fall 2019 review
to be honest, I started this season without too much of a list (a distinct departure from summer's whole ass load), and only finished this season with an even smaller list (due to real life), so be prepared for a genuinely unimpressive seasonal wrap up.
An added list here is ON HOLD, because some of these i legitmately have not had time to catch up and really properly finish but i'll publish this anyway because i can.
finished
Chuubyo Gekihatsu Boy
Honestly this was a big ass sleeper hit of the season. like, i don't know why it wasn't more popular because goddamn episode 2 is genuinely my favorite comedic moments from literally any show. this was supposed to be based off some song (there's another anime out there which was similar and they kinda like, make a whole plot out of those niconico songs) but this was legit good. with a cast of like, 5 boys (the crazy athletic power ranger one, the 2D idol otaku, the furry tsundere, the westaboo and the classic medieval magic obsessed chunni) plus the straight man hijiri, the whole show kinda plays mainly into a slice of life/comedy where stuff happens and hijinks ensue, and while the first episode didn't make me laugh and the back half of the show kinda drags a little, there are some honest, genuine lovely moments (mostly thanks to the sheer presence of Kazuhiro Nakamura/Ryuushouin Touga, in which every time he shows up and pulls his sheer dramatic bullshit and everyone just goes along with it, made me cackle every time.) and pulled me through right till the end. definitely an underrated comedy from this season (and 70% of this rec is based off the sheer hilarity of episode 2 and nakamura's existence).
Beastars
i have a full review here. however, long story short, the anime itself is a pretty good adaption of the manga, and i full on reviewed this whole show just so i could go to the anime cafe (which was super cute and i will post a review on that later probably).
the CGI is done well and i think my favorite part about the anime is the voice acting, the VA's for legoshi and louis are fantastic, and the OST slaps so hard.
the story itself is interesting though, and while it's not exactly what i expected from the premise alone, it's something that i think is super original and interesting and uncommon within anime, which is probably why its gotten so many recommendations and hype reviews. the uniqueness of the anime aside, it is a solid story and definitely worth checking out.
Hataage! Kemono Michi
fans of konosuba will recognize the author of this series, because they were written by the same author. the anime is fun though, it's definitely not as manic and crazy as konosuba, but they poke fun at the same lil tropes of isekais (shirehime shout out) and there are some funny laugh out loud moments. while it doesn't quite live up to konosuba, and i highly doubt it ever will, if you like the same genre and vein of satirical isekais with a heavy dose of madness and delirium, this is definitely a strong contender in the wrestling ring of seasonal animes.
Keishichou Tokumubu Tokushu Kyouakuhan Taisakushitsu Dainanaka: Tokunana
A fun and underwatched show IMO. with a blend of hakata ramen, cop craft and occult midnight civil servants, it's an anime original which centered around a very straight laced MC and his kinda off key police partner, and they take down a terrorist organization. a solid show, with fun moments and a cool cast, and one that i genuinely enjoyed watching. not sure why this didn't get more attention, but i find that these mystery/cop ones don't seem to be as liked in the general comm because there's not really a big audience for this genre. I liked it tho, not particularly amazing but it was good.
Kono Oto Tomare! 2nd Season
Also picking up where first season left off, the strands of romance come back in full force while these lil sweethearts try to get to nationals. If you enjoyed the first season you'll probably be back for more with this one. it's a solid watch, but it is a lil slower paced than most shows. It's only the one cour anyway.
Anyway I went back and finished it and holy fucking shit bro this show - ok sans the romance that everyone seemed to love, the really important part was the PAY OFF of this goddamn show man, and it's the first time I've heard the piece Tenkyuu but holy shit I think I lost my mind. The whole performance was incredible - and the 8 minutes of that show were the most emotionally driven and most satisfying payoff I've ever experienced in a music anime - also because they never really put the music as a priority, it's always more of the character development with this show. But yeah, listen, if you watch this whole show, you can watch it for the cute lil romance/character development... and be awarded with the most beautiful song. 10/10 payoff.
