Anime

I wanted to create a separate comment in this thread in which I have a couple meta topics to discuss. In no particular order:

Spring Kickoff and Bot Transition

Next week's thread will be the Spring kickoff thread and the official start of the Spring season. This also marks the point in time at which user-created episode discussion threads will no longer be allowed. If you would like to learn more about the bot, see the wiki, or last week's meta thread.

Episode Thread Wiki

Speaking of the wiki. I have been compiling links to all the discussion threads there. Check out the episode discussion thread index page that links to the different seasons. For example, here is the page for the wrapping-up Winter 2024 season. I am hoping that a future version of rikka will automatically keep the wiki up to date as well as new episode threads are created, but that will have to wait as I am pretty burned out from getting rikka finished up for this coming season.

New Frieren Community

The first season of Frieren just ended, but that doesn't mean that discussions about Frieren need to. In case you missed it, there is a new community here on ani.social about the series, [email protected]. Check it out and help get another community in the fediverse off the ground.

Just a disclaimer that I am in no way affiliated with the community, just want to help out these types of communities where I can. Discoverability within Lemmy is very, very tough for new communities, especially on realitvely smaller instances like this one. Good luck @[email protected]!

Too Much News!

In case you feel like there have been too many visuals, PVs, etc. being announced over the past weekend, the reason is that Anime Japan 2024 was going on. It is an enormous convention that takes place in Tokyo and there are lots of announcements that are made during the show. So, the volume of news posts should die down at this point following the show coming to an end. If you want a digestable summary of most of the announcements made during the event, Crunchyroll collected a lot of them.

Rather than just create a big list of shows and my impressions, I thought it would be more fun to do a sort of Yearbook Superlatives version of what I watched this season. Without further ado:

• Valedictorian: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End - What more can I say? It was just an incredible adaptation of one of my favorite manga.
• Class Clown: Bravern (Brave Bang Bravern!) - This show was incredibly silly and only kept getting sillier as it went. The finale airs this week and I fully expect that each serious scene will have an equally silly scene to follow it up.
• Most Gullible: Hime-sama ('Tis Time for Torture Princess) - I had to drop this one partway through the season, but what I watched was really fun.
• Best Beard: Senshi (Delicious in Dungeon) - When your beard acts as armor against magical effects, then you know it has transcended the ordinary to become legendary. Great show that has another cour coming right up.
• Best Dressed: Sasaki (Sasaki and Peeps) - A salaryman's suit works for any occasion, whether that be undercover detective, a wizard battle, tense negotiations, being a magical ~~girl~~ man, or taking your pet sparrow for a walk. Truly a versatile outfit for any genre of story you might find yourself in.
• Most Talkative: The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic - This show had a lot of dialog. Like, a lot. I enjoyed my time with it, but I can understand the criticisms that the pace was incredibly slow and did a lot of telling rather than showing.
• Cutest Couple: Yumiella and Patrick (Level 99 Villainess) - This show really focused on its strengths for this season, namely Yumiella. Don't come to this show expecting action or animation, come into it for the dorky, leveling-obsessed girl that is able to somehow have somebody fall for her.
• Biggest Disappointment: Metallic Rouge - This show had such a rushed, muddled story and never let the viewer grow to like or get to know the characters as it raced through things. I had such high hopes for this show based on the first two episodes.
• Biggest Flirt: Tenka Izumo (Chained Soldier) - This show did enough to keep me interested and Tenka was one of the highlights. In an anime/manga landscape full of characters that are too shy to say how they feel, Tenka goes out of her way to both say and act on her feelings with zero hesitation.
• Quietest: Korisu Morino (Gushing Over Magical Girls) - I only watched the first couple episodes, but I don't think Korisu had a single spoken line the whole time despite being a lead character.
• Most Likely to be President: Hibiki Otonashi (Tsukimichi Season 2) - This show is halfway through its 2-cour run and I have been mostly liking the adaptation so far. The introduction of the other isekai'ed characters like Hibiki adds a lot of interesting elements to the story.
• Most Forgettable: Tsubasa Shiki (Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable) - I dropped this show partway through for time, but also partly because the MC is as featureless as the vast snowbanks of Hokkaido. This show mostly went in one eyeball and out the other without really registering much along the way for me.

Alright, I think that is all the shows I watched at least a couple episodes of this season. I am personally not planning on watching as much next season. I am expecting work to pick up for me in the coming months, but I am also wanting to get back to reading more manga/LNs. The past couple months have been very anime-heavy compared to how I normally consume media.

As is usual for me I start with a lot of shows every season and then drop them one after another until only a select few remain. this season it looks like the remaining shows are:

• Frieren - a masterpiece
• Apothecary Diaries - another masterpiece
• Solo Leveling - usually not my type of show, but I liked it well enough
• Hokaido Gals - cute and frustrating
• Shangri-La Frontier - like Solo Leveling this is another show that I usually would drop but it was entertaining enough
• Doctor Elise - harmless and something to watch during dinner
• Unwanted Undead Adventurer - another dinner show.

