I did this last time for fall so why not continue it as it meant a lot of people could recommend shows and is the few times we can be positive about CURRENT entertainment.
Putting in two caveats though:
- I didn't watch everything so only listing what I've seen with a few exceptions
- This season has suffered a lot from production issues and delays, I'll mark some as such as it might be better to hold off watching till they are done
Honorable mentions: Vinland saga, To your Eternity, Blue Lock. I'm too far behind on all of these so can't be fair in giving a review.
Ongoing from last season: Eminence in shadow: finding the perfect balance of cringe and cool, good thing we are getting a second season
Iruma-kun: nice wholesome show, some good character development this season for all the misfit class
New stuff:
Attack on titan: was really an hour long episode but they REALLY went all out, including showing how fucked you are if the rumbling catches up to you
Trigun Stampede: a very good adaptation of a classic series, I know, I know, CGI but this is GOOD CGI that actually makes it great.
Nier Automata Ver 1.1a: production delays A great adaptation from the game, a few jank 3D art here and there but a good watch
BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense Season 2: You had that one friend that breaks the game by playing it for fun, witness the anime. Excellent anime for gamers.
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady: if you liked Lycoris Recoil, You'll love this as the mc has major Chisato vibes. It has not one, but 2 yuri relationships so if you are 'no gay relationships EVER' skip but it's done organically compared to western media.
Tokyo Revengers Season 2: Building up from season 1, there is more character developments and set up for future seasons, watch if you enjoyed season 1
Tomo-chan is a Girl!: The beginning of tomboy supremacy. A girl that can hang out so well with the guys, she gets bro-zoned. Very funny series plus really love Carol not just as a character but her VA is the same in sub and dub. (Side note Carol and Ko aren't direct cousins, it's a mis translation due to how asian cultures record relations)
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten: a good wholesome romance anime, a nice pallette cleanser
Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire: very basic story but the art is WAY too good for this series. If you like the 'battle junkie mc' premise, recommend watching Black Summoner instead, arts not as good but more character.
Buddy Daddies: Don't go in expecting a Spy Family alternative, it's got funny and wholesome moments but a lot of dark moments as it's about 2 hitmen taking care of a child after they kill her dad (she doesn't know)
Handyman Saitou in Another World: very unusual as the story is segmented in every episode, it might go to what a side character is doing, a flashback or different perspective. A mix of humour and dark fantasy.
Danmachi Season 4: Went A LOT darker this season, lots of death, desperation and close calls
Nagatoro Season 2: inching closer to an actual relationship with this one, maybe if there's a third season we actually get a commitment
Farming Life in Another World: very chill Isakai where mc is reborn with a godly farming tool, best boy Kuro, best girl Zabuton
Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don’t Believe in Humanity Will Save the World: a group of people, all betrayed in different ways set up their own adventuring group to fund their own coping hobbies. Art isn't the best but likable characters.
Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army: like the title, a chill anime with a timeskip halfway through. Also no question about the son's parentage, he's just as 'cultured' as his dad lol
The Misfit of Demon King Academy Ⅱ: Production delays Despite the chamge in VA, still stays true to the formula, gigachad mc walks in, owns his opponent, walks out.
My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog: I got 5 mimutes in and noped out, I ain't 'cultured' enough so anyone else watch this?
Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement: Simple but brilliant premise, mc gains the ability to teleport between ours and a fantasy world so uses it in the most genius way, Income tax evasion. Lighthearted but alludes to dark elements
The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World: basically the title but added note, was betrayed because he was too powerful so in this life, looking to be in the party with the hero so that he can be more conspicuous. Is ok, best part is some of the monsters he summons like that terrifying one that interrogated a demon
Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill: our mc gets summoned with 3 other people, they get the standard isekai abilities but our boy, he gets 'online shopping'. Smarter than your average mc ducks out of the kingdom that summoned him and travels the world with this broken ability of amazon prime/Uber eats on demand. Great show to watch but eat beforehand as you will get hungry watching and Overlord fans will enjoy the VA for Fenrir.