Dr. Stone
It's fun. I mentioned this in a previous review, and I can tell you solidly that this show continues to give you a good dose of fun, and stays true to the source material and now has a second season too. If you liked the first cour, and you liked the sound of my previous review, i can tell you that the quality of this show is solid and steady and continues to be great.
on hold until further notice
Hoshiai no Sora
let me explain why i've put this... 'on hold until further notice'. so, this to me, was one of the best anime of the fucking season - until that complete horse shit that the company pulled (not really their fault, i think it was a funding thing?). basically, a show that was originally meant to be 24 episodes, was cut down because of.. some reason, either funding or lack of popularity or something, and was cut down to 12 episodes. thanks to the (correct) jugement of the creator, they elected to instead, cut off the anime at 12 episode and eventually - potentially - await more funding for a second cour instead of rushing the show and making it a shit show because they were told to change it under pressure - and for that i genuinely applaud whoever's decision it was to do this because i'd rather have an amazing half written show, and a shit hastily written full one. so this is.... in all senses of the word, properly, 'on hold.'
this to me, was kinda like, the younger version of run with the wind, except with tennis instead of running, and touched on so many incredible and heart warming topics. from discussions about adoption, parental abuse, helicopter parenting, growing up and pursuing your dreams, gender identity and school life, this show was such a beautiful and nuanced display of the fragile and beautiful parts of growing up and being a teenager and trying to find yourself within the vast amounts of bullshit that the world heaps on you. anyone who knows me, knows that i love a realistic take on real issues, and this basically was gorgeous animation heaped on with beautiful boys you wanted to protect (maki is a gorgeous sticker on my laptop rn).
to be honest, i am genuinely sad that i wasn't able to see the completion of this anime and all it had to offer, and for that reason i'm putting this under on hold, because there's no other way to really assess this show. it's not finished, but it's not ongoing because there's no promise of more, but i won't say it's complete because i can't tell you how good this could/would have been until i see the whole thing - despite really loving it, because i've seen great shows shafted before (carole and tuesday is a good example of a second cour really letting down the whole team).
i genuinely hope that there will be a second part to this, because i love all my children in this show and i want them all to be happy and i want more of how well some of the issues were presented in this show.
public plea for more. thanks.
Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai!
part 2 of the infamous, we never study because we're all madly in love with our tutor (including the risque teacher plot line.) the show itself isn't bad, it's got cute moments and comedic moments, but i can't say that this is notably funny or notably interesting, but more of a cute way to pass the time. if you like harem and girls, maybe this is the show for you?
Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tsueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru
a good show. arguably, done much funnier and more interesting than its source material (a light novel). the premise gives a good old laugh, and yeah the MC is super hot, and the voice acting from our resident goddess is top tier.
Shokugeki no Souma: Shin no Sara
the same kinda ass tier flat animation from last season of this show. i've already finished the manga (and had Some Thoughts), but this is arguably the best sort of final arc of the material (and as far as im concerned, the last arc doesnt fucking exist), so fans of this show will probably enjoy watching this last instalment of the series. nothing really of note tbh.
Ore wo Suki nano wa Omae dake ka yo
look. i have some fucking thoughts about this show, but about half of them are wondering, do i really want to finish this series?
the first episode of this series was filled with promise, because the premise itself is like a deconstruction/parody/satirical take on the concept of harem animes, with a self aware MC doing everything he can to get the student prez, his childhood friend to fall in love with him, and then that all backfires on him. first episode, really great stuff. however, if we based all animes off first episodes alone, SAO would not have been the steaming garbage heap we have today, so we can't fucking do that. the end of this series just takes a big fat dump on what the initial premise was, by turning into the very thing it had sworn to mock, playing up the cliches, giving the MC the harem we all thought was bullshit, and there's nothing more sad than a sell out hypocrite.
having read the manga because i wanted to know what happened before the anime even really kicked off, i was already kinda disappointed by what happened, and couldn't really find the enthusiasm to keep watching. maybe some people might enjoy this show, but the genuine 180 of the show's tone was a bit of a kick in the teeth for me.
Enen no Shouboutai
I like the manga - and after having read all of the source material, the anime is just a solid adaptation of the source material, as far as i can tell. i don't feel I watched enough of the anime to justify giving the show a solid mark, but the manga is interesting, and I've talked about this before.
ongoing
Ahiru no Sora
i actually picked this up relatively late and only because someone wanted to watch a Basketball anime instead of volleyball (fuck you haikyuu is the best tho) but anyway I was actually weirdly impressed by this?
