General Thoughts So Far
So far, this season is pretty solid. From my point of view, it is carried a little bit by sequels and some shows carrying over from last season, but there are some newer ip and original things that have been genuinely carrying their weight pretty well for the most part. Even the shows I would put in the ok section are ones that I would stick with and would rank higher if they weren't there. I just think that the other shows that I have a link with, for the most part, are a bit stronger because they have a reputation they have to live up to and I know the cast will enough to really like them. So obviously, the new stuff needs to build that live for me to get there.
A Handy Guide for how I feel about shows:
Solid: Seasonal Favorites, Highly Recommend.
Good: Maybe not as high quality as the first category, but still pretty enjoyable.
Ok: What it says on the tin. Maybe preferable for those who are into the genre the show is from.
Bad: I'm not even sure why I am still watching it besides maybe learning something from it.
Delicious in Dungeon
The second cour has been really strong so far. I think it helps that we are in the stage where things have gotten so much bigger and the cast has expanded a lot. The first cour introduced us into the world of the dungeon to get to Fallin and now, the stakes have gotten higher and we are getting into more areas of the dungeon that haven't been available before. Plus, the drama with the chemistry with the cast is good as the crew gets into so much danger makes that chemistry become tested more. Plus, the animation and art couldn't be stronger. This show is wonderful.
Sound Euphonium Season 3
It's more Sound Euphonium, but it's now Kumiko's third year. She is also the president and she is working hard to keep the band together as tensions mount in the competition space. The rest of the Sound Euphonium cast we know are there and they are great and I do like the new characters, but this is Kumiko's season as we see how much she has grown while also some ways she has stayed the same. Though seeing her get the truths out of her director Taki and dodge Mayu who is such a wrench has been interesting too. So yeah, just completely strong in general here.
Laid-Back Camp Season 3
It's more Laid-Back camp, so it's already great. The animation studio is different and the direction style has been different as well as the character designs, but it is a good show. They are still Nadeshiko, Aoi, Ena, Chiaki, and Rin that I already like they had some very interesting misadventures and adventures with camping as well as having the show teaching little tidbits about camping. It's just the wonderful relaxing show it always has been.
Astro Note
This is my Friday show, the only Friday show that I have, and it's really fun and just wonderfully chaotic. It is very retro style art wise and it's heavily influenced by Rumiko Takahashi's work with the cast of characters she likes with someone else writing and animating them. This is the story of a chef named Takumi who was let go by his hotel and found his way to the mysterious lodge Astro Note for work. That didn't work out for him besides a part time job, but he did get involved with the mystery plot of the owner named Mira who comes from planet Widi and is searching for a mysterious key. Also, the cast is really strange and wonderful then the cast itself with random sci fi stuff has been pretty fun.
Wonderful Precure
It's still a magical girl story with Iroha and Komugi helping the Garugaru-ified animals to recover their sanity and then go to Niko Niko garden. That is still true. The cast has expanded a bit with some interesting bits of intrigue here and there by the mysterious Cure Nyammi and Mayu getting involved with the story with her very sheltered self. Plus, the comedy of Komugi being a dog that talks and also turns into a human is pretty great. It's just such a fun and an adorable show.
Urusei Yatsura (2022) Season 2 Part 2
Same with other shows, Urusei Yatsura season 2 part 2 is still Urusei Yatsura. Just this time, it focused more on the side characters with Ataru and Lum just being there. It works brilliant for the show because it's some amazing quality. They are such interesting twists with usual character arcs in such unique ways. Plus, the art and animation of the show are still great because it is such a fun and beautiful spectacle.
Jelly Fish Can't Swim in the Night
This is another original anime focused on a new media crew named Jelee becoming viral online. It is a bit of tension story of these four girls Mahiru (or Yoru) the artist, Kano the former idol, Mei the music genius, and Kiui the v-tuber. The first five episodes were generally pretty great with good set ups and conclusions that were good but rushed. The next two have been good, but not the show I wanted it to be because they haven't made anything online again but their chemistry is still pretty good.
Kaiju No. 8
I've loved the manga for this ever since it first appeared on the SJ+ app. You know, the journey of the 32 year old Kafka who works in monster clean up meeting up with a younger male who wants to join the Japan Defense Force because it's his last chance to work alongside his childhood friend Mina. But of course things get worse when he eats a Kaiju and becomes the powerful Kaiju No. 8. So it is that story of Kafka trying his best to be a human, while also trying to hide his Kaiju status because he is wanted by the Japanese Defense Forces. It's still such a good time though.
The Fable
This is my sleeper hit for this season because it is so different. I mean, this is the tale of an assassin being forced to take one year off and being housed by the Yakuza a fair distance away in a new city. So it is Sato and his fake sister Yoko trying to create a new life for themselves but the Yakuza life is slowly interrupting that. So there is some tension of Sato not being able to kill which really puts a limit on a few things as he tries to become a different person. I find it really interesting because this could be a life action drama but it isn't.
Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf
This is a reboot of Spice and Wolf in anime form and it is good. If I watched Spice and Wolf for the first time without watching the 2008 series, I would be pretty satisfied. The chemistry between Holo and Lawrence is there as well as the story and economics of the countries and towns they go through while working deals to get money for the next town. Same with the drama of the church taking over so many things in culture. There is just something off about it from the animation perspective and its storytelling that feels kind of off. That is a personal thing though nothing against the series itself.
Bartender: Glass of God
Compared to Spice and Wolf, this is another show that I watched before this reboot came out and I am glad that this one is very different from the og series. But the thing is, that series was about capturing the atmosphere of what a bar is like and how one drink can heal the troubles of a person for a small bit of time. This show is a low key character drama about the bar and a hotel trying to make its bar functioning with many other bartenders and it's not hitting as hard as the original series did for me. It's still alright and relaxing, but the writing just isn't that strong.
Train At The End of the World
This show's concept is really fun and kind of hilarious. What happened if we looked into the conspiracy of 5G by having the activation of 7G completely change the world as we know it and the one girl named Yoka who caused that world change be being forced to change into something weird and outrageous. Seeing a gang of four girls going from one weird train stop to another on their way to where 7G to find YOka is great. The show is way too loud though. There is no world building that allows each episode to feel like its own thing through atmosphere, everything is yelled at you. Same with character beats. It feels like such a huge missed opportunity.
Thoughts Moving Forward In This Season
I think all of these shows have such great potential in amazing ways right now. Especially since I see the end of the road for a lot of them because that is the kind of shows they are and I feel pretty satisfied with their conclusions. Those being Sound! Euphonium, Delicious in Dungeon, Laid-back camp, and Kaiju no. 8. In fact, most of them are like that because I feel like I know where they are going. I also feel like the absolute unknown as Train and Jellyfish are the oddballs because I don't know what they are going to do next because those shows are just decided to do whatever the hell they want even if they are still inside of their premises. I guess there is nothing to do but see how it goes together in the In Review post I usually write at the end of the season.
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