Winter 2019 Archives | 100 Word Anime

ENDRO! Series Review

Posted on October 21, 2019January 29, 2022 by Karandi

Cute Girls Do Hero Things? Go ENDRO!

I’m going to honestly say I wasn’t planning on watching Endro! The cutesy characters and pastel colours shining on all the images I saw of the anime prior to watching were more or less a flashing warning sign to stay away. It was Matt from Anime Q and A who suggested I should try this one after the first episode aired. Now, if you follow both of our blogs you will know our tastes in anime are vastly different as is our hook for watching, and yet knowing that Matt still suggested I give this one a go. That certainly got me curious.

While Endro didn’t end up being an anime that wowed me, I am kind of glad he made me pay attention to it. For all that the slice of life and the cute girls doing cute things tropes are definitely there, the fantasy setting and the comedy built around the heroes defeating the demon lord which is such a vastly overused setting actually work pretty well. There’s certainly a range of reasons to try Endro and depending on what sort of anime you like there’s different things you might take away from it.

Now generally when an anime tries its hand at too many things what you end up with is a convoluted mess. Endro is actually pretty skillful at working its different aspects together. The opening sequence is the class scene you would normally see at the end of a story with the four heroes finally attacking the demon lords stronghold and making their way toward the final foe. The fact that the heroes are four pastel and scantily armoured girls in this instance is just something you can put down to anime at the time because otherwise the scene is playing out exactly as you would expect.

However, as the heroes launch their final spell you notice things aren’t exactly going right and soon we are back in time with the demon lord now an obnoxious loli character who decides to become a teacher at the school the girls who will become the heroes are attending in order to ensure that they never become a threat to her.

From fantasy, to self-aware satire, and then into a slice of life school life kind of story, the transitions are relatively seamless and all seem fairly logical at the time. Where it is less appealing is that as we move away from the adventuring to the school living side of things my overall interest in the characters took a dive. Still it wasn’t as though the story just jammed itself in neutral after it got there.

At fairly nicely spaced intervals the girls go on other adventures and face other dangers. So those enjoying the fantasy quest angle will get enough to hold their interest, just as those who enjoy the quiet moments talking about dreams in the school dorm will get their fill. As I said, it is a rarity, but Endro does balance things nicely and never leaves you waiting too long. Where it didn’t quite succeed for me was the main characters themselves.

Don’t get me wrong. They’re all beautiful and charming in their own way with sufficient diversity in hair colour and personality to pull off a reasonable group dynamic. Yet individually none of them were all that compelling and really, for the slice of life elements to do more than mark time (for me) I really need some kind of actual connection with the characters involved. Here they were fine. Which made watching those segments fine. But would I do it again? Probably not.

The cast is made a little less thrilling in the earlier episodes by how truly annoying and childish the demon lord is in her schemes. Later on, they manage to make her character far more interesting and a little bit likeable, but she’s hard to take early on in the series, unless you find her funny in which case you’ll probably like those moments a great deal more than I did. Still, I would have liked a little more ‘thought’ in some of her plans as she is given a prime opportunity to do away with her potential killers and yet she’s almost laughably bad at it (laughably bad is not the same as actually funny).

Though it isn’t all bad news from a character point of view. As mentioned, they are all very cute, which is probably a must for the cute girls doing cute whatever fans out there. And then we have the introduction of the Princess, Rona, who really turns things on their heads on her arrival. Few characters get an introduction episode like Rona and honestly, she’s a breath of fresh air, manages to comment on the role of Princesses in stories and on same gender romance, and is just a fun character all in one package. Admittedly, she has diminishing returns after her first appearance, but it was quite a solid entrance.

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I will admit that I was a little fatigued with the comedy aspect of Endro by around the three-quarter mark but I’m glad I hung in there. This story does get a nice and complete ending and overall there’s a lot more to like in the show than there is to criticise.

There’s also a very weird focus on food throughout the story. Maybe it is part and parcel of the slice of life genre but whether it is camping out, preparing a meal for a sick teacher, or just dreaming, there’s an ongoing food obsession in this story. Part of that probably comes from one of the characters nibbling on another’s ear when she gets hungry and there’s no food, but they really do find the weirdest moments to bring food up and make it a feature.

