Crank

I thought this show had a weak start, but every next episode was better than the previous one, and I’m actually starting to like it now. I think a lot of that has to do with parts of OG Reirin personality that were hidden from us up until now. I thought it’s gonna be another show where MC is very one-dimensional, but this episode shows that’s there’s more to her character than that

Agreed. The anime directors rarely understand what makes a story scary. The Summer Hikaru Died was an exception. Mieruko-chan had some really well made scary scenes too, better than most other shows of this kind, but this is a comedy at it’s core, not a full-blown horror

This had me wheezing within the first minute 😆
Finally, after so many years, Land of the Lustrous 2!

Yeah, that’s how I understood this too. Her friend was just getting a new, improved cybernetic ass, but it seems to be the same person we see during the lesbian orgy

I’m noticing a big uptick in the amount of “flavortext” subtitles, there was at least one in each scene. I do wish these were translated but they still represent a lot of information that you’d never be able to read at normal speed. Maybe fansubbers can do them justice.

Commie subs has already picked it up. They publish their version in a day from the release, so it’s not a long wait.

I agree, the first part of the episode looked incredible. I love how silly Fuchikomas are. That weeeee when trying to shoot the guy was hilarious, and so were their deliberations.

On the other hand, we had some heavy philosophical stuff in this episode too. Imagine having a wife, a child, a whole history with them in your head, and then finding out it was all fake. What a blow that must have been. Poor guy. Some solid existentialism during that conversation between Motoko and friends as well. I really like how the comedy, action, and philosophy balance themselves out. In my eyes this makes for a much more convincing image of the world than versions of this story that mostly focus on the bleak, futuristic atmosphere and badassery alone

The part with alcoholic choking on their own vomit was actually just sad. Reminded me of that scene from Breaking Bad.

That’s some quality animation for what basically looks like some yuri.
If I had a nurse like that I’d get hurt on purpose

In the past God used the nutcracker to talk to Tanya, so I guess it brings back some unpleasant memories

This was even better than the first episode. The pacing slowed down, now that we’re past the backstory, and Lara’s breakdown and confusion was portrayed very well. I like how effortlessly they mix some humorous scenes in there. This is very promising.

Looks like Oniyasha is getting one step closed to figuring out what is ‘good’.
On the other hand, Kogane’s disappearance is worrying. He acted as if this was the last time they see each other.

With these latest additions, I am now following all seasonal anime with average rating of 80% or higher. I may be missing out on some sub-80% rating anime though. Any seasonal recommendations based on my taste? anilist.co/user/Endmaker/animelist

The World Is Dancing has been the biggest positive surprise of the season for me. I’m not even into dancing, but the way it is presented in this show is incredible. The team behind this took a very artistic approach and some parts are absolutely hypnotizing. You’ll know what I mean if you watch episode 1 till the end. You liked Wandance and a bunch of newer Cypic shows, and while the style is nothing like Wandance (there’s no clunky 3DCG) it is also an anime about dancing so might be worth trying out

Another show that stands out and you don’t have it on your watching list is Goodbye, Lara. This is an anime original with an art style resembling shows from the 90s. The first two episodes were very promising.

There are some others that might turn out worth watching, but so far these two are the standouts, IMO

This is some neighborhood from hell, haha.
The show still looks great. Everyone will still be talking about the great OP full of cool references, and rightly so, but this episode also features one of the best EDs of the year

Yes. It’s not a sequel or anything. It’s fully standalone from other series/movies. Having that said, it could feel confusing, because they throw you right into action, without explaining much, but I assume that this is just a narrative choice and everything will be explained over time.

Riiight, that kissing magic was totally necessary for the plot 😅 It feels a bit like yurified 86. I kinda hate it when MC is yapping this much, but I think I’ll give it a chance

I’m surprised how much hate this gets. I, for one, am loving the the character designs, backgrounds, the animation, and especially the audio. The soundtrack absolutely slaps. That orchestral music during the fight was an outstanding choice. That said, my experience with GitS is limited to the movie from 1995 and Innocence, and I’ve never been particularly attached to their art style. I have to say I also actually like this goofy Major more. I’m hoping the quality won’t go down after the first episode.

The goofiness took my guard down and then they hit with all the feelings. This show can be absolutely hypnotizing when it wants. I don’t even like dancing but I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen

Sweet, funny, and just as good as when it left. Perfect show to start a Sunday morning. I couldn’t stop smiling
Image

What a great start. This was my most anticipated show of the season, and I’m so happy it’s finally back.
I always wondered if that blue haired girl we’ve seen in S2 had any significance to the story. Turns out it was Nina.
It seems that Rudeus had a calming effect on Eris when they’ve been around people. Now that they’re separated, her old self feels more prominent

It has great audiovisual production values for a show of this type. Natsuyoshi Yuuko is nailing her role. The sounds she makes are on par with Kumiko noises. The show is funny, yet the creators make no attempt to hide the fact that the story has its dark sides. It definitely comes across as an anti-smoking ad. I’m glad someone decided to portray smoking as something disgusting, which it is, because anime as a medium usually depicts it in a positive light. The opening sequence is also excellent. It’s packed with references to various cultural works (Spiderman, LotR, Nirvana, and a bunch of others), and I probably didn’t even catch half of them.