A few that I still plan to finish:

• Delicious in Dungeon - good show, just got backlogged a bit.
• Fluffy Paradise - dinner show that was kinda cute
• A Sign of Affection - I don't like the constant feeling of drama being just around the corner (where I am there hasn't been drama yet but it feels for a couple of episode as if it would drop any second) but I want to see how it goes.

A stranger on the internet recommended me Frieren, I thought it would be 8/10 at the best but it has been easily 10/10 right from the start. The next season doesn't look any promising to me, it has sequels for Jobless reincarnation and Konosuba though, have to watch their previous seasons to catch up.

First time watching animes from all 4 demographics within a season

Seinen

• Gushing over Magical Girls
• Dungeon Meshi

Josei

• Cherry Magic (could be the first josei anime that I watched)

Shounen

• Frieren
• 'Tis Time for Torture, Princess
• Instant Death
• Chained Soldier
• The Dangers in my Heart (season 2)

Shoujo

• Villainess Level 99
• Mr Villain's Day Off

I usually watch slice-of-life series, but this season, I've had way more action and drama than I set out to watch. I'm a sucker for isekai, slice-of-life, slice-of-life isekai, though I feel like it isn't reflected on the shows I watched for this season.

My top picks for this season are Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san [Mr. Villain's Day Off] and Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita [The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash].

Disappointment for this season is Sasaki to Pii-chan [Sasaki and Peeps].

Worthy of special mention (warning) is Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade suru Tame ni Ganbattemasu [Fluffy Paradise].

With that, here's my thoughts of the anime I've watched this season.

Finished, or about to be finished series

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto [The Apothecary Diaries]

I didn't really expect much from this series, mostly because of the raves it got. I was pleasantly surprised though.

The characters and the writing are good. The "worldbuilding" is good too, giving us a well-fleshed-out view of the time and place the story is set. If there's one complaint I've got about this series, it is that at some points, the plot seems to be pushed along by some deus-ex-machina. I wouldn't mind a series where nothing much happens, but this isn't that kind of series.

Sasaki to Pii-chan [Sasaki and Peeps]

Its premise and the impressive first episode impressed me. However, it ended up being a mixed bag for me.

On one hand, I‌ liked how the main character isn't an overpowered protagonist blasting his way through his problems even though he has the means to, but on the other hand, his methods didn't translate on-screen as well as it might have had in theory. He's set up to be this masterful negotiator, but despite efforts to showcase this, it fell flat. The real-world intrigue as well as the other-world politicking also wasn't developed well enough too.

This series might have fared better as a 2-cour season, though having more episodes to play with might just make its pacing problems even worse. All in all, I was disappointed in this one. It gave a promise of a good premise, but its botched execution just squandered it.

Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata [The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic]

Having already read the manga (but forgot until after watching the first episode), I just wanted to see how they adapted their source material. It's okay, I guess?

The characters could have been written better for the anime though. Despite some effort, they still felt flat and stereotypical. The MC, most especially, felt to me as if he's just being strung along the story, even despite declaring that he's willingly staying and committing to the path that lays ahead of him.

Also, I felt that the title is a clickbait. I've encountered some discussion as to what the title meant, but I don't really buy into any of them, even though I think one of them makes a lot of sense.

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsu suru [7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!]

To be honest, I don't even know what I expected when I started watching this one. I don't know what I wanted out of this title, and I don't know what to do with what I got.

It isn't terrible, but I didn't really care enough about the characters to care about what happens to them. I finished it, if only to sate my curiosity. Perhaps I'm just not the target market for this kind of series.

Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade suru Tame ni Ganbattemasu [Fluffy Paradise]

Came in for the slice-of-life fluffiness, came out horrified by the fluffy [redacted] implications.

If somehow I can turn back time and warn myself about this series, I wouldn't be sure if I want to warn myself. This series seems so innocent and fluffy, but the implications of what the MC is trying to do, which she fully believes in, is just horrifying.

Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san [Mr. Villain's Day Off]

This series is the fluffiest of all the series I've watched this season and is my favorite of all of them. If you're looking for a quick relaxing watch before going to bed, or a palate cleanser after watching something horrifying, then this is a good series to watch. Just don't binge it all in one sitting, I guess, as that'd likely cause a diabetic coma.

The characters here are as flat as a pastel drawing on paper, but I think that's part of its charm. There are character backstories here and there, but these serve as a contrast to the scenes we do see being played out.

