Roving Thoughts archives

Looking back at the Winter 2018 anime season

Once again it's time (and past time) for my traditional look back at what I watched in this past Winter season, to follow up on my early impressions and my midway views. In general this has been a reasonably good season, with some very nice high points.

Excellent:

• Laid-Back Camp: This stayed the course all the way through and then gave us a great epilogue at the end of the last episode, one that showed how both our protagonists had developed. Rin was always the heart of the show and I'm glad that the show respected her and her independent ways, while still gently involving her in the Outclub's activities.

As it ever was:

• March comes in like a Lion: As I pretty much expected, this didn't come to any particularly definite conclusion but instead just sort of found a good ending point in the last episode, one that emphasized how time had passed and characters had changed.

Good but could have been much more:

• The Ancient Magus' Bride: Despite showing flashes of more in the ending couple of episodes, I can't get over my feelings that this doesn't measure up to the manga and was in the end a merely ordinary adaptation. As an ordinary adaptation it's not a bad thing, it's just what I wanted more.

Dropped:

• Violet Evergarden: After writing up my midway views, I decided I was done. I don't regret my decision.

In ongoing shows, Darling in the FranXX is ongoing and remains essentially a popcorn show for me. It's a nice looking popcorn show with good production values, but I'm not really expecting anything from it any more. In Netflix shows, I have yet to finish A.I.C.O. - Incarnation but I probably will at some point.

Finishing only three shows this season (and with a fourth one continuing) feels like it's below par but probably isn't all that far out of line with my general trends in anime watching, where I've steadily become more selective and grumpy.

(Also, I actually finished five shows if I count Devilman Crybaby and B - The Beginning, which I really ought to, since they took up their own share of my anime watching time. When I put it that way this isn't such an unusual season any more.)

My (Twitter) reactions to the first episodes of the Spring 2018 season

As before I'm collecting here all of my tweeted reactions to the first episodes I've seen (in the order that I saw them).

• Lupin III Part V episode 1: It's Lupin. It's not bad. I wish I was more enthusiastic, and I also wish that they hadn't explained one particular trick Lupin pulled (the explanation was too crazy). ♯

• SAO Alternative - Gun Gale Online #1: That was reasonably fun and left me looking forward to finding out where the next episode will go. However, this episode was all background setup, so I have no idea where the show's going to be about in the long run. →

• Persona 5 The Animation episode 1: This was quite stylish, kind of okay as an action show, and relatively incomprehensible. It feels like a show that's only aimed at people who've already played the game. →

• Cutie Honey Universe episode 1: This seems pretty clearly made for people who are fully familiar with the CH mythology. I'm not really, so it was mostly a parade of bizarre & relatively inexplicable things happening, one that left me with next to no interest in the next episode. →

• GeGeGe no Kitaro episode 1: That was definitely fun, in a wholesome old-fashioned style (I'd argue even including the surprise at the end). I'm certainly going to watch more although I'm not sure it'll hold my interest over the long run. ♯

• Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These episode 1: I'm not sure I like any of the people we've seen so far (or the battle as such), but it sure had me on the edge of my seat anyway and I want to see the next episode. (Also, I hate the show's full name.) →

• Golden Kamuy episode 1: Wow, that sure was a terrible couple of bears. My eyes still hurt. Otherwise, it was okay but hard to get a grip on for various reasons. Maybe I'll know what I feel about it in a couple more episodes. →

• Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory episode 1: I'm not sure what I feel about this episode after so long, but it's got all of the Full Metal Panic! things going for it. It's good to see these people again; it brings back fond memories. ♯

• Hisone to Masotan episode 1: Oh wow, that was an excellent first episode. Beautiful, funny, touching, lovely, and really well done. I have no words. I want to watch it again, and then see the next episode right away. This is great stuff so far. →

• Hinamatsuri episode 1: That was unexpectedly charming, in addition to being reasonably funny every so often (which is more than many comedy shows manage). ♯

• Megalo Box episode 1: That was an excellent first episode. The show pretty much nails the feel of its genre; the only bits that feel off are the shiny pretty bits. It may be a classic riff but it's a well told one. →

This pretty much covers all of the shows that seems reasonably attractive to me, given my usual tastes. Wotakoi is getting a fair degree of praise, but its setting and genre don't usually work for me (I dropped Recovery of an MMO Junkie back in the fall, for example).

(I've decided that if I'm going to make time for any of the 'Gundam Build' series of shows, I'd rather try watching the original Gundam Build Fighters than start with Gundam Build Divers.)