Talking about all the Anime I watched this year [2022] - Part 2
Continuing onto the next several entries of this list. Come to think of it, I should probably try and tackle these in chunks come next year. With the way I have consumed media in these last few months, I do not remember what I thought of certain pieces of media in detail anymore- the ones that generally didn't leave too much of an impression on me, anyway. Alright here we go.
- Star Wars: Vision - Oh man, this was fun...mostly. A multi studio collaboration consisting of 9 bespoke self contained episodes, Visions is the best and worst of star wars. With a really mediocre first 2 episodes, an extremely cheesy but bonkers episode 3 by trigger called "The Twins" which asks the very bold question "what if kill la kill... but star wars", Visions begins off proper. Episode 4 through 9 (with the exception of 6) being the series' highlights.
Out of these "The Village bride" is an excellent slow burn showcasing the cultures and traditions in the backdrop of a building sense of dread that culminates in a climactic action sequence and pay off. "The Elder" showcases what good buildup can mean when it comes to really well done action sequences as it's opening half comes together to build up one of the best action sequence of the series. Finally, "Akakiri" feels novel in the way it takes a fairly standard premise but flips it on it's head at the end- making the characters seem a bit more grey in it's otherwise binary world. - Your lie in April - My thoughts on this show are a bit complicated but if you put a gun to my head I would definitely show a strong sense of loathing towards this piece of media. If you want to read extensively about what I thought of this piece because hoo boy, I have a lot to talk about it, you can read it here. In short, I think this is a deeply flawed piece of media with heavy-handed writing, a piss poor understanding and portrayal of music and deeply questionable story choices. It is currently my litmus test to understand whether I can trust the words of people who have watched anime.
- Erased - Erased is a fascinating piece of work. Primarily, a murder mystery that double crosses you with a delayed twist(with the full knowledge of the plot, not just the train wreck of the anime ending) but more interestingly, a surprisingly touching rendition of what it would be like to relive your past self and what you would end up changing in the process. While my thoughts on the narrative as a whole, atleast in context of the anime, are mixed, I think all the narrative beats that take place in the past are excellent and emotionally evocative. The present timeline events often felt a tad bit contrived and more a means to push the story towards it's more interesting parts instead. And of course, there's the infamous ending. I am not one to diss shows about their endings but the fact that it completely undercuts any kind of character the main antagonist would have had whilst turning him into a comically evil character with no context whatsoever is just very funny to me. I wish the anime had a few more episodes to flesh out it's ending a bit more but I am still okay with the fact that they didn't the compromise the past segments because of it.
- Rascal does not dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - Now we are getting to the good stuff. This is one of my favorite shows of this year by a long shot and you have no idea how much it takes for me to not fanboy about it constantly. BGS' is a monogatari-like. Now what do I mean by that? Well it's part of the niche sub genre of stories that deal with real life problems with an exaggerated lens. The lens here being "Adolescence Syndrome" that accentuates everyone's problems to a degree where they need to face it for themselves. Shows like these always carry the theme of "the only one who can help you is yourself" and BGS is no exception to this as it's 5 character arcs are all based around the various social anxieties we face. The fear of being lost from everyone's memories, conflicting desires, peer pressure and so much more. It's exceptionally well written, has some of the best cast chemistry as the dialogue feels like a battle of who gets the metaphorical "up, yours" over the other and it's so so good. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
- Rascal does not dream of a dreaming girl - I had to make a separate entry for this because this movie broke me. Dealing with our main character Sakuta and his past as he faces the choice of who he cares for the most, the movie is yet another testament to the strength of good character writing and narrative planning because the narrative roots of the show culminate in the movie and it's fucking incredible. This movie left me a quivering mess and goddammit I am not ashamed of that.
- Kill la Kill - This show is almost as barmy as the plot of 13 sentinels and I mean that in the best possible way. What starts off as an extremely anime show about a girl with revealing clothes beating the shit out of people and undressing them in fights to challenge the student council presidents escalates into a galactic scale battle with the fate of humanity at stake. And I fucking LOVE IT SO MUCH OH MY GOD. It's a show that constantly plays with your perception and pulls twist after twist when you least expect it. It has surprisingly well thought out characters and while it never shies away from serious drama, it knows the tone it keeps and manages to be a fun ride throughout.
