Favorites (and Least Favorites) of the Winter 2018 Season So Far

I didn’t get the chance to make a series of first impressions posts at the beginning of the new Winter 2018 season, but let me say that I’m loving a lot of the shows so far… and also being too lazy to watch some. 😛

When it comes to newly airing anime seasons, I say I’ll watch x amount of shows, but once it starts and we’re a few weeks into the season, that amount drastically changes because a) i’m lazy or b) a show wasn’t up to par with my standards. Reason B is pretty reasonable but one of the worst things about myself is that I’m extremely lazy.

But, I will definitely try my best to continue some of the amazing shows such as Sora yori mo Tooi Basho and Miira no Kaikata.

In this post, I’d like to just briefly discuss most of the shows that I’ve experienced so far and my opinion on them so far in the season and giving my choices for the best (and questionable) of this season.

---

Favorite Show(s)

There is no way I can only list one show as my favorite so…. I’ll just mention all of the ones I really love.

Yuru Camp

a.k.a. the show that makes me want to try camping

Camping is something I never have been able to experience. My parents never really expressed any interest in it, and neither have I. However, if what we’re seeing in Yuru Camp is true about the hobby, shit, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try it.

Watching Nadeshiko, Rin, Chiaki, Aoi (best girl) show us the ways of camping in a very comfy and hilarious fashion makes this show one of my favorite slice-of-life anime I’ve seen in a while. I mean, I wouldn’t want anyone else but Nadeshiko to teach me about snacks worth eating.

Jokes aside, this show really does educate us pretty realistically and detailed with different camping elements such as which tent and sleeping bag is the best, the different ways to start a fire, provide us with some delicious food dishes to make while being comfy in the outdoors and even at the end of every episode, we receive a nice and helpful camping tip.

Overall, Yuru Camp is definitely enjoyable for its silly characters, the urge it gives someone like myself to have a significant interest in camping, how it can be pretty relatable to a lot of people and most importantly, Aki Toyosaki has a main role again. So happy for her.

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho / A Place Further Than The Universe

a.k.a. the show that makes me want to go to Antarctica 

Even though I’m super behind on this show, it was definitely top tier on my list of airing shows.

The story about a girl who wants to do something new while still in her youth, ends up succeeding in her desire by gathering a group of friends and proceed on an adventure to the freezing environment of Antarctica.

I think other than it visually looks amazing and the characters are compelling, an important aspect in this show is that every single individual has a separate goal in mind even though they’re traveling to the same place together. I have no idea if that aspect is expressed more in the show as I haven’t been keeping up with it, but I believe it would help the show a lot more interesting. While seeing their friendships and shenanigans as a group, watching Shirase, Yuzuki, Hinata and Mari achieve their individual desires at the same time sounds like a good story to experience.

Also, can we just look at the AMAZING seiyuu cast for this show? Oh my lord, Madhouse really put in the effort to get some A-list voice actresses. KanaHana, Yuka Iguchi, Inori Minase AND Saori Hayami?!

Gakuen Babysitters

a.k.a. the show that makes me actually handle children’s presence again

This is a show I didn’t expect myself to watch, but I am certainly glad I did.

I don’t like children. They’re too much to handle. That’s why I hate babysitting and rarely do it.

However, being a fan of moe anime and all that, watching a show about kids and babysitting is surprisingly entertaining.

This is the story of the Kashima brothers, Ryuuichi and Kotaro, and after their parents were killed in a plane crash, life changed drastically as the two were taken in by the chairwoman of an elite academy. There, Ryuuichi adapted to the new life and joined the babysitter club where he spent time with Kotaro and a bunch of other kiddos, as well as classmates, friends and teachers.

It’s a fun show to watch. There’s no doubt there’s an overload of cuteness coming out of this show but the individual stories and events that happen with each child, and even teenager or adult, just makes you keep watching. Whether if it’s how the Mamizuka twins can handle being without each other or Inomata’s tsundere situation about “liking” Ryuuichi, it’s entertaining. The relationships between characters can also be heartwarming whether it be the siblings or friendships.

And I know there are some things that can be questionable about this show such as how Usaida-san hasn’t been fired after mishaps like letting a child fall off a set of stairs, let alone keeping an eye on them and the perverted student but to me, those things are pretty minor to the actual story.

Also, I know I said I like Kazuma the most before but man, how can you not love Kirin.

---

Most Average Show

Mitsuboshi Colors is a pretty decent show. It’s a slice-of-life about three very adventurous girls roaming around their town in order to protect it, solve mysteries and fight crime.

It’s nice to watch from a older person’s viewpoint since you can appreciate the ways kids have fun and even relate the Colors’ shenanigans with yourself if you had that kind of childhood, but for me personally, I wasn’t really the curious and adventurous type, running around my town stepping in paint or having a cat take pictures for me.

But, that’s only my personal opinion on this show. I like it, it’s interesting and fun, but I think I would enjoy it more if my childhood was very similar to Yui, Sacchan and Kotoha’s.

Also, it’s fun hearing Aoba’s voice again.

---

Least Favorite Show

Slow Start definitely had a slow start. However, it was too slow and started to make me think, “why would I still want to watch this?”.

