Welcome to my last-minute reflections on Spring of 2023. There are many reviews in this post instead of a focus on a specific show (hence, the “Super Post” designation), so be warned of the length!
TL;DR: I was pretty disappointed by several of the marquee shows, so the following post may be flame inducing. I’m not that worried, but if differing opinions on anime triggers you (not to be confused with the studio, lol) then be warned…I might have some not nice things to say about some of this season’s shows.
Let’s go!
Early Dropped Shows
Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu (The Dangers in My Heart)
I previewed this show, so I wasn’t surprised by the premise abandonment – I just wished the adaptation somehow gave the source material more life than it had naturally. It was a tall task, and ultimately, I don’t know that any adaptation was going to turn this into a show I finished out. Others seemed to enjoy it for the generic romcom it was, so good for them – maybe I’m just getting too old to see this story played out yet again.
Kaminaki Sekai (KamiKatsu)
This was a special kind of bad – absolutely unbelievably so. I mean, this was an adaptation that somehow went DOWN from the manga (which was pretty lowbrow, but had some almost interesting parts). The animation, the pacing – yuck. Disaster.
Oshi no Ko
Chill out everyone, I read the manga, I know the twist. This just isn’t my genre (except maybe isekai? Sort of?). Although the characters designs kind of reminded me of Medaka Box, which was nostalgic. I was never going to watch this show, but I appreciate the effort to do something new.
Dropped Shows, Flame Starters Edition
These are the opinions that could cause a wee-bit of controversy.
Yamada-kun to Level 999
Maybe 5 years ago I would have watched this, but I’m just tired of this kind of story (okay, there’s small adjustments, yay). I was also SORELY disappointed by the in-game graphics and just generally the treatment of the central story point. I think I watched maybe the whole first episode, but it just wasn’t for me.
Tengoku Daimakyou
This one pains me to write, because on paper, this should have been my show of the season. Post apocalyptic journey with monsters contrasting with a sheltered, mysterious school?! Like, sight unseen, sign me up. And episode one started off great, let’s not be confused! Great animation, I loved the characters, the world felt on point – things looked great. And then…it just got weird. And I’d argue this is where the story tripped over itself by trying to do too much – it was like the plot devices got thrown in for shock value to try and convince the viewer “hey, we’re not some nice show here, this is real art.” If this anime was a meal, then just too much flavor was added and everything fell apart for me. I think some viewer’s palettes were probably sated here, but not mine. This just wasn’t the fun adventure I wanted to go on. Sorry, “Heavenly Delusion”, maybe I deserved a better show, and maybe you deserved a more understanding viewer.
Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers
Another on-paper winner that didn’t pan out for me. Some might call this artistic – honestly, “Magical Destroyers” seemed like a mess to me. Some anime originals manage to nail the storytelling, but I feel like not having source material constraints can let some imaginations run wild….probably a bit more than they should. And that’s what “Magical Destroyers” is to me – a show that needed a restraining hand. I don’t mind the premise, but the characters felt too slipshod for me to enjoy properly. This is another one of the shows that I had high hopes for, only to be disappointed by.
Jigokuraku
This one is going to get me criticized, for sure. I’ll say it bluntly – after half a season, I got sick of “Jigokuraku”. Here’s the thing: I don’t really like timepieces, especially Edo-ish Japan. So to start, “Jigokuraku” had an uphill battle for me from day one. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the characters (except for the ninja girl)…at all. Like at all. The different pairs, brothers, whatever – just fell completely flat to me. Gabimaru the Hollow is a great name and a terrible idea to base a character on. His “not-quite-a-human-oops-forgot-emotions” shtick just does not translate to being an interesting protagonist. I’ll spare the virtual ink in criticizing the other supporting cast (again, except girl ninja, she’s great), but even the twist leading to the second half just had me shrugging. And honestly – and this is personal preference – I just think it could have looked better. Maybe I expected too much, but the colors and the fight scenes didn’t really do it for me. Production wise, I know this is related to Chainsaw Man, but I think it really lacked CSM’s heart. I was disappointed, but maybe my expectations were sky high (basically another CSM), so that might be on me.
