Whew, it’s been a while since I’ve felt like writing something about what I’m watching and not about something more abstract (though I enjoy, in my own way, putting my emotions to the page in a way that intersects with anime – I hope readers will continue to indulge me). We’re at that point in the anime season where I’ve settled into a decent-ish routine and I’m starting to look ahead to the future (the new season starts in just a few weeks, folks). I’m also prepping for an online convention, and while I’m only really responsible for about 1.5 panels the one I’m mainly involved in is focused directly on great new anime from the past year, so I’ve got to squeeze in some of the shows I’ve missed somewhere. So obviously I’ve dropped a few things I stopped vibing with, and have put a few other series on hold since I’m fairly certain they won’t make the cut-off for my recommendation panel and so I can finish them later. You know, this almost feels like my typical Spring time cram session. Almost.
I’ll try to stay away from revealing major spoilers for any of these, but in all cases I’m at least a few episodes in, so keep that in mind.
Already Dropped (probably)
Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies – Dropped after Episode 5
Oh, how I truly wanted to like this series. I’d reached a point by the end of the fourth episode (which completes the first story arc) where I found my interest completely flagging. I tried the next episode and found that the character dynamics continued to be grating and that the humor was just not my style. I like stories that center nice, wholesome protagonists, and I can’t really fault Lloyd for being the eye of the irritating harem hurricane. All his potential suitors were just terrible, though, and occasionally their behavior wandered into the realm of stalking and assault. And by glob the “yelling-as-humor” style of comedy writing is just not for me.
Scar on the Praeter – Dropped after Episode 4
GoHands anime is the true definition of “style over substance” as evidenced by this series – its CG backgrounds are weirdly overdone and there’s definitely a focus on action as opposed to coherent storytelling, but I could never truly get a handle on what it was really about. Is it trying to say something about classism? Something about the Japanese economy? Is it just a vehicle for hot guys to shoot at one-another? I think probably the latter. I wanted to watch this just to say that I had completed a GoHands anime (and all I got was this lousy T-shirt?), but there were just too many other more fulfilling anime to watch this season. And to be completely honest, I have watched a GoHands anime to completion in the past – Princess Lover, one of their very first productions, so maybe I’ll just consider that goal fulfilled (at least until Tokyo Babylon drops. I hope they don’t ruin it…).
EX-ARM – Dropped after Episode 4 (or is it?)
This was another effort of mine to watch a series simply to keep up with the jokes, memes, and endless ironic reviews. But as much as I wanted this show to be the good kind of bad (you know, where it’s goofy and funny), it ended up being mostly the boring kind of bad where you just want it to stop. There’s something to be said for watching people (like the director of this very series) talk a big game about bringing their flawed mentality to anime production and then failing at the medium 100%, but the schadenfreude wore off quickly and I just began to feel bad for the folks in the background who were probably working hard and doing their best with the resources that they were given. Anyone who’s watched Shirobako or read any kind of news about what the anime industry is really like knows that the labor that goes into producing anime can be extreme, no matter the quality of the end product. I hope the rank-and-file animators don’t experience too much fallout after this.
The reason why I may not be completely done with this show is that it looks like the characters go undercover in a high school in episode 5, and I feel like that may actually end up being funny. However, if I don’t find the time to squeeze that episode in at some point I’m not going to let myself feel too badly about it.
On Hold For The Moment
These are series that I intend to get back to, but that I know I’m not planning to recommend to anyone. I’m mostly watching them out of my own curiosity or because I think I might have something to say about them later on.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – Paused after Episode 4
This is kind of the big one, as far as series that I have weird mixed feelings about. I set it to the side for the moment because I knew I wouldn’t be able to recommend it to most of the people who attend my panels, because it’s riddled with a lot of problems that aren’t worth going into detail about here (I’m sure if you search on Twitter you can get a handle on the discourse, but content warning for discussion of sexual assault and pedophilia and the associated apologia that comes along with their appearance in anime). However, in the meantime I’ve vaguely kept up with the plot (I’m letting myself get spoiled because I’ve already gotten blindsided a few times by upsetting material and don’t really want that to happen again) and have been taking a lot of notes on some specific things I’m feeling and thoughts that I’ve had.
Usually in cases like this I tend to loose my through-line after a while and I give up on any commentary I might have, but this time I’m doing what I can to actively prevent that from happening (taking notes, keeping track of what people are saying about the show, etc.). Anyway, I feel like the essay inspired by this series is going to be a long one, so I want to be in my most focused frame of mind to be able to handle it, and that’s not where I am at the moment.
