INTERVIEW: Meet Anime Awards Judge Alejo N. Correa
The Anime Awards are quickly approaching, and we are excited to be publishing the next in our series of interviews with some of the event’s judges! Today, we’ll be talking to Alejo N. Correa, the editor and audiovisual manager of Ramen Para Dos (Ramen for Two) about his love of anime, what it was like to be a judge, and what he looked for when selecting nominees for the Anime Awards.
Editor’s Note: This interview was originally conducted in Spanish and has been translated for English audiences here.
Crunchyroll: Hello! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Alejo N. Correa: Hello, I’m Alejo N. Correa Rodriguez, editor and audiovisual manager at Ramen Para Dos. Beyond the formal presentation, I’m 24 years old and work as a video editor and audiovisual communicator. Since I was very young, I’ve been enjoying anime. Now, with more than three years of experience on the web, covering events, and maintaining contact with people in the industry, I’ll try to offer my vision of anime.
How did you first become involved with the Anime Awards as a judge? Were you excited to join the panel?
Correa: To my surprise, Sergio Vaca contacted me to participate as a judge in the Awards. Participating as a jury in this edition of the Anime Awards with so many incredible people from the industry worldwide has been thrilling. And above all, it has been an honor to share voting space with some widely respected colleagues from Spain: Oriol Estrada and Daniel Rodriguez.
Can you tell us about your relationship with anime? What makes you interested in the medium, and what about it do you love?
Correa: My story is similar to every fan my age, particularly the ones from Catalonia. I started watching anime without knowing what it was and then gradually entered this world with the first manga or anime. I’ve always loved the audiovisual medium, and anime (or animation in general) allows unique stories with a unique language.
I also was interested in video editing, so I started tinkering with programs creating musical montages with the series I watched, such as Bleach. A long time later, while I was in college, I applied to begin collaborating in Ramen Para Dos, and since 2019 I’ve lived this adventure.
How do you feel your career in media and journalism gives you a unique perspective as a judge?
Correa: I don’t think calling myself a journalist suits me, I’m not a journalist, and I don’t intend to be one. At Ramen Para Dos, we always aim to inform and do our job in the most professional way possible, but in the end, we are a group of people enjoying their hobby: manga and anime.
That’s why I would lie if I said I have a unique perspective as a judge. Although the work I’ve been doing at Ramen Para Dos these past few years has helped me become more immersed in the industry’s role in the production or distribution of manga and anime, something I wouldn’t have been able to offer before this.
What is the most challenging aspect of judging an awards show like this? What parts of it are the most fun?
Correa: The most complicated part of being part of the jury of the Anime Awards is to take into account all the series of the year. Let me clarify this. The industry is constantly producing more and more anime of higher quality every season: some are guaranteed hits, and others are surprise hits. We consume an enormous amount of content at a frantic pace and are used to having the most recent releases in mind. Therefore, our job as judges entails taking a step back from that immediacy and looking back at everything released in the year to avoid forgetting those surprise hits that come out at the start.
Despite this, the voting process is incredibly entertaining. I had a lot of fun with the votes for the best songs, openings, and endings. Going back over all the pieces and their animation and discovering new ones fascinates me.
What makes awards shows like these important for the industry?
Correa: The Anime Awards, or any award in general, have the relevance that the audience and the public want to give them. The many celebrities and influential figures in the industry that are part of the jury make the awards very prestigious. But let’s be honest; although complete objectivity is the key, it does not exist. It all ends up being a question of taste.
Naturally, some people may disagree about the Anime Awards results. However, considering the judges involved, the Anime Awards provide an excellent overview of what the industry has had to offer to anime throughout the year.
Have you had any similar experiences as a professional judge? If so, how have they compared? If not, how has this experience been?
I have previously been involved as a judge in some college projects and most recently in the professional voting for the 28th Manga Barcelona. Overall, the voting process is very similar, and thankfully, the awards often provide a list of all the releases to make it much easier for the judges. This task may seem simple and quick, but I spent a couple of hours pondering my selection and votes to be coherent with my choices and to be happy with my task at the Anime Awards.
When selecting nominees, what do you focus on? What aspects of an anime do you hone in on to make your selections?
Correa: It varies from category to category. It’s very different to vote for an anime, for the best opening, or for the best voice actors and actresses. When making the choices, no single aspect prevails over the others: the plot, the animation, the world-building, its characters, the pacing, etc. Everything has the same value. Once you have made a reasonably short selection, the real problem comes: “What do I exclude?”
At that point, the matter becomes tricky, and some external elements become part of the decision: What has the series done for the anime landscape? Does it stand out in punctual moments, or has it an outstanding quality? How has the series made you feel? Is it trying new things and contributing to the whole anime industry? Those are questions I had to ask myself when voting, and some of the categories got me on edge because of the high quality of the anime we enjoyed in 2022.
Do you have anything you would like to say to your fans (or fans of Ramen Para Dos) around the world?
A: I don’t know how to chuckle in a written interview, but I would include a big laugh here. I doubt I have any fans or that I will ever have fans. However, I maintain contact with several people in this scene and will use this space to speak to them.
I can never be grateful enough to Ramen Para Dos for offering me the chance to write about what I like and, eventually, to participate as a judge in these Awards. I also want to thank those in the Industry who took time out of their agendas to talk to me and let me learn from the fantastic expertise and knowledge they all possess. Just thank you all for allowing me to grow alongside you.
Lastly, is there anything you want to say to anime fans leading up to the Anime Awards?
Correa: We live in an exciting era for anime in the world. As spectators, we should enjoy our hobby and leave aside all the conflicts, quarrels, and arguments that get us nowhere. My message is simple: Enjoy anime and support the industry.
Alejo is the editor and audiovisual manager for Ramen Para Dos (Ramen for Two), a site dedicated to anime news. He’s loved anime from a young age, which has led him to cover events, be in contact with industry members, and offer his vision of what anime is all about.