Sequels of Disappointment
Tonikaku Kawaii
Honestly, I was kind of falling off this series after the OVA. Just too slow of a burn – my candle went out. I’m sure it’s still cute and all, but I can’t stay awake through the episodes.
Kimetsu no Yaiba
Ughhhhhhhhh, I’m a bit upset about this. I love this series, but deep down I know it’s more style than substance. I gave up after a few episodes into the village – I think this far in, I’m just not interested in meeting new characters or backstories. There are deepening mysteries of power creep and I just…I just don’t have the fire in me. I want to go back and finish watching it, but this one’s going on the shelf for now. I’m not happy, but that’s how it is.
Edens Zero
I do plan on finishing this out, but I just kind of fell off after the first episode. I’m not sure why, but I think the shallowness of the series (which is understandably advertised) has just worn me out on the story. I will be back, “Edens Zero”, don’t worry!
Kono Subarashii
This just didn’t hold my interest – honestly, I don’t even remember where I am in the season. I’m sure it’s quite decent, but it wasn’t the KonaSuba I was looking for. Maybe that’s not even possible anymore, so maybe that’s on me again, but man – I just want another normal KonaSuba season (which is apparently in the works).
The Tides Turn: Bright Spots
If you’ve gotten this far, don’t worry! It’s all up from here! Here are the shows I loved this season.
Kaguya-sama: The First Kiss That Never Ends
This was an unexpected mini-season (I think it’s like a movie/season?) of Kaguya. And it was, like all the rest of Kaguya, fantastic. Absolutely a great watch (and no Mob Psycho in sight to compare to!). My only (and very minor) complaint is that we didn’t see Ishigami’s arc!!!!! I guess that’ll be season 4, which I’m very happily looking forward to. Only the length of this mini-season holds this back from being higher ranked overall.
Edomae Elf
Despite being very possibly sponsored by Redbull, this was a nice little slice of life show with a fantasy twist. I really don’t mind these quieter reverse-isekais, especially when they take their time on the characters instead of rushing about. This might not have been for everyone, but I appreciated it (also, might have accidentally learned something about Japanese history while we’re at it).
Kubo-san
A late holdover from the Spring. Let’s face it – this show didn’t look good. But it was a cute premise that was executed as well as it could have been – I enjoyed it. I won’t criticize anyone who didn’t follow it through the split seasons (or the poor animation).
Mashle
When they say it’s Harry Potter meets One Punch Man, that’s not a joke – that’s EXACTLY what happens here. And, very weirdly, it works for me. Now, it’s not the most cerebral show (I mean, it’s about an OP musclehead….), but I enjoy the small unconventional twists a physical genius brings to a world with tunnel vision on magic. I thoroughly had a good time, but the main character is legitimately dumber than rocks, which I could see getting old in subsequent seasons. It also makes me kind of want to try creme puffs. Good first season though.
Niehime to Kemono no Ou
I started this show late, but I’m glad I gave it a chance. The color palette isn’t the greatest, and there’s a tiny bit of catering to furries here and there, but overall, this is a solid journeyman show. Not going to win any awards, but the premise is kept to and the characters are interesting enough for me to stay engaged. This is one of the few 24 episode shows of the season, so I’m glad to have it carry over into Summer.
Jijou wo Shiranai
Very similar to Kubo-san (except with roles reversed: shy girl, outgoing boy) – if I have to pick between the two, I think “Jijou wo Shiranai” does it better. These are very cute shows, and also very specific to people with experience in relationships between extroverts and introverts – if that isn’t you, these two shows probably won’t make much sense. I feel like that’s a broad enough population though, and “Jijou wo Shiranai” especially makes the story quite accessible. I like it, it makes me happy, and that’s pretty much what I’m looking for these days in a seasonal.
