01. KAIJU No. 8 (Kaijuu 8-gou) (Ep. 1-10) – After only one single episode, I already cared about Kafka and was convinced of his bond with Reno, even though the two of them just met each other. Week after week, KAIJU No. 8 continues to impress me with well-paced storytelling, detailed world-building, likeable characters, and brilliant humour.
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
02. YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master (Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai) (Ep. 1-8) – There are a lot of characters to keep up with in this historical drama with a fantastical spin, but once you get to know them, it is really engrossing and suspenseful. Basically, a deadly succession battle is going on between supporters of the Kingdom’s 2 princes, and it’s hard to tell who can be taken at face value and who is scheming something. It’s reasonable to suspect that probably everyone except Yukiya has a hidden agenda.
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
03. Unnamed Memory (Ep. 1-10) – Undeniably, this is a pretty troubled adaptation. It seems like they are trying hard to cram an immense amount of story into a span of a single season. It’s actually kind of impressive that this anime is not a total incoherent mess!
In spite of its flaws, I still find I enjoy it a lot, mainly because I’m sold on Oscar and Tinasha. Whereas I often feel nothing for romance shows, such as A SIGN OF AFFECTION or My Happy Marriage as recent examples, I am surprised at how invested I am in this love story!
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
04. Astro Note (Ep. 1-10) – By contrast, the storytelling and plot progression of Astro Note are top notch. The characters are eccentric but endearing, and I believe there are visual clues throughout that hint at future developments of the story.
We only started watching this sci-fi comedy because of Saito Soma hamming it up in the trailer, but it’s looking to be a cute and funny and satisfying series overall.
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
05. OBLIVION BATTERY (Boukyaku Battery) (Ep. 1-9) – Speaking of hamming it up, here we have Miyano Mamoru as the quirky, amnesiac catcher in this baseball anime. OBLIVION BATTERY‘s character art is a little questionable, what with the tiny faces, small heads, and long necks. But the animation is kind of amazing and the show is pretty funny. Some parts, including the opening flashback sequence, are overwhelmingly melodramatic, but I’m going to assume those are meant to be funny too, because I was cracking up!
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
06. Black Butler: Public School Arc (Kuroshitsuji: Kishuku Gakkou-hen) (Ep. 1-5)
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
07. WIND BREAKER (Ep. 1-10) – At the start of the season, this was near the top of the list. The animation was impressive, the characters were likeable, plus omurice!
I was wary though, when Shishitoren came calling and they all matched up for a big fight. Indeed what followed was episode after episode of largely pointless brawling, while our enthusiasm for WIND BREAKER evaporated. It’s basically the opposite problem of Unnamed Memory, in which huge conflicts are wrapped up in half an episode; these small conflicts don’t need to be half a season long.
Also, is it not weird that Furin High School is all plastered over with graffiti? The boys take such good care of their neighborhood; yet their school looks like that?!
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)
08. Vampire Dormitory (Ep. 1-6) – Ah, this one’s pretty bad. It’s laughably ridiculous that Mito’s close contacts can’t figure out that she’s actually a girl; meanwhile a couple of random thugs on the street outed her in seconds! Her wig is so unbelievable! It would have been way less distracting if that was just her real hair.
In one episode, Mito up and leaves in the middle of work and doesn’t go back, and it’s okay? And what about that mixer that 8 people showed up for? Two walked off to speak privately, which was weird because the person they were talking about was actually present at the meeting, and then the mixer was totally forgotten. What kind of writing is this?
Also, how is it that Ren is so much more likeable than lead guy Ruka? Go ahead and count me for Team Ren.
(Streaming at Crunchyroll)