Wave!! – Let’s go Surfing!! – Paused after Episode 5
This is kind of petty, but I actually paused watching this series when AniList, the anime tracker I primarily use now, would not create a separate entry for this TV-series cut of the show (it was originally 3 movies). It got frustrating not to be able to accurately track my progress, because I’m watching a lot of anime right now and I would always forget when this series came out with a new episode. Beyond that, this is definitely not my favorite sports series this season, but I do like it and plan to get back to it. Episode 5 also ends with kind of an emotional cliffhanger, so it would be difficult for me to put the show down entirely just because of my curiosity. After getting behind, though, I decided to set it aside for the time being.
Gekidol – Paused after Episode 5
I decided to try out an idol anime this season, and this one seemed kind of interesting from the get-go. It was presented as more of the “theater idol” show rather than the typical musical idol group, and it had some intriguing sci-fi dystopian flourishes going on in the background which allowed it to stand out in my mind among the jumble of random things floating around in there. The show has been a mixed bag, but near the end of the fourth episode it went full Yuri (with kissing!) and then started to delve into PTSD/Trauma that the protagonist had been experiencing since the death of her twin sister. It felt like that material came a little bit out of left field, but I was happy for a little more plot movement (the characters alone weren’t doing much to maintain my interest). I decided to take a break mostly because, like some of the other selections on this list, I knew I wasn’t going to be recommending it to anyone and I have a limited amount of time for convention prep right now.
Skate-Leading Stars – Paused after Episode 6
This series… was not really what I expected it to be. While I try to avoid having too many expectations of any particular anime before I watch it, sometimes it just happens that way and there’s nothing I can do about it. I think I was hoping that the protagonist would get an attitude adjustment at some point and be more of a team player, but as of where I paused that hasn’t really been the case. That said, it’s a nice looking show, and the times where the skating routines are actually animated (rather than spoken about by characters on the sidelines) are fun to watch. This series is probably a bit closer to getting a drop than some of the other ones simply because I don’t have as much enthusiasm for it, but I’m also watching some other sports anime this season and might want to do a compare-contrast article once the season is concluded, so I’m planning to keep it on the list for right now.
Behind, But Trying!
I’m a few episodes behind on several series, but it’s my intention to catch back up when I can, at least so that I can make some final decisions regarding my recommendation panel when that happens.
Jujutsu Kaisen – Watched Through Episode 7
I suppose this might be a little bit of a surprise because I haven’t really been talking about it, but a few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to try to get caught up with Jujutsu Kaisen before it finished airing. I had really enjoyed the first episode (aside from one off-beat moment that doesn’t seem to have been repeated), and felt in the mood for an ass-kicking shounen series with great animation. I don’t know if I’ll actually be caught up by the end of the season since I’ve only been watching an episode or two here and there, but this is the type of anime series that seems to have the potential to be really popular over the next couple of years and I like to have some awareness of things like that, even if those types of anime aren’t always my exact favorite kind. This one has been pretty entertaining so far, though, and since I’ve made some room in my ridiculous schedule I hope to be making some more progress on it over the next several days.
Otherside Picnic – Watched Through Episode 5
So, the only reason why I’m not 100% on top of this one is because my husband voiced an interest in watching it, and I didn’t want to watch more episodes twice than needed (since that takes up precious time watching episodes of things he isn’t interested in). Unfortunately, he’s kind of bad at suggesting that we watch anime (usually I’m the one reminding him of our shows), so I’ve been stuck at this point for a few weeks. I suppose that’s the sort of thing you have to navigate when your partner is into the same hobbies as you are, only not quite as passionately; you have to communicate and schedule things… both things I’m not skilled at. That aside, I really enjoy this series for its spooky atmosphere and fun characters, so I can’t wait to dig back into it.
2.43 Seiin Volleyball – Watched Through Episode 5
This is the third of four sports anime I’m attempting to keep up with this season and certainly one of the two I’ve enjoyed the most (SK8 comes out on top, despite some of the more unrealistic aspects of the series… or perhaps because of them). I enjoy that this series deals a lot with the emotions of the team members. That said, it’s gotten a little heavy a few times and my emotional state hasn’t been great lately, so I fell behind on watching it a little bit. I can feel myself coming out of the fog somewhat, though (the weather’s been really nice lately where I live and I’m sure that has a lot to do with it), so I plan to get back to it as soon as I get the opportunity (as I’m writing this it’s a Thursday, thus it’s “anime club” day so I’ll be focused on that instead. But soon!).
