reaction like this with her editing.
I find the choice of song super fascinating - the lyrics are romantic, if slightly obsessive, and Gemma Lemon takes the words literally, giving the backdrop for this woman’s escapism into her illness a highly intimate feel. The “romance” in this case is the relationship the woman has with her illness, showing it simultaneously as the height of ecstasy and also the most awful compulsion, eventually spiraling out of control.
Video title: Pháo - 2 Phút Hơn (KAIZ Remix)
Editor: Gemma Lemon MV
Source: Black Swan (2010 movie)
Song & Artist: 2 Phút Hơn (KAIZ Remix) - Pháo
VPR: Major quick cuts, major motion, major flashing, strobing
CW: Self-harm, body horror, violence, blood
Comments:
I adore so much that this song became famous for a meme of Zero Two doing the “ME!ME!ME!” dance on TikTok which spread to actual real humans making videos of themselves doing the same dance, and then Gemma Lemon holds up a mirror to this whole craze by taking this song and creating a video profiling a dancer but in a Perfect Blue kind of way (I haven’t watched Black Swan, but this video definitely gives me that vibe). I don’t know if that’s what she intended when making this, but I do find it deeply ironically satisfying.
In general, I really love this song, and I am very grateful to be able to enjoy it alongside such accomplished visuals. The editing here is wonderful - there’s so much motion and drama, I find it utterly captivating.
Video title: You Were There
Editor: Janken
Source: The Invisible Child (1980’s animated film)
Song & Artist: ICO OST - Michiru Ōshima & Pentagon
VPR: Film grain, fades to black, motion, particles/patterns
Comments:
Janken is continuously using captivating and unusual sources and “You Were There” is possibly the pinnacle of this phenomenon - using an animated film from the 1980’s which seemingly has no publicly available footage anywhere else. The music chosen is from the ICO video game soundtrack, which I love, and I myself have edited with in the past - it’s such a delight to hear and matches so well with the animation. The whole video is incredibly charming and somewhat wistful. This is one I wish I had more words for, but honestly it speaks for itself.
Video title: Hymn of Eurydice
Editor: Seasaltmemories
Source: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (video game)
Song & Artist: Jackrabbit - San Fermin
VPR: Motion, light leaks, fire, vignettes, fades, film wipe transitions
Comments:
I know almost nothing about Xenoblade Chronicles, only that there are some elements from it included in Super Smash Brothers, so I genuinely have no idea who any of the characters are or what even is going on in “Hymn Of Eurydice”. Despite this, “Hymn Of Eurydice” was one of my favourite RICE 2024 contest entries from. Seasaltmemories grabbed me with the intensity of the scene selection and how fluidly dynamic the editing throughout the whole video is. Additionally the song is super pretty and I adore all the motion Seasaltmemories has matched with the singers voice - this type of sync is one of the most satisfying for me and the choruses are gloriously chock full of it.
Video title: Masters of the Craft
Editor: Bauzi
Source: Dave The Diver (video game)
Song & Artist: Weight of the World - Battletapes
VPR: Fades to black, motion, light leaks, flashes, particles/patterns, flickering, peripherals
Comments:
“Masters of the Craft” is another RICE 2024 entry I enjoyed a lot. This is not the type of video game I would ever think to see a music video for, and Bauzi takes advantage of the awesome pixel animation cut-scenes the game has to make an outrageously fun video. The over the top situations that seem to be part and parcel of running a sushi restaurant in the Dave The Diver universe, are matched wonderfully with the energy of the song. It's one of those videos where you think you finally reach the peak of ridiculousness, and then yet there’s always something unexpected around the corner. I’m pretty sure Bauzi has single-handedly sold several copies of this game off the back of this video - it certainly sold me on it and I’d even seen a handful of streamers playing it before I watched this the first time!
Video title: Did You Forget
Editor: Renegade Otter
Source: Wish (2023 movie)
Song & Artist: Meds - Placebo
VPR: light leaks, fire, patterns/particles
Comments:
My initial reaction when playing “Did You Forget” for the first time was “what on earth is this Placebo song doing with a Disney movie of all things?” and then it quickly became apparent that Renegade Otter has created what I believe to be the most terrifyingly effective character profile video ever made. I have seen numerous other AMVs set to this song, the majority of which tend to focus on general psychological drama and are occasionally character driven, but never before have I seen one which brings the meaning of the song into such devastatingly sharp focus like this.
I have no context for this film, so I am taking everything Renegade Otter is doing here at face value - I don’t know exactly what prompts the change in this character or even if he was evil to begin with, but showing his greed for power and spiral into madness as a comparison for someone who is falling apart because they’re not taking their medication properly is honestly heart wrenching. This is punctuated by the quietly tense moments in the song where the lines “Baby, did you forget to take your meds?” happen, being matched with this man’s possible wife behaving pensively. This video has brought into sharp relief how horrifying the song actually is, obviously I was previously aware of the meaning and the lyrics but they’d never quite sunk in before.
