Merry Christmas yall! Keeping the quarterly tradition going, let's see what I'll be watching this winter season. As always I'll start off with taking a look at each of the top 10 ranked by popularity and then see if there's anything else worth mentioning. (Also some minor spoilers I guess)
Starting off with the main thing I'll be watching. Vinland Saga season 2 babyyyyyy. Season 1 was a solid 8/10 and the Lucius Artorius Castus scene was a total masterpiece. I've heard that this part of the story is gonna be pretty slow and will probably bet its appeal on atmosphere and characters rather than action, but I'm excited nonetheless.
Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha season 2... pass. The second I see "Demon King" and isekai I lose all interest. Don't toy with me, Miss Nagatoro season 2... again another pass. I think the appeal of these gimmicky series where there's one chick with one personality trait (Nagatoro teasing you, Uzaki being annoying and Komi not being able to communicate) is too dependent on you both liking the girl and wanting to be treated the way the male protagonist is treated when interacting with em. Its too much of a one trick pony for me.
At number 4 we have yet another season 2. Tokyo Revengers:Christmas showdown. I don't really plan on watching this one. I saw season 1 and it was like a low 6/10 on a good day. The animation is absolute doo doo and most characters don't pop too much. I think mfs who overhype it too much are generally newer to anime, cuz it's nothing too special. I might watch it in like 2 years cuz of the Christmas theme but definitely not now. Bungou Stray Dogs season 4 is up next. I’m still yet to see season 1, so I definitely won't be watching it now, but I'll get to it eventually. BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. Season 2... Pass lol. You gotta love how it's beyond obvious that's a light novel adaptation from the name alone lol. Kyokou Suiri season 2... literally no clue what that is.
NieR: Automata Ver1.1a...finally something I'll watch. I haven't played the game but 2B is a good waifu so I'm willing to check it out. Tomo-chan is a girl!... sus lol. The final entry in the current top 10 is DanMachi season 4 part 2. I've seen the first 2 seasons which were pretty enjoyable but I guess not enough to make me watch season 3. I doubt I'll catch up in order to see it this season, but I'll watch it eventually. On a side note, can we stop with this goofy ahh trend where we split seasons into parts? Saying season 4 part 2 is the anime equivalent of a bruh moment (looking at you AOT).
 |
| © A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, |
Moving on from the top 10, I might check out Campfire Cooking in another world with my absurd skill. I don't really watch isekai but the story of this chef befriending a big ol' legendary wolf is giving me some Toriko vibes. On a side note, I saw season 2 of The Vampiere Dies in no time is also coming out this season. Ayo Madhouse, would you stop fucking around already and animate some real shit? Thanks! Finally, Boku to Roboko seems like some goofy ahh shit. Might check it out cuz it's 3 minutes per episode.
Alrightey, moving on to the ONAs, I'll be checking out Wayof the Househusband season 2. Its animation is that dogshit type where it basically banks on the comedy carrying it instead of the slideshow of images, but I enjoyed season 1 just enough to make me watch season 2. Now the big one... Record of Ragnarok season 2 is coming out and oh boy... this is gonna be a big gamble. Overall, I enjoyed season 1. The character designs and the way their facial and physical features were adapted were actually better than in the manga. The only things that let it down are the pacing and animation. 12 episodes for 3 fights was just too slow for me. It's not One Piece or DBZ level of slow, rather it's something closer to Baki's pacing (which makes sense considering their ties to Netflix). The only difference is Baki's characters are more interesting than Record of Ragnarok's characters so the pacing feels more bearable. That being said, the pacing is more of a minor complaint considering after my initial watch, I pretty much consume the fights as AMVs where pacing is not an issue.
 |
| © Warner Bros. Japan, Yumeta Company, Graphinica |
What is an issue and a major one at that is the animation. There were certain shots that looked great, but there were also others that looked like Way of the Househusband's PowerPoint slideshow style. What made it especially worse was their positioning within the otherwise action packed fights. I don't mind if the animation takes a nosedive during observers talking or even in backstories such as in Thor's case, but having it at the end of the Adam vs Zeus fight was fucking unacceptable. If they can pick up the pace slightly and make sure their animation is top notch level of sakuga particularly throughout the fights, I think season 2 has a good chance at redemption.
In terms of movies, I might check out Blue Giant for some jazz vibes and Gridman Universe cuz Trigger has been on fire with Cyberpunk Edgerunners.
Overall, this seems to be a weaker season compared to Autumn 2022, but it definitely has potential if the adaptations are done right. So yeah, that's about it. I'll end this by ranking them based on how hyped I am for em from most to least hyped:
Vinland Saga season 2, Record of Ragnarok season 2, NieR: Automata Ver1.1a, Way of the Househusband season 2, Campfire Cooking in another world with my absurd skill, Gridman Universe, Blue Giant, Boku to Roboko.
Follow me to get notified whenever I post.
TikTok (posting daily)
Shorts YouTube Channel (posting daily)
Comments
Post a Comment