Top Tier
Dr. Stone
Honestly, I’m perfectly happy with this season of Doctor Stone. Like, this is exactly what I wanted from the show, and I got exactly what I expected. Job well done. At this point, Dr. Stone is a known quantity, but I’m really surprised that there hasn’t been a noticeable drop in quality. If anything, the main story is progressing nicely, with some surprising advances happening concerning petrification. A few new characters are being introduced here and there (plus the very random Deus-ex-Machina in the form of the bald guy), but I’m fine with that. Some scientific principles are getting stretched a bit (the remote control car is, well, not very realistic), but at this point, you know how much hand waving Dr. Stone requires. Great season (maybe just a little behind the previous ones), but I’m still very, very happy with it.
Skip to Loafer
Coming into the season, I heard some rumblings about “Skip to Loafer” being quality source material, and I was pleasantly surprised. The story is very straightforward, but the character relationships and the process of growing up makes this a compelling story in a vastly oversaturated genre. I’d say there are a few missteps (some side characters probably got too more screentime than necessary and a few, like Fumi, could have used a bit more), but the main cast all were fantastic. I think the key to these stories is how “real” the character feel, and “Skip to Loafer” passed with flying colors. I’m really looking forward to continued seasons, and I hope this becomes a mainstay in years to come.
Mahoutsukai no Yome
If I had a “Most Improved Anime” award to give, it would go to “Mahoutsukai no Yome”, hands down. Season 1 was…a mess, especially the second half. Now, it was a mess that I liked, but it had far too many plotlines and confusions. The most annoying mechanic of this world (and Season 2 still suffered from it – but toned it down) is randomly teleporting characters – basically Chise – to completely different locales. Here in season 2, the pacing and cohesiveness really improved – I suspect the source material found its footing around this point. Very odd that the setting went to a traditional British college, but I guess I can’t complain. I think the main allure of the series – Chise and Elias’ relationship – improved this season (I especially loved tiny Elias), and the complications of Season 1 are still being resolved. This is a brilliant upgrade and gives me immense hope for this franchise. Honestly, it really made this whole season of anime a success for me.
🎉Anime of the Season🎉
Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia (Insomniacs After School)
The top show of this season for me is “Insomniacs After School”. Everything is right in my strike zone – the characters, the premise, the settings, the art, the animation. All the boxes are checked, all the neurons are happy. I almost dread watching each episode, for fear of it disappointing me – never happened (I guess we have the finale to go, but I have faith). Isaki is best girl of the season, the white haired senpai (Yui) is my top supporting character, and Ganta isn’t completely terrible. The astronomy (astrophotography really) is handled perfectly, and the locales and settings are great. This is not only the best show of the season, but it probably makes my Top 25 all-time anime list (need to figure out who it kicks out). Maybe that’s recency bias talking, but I love this show – fantastic job all around! Also, this is my song of the season, hands down:
Well, that’s Spring all wrapped up for me. If you got this far, let me know if I was right on or if I was way off track (feel free to hit me with your flames!). I don’t know what I’ll cover in Summer, but we have First Impressions coming up, so see you in the next couple of weeks!
Ooh, glad to see some love for Insomniacs here! I also liked how surprisingly wholesome and down-to-earth it is. I’m not finished with it yet, but I’m gonna remedy that soon.
If you liked Insomniacs (which is also one of my personal top picks this spring) I would really recommend giving ‘The Dangers in my Heart’ another try. It evolves into something completely different from what it initially seems. The MAL score that started out below 7 and changed to 8.30 reflects that. Though MAL scores are not to be trusted, overcoming such a bad first impression to that degree is not something I’ve seen happen very often
Interesting – I gave up pretty quickly, since I really dislike the bait-and-switch. I guess there were like 4 other shows (Insomniacs, Kubo, Clueless First Friend, Skip to Loafer) in the romcom genre this season, so I wasn’t at a shortage. I’ll give it another shot though, maybe after the first bit it gets better. Thanks!
There’s 13 episodes, so it’s still got another week left (kind of surprising, I feel like most shows are going to 11-12).