If you want your fill of cute girls doing hero things in a fantasy world, Endro is definitely worth a try. While it may not work for everyone, there’s plenty of appealing attributes and for once they’ve thought about how to make it all come together. The end result is relatively satisfying to watch even if not the most compelling.

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Karandi James

Domestic Girlfriend Anime Series Review

Posted on October 14, 2019January 30, 2022 by Karandi

It Just Sort of Happened

I’m still not sure why exactly I watched Domestic Girlfriend from start to finish. High school romantic drama isn’t exactly my favourite, relationships between students and teachers definitely aren’t something I jump into watching, and relationships between siblings (even step siblings) equally aren’t exactly an appeal (even if I don’t blanket drop them). Domestic Girlfriend has a whole bunch of elements that are questionable right off the bat and some viewers will walk away, and that’s fine. For whatever reason, I decided to give this train wreck a watch though and found that while it is definitely a soap opera and like watching a train derail in slow motion, there’s something quite compelling about that.

Domestic Girlfriend Episode 3 Natsuo and Hina

At the heart of the story is Natsuo who after a group date ends up having a one night stand with Rui. He’s suffering from an unrequited love for his teacher, Hina and Rui is a suitable distraction with something about her reminding Natsuo of the girl he likes. Rui seems to be a serious girl but for whatever reason has decided she needs to know what it is like to be with a guy and so the two have their one night and then they both move on with their lives. Only, as so often happens in fiction, their single parents have apparently been seeing each other and are now moving the whole family in together on first meeting. Naturally, Hina also turns out to be Rui’s sister. Awkward.

What follows is a round of secrets, misunderstandings, teenage angst, emotional repression, poor choices, and occasionally sweet moments where characters are actually open and honest and momentarily have a real connections before it all gets swept away by the next poor decision. By the time Hina and Natsuo actually start a relationship, which is definitely a bad idea given the circumstances, things are already spiralling down and when they are inevitably found out by the school there’s no surprise at all.

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What is more surprising is that despite these characters being forced along by the drama of the plot and essentially never getting to make the right choice because that might actually help things get to a pleasant resting point, I don’t hate these characters. They work in their roles and in each moment their actions seem true enough based on what has come before. Okay, if these were real people they would probably always be dysfunctional because they don’t think things through anywhere near enough, but in the context of this story they work and there is real chemistry between them. Particularly the trio at the centre with Rui, Hina and Natsuo.

There are a few moments where the anime does go for more sexualised content and not the usual played for laughs anime kind. This may put some viewers off but honestly if the fact that both sisters are pursuing their step brother and one of them is his teacher didn’t already put you off it seems unlikely over-hearing a woman masturbate is going to. Still, it is worth putting the warning in there that if you don’t like that kind of content then maybe Domestic Girlfriend just isn’t going to work for you.

I will however bring this to a close with the biggest positive of the series. That is, the OP. I absolutely loved this opening song. It just feels so raw and emotional and absolutely fits the feelings sitting underneath the actions of these characters. Seriously, if you missed this OP during the Winter 2019 anime season you should give it a try because it was amazing. While that might not be enough to make you watch the show if melodrama isn’t your thing it is still worth talking about. Particularly as it hits the one minute mark.

Okay, Domestic Girlfriend isn’t an anime I’d absolutely recommend, however if you are looking for a romance anime and you don’t mind one that doesn’t exactly get its happily ever after, then Domestic Girlfriend isn’t bad. While it certainly won’t work for everyone, the story does roll along nicely and in the one season we get a suitable amount of development and a reasonable amount of closure by the end. The characters could have spared themselves a lot of the drama that unfolds by making a few more sensible choices but we could say that about a lot of shows.

Overall, I actually enjoyed this one. It wasn’t brilliant but for twenty minutes a week it was kind of fun to get into a more soap opera style story.

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Karandi James

Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka Anime Series Review

Posted on October 7, 2019February 1, 2022 by Karandi

Asuka - Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka - Episode 11

Dark Magical Girls
Battling Fluffy Teddy Bears?

