Winter 2020 Final Thoughts - TheDoctor

This post has been a long time coming; due to the current world events I have been super busy keeping people fed which has given me less time to actually write my final thoughts on the winter season, however, I digress. This season fell a bit flat for me, there were a few stand-out shows that stayed consistently good throughout, but most started strong and declined in quality quite quickly, my rankings from the beginning of the season have changed somewhat and I will also include my rating of each show. There are carry-over shows from fall 2019 season included in the rankings, also for a look at my previous rankings, check out my first look post.

#4 - Natsunagu - 6.5☆

I was fairly disappointed by how slow the story felt even though each episode was just under four minutes each. It could have gone in a different direction and felt ten times better. Watch it if you have 5 minutes to spare here and there but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.

#3 - Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki Nisatsume - 7.5☆

Another easy to watch comedy that lasts less than five minutes each, a good time filler between episodes of other anime or on break at work. It seems that I like my short anime to be comedy ridden, I think this is because it's difficult to portray proper emotion when you have limited time per episode. Nonetheless another recommendation for those that want to fill their small amounts of time and don't have enough time to watch a full episode of something else.

#2 - Isekai Quartet 2 - 8☆

Just like the first season did to me, this season really, really made me want more seasons of each of the anime involved. I know we're due another season of Re:Zero, but the other shows haven't been announced as of yet and I'm frustrated from the waiting. Packed with comedy once again I highly recommend you watch this if you've seen all of the different shows associated.

#1 - Heya Camp△ - 8☆

As I thought it would, Heya Camp△ stayed in my top spot for shorts. I just love the comfy and chill feeling from watching these girls slice of life their way through camping related activities, helping me relax and unwind. If you're looking for something easy to watch then this and the original anime are the shows for you.

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#26 - Nanatsu No Taizai: Kamigami no Gekirin - 3☆

I was really anticipating this season and hyped to watch it but it just ended up being a huge disappointment, mostly due to the change in studio. The art was lacklustre, the direction was poor and the sound was dull. The VAs sounded like they weren't enjoying the work they were doing and scenes ended up being dragged out when they really had no reason to last as long as they did. Somehow a lot of this season felt like copy-paste of previous scenes and just fell extremely flat.

#25 - 22/7 - 4☆

What can I say, 22/7 started off really well in episode one, with an interesting premise, however as time went on it just became a "story of the week" style, following each of the girl's problems. The main character had no personality and was boring to watch with a supporting cast that was only slightly more interesting than her. Would not recommend as I considered it a waste of time, unfortunately.

#24 - Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden - 5☆

Wow, was I hugely disappointed by this? Yes. Am I looking forward to the second season that has been announced? No. The story and psychological aspect of this season in no way lived up to the previous and I was lost as to what was happening most of the time. I guess I should have played the game this was based on but in my opinion, shows shouldn't rely on you interacting with the source material.

#23 - pet - 5☆

Another one that started off really strong but lost momentum as the series continued. I liked the concept of an Inception-esque anime, but it quickly devolved into more of a relationship/character problems anime. I would have liked to see more of the characters delving into people's minds to alter their memories and carrying out jobs as such.

#22 - Nekopara (TV) - 5.5☆

Nekopara honestly became boring and repetitive to watch, the novelty of watching the game come to life quickly wore off after the first few episodes. The anime centred mostly around the new character introduced and felt massively like a promotional piece for potentially another game with this new character. Filled with the occasional fun part I couldn't bring myself to rate it any lower.

#21 - Housekisho Richard-shi no Nazo Kantei - 6.5☆

I really wished this was yaoi, my initial reaction to this anime was that I was looking forward to the developing relationship between the two protagonists, however, as the show unfolded, their relationship ground to a halt. Don't get me wrong, the way the gems were animated was visually stunning but the story just felt meh.

#20 - Koisuru Asteroid - 7☆

I was really looking forward to what had the potential to be a really good yuri anime focusing on a subject I know a lot about. However, it didn't turn into yuri and sadly made mistakes in the facts surrounding astrophysics. Maybe I just shouldn't watch things that I have knowledge about as I think I'd just end up picking it apart. All it had going for it really is cute girls do cute things and even that was a bit dull.

#19 - Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekurtara Shinu - 7☆

I am a huge lover of comedy and this felt fresh to me, from the eyes of a fan of idols rather than from the idols' perspective was different from any other idol anime I'd seen. However, I couldn't help but compare it to Zombieland Saga throughout my watch sessions and that took away some of the fun. Interesting and funny enough to keep you just about hooked but not something that will blow you away.

#18 - Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita - 7.5☆

The main reason Science Fell in Love dropped in rankings, was that the comedy became extremely repetitive and slapstick-y after a few episodes. Don't get me wrong, I did still find it funny but each episode became a replica of the last, with the same stupid things occurring each time. Worth watching if you fancy something light-hearted set in a science environment which we don't get to see very often.

#17 - Murenase! Shiiton Gakuen - 7.5☆

I wasn't expecting much from this show, having recently come from a season where Beastars was the hot topic, however, they are both separate entities. One holds a powerful message and has a darker side, while Murenase! is a comedy show that keeps you laughing. I enjoyed the weird comedy emanating from this show and to be honest wouldn't mind seeing the story progress further.

#16 - Babylon - 7.5☆

Damn the psychological aspect of Babylon was good. It brought an interesting topic to the forefront of discussion and opened a lot of peoples eyes to something that is rarely talked about or even avoided. The first 8 episodes of this show were really tense and then just dropped off towards the end. I strongly suggest watching this if you want to stop and think about a highly controversial topic.