Kabukichou Sherlock
This is really fun! an original that draws heavily from the original arthur conan doyle series but also with a mad creative colorful dash of japanese culture, it definitely is an amazing way of transforming old works into new and fun ways. highly rec for mystery fans, and also fans of sherlock. it's a solid show and pretty underrated imo.
Chihayafuru 3
i was a pretty big fan of this series when it first came out, and then we waited ... far too long for this third series. it picks up exactly where it left off, but because it's been so long i'd suggest rewatching the old episodes before you jump back into this. very solidly a typical josei, and it's not quite as fun as a shounen sport anime, but not quite as starry eyed as a shoujo show, it's just high schoolers growing up. there's a sort of understated passion to this show, but the slowness of the show itself doesn't particularly thrill me.
dropped
Choujin Koukousei-tachi wa Isekai demo Yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu! - genuinely one of the worst shows i've watched in my life, and i honestly could not make it through the third episode because it wasn't even like.... well, if i had the time to watch this i probably would have sat through this just to see HOW bad it really was? but because i didnt, i just ended up dropping it. it was just like, weirdly inept at being like, any type of suspension of disbelief, it was just oddly like, we just have 7 characters who are superhumanly adept at everything except there's this odd contrived plot which borders a lil bit on weird.. anyway it was pretty much more underwhelming than most isekais, so yeah. dropped that.
Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen
oddly enough, this was really well received on r/anime, but i can't confess to enjoying this show - also this has like a 8.07 on MAL ? the premise is like, this little girl dies and her soul gets replaced by some bookworm and then she ...makes books i guess. idk, the whole general plot line to me was low key really boring, so i dropped it.
Val x Love
What the fuck was this. Just some weird looking dude and a harem and some bad plot. no. do not watch. avoid at all costs.
Houkago Saikoro Club
CGDCT. Not a bad show, just dull and i don't like board or table top games.
Vinland Saga
I've talked about this before because this was a 2 cour show. it is good, but it's just not for me.
An added list here is ON HOLD, because some of these i legitmately have not had time to catch up and really properly finish but i'll publish this anyway because i can.
finished
Chuubyo Gekihatsu Boy
Honestly this was a big ass sleeper hit of the season. like, i don't know why it wasn't more popular because goddamn episode 2 is genuinely my favorite comedic moments from literally any show. this was supposed to be based off some song (there's another anime out there which was similar and they kinda like, make a whole plot out of those niconico songs) but this was legit good. with a cast of like, 5 boys (the crazy athletic power ranger one, the 2D idol otaku, the furry tsundere, the westaboo and the classic medieval magic obsessed chunni) plus the straight man hijiri, the whole show kinda plays mainly into a slice of life/comedy where stuff happens and hijinks ensue, and while the first episode didn't make me laugh and the back half of the show kinda drags a little, there are some honest, genuine lovely moments (mostly thanks to the sheer presence of Kazuhiro Nakamura/Ryuushouin Touga, in which every time he shows up and pulls his sheer dramatic bullshit and everyone just goes along with it, made me cackle every time.) and pulled me through right till the end. definitely an underrated comedy from this season (and 70% of this rec is based off the sheer hilarity of episode 2 and nakamura's existence).
Beastars
i have a full review here. however, long story short, the anime itself is a pretty good adaption of the manga, and i full on reviewed this whole show just so i could go to the anime cafe (which was super cute and i will post a review on that later probably).
the CGI is done well and i think my favorite part about the anime is the voice acting, the VA's for legoshi and louis are fantastic, and the OST slaps so hard.
the story itself is interesting though, and while it's not exactly what i expected from the premise alone, it's something that i think is super original and interesting and uncommon within anime, which is probably why its gotten so many recommendations and hype reviews. the uniqueness of the anime aside, it is a solid story and definitely worth checking out.