There are reliable leakers saying season 2 is in production, so hopefully episode 14 will come not too long after
That is fantastic news!
Only watched Skip to Loafer and ‘Insomnia’ this season (but Lenlo’s review of Vinland Saga is somewhat enticing), and quite enjoyed them.
I gotta say Insomina’s subs translation was terrible, and ‘Skip’ had bad moments too. Forcing contemporary American slang and idiom on straightforward Japanese dialogue, hmm… The heyday of fansubbing is just a memory, and it isn’t coming back, unfortunately.
A couple of directorial criticisms: I felt ‘Skip’ had minor flow issues: the play montage asequence in ep 11 didn’t sit right with me, for example. As for Insomnia, I didn’t like the bright false colors of the night beach scene, nor the swelling strings of the night bay photo. Those moments felt a bit plasticky, and they could have had even greater impact with a more muted presentation.
Otherwise, both of these were first-rate shows. Insomnia’s ED is outstanding.
Now, forgive me for dredging up old garbage, but from last year’s review I would have gone with Chainsaw Man over Cyberpunk Edgerunners. The latter is, in the end, very pretty but pointless nihilism. S-Tier ED, though. And no one mentioned the crushing disappointment that was the Yuru Camp movie; instead of moeblobs gushing over camp cooking, we got OLs doing unpaid work.
I didn’t notice anything too crazy (but honestly, I’m not sure if I’m getting the official or a fansub – it’s probably the official). I particularly remember last year’s CSM had some particularly rough moments. But yeah, it’s always funny when the sub embellishes unnecessarily.
I completely agree on Skip having a few questionable directorial moments – I think some of the smaller character arcs could have been done a bit differently with more focus on her hometown crew. The overall story and characters were strong enough to make it a solid show though.
I don’t fully agree on the Insomnia colors for the simple reason that the show is trying to bring in the “feeling” of astrophotography. Can you ever see those colors naturally? No way, but when you do long exposures and composites, then they come out (with the help of some filters, etc). But that whole process is kind of boring, so I understand why they opted for that stylistic choice – I liked it. Definitely gave more of the “feeling” than what an actual observer would see (“Call of the Night” used those kinds of backgrounds earlier in the year too, and I liked that – gave a nice atmosphere of late night adventure).
Glad you agree on the ED, it’s definitely one of my favorites ^_^
I was on team CSM 100%. Funny about Yuru Camp, I’m like a season behind, so I was going to catch up before the movie, but that does sound tragic.
Maybe I’ve spoiled the Yuru Camp movie for you, but really it’s for the best. For example, George Lucas never made a Star Wars movie after Return of the Jedi, but if he had and they were terrible, and then another studio got the rights to make more and they were even worse, then it would be kindness to tell someone who’d only ever seen The Empire Strikes Back to just pretend Lucas had stopped at Jedi. S2 is on par with S1, though (they’re the missus’ favorite).
I get what you’re saying about astrophotography. I can’t flip past the Hubble Pillars of Creation or Horsehead Nebula without pausing for a second. I can see false color being used for effect in the shot where the two are just standing and looking at each other, but its use in the preceding and subsequent shots detract from that moment.
Night composition is difficult in anime. much more so than manga (even colorized manga). Looking at the relevant manga pages I think it could have been done effectively here, however. Desaturate even further while increasing contrast. Since true black is difficult, up the white until the highlights nearly glow (and the starlight is bright enough to read by in the scene). Highlight the ripples on the water better. Deepen shadows while keeping them to a minimum–under bangs, hems of shirts and shorts, and blades of grass, for example. Deepen the blue of the night sky while keeping the light tone near the horizon. Decrease the number of stars while increasing their size, making some really big and bright.
Actually, Yuru Camp is relevant since it contains a number of impressive night shots which don’t use much false color. For that matter Shiromaru’s photo in ep 3 is worth considering too. I think in this scene nature’s beauty doesn’t need much embellishment either.
But, like, that’s just my opinion man! Keep doing what you’re doing.
