Reminder: Any and all scores presented in this post are entirely representative of my current mindset. As I have more time to consider shows, my feelings and understanding of the final product will be more likely to change. A good way to consider it is that this is my raw personal opinion in regards to the show, more than a critical review, since my recommendations do, apparently, warrant attention every now and then. Not that I understand why.
Season Wrap-up: Completed Shows
Jingai-san no Yome
On the one hand, this show is pretty cute and offers some vaguely progressive views on male representation. On the other, those "progressive views" basically amount to turning the guys into stereotypical wife figures who do nothing but fawn over their hubbies and gossip endlessly. I enjoyed it but didn't particularly like it. On top of the myriad issues born of my earlier statement, the characters could have been easily replaced with furniture and the effect would have been the same. 4/10. 3/5.
Banana Fish
Banana Fish is a gorgeous show. It is a well-animated show. It's an absolute achievement of what anime can do and look like. It's a show that a lot of people like, so why can't I? The answer to that is actually pretty simple; it's the characters. While I appreciated what a badass Ash was, he just didn't come across to me as a believable character. At his best, he was the coolest dude on the screen. At worst, though, his reactions and experiences are outrageously offensive and potentially harmful to those who have actually been through the same things he has. Pair that with the fact that this same complaint can be leveled against almost the entire cast, and it just figures that I have more than my fair share of issues with this show that just looks amazing. 6/10. 4/5.
Zombieland Saga
I initially approached this show with some trepidation but fell for it immediately upon giving it a chance. While the show leads in with mocking idols in much the same way I always have, it eventually becomes a pretty sincere idol series that is making me question my objective hatred of the genre. While the art and animation take a lot of hits to ensure the story gets told, the show as a whole remains one of the funniest and heart-warming this season had to offer. 7/10. 5/5.
Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-san
While it falls to the same issues all moe shows deal with when it comes to portraying and fetishizing homosexuality, this show was the equivalent of eating a Peep for me. It was a light, sweet, and fluffy comedy about a girl living with a harmless otaku vampire, but on top of those aspects that I enjoyed it was hard to ignore the tangy mass-produced aftertaste. Still, given the absolute dreck I was shoving down my throat this season, I was even more willing to overlook the show's myriad problems. 5/10. 4/5.
SSSS.Gridman
Huh. In retrospect, this one scene in the opening just kinda says it all.
Regardless of whether you approached this series as a casual viewer, a die-hard tokusatsu fan, a knowledgable Gridman fan, one of those closet weirdos that got the Transformers references, or a TRIGGER analyst like myself, this show was an absolute blast. Its action was fun to watch and reminiscent of the Power Rangers I grew up around. The character drama, while odd in the typical TRIGGER style, was compelling. And, of course, there's a lot of meat to chew on with this show everyone can look forward to in the coming review. 8/10. 5/5.
Release the Spyce
No sooner do I mention this show's similarities to Powerpuff Girls that we got an insert song
featuring "sugar and spice and everything nice" in the lyrics. That's just hilarious.
In spite of my initial enjoyment of this cutesy spy anime, it unfortunately went much the same way as its predecessor, Princess Principal, in that it just couldn't balance the cutesy yuri elements and the seriousness of its spy theme. Still, where PP held my attention with its setting, there were a few characters in this that had me invested when things took a dip for the worse. 6/10. 3/5.
Double Decker! Doug and Kirill
One of the weirdest, quirkiest, and most bizarrely hilarious action titles I've seen in a long time. Superpowers, robots, military conspiracies, and detectives trying to puzzle everything out, it's almost like this show is some kind of comedic Ghost in the Shell: SAC. 7/10. 5/5.
Gaikotsu Shoten'in Honda-san
What an absolute treasure of the job shadow genre! Where Denki-gai was ultimately a romantic comedy that took place in a bookstore, this one is laser-focused in on just showcasing the daily life of a bookseller in the heart of the otaku world. 9/10. 5/5.
Golden Kamuy
Christ, and here I thought this show couldn't get any weirder.
This season is exactly what this show as a whole needed. Where the previous one felt like a mash of lots of different concepts and ideas, this one unifies the insanity of the character comedy and the action of the overall story beautifully. Perhaps that's simply because it eased back on the earlier focus on Ainu culture. Granted, that pullback is perfect since the original season already expressed the quirks and intricacies of that society for us. 9/10. 5/5.
Uchuu Senkan Tiramisu S2
Mecha bullshit at its best and worst. Like so many mech titles that have gone on a little too long, this season has gone full insane and makes an absolute mockery of whatever canon the show previously established. Still, given my general lack of knowledge on this kind brand of genre cynicism, not all the jokes landed for me. 6/10. 5/5.
Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
The best-written one the anime world has ever seen.
I cannot even begin to express how much I love this show. From the wonderful character banter to the characters themselves and the emotional force in each of their arcs, everything about this show is on point. While there are supernatural aspects to the show that aren't fully and properly fleshed out, they do express the problems the characters are facing and their overall confusion as they approach adulthood. What's more, since the supernatural elements aren't overly complex, the series as a whole remains very accessible to those who aren't that big on sciency-magic nonsense. 10/10. 5/5.
