Obviously my most anticipated series this season is Mahouka, but some comments on the rest:
Sequels: Black Butler: Public School Arc, Date A Live V, Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc, The Duke of Death and His Maid S3, Hibike Euphonium S3, The Idolm@ster Shiny Colors, The Irregular at Magical High School S3, Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya S2, Konosuba S3, Mahjong Soul Kan, My Hero Academia S3, Mistfit of Demon King Academy S2 Part 2, Mushoku Tensei S2 Part 2, Shinkalion Change the World, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S3, Touken Ranbu Kai Kyoden, Yuru Camp S3
37. The Fable
Bored me out of my mind.
36. High Speed Etoile
Boring. And ugly.
35. Tonbo!
The only sport I hate more than baseball. Birdie Wing this is not.
34. Tonari no Yokai-san
Kids show.
33. The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases
This one was soooo half assed.
32. Rinkai!
Cute girls do cycling. You know how much I love sports.
31. Vampire Dormitory
Gay vampires. Not my thing.
30. Tadaima, Okaeri
This was sooo boring and I was ready to dismiss it as a happy BL family story. But there were some odd references to discrimination about alphas and omegas. I asked twitter about this and apparently this is an entire extended universe called “omegaverse” I have never heard of based on wolves where people tie their penises in knots and have self-lubricating anuses. Now why did this anime decide to focus on this stupid baby when they have so much interesting material to work with?
29. The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio
There was that other radio show recently (Wave, Listen to Me) that was quite good. This… was not. Very weak characterization.
28. Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master
Palace drama. Apothecary Diaries this is not.
27. Oblivion Battery
You probably know my feelings on baseball by this point. Honestly seemed pretty ok if you don’t despise baseball like I do.
26. Gods’ Games We Play
I might still watch it but this first episode sucked. The game is sheer idiocy and the characters explain all their actions to the audience like the audience is full of idiots too.
25. Wind Breaker
Honestly, good first episode. Lots of movement in the action scenes. Did a good job of establishing the main character. But these high school fighting shows are not my thing. I even tried with Bucchigiri last season (inspired by the crazy brocon) but sadly I couldn’t make it far and dropped it.
24. Viral Hit
Publicly humiliating youtubers. I do appreciate how everyone in this show is trash…
23. Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included
Kind of cute I guess. Too sweet and happy and a bit dull for me.
22. Blue Archive The Animation
Probably the best animated show this season, but totally fluff and not my thing. There are so many good shows this season I’m not going to bother.
21. As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World
Decent but fairly run of the mill isekai. Main twist is the main character finds all the other overpowered characters and gets them to work for him.
20. An Archdemon’s Dillema: How to Love Your Elf Bride
Along the lines of my anticipation for Mahouka, I do have to watch any anime with slavery just to see how bad it can get. Sadly hasn’t been too bad yet.
19. The New Gate
Seems like a pretty standard isekai, except the entire plot of sword art online happened in the first five minutes but Kirito never left home, slept for 500 years and all the NPCs became sentient. Strange but whatever.
18. Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again
Nonstop stereotypes of old people. But, I did enjoy it. I especially like the kids honestly.
17. Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers
I was ready to dismiss this as another boring isekai of the exact same variety until there was a little bit of a twist at the end. Intrigued enough to try the next episode at least.
16. Unnamed Memory
Cute albeit a little slow. Interesting enough to give the second episode a shot. The competition is tough this season…
15. Re: Monster
This is very much an isekai with monsters and leveling up but it was different enough to make me interested to keep going with the main character being a monster and teaming up with the other monsters.
14. Whisper Me a Love Song
Not sure I’ll continue with this one, if only because the artwork in the manga is gorgeous and the artwork in the anime is pretty average. So I was disappointed. The music was better than I expected, surprisingly. I do highly recommend the manga though…
13. Mission: Yozakura Family
Fun first episode. Suspect it might come to feel a bit childish and repetitive though.
12. A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics
Reverse isekai. Fun first episode.
11. Bartender Glass of God
I… liked this? I hate bars and drinking so I am surprised. Pretty good first episode though. The three main characters all have a lot of personality.
10. Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets Wolf
… why….? It was still good though. Although I don’t think it was particularly better than the original so not sure what the point is. Has been a while though.
9. A Condition Called Love
Whoa. I really like both the lead characters. In some ways they’re the stereotypical shoujo romance leads, but in some other ways (mainly their views of romance) they are assuredly not. I hope they stay that way and don’t just “learn more about love” and become like everybody else in the genre.
8. Mysterious Disappearances
I suspect this will turn into the mystery of the week format which I am not too fond of, but it was a good first episode. Like how the leads are not your typical lead characters.
7. I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability
This seems like such a typical, trashy isekai story, but it’s just so well made??? I really enjoyed the first episode.
6. Go! Go! Loser Ranger!
I had no interest in this from the title but a shockingly good first episode. Reminds of Samurai Flamenco / Tiger and Bunny vaguely. Also love the ranger girl who looks extremely evil.
5. Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night
Woah. What a great first episode. Some excellent character development. I just hope they didn’t frontload all the good parts. I’m a bit skeptical they can keep on this level for an entire season.
4. Astro Note
Oh. Yes please. Give me more of this. Great sense of humor and pacing, very distinctive more “cartoony” style. Loved the first episode.
3. Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju guts cleanup crew. This ruled. Also this is a childhood friends setup I can get behind. Can’t wait for her to try to murder him with the help of her pet tiger.
2. Train to the End of the World
This season is amazing.
1. Girls Band Cry
Holy shit this fucking ruled. Great CG, amazing characterizations and even some the music worked out well. Seems like it might even surpass MyGO.
It might be a bit obvious, but I feel like them picking that particular material for an omegaverse thing (which I guess there might be others in the manga/LN scene?) is because if they do the 18+, that tanks their chances of getting wider access.
18+ stuff, in my experience, usually remains pretty obscure and only survives by a niche group constantly funneling money into the projects, which often are relegated to short form series at that, there was a boom for a few years, starting with one about a lady that learned an old high school boy is set to inherit his parent’s Buddhist temple and has to find a wife. “On a Lustful Night Mingling with a Priest” from 2017 (manga’s still going)
Hi draggle, you were right, Girls Band Cry rules. Thanks for bringing it up!
Glad you enjoyed it!