Wooper: We interrupt your just-begun spring 2026 impressions with some final thoughts on four just-wrapped winter anime, plus one that began an unceremonious pause after a double-length premiere. There are a handful of winter shows I didn’t cover that will require a fair shake before EOY (ShiboYugi chief among them), but this is all I’ve got for now. Alright, back to the First Impressions grind!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure:
Steel Ball Run – 1

I hadn’t tuned in to a JoJo anime since bailing on Diamond is Unbreakable nearly a decade ago, but Steel Ball Run presented an opportunity to give the franchise another spin, since it takes place in a separate universe. Its continuity is so fresh, in fact, that it places more emphasis on the titular cross-country race than any of its familiarly named characters – with the exception of Johnny Joestar, who receives a rather momentum-breaking flashback explaining his paraplegia. That scene’s blunt implementation didn’t inspire much confidence that future flashbacks will blend in well, and there will probably be many of them, since the race started so quickly that a lot of pre-race context will become necessary as the story evolves. This two-parter did keep a lot of other details close to its ridiculously costumed chest, such as the nature of Gyro Zeppeli’s Hamon-like ability and the way Sandman instantaneously developed his ultra-fast running style. I like the decision to preserve some mysteries for the future, though the lack of an airdate for subsequent episodes means that future may be far away.

P.S. Were JoJo’s fifth and sixth parts as scatological as Steel Ball Run? There were three references to poop in this premiere, which is a lot, even for a double length episode. Weird stuff!

Continue reading “Winter 2026 Check-In – Weeks 11-13” →

Wooper: I don’t know why I said I’d write a first impression for Rooster Fighter in the intro to the last check-in post. Maybe I was on drugs – though certainly not as big a dose as I’d need to enjoy the show itself (as befitting an Adult Swim series). It’s just the three regulars plus Ganglion, then, with thoughts on a bunch of episodes crammed into only a handful of paragraphs. The Spring Preview takes priority, I’m afraid – it ought to go up in four days or so, so be on the lookout for that as the winter season begins to wind down.

You and I Are Polar Opposites – 7-9

I’m beginning to get fatigued of all these socially anxious anime characters who find a friend group and learn to express themselves. Polar Opposites’ representative in that field is Nishi, Tani’s co-worker in the library after school – she’s twice as quiet as he is, so the show’s primary strength (conversation) hardly applies to her. Of these three episodes, Nishi only appeared in number 7, and it was a warranted appearance, resolving her encounter with Yamada during the previous episode’s culture festival. Still, she’s my least favorite of the show’s otherwise fun cast – thankfully, the other two weeks in this batch were primarily concerned with our main couple, especially when Tani’s birthday rolled around. Teenage staples like falling asleep on a phone call and celebrating with store-bought cakes brought a smile to my face, but the funniest moment of all came at the very end of episode 9, when Suzuki terastallized in excitement after kissing her boyfriend goodnight. As for the show’s secondary couple, their non-relationship underwent a bit of a stress test the week beforehand, as Taira insisted that Azuma discard her nonchalant persona and “get angry” over her middle school friends’ poor treatment of her. I’m still not sure how I feel about his phrasing, but it made for a sharp change of pace.

Continue reading “Winter 2026 Check-In – Weeks 7-10” →

Wooper: I know this column is about currently airing anime, but have you all seen the surplus of cool shows set to debut next month? Our spring season preview is going to be packed (by my standards), and that’s without counting mid-March premieres like Steel Ball Run and Rooster Fighter (which should show up in a future post this March). Ikoku Nikki is holding me down this winter, and I can easily envision a future where it retroactively outclasses every new spring series, but I’ve got to say, I haven’t been this optimistic about an upcoming crop of anime in a long time. That’s not what you’re here for, though – read on for my thoughts on the usual suspects, plus one new show before the jump.

Oneechan Gokko – 1

I’m not exactly tapped in to the world of indie anime, but the YouTube series Oneechan Gokko (produced at the fledgling Studio Gohan) still found its way onto my desk somehow, and I’m glad it did, as its first episode was much more polished than expected. It doesn’t move at the same speed as a mainstream seasonal anime, but scenes of the main character Akane jogging home from school or riding a bike are still plenty immersive thanks to detailed lighting and autumnal background art. Given the season, red, yellow and brown are the dominant colors here, with Akane’s green-haired sister Sui serving as an exception to the series’ visual palette. That nonconformity makes sense on several levels, because she may be more (or less) than she seems – at several points during this episode, Akane receives phone calls from someone claiming to be the real Sui, who claims that the girl in her house is an impostor. Oneechan Gokko is set in the future, with service robots having been partially integrated into society, so we may be headed toward a “machine supplanting man” theme – one with spooky overtones, as Gokko’s presentation takes that tack at several points (especially in its closing minutes). You can watch the first episode [here] to see whether it sucks you in – just know that the follow-up won’t be out for several months.

Continue reading “Winter 2026 Check-In – Weeks 4-6” →

Wooper: It’s a little late to be reviewing just two episodes of a handful of new series, but that’s what I’ve got for you here. Between AOTY writing that’s progressing in the background, my growing interest in non-animated films, and some personal stuff happening in my life, I’ve been slow to keep up with anime this winter. Shibou Yuugi, whose double length premiere greatly intrigued me, was going to be part of this post, but I decided to just publish what I had and not wait around. It probably won’t show up next time either, but there’s a YouTube series that might make the column in a couple weeks if I end up liking it. We’ll see!

Ikoku Nikki – 2-3

Why was there a hybrid Japanese-English grammar lesson in the first act of episode 3, and why did it make me tear up? I guess that’s the strength of Ikoku Nikki, a grief-themed josei drama composed almost entirely of natural conversations between two or three characters. That third episode has received a lot of praise online, likely because it marked the first major emotional moment for its orphan protagonist Asa, and while it surely deserves the acclaim, I found the second to be exceptional as well. In that sophomore episode, Asa’s aunt and legal guardian Makio invites her friend Daigo over to their apartment, and maybe it’s just because I’m in awards season mode, but Daigo is already my frontrunner for Best Supporting Character of 2026. Her hiccupy laugh, warm yet patient personality, and teasing relationship with Makio made her an object of fascination for Asa, whose unfamiliarity with adult friendships hints at a past frigidity between her deceased parents. In episode 3, Asa was more active and less observant, but Makio still got some nice scenes, including one where she mistakenly addressed the specter of her sister while retrieving Asa’s belongings from her previous apartment. The show’s psychological breadcrumb trail is longer for Makio than it is for her new ward, but I’m enjoying the pace at which it’s following both paths.

Continue reading “Winter 2026 Check-In – Weeks 2-3” →