We’re a good few episodes in the current summer season, and this is generally the time when I’ve decided on what shows to keep watching, what shows to drop, and sometimes I even pick up a few new ones. This season, all three happened, so an update is definitely in order. Plus, I’ll be going over my thoughts on each new series. I also have a myanimelist, if anyone is interested in my complete list.
I posted earlier about the summer anime I was looking forward to this year, so I’ll start off with which shows I dropped from that list.
To no one’s surprise, I dropped B-Project, haha. I wrote an entire review for the first couple of episodes, and I just didn’t like it enough to keep watching.
I also dropped Orange because I think I might plan on reading the manga at some point. In general, high school settings are not really my thing anymore since I’m not even going to school now, lol. I also read some spoilers that I wasn’t super into.
Lastly, Most Psycho 100. I know, I know. There was a time that I would have kept watching it. And I will. Because even though One’s art style is not really my thing, I find myself liking it anyways. And it’s not the story either, which is pretty cool. The reason I dropped it was because it airs on a day that is inconvenient for me, and I’ve already got other shows on other days, and I just hate switching things around like that. So yeah. Maybe later Mob Psycho 100. I will watch you someday.
And now for the fun part! Shows I kept watching:
91 Days is basically a mafia revenge story. Avilio’s family was murdered when he was young, so he’s taking revenge on the people who killed them.
I really like this show. Good story, really nice voice actors, generally good animation. The one issue, and it’s a personal issue, is that I recently tend to enjoy and seek out light-hearted, non-engaging series during the summer. The only exception to that I can think of is No.6, and that was years ago. So yeah. I wish 91 days aired during the spring and Joker Game aired during the summer, because that would have been perfect for me. I’ve actually put this show on hold (I’m currently 2 episodes in) so that I can properly enjoy it in a couple of months when I want to watch a more serious show like this.
Yeah yeah. Binan Koukou Season 2. The magical boys and their wombat has returned. This season, the student council very conveniently leaves for a trip so that the new bad guys, a pair of twins and their squirrel, can do the villain act.
This is the type of thing I watch in the summer. You don’t even need to pay attention, and I generally put it on in the background so that if I need to do other stuff while I watch it, it’s nbd. Very low stress.
They did change up the transformations and the attacks, as required for a second season, so there’s the upgrade from first season. I do wonder how they’ll tie back the first season’s ending though, since they already found out why they were magical boys. I’m kind of looking forward to finding out what’s up with those weird twin idol things that showed up. (Edit: okay so I watched episode 4, and it now seems kind of obvious what the twins are after??? lmao it’s hilarious)
Whoo, yeah. Go fight win! Cheer Danshi!! is about a group of dudes trying to start an all-male cheerleading club at their university. Most of them are fairly athletic, but novices at cheering and tumbling, but they sure don’t lack spirit.
I like this little twist on a standard sports anime. It’s actually based on a true story about the Waseda University male cheer squad Breakerz, which I thought was really cool. I also like that these guys are in university, which is much closer to my age group. Plus, I’m a fan of the whole forming a new team, gathering members, learning the sport, and creating new relationships sort of thing. A lot of sports anime either have already established teams/team members (like Haikyuu!!) or only need like one more person anyways (like Free!). [Side note: all the exclamation marks though lma0] For some reason, Cheer Danshi gives me an Eyeshield 21 vibe? Even though they are clearly very different in pretty much every way. I don’t know, but Eyeshield 21 is my absolute favorite sports manga ever, and one of my all-time favorite manga in general, so I’m pretty invested in Cheer Danshi at this point.
The prequel (of sorts) to Barakamon, Handa-kun follows Handa in high school. It’s a daily life gag comedy kind of show. Everyone loves Handa but he thinks that every one hates him. We see Handa being even more social inept than in Barakamon, but with none of the charm of the village kids.
I’m actually on the verge of dropping this show, and I think I will. First, I’ve already read the manga, so I have no need to watch the anime. I also don’t like the manga enough to watch the anime. And finally, I love Barakamon very very much, but my favorite characters were the island squad, not Handa himself, so I don’t have all that much of an interest in his high school life. Sorry, Handa.
The foodgasms have returned. Shokugeki no Souma Season 2 starts right off with the main Autumn tournament thing that they left off on in season 1. There are going to be 7 matches, and we’ve already gone through like half of them. I’m guessing they’re going to focus a bit more on the food prep and judging. Or at least, I hope, because the food prep is my favorite part.
I literally watch this show just to see the beautiful food and my goddess Megumi. Like that’s it. (I love Megumi so much. Please marry me.) I’ve already read the manga, so I don’t have to pay too much attention to it when I watch. another one of those background-friendly shows. It’s great.
And finally, Tsukiuta. the Animation. I also reviewed this two episodes in along with B-Project. I’m still watching it, and it does seem to have settled into a few members get the spotlight each episode pattern.
Yet again, it’s another one of those watch in the background shows. (I told you I tend to not engage in the summer.) Everything is still pretty cliche. Not anything exciting.
I have started developing favorites though. I still can’t tell who’s who, but Haru is my fave. I can always tell who he is because he’s the only one who wears glasses, lol. I seem to be favoring Six Gravity in general actually. Ahhhh why can’t they make an anime for the girls~~
I usually don’t pick up shows that I didn’t plan on watching during the new season. But Mari Bel, who commented on my review for B-Pro and Tsukiuta, recommended a few additional shows that I checked out, so for a first time in a while, I started watching new shows after the first round of episodes.
Amaama to Inazuma is a sweet show, like its name implies. It’s about a father who doesn’t know how to cook and his 5-year-old daughter. They recently lost the mom, so they’ve been living on frozen and convenience store food for a few months. And then they go to a restaurant owned by the family of one of his students and they make food and stuff. It’s very heart-warming and all that.
I do like this show to an extent. The reason I didn’t want to start watching this show was the whole high school girl thing; I’m still suspicious about it, though it looks like the show is not going to turn in that direction at all. I really really hope it doesn’t. The only character I really like is Tsumugi, the little girl. She’s very cute, and is voiced by the kid who voiced Hina in Barakamon. So whenever I watch an episode, I usually skip the parts if she’s not there, and just watch the food prep parts. Am I missing a lot? Yeah. Do I care? Not really. I’m just not all that personally interested in the father-daughter relationship development, but I do think it’s cute.
Last but certainly not least, Fukigen no Mononokean. This might actually end up becoming my favorite show this season (though this season overall isn’t looking super great tbh). It’s about a high school kid (ugh) who can see youkai and ends up working for his classmate who’s an exorcist(?). They guide youkai back to the underworld.
This is kind of like xxxHolic? I’ve also heard some comparisons to a more light-hearted and colorful Mushishi. I’m not sure how I missed this one when I was looking at this season’s previews, because it’s the kind of show I would have picked up from the beginning. And I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s just a nice, fairly normal, well-voiced show that you can enjoy in your downtime. It’s engaging enough that I pay attention to the entire episode, but you also don’t have to think too much. Perfect for summertime. It’s visually very nice too. The color and general tone is very to my taste.
And that’s it for this season. I might eventually get around to Arslan Senki when I can get over Arakawa’s character designs (not a big fan). I almost picked up Days and Battery, because they’re sports anime, but I wasn’t into the Days manga and I’m not into baseball, so I only picked up Cheer Danshi this season. Not much of a chance I’ll go back.
I’m actually really really looking forward to fall season, because Yuri on Ice will be airing!!!! The PV is so beautiful, and Mappa also did Zankyou no Terror, so I have very high hopes. I can’t wait.
Cheers o(〃＾▽＾〃)o
Alice's Adventures in Adultland 