It’s possible that the intention of this video is comedic or tongue in cheek in some way - I however do not see it that way at all. I get such an all encompassing sense of dread whenever I watch it that really I have no idea how it could be anything other than 100% serious. There’s a big difference between “oh hey look, this person is going insane with power”, and “oh my god, my loved one has done a 180 degree personality shift into a horrible monster and I am utterly powerless to stop it”, and “Did You Forget” falls into the latter of these for me.
Video title: Dreaming
Editor: lizardjj AMV
Source: Several shampoo/soap commercials (no, I am not making that up)
Song & Artist: Dreaming - Carrie Newcomer
VPR: Red emphasis scenes, minor motion, fades to black
Comments:
“Dreaming” is a F/F shipping video creating a fictional narrative using clips of the same two actresses who happen to keep appearing in the same commercials together. Yes - this concept broke my brain as well. lizardjj includes a link to a dreamwidth post giving more context about the commercials in the video description. It’s all kind of wild honestly and I’m not really equipped to talk much more about it.
Suspending disbelief however, the video is super lovely and it’s completely convincing that these two are a couple and are living their best life together.
I find this entire endeavour serves as a reminder of what’s possible with a little imagination and the power of editing.
Honourable Mentions
Video title: The Patriotism series
Editor: Paul Geromini
Source: Various
Song & Artist: Animal (feat. Jordan Powers & Bekah Novi) - Victone
VPR: All
CW: Violence, blood, gore, war scenes
Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skVirTvbGi4&list=PL6iO9oi4CgzxPwGjsw143EvZpxTF-1eqb
Comments:
“Patriotism” is a series of 11 different AMVs created by Paul Geromini, for which I’m linking the playlist rather than the individual videos. Each video can be considered on its own merit, however together they all function as a fascinating art piece. Paul has written his own blog post with his thoughts regarding the work which I recommend you check out if the series is of any interest to you, he goes into some things I don’t touch on here.
Paul uploaded these videos one by one in the run up to American Independence Day (which was an intriguing choice I don’t feel qualified to weigh in on considering the themes running through these videos, and also that I’m not American), culminating in the final video “Freedom” being released on the 5th of July.
The biggest draw of the series for me is the fact that every single video (excepting the last one, but we’ll get to that in a moment) uses the exact same song - Animal, by Vicetone. There’s a slight taboo in the AMV world regarding re-use of the same songs, people used to shy away from using the same songs other editors had used for their videos, and while that’s definitely relaxed these days, most editors would still never consider creating their own AMVs with the same song twice let alone 11 times. There’s a level of prestige associated with being unique within this hobby and it’s something a lot of us strive for (including myself) - which to be clear, is absolutely not a bad thing, but it has occasionally given rise to unkind attitudes towards repeated ideas and common sources.
So, Paul has done the unthinkable and gone completely against the grain - but why?
Well, the answer lies in the fabric of what each of these videos are, and I believe it’s rather ingenious. You see, not only is the song the same, the videos themselves are fundamentally the same as well. Sure they all use wildly distinct sources and Paul has even varied the editing style in each, focusing on different moments of sync to suit the feel of each source, but at their heart they all tell the exact same story. Well then, why are several variations of the same video interesting? Because the repetitive nature is the point here. War never changes. Whether you’re in spaceships. Or fighting aliens. Or hurting innocents.
The song is a typical EDM song about losing your inhibitions, designed to help people let loose when they go to a dance club. Paul has opted for an alternative interpretation of being forced to lose your humanity in the pursuit of the greater good - showing complete obedience to the powers that be and perpetrating acts of senseless violence to achieve this. It’s a theme that’s repeated, over and over again, in each and every video, creating uncomfortable parallels with the real world.
The first 9 videos are the main course of the series, and I would recommend watching them in order - the choice in progression is quite interesting and there are some fascinating connections between each video shown. The 10th video is all of the first 9 playing simultaneously in a grid - which really brings to bear the similarities between all of these, while also making it easier to appreciate their differences.
The final and 11th video “Freedom” is slightly different - it uses an instrumental version of the song, while also incorporating the audio of a few famous speeches regarding freedom. This final video focuses on fighting back against oppressive forces and regaining control.
Overall I feel “Patriotism” has a hugely important message and I do think it’s worth everyone’s time to watch through it at least once.
Video title: Kyuubi - Catchatronic
Editor: VandiMares
Source: Various Madoka franchise
Song & Artist: Catchatronic - Pogo
VPR: All
Comments:
“Kyuubi - Catchatronic” is one of the more unique videos I think I’m featuring this year. VandiMares has gotten so many different Madoka sources and put this together in a way where it seems like Kyuubi from Madoka Magica is collecting all of the magical girls in a twisted parody of a Pokemon trainer - which is such a neat and effective idea. Madoka herself is in the role of Pikachu in the video, which is very fitting somehow. The whole AMV is also full of a lot of dynamic editing, match cuts, and “blink and you’ll miss it” interesting sync moments. Someone who’s into Madoka will probably know a lot more of what’s actually going on in this video - I mainly enjoy it for the funsies of Kyuubi being a Pokemon trainer, and for also being a really solid video that's a lot of fun to watch. Seeing all of these fun designs of magical girls that I’ve never seen before is additionally a bit of a novelty - VandiMares got visuals from a video game and all sorts that I had no idea existed.
