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Been a busy week again for me this past week and I have fallen behind on quite a number of shows. Of the shows I have been able to keep up with, some quick thoughts:
- Oshi no Ko - This past week’s episode was definitely my favorite episode of anime for the season so far. Just an incredible adaptation that elevates the source material to new heights.
- Alya - Yuki continues to be the main draw to this show
- Love is Indivisible By Twins - More guilty pleasure love triangle drama.
- Nokotan - A collection of shorts this past week. At least the release times are now aligned with Japan, making discussion threads simpler.
- Pseudo Harem - Some good development this week
In general, I think the shows above have ended up as my favorites this season. I haven’t really had time to watch others, and being forced to choose which show to watch from a big seasonal list really brings things into focus.
Weekly ranking roundup:
- Anime Corner - Full Results - Weekly Winner: Oshi no Ko
- Anime Trending - Weekly Winner: Oshi no Ko
- Reddit Karma - Weekly Winner: Oshi no Ko
Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma and /u/Nooble5 for the Anime Trending chart.
Oshi no Ko swept the rankings this past week with a truly special episode. In fact, the top 3 of all the charts are the same three series with Makeine and Alya shuffling spots around. It seems like these three are the standouts for the season as it has gone on.
Back to watching One Piece for the first time after being burnt out. Started the arc with the Minks.
I just read the whole manga over the last year, so I’m looking forward to the next arc where they must rescue their lost crewmate.
Was ready to drop Bakemonogatari, but I’m starting to get into the strangeness of it. The strange cuts, text flashes, colors, weird framing, are all starting to add to the experience rather than detracting like earlier.
I got a bit of some of the creepy parts I’ve heard about with Araragi’s interactions with Snail, and while it was unnecessary, I didn’t find it worse than some things from Evangelion, etc.
Otherwise, watched the new eps of Plus Size Elf and Nakotan which were both entertaining for what they are.
I’ve been feeling a little burnt out on manga and anime lately, I think because my schedule has changed recently and I’ve been throwing myself pretty hard into my music lessons, so I’m just too low on mental energy.
Plus Size Elf and Nokotan
Sometimes you don’t really want a story and just want some hijinx. These shows scratch that itch pretty well. I think Plus Sized Elf is better as half-length episodes as I feel like if it were a full 20+ minutes, it would feel pretty stale by the end of the episode.
I’ve been feeling a little burnt out
Yep, been there before. When I feel that way I usually go back in time to the old classics to find something that keeps my interest. Some recent series that I binged in the recent past:
- The Apothecary Diaries
- Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions
- Vision of Escaflowne
- Shimoneta (NSFW)
- Zombie Land Saga
- Trigun (1998) - currently working through this one with the wife
Other than that, Mother’s Basement recently did a video about series that you can binge in a single weekend. Some good recommendations in there.
Ultimately though, sometimes you get burnt out, and that’s OK. Anime/manga will still be there in the future and (fingers crossed) this community will still be here as well. Sometimes you just need to go touch grass and enjoy something different for a while. Personally, I recently got a new computer and have had a lot of fun with emulating some classic games. It’s amazing how much easier and nicer the emulators are these days compared to what I remembered.
Elf is better as half-length episodes
Agreed. It’s cute and goofy, but nothing really goes anywhere. It’s the classic sitcom formula where everything ends up back where it started every time, there’s no real plot, it’s just a bunch of jokes, and I just like watching everyone pick on each other.
Apothecary Diaries is on my list so I may have to check that out. The others sound like solid recommendations also.
My gf didn’t seem to get the humor of the old Trigun series. She did get interested in the new one after being in the room with me watching a few eps of that. I was very leary about the remake as the original is one of the first animes I got really into.
I’ve been watching some older 90s movies and revisiting early Gintama again a bit, and it’s been a nice break. I’ve played a bit with emulators recently too. I put Lemuroid on my phone and have been doing a little Tetris and Link’s Awakening. I figured out how to pair a PS4 controller, so maybe I should start bringing that with me. Being able to save anywhere takes out a lot of frustration for me.
