Anime for the Season: Spring 2018 Week 9

This week was a mix of highs and lows with some shows giving us superb episodes and other really falling from average to barely watchable. It’s a real mixed bag and I guess that is what makes it fun. Later today I will open the polls for best and worst anime of Spring 2018, so be sure to look out for them and vote and share. Remember, top 3 anime for the season will go in the poll at the end of the year for anime of the year.

As always, I’d love to know your thoughts on the season so be sure to leave me a comment below and share what you liked this week and what left you disappointed.

What I watched

3D Kanojo: Real Girl (Episode 10)

Guy rejects girl by confessing to another? Classy. And more or less all I expect from this anime at this point. Gone is anything that made it seem a little different or interesting and now it has simply become another not so great romance anime.

Caligula (Episode 9)

I really shouldn’t have added this to my review list after Spiritpact ended. Wow, this has been tedious. It isn’t even bad, it just is so messy as a narrative with such poor characterisation it isn’t even interesting to pick at. Each episode is just another exercise in waiting for the next round of exposition that might tell us where the characters are walking next.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card (Episode 21)

I wonder if Sakura’s mother’s key will end up being significant? Not that it got a lot of attention in this episode, but that’s probably because after being incredibly slow for a large chunk of the early half of the season, this episode felt like it packed half a season’s worth of content in. And it doesn’t seem like next week will slow down the pace as it rushes to try to end the series.

Cute High Earth Defense Club Happy Kiss (Episode 9)

This anime continues to be pretty lame, even the this franchise’s standards. While there is nothing particularly wrong with this episode, on the back of so many weak episodes, it isn’t enough to re-engage viewers who by this point should be pretty switched off.

Darling in the Franxx (Episode 19 – Reviewed for patrons)

No episode this week.

Devils’ Line (Episode 9)

Devils’ Line continues along its path doing its thing and mostly failing to pass any kind of logical test in terms of narrative. The fairly poor visuals continue to be a theme as well. There are some interesting concepts underpinning this anime, but execution has left it pretty much a miss.

Doreiku The Animation (Episode 8)

As usual, this anime doesn’t make much sense when even the tiniest bit of logic is applied to the situation and the characters remain either pretty dumb or just horrible. Of all the anime I’m watching this season, this is the one that I probably wish I’d dropped back after its first episode as it has just been an ongoing disappointment.

Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory (Episode 7)

Sousuke continues to try to get to Amalgam so that he can find Kaname. Meanwhile they are trying to kill him and he’s outnumbered and outgunned. This series has just kept hitting the right notes episode after episode this season and I’m hoping it continues because I am loving this.

GeGeGe No Kitaro (Episode 10)

A perfectly pleasant episode strangely devoid of the title character and yet still pretty fun. There isn’t too much to go wrong when the story sticks with some fairly classic elements and finds a way to work more modern problems into the lives of ghosts.

Kakuriyo No Yadomeshi (Episode 10 – Reviewed for Patrons)

Things continue to be pretty ordinary in this anime as the characters go about their lives. It continues to be pretty to look at and the story works but it also continues to not be all that exciting.

Libra of Nil Admirari (Episode 9)

The more of the plot that gets revealed here, the weaker the story becomes. Watch it for girl meets cute guys in period drama rather than its story because it isn’t going so great.That, and the show seems to want to be taken seriously in its darker moments, but can’t commit to anything more than hospitalising its cast.

Lostorage Conflated WIXOSS (Episode 9)

This anime knows exactly how to pace itself and as we draw into the final third of the season, it has hit the perfect tone to make me excited for the climax. It also feels like they are going to have enough time to properly deal with what they need to so I’m kind of hopeful of a satisfying end to the season. We’ll see what happens though but I’m cautiously optimistic.

My Hero Academia Season 3 (Episode 9)

While somewhat less impressive than the past two episodes, this was a fairly solid continuation of the plot and we certainly got to see some action. Plus, Midoriya being back to muttering was just so classic and cute.

Record of Grancrest War (Episode 21)

I’m… There’s just no words at this point for the mess that is Record of Grancrest War. And yet despite being a terrible story with terrible characters and terrible pacing, other than the frustration all of that causes, there’s still something a little appealing about the entire mess. It’s all just kind of tragic.

Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori (Episode 9)

This was a pretty decent episode if you are watching this for the calming and relaxing feeling that it usually constructs. There’s not a lot of substance, but there doesn’t really need to be when you walk away feeling like you’ve just had a nice warm bath.

Space Battleship Tiramisu (Episode 10)

In space there is nothing to distract from the fact that this episode didn’t really accomplish very much, not even a few cheap laughs. While hardly a terminally poor episode, it was very much the second low point of the season and I’m kind of hoping next week returns to the form of the past few weeks.

Steins;Gate 0 (Episode 9)

Steins;Gate 0 continues to progress and while this episode didn’t quite hit the emotional highs of episode 8, overall, the series continues to build to what will hopefully be an interesting conclusion somewhere down the line.

Tada Doesn’t Fall in Love (Episode 9)

We entered anime cliche land yet again when Tada gets wet from the rain after lending Teresa his umbrella and ends up catching a flu. Still, with this show, even cliches are done well and the more egregious ones are masterfully avoided providing an experience that feels both familiar and yet authentic.

Tokyo Ghoul: Re (Episode 8 – Not Reviewed)

Spiritpact: Bond of the Underworld (Finished)

Episode of the Week