Video title: I Cleanse in the River (For Somebody Else)
Editor: perks of being an alien
Source: A Silent Voice
Song & Artist: The River - Imagine Dragons
VPR: Ripple shapes, fades to black, light leaks, fades to white, motion, blurs
Comments:
perks of being an alien has gotten to me with a rare A Silent Voice AMV that I actually enjoy. I’m probably one of the only people who watched the A Silent Voice movie, and didn’t really like it - that’s probably heresy or whatever to a majority of anime fans, but yeah not my thing. In any case, a lot of the aspects I dislike about A Silent Voice as a movie often come through in the AMVs that people make with it. Something about “I Cleanse in the River” feels very different from this to me - possibly because generally it’s a very hopeful video. There's obviously a lot of drama and sadness happening here but there’s an undercurrent of happiness which is slightly strange for a Silent Voice video - in my experience they’re mostly angst fests, maybe I’m just watching the wrong ones. There’s a weirdly uplifting feeling even though the drama of the movie is still playing out through the course of the AMV - it’s an AMV that makes me happy instead of depressed, which as I reiterate is a bit rare for this particular anime.
Ultimately it’s very much focused on the whole idea of no matter what happens you can get over everything which is a rather lovely sentiment.
Video title: Honj
Editor: Extraterrestrial Elephant
Source: Heike Monogatari
Song & Artist: Honj - Ryuichi Sakamoto
VPR: Fire, motion, blurs, light leaks, flashes, ripples
CW: Blood, violence
Comments:
I don’t feel there’s much I can say about a video like Honj that it doesn’t already express adequately itself. Heike Monogatari is a slightly underrepresented anime within AMVs at the moment, which is a shame because it's gosh darn beautiful and Extraterrestrial Elephant puts the beauty on exquisite display here with some creative, metaphorical editing and excellent scene selection.
Video title: Waterloo Sunset
Editor: Takara
Source: Dear Brother
Song & Artist: Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
VPR: Light leaks, bokeh, motion, fades to black, peripherals, quick cuts
Comments:
I am semi aware that Dear Brother is aesthetic AF, but for Takara to have found so many scenes that match all of the specific lyrics of this song, is kinda wild. There’s so many clips of sparkly oceans with sunsets and trains and magical cityscapes. “Waterloo Sunset”is an exercise in some of the most gorgeous stuff I’ve seen in a long time. It was really inspired for Takara to even think of this pairing - it’s the kind of song you don’t often hear in AMVs these days, though some editors do enjoy looking back with older sources and older songs, but they’re rare, so this is really a treat! It’s both visually beautiful and it has such a warm lovely feeling which caps the whole thing off nicely.
Video title: Migratory Star
Editor: antiquated amvs
Source: Diebuster
Song & Artist: Natalie - Sayonara Ponytail
VPR: All (major flashing)
Comments:
“Migratory Star” is one of a handful of AMVs that popped in 2024 as a celebration of the anime Diebuster turning 20 years old. There's so much in “Migratory Star” for fans of the series to enjoy, and even if you're unfamiliar with it, there are a lot of super charming moments throughout the video and it's such a delight to watch. It’s evident Antiquated amvs has put a lot of heart into creating this - their love of the source shines through in every moment resulting in a truly beautiful tribute.
Video title: gf is better
Editor: cado
Source: The Tatami Galaxy
Song & Artist: gf is better <3 - N22T
VPR: Major shapes/patterns, quick cuts, flickering, flashes, motion, peripherals, light leaks
Comments:
I adore the energy in “gf is better” - cado’s pacing and sync and is intensely satisfying, matching the frenetic music perfectly. It’s also a somewhat unique video in that it focuses on the anxiety chasing romance and potential failures. From my understanding this is a theme The Tatami Galaxy focuses on, but it’s not one that comes across much (at least to me) in other AMVs I’ve seen using it - and in “gf is better” it’s super unambiguous which I appreciate.
Video title: Fish
Editor: Jitterjay
Source: Ef: A Tale of Memories
Song & Artist: Fish - Daniel Johnson
VPR: Light leaks, high contrast, quick cuts, motion, fades to black
Ef: A Tale of Memories, was a long time ago, one of the in vogue anime to edit with. It's a lot less common to see it these days, so it does prompt a lot of nostalgia around the hobby for me. “Fish” is a video which uses a song I'd never consider for this anime - it's harsh, almost to the point of being unpleasant to listen to (at least to my ears), which is in stark contrast to the beautiful visuals of the anime and the soft love story that's playing out here. “Fish” feels completely different to any other AMV I've seen with this anime and I love Jitterjay for that.
