2016
has come to an end and with it, the fall 2016 anime season. I am
planning to also do a best of 2016 post but first we take a look at
the best shows of the Fall 2016 anime season. I'm happy to say that
this past season had some really awesome shows that strayed from the
normal action/ecchi formula. and one that even used the formula to
great effect. But lets get on with the list!
Fune o Amu
Synopsis : The publication of a new dictionary titled The
Great Passage progresses. Majime Mitsuya, originally from publisher
Genbu Shobo's sales department, has been recruited by Araki Kouhei, a
veteran editor of the dictionary department who is looking to retire
soon. The dictionary department is known internally as the
"money-eating insect," but Mitsuya uses his perseverance
and attachment to the words in order to become a great editor.
Mitsuya, who has poor social skills, finds himself working with
another man named Nishioka Masashi, who is able to express himself
better.
Thoughts : First off the bat we have Fune o Amu,
Fune wo Amu is a beautifully made, relaxing anime that takes the
viewer into a slow cruise of the world of words. This is not your
typical anime about fighting or lewd jokes. Fune o Amu gives a great
look into the world of dictionary creation, and the purpose to
dictionaries. The pacing in this show is quite slow, and even though
it's a serious anime, it has some really adorable scenes and a few
laughs as well.
Keijo!!!!!!!!
Synopsis
: Keijo is a sport where contestants stand on platforms
floating on the water and use their butts and chests to fight against
each other in order to push each other off the platform. Kaminashi
Nozomi is a high school student who aims to join the sport after she
graduates. Nozomi was raised in a poor family and hopes to make lots
of money by playing Keijo. She grew up training in gymnastics, and
she has good balance and flexibility. After high school, Nozomi joins
a training boarding school and enters the world of Keijo.
Thoughts
: Yes this is an anime about butt sumo, Yes it's perverted.
But it's also brilliantly animated, has a great soundtrack, a good
cast of seiyuu and it's fun. You aren't fooling anyone by acting all
"ecchi stuff is bad" on the internet ;) jokes ass-ide.
Keijo really turned out to be quite the gem especially if you enjoy
battles. Butt it's not without it's flaws, but the pure enjoyment
factor of it all, gave it a spot on this list!
Drifters
Synopsis
: Shimazu Toyohisa, while involved in the Battle of
Sekigahara, manages to mortally wound Ii Naomasa, but is critically
wounded in the process. As he walks from the field wounded and
bleeding, Toyohisa finds himself transported to a corridor of doors
where a bespectacled man at a desk waits for him. This man, Murasaki,
sends Toyohisa into the nearest door where he wakes up in another
world. There, Toyohisa meets other great warriors like him who have
been transported as well, to be part of a group known as Drifters.
This
world contains both native humans and a number of fantastical races,
including elves, dwarves, and hobbits. However, the world is at war,
with the humans waging a losing war against another group of great
warriors, the Ends, who wish to take over the world and kill all the
Drifters. Under the Ends' command are many terrible creatures,
including dragons, which they use to destroy everything in their
wake. At the start of the series, the Ends' army has control of the
northern part of the continent and is currently trying to invade the
south through a pivotal fortress at the northernmost tip of a nation
called Carneades. Meanwhile, the Octobrist Organization, a group of
human magicians native to this world, attempt to bring together the
many individual Drifters to save their world from the brutal Ends.
Thoughts
: I
really enjoyed Drifters, I had high hopes for it as it's from the
Hellsing mangaka Kouta Hirano and
animated by the amazing studio Madhouse, who also worked on the
Hellsing Ultimate OVAs. Drifters has a great mix of comedy and ultra
violent action that complements an intriguing world which features a
war between the "Drifters" and the "Ends" who
both seem to consist of well known historical figures. I would have
liked Drifters to be a bit longer, but it seems we'll have to wait
for the second season to see how the rest of the story unfolds.
3-gatsu no Lion
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
: March Comes In Like a Lion completely took me by surprise,
the massive contrasts between the depressing and happy scenes, the
fantastic music that not only sets the mood but also transports you
deeply into the setting of this amazing anime. Even though it's not
yet completed as such. March comes in like a lion is "Your lie
in april" level good. Or even better. Even if there is only one
anime you watch from the Fall season, let it be this one.
Haikyuu!! Karasuno Koukou vs Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou
Synopsis
: The boys prepare to finally face off for the right to
represent the prefecture in the volleyball national championship.
Despite being known as "The Fallen Champions," Karasuno is
determined to take down the powerhouse that is the Shiratorizawa High
volleyball team. As Hinata comes closer to fulfilling his promise to
defeat Ushijima's team, will the "Flightless Crows" finally
find their wings and soar above the best school in the prefecture?
