Now that the Winter season is mostly over, this is where the anime ended up on my list. The Reader's Poll results will be announced later today.
2019 Winter Anime End Of The Season

Now that the Winter season is mostly over, this is where the anime ended up on my list. The Reader's Poll results will be announced later today.
Two very different girls on opposite sides of a war find themselves each day wondering why they keep on going. As friends and comrades are killed, the pain of war increases and their desperation to find a reason to smile grows. This is The Price of Smiles and it follows each girl until they meet and the choice they end up making.
With The Price of Smiles coming to a close, it seemed like a good opportunity to take a look at some of the characters from the anime. Unfortunately, on thinking it through, most of the characters just don't get enough screen time, so I'll be looking at one of the main characters, Yuki.
The Price of Smiles Episode 12 Review - Well we have come to the end and I can say with confidence at least that this anime concludes its story. The fact that it does so through over-simplifying the situation in the extreme and relies on cute girls smiling to sell the solution is kind of a point against it, but at least we aren't left hanging for a sequel that probably would never have happened.
The Price of Smiles Episode 10 and 11 Review - The war marches on creating more orphans, more sadness, and more death. Whoever 'wins' this conflict isn't going to be left with much and the price has been very, very high.
The Price of Smiles Episode 7 - 9 Review - The war continues and the fallout also continues. This anime continues to balance battles with real consequences and the quieter moments in between which might make for a slightly odd viewing experience but also makes it fairly interesting to follow.
The Price of Smiles Episode 6 - Yuuki's kingdom is getting pressured and the capital is soon to fall. During the last stand Yuuki will make a decision that will change everything, but even then her own people may not follow her lead. With everything that has happened, the question is whether or not Yuuki will ever find a reason to smile after all of this?
While we aren't quite half-way through the Winter anime season, I'm just taking a moment to take stock, look at my watch list, and I'm trying to predict which of the shows I'm watching will actually hold out until the end of the season to be my favourite. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you are watching, what you've dropped, what you think will be anime of the season, and what you think is going to fall apart.
The Price of Smiles Episode 5 Review - Even though we've spent barely an episode prior with Stella and her team, this week the Price of Smiles shows that it can make you care about characters in a very short space of time. To the point where it is difficult to know if you are hoping for them to succeed or fail as they move in behind the enemy position.
The Price of Smiles Episode 4 Review: Coincidences may be stacking up and a few parts of this story are stretching plausibility, but that doesn't change that they are doing a beautiful job of crushing Yuuki's core personality and that is making it all the better.