Spring for me has been very enjoyable, more so than winter, at least so far. I'm following a decent amount of shows this season, more than usual and of the ones I am watching I can't really say that anything is god awful yet. My first impression when I looked up this season back around winter, was that it seemed to be filled with a lot of sequels, which is true, but I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of good original content this season. Anyhow, let's get to the meat of things shall we? The following is my best attempt at ranking the shows I'm watching this season.
#9 - Gleipnir
This is a bummer since I was looking forward to this show ever since I first learned about it, but so far it has left me disappointed. I like the premise and it certainly has potential, the choreography for the fight scenes and the overall aesthetic of the show is really good. My issues so far mostly stem from the characters and story. This feels like one of those "Mirai Nikki anime", that is to say a battle royale with a wimpy main character and an obsessive and/or sadistic female lead. Shuuichi as the protagonist isn't gripping at all and he comes across as a total doormat. Clair so far is more interesting, but her nasty personality makes it hard to relate to her and the sexualisation of her character is a real mess. I'm not one to say no to fan service but it's to the point that it distracts away from the story. I have hopes that the development will start rolling soon and I have heard from people that it gets better, so I will keep at it, but so far this is the show I enjoy the least.
#8 - Arte
I didn't go into this anime with any expectations at all, I'd heard about it from a friend and thought "Hey, an anime about art, I might like this" and so far I enjoy it, but I think there's some lost potential. First of all, for an anime about celebrating art, the style and aesthetic of the show isn't the best, especially the backgrounds which feel a bit dull. I also feel that we should be able to see a bit more of how Arte thinks when she creates her art, which could have been a great opportunity to dive into her mind and get creative around how she goes about the process. But as I said, I still enjoy this anime. Arte is a good lead, whom we easily cheer on and can relate to as she is trying to pursue her dreams while the society around her denies that dream. It's a setup we've heard a thousand times, but it works. Her teacher, Leo, is the classic mentor archetype, the gruff man with a soft interior, I feel like their chemistry really works and it's what I enjoy most about the show. All in all, this is a decent anime that I'll probably enjoy until the end.
#7 - Nami yo Kiitekure
Now here is one that I expect might rise on this list once the season is over. There's always something about shows that cover a very specific topic that intrigues me, in this case, it's radio production. I'm not going to lie, the first half of the first episode had me confused as to what was going on as I went in completely blind, but I got my head around it. One thing is for sure, the main lead of the show, Minare Koda, is amazing and absolutely steals the show. She is incredibly charming and not to mention hilarious as well as relatable. So far this anime lives and dies by its main character, who in my opinion carries the show. I'm really interested to see where this goes and I hope it will continue getting better with each episode.
#6 - BNA
Going into this one I expected that it might be something akin to Beastars. Turns out that it's kind of true but it still brings its own twist on the whole animal society idea. First of all, humans do exist in this world and I hope that the relationship between them and the Beastmen gets explored more as the anime continues. Our leads, Michiru and Ogami work well together so far, as well as being good characters in their own right and the mystery concerning Michiru's origins keeps me interested. I'm really intrigued with where the story will go by these first couple of episodes and I think it has the potential to be really great. As it's made by Studio Trigger the art and animation is fantastic as well as the aesthetic and character designs. "It ends weirdly :P" - Pontus, May, 13th 2020
#5 - Tower of God
However much I end up liking this show I am really, really, really hoping it's successful. I think this might be the opening of the floodgates to get more Webtoons and Manhwa animated. I know so many great stories that would make for amazing anime material. As for the show itself, I am enjoying it very much but I feel like it hasn't given me enough yet to rate it higher. This feels like it is just the beginning of a very grand story and the world it presents seems fascinating. The only real downside for me so far is that the main character is kind of dull, but fortunately, that's not the case with the rest of the cast. It's giving me Hunter x Hunter vibes and that can only be good. Expect this one to rise in the rankings by the end of the season.
#4 - Ascendance of a Bookworm: Second half
I really enjoyed the first half of this show when it aired last year. I read the premise and thought, "Hey this might be mildly entertaining" and in the first couple of episodes I fell in love with the world they were building up. The world-building is really what sets this show apart from so many other isekai to me. We get to experience every facet of this world, from the routine of everyday life; to the culture and social norms, presented in an organic way that flows great with the story they're telling. We learn more about this world alongside our main character as she discovers how to comply with new social norms to get ever closer to her goal. This show really is a slow burner so it's absolutely not for everyone, but for me, I can't wait to see the places this story takes me.
#3 - Kaguya-sama Love is War: Season 2
Now I'll be completely honest and say I am probably pretty biased on this one. Kaguya-sama: Love is War is definitely one of my favourite manga I have read and its anime adaptation from last season is really great, you can sense that it's made from people who love the manga and understand the style it's going for. The characters are amazing, funny and everyone feels unique, no one gets sidelined and the relationship dynamics between the characters is great. So why am I not rating it higher? I'll be frank and say that the portion of the story that has been adapted so far in the second season is mainly setting up the next major arc and as a result, it's not as funny as much of the first season. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad by any means and the comedy is still top-notch. It will be interesting to see what people will think of this story as it evolves and changes in the future.
#2 - My Next Life as a Villainess
Now this one was really a surprise for me and I love it when that happens. I heard about this show from a friend who loved it so I gave it a try and was instantly hooked. Say what you want about the overabundance of isekai, but when people use that formula to tell an interesting story it can be a great storytelling tool for unique situations. We really get to know our main lead Katarina incredibly well as we literally dive into her mind and thought process for good portions of the show and the idea of having it be a debate is brilliant. The supporting cast is interesting, no one feels like a walking archetype. This might be the first reverse harem I've seen where I adore all of the love interests and that makes me happy since I feel like that it's a genre that is immensely underused. The comedy is striking, to the point, and watching Katarina figure out how to avoid her "doom" has been great so far. It will be interesting to see where this story will go as the season continues but I know that so far it constantly puts a smile on my face every time I watch it.
#1 - Kakushigoto
Here we go, number one. I really thought I would enjoy this show and boy was I right about that. Series' centered around familial bonds really are my weakness. First of all, the characters of this show are exceptional, especially our father-daughter duo of Gotou and Hime respectively. The way Gotou constantly tries to hide his occupation from his daughter is what drives the show's plot and sets up for many funny and heart-warming situations with the occasional comedic aspect surprising me. I was not expecting this to be as funny as it is and the simple yet beautiful art style really goes along well with the comedic expression of the show. The thing that really sets it apart for me so far however, is this constant feeling of apprehension the show creates. It's set up in the first few episodes that something bad is going to happen down the line even if we don't know what it is yet. This creates a weird dynamic that as you are enjoying the show and getting to know its characters the dread builds up more and more and I really love it for that. I feel like the main theme of this story will be about the consequences of secrets and how they affect relationships even if they are well meaning. As the title of the show can be read as "Secret" I find that really fitting. I feel like this anime has the potential to be awesome so my hopes are high. I just hope it doesn't break my heart too much.
Comments