Eisen used to make giant hamburger steaks as birthday presents. It was a custom from his region to thank warriors who put in their all, and later Frieren continued that tradition

What a beautiful dance sequence there at the end. I should have expected that from Cypic, but this looks way better that I though it would

Call of the Night - the whole show is just pure vibes, and it portrays the nighttime in a unique way. Watching it after it gets dark enhances the experience. It’s even better if you have a thing for vampires

I agree, it was definitely overhyped.

would likely watch a second season but won’t be overly sad is the story ends here.

Second season is already in production according to a reliable leaker. I expect that we’ll get an official announcement soon

nitter.net/SugoiLITE/status/2062558762775511344

Honestly, I don’t understand why My Ribdiculous Reincarnation title gets so much hate. In my opinion it’s fun, creative, easy to pronounce, and much better than this monstrosity: Goddess: “What Do You Want to Turn Into When You’re Reincarnated in Another World?” Me: “Into a Hero’s Rib”

Witch Hat Atelier was my biggest disappointment of the season, other than Agents of the Four Seasons. After reading comments from people familiar with the manga who said it was a story that could rival Frieren, I was expecting something that would surprise me with its unique approach. But while Frieren paid a lot of attention to portraying characters in a believable way, avoided standard solutions to common tropes, and cleverly used flashbacks to introduce us to the main character’s way of thinking, watching WHA gave me the impression that I’d seen this story a hundred times before. For the first half of the season the characters came across as very stereotypical, with few exceptions – the happy-go-lucky MC with a sad backstory; the hardworking, edgy perfectionist; the laid-back individualist; the sweet ray of sunshine who’s always cheerful; the talented teacher who always saves the day. Over time, we get to know everyone a little better, but in a way that leaves much to be desired, and moreover, while the characters do develop, they do so in a manner very characteristic of the stereotypes they originally represented. There’s nothing surprising here. At the same time, the whole thing is full of dialogue that doesn’t sound like real conversations between people, but rather as if it were crafted to explain to the audience everything that’s happening on screen – how the world works, what the characters are feeling, and what conclusions they’re reaching. It’s as if the characters were speaking to us instead of to each other. To make matters worse, sometimes I had the impression that the author was trying to cram into the dialogue as much moralizing wisdom as possible, which makes it sound rather artificial. The main character’s attitude is also irritating; she seems unable to learn from her own mistakes or think even one step ahead which always put her in danger, and at times it feels like it’s the only way they push the plot forward. It’s not all bad, though. I really enjoyed the visuals – the series has nearly cinematic quality and is certainly one of the most beautiful anime of the year. I also like the world in which the story takes place, and in particular the magic system based on drawings. Unfortunately, the elements I view positively are secondary to me when evaluating the quality of the anime as a whole. For me, the most important are characters and dialogue, and in that regard, I was disappointed. Overall, I give this 6/10

Agents of the Four Seasons got off to a great start. I had high hopes for this series, considering that the writer behind it is the same person who created Violet Evergarden, which is one of my favorite anime. Although it was clear this was going to be a very melodramatic story, that didn’t bother me, since it’s something I actually enjoy. I was positively surprised for the first five episodes, but then the house of cards started to come crashing down. Throughout the entire series, the creators never stop bombarding viewers with material designed to make them feel emotional and cry. While this makes sense in reasonable doses, here it’s served up in such excessive amounts that it becomes numbing. The longer you watch it, the more the series turns into “cryporn”. On top of that, we’re treated to action scenes that, instead of being thrilling and dramatic, look ridiculous because the insurgents, who are our main antagonists in the story, have combat skills on par with stormtroopers, while our main heroes have a tendency to talk on the phone a lot, even when a hail of bullets is raining down on them. It looks comical, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve rolled my eyes. Overall, this was my biggest disappointment of the season. There’s one more episode left, but I think I’ll give this 4-5/10. I liked the visuals and the soundtrack, though. Kensuke Ushio never disappoints.

Kirio Fanclub - The show had its ups and downs, and not all the jokes landed, but when they did it was absolutely hilarious. IMO it was one of the best shows of the season, despite somewhat poor reception at the beginning of the season. I guess some people expected a more typical romcom and got a pure comedy-drama instead, not to mention that comedy is highly subjective. 8/10 from me

Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! - Another fantastic comedy. This season was really carried by comedies, huh. Very funny, very gay, with great production quality. Different ED for each episode was a cherry on the top. Chiaki Kobayashi nailed the role of somewhat crazy, shy, gay MC. I think my only issue with this show, as someone who wasn’t interested in romance, is that only the last episode nailed the balance between romance and comedy. In most other episodes it was either one or another, so some of the episodes were ‘too serious’ for me. Fortunately, there weren’t many of them, so I had a lot of fun watching this show. 8/10

