Thursday 17 January 2019

Anime Spotlight : Best Anime of 2018

This list took me a bit longer that I would have liked, mostly due to other priorities in life. But the wait is over. 2018 had some really great anime, much like most other years and it was hard choosing the best 5 for me. As always the list only contains anime that have finished in 2018.

Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho

Synopsis : Our first step was always curiosity. For unseen sights, unheard sounds, unsmelled scents, untouched textures, untasted tastes, and unfelt excitement. We travel to find the bits and pieces that we’d forgotten at some point. Howling at 40 degrees, going mad at 50 degrees, screaming at 60 degrees, to the primordial lands beyond the great oceans, at the edge of the earth, far removed from human civilization. This is the story of four girls who travel to the Antarctic, further even than outer space.
Thoughts : Place further than the Universe was an amazing coming of age anime filled with oodles of character development, some really funny scenes and a really emotional one as well. Highly recommended anime!

Sangatsu no Lion 2

Synopsis : This is a gentle tale about people trying to regain something. And it is a tale of battle.

Kiriyama Rei had lost his family in an accident when he was young. Now he is a 17-year-old pro shogi player who is burdened with deep loneliness. Rei lives alone in an old town in Tokyo, but after becoming acquainted with three sisters, Akari, Hinata and Momo, he begins to change little by little...
Thoughts : It's no secret that Sangatsu no Lion's first season was one of my favorite anime from 2017. The second didn't disappoint one bit. Though I'm sure the issues surrounding Hina was rough for everyone watching it. A fantastic anime everyone must see at least once in their life.

Hinamatsuri (2018)

Synopsis : One night, a strange object falls on the head of Nitta, a member of the yakuza. Inside the box is a strange young girl named Hina. She has tremendous supernatural powers, and Nitta finds himself reluctantly taking her in. Her powers can come in handy for his yakuza business, but he also runs the risk of her using them on him! Not to mention, if she doesn't use her powers, she will eventually go berserk and destroy everything around her. Nitta and Hina's strange life together is just beginning...
Thoughts : Most laughs this season for sure! A show I'd easily recommend anyone and everyone to watch! NEED MORE!

Yuru Camp

Synopsis : Rin likes to go camping by herself along the lakes that provide a scenic view of Mt. Fuji. Nadeshiko loves to take cycling trips by herself to places where she can see Mt. Fuji. After they meet, Rin and Nadeshiko take camping trips, eat cup ramen together, and enjoy the scenery.
Thoughts : Yuru Camp has everything in it that makes the Slice of Life genre such a joy to watch. Absolutely fun characters, relaxed pacing, fantastic scenery and music. And of course, scenes that just make you smile. The perfect anime to forget about the hard day at work/school you had.

Golden Kamuy (2018)

Synopsis : As winter melts into spring, Asirpa and Sugimoto take a break from their hunt for the lost Ainu treasure to gather delicious herbs for her village, meditating on all the revelations they've absorbed over the past snowy months. But they can't relax for too long, because Tsurumi is still hot on their trail, and he's found a new ally in a most unusual taxidermist for putting the Abashiri skins he's collected into a complete treasure map. The long and winding road ahead is overflowing with allies and enemies alike as the change in seasons changes the game.
Thoughts : The much awaited continuation of Golden Kamuy was well worth the wait, there was quite a few shocking scenes this season. It's just a shame it didn't reach an end to the adventure, then again this means there is Another season to wait for :D

And that concludes my best of 2018 Anime list. I have to say so far I am enjoying Winter 2019's anime quite a bit. Let me know your thoughts on this list and please share yours.

Tuesday 8 January 2019

Anime Spotlight : Fall 2018 Wrap up Write up

It's taken me a while but I've finally finished catching up with the anime I was following from the Fall 2018, and with the new season already here. It's time to look at the anime that ended with the Fall 2018 anime season. As usual I'll share my top 5(as the format I tried last time seemed to confuse people) and then talk about the rest.

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume o Minai

Synopsis : There is a rumor about a mysterious phenomenon call "puberty syndrome." For example, Azusagawa Sakuta is a high school student who suddenly sees a bunny girl appear in front of him. The girl is actually a girl named Sakurajima Mai, who is Sakuta's upperclassman who is also a famous actress who has gone on hiatus from the entertainment industry. For some reason, the people around Mai can no longer see her. Sakuta sets out to solve this mystery, and has he spends time with Mai, he learns her secret feelings. Other heroines who have "puberty syndrome" start to appear in front of Sakuta.
Thoughts : I'm sure Bunny Girl Senpai was a firm favorite for a lot of anime fans! A fantastic cast, expert use of audio and the fantasy/sci-fi aspect really worked well. This show has a fair bit of emotional impact, watch it, even if you don't usually watch Romance you won't regret it.

