I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this is the worst anime season in recent history, but it’s certainly the season in which I’m watching the least amount of titles over the past several years. That’s not necessarily a complaint by the way, and I should also point out that given my current work schedule, I’ve had to be even stricter than usual about how many shows I’m willing to keep. Still, I do find it interesting that of the four lonely anime left on my weekly watch-list, only one of them isn’t a sequel.
Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul
Original score: 7/10
Current Score: 7/10
It’s a testament to how entertaining this show is that even with its frequently dialogue-heavy scenes, I’m always happy to stick around for more. That said, Bahamut definitely shines the most when it shows off its flair for action sequences – and coming from someone who doesn’t actually like the action/adventure genre all that much, that’s saying quite a bit. I admit, I do miss that fun, dumb, swashbuckling atmosphere the first season had going for it in spades. This second season still has a bit of that, but seems to be taking itself a little more seriously and is way talkier to boot. It’s not that I feel the pacing is too slow precisely; more that Bahamut is missing some of its spark, and not only for the lack of FAVAROOOO appearances.
Uchouten Kazoku 2
Original score: 8/10
Current score: 7.5/10
Surprisingly, Uchouten Kazoku also seems to be missing that small but essential ingredient to make the show really pop. Having Benten back in the thick of things certainly helps with that, and to be fair, there’s nothing wrong exactly about this second season that I can put my finger on. It’s still a goofy, quirky, charming, and ultimately loveable series, and if the production qualities aren’t quite as good as last time around, that doesn’t detract from my own personal enjoyment of it. However, I can’t help but get the sense that Uchouten Kazoku is holding back in some way. There’s nothing inherently bad in keeping some surprises until later of course, but I do wonder if the show is playing its cards a little too close to its chest at times – and by extension, that makes it harder to fall as deeply in love with the characters and the lives they all lead.
Tsuki ga Kirei
Original score: 7.5/10
Current score: 7.5/10
I’m still loving the extreme realism that Tsuki ga Kirei puts on the table every week, with scenes that I sometimes don’t even have to imagine taking place because I’ve witnessed them (or at least, something very similar to them) actually taking place in the real world. For the most part, the very detailed, down-to-earth, and unexaggerated nature of this show makes it one of the most ‘un-anime’ anime titles (if you’ll excuse the term) I’ve seen in a long time. This no doubt makes Tsuki ga Kirei a rather dull and plodding watch for some – which is totally fine – while as a fan of deliberately-paced slice-of-life shows, I’m all over it. The only things that prevent me from awarding it a higher score are its unfortunately obvious production issues (the artwork is lovely, that awkward CG is anything but), and the fact that even Tsuki ga Kirei can’t seem to stop itself from very occasionally using drama for drama’s sake rather than as a completely natural unfolding of events.
Natsume Yuujinchou Roku
Original score: 9/10
Current score: 9/10
STILL YES. What more can I possibly say at this point – six seasons in and this show continues to be my everything. If it’s not yours, I’m sorry but I can’t help you.
Question of the post: How many shows are still on your weekly watch-list at this point, and is that more or less than usual? Which of them is your current top pick?
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The show I can hardly wait for every week is Boku no Hero Academia. It’s creeping toward my all-time top ten.
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Fair enough. Everything I’ve heard about the show is really good, but I haven’t even watched the first season yet. Maybe someday.
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I was skeptical too. My son begged me to watch it with him.
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It’s not that I’m skeptical so much as I just don’t have time to watch that many shows at once these days. So especially when it comes to new season stuff, I’m being very particular about what I pick up out of necessity.
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Natsume is still my top of the season (which is surprising because normally, while I love Natsume, it isn’t exciting enough to top my list but season 6 is kind of awesome so far and other shows are still finding their feet). That said, I’m still watching 15 shows this season and only 2 of them are starting to look like they’ll be a mid-season drop, so that’s a lot more than I ended up with last season.
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Natsume is very easily my top show right now as well. While most other titles will eventually lose my interest the longer they continue, Natsume has always been remarkably consistent. If anything, I’d say season 6 has been even better than 5 thus far (although with such an episodic series, there are specific gems in every season).
Wow, 15 shows! I remember I used to watch a lot more per season than I am now (typically around 10), though I should point out I credit that with having more free time on my hands then, rather than believing there’s been a dramatic decline in the quality of anime overall.
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I usually aim for 10 – 12 shows in a season. Last season I only ended up finishing 9 I think and one of those I hated and kind of just watched as a challenge to myself at that point. So yeah, this season is very full on but I couldn’t really justify dropping anything else earlier on as a lot of what I had tried was actually kind of decent or at least had decent potential.
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I’m following 2 shows at the moment, although I’m thinking of looking at Tsuki as well.
I’ve got The Royal Tutor and Re:Creators under my belt. Tutor has some funny moments (of the cutesy kind), the MC’s hinted past is pretty interesting, and there’s a royal succession plot that just came up. Lots of chibi moments especially for the MC, whose youthful shortness contrasts his deep voice.
Creators has been my bigger keeper – writer/mangaka Hiroe Rei’s used some episodes to discuss the metaphysical aspects of fictional works and how it relates back to one’s creative input. Like the concept of whether an author can canonize a lore-breaking development with a stroke of their pen, or if it requires a bigger public acceptance to solidify the changes. Rather talk-heavy so far; some are hoping for more action soon (Plus a plot to destroy the world by stretching the real world’s boundaries through fictional character incursion). I’d seriously recommend this.
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They both sound pretty interesting (or at the very least, entertaining). Unfortunately I just don’t have the time to pick up any more shows though – small as my line-up is this season, it just fits around my work schedule and the few other shows (live-action) that I’m watching in my free time. Maybe when I get the chance, I’ll go back and do another sweep.
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