In keeping with tradition, this will serve as my quarterly anime post. However, due to various challenges lately, my anime-ing opportunities have been compromised and only a handful of titles from our viewing list qualify for ranking this time around. I can’t really say if these are necessarily my favourites or not.
1. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) Final Season Part 2 (overall ep. 76-85) - Talk about an overpowered hero! Eren's plan is devastating. By now, friends and enemies alike are thinking of opposing him. But is there any hope? (streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)
2. My Dress-Up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru) (ep. 1-10) - Teenaged otaku introduces fellow high-schooler to the world of cosplay. Heart-warming adventure and romance ensue. (streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)
The next set of shows, the Sōma trio if you will, are high on our priority because we have a Saitō Sōma stan in the house.
3. The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Tensai Ouji no Akaji Kokka Saiseijutsu) (ep. 1-9) (streaming at Funimation)
4. Sasaki and Miyano (Sasaki to Miyano) (ep. 1-9) - Teenaged otaku introduces fellow high-schooler to the world of BL. Heart-warming adventure and romance ensue. (streaming at Funimation)
5. ORIENT (ep. 1-9) (streaming at Crunchyroll)
Other shows I’m fairly keen on:
RANKING OF KINGS (Ousama Ranking) (streaming at Crunchyroll)
Salaryman's Club (Ryman's Club) (streaming at Crunchyroll)
LOVE of KILL (Koroshi Ai) (streaming at Crunchyroll)
Rounding out our list:
Tokyo 24th Ward (Tokyo 24-ku) (ep. 1-7) (streaming at Crunchyroll and Funimation)
Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc (ep. 5-9) (streaming at Crunchyroll)
TRIBE NINE (ep. 1-7) - The OP and ED are great. The actual anime looks to be more style than substance. (streaming at Funimation)
On a side note, I am pleased that a surprising number of shows we’re following this season (Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, TRIBE NINE, ORIENT, Genius Prince, Salaryman’s Club) feature rock songs as their OPs rather than the usual pop tunes. The most notable is the explosive (and explosively successful!) opener for Attack on Titan, “The Rumbling” by SiM. Of course, I was a fan of SiM’s previous theme songs for the other Shingeki series, Rage of Bahamut: Genesis and Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul. (In fact, I would argue that the OP was the single best thing about Genesis.) SiM deserves their success for “The Rumbling,” which is loud and powerful and a perfect fit for the final chapter of Attack on Titan. I recommend checking out the official music video too; it neatly references the show.