#15 - Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu - 7.5☆

As a gamer, I love anime based on players being inside the game itself, especially if it's done well. This was done well, I liked that she was overpowered but that the game developers knew she was overpowered and tried to implement ways of reducing her power. It wasn't just an anime about the protagonist winning all the time with no consequence. It helps that the world looked gorgeous too.

#14 - Kuutei Dragons - 8☆

Another three-dimensional anime done very well. For me, movement plays a huge factor in why certain 3D anime look awful and this one certainly didn't look bad. An interesting story that could go absolutely anywhere and in my opinion felt like a slice of life dragon hunter anime, which was very chill to watch.

#13 - Kyokou Suiri - 8☆

What can I say, I was absolutely enthralled by the start of Kyokou Suiri, the elements of mystery surrounding the youkai and the two protagonists' connection dragged me in. However, like so many this season the last half of the show dropped off somewhat, covering one story rather than many smaller ones, like at the beginning, and becoming extremely dialogue-heavy. It's a bit of a brain worker, so if you like that sort of thing I'd recommend it, especially as the opening, ending and art are amazing.

#12 - Darwin's Game - 8☆

A death game set in our current society using the mindset of today's kids to easily play games of a violent nature? Sign me up. Darwin's Game doesn't just pull you into the story, it drags you in, making you imagine how the world could actually get to a point where we're killing each other for real to win a game and make money. I might just read the manga to find out where this goes.

#11 - Somali to Mori no Kamisama - 8☆

The cuteness overload you get from this show is just too damn high. Slice of life/fantasy is a brilliant combination in a world that seems vast and full of history. The reason I haven't ranked it higher is due to the fact that I felt like the end could've had more of an emotional impact on me if it went in a slightly different direction. It was still enjoyable and a nice relaxed watch though.

#10 - Kabukichou Sherlock - 8☆

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't any more Sherlock related shows for me to watch. I loved that this lovable British detective story was adapted into an anime with a lot of the main cast still remaining. The mystery behind the direction of the story kept me hooked and each week I was exasperated that there was only one episode for me to watch. If mystery and detective stories are your thing, check this one out.

#9 - Dorohedoro - 8.5☆

Three-dimensional anime has been on the rise recently and contrary to popular belief, I think they're getting better. Take Dorohedoro for example, it was odd to watch at first but the movement of the characters and beautifully choreographed fights really pulled me into watching more. Couple that with an intriguing story and we've got an equation for success in an anime trope that is usually looked down upon.

#8 - Runway de Waratte - 8.5☆

Fashion anime? Meh. Fashion anime in a shounen style? Hell yes. I honestly thought this was just going to be a run of the mill, boring slice of life focused on fashion, but boy was I wrong. It pulls you in and makes you want more, makes you want to see how the two protagonists overcome their trials and tribulations. If you're of a fan of any battle anime or shounen in general, this is certainly one for you.

#7 - Haikyuu!!: To The Top - 8.5☆

Pretty much an entire season focusing on their training arc wasn't too interesting, however, when the last few episodes focused on a tournament, the show picked back up for me. I do love Haikyuu but felt this season was a little less impressive than the rest, next season will be following the tournament arc though so I'm happy with that.

#6 - Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun - 8.5☆

I know a lot of people that don't like when an anime adapts manga in a panel-y style but for this show, it really fit the theme and direction it went with. Following the mystery and slightly horror style of this week by week really excited me and I'm especially awaiting a second season to see where these loveable characters go and hopefully see some sort of conclusion to the story.

#5 - ID:INVADED - 8.5☆

This started off very strong and I really liked the beginning, however, as time went on the story began to decline a little. The opening and ending songs continued to be huge bops throughout the season and I didn't get tired of listening to them, but my vision of where the show was going to take us didn't really take shape, disappointing me a little. It's still worth watching though if you like mystery and action.

#4 - Ishuzoku Reviewers - 8.5☆

I'm honestly at a loss at how high this has come since my first thoughts, I really didn't expect this show to deliver as well as it did and the fact that the studio pushed the boundaries on what can be adapted into anime fascinates me. I really enjoyed the humour, enjoyed the lewdness which added to the humour and I think it was fantastically directed. Definitely worth a watch, just make sure you watch it alone or with someone you're extremely comfortable with.

#3 - Boku no Hero Academia 4 - 9☆

Boku no Hero Academia has always been one of my favourites, the shounen formula once again showing how it can keep you gripped in the show. The continuation of the story here was adapted very well and being a manga reader, seeing what you've read brought to life hypes you up even more for what is to come. I loved the emotion this season brought to an already brilliant anime.

#2 - Chihayafuru 3 - 9☆

Every time I watch Chihayafuru, I am surprised by how much I enjoy it. You wouldn't think an anime about Karuta, a card game in Japan, would be as good as it is, but this season really delivered again, the emotions conveyed, the thrill and excitement felt by the characters are then felt by us through this medium as if we were really there feeling with the characters. I'm highly anticipating the next season.

#1 - Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na! - 9.5☆

I am honestly just as surprised as anyone else that this show took my top spot. There were so many different aspects of this show that brought it to my top, the comedy, animation, sound and direction was out of this world. Seeing the way some people imagine things and then bring them to life through the medium of animation made me seriously contemplate how the industry actually works and if animators really think this way. I wish there were 24 episodes but this just means that a season two is most likely on the cards for which I cannot wait.