The main problem with this show is that it made me lose interest pretty fast. The characters aren’t anything special except the fact that Kamuri is basically Kanna 2.0 from Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon (it’s the same voice actress as well), which still didn’t make me want to keep watching. Momochi’s energy and personality didn’t captivate me, Eiko’s sweet tone is pretty generic and Hana isn’t much, to be honest.

Even the story of this show is pretty bland. A girl enrolls in high school a year late and doesn’t want to tell her classmates… okay, it sounds a little interesting but is that it? I feel like they could’ve done something more with this premise.

I guess the moe factor can help people like this show, the relationships between all four of these girls can be fun to watch and the animation is actually really smooth but for me personally, my interest quickly drained for this show.

---

Favorite Opening

No question.

“SHINY DAYS” by Asaka is an opening that is suuuuuuuuuperb. Extremely upbeat, fun to listen to, catchy and like many people have been saying, it is very similar to the musical style of the famous soul sibling group of the Jackson 5, with this opening song sounding like “I Want You Back”.

---

Favorite Ending

Alright… I think I’m a little biased now. 😛

No, but really, “Furu Biyori” by Eri Sasaki is actually a REALLY nice ending. It fits the cozy and comfy nature of the show, the vocals are amazing and it makes me want to learn the tabs so I can play it on my guitar. It’s also fun to whistle!

---

Favorite Character

You may ask why an emotionless and quiet kid is my favorite character this anime season. Well… that’s why!

Kotaro is super interesting to watch, just because he’s unique and doesn’t fit the expectations of little children/babies. Usually babies are crying, loud, hyper. Kotaro is the completely opposite and is cool as a cucumber.

Extremely patient, loves his big brother a lot, rarely complains or cries, why aren’t there more kids like him?!

I guess I also like Kotaro since he is pretty similar to myself when I was a child and even now. Me being extremely shy, I was always super quiet at school, to my friends and even to my relatives. The lack of speaking and the calm nature of Kotaro can definitely be a reflection of myself.

But yeah, weird choice but Kotaro is surprisingly compelling to watch.

Also, who wouldn’t want a kid be your wingman…

---

Favorite Visuals

Oh yeah, no doubt Violet Evergarden.

This show has that unique Kyoto Animation art style charm to it, and it also reminded me a lot of Koe no Katachi, a drama anime movie KyoAni also produced.

Whether it’s the Victorian-era setting, the amazing way they show light and shades or it having a nice mixture of dark and vibrant colors/tones (i.e. Violet’s bright blue eyes kind of contrasting the more darker background), this whole show’s art and animation is straight up beautiful.

(I think I did a better job describing art in this post rather than in my AP Art History class where I have no clue what I’m doing or saying…)

---

Favorite Seiyuu Performance

I agree that this choice wasn’t expected.

This beautiful lady, Marika Kouno, plays Sacchan in Mitsuboshi Colors. Why I picked her for my favorite seiyuu performance is that for Sacchan, she does a much different performance/voice for her, rather than the other roles that she has done before.

Kouno also played Yua Nakajima from Hinako Note, where she’s a lot less energetic and more… pure, for a lack of a better word. I believe it’s the same for when she was Rin Kohana from Sore ga Seiyuu.

That’s kind of what I based it off of, how one role a seiyuu did can be somewhat or significantly different. Marika Kouno definitely fit that criteria, going from a more innocent character to an energetic child. And while different, I personally can dig that change, it works for her.

Alternate choice: Aki Toyosaki as Aoi Inuyama (Yuru Camp) DONT JUDGE MY BIASED MINDSET

Now, let’s talk about her fellow EARPHONES member…

---

Least Favorite Seiyuu Performance

WAIT WAIT WAIT HEAR ME OUT FIRST

I like Rie Takahashi. I truly do. She’s an amazing seiyuu and Rie seriously has been on fire with the roles she’s had so far, even right now.

But… I just can’t get used to her doing such a different tone of voice like the ones she has this season.

If you didn’t know, Takahashi is Takagi-san from Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san and also Ena Saitou from Yuru Camp.

It is super odd to me to hear Rie do such a “normal” voice like Takagi-san’s. It’s mainly because I’m so used to her being Megumin from KonoSuba or Futaba from Sore ga Seiyuu or Emilia from Re:Zero, either it’s the deeper tone she goes for or that they all sound pretty similar.

What I’m getting at is that a) roles like Takagi or Ena doesn’t really seem natural for Rie Takahashi to do and/or b) it doesn’t fit with her past performances, where I believe she does her best job in… hopefully you get my drift.

I appreciate Rie doing different roles, but I think her voice for her roles like Megumin has become so iconic and loved that you just can’t get used to her doing something else. But that’s just me. I’d love to hear your input on Rie Takahashi’s performances this season.

---

I believe that’s all I wanted to talk about today.

I apologize that my watch list this season is pretty short and the fact I didn’t get to talk about the highly praised shows such as Darling in the FranXX, Citrus, and Koi wa Ameagari no You ni, I kind of neglected those back at the start of the season lol

But hopefully you enjoyed reading what I liked and didn’t like in this Winter 2018 anime season so far. I would love to hear your choices as well!

Thanks for reading!! 😀

-al