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MAL Secret Santa 2022: The Great Reveal!

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Jan 8, 2023 5:43 PM
#1
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Faerie Queen

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MAL SECRET SANTA
THE GREAT REVEAL!


First of all, A BIG THANK YOU to all of our SECRET SANTAS.

Annual Stats
 ♫ 2,950+777 initial sign-ups for the Rec Edition
 ♫ 310 initial sign-ups for the Image Edition
 ♫ 2,448+585 (↑1,095) Secret Santas for the Rec Edition after confirmations
 ♫ 118+119 (↓0) Elf Gifts for the Rec Edition
 ♫ 251 (↑32) Secret Santas for the Image Edition after confirmations
 ♫ 2,793 (↑985) unique Secret Santas
 ♫ 371 (↑106) Secret Santas that participated in two events
 ♫ 63 (↑25) Secret Santas that participated in all three events
 ♫ 3,505 (↑1,121) Secret Santa & Elf gifts

This year was our TENTH year of Secret Santa! 🎉 We've come a looong way from the original 154 unique Secret Santas in our first year. Things were extremely hectic this year in Santa's Workshop but we hope you enjoyed the experience in overall. Thank you to everyone for your patience as we tried to get all the gifts ready to go, and to those who participated for the second year. We hope to see you all back for MALentine's or Easter~

Second of all, please take the time to give A BIG THANK YOU to all of our ELVES.

Elf-pyon
 ♫ Graviity—team leader, 4x elf
 ♫ Aeveny
 ♫ AlvarRaynor
 ♫ Decoice—2x elf
 ♫ fluffycow17—2x elf
 ♫ HallowsIvy—7x elf
 ♫ imlaabem
 ♫ lumarel—2x elf
 ♫ Twintail_Daemon
 ♫ yorokobisenpai
 ♫ Conde_Mohr—7x elf
Elf-chama
 ♫ cesars—team leader, 6x elf
 ♫ GanSan—team leader, 3x elf
 ♫ -Masuko-—4x elf
 ♫ Natsuaki—6x elf
 ♫ Nymeew
 ♫ Treeky_—2x elf
 ♫ YayakoChii
Elf-hime
 ♫ Dancho—team leader, 8x elf
 ♫ Bricksticks
 ♫ Ebobebo—2x elf
 ♫ Everything-Fan—2x elf
 ♫ HimeCrycho
 ♫ nozomemee—3x elf
 ♫ Swiggy
 ♫ Timcampy118—2x elf
 ♫ vhra
Elf-tama
 ♫ rogueandtasty—team leader, 4x elf
 ♫ BlakexEkalb
 ♫ coffeedrops—2x elf
 ♫ ferrepls—2x elf
 ♫ gaussian_
 ♫ pokemonvortex—4x elf
 ♫ Shuuka
Elf-tan
 ♫ tingy—team leader
 ♫ awarii—4x elf
 ♫ Haptism93—4x elf
 ♫ MelissaWolf—4x elf
 ♫ stardew—6x elf
 ♫ Kineta
 ♫ Foxyclaws—2x elf
Elf-rin
 ♫ firefractal—team leader, 7x elf
 ♫ Nate—7x elf
 ♫ Tensho—5x elf
 ♫ Shinah—3x elf

Our elves took the time to compile all of the lists, painstakingly try to match them so everyone would get a user they could gift to, send hundreds of PMs, organise all the gifts, send hundreds more PMs, give advice on images, write elf notes, quality check and improve gifts where necessary, and generally suffer through the chaos created by running this event during the busy holiday and final exam season. Without all of them, we would have gone stark-raving crazy trying to put this together.

Finally, please be sure to:
  Pass your Secret Santa(s) a big thank you, and possibly, some feedback on your rec/image. Please remember that it's near impossible to get a gift 100% to your liking from a person who knows nothing about you; I'm sure your Santa tried his best!
  Post in this thread, telling us what you thought of the event!