Merc Storia
Simple, sweet, and filled with heart--much like so many good kids shows, this title became an absolute balm for my soul the longer and longer this season went on. While not too ambitious, inspired, or well-paced in terms of its general premise, the story and characters of each country arc can range from "alright" to "absolutely amazing." Yet, regardless of its inconsistency, every episode was able to break down my jaded cynical mentality and get me smiling by the end. 6/10. 3/5.
Yagate Kimi ni Naru
Much like Banana Fish, this is one of those shows a lot of people seem to like but I just cannot get behind. Yet, there is one key difference, apart from it being a yuri romance rather than yaoi. Where I cannot stand the characters in Banana Fish, I love the characters and perspectives shown in this show except for one. Unfortunately, the one character I dislike is the one that is the center of all the drama. While I do feel for Nanami, her self-loathing, stubborn determination to drive herself into a darker hole, and desire to drag others down with her made it nearly impossible to put up with her. 8/10. 2/5.
Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara
For such a beautiful show, it's unfortunately a bit of a mess. A bit like Tada-kun before it, this is very much a paint-by-numbers romance anime that did exactly what I expected it would from the start. Predictability isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, in this case. While I groaned and moaned my way through every bit of drama, the show did make that drama as painless as it could, resolving things nearly as quickly as they peaked. What's more the show more than made up for that drama with its absolutely breathtaking imagery and depictions of magic.
Goblin Slayer
"Tell me, Elf, what does your elf-nose smell? I sure hope it's goblins."
While my first instinct is to hate on this show, and for VERY good reason, I just can't bring myself to do so. I just don't hate it. That doesn't mean I really like it though. The way I see it, I sit in a weird medium where I see what this show could have been and does channel to some degree. Yet, due to that first episode setting such a negative precedent it's hard to remove that disgust from all of the show's good moments. At its worst, this is an edgy show that never really commits to that edge as it dips more toward being just a generic fantasy anime. At its best, though, it is a treasure of a show that perfectly expresses the humor and anxiety of a Dungeons & Dragons or, more accurately, Warhammer Fantasy game. It's dark and gritty but the cast really carries this show and redeems a good number of its faults thanks to their wonderful comedic banter. 6/10. 1/5.
Season Wrap-up: Ongoing Shows
Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken
And your show isn't half bad either, Rimuru.
Isn't it weird how a show becomes a lot more enjoyable when it doesn't dip into the cynical or try to over-extend with some idiotic premise? While I might cringe and laugh at something comedic like KonoSuba, Slime gets me to smile and laugh as it wholeheartedly embraces the silliness of the isekai genre. While the pace might be problematic and the story as a whole could be called a "Paragon playthrough of Overlord" I've enjoyed it immensely in spite of that.
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Ougon no Kaze
Never change, Jojo. Never change.
As much as I'd like to say I'm enjoying this season as much as the previous ones, I'm just not. The story and quirkiness have just escalated to such a degree that things are no longer making sense. The action is still great, but the counters and planning that goes into ever encounter just doesn't work as well as it used to. Rather than really earning his victories, every fight feels like it just ends in the heroes favor because they're the heroes. Hopefully, that feeling will change as characters start dying off as they are wont to do in Jojo.
Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru
So long as you're willing to look past the giraffe necks that fill this show, it is a pretty good-looking show. Yet, it's not the art or execution that is its star feature. That title belongs to the show's cast who are all believably human and engaging. While it might be difficult to put up with Kakeru's prideful nonsense and antagonism, at least he does come to redeem himself in little ways. His story on top of all the arcs for the rest of the cast makes me really curious to see how these underdogs will eventually come to compete in a marathon they are in no way prepared for.
Hinomaru Sumo
In spite of being standard shounen schlock, I have to say I love that it is exceptionally standard shounen schlock. The rivalries, impossible goal, and character interactions make this show a pleasure to watch. What's more, I've never really known much about sumo so I'm also getting a great education while just laughing and smiling over its antics.
Tsurune
Wouldn't it be hilarious if he had the same voice actor as Bakugou?
A wonderfully emotional sports anime that is, unfortunately, not going to get the runtime it really needs and maybe even deserves. In much the same vein as Kaze, this show lives and dies by its characters and I think this one has some very well-written characters. The dynamic of this group of friends is stellar and, like Hinomaru, I'm getting an education on archery with this show. Unfortunately, with only three episodes to go, it's unlikely that the rest of the cast will get the same attention that Minato and Seiya got.
Season Wrap-up: Notable, Dropped Shows
Tokyo Ghoul:re 2 (6/12)
Even though I watched half of this season, I haven't the foggiest what the actual fuck is going on here.
If nothing else, I can praise this season for following in the spirit of Tokyo Ghoul anime. Where the first season of TG:Re was nearly as good of the first season of the original series, its second season was even worse than TG√A. Convoluted beyond belief, impossible to follow, and just an incomprehensible mess, it says a lot that Funimation felt the need to create a new podcast dedicated exclusively to explaining what actually happened each episode. That just shouldn't happen.
Akanesasu Shoujo (4/12)
Yeah, that just about sums up how this show goes.
"Alternate reality theory for babies" is probably the best way to describe this show, but it's hyper-simplistic approach to a difficult topic isn't what did this show in for me. It's the fact that I just could bring myself to care that killed it. Neither the story, characters, or bizarre alternate world scenarios engaged me in the least. They felt formulaic, had zero chemistry, and just didn't have anything to them that might have won me over to any one of them.