Dishonorable mention: The Fruit of Evolution 2: I watched 3 episodes of season one, dropped it as it was so bland, thought I'd try 1 episode of season 2, see if it improved....it got WORSE, how did it get even worse! This has overtaken Isekai cheat magician as the worst Isekai I've ever watched!
That's everything, feel free to use it as a guide if you were on the fence, if you think something better should be mentioned or hidden gems I missed. A more calm season compared to fall.
So I had time to watch a couple.
Up to now, it's the one I have the most fun watching of the bunch mentionned. It's "goofy well done". I'm a few episodes in but I wonder if it stays as interesting considering the pet. No spoil so won't elaborate. Try the first 2 episodes. Preliminary 8/10, including the bonus for finding a refreshing way to spin "Isekai summon". That's not easy at this point.
It feels like I already watch it because there are several extremely similar ones. "Reincarnated epic master of the world as a prodigious extremely blasé child whose potential is neglected by others. This epic evil monster? Shreded effortlessly. This master plot? Figured it all in 5 minutes after watching a dog sniff its balls and someone drop some planks. Oh and this epic dragon? It's my pet now."
I guess it's most for children? Some parts of the plot are fine though. 5/10 some fun, lots of "sure you did, whatever".
Meh. Had potential but the plot seemed dull despite much, MUCH screaming, and I felt there was nothing in the lead relationship.
4/10 , I will give them the very pretty aesthetics and interesting thing about techo-magic blending.
Worth watching but OH MY GOD the first few episodes were such a drag with the extremely whiny caster elf and those early episodes went nowhere because the characters were litterally fondling and commenting on eachothers tits constantly. I don't care if there is fanservice, but for fuck's sake, there's a limit.
Some episodes have way too much repetition. Yes S4 Cassandra, we know about your vision, you went over it about a dozen times. Now shut up, stop whining, and cast a healing spell or get out of the screen.
The Floor 37 arc was a full episode too long ( cutting a few of the sacrifice / suicidal internal monologues wouldn't impact anything, we got it by the third time, you're afflicted and remorseful ), but overall okay.
6/10, +1 without the constant tits-fondling of the early episodes and near-DBZ levels of repetition-filler.
P.S. : The lead S2 onward is very D.Gray Man Allen Walker-ish, but I didn't care. Obligatory arc about "akshually, Not All dungeon monsters are evil, you bigot". Obligatory Onsen OVA ( you're not missing anything for skipping, but it was watchable ). Obligatory "Adult Night time Pleasures district" arc.
Special mention :
The magical potion sex-change is not much of the story :
You're watching a socially-akward, recluse girl go through puberty with her sister holding her hand. At least that's untill episode 4 when I stopped watching because it wasen't my jam.
I watched it all up to date. Very interesting horror setting for the first two seasons. After that the skyzo constant flips and politics focus bored me to death and the action-packed recent chapter was full of eye-rolling speeches.
Characters go on very long tirades about impending doom so often it quickly starts to sound "I'm 14 and this is deep". Go in this prepared to watch everyone who dosen't have "plot armor" die in absolute horror.
Plenty of speeches will go that way : "viewer-kun, trust us and our unparalled skills and experience, we won't die, so actually bother to keep track of us and care".
This means they are just about to die. Like 9/10 of them. With lots of gore.
It's "fun" a few times but by Named Character No35's death, they all get blurry "soon to die" faces.
Later seasons get rather "CURRENT YEAR" talking-points preachy. Diversity yay, nationalism BAD, armband-wearing ethnic group in internment camps. Eye-rolls.
I just wanted to watch some gore struggle for survival against human-devouring titans focussed on a group of friends defying odds, support eachoters and make it. Instead by S3 it's politics, politics, politics, and the main character goes full-Emo.
Very cool Levi fighting moves. Strong point there.
S1 and S2 : 7.5/10,
S3 v 3.5/10,
S4 : 5/10
Will update if I watch more of the list.