If ever a title deserved the dubious honour of being celebrated for its concept but questioned about its execution, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka is definitely one of the top contenders. Dark magical girl stories aren’t new. Even before Madoka they existed and after Madoka they flourished giving us a range of hit and miss stories of deranged magical girls fighting each other for various contrived purposes. Fortunately, Spec-Ops takes a different approach and in theory it has a fairly solid idea.

The series begins with the end of a magical war and then our surviving magical girls go their own ways. We are following Asuka, who has chosen to return to a ‘normal’ life though she’s carrying around a lot of emotional baggage from her time as a magical girl. For once we see the toll on young girls of being thrust into such difficult and dark situations. Asuka’s family were tortured and killed, her friends died, and she fought in a war when she was a very young girl. Obviously things aren’t all sunshine and roses for her and she’s very much suffering from PTSD and struggling to make the adjustment back to civilian life.

Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka - Asuka — *No, this is not how you deal with matters as a civilian Asuka. Stand down.*

You know, if the series had focused on that point and actually looked at her ongoing struggle and transition this would have been a much better story. Instead, after establishing this premise the anime immediately feels the need to disrupt Asuka’s life again by having the enemy return and attack Japan. The enemy? Creatures called Disas who take the form of walking plush toys and yet are incredibly nasty and hard to take down.

Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka Episode 10 Disas

Visually this actually kind of works. The enemy are goofy looking but incredibly deadly and the juxtaposition really adds to the tragic feeling this series seems to be going for. The problem is, Spec-Ops can’t really handle Asuka’s emotional journey, plus delving into the emotional status of the other magical girls, look into the impact of tragedy on Asuka’s human friends, and deal with the reignited war as well as the various politics between worlds in the 12 episodes it has and it doesn’t actually balance these elements particularly well.

Don’t get me wrong. Some things and some scenes Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka gets spot on. There are definitely character moments where you really feel the writer just got inside the head of the character and conveyed them perfectly and there are action sequences that very nicely put together. Then there’s the transitions between these moments and the moments that fall completely flat, and the end result is a mixed viewing experience to say the least.

Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka Episode 4 Nozomi's father

As to the violence and torture in this series, it will entirely depend on your tastes whether you find it engaging or disturbing. I liked that it made the stakes seem very real and that it seemed quite likely that characters could die (even if the anime wimped out on actually causing permanent harm – even emotionally – to one of Asuka’s school friends). It made the villain seem like a threat that absolutely had to be fought.

I don’t know, Sailor Moon villains are cool and all but there’s never any sense of real menace or danger with them because their plots and actions are so sanitised. Still, there’s definitely some graphic moments here and the torture of quite young girls, as well as some other weirdness that is just a little bit creepy (yes, I am looking at Kurumi’s interrogation techniques here).

This series is definitely not for the faint of heart. Now, where I preferred this over some other dark shows, is that the violence and torture mostly seemed to serve the purpose of establishing why the characters were the way they were or providing that real sense of danger and urgency. Sure, the same effect could be achieved by moving some of those more disturbing visuals off screen, but honestly it works here.

The only time it really seemed to push the envelope was in Kurumi’s treatment of the captured magical girls. That was all kinds of concerning and it would have been nice to see this aspect of Kurumi being explored but the series ran out of time leaving it as just a weird point to an unbalanced character.

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The music for this series is actually really solid and one of the outright positives however visually this series is at best average. There are some cool moments but then there’s a lot where it seems kind of lazy particularly with background characters. Still, the magical girl costumes in this series are awesome and the only unfortunate thing is that this series isn’t popular enough to see these costumes become staples in cosplay.

Magical Girl Spec Ops Asuka Episode 8 Kurumi — *Yep, Kurumi is disturbing even if she is working with Asuka.*

With an unfinished narrative and I would speculate little hope of a season two, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka doesn’t quite have enough going on to recommend it. If the story had finished then it would be an interesting diversion for those after something a little grittier but without an ending it is just an incomplete tale with characters who have not yet been fully realised. I did have fun enough while watching it weekly but there’s other anime out there and some of them even have endings.

