About the anime:
YES, YES, OMG YES.
SOOOOO Many fuckweebs think their anime is just so fan-fucking-tastic any judges just have to make an exception. I don't think that it's so much their ignorance or inability to follow instructions, so much as it is their breaking the rules deliberately to spite whoever made the rules because anime is OBVIOUSLY superior to basic fundamentals.
Knew a girl in my class who was obviously talented, but had only 2 or 3 anime OCs that she would draw over and over, stagnating and getting worse every time. When professors told her that she had to stop drawing anime and diversify, she went off on every one of them and dropped out. Moron.
That being said, I find your experiences very relatable and I enjoy watching them. Will you ever dabble in animation?