I still look forward to the weekly check in here though. I’m surprised the anime scene here is as quiet as it is, so I like to participate to help keep what we do have going. I appreciate all the work you put in here!
Completed the following anime:
Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
War in the Pocket spoiler
It’s a change of pace from the usual series, by having the child protagonist not pilot a Gundam. Doing so gave us the perspective of someone who is essentially a civilian / side character.
Feels bad for Bernard, but I guess that’s the point: war results in so many needless deaths.
Nothing else much to say.
The old art style, animation and music simply can’t compare their modern counterparts, so all it has going for it is its story and characters.Short and interesting enough to get me watching to the end. 7 / 10
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Never have I enjoyed a show so much while still disliking its protagonist as much as I did.
It sets the gold standard on how to start an isekai series off: dropping us straight into a battle which lasted for a whole episode, instead of showing or focusing on the summoning / reincarnation process.
Another thing it did differently from other anime is the lack of explanation of how the magical weapons and technology work. We simply dove right in and get to the good bits without any boring exposition.
I usually prefer shows where the protagonist is a hero (or at least an anti-hero), but this is one of the rare instance where they are straight up a villain.
They are basically a sociopath and so unrelatable to me; someone I cannot self-insert into at all. And that’s what makes their character stood out. Their personality and motives are well-written. It makes me enjoy seeing the struggle that they have to go through, albeit in a somewhat sadistic way.
It’s not like I have no complaints against the show though.
Saga of Tanya the Evil spoiler
For one, we don’t really see Tanya’s allies die - not the named ones at least. I expected at least one named death by the end of the first season, given that they are in a war, but no. Somehow, Tanya’s plot armor extended to them.
Their plot armor is nothing compared to Mary Sue’s though. I understand that her name is literally Mary Sue, but I’d rather not see recurring antagonists; just kill off the current one and bring along new challenger for the next conflict.
Also, besides the first few episodes and a few moments afterwards, the show skimmed past the brutality of war. I felt like the show producers could have shown us more of that to emphasize the brutal consequences of Tanya’s actions.
There’s also a surprising lack of genocide, besides the Russy Federation’s purge of mages.
Beyond that, I only have minor nitpicks such as a few reused animations and slideshows.
Otherwise, this series is superb: the story, the sound design, the banger of an OP (Jingo Jungle, though I prefer the cover by AmaLee), the animation of fight scenes and most importantly, the main character Tanya.
Honestly, Tanya is a victim of circumstances too, and they have every right to blame Being X. However, as per Nuremberg trials, it does not excuse the atrocities that they have committed. That said, I don’t see any ending for Tanya except the one where they exit John-Wick style.
Really looking forward to the second season. 9 / 10
Tanya is one of those series that I haven’t watched yet, but have kept in reserve. I sometimes get burnt out from trying to keep up with seasonal shows, and when that happens, I like to go back in time and binge a series I know is going to be good to help reset things.
I have mentioned over in !lightnovels@ani.social that Bookworm is another one of those series for me. There are others as well, but if I were to list them out here, it would be pretty embarrassing as there are some pretty influential series that I just haven’t watched over the years.
if I were to list them out here, it would be pretty embarrassing as there are some pretty influential series that I just haven’t watched over the years
I just got lucky enough recently to find some time, to finally go through my anime backlog.
Likewise. I watch anime for entertainment, and if that means I miss an influential series (whether due to lack of time or just plain old lack of interest) I’m fine with it.
I do tend to be somewhat picky but it also means that I rarely end up feeling like I wasted my time watching a show—I am fairly aware of my own tastes and what I might like and dislike, though I can 100% still be surprised, and so I usually end up picking shows I’d actually like. I might have excluded some I’d like but I have also excluded shows I would feel I wasted my time by watching, so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Finally had some time to catch up.
Completed:
- Cyberpunk Edgerunners - Absolutely phenomenal animation, music, storytelling and production. But also not really my thing. Super downer of a story (fitting the genre) and a world I find horrifyingly possible. It’s good, but I didn’t have a great time haha.
- Was Reincarnated As The 7th Prince… - My silly light hearted watch of the season. This was sooo much better than I expected. I struggled with some certain common tropes, but the rest was so fun that I could overlook it.