See you all next year~
KinetaJan 12, 2023 5:56 PM
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Jan 8, 2023 5:43 PM
#2
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Faerie Queen

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6262

Anime Rec Edition: Elf-pyon (A to Th)
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#3
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Anime Rec Edition: Elf-pyon (Ti to Z)


Anime Rec Edition: Elf-chama (A to N)
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#4
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Anime Rec Edition: Elf-chama (O to Z)


Anime Rec Edition: Elf-hime (A to Ke)
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#5
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Anime Rec Edition: Elf-hime (Kh to Z)


Anime Rec Edition: Elf-tama (A to G)
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#6
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Anime Rec Edition: Elf-tama (H to Z)


Manga Rec Edition: Elf-tan (A to C)
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#7
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Manga Rec Edition: Elf-tan (D to Z)
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#8
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Anime Elf Gifts: Elf-cchi


Manga Elf Gifts: Elf-cchi
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:44 PM
#9
Lead Admin
Faerie Queen

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6262

Image Edition: Elf-rin
KinetaJan 8, 2023 10:37 PM
Jan 8, 2023 5:55 PM

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Aug 2020
9
Event was great! Was awesome to get involved with the community more and be able to recommend some Anime and get some new shows to watch for the holiday season!
Jan 8, 2023 5:57 PM

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Oct 2018
241
Ton of respect for the elves. Thanks for another fun year!
Jan 8, 2023 5:59 PM
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Jul 2021
30
Thanks a lot to all the Elf for your work during the Holiday season! Was a very fun event, enjoyed participating!
Jan 8, 2023 5:59 PM
日野森雫

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Apr 2019
9105
ohoho this event was really fun! thanks to all of the elves for their hard work! i hope everyone liked their gifts! <3

and to my secret santa... @_ayase ... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE STUNNING SHIZUKU TAN ABOUT ME! <33 I REALLY DO LOVE IT SO MUCH SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE IT FOR ME!! <,3 (don't worry about remaking it btw its perfect just the way it is /HUGS)
Jan 8, 2023 6:00 PM

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Jul 2021
19
Thanks for hosting this event, and hope for the same success next year!!

Jan 8, 2023 6:01 PM
Fuwa_san

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Mar 2013
2082
Thanks for hosting the event. :)

Update:
@Doddy97 Thank you for your recommendation! I already finished Bocchi The Rock 3 days before the gift was revealed, it was nice. I also picked up and finished Paripa Koumei this past week, it was great. 
Fuwa_sanJan 8, 2023 8:52 PM
Jan 8, 2023 6:05 PM
a lil bean ✨

Offline
Feb 2011
17573
Calling it chaotic feels like an understatement? xD

Thanks to everyone that participated in running this event. It's the one I look forward the most ♥

It would be interesting to have a stack of the top 50 anime that were recommended the most

HiScoreLoScoreAuction

Turn-InsAWCc

ᓚᘏᗢ

Jan 8, 2023 6:10 PM
Poi~

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Sep 2022
39
Very fun event and big shout out to all the hard working elves for making it possible!

Also big thanks to @17arst for the gift
JexTexSSBJan 9, 2023 11:29 AM
MALoween Mansion 2023 candies:
Jan 8, 2023 6:11 PM

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May 2022
857
This was my first Secret Santa and I really enjoyed giving my recommendation and I received 2 amazing recommendations back. I’ll be looking forward to future events. Between this and my first FAL where I finished in the top 100, I have to say, I’m enjoying MAL very much. I’ve met some really great people. So thank you to everyone that puts in the hard work to make this a fun site to be a part of.
Jan 8, 2023 6:15 PM
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Sep 2010
75
This event was a bunch of fun. Getting matched with somebody who has such compatible taste in anime let me recommend something I was confident they'd enjoy. My Santa recommended anime that weren't on my radar and I'd probably never have been aware of let alone watched otherwise. Thanks!

A big thank you to the elves for doing all that work to pull off an event of this scale. I look forward to doing this event again next year.
Jan 8, 2023 6:15 PM
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Dec 2019
45
Thank you to all the elves and a special thanks to Elf-tama! I look forward to this event every year and am so thankful to everyone at MAL that makes it possible! Happy new year everyone!
Jan 8, 2023 6:18 PM

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Jul 2016
113
It was awesome. It was also my first time taking part in this event and I loved it.

x5

Good times become good memories, but bad times become good lessons.
Uncle Iroh
Jan 8, 2023 6:19 PM

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May 2021
1234
This was my first time joining an event like that. I did not understand why my initial manga present was reject by the bot even though the user haven't read the manga but only watched the anime version of it. 
YubisoftJan 11, 2023 9:05 AM
Jan 8, 2023 6:23 PM
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Oct 2021
2
At first it was really difficult to recommend to the person I was assigned to but the elves and people in the MAL discord were very helpful. Thank you for everything!
Jan 8, 2023 6:28 PM
Review Moderator
(。•̀ᴗ-)⌒✧

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Jun 2007
1910
Wahh, it's finally here!! Absolute thanks to everyone involved <3 Elf work needs to be appreciated a lot more with these numbers. Unbelievable they had to deal with thousands of people when the elves are so few, oof!

