Fall Anime 2018 Watchlist
Weāre about halfway into the season so this is probably kinda pointless by now, but hereās a quick rundown of the stuff Iām watching this season.
Jingaisan no Yome: This is a 3 minute show and I wonāt spend longer than that writing about it (Iām timing myself). I didnāt know it was a short going in. Iām not really into shorts, Saiki kun being the only exception and the story was less MahoYome and more... i donāt even have an apt comparison, it just was maybe more serious about theĀ āmarriageā thing than something with a giant floofball character should be.
Tokyo Ghoul: Re 2: Itās simple. I watched episode 1 and realized I had no fucking clue of how any of this related to the ending of the first season, no idea of who half the characters were and where did they allegiances lie and what is Kaneki even trying to do. Although not loyal to the manga, the first two seasons of Tokyo Ghoul had a story that could be followed and made sense, this, however, is just jumping over plot points with no rhyme or reason and thereās nothing but confusion.
Bloom Into You: Thereās nothing actually wrong with this show and I was kind of looking forward to a yuri romance that wasnāt rapey or incesty bullshit, but something about this one just didnāt click with me. Like Touko fell in love with Yuu too quickly, and given Yuuās ace/aro identity, it would feel weird for her to do a 180 and suddenly fall in love with Touko. I kind of want more fun and emotions in my romance stories and this one didnāt have much of either.
Given a few things the past two weeks that didnāt go according to plan, I fell behind on my anime watching after keeping it in control for the first third of the season and iām quite annoyed. And because of this, and my upcoming research trip to Japan at the end of the month, I might end up having to drop a couple of series.
Bakumatsu: Objectively speaking, this show is really bad. The production values are poop, the story is a wacky mess that takes itself a bit too seriously and the characters are flat and uninteresting, the villain is egregiously boring. This show also has Matsuo Basho as a secret tive traveling ninja, and that puts me at quite the predicament. I want to see more of this utterly bonkers historical reinterpretation, but boy do I wish they could make it more exciting.
SAO Alicization:Ā The only reason I, a notorious SAO hater, is watching SAO is because I hate myself. With that out of the way, boy is this SAO boring. Weāre four episodes in and the only thing thatās happened is they cut an old tree because nothing can stop Kirito and his new friend, Yellow Kirito. This show needs to start getting offensive and/or stupid soon or iāll die of boredom.
Karakuri Circus: I hear this oneās from the same mangaka as UshiTora? I love UshiTora and I can see the resemblance between giant guy whose name I canāt remember and Tora. His character and his schtick are so far the most interesting thing to me, with the kuudere puppet girl whose main purpose seems to be to get paired with himĀ having yet to make an impression on me. Iām also still not really certain what the overall plot is. I do love stories about found families, so hopefully I can stick with this one
Hinomaru Sumou: If my watching schedule were normal, this wouldnāt be in this section. Whilst not the best sports show of the season, and chock full of some of the most eyeroll worthy aspects of sports shonen *cough cough* toxic *cough cough* masculinity *cough cough*, Hinomaru Sumou has the fire and passion for an underrepresented sport thatās usually enough to hook me. I just donāt have time, and if push comes to shove, Iāll prioritize other shows over this one.
Banana Fish: Yo, okay, before you lynch me for being a hater or whatever, let me tell you I have zero issues with Banana Fish. I donāt hate it, I donāt think itās Bad Representation(TM) whatever the fuck that means, I definitely donāt think itās fujobait or just another BL. It just doesnāt make me happy. This probably doesnāt make a lot of sense, but Iāve never been a fan of tragedy. Itās also part of the reason Iām dropping Tokyo Ghoul. I donāt like hopeless stories and tragic romances. Iām somewhat spoiled on how the manga ends and each time I find myself less and less inclined to watch the newer episodes because the descent into misery is just not enjoyable for me. Itās not the showās wrongdoing, itās just not the kind of story I like. Iām probably too far along to drop it at this point, but also I kinda wish I could drop it because I get so little joy out of it. Also, my main hook is of course Ash and Eijiās relationship, but 15 episodes in (Iām behind, as is evident) the time theyāve spent together is so minimal, I canāt even appreciate that a whole lot.
I guess Iām watching this?Ā
Dakaichi: Me: Man I really want a yuri anime without rapey bullshit. Also me: watches BL anime with rapey bullshit. I have literally no excuse. I think the basic setup lends itself really well for a romcom and Takato is a very likable character, itās a shame itās the same old rapey bullshit. In my defense, episode two was really sweet and Iāve been hoping for more stories along that line, even though the show has failed to deliver them since. Episode 5 may have pushed the line even beyond what Iām willing to tolerate, but itās unclear. I might end up unexpectedly dropping it after episode 6. HEY JAPAN WOULD IT KILL YOU TO MAKE A BL ANIME THAT WASNāT RAPEY BULLSHIT? JUST ONE?
(honestly, Takato deserves better)
wao episode 6 was maji disgusting i might drop it after all
Fairy Tail Final: I just want closure man. This adaptation retains all the worst attributes of the previous season, terribly slow pacing (what for?! the manga is over!!) minimal animation, recapalooza. The color palette is slightly brighter than before, which I appreciate. Fairy Tailās last arc wasnāt as bad as Bleachās, but it was still pretty bad in the manga; still I hope seeing it animated will make it feel less messy and slightly more coherent. The FT anime has also in the past filled in some blanks that existed in the manga, so hopefully they can make the best out of it here.