- Plastic Memories - I am quite fond of this show for reasons I am not quite sure of. It wastes it's extremely interesting contemporary cyberpunk premise that could have dealt with so much more than it does here but I can't help but still like it a lot. Perhaps it's *because* it decides to shy away from those ideas and use it's world to focus on it's central theme of impermanence. From the start of the show we know that one of the main character's is an android, who for all intents are humans with a 10 year lifespan before their memories are reset. So it becomes a tale of inevitable tragedy as she grows as a character and gets over her shortcomings and enjoys her life to the fullest. It's beautifully presented, well written and accomplishes what it wants to do beautifully. I can't fault it for that.
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - On one hand I want to say "YES, THIS IS WHAT SLICE OF LIFE SHOWS SHOULD ASPIRE TO BE", on the other hand I look at endless eight and some very questionable episodes in the mix and think that maybe no, I do not in fact want shows to be quite like this. There's a lot to like about this show, from it's snarky lead- Kyon, everyone's favorite tsundere/deity Haruhi and a quirky cast of characters to it's hilarious arcs and insane shenanigans. But oh so often it's just pointless fluff and stuff that wastes your time that it becomes hard to recommend the show as a whole. At best, it's a show with really interesting ideas that elevates the Slice of Life genre to new heights, at it's worst it commits the cardinal sin of wasting the audience's time.
- Toradora! - One of the classic examples of good romcoms cited by most anime fans. Even people who aren't into this genre seem to have atleast watched it. I can thus confirm after watching that it indeed is really quite good. It's well written, has a well developed cast of characters that get their own satisfying arcs and conclusions and the main couple are an absolute joy to watch all the way through. It doesn't reinvent the genre in any meaningful way but it is romcom at it's best.
- The disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya - I wasn't prepared to experience the cinematic masterpiece that is this movie. Clocking in as the longest anime movie to date, the movie is a very slow burn as it builds up the intrigue of it's premise- a world where Haruhi doesn't exist and Kyon is free to live his life as the recluse that he always was. The movie explores the character of Kyon in a way the show never does. The arc he goes on to search his way back to his own world as he realizes that he feels incomplete without Haruhi and her insane shenanigans is masterfully done and shows a side of Kyon that we never get to see in the show itself. His hopeless desperation and love for Haruhi comes through even without him saying any of it. The tone, atmosphere and visuals of the movie complements some of the best VA work I have had the pleasure of listening to and as the narrative slowly unfolds and the twists start hitting, I was hit by the realization that this movie alone makes experiencing all of the show completely worth it.
- Tsurezure Children - A frankly underrated show consisting of 12 episode shorts that cover the lives of several young couples in various states of relationships. The idea in itself is quite novel but in execution it works out really well too. It's quite fun to watch all the unique students in the class as they interact and have cute interactions with each other. From the unrequited love couple, the cutesy couple with one's head on the other's lap, the couple seeing them and wishing they could be them, the passive aggressive couple, the mutually-tsun couple and so many more- Tsurezure Children is a fun side show and worth a watch.
- Beyond the Boundary, Beyond the Boundary: I'll be here - I really REALLY like this show. It's one of the very few shows that I have revisited in these last 4 months. Not because it's a must-watch or because it's particularly good but because it tickles me in just the right ways in terms of what I seek from slice of life shows. Taking place in a contemporary setting with fantasy elements, BtB is a show about the bond between the immortal half-shade Akihito and the spirit warrior Kuriyama first and foremost. While not immediately obvious as the show takes it's time establishing Kuriyama's past, the rest of the cast's backstory, motivations and the narrative as a whole- the show ultimately hinges on this bond. BtB is a story about accepting the worst part of us, the parts we hate but ultimately the parts that make us the person we are. The actual catalyst for the plot- the villain is the weakest part of the story, coming off as a comically evil person without any clear motivations. However the climax that comes off of the events that take place are some of the coolest ways I have seen a story draw a direct allegory through it's setpieces. And even talking about the little things- Kuriyama is one of the cutest and most likeable moe characters in anime and the whole dynamic of the cast is extremely charming to watch. Excellent ambience and visual design of KyoAni really do wonders for this show as well.