And also, big thanks to my Santa @Arashiiiii, who gave me a manga I hadn't heard of before (though incidentally, the moment I got it, I started seeing it everywhere haha) and I actually enjoyed! I was very happy that the gift worked so well :D In general, space and aliens are not the best thing to read for me, but '80s manga knew how to make GOOD stories about them, which proves that any setting is ok as long as you have a good story :D The whole mystery in 11-Nin Iru was very interesting and even though I suspected it was part of the exam itself, I wouldn't have thought how deep that hole went. The one thing that put me off and lowered it to 7, it was the romance. The concept of such fluid genders was really interesting (especially since the manga is old), but it just niggled me how it was just a tool to provide a romantic couple out of it. All in all, very enjoyable and maybe I'll watch the anime adaptation too :D Thank you <3

Also, to all the people I recommended manga, I hope you'll like something! I'm happy to say that I stalked you and the only people who did read something, they rated it very highly, so that makes me happy! <3
Jan 8, 2023 6:30 PM

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Oct 2016
48
I thank all the elves for their efforts and thanks for this awasome event!
And also thanks to CeeJay1217 for the gift!
ShaltearJan 8, 2023 6:38 PM
Jan 8, 2023 6:31 PM

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Sep 2021
51
Thank you for the event, happy 2023 everyone! 
Jan 8, 2023 6:32 PM

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Aug 2015
2888
@Soleisya thank you for the gift!!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Jan 8, 2023 6:32 PM

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Mar 2016
3
Thanks for the great recommendations Santa @ELpal0taku (^: Haven't had a chance to try the shows out yet but will certainly give them a look!

And if you're reading this @firefoxvulpix, I hope you enjoy my recommendations. They definitely weren't perfect suggestions, but I found great enjoyment in all of them and needed to pass on that good energy considering we share similar interests. Hope your holidays went well!

And yeah, this was a fun event that helped me discover some (potential) hidden gems and also reminded me of some shows I need to check out. Appreciate all the hard work you guys did to organize it, hope your holidays weren't too chaotic
Jan 8, 2023 6:38 PM

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Oct 2020
803
Thank you so much to all the elves for all the hard work that went into making this event possible. I look forward to it each year, so I'm really happy I got to participate again. I hope everybody had fun and was able to welcome in the new year safely and happily 

@Shino I wanna give you the biggest thanks ever for the time and effort you put into making my gift!!! I'll come pester you further on your profile so I can give you all my thoughts, but I just wanted to say that I was SO HAPPY when I had received it. I love it so so so much, thank you!!!! ;w;
Jan 8, 2023 6:44 PM

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Oct 2019
49
Thank you to my secret santa @-Meru for the fantastic anime recommendations, and to all the elfs for hosting and organizing the event!
Jan 8, 2023 6:50 PM

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Sep 2017
132
Thanks everyone for the effort!
Jan 8, 2023 6:55 PM
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Jul 2022
135
Thanks @kEEP0 for the recommendation! It did take a couple episodes to get into the art style but ended up really enjoying the first season. I added the second season so I can get to it eventually as well!
Jan 8, 2023 6:56 PM
Offline
Jul 2018
564612
@boguda @Nymeew

Thanks to my wonderful elves <3

I got exactly what I asked for, sad anime :’). Dororo has been so enjoyable, same with Bokura no.. they both made me tear up abit tonight and I’m kinda wondering how I’ll push on cause they are pretty heavy! But I am very much invested in them. Thanks, you guys are the best.

Once again, thanks to all the elves in the background making this happen (including you Elf-Chama ;)). Now that I see the list it really puts into perspective how much had to go into this, and this is only the anime side of things. Anyway, I had a ton of fun participating in this and look forward to future events.
Jan 8, 2023 7:02 PM

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Jan 2020
66666
Thank You!! @RobertBobert




and thank you to all the Elves and to those who made this event possible



Jan 8, 2023 7:03 PM
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Feb 2021
14
Thanks everyone for the effort!
Jan 8, 2023 7:03 PM

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Oct 2022
229
This event was a really fun one to participate in, and I thank all the elves and people involved in this process for the wonderful job they've done. My manga rec also came with an amazingly long and well explained note from the elf, and I was very happy to receive the clarification. 

