Before I wait too long and we move into Valentine’s Day already, it’s time to buckle down and roundup our anime this season. At first I was getting pretty overwhelmed but some clutch drops have come into play to free up my time a bit. I have to say the older I get the better dropping anime feels. More time for other stuff (doujins) baby!
Sousou No Frieren Part Two
I shouldn’t even be mentioning this as it’s merely a part two leftover from the previous season. Still, I must briefly state that it’s the best anime airing right now. Probably one of the best pieces of media in general currently releasing. If you haven’t given it a try yet, it should be your top priority. A true fantasy anime for grown-ups.
Dungeon Meshi
Well, if you saw my past article about recipes it’s no secret this one didn’t connect with me. It’s like Frieren but with more cooking recipes I can’t use and less complex character growth. Make no mistake Trigger didn’t slouch as the animation is fantastic when it calls for it. However, I just don’t find myself caring enough about this party nor the world they’re in to stay focused, especially when it seems as though the characters themselves are aware they can’t die or be harmed in a meaningful way. I also want to give credit for how the show utilizes food as a metaphor to teach the audience an occasional lesson. For me though, I’m afraid my journey in this dungeon ended on episode three. Tasty tidings to the adventurers continuing on this meaty 24 episode undertaking.
The Dangers In My Heart Season Two
This show doesn’t have the needed high level character relationship writing for me to really appreciate it as a romance (no engaging conflicts, no external threats to the romance, etc.) but the comedy, pretty animation, and intriguing situations keep me coming back. I essentially just skim through episodes looking for funny scenes or article ideas. Sometimes I get sucked in enough to watch a whole episode, sometimes I blaze through the installment in five minutes to reach the end. I suppose for all intents and purposes I’ve already “dropped” this in a traditional sense. Without my job at doujins I wouldn’t be bothering to keep up with it. Diehard romance fans are probably still enjoying their time here, but if you’re looking for a romance anime that actually innovates ideas or excels at the basics you can move along.
Solo Leveling
Ah yes, the manhwa everyone is talking about has finally received that juicy anime adaptation. One thing's for sure, the producers wanted this show’s budget to back up the hype. The animation had a strong start and after a recent battle with a subway serpent, I don’t think there’s much to complain about in that department. My complaints pretty much only stem from the overall plot of the series. It’s another anime about a guy who’s a weak loser becoming strong through video game elements. I will say I appreciate how in this version our protagonist is still mostly in the real world which brings a grounded perspective to the narrative that most anime with video game elements lose rapidly. So far I still haven’t quite seen anything that justifies the insane hype behind this production, but I’m committed to watching all twelve episodes after the three episode rule, that’s for sure.
High Card Season 2
The first season of High Card was a lighthearted adventure about a group of people collecting superpowers for the government, until the end where serious consequences started popping off. Season Two continues the more serious tone for the most part as our heroes start suffering for the actions committed in season one. I’m all in on this one until the end, but I hope for two things. First, I want this to be the final season as it feels we’re all set to wrap everything up this season. Secondly, I sure wish we could balance the screentime a bit more. This is supposed to revolve around a team of five characters, but it seems like the writers do everything possible to ignore one of them. Even in the opening, some characters are clearly given way more time to shine than others which hurts the team vibe we’ve set up. Anyway I think those who watched season one should hop back in to continue the fight, otherwise I’m not sure it’s enough of a fantastic watch to warrant trying to catch up.
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!
This is purely a skim anime looking for ecchi moments. I must admit it does have some nice messaging about trying new things and meeting new people in the beginning. But that basic shit isn’t enough to motivate me to take this production seriously. It’s still a basic harem so far with the MC collecting up girls left and right with minimal effort. He’s at least only kinda stupid which is a refreshing step above the typical braindead rat harem MC. Unless you’re looking for a warmup for your fap I don’t think this is worth anyone’s time so far.
Gushing Over Magical Girls
Yet another anime I skimmed… or so that was the plan. I tried to skim through this, but fuck it I got sucked in and now I’m simply watching it like a normal anime. Yuri fans, this may be your lewd production of the season. Holy shit this ecchi goes hard. So far we’ve had everything except raw sex on screen. I’m talking bare nipples, bondage, candle play, public humiliation, spanking, tentacles, and we’ve only just started. Beyond the sex, I really enjoy our naughty female MC’s weird ass voice portrayal and the comedy makes me smile pretty often. I believe they’re trying to set up a betrayal plot line as we discover that both the magical girls and villains in this series appear to be manipulated by some mysterious Kingdom Hearts looking creatures. Lord knows I wouldn’t recommend this for the plot alone, but if you like yuri content with some comedy and ecchi that doesn’t pull punches, this is a fantastic watch so far that I’ll be sticking with.
Metallic Rouge
A sci-fi setting that explores robotic humans? Animated by studio bones? With two cute girls as the main characters? God, it feels so good to be winning. On paper that is. On paper this is AOTS, and yet I couldn’t help but be disappointed at the character writing at every turn. It’s truly abysmal. In episode one we establish our two main girls, one who is stoic with amnesia and a researcher. Then in episode two, the stoic girl is suddenly a comedy memelord who can’t stop acting cute. The fuck happened? Then in episode three the girls enter into an argument so out of left field it’s clear that the creators just needed an excuse to split them up for a bit without bothering to lead into the conflict in a believable way. Nobody in this show acts in a realistic manner except maybe the doctor, and he’s not enough to carry this shit. Combo all my previous gripes with another Walmart Joker villain (no really, he calls himself Joker) and I’m afraid I’ll be dropping this series. Unfortunately I have to watch episode four to see what the recently introduced Clown Posse does, but after that I’m out.
Bucchigiri
Three episodes in I still don’t know how to describe this experience. It’s like a parody of Tokyo Revengers with way better animation is the best I can do. A young virgin trying to lose his card joins up with a Honki spirit that gives him amazing strength. He is then recruited into a high school gang that’s feuding with two other high school gangs. All of this happens in the least serious way possible. It took some time for the comedy to warm up for me but I am starting to lighten up with it now that the show has established its wacky tone. It’s crazy that MAPPA are immediately beating their slaves to work on this after Jujutsu Kaisen but rest assured it’s a marvel to look at all the bright colors and quirky details put into every scene. This is a hard recommendation as I have no predictions for where the plot is headed and if the characters will be developed in a meaningful way. But I plan to continue watching this for now, which is something.
I’m pretty happy with my allotment this season, especially since I’ve allowed myself to begin skimming through shit if I’m merely there for a few aspects. Too many good games are coming out that demand my time too (Persona 3 Reload, anyone?). What anime did you pick up this season? Am I sleeping on any bangers? Did anything look promising but disappoint you? Avoid the common cold, keep an extra blanket handy, and say hello to Winter Anime 2024 in the comments below!