Hataage! Kemono Michi
fans of konosuba will recognize the author of this series, because they were written by the same author. the anime is fun though, it's definitely not as manic and crazy as konosuba, but they poke fun at the same lil tropes of isekais (shirehime shout out) and there are some funny laugh out loud moments. while it doesn't quite live up to konosuba, and i highly doubt it ever will, if you like the same genre and vein of satirical isekais with a heavy dose of madness and delirium, this is definitely a strong contender in the wrestling ring of seasonal animes.
Keishichou Tokumubu Tokushu Kyouakuhan Taisakushitsu Dainanaka: Tokunana
A fun and underwatched show IMO. with a blend of hakata ramen, cop craft and occult midnight civil servants, it's an anime original which centered around a very straight laced MC and his kinda off key police partner, and they take down a terrorist organization. a solid show, with fun moments and a cool cast, and one that i genuinely enjoyed watching. not sure why this didn't get more attention, but i find that these mystery/cop ones don't seem to be as liked in the general comm because there's not really a big audience for this genre. I liked it tho, not particularly amazing but it was good.
Kono Oto Tomare! 2nd Season
Also picking up where first season left off, the strands of romance come back in full force while these lil sweethearts try to get to nationals. If you enjoyed the first season you'll probably be back for more with this one. it's a solid watch, but it is a lil slower paced than most shows. It's only the one cour anyway.
Anyway I went back and finished it and holy fucking shit bro this show - ok sans the romance that everyone seemed to love, the really important part was the PAY OFF of this goddamn show man, and it's the first time I've heard the piece Tenkyuu but holy shit I think I lost my mind. The whole performance was incredible - and the 8 minutes of that show were the most emotionally driven and most satisfying payoff I've ever experienced in a music anime - also because they never really put the music as a priority, it's always more of the character development with this show. But yeah, listen, if you watch this whole show, you can watch it for the cute lil romance/character development... and be awarded with the most beautiful song. 10/10 payoff.
Dr. Stone
It's fun. I mentioned this in a previous review, and I can tell you solidly that this show continues to give you a good dose of fun, and stays true to the source material and now has a second season too. If you liked the first cour, and you liked the sound of my previous review, i can tell you that the quality of this show is solid and steady and continues to be great.
on hold until further notice
Hoshiai no Sora
let me explain why i've put this... 'on hold until further notice'. so, this to me, was one of the best anime of the fucking season - until that complete horse shit that the company pulled (not really their fault, i think it was a funding thing?). basically, a show that was originally meant to be 24 episodes, was cut down because of.. some reason, either funding or lack of popularity or something, and was cut down to 12 episodes. thanks to the (correct) jugement of the creator, they elected to instead, cut off the anime at 12 episode and eventually - potentially - await more funding for a second cour instead of rushing the show and making it a shit show because they were told to change it under pressure - and for that i genuinely applaud whoever's decision it was to do this because i'd rather have an amazing half written show, and a shit hastily written full one. so this is.... in all senses of the word, properly, 'on hold.'
this to me, was kinda like, the younger version of run with the wind, except with tennis instead of running, and touched on so many incredible and heart warming topics. from discussions about adoption, parental abuse, helicopter parenting, growing up and pursuing your dreams, gender identity and school life, this show was such a beautiful and nuanced display of the fragile and beautiful parts of growing up and being a teenager and trying to find yourself within the vast amounts of bullshit that the world heaps on you. anyone who knows me, knows that i love a realistic take on real issues, and this basically was gorgeous animation heaped on with beautiful boys you wanted to protect (maki is a gorgeous sticker on my laptop rn).
to be honest, i am genuinely sad that i wasn't able to see the completion of this anime and all it had to offer, and for that reason i'm putting this under on hold, because there's no other way to really assess this show. it's not finished, but it's not ongoing because there's no promise of more, but i won't say it's complete because i can't tell you how good this could/would have been until i see the whole thing - despite really loving it, because i've seen great shows shafted before (carole and tuesday is a good example of a second cour really letting down the whole team).
i genuinely hope that there will be a second part to this, because i love all my children in this show and i want them all to be happy and i want more of how well some of the issues were presented in this show.
public plea for more. thanks.
Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai!
part 2 of the infamous, we never study because we're all madly in love with our tutor (including the risque teacher plot line.) the show itself isn't bad, it's got cute moments and comedic moments, but i can't say that this is notably funny or notably interesting, but more of a cute way to pass the time. if you like harem and girls, maybe this is the show for you?
Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tsueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru
a good show. arguably, done much funnier and more interesting than its source material (a light novel). the premise gives a good old laugh, and yeah the MC is super hot, and the voice acting from our resident goddess is top tier.
Shokugeki no Souma: Shin no Sara
the same kinda ass tier flat animation from last season of this show. i've already finished the manga (and had Some Thoughts), but this is arguably the best sort of final arc of the material (and as far as im concerned, the last arc doesnt fucking exist), so fans of this show will probably enjoy watching this last instalment of the series. nothing really of note tbh.
Ore wo Suki nano wa Omae dake ka yo
look. i have some fucking thoughts about this show, but about half of them are wondering, do i really want to finish this series?
the first episode of this series was filled with promise, because the premise itself is like a deconstruction/parody/satirical take on the concept of harem animes, with a self aware MC doing everything he can to get the student prez, his childhood friend to fall in love with him, and then that all backfires on him. first episode, really great stuff. however, if we based all animes off first episodes alone, SAO would not have been the steaming garbage heap we have today, so we can't fucking do that. the end of this series just takes a big fat dump on what the initial premise was, by turning into the very thing it had sworn to mock, playing up the cliches, giving the MC the harem we all thought was bullshit, and there's nothing more sad than a sell out hypocrite.
having read the manga because i wanted to know what happened before the anime even really kicked off, i was already kinda disappointed by what happened, and couldn't really find the enthusiasm to keep watching. maybe some people might enjoy this show, but the genuine 180 of the show's tone was a bit of a kick in the teeth for me.
Enen no Shouboutai
I like the manga - and after having read all of the source material, the anime is just a solid adaptation of the source material, as far as i can tell. i don't feel I watched enough of the anime to justify giving the show a solid mark, but the manga is interesting, and I've talked about this before.
ongoing
Ahiru no Sora
i actually picked this up relatively late and only because someone wanted to watch a Basketball anime instead of volleyball (fuck you haikyuu is the best tho) but anyway I was actually weirdly impressed by this?
Kabukichou Sherlock
This is really fun! an original that draws heavily from the original arthur conan doyle series but also with a mad creative colorful dash of japanese culture, it definitely is an amazing way of transforming old works into new and fun ways. highly rec for mystery fans, and also fans of sherlock. it's a solid show and pretty underrated imo.
Chihayafuru 3
i was a pretty big fan of this series when it first came out, and then we waited ... far too long for this third series. it picks up exactly where it left off, but because it's been so long i'd suggest rewatching the old episodes before you jump back into this. very solidly a typical josei, and it's not quite as fun as a shounen sport anime, but not quite as starry eyed as a shoujo show, it's just high schoolers growing up. there's a sort of understated passion to this show, but the slowness of the show itself doesn't particularly thrill me.
dropped
Choujin Koukousei-tachi wa Isekai demo Yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu! - genuinely one of the worst shows i've watched in my life, and i honestly could not make it through the third episode because it wasn't even like.... well, if i had the time to watch this i probably would have sat through this just to see HOW bad it really was? but because i didnt, i just ended up dropping it. it was just like, weirdly inept at being like, any type of suspension of disbelief, it was just oddly like, we just have 7 characters who are superhumanly adept at everything except there's this odd contrived plot which borders a lil bit on weird.. anyway it was pretty much more underwhelming than most isekais, so yeah. dropped that.
Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen
oddly enough, this was really well received on r/anime, but i can't confess to enjoying this show - also this has like a 8.07 on MAL ? the premise is like, this little girl dies and her soul gets replaced by some bookworm and then she ...makes books i guess. idk, the whole general plot line to me was low key really boring, so i dropped it.
Val x Love
What the fuck was this. Just some weird looking dude and a harem and some bad plot. no. do not watch. avoid at all costs.
Houkago Saikoro Club
CGDCT. Not a bad show, just dull and i don't like board or table top games.
Vinland Saga
I've talked about this before because this was a 2 cour show. it is good, but it's just not for me.
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