Jan 8, 2023 7:11 PM

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Dec 2016
258

First of all, a big thank you to all the elves for such a fun and great event, and for all the work you have done to make sure we all have something despite the naughty Santas. I really appreciate your time and effort.
Secondly, I want to thank my Santas: @GreyratAnimelist for my new pfp ♥ and @astronomydancer for your thoughtful recommendation and kind message, I bet it was not easy for you as my PTW is very long 😅, I appreciate your rec of Ajin (I have already added it to my PTW and is now my priority to watch it next, I bet I will love it 💖)

Thank you all!
Jan 8, 2023 7:11 PM
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Aug 2016
29
Thanks to all the staff and elves that made this event possible! Another fun year of secret santa.
My candies: x2
Jan 8, 2023 7:12 PM

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Apr 2020
47
It was fun participating in this event!!

Thanks @Sapis for recommending Ohayou, Ibarahime! It couldn't have been easy to find something good to recommend while taking in consideration my personal tastes. I ended up reading it over my winter break and enjoyed it a lot :) I'm not much of a manga reader to be honest, so it was a nice surprise. Thanks once again!
Jan 8, 2023 7:15 PM
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Jun 2020
3
Thank you for the event, happy 2023 everyone!
@Araberu thanks for amazing wallpapers :)
Jan 8, 2023 7:16 PM
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Apr 2021
27
Hello @aliendustXV6 !!!! I have recently started dedicating myself to watching Psycho-Pass. I am so far loving it, the first episode was incredibly gripping (just how I like it!) and all of the characters seem like they have something mysterious/special about them! I'm excited to proceed further in watching Psycho-Pass! Thank you so much for your thoughtful recommendation! 

As for feedback on the event - this event was so much fun! It fits nicely into a busy schedule, but also gives something exciting to look forward to after the holidays! 

Sincerely, 
thevioletgarden
Jan 8, 2023 7:16 PM

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Sep 2019
52
This was so much fun! Thank you everyone, and a big thank you to my secret Santa!

Jan 8, 2023 7:16 PM

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Jul 2020
34
Hope you’re happy to hear I’m half way done with Grand Blue @SiRpiNaT0r, it’s already hands down one of the funniest things I’ve ever watched. If this keeps up it’s getting no less than a 9, thanks for having me move it up in the queue
Jan 8, 2023 7:21 PM

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Aug 2017
200
Thanks @Coco01 for the recommendation! I've only had the time to check out the first ep so far, but I definitely plan on checking out more.
If I had a nickel for every anime that began airing on October 9th 2022 that started with a B and ended in "ock", I would have two nickels.
That's not a lot, but it's funny that it happened twice.

Jan 8, 2023 7:26 PM
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Mar 2019
4
@laibeu

Thank you for the recommendations, the first one was a fun watch! Looking forward to checking out your other recommendation.
Jan 8, 2023 7:29 PM

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Mar 2017
182
@JanWiller06  Idk what kind of drugs u took to srsly propose to me renai flops but ok, at least @nozomemee was kind enough to recommend mi good series which i had planned to watch for the longest time
Jan 8, 2023 7:30 PM
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Feb 2016
35
Thanks for this event! It was very nice, well organized and I will participate next year!


@GeminiShiro Thank you for your recommendation! I already finished it, it was nice. 

DetectiveLuchiaJan 8, 2023 7:33 PM
My Candies ♡ MALoween✟Mansion 2022 :

My Candies ♡ MALoween✟Mansion 2023 :

Jan 8, 2023 7:31 PM
Offline
Dec 2016
38
Hey @brazilianmafioso ! thank you for your recommendations, I really liked Shiki and Link Click. Even if I found the pace a bit slow for Shiki, the atmosphere was seriously nice and the characters were endearing. For Link Click, I found it very cool too, the two characters were pleasant to follow but disappointed with the supernatural side at the end which leaves us hungry.
My Candies 2022:
My Candies 2023:
Jan 8, 2023 7:32 PM
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Aug 2015
57
My recommendations have been very good thank you elfs and my Santa
Jan 8, 2023 7:32 PM

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Feb 2020
1573
Firstly, thanks to all the elves who helped out this event!! the increase in participants must've caused the delays, and im grateful this event still went on.

@_Miku, tysm for the gifts! I tried out Revue Starlight out of the 3 u wrote for me, and while I didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked (i heard about the anime before and was more curious when u recommended it), i was glad to have listened to a lot of banger songs and seen surprising good animation!! For the other two, i think I'll take a look at them another time. i wonder what's with all the buzz with Fruits Basket, especially :)

@ohml, I hope you will enjoy some of the anime i recommended whenever u got the time! it was difficult getting some anime together since I hadn't seen most of the anime u liked in the genres you prefer most... i hope you find them pleasant to watch
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