- Delicious in Dungeon S1C2 - Brilliant. Tied with Frieren for my anime of the year for this year. Animation, characters, story, humor, world building, everything are just top notch. Loved it.
- Carol and the End of the World - Yea, not really anime. It’s weird and different and evoked a lot of emotion out of me. Not nearly as downer as the premise made me expect. Much more of a metaphorical exploration of the value of life and experiences. The asteroid is coming for all of us, anyway, it’ll just hit at different times for each. How are you spending your remaining time? The show peaks at like episode 6 though, and the last few I think are skippable.
Watched part of:
- Oshi No Ko S2 - Caught up. I loved S1 (just missed my anime of the year because Frieren) so I was very psyched for S2. It’s started slow but really ramped up quick. The last couple episodes have been phenomenal. Really looking forward to where this is going.
- My Deer Friend Nokotan - 3 episodes. Very hit or miss, but I’ve literally lol’d multiple times. Probably keep watching when I’m in the mood for something dumb lol.
- Makeine - Caught up. Surprise hit of the season for me. Absolutely loving it. The animation and production quality are stunning, and I love all the characters. It sorta feels like it’s focusing on the three main female characters in each 4 episode chunk. The last episode had a new ED that suggested a different focus. Definitely finishing.
- Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings… - Almost caught up. Enjoying it but not loving it. The conceit feels a little forced and unrealistic, every time it happens. Yuki is my least favorite part, by far. Feels the most over-the-top ridiculous and kinda taking me out of my immersion for the rest. I like the other characters and it’s a fun lighter watch, so I’ll probably keep watching.
- Pseudo Harem - 4 episodes. Super cute main characters and pretty realistic setup. Enjoying a lot. Likely finish.
- Scavenger’s Reign - 9 episodes. Not really anime, but figured it’s worth a mention. I’m loving this. Most of the time, my mouth is slackjawed open in horror at whatever the hell is happening. Body horror, psych horror, great characters, striking animation and sound that feels so realistic I can believe these crazy things are really happening in this bizarre planet. Really loving it.
- Hell’s Paradise - 4 episodes. Incredible animation, but wow it’s gory. It’s a bit much for me. I’ll probably watch a few more at least.
- Dungeon People - 1 episode. Liked the start. Try more when I have time.
- I Parry Everything - 1 episode. Giving me Helck energy, which I liked a lot. Likely try more some time.
- Plus Sized Elf - 1 episode. Nah, not for me. Too much fan service.
Lots of takes that I agree with here. 7th Prince last season turned out way better than I thought it would be, despite some real sus stuff that goes on. Similarly, Delicious in Dungeon’s second cour was way more engaging to me. Once things started to get higher-stakes and more life and death I paradoxically had a lot more fun because I was invested more. The fight they had at the season midpoint was phenomenal.
As for this season, I agree that Oshi no Ko started out really slow. However, they have really paid off the slow start with some great moments. The episode 6 climax was so great and took the manga to a whole new level. Also, I have had a similar experience with Nokotan. Some jokes land, others don’t. However, they throw so many jokes out there that it manages to keep me watching. It reminds me a bit of Monty Python’s Flying Circus in that way (especially all the vignettes in the most recent episode).
I have mixed feelings about Yuki in Alya. On one hand, I find her easily the most entertaining character in that show. On the other, if I actually knew Yuki in real life, she would be the most annoying person in existence. She isn’t a character as much as an expression of the author’s desire to shake up the world they have created just to see where the pieces land. She flirted with fourth wall breaks early in the show and pretty explicitly broke it in the most recent episode in the bathroom.
Finally, I feel like I should try to check out Makeine at some point. The synopsis didn’t really grab me before the season started, but I have seen lots of praise for it and it has pretty consistently been climbing up the different charts as the season has gone on. The shows that climb consistently like that tend to have the quality to back it up as opposed to series that just jump way up for a single episode before falling back down.
Gigguk’s seasonal Nutshell video just came out. I always enjoy these each season. It’s a bit of a shame he doesn’t talk about returning shows because the past couple episodes of Oshi no Ko have been absolutely phenomenal.