Tsurune: No, this isnāt the best sports anime of this season either. Although thatās hard to judge given how itās barely on its second (third, iām behind) episode. Technically, I feel more compelled to drop this than Hinomaru, but also I want to give it a fair chance. That said, the first episode was.... profoundly underwhelming and borderline upsetting, with how everyone put Minato on the spot in spite of his having an actual psychologic condition that drove him away from kyudo. Iām all in for stories about growing and surpassing your own obstacles, but I hope they go about it in a less mean-spirited way. Also, the characters feel pretty shallow so far. Iām not even gonna pretend the main reason I want to keep watching isnāt gorgeous guy with the ponytail-san, because Iām now old enough that I immediately gravitate towards the senseis rather than the teenage protags.
i am so weak to long hairĀ _(:3ćā )_
welp he cut his hair right next episode, thanks for nothing kyoani
In spite of everything, Anime is, in fact, Good
Golden Kamuy: Like with many split-cours, thereās nothing much to say beyondĀ āif you liked the first one, youāll like this oneā. The production values are still tragic, but I think the pace has improved, and the dynamics between the different factions are so fluid and constantly changing they make the story very enthralling. It also continues to have the Best Reaction Faces.
Gakuen Basara: Listen, listen. You all knew I was gonna watch this. And I love Basara so much I still think this show is a masterpiece even when itās objectively atrocious. I do not reccommend it to anyone who isnāt already a fan (and I mean a blind fan willing to consume anything from this franchise, even in its cheapest, dumbest, worst looking incarnation). That said there are a couple of interesting things, namely the power rivalry between Hideyoshi and Nobunaga, this never happened in the original series because Nobunaga died before Hideyoshi was introduced. Anyway, just shoot that Masamune x Kojuuro fanservice straight into my veins please and thank you
Zombieland Saga: One of the two biggest surprises of the season and one that was nowhere near my radar. An original production by studio MAPPA with perhaps the wildest premiere episode of the season thatās somehow making me like idols?! Itās also giving us the most Miyano Mamoru has ever Miyanoād and itās amazing and histerical. The characters are also very charming, specially bikegang leader Saki and the always legendary Yamada Tae and the show isnāt scared of letting its cute idols get gross and silly and dirty. Thereās also a feeling of mystery that I find very appealing. Definitely didnāt expect this one to be one of the highlights of my week, yet here we are.
SSSS Gridman: Just when Iād vowed a giant fuck you to Studio Trigger, in they come with one of their most quiet productions yet, with characters that speak their lines in soft, leveled voices, tragedies that feel palpable, emotionally climactic battle scenes and a sense of tension and mystery that makes it impossible to take your eyes away. It does have the caveat of oversexualizing the female characters, specially the villain, and not giving Rikka virtually anything to do, but past that, itās been a very pleasant and intriguing surprise. Also of note, I have no background knowledge of the Gridman tokusatsu series but that hasnāt really been an impediment to enjoy this series.
Double Decker: Doug & Kirill: A spinoff to the 2010 superhero hit Tiger & Bunny, we have a less superpowery buddycop comedy with a cool and diverse cast, whose main character wants to BRING DOWN CAPITALISM, okay, put an end to economic inequality and classes, but thatās basically the same thing. The show is pretty far along because it premiered early for some reason, and so far itās been mostly one-shot stories very thinly connected to the distribution of the illegal drug Anthem, with our main plot having only come up two episodes ago with the fantastic Zabel and Bamboo Man twist. The dynamics between the main duo are great and Kirill is a riot as a protagonist.Ā
Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru: Or Run with the Wind. Now THIS is the best sports anime of the season. Brought to you by the studio behind Haikyu, based on a novel by the author of Fune wo Amu. Firstly I love that itās set in university, because it gives the cast a lot more variety in their interests, ages and personalities, their goals, their baggage, and it makes the process of bringing this team of misfits together even more interesting to watch. The characters feel very human in the way they speak, their worries, their relationships, their actions. The showās done a great job so far in building the characters and making them worth cheering for. Also Ouji is my spirit animal. If you ever wanted a show to motivate you into running, this is what youāve been waiting for! Another great surprise of this season for sure.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo: Finally part Five is here! And in it we get perhaps the most interesting Jojo protagonist right off the bat, with troubled Giorno and his difficult past and his wonderful Stand ability. His new set of allies is also quite eccentric and interesting and every scene and dialogue has that special Jojo flavor of crazy and ridiculous and always a load of fun. This one will have 39 episodes, so weāre barely getting started and Iām already loving all of it.
Thunderbolt Fantasy 2: Urobutcherās favorite puppets are back with a vengeance! Every bit as fun, insane, cool and over-the-top as the first season, with the added value of the rapport between the characters, evidenced by how brilliant the few scenes in which Shang and Lin share the screen are. With a brand new story that expands the world of our favorite puppets, and even more new gorgeous puppets added to the mix to make Shangās life a mess, this show is definitely my favorite this season and potentially of the year. Let Urobuchi keep doing puppets for as long as he wants!
ooof iām finally done. Itās midseason so probably nobody cares but do hmu with your favorite shows of the season and if thereās anything worth hatewatching that I may be missing ;)