As far as the movie goes, it's an extended plotline building from the back of the show and it's just as well done as the show. It gives a satisfying climax to a lot of the plotlines of the show and tackles the same themes of the show from a different light and is done in a similarly beautiful way. - Tsuki ga Kirei - I don't *dislike* this show but I don't much care for it either. The show takes the concept of romcoms and strips it down to it's absolute basics. It's a very realistic look at how high school romances are often like with it's messy and ugly parts but it does this at the cost of the show just not being very engaging to watch. The production value of the show is less than stellar and the general ambience is nothing particularly notable either. The writing often feels rather dry and it's best moments are often in it's quiet moments when it focuses on the character's lives rather than their budding relationship. It's an interesting show in concept that is unfortunately not very good in execution.
- Clannad - Clannad is special. Not because of it's character designs, artstyle or it's narrative as a whole. But because of it's well written character drama and it's very human cast. It's character arcs come through as everyday stories told through fantastical lenses and it makes the mundane seem extraordinary in a way that is so rare in anime. With love, care and affection as it's centerpiece, Clannad is as wonderful as it is heartwarming. Spending time with it's cast was one of my favorite things of this year.
- Do it Yourself!! - A fairly unremarkable but still charming slice of life centered around cute girls doing building things. An interesting artstyle, likeable cast of characters and a decent enough narrative make it a good side anime to watch at the very least.
- Golden Kamuy S1, S2 - Golden Kamuy is absolutely batshit insane and I do quite like it. Not really the kind of anime I generally gravitate towards but it's unique setting, dynamic cast of characters and overarching narrative definitely make it a very fun watch.
- Romantic Killer - Really fun concept that is executed quite deftly. Making a show around reverse harem shenanigans by making it reverse isekai as well is definitely an insane idea but the way it's well written and funny cast characters interact make all of those feel like a backdrop to am otherwise fun character-drama slice of life show. It uses it's insane premise as a framing devise to make way for funny, interesting and often hilarious arcs. Anju is one of the funniest female MCs in recent memory and the show's usage of a gag artstyle and crazy animation work only serves to accentuate that. Quite an underrated show, this one.
- Planetes - Talking about planetes is to talk about a near distant future engulfed with corporate wars and a space industry willing to stop at nothing to explore the furthest reaches of the universe. It's to talk about the people at the bottom rung of it's food chain- the people who collect space debris and save thousands of lives every year. it's to talk about the internal conflicts of it's cast of characters- wrestling with their inner morals and just trying to get by. It's a story that says "fuck capitalism" for the most part and does tell a very competent cyberpunk narrative however it's quite hard to look past some of it's blatant sexism and biases in portraying it's female characters. It's one of my favorite shows of this year. It's flawed but yet, it's so very human.
- Anohana - Anohana is a "tearjerker" in the traditional sense of the word. A premise that is meant to end up leaving it's cast emotional and the audience an absolute mess. I was recommended this by pretty much everyone but I found it quite... okay? It's good, don't get me wrong, but I failed to connect to it's characters on such a fundamental level that it brought down by emotional investment in the show by a lot. It has a decent start, very middling filler arc in it's middle but the final few episodes are definitely the strongest. It's ending single handedly redeemed the show's perception in my mind. Turned a rather average character drama to an emotionally resonant piece of work. I can appreciate Anohana, but it wasn't anything to write home about.
- Waiting in the Summer - An average slice of life show with decent visuals, decent characters, decent premise and fun character design. Not much really to say about it- it knows how to play with your heartstrings in the right ways and is quite competent in most departments. A solid slice of show to consume as a side show to other stuff.
- Kokoro Connect (S1, Michi Random) - Yet another monogatari like and if there ever was a show that was so completely carried by a single character- it would be this show. An otherwise pretty bog standard show about school students going through insane shenanigans that push their emotional problems to their extremes- Kokoro Connect is partly so bingeable because of it's excellent flow of conversation. The writing itself can be pretty hammy and often not very remarkable but it's cast has such personality and chemistry to them that it makes the most boring of scenes feel fun to watch. Inaba, Himeko however is the absolute star of the show and the reason I kept watching. I would probably recommend this show purely because of her if given the chance. Inaba is funny, charming and honest about her emotions in a way that is so endearing and charming to watch. Her VA does an excellent job selling her dialogue and it's a joy to see her on screen.
Until next time!
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