Fall 2017 Anime at the Half Way Point

Before I get into this, can I just tell you how amazing this season is? I mean seriously, even the worse shows that I am watching are still at least watchable. Also, there is so much good variety to this season and I am glad I am able to dig into as many genres as I am right now. Just a quick note, I’m also going to throw in a non-anime show here because it’s my blog, my rules. That show, which is RWBY by the way, is going to talked at the end though, so isn’t ranked among the seasonal anime I am watching right now.

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Watch these right now

–March Comes in Like a Lion Season 2

I am so, so glad that this show is back. Especially with the latest episode that aired, which is March’s best from my point of view. The young shogi prodigy, Rei, is still going through depression rehabilitation. While Rei is in a better place than he was last season, because he is allowing happiness into his life, there are still some road bumps he has to face. Rei is still going through many bouts of depression through small things that remind him of his troubles and there are people around him going through their own traumas, which are pulling Rei down mentally as well. The same cast is still here as well, and I love all of them. The best part of March is the fact that all the character writing is very realistic. I just want to see Rei be a happy human by the end of this series.

-Girl’s Last Tour

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this show when I first watched it, but I finding more and more enjoyment from this show as it continues on. There is so much to two girls, Chito and Yuuri, traveling through post apocalyptic waste lands then I thought there would be. I mean, there is an episode where the two visit a lost temple and end up having a conversation about the concept of god. Then, the episode after that has a part where the two are covering up from the rain, put some metal objects for the rain to hit, and create music. It’s so charming There is so much variety to this show and I am so glad about that. Despite its post-apocalyptic setting, Girl’s Last Tour is such a delight to watch.

-Recovery of an MMO Junkie

There is so much more to this series then I originally thought too. *Insert main theme of this post here* At the beginning, this show was a heartfelt comedy about a character, Moriko, who is a new NEET that started playing a new mmo game. Right now, it’s a heartfelt relationship drama with the mmo somewhere in the background as Moriko’s safe zone. There is more to this show then that, because why Moriko became a NEET has been explained, she has some realistic stress, and other characters aremuch more than flat and boring one dimensional characters. The only thing that I can complain about is the fact that all the players in the group that Moriko is in seem to live close to her. That’s a completely possible thing, even if it’s unlikely, so I give it a pass. Also, can we get more shows that focus around 30-ish year olds please?

-Ancient Magus Bride

This show could be considered a shoujo series with a lot of additions to it. Yes, the main protagonist, Chise, is a girl that has nearly infinite power and is living with a supposedly hot older mage, Elias, if he removed his mask apparently. But, Chise is full of depression from a rough life and her infinite power will kill her if she doesn’t learn how to control it. Also, Elias is incredibly awkward and doesn’t know how to teach magic. Ancient Magus Bride is yet another show that focuses on a character recovering from this depression and it’s really good at that. Also, the world the show takes place in is very imaginative and exciting. Just don’t watch this and March right after each other if you want to maintain a happy mental state.

Then these next

-Kino’s Journey (2017)

Read my thoughts on this series from an episode to episode perspective here: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6. If this show was more consistent, it would be ranked higher, but it’s still a decent watch.

-Zodiac Wars

This show is a death battle in its truest sense. There are no main characters to root for, just characters that you want to survive. Each character in this situation is a warrior based on an anime from the Chinese zodiac. Characters that you like are going to end up dead. It happens. This show is a lot of fun and has a lot of decent action sequences. Also, this war also decides the faith of the world for some reason? I’m ok with that. The more absurd it gets, the more I like Zodiac Wars.

-Blood Blockade Battlefront and Beyond

Yes, this is sequel to a show from 2015. It still takes place in an alien infested New York (Hellsalem) and revolves around the protagonist Leonardo Watch who has magic eyes from a bored god. Yes, he still hangs around this group called Libra. This season continues the insane action and adventures in this city. I think this season is better than the first though? Why? The first season had a knack for cramming as much information as it can into each scene, which made everything more confusing. This show stream lines the insanity into a much more mentally friendly manor. I usually set this show in between Magus and March as a tone breaker, but it’s a very good tone breaker.

-Just Because

This show is ranked this low just because *cough* there isn’t that much going in the show. I’m not usually a big slice of life kind of person, so watching something aimless is big stretch for me. What keeps me going with this show are great characters that act like real teenagers with realistically written drama. It’s a slice of life/drama series that focuses on high schoolers at the end of their high school rope who are worried about the future. Whether or not they go into college, these kids are still holding onto what they have left and trying to stay in the moment. It’s all too relatable. It’s too bad that the production values are falling through the roof. I wouldn’t usually say this because production values aren’t something that I usually focus on, but when characters don’t even look like they fit in the frames that they are on, that’s a huge problem. Still, definitely worth a watch.

-Osumatsu-San 2^nd Season

This sketch comedy series based around sextuplet NEETS has been more on then off recently then I expected. It could be the fact that so many of the skits focus on relatable situations or it could be because they dropped the reference humor that I am not a fan of and are going for more situational comedy instead. Either way, this series works for me and is something that I look forward to on Mondays.

If you have enough time

-Black Clover

Ah yes, this controversial pick. As annoying and loud as Asta is, as bland as Yuno and Asta are, because they are exact opposites without any nuance between them, and as generic shonen this show is, I’m having a lot of fun with it. There are a lot of interesting side characters that are getting introduced, the world building with rich people vs people from the sticks isn’t original, but it’s interesting, and the fight scenes are pretty unique for a shonen show. As a whole, I’m amazed by the lack of fanservice in this show. I’m looking forward to where this one goes, because Black Clover looks like it is going to some interesting places. If not, then I can always drop it.

-Inuyashiki

This one isn’t bad either, but it’s not clicking for me for some reason and I only recently figured out why that is. Inuyashki is a series that involves a man who looks years older than he actual is and a high schooler getting killed by aliens and being transformed into military robots. Usually, something that insane would grab me immediately, but it’s not. After thinking about it for a while, I think it’s because this show is taking this strange concept way too seriously. This good guy vs bad guy dynamic is still boring me, because there is almost no nuance to these characters that make them feel like real people. One guy heals people randomly and one guy kills people randomly. White and black.

Episode 5, which tried to make the antagonist more sympathetic, didn’t work for me because he is still a scum bag that killed people. You can’t just stop murdering people and call it good. The real world doesn’t work like that. Consequences need to be paid. Even if this antagonist guy goes to prison and serves a sentence, so what? I honestly doubt that is going to happen, because the story demands more drama. (Yes, I will eat more words if that happens).

This show is only going to be eleven episodes, so I am ok with watching it through to the end. It is a good show, but I don’t think it is as deep as a lot of people think it is.

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Non-anime

-RWBY Volume 5

As of episode 4, I am seeing some weaknesses. While the character interactions are great and always a delight, it seems like there is only one or two major plot lines which can be resolved pretty quickly in some fun action spectacle and everything else seems to be padding. If everything continues like this, this volume might be a little lower on my list then volume 2, which is saying a lot. Still, seeing these characters kicking ass and taking names is always a lot of fun. I also like how the RWBY members are starting to come together and making the narrative more focused. So some plusses and minuses can’t wait to see where this show goes.

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Anyway, that’s it for me. What shows are you watching this season, if you are a seasonal watcher. Please let me know in the comments below and let’s have a discussion. Also, how do you feel about RWBY? Do you feel the same way?