There was nothing fucking pointless about edge runners. It had a fucking point but apparently you are too stubborn to understand it !
Ah, Zemo’s here!
Jigokuraku pisses me off because – and you’d never know this from the anime – the manga is GREAT. It’s fun, it has great art, the characters are fun, it’s energetic, it has a lot of personality in general. And then we get this adaptation which is like the most perfunctory, soulless adaptation I’ve ever seen. It’s like it sees the manga as just a long checklist of story points. It has none of the manga’s charm, none of its energy, none of its personality, nothing. The pacing sucks, there’s no rhythm to the story whatsoever, episodes just kind of begin and end and stuff just happens with no peaks, no valleys, nothing, it’s just the same tone. It’s not even that it’s “bad” per se, it’s just perfectly soulless, as if nobody working on it gave a crap about it and were just trying to get it over with. :/ ARGH.
Also, hard agree on Tengoku Daimakyou. I’d been actually kind of enjoying it up until episode 12, but even by then its random moments of pretentiousness and entirely pointless shock value elements kept throwing me off. And then that thing in episode 12 that was… like, look, we knew that dude was going to be a terrible person, just from how he had been hyped up, but really? REALLY? Like, where did all that fetishy crap even come from, and what point did it serve other than be oohh shocking? Bleh.
I think you and the reviewer are being too harsh or maybe you are both just too damn crital of everything.
You know, I had you in mind when I posted my disagreeing anime opinions trigger warning at the top ^_^
So you claim you are too “old” for generic Romcom like dangers of my heart but you list Kubo san as one of your favourites? Hypocritical much? Kubo is just as generic and frankly worse looking than dangers of my heart. You got some pretty high standards don’t you and yet you give a classic like call of the night shit?
Glad you’re here Zemo 😀
That’s fair on Kubo, but you’ve gotten a bit confused – I very much like “Call of the Night”!
I guess maybe I didn’t say it well – “Dangers of the Heart” had a bit of a bait and switch premise which left a sour taste in my mouth. Following that, I assumed the story just fell into being a crowd pleaser and generic, but since there were 4 other anime this season that fit the bill who didn’t bait me, I just gave up on it.
As someone commented earlier, apparently it gets quite a bit better, so maybe I need to give another chance.
Tengoku Daimakyou is a show I’ve been watching because of first seeing it mentioned on this blog and have for the most part found it decent although I’m way behind (only through episode 7) and need to catch up. I feel like the show doesn’t know what it wants to be. Of the two recurring storylines we see, we spend like 90% of the time with one of them making me wonder what the point of the other one is and how they intersect. We also got a notable reveal regarding one of the two leads in the third episode but its relevance to the plot has been virtually non-existent. At least where I am now it seems to be picking up a bit so looking forward to the latter half of the show.
Oshi no Ko I’ve enjoyed a lot. There absolutely was some super cringe stuff about the first episode and the whole reincarnation thing but that has been pretty much irrelevant since the first episode. Really strong (but also controversial) stuff around the halfway point. For the most part I find the characters likable (favorite is Kana) and the overall look I really enjoy. Perhaps in part because it comes from the same manga artist as Scum’s Wish, whose designs I really liked.
Best show for me this season has been Gundam Witch from Mercury season 2, not mentioned at all in your post. With one episode left to go I’m in a bit of doubt if its going to end as strong as the first 3/4 of the season was, but overall still happy with it.
Ahh, I led you astray with that, since I think I gave it pretty high praise on first episodes 🙂
Didn’t know that was the same artist as Scum’s Wish, but that makes a lot of sense – I respect both of those shows (having finished Scum’s Wish), but I definitely do not like them, they’re just not my favorite genres.
Speaking of genres, I don’t usually do Mechas (except Evangelion and Gargantia, oh yeah, Granbelm….alright, so maybe I do occasionally) – but I think Lenlo’s been enjoying Witch from Mercury, so it sounds quite quality (I think it was his show of the season from the last cour).