Akuyaku Reijou Level 99: Watashi wa Ura-Boss desu ga Maou dewa Arimasen [Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord]

This series is unexpectedly cute. Really cute. Almost rivaling Mr. Villain's Day Off in sugar content. That the MC is overpowered means of mass destruction that can flick the story's big bad boss away is just the cherry on top.

Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita [The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash]

I didn't even expect this series to have an anime adaptation. However, the source material of this is so good, I am glad it got an adaptation. As for the adaptation itself, it didn't disappoint. In fact, I liked the anime better than the manga, or the webnovel. With that, it shouldn't be a surprise that it's my second most favorite this season. It just lost to Mr. Villain's Day Off due to this one having more melancholy drama and a bit of action.

Series that will continue until the end of the next season

Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su [Shangri-La Frontier]

Went in for the VRMMO Isekai shit, stayed for character hijinks.

This is probably one of my guilty sins of this season. I just enjoyed the mix of action and character interaction between the MC, his bunny girls, his bunny daddy, and his playmates.

Dungeon Meshi [Delicious in Dungeon]

I walked into this expecting a nice laid-back slice-of-life series, perhaps of a restaurant inside a dungeon, with stories from the different adventurers stopping by for a bite. However, I am not complaining about what I got, not one bit(e).

While the premise of this series reeled me in, and it certainly didn't disappoint, the characters gave me a pleasant surprise. They're deeper than I expected them to be, with their motivations and backstory giving their shenanigans a bittersweet vibe to it. Except Senshi. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a surpisingly dramatic backstory as well.

Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu 2nd Season [Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy Season 2]

I'll get one thing out of the way first: I enjoy trash isekai. I watched the first season of this series, and I‌ liked it. This season is also okay. I guess.

EDIT:

Forgot a series, some editing.

Some more editing to make the anime titles and sections stand out.

I tried ordering the series by airing date according to my MAL list, but ehh....

So I didn't really watch much in winter, but I feel like one show that was criminally underdiscussed was Yubisaki to Renren. Yuki was too fucking cute to not have more viewers. I think in the next few days, I plan on picking up the manga and catching up to that one.

"S2 please" is my overall opinion of this season. In no particular order, I want more of:

• Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
• The Apothecary Diaries (S2 announced!)
• The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
• Villainess Level 99
• 7th Time Loop
• The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Honestly one of the best seasons I've followed.

Besides the ones mentioned above I'd like to give a mention to "Brave Bang Bravern", a completely crazy and amazing mecha series by Masami Obari that more people need to watch.

So here is my top 3 of this season:

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End - It's a masterpiece. From the cool fight scenes to the calm moments between Frieren, Fern and Stark, everything is amazing. It's one of the best shows I have ever watched and I plan to read the manga soon.

2. Solo Leveling - The plot could be resumed as "weak loser reincarnates as someone who could be the most powerful being in the world" (sounds like an average isekai). But the story is actually interesting and it also has cool fight scenes.

3. Villainess Level 99 - Yumiella 🖤

I see everyone praising The Apothecary Diaries, so I'll give it a try when I have time

Honestly surprised not many people mentioned Bokuyaba S2 (The Dangers in My Heart). It's a really good rom-com. Not many series had such a great character development.
For me it's in the top 3 of this season alongside Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries.

Watched quite a few show this season. The two that stood out for me is, not surprisingly, Frieren and Apothecary Diaries.

I am not Frieren source reader, so I didn't know what to expect, but everyone was hyping about it. That made me watch it and it didn't disappoint. I have never gave a show 10 in MAL but after last episode of Frieren, I gave my first 10/10 score. Also I heard about really good things about Apothecary Diaries and went in blind. The thing I like about Apothecary Diaries is, the lead female character. The story is not that unique if you have seen a handful of historical Korean or Chinese Drama but still it is interesting to see how MC solve the disputes. Love the chibi character moments in this.

Another anime I want to talk is Solo Leveling. I read the manhwa and it has really good art and it works really good for vertical scroll reading. I didn't think it would translate well for animation. But Studio A1 did their best in animation and the music by Swano made me hype for the MC fights. Also really love the anime added development for side characters.

Ishura is an anime that is best watched after finish airing. The first four or five episodes are new characters introduction but after that the wait really paid off. Jumped on Ninja Kamui hype train mid season, decent revenge story with good fights. Really had high hopes for Metallic Rouge, but didn't meet my expectations.

Banished from Hero Party s2 more focuses on new hero but the main MC couple also has their moments too. I don't know why I like this series, maybe because its chilly story and MC couple moments.

p.s. Now Astro Note e01 has also leaked. Furthering the CR/Sakura-Con connection behind the CR new season leaks.

p.s. Konosuba S03e01 has been leaked on the seven seas.

Rumors say it was something to do with CR bringing it, along with a bunch of other episode 1's to Sakura-Con in Seattle this weekend