The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt - Another great comedy with high-quality production. Stylistically, the show reminds me of Trigger Studio’s shows. The development of the relationship between the main characters is portrayed brilliantly here. The series didn’t make me laugh as much as “Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!”, but I think the creators managed to strike a better balance between the gags and the more serious parts of the story. It’s hard for me to say much more, because my main criterion for evaluating comedies is how much they manage to make me laugh, and everyone has a different sense of humor. 8/10

Daemons of the Shadow Realm - this is probably the only non-comedy series that I actually really like this season. It has an original story that’s somewhat reminiscent of gang rivalries, and a great main character who’s got his head on his shoulders. He’s not your typical battle shounen MC who lacks brains and makes up for it with sheer determination in the fight for noble causes. Instead, he displays a more stoic demeanor, he’s level-headed, but he’s not some infallible genius either. It’s like a breath of fresh air, really. It’s not clear where the story is headed yet, and the plot is rather slow-paced, but I like this, because predictability was one of my main complaints about FMA:B (this and FMA were both written by Arakawa). The production quality is very good. The animation looks great, and you can tell a lot of attention has been paid to details. So far, it’s a solid 8/10.

Dandelion - The ending was very cheesy, but the rest was quite fun. It’s by creator of Gintama, and Gintama vibes were certainly there. The ED was great – makes you wanna dance. 7/10

A Hundred Scenes of Awajima - It’s a collection of interconnected, intriguing stories, told in an engaging way with believably portrayed characters, but the fairly similar character designs and the chaotic narrative style at the beginning of the season made it hard for me to follow everything at first, which dampened my viewing experience. I feel like it would be better to watch the entire season in one go, because once some of the characters had managed to stick in my mind, the final parts of the season struck me as really strong. 7/10, but I might change it to 8 after a rewatch

Akane-banashi - Pretty decent season. It improved quite noticeably in the second half once they stopped talking over performances so much. I think the first half suffered from having to explain what rakugo is, etc. I dislike the standard sports anime formula that seems to be applied here, so that certainly affected my score. But overall, the cast was rather fun, and I can’t say I was bored watching this. Production quality was pretty good too. 7/10 from me

Re:ZERO S4 - I’m not sure how to feel about it yet. Some of the episodes nailed the horror atmosphere, and they give you a feeling that we’re back to S1 quality of storytelling, but I’m not entirely sold on this

arc. All in all, it’s too early to tell, but it’s definitely better than the snoozefest battle shounen arc that S3 was.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 - if you are still watching this, then you know what you’re in for. Can’t say this cour was much better than S3 so far. We’ve got plenty of meetings (obviously), and

. Very mid.

There’s also like a dozen shows that I dropped, but I don’t feel like mentioning them here. It would only piss some people off, and I don’t want to be overly negative. Generally, after having somewhat high hopes, this season turned out to be quite average.

Great finale to a great show. The song made a comeback in a weirdest way possible, all thanks to Seira who’s the true MVP of the series. The show had its ups and downs, not all the jokes landed, but when they did it was absolutely hilarious. IMO it was one of the best shows of the season, despite somewhat poor reception. I guess some people expected more typical romcom and got pure comedy-drama instead?

And then there is finally more of Tanya. It’s been too long after that speech at the end of the first season.

Just FYI, there was a movie after season 1 that is a direct continuation of the story

Definitely watching:

• Mushoku Tensei S3 - I love this series, so this one is obvious
• Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia - Naoko Yamada being involved makes this a must watch
• Saga of Tanya the Evil S2 - we only had to wait 7 years for this to come. It was fun, one of the most interesting isekais out there
• You and I Are Polar Opposites S2 - the first season was an unexpected banger
• The Ghost in the Shell - trailers were great and Science Saru is behind this
• Sparks of Tomorrow - I’ll watch anything from KyoAni
• Yani Neko - hilarious premise, great trailer
• The World Is Dancing - Cygames had a streak of some great productions lately (Cinderella Gray, The Summer Hikaru Died, Apocalypse Hotel) so even though it didn’t really catch my eye, I’m willing to check this out

I’ll try this out and see how it goes:

• Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You
• I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day
• Though I Am an Inept Villainess
• Goodbye, Lara
• Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus
• Sekiro: No Defeat - if it’s possible to watch online

I think the show is finally finding its groove. The last two episodes were really good, and I think this comes with not narrating over the performances that much, which we might see less often going forward, given that the first part of this cour already served as an intro to rakugo terms and rules. I wasn’t very invested in this story but I’m slowly starting to like it

What a messed up pacing. To make room for dramatic conversations, the creators drag out certain events in a ridiculous way. How long can you keep talking while under fire? Apparently as long as you want – the insurgents will politely wait until you’re done, firing haphazardly in the meantime. There’s even room for a few flashbacks. The way they structured it actually made me laugh a few times. I’m really trying to like this show, despite its flaws, but this was too much