Back Arrow – Watched Through Episode 5
This is a series I’m really interested in catching up with, mostly because the bits and pieces I’ve heard about it in the meantime sound as zany as I might have expected from the portion that I watched. For some reason it didn’t register with me that this is a two-cour series, which intrigues me even more. I think I had imagined a certain story arc in my mind that fit pretty snugly into 12 episodes, but now it feels as thought the world is wide open for the plot to do amazing things. What will happen when Back Arrow gets back outside the wall (assuming that’s what’s going to happen)? What’s going on with Shu Bi’s alliances? I’m really interested to find out. This series has been a lot of fun so far and now that I know it’ll be such a luxurious length, it motivates me to want to continue.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki-kun – Watched Through Episode 5
This series has continued to surprise me; it initially felt as though it could easily delve into incel territory, but has (as far as I’ve seen) managed to do right by its protagonist and most of its side characters. I have no doubt that this story is setting itself up to pin Tomozaki into a multiple suitor situation; much of the focus of these episodes has been on making friends, and most of those friends have been girls. While that’s not really my favorite sort of story to watch unfold, aside from all that I’ve enjoyed watching Tomozaki come out of his shell and prove himself to have generally honorable motives when interacting with people (which is more than I can say for his tutor, Hinami, at times). I count this series as one of those pleasant surprises that comes about most seasons – series that don’t benefit much from a short blurb or description on an anime indexing site, but which are a little better than the sum of their parts and avoid many potential pitfalls.
Kemono Jihen – Watched Through Episode 4
It’s unusual that multiple shounen series would have caught my eye at any one time (no hate, I just know I’m not really the target audience and some of the tropes annoy me), but I’ve liked this one’s more straightforward, classic presentation (by which I mean, well, it’s not quite as “cool” as Jujutsu Kaisen). I really like the protagonist of this series; he’s a bit emotionless, but he’s a good boy and that goes a long way toward keeping me engaged. The other side characters I can mostly take or leave, especially Shiki who just seems angry most of the time (I’m sure that’s just a “type” but it’s not my favorite), but I enjoy the spooky supernatural material. I’m a bit worried about how some of the female characters have been portrayed, in that they don’t feel as rich as the males, but I’m also only four episodes into the series so it’s difficult to judge whether or not that’s actually an overall problem or a set of missteps.
Cells at Work! Code BLACK – Watched Through Episode 7
Originally I was watching this series’ new episodes back-to-back with their more chipper counterparts (get sad watching Code Black, get reinvigorated watching the original), but the OG Cells at Work!! second season turned out to be only 8 episodes long, so I’m mostly just trying to figure out what would make a good partner for this season (probably Heaven’s Design Team). It might sound a little bit hyperbolic, but as much as I like this series, it can be difficult to watch. The toxic work environment along with the different mechanisms the characters keep in their back pocket to power through it, can really suck the joy out of what’s an otherwise interesting, educational experience. While I mean that in a complimentary way, it’s not something I can just sit down and marathon, you know?
Roughly Current
These are the series that I’m roughly up-to-date on. I might be a week behind on a few, but that’s mostly because I find myself watching two episodes of some one week, and then two episodes of others the next week. In any case, these are the series I’ve been enjoying the most right now.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season
I’m an episode behind on this one, due to the fact I was out most of that Sunday and have been pretty busy with other things this week (Update! I watched it right be fore digging in and finishing this post, thus the fresh screen capture). Needless to say, though, this has been a wild ride so far. This season feels like the weaving-together of so many different threads that I’m concerned all the plot meanderings aren’t going to get addressed in a satisfying way. In most cases, a 16 episode final season would seem generous, but this season has literally had to establish a new set of characters and a different major location for the setting, so now that we’re back in more familiar territory it feels as though so little time is left. I have the sinking feeling that the series is going to end with the announcement of a movie, and it’s been over a year since I’ve felt comfortable going to one of those. I’m hoping it sticks the landing, but it’s been a great ride over the years either way and it would be difficult for me to be completely put off even if it really biffed it.
Laid-Back Camp Season 2
This is one of a couple of anime that my husband tends to ask for specifically when we’re trying to decide what to watch. We both work in stressful fields (him even more than me), so I definitely understand the sentiment. Laid-Back Camp is just the epitome of coziness, and watching it is like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Aside from one sour note earlier in the season which poked fun at Nadeshiko’s former plumpness, this season has been as good as the last. It’s probably the singular reason why I have any interest in camping, because prior to this series I thought camping was boring and dirty. While as a woman I unfortunately don’t feel like I have as much freedom to go solo camping in the United States just due to the inherent dangers of being alone where other people exist (it sucks), I still have the desire to go camping with friends, once that becomes a possibility again.
So I’m a Spider, So What?