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Karandi James

Images from: Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka. Dir. H Yamamoto. LIDENFILMS. 2019.

Top 5 Screen Caps From The Winter Season

Posted on April 2, 2019March 30, 2019 by Karandi

This week I’m counting down my favourite screen caps that I collected during the Winter season. Of course, I’d love to know what your favourite screen cap was from the season so feel free to share a link in the comments below (if it goes to Spam I’ll rescue it).

However, when I decided to make this list I started wondering what actually makes a good screen cap and I realised that I probably am the least qualified person to answer that. For me though, it is an image that captures a moment or a mood from a story perfectly, or it just looks really pretty. Other people might actually look for an image that is of really good quality and is balanced and a whole bunch of other things. But this is my list, and as I said above, I’d love to see your favourite screen caps from Winter 2019 so feel free to share your own.

By the way… Spoiler alert as some images come from key plot moments and final episodes.

Honourable Mentions:

I’m throwing a lot of scenes from The Promised Neverland into the Honourable Mentions because that anime is beautiful, rich with symbolism, great use of light and dark and colour to set the mood and tone. But in a single still image a lot of the impressive atmosphere that comes through the use of sound, movement, and visuals is lost. So while I enjoy the images I collected of The Promised Neverland, none of them are really jumping out as the most interesting as a still image. Which is a shame because visually that is a great anime.

Number 5: Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 14

Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 14 Eugeo strikes

For all that I’ve made it clear Sword Art Online Alicization isn’t really working for me from a plot point of view, when it has one of its moments it really nails it. And there have been a couple of moments where it has just been truly spectacular to watch, to the point where narrowing it down to this screen cap from episode 14 and Eugeo fighting was actually really difficult. Yet, this was a great moment for his character, a fairly interesting fight sequence, and just a solid visual and so I absolutely had to pick it. Still the image of the girl exploding in episode 15, Kirito using his sword art in episode 15, Alice using hers in episode 16 and Eugeo’s fight in episode 18 have all been spectacular for grabbing images.

Number 4: Domestic Girlfriend Episode 12

This anime has been visually fairly ordinary, though there have been a few standout moments. Still, Hina’s teary confession on the roof to the other teacher that she probably would have still fallen in love with Natsuo and done what she had done whether he’d warned her or not was a moment the show truly nailed. A close follow up, in the same episodes comes from Natsuo writing his novel and the imagery used as he writes his feelings onto the page. Very nicely done.

Number 3: Kaguya-Sama Love is War Any Fujiwara Scene

I’m just going to put this out there, for any problems you might identify with Kaguya-Sama (and I’ve got a few) any scene where Fujiwara appears is almost instantly improved and amazingly enough the girl comes out spectacularly in screen caps. She perfectly captures the mood of the scene through body language, facial expression and usually props. I think about the only reason I would watch the show again would be to get more Fujiwara screen-caps at this point.

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Number 2: The Morose Mononokean Season 2 Episode 6

The Morose Mononokean Episode 6 Yahiko transforms into a giant crow.

The Morose Mononokean is a visually interesting anime due to the contrast between the yokai and mundane world. The colour palette can entirely change depending on the setting but regardless it is always fairly bright and pleasant to look at. However, episode 6 brings us a fairly confronting sequence for Hanae Ashiya when Yahiko, the fox, decides to trick him by turning into an illusion of the Executive. The end result is a dangerous awakening of power in Hanae and the visuals just absolutely nailed the tone and gravity of the scene.

The Morose Mononokean Episode 6 Ashiya and Yahiko

Number 1: Run With The Wind Episode 20

Run With The Wind was visually a very impressive anime and I loved a lot of what it did with sound and movement as well, but even in an anime with plenty of great screen cap moments, episode 20 is the one that I’ve fallen in love with. Why? Because of the subject matter. Shindou. Fevered and unwell yet determined to finish his leg of the race for the team. It is unrealistic that he doesn’t just faint and that his time is not so poor that it doesn’t throw them out of the competition entirely is fairly unbelievable, and yet there is something beyond inspiring about the sequence. His face says it all and it is the single most inspiring moment from any anime in the Winter 2019 season and it is a moment I’m going to hold onto for a fairly long while.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
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Karandi James

Results Are In – Your Choice For Best Anime of Winter 2019

Posted on April 1, 2019March 30, 2019 by Karandi

Yay! Winter 2019 has been a fantastic season and while I shared my overall thoughts on the anime I watched this season earlier today, this post is about you, the reader and what you voted on.

