Most shows have kind of settled in now and while some are better than expected (Gamers and In Another World With My Smartphone) others are not going so great (Chronos Ruler and Vatican Miracle Examiner). Though even the ones going better than expected aren’t exactly blowing me away. Overall though, I’m not watching anything truly dreadful this season and there’s been some interesting characters and scenes so far. As always, I’d love to know your thoughts on the shows of the season so please leave me a comment below.
Must Watch
Alright, episode 32 was a bit of filler and fluff to be honest, but at this point the show has been going so strongly and even though episode 32 didn’t really progress the main narrative it was still a pretty good episode, I’m going to forgive a little bit of filler. Hopefully though the show doesn’t lose its momentum at this point because it has really been driving forward this whole second season.
Princess Principal (Episode 6)
Finally we’ve finished the introductions and these episodes have been great. Now to stay a must watch, they now need to do something with these characters and the set up. Hopefully they succeed at kicking the story into gear next episode.
Usually Entertaining
I’m still entertained by this, but I will point out that if we get another episode like this I’m going to have to move it back down into the just okay pile because there’s really no way to say that this show is actually better than okay. The fact that I’m personally amused by it doesn’t actually make it any better. I’m still hopeful that this show will do something with its premise but it seems it is pretty happy to move into cliché teen-romantic-drama territory and while that might make for amusement it doesn’t make for a show that I’d easily recommend.
Okay, I Guess
In Another World With My Smartphone (Episode 5)
Okay, when you have a whole episode mostly dedicated to slimes dissolving girls clothes in an openly stolen trope like scene and otherwise there is almost nothing of note in the episode, I kind of can’t justify leaving this in the usually entertaining category. I’m hoping the story picks up again next episode but episode five was strictly fan servicey filler.
This was my favourite episode so far. Still absolutely not answers or any idea what the overall narrative might be, assuming there is one and this isn’t going to remain strictly episodic (though the presence of Lily kind of indicates there is supposed to be a bigger story going on). But this episode really nailed feeling like a dream sequence and was a lot of fun in the process. More like this would be appreciated in this series.
And the okay but not amazing continues with this show. It is definitely watchable and also kind of fun, but realistically the story, characters and setting are all just kind of average. There’s a few minor points of interest where it is trying something new, but it isn’t really distinguishing itself from the many other similar stories we’ve seen before.
Fastest Finger First (Episode 6)
With a bit of a break from anything resembling serious quizzes or quiz practice, the show took a little bit of a dive this week. It wasn’t enough to really move it on the list, but I definitely enjoyed this episode less. I’m kind of hoping its a mid-season slump and next week I’m back to having fun with it.
Hell Girl: Fourth Twilight (Episode 5)
Episode 5 packs a bit of an emotional punch so if you’ve dropped off watching this it may be an episode to pick up. Of course it really is working the tragedy angle but it is doing it well. Nothing particularly mind blowing here but a strong episode in the series.
Clean Freak Aoyama Kun (Episode 6)
This continues to be watchable, mildly amusing, and occasionally slightly clever (also occasionally too stupid for words but that was to be expected from the premise). Anyway, it seems I’ll be sticking out the season of this show which I didn’t think would be the case when I started it.
Elegant Yokai Apartment Life (Episode 7)
I feel bad that Clean Freak Aoyama-Kun is now above this on the list because just reading what these shows are about, that should not happen. Yet Elegant Yokai Apartment Life spent most of episode 6 making me sleepy before giving me maybe five minutes of entertainment. Then episode 7 delayed actually dealing with that situation and ended on another cliff hanger to find out what happens next. I really wish this was better, but it isn’t.
Katsugeki Touken Ranbu (Episode 6)
Take the fight sequences out of this and what you have are semi-attractive male anime characters walking around talking a lot about things they’ve given you no reason to care about. Admittedly, some of the dialogue in episode 6 kind of makes it seem like we are heading towards an actual point but it is all a matter of wait and see.
They Made This
Sagrada really does need its own category. It isn’t good, and the first half was barely even okay when viewed as a half season, but the story remained full of possibilities. This second half is drawing on all those possibilities and weaving something that is actually a really fascinating narrative and yet the question of whether that offsets the robotic characters and pacing issues remains to be seen.
Vatican Miracle Examiner (Episode 6)
Okay, we are starting a new mystery so here is Vatican Miracle Examiner’s chance to not be crazy and actually bring together a nice story. It has everything it needs, now it just needs to deliver.
This show is owning this category this season. The writing remains dreadful and the characters remain completely erratic and nonsensical. While the premise is really interesting, everything about the execution is kind of failing hard, except its appearance which is actually kind of nice.
Tried and Dropped
Restaurant to Another World (Episode 1)
Centaur’s Life (Episode 1)
Convenience Store Boyfriends (Episode 1)
Saiyuki Reload Blast (Episode 1)
Battle Girl High School (Episode 1)
Hina Logic (Episode 1)
Tsuredure Children (Episode 1)
Fox Spirit Matchmaker (Episode 1)
Aho Girl (Episode 1)
The Irresponsible Galaxy Tylor (Episode 1)
I’m struggling this week with deciding who the best villain is. I’m thinking it is going to go to Hero Killer Stain but what are your thoughts?
Thanks for reading.
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Thanks,
Karandi James.
I need to catch up on Hell Girl. Still haven’t watched episodes 5 and 6. Nice to know they’re good episodes though.
I’ve really enjoyed the last couple. Hopefully you enjoy them.
For me, by this point in the season, anything truly dreadful is gone… if not under the 3 ep rule, then under the mid-season gut check. (Which is where I make sure I’m not watching a show out of habit.)
I dunno, I’m enjoying PriPri. Though it could use some tightening up, it’s working for me as a purely episodic show.
It is working as a purely episodic show, but there’s just such a rich scope for an ongoing narrative it would feel kind of like a shame if they didn’t go there. Still, I can’t judge the show based on what I would like it to be, particularly when what it is doing is working so well.
“Still, I can’t judge the show based on what I would like it to be, particularly when what it is doing is working so well.”
Words of wisdom. I should put that on a post-it note by my monitor.
I need to remember that myself sometimes because often I find myself disliking something only because what I wanted it to do isn’t what it is doing.
Nice to see you survived another week~
Boku no Hero is going to come back with yet another great arc! You have my word on this as a manga reader.
As for Isekai Smartphone, I’m still surprised there are people out there simply bashing it because its your stereotypical isekai trash. So what if it’s stereotypical? As long as we get entertained by it, there’s nothing wrong!
I’m most surprised at how you are still sticking with Sakurada Reset haha, I’ve dropped it for so long and I definitely don’t regret it, but as long as you are not really suffering it’s fine I suppose.
This might be slow and probably repetitive, especially since you have already seen my mid-season review, but: give Classroom of the Elites a try! The latest ep has started to heat up even more, and I’m sure you won’t be that disappointed.
Classroom of the Elite was one I didn’t drop but I haven’t really kept up with it. I was planning on getting back to it when I had the time (so probably when these shows start wrapping up and before the next season starts).
Sakurada Reset is doing a very strange late season come back. Suddenly all the stuff that was so incredibly pointless if being used very well and I actually think it is going for a strong ending. Still impossible to recommend given the entire first half of the series, but I’m actually glad I stuck it out at this stage and talking to a few other bloggers who kept with it, they kind of feel the same.