Double Decker! Doug & Kirill

Synopsis : The city state of Lisvalletta. Two suns rise above this city, and the people here live peaceful lives, but in the shadows crime and illegal drugs run rampant. Among them is the dangerous, highly lethal drug "Anthem" which casts a dark shadow over the city. The SEVEN-O Special Crime Investigation Unit specializes in cracking down on Anthem. This unit operates in two man "buddy" teams in what's called the "Double Decker System" to tackle the problem. Doug Billingham is a seasoned investigator, and joining him is Kirill Vrubel, whose abilities are mysterious and unknown.
Thoughts : As a fan of Tiger & Bunny I was hyped for this anime, and I was not disappointed. It's short at only 13 episodes, but it's filled with a great collection of characters and the same type of comedy/action mix that made Tiger & Bunny so damn good..as a side note if you haven't seen Tiger & Bunny..what's wrong with you?

Yagate Kimi ni Naru

Synopsis : Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and awaits the day she gets a love confession that sends her heart aflutter with bubbles and hearts, and yet when a junior high classmate confesses his feelings to her... she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still unsure how to respond. That's when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami turn down a suitor with such maturity that she's inspired to ask her for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself, has her shoujo romance finally begun?
Thoughts : Am I biased when it comes to Yuri? duh. But Bloom into You is a really good example of yuri done right, It reminded me of Marimite and Strawberry Panic to some degree, but it had it's own unique flair. I WANT MORE!!

Zombie Land Saga

Synopsis : A typical morning. The usual music. Their normal lives. The peace these seven girls experience will suddenly be destroyed. By the living dead... zombies. A reality that they never wanted a part of, an amazing and terrifying zombie world. They all share one wish: "We want to live." These girls will struggle through this saga, in order to achieve a miracle.
Thoughts : Zombieland Saga took me, and a lot of other anime watchers, by surprise. It was not what I was expecting, but I absolutely loved every damned second of it. From the headbang concert I was hooked.

Golden Kamuy (2018)

Synopsis : As winter melts into spring, Asirpa and Sugimoto take a break from their hunt for the lost Ainu treasure to gather delicious herbs for her village, meditating on all the revelations they've absorbed over the past snowy months. But they can't relax for too long, because Tsurumi is still hot on their trail, and he's found a new ally in a most unusual taxidermist for putting the Abashiri skins he's collected into a complete treasure map. The long and winding road ahead is overflowing with allies and enemies alike as the change in seasons changes the game.
Thoughts : The much awaited continuation of Golden Kamuy was well worth the wait, there was quite a few shocking scenes this season. It's just a shame it didn't reach an end to the adventure, then again this means there is Another season to wait for :D

And that ends my top 5 anime from the Fall 2018 season, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why Goblin Slayer or SSSS.Gridman isn't in the top 5. You'll just have to read on :p. Keep in mind that as usual I only mention shows that ended with the season which is why slime for example isn't here. 

Goblin Slayer : Ahh yes, the anime that had a notorious first episode which spread like wildfire on social media. A pretty good fantasy anime in general with a good ending. Manga fans will complain that it wasn't as "br00tal" as the source material..

Senran Kagura Shinovi Master - Tokyo Youma-hen : A sequel in the Senran Kagura franchise, for those looking for a mix of fanservice, ninjas, and more lewds. This is it..

Gaikotsu Shoten'in Honda-san : A funny short anime about a Skeleton working in a manga store, had a lot of laughs

SSSS.Gridman : This anime was only popular due to Rikka's thighs...which weren't even as good as Futaba in Bunny Girl Senpai's thighs....a bit of a let down from TRIGGER. Though the references to the original Gridman was a nice touch.

Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet : A Romcom take on Romeo and Juliet...in name mostly. Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet was a lot more than just another adaptation of the Shakespearean tale, had a lot of fun watching it.

Conception : An absurd premise, the main charagter has to sleep with 12 girls to save the world...you could call it bottom of the barrel isekai, and yet it had a better end than SSSS.Gridman..


Release the Spyce : A cute spy/ninja anime about girls protecting a city from an evil organization. Some good action scenes. 

RerideD : As a Yoshitoshi ABe I had high hopes for RerideD, unfortunately this wasn't on the level of Niea_7 and Haibane Renmei

Otona no Bouguya-san : An extremely short comedy about a fantasy Armour shop where girls buy lewd Armour sets. Used quite a bit of classic JRPG references.

Beelzebub-jou no Okinimesu mama : An adorable anime about Pandemonium but not as you'd imagine it. The moe anime of the season for me. Highly suggested if you want to have a cute overdose 

Akanesasu Shoujo : This was a surprisingly good anime, especially with how it ended. It had a good mix of adventure, drama, comedy and action.

Anima Yell! : A silly pure anime about high-school girls getting into cheer-leading. A good mix of jokes and a perfect watch if you want to unwind after a hard day at work/school/college
Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-san : Another fun moe anime involving vampires and high-school girls. Has a few suggestive jokes but nothing over the top. Found myself smiling quite a few times while watching it.

Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru! : What a fantastically fun anime. Highly recommended! One would expect it to be a super perverted show judging by the premise but far from it. Give it a try

Sora to Umi no Aida : Cute girls catching giant fish in space what more could you ask for? Danger? Corrupt Government Officials? A big selection of dialects? It's all here...

And that concludes my thoughts on the Fall 2018 season, in general it was a pretty good season. Sure it had it's share of dog shit shows. But none of them mentioned here. What were your top anime from Fall 2018? Now I need to start working on my Best Anime of 2018 post..it's going to be tough..