This series is the other anime my husband will tend to ask for by name, and it makes sense; It’s got action, drama, magic, and mayhem, but it doesn’t come with as much of the baggage as isekai/trapped in a game series tend to have (at least if they’re played seriously). The Spider segments of the show are still a real treat; I love watching our plucky heroine figure out how to make the best of the system she’s operating within, gaining levels, and working toward… some future goal. The human half of the story has been growing on me, too, although it’s still not quite as interesting as Kumoko’s adventures. And some recent developments indicate a third faction. Boy, things are getting messy! Just the way I like it.
SK8 The Infinity
Ah, my skater boys. This series continues to be more than meets the eye, and I’m here for it. It’s even been surprisingly insightful regarding stuff like imposter syndrome (check out my recent post that uses the most recent story arc of the show as a jumping-off point, pun very intended). I just want the characters to make up and be friends again (I’m an episode or two behind, but when I left off it was drama, big time). This is the sports anime I’m enjoying the most this season, even if some of its representation of the sport in question goes beyond realism at times. It’s just a load of fun and excitement, with boys making eyes an one-another. And now some angst, too, but I’ll take it.
Heaven’s Design Team
I never knew how much I never knew about animals and the many ways in which they’ve differentiated themselves over millennia on earth. This series continues to be a joy, both in its ability to educate, as well as in its characters’ various and amusing personalities. My favorite character is definitely Venus at this point; I have to respect a woman with such a dedication to her craft and a taste for the beautiful things in life. Sure, being functional is great too, but who says you can’t be both? I think it can be easy to take for granted the endless variety of creatures on the planet, since we don’t encounter very many of them during our day-to-day (though I’ve seen every squirrel in my neighborhood and most of the birds at this point, certainly). It’s a pleasure to be reminded of all the unique entities that share the world with us in such a bright, comedic way.
Wonder Egg Priority
I admittedly got a couple of episodes behind on this one because of the recap episode; whenever there’s an unplanned recap like in this case (or so I understand), it feels a little cringe to me. I start to think about animators being pushed to their limits an not being able to maintain a schedule, and it’s a sucky feeling to have toward something that you like. Aside from that, though, this series has been a real pleasure to watch. It’s not very often (and definitely not every anime season) that we’re treated to an anime with so much purposeful storytelling craft. It’s even better that the story centers four girls and manages to tell their stories in a way that doesn’t continually make victims of them. While they definitely struggle with certain things, it doesn’t feel like they exist in a zoo, if that makes sense. The animation is gorgeous and the settings are vivid. I have suspicions that the show might not entirely stick the landing, so-to-speak; while that always feels disappointing, the rest of the series has reached so high that I don’t know that I’d feel too terrible even if that were the case.
The Promised Neverland
Yeah… “Oh how the mighty have fallen,” or so they say. I’m not a manga reader, but even watching just the anime I can feel blank spots where I should be feeling emotions toward characters. I can’t blame the folks adapting this series for streamlining it, because I think similar stories can be told successfully in different ways being adapted into various media. But when I, a layperson, start to fantasize about how I would have framed and presented events differently, I feel like that’s an issue. Still, I plan to see the series through to the end, because through all the problems and cracks in the framework, I still like the characters and want to see them reach some kind of destination, whatever that ends up meaning.
Horimiya
If you’d have told me prior to this season that one of my favorite anime currently airing would be a romantic slice-of-life comedy, I would probably have shrugged my shoulders, but here we are. I’ve heard some complaints about the series’ quick pacing, which I can understand, but for me I’ve really enjoyed feeling as though each episode contains brief little glimpses into the characters’ lives. It keeps the series from feeling as though it’s dragging, which is the problem I’ve had with a lot of more typical relationship shows. I just have a lot of feelings about these high school kids, and that’s all right with me. And the show doesn’t pretend like sex doesn’t exist, which is very refreshing and handled tastefully.
Completed
Somehow I’ve already completed a series airing this season! But how? Because it only had 8 episodes!
Cells at Work!! Season 2
This series spent the majority of the time covering an extended story arc that involved not only a very cute little troupe of lactic acid bacteria, but also the return of a villain from the prior season. I liked that there was some more continuity this time around and enjoyed the new characters that were introduced. Much like the first season, if edu-tainment is your bag you’re likely to enjoy this season (and the previous one). It’s just a really fun way to look at the inner-workings of the human body, without being too dry and boring.
Phew! That was a lot. People sometimes chastise me because I tend to watch more anime than they deem healthy. That might be true, but I find it to be a fun challenge. And it’s honestly not that much of a challenge with the variety of great anime we have available right now to consume. It just takes a little willpower to keep things straight, enjoy things as they come, and not treat anime as a commodity. Anyway, this season’s been great so far and hopefully it’ll finish off strong!