Thoughts
: The third season of Haikyuu!! which was the shortest
season thus far, also had the longest and most epic match of them
all. I know a lot of you haven't started watching the volleyball
anime Haikyuu!! yet for some unfathomable reason, but honestly you
are missing out on so much hot blooded action, edge of your seat
moments, great laughs and emotionally charged events.
And
now on to the rest of the Fall 2016 season, keeping in mind that by
the rest I don't mean that these are bad anime in anyway.
Regalia
- The Three Sacred Stars : After having a few issues at the
studio and was initially remade after the 4th episode, Regalia
turned out to be quite an enjoyable mecha anime, but also nothing
more than that. The characters didn't really stand out in anyway, and
it didn't really feature anything groundbreaking.
DAYS
: I absolutely LOVED DAYS, an amazing array of characters
with their own unique quirks, great voice acting, Tsukushi's growth
throughout the anime was inspiring to watch, and it was great to see
how someone as initially insignificant as him could become such an
important part to the team. I highly suggest watching DAYS even if
you aren't a fan of sports anime.
Shakunetsu
no Takkyuu Musume : Even though Shakunetsu no Takkyuu
Musume wasn't the ideal mix of PING PONG and SAKI that I expected
initially, it was still a fun watch, even though I feel it would have
done better at a longer length, as a lot of time was spent focusing
on the training and build up of the characters and not the matches.
Bungou
Stray Dogs S2 : The second season of Bungou Stray Dogs had a
fantastic start with much needed "past scenes" of really
important characters in the anime, It ended off quite well with well
animated action scenes and a hint of things to come.
Shuumatsu
no Izetta : World war 2, politics and witchcraft. A mix that
worked out brilliantly in Shuumatsu no Izetta, sadly the animation
quality in the latter episode dropped considerably and the end also
felt a bit forced. But still well worth the watch.
Mahou
Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku : The opening scene in Magical Girl
Raising Project made sure to erase any thoughts that this was just
going to be another cutesy mahou shoujo anime. Even though I quite
enjoyed it, and had some teary eyed moments. I can't help but feel
that it's been long enough after Madoka that the magical girl formula
can change again.
Yuri!!!
on Ice : Yuri on Ice had really fun music and well animated
scenes, I really quite enjoyed it, and yet, it is very "gay"
but the homosexual element was done in a bit more tasteful way. It's
not just pure fujoshi trash like "Servamp" for example.
ViVid
Strike! : I love everything connected to the Mahou Shoujo
Lyrical Nanoha franchise so I am a bit biased towards ViVid Strike,
my only misgivings were there were no scenes of Nanoha or Fate..that
being said the fights were really well done.
WWW.Working!!
: Even though it featured an all new cast, an no Inami
(sadface) WWW.Working!! was once again a lot of fun, and a ton
of laughs.
Hibike!
Euphonium S2 : Amazing second season of Hibike! Euph.
Actually tempted to add it to the list of top 5...KyoAni has done it
again.
Stella
no Mahou : Cute girls doing things meets doujin game
creation! and it worked out well. Some jokes did get a bit old after
a while, but Stella no Mahou's cast left me with a smile at the end.
Udon
no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari : One of the top picks form the
last season, I looked forward each week to a new episode of Poco's
randomness. Though I will admit there were quite a few scenes in this
anime that hit hard emotionally.
Occultic;Nine
: An extremely promising anime with great premise and
pacing, that ultimately was let down by it's end.
Gi(a)rlish
Number : This was an anime that left me unsure plenty of
times while watching it, sometimes it was great fun to watch, other
times it was borderline terrible. You won't really miss anything if
you don't watch it.
Brave
Witches : As a huge Strike Witches fan, I was quite excited
for Brave Witches! Even though my hopes weren't exactly matched.
I still ended up enjoying Brave Witches quite a bit, even though
it should have had more Sanya.
Watashi
ga Motete Dousunda : One of the few Reverse Harem anime I
enjoyed this decade so far. It wasn't perfect but it had a ton of
laughs! Sadly the end left us with no real "answer"
Ajin
s2 : I am honestly pleasantly surprised by the second season
of Ajin, I wasn't a fan of the first season, but they really did a
good job of saving it in the second.
Trickster
: What initially seemed to be quite a promsiing anime, got a
bit stale nearing the end. Especially a certain characters "daddy
issues" Second anime based on Edogawa Ranpo's work that I didn't
find that good..must be a sign.
Soushin
Shoujo Matoi : Short, epic, funny, lewd and adorable. Soul
Slayer Matoi turned out to be a lot better than I expected,
Especially nearing the end, though I do feel the 13th episode was a
bit unneeded.
That
concludes my thoughts on the Fall 2016 anime season, How did you feel
about the past season? Were there lots of shows you enjoyed? Or did
you only watch a few? Or haven't started yet? Share your thoughts!
I'm always curious how other people experienced it.
As
a bit of an extra for you. Fate Grand Order looks to be amazing
so keep an eye out for it.
Ps.
Chain Chronicle is trash.
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