So we’ll start at the bottom and work our way to the anime of the season as voted by you. All anime that received a vote will be mentioned. This time around there were 313 votes which is the most ever for one of these polls. Thanks so much for participating.

1 Vote – 3D Kanojo Season 2
I tried this. I didn’t hate season one. But episode one of season 2 did everything I didn’t like about season one in the one episode and so I decided to wait until the season was done before I picked it up. I guess that means I probably need to do that at some point.

1 Vote – The Magnificent Kotobuki
I haven’t really given this one a go and honestly none of the reviews I’ve read have really made me want to. Still, someone out there clearly likes it so maybe check out a review or give it a go.

1 Vote – The Price of Smiles
As much as I’ve defended the Price of Smiles during its run, anime of the season it really isn’t. Still, I was happy to see someone gave it a vote because it wasn’t actually that bad and some parts were actually reasonably good.

1 Vote – Pastel Memories
I tried an episode of this and it didn’t work for me. Very few people have covered it this season so I’m still undecided if I should go and try and binge it. Still, one person thinks it is worth the time.

1 Vote – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind
I oopsed and left this one off the polling list but one determined voter wrote it in. I’m guess this would have received more votes if it had been listed. Sorry.

2 Votes – Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka
Not for everyone, this is a dark magical girl story with a bit of a military colouring. There’s torture and fairly bleak situations for our fairly young heroes to face and the ending is pretty much a non-event. But in terms of dark magical girl stories, this one brings some interesting ideas and you could certainly do worse.

2 Votes – Meiji Tokyo Renka
Fair enough. This one isn’t anime of the season quality in any way, but it is a nice, average, and fun anime and one well worth checking out if you in any like reverse harems or time travel stories with a bit of a supernatural edge. It’s cute and harmless and I’ve had fun, but I fully understand why two votes is all this one collected.

3 Votes -Bang Dream Season 2
I didn’t watch season one and I’m not even really what this one is about. But three people think it is great so maybe check out a review of it.

3 Votes – Kemurikusa
Another one I accidentally left off the list to vote for and yet 3 people wrote it in – one in all caps so I assume they were frustrated that they couldn’t vote for it. I have no idea about this one at all but clearly some readers believe this one needs your attention.

4 Votes – Domestic Girlfriend
Kind of curious about this one getting four votes. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a lot of fun with this trashy romance this season, but I still find it interesting that some have decided it is the top of the season.

Natsuo and Hina fireworks - Domestic Girlfriend - Episode 11

4 Votes – Date a Live 3
Haven’t watched season 2, don’t really intend to. Also haven’t really seen many reviews of this one so I was surprised to see it picking up votes.

4 Votes – Wataten! An Angel Flew Down To Me
Watched part of one episode of this. Not for me. Definitely worth checking out someone else’s review though to see if this is something you’d like.

6 Votes – Kakeguri xx
I didn’t get very far into season one of this one and have no idea what has happened in season two. Six people think it’s awesome though so maybe this one is worth trying if you watched the first season.

6 Votes – Endro
Honestly this one surprised me by how charming it actually has been and six votes here does not surprise me. There’s a definite appeal to this anime even if it doesn’t grab everyone.

8 Votes – The Morose Mononokean Season 2
It got votes! Given how few people have been covering this anime I’m just happy that this one collected any votes. Season 2 has improved on season one in every way and has been highly entertaining. If you were waiting for it to finish before picking it up, now’s the time to binge.

9 Votes – Boogiepop wa Warawanai
Still haven’t actually finished watching this one. I’m finding it increasingly hard to do so. That said, for all that a lot of people find this one confusing and a little dull (and I’d be in that list), there are plenty of people who’ve found it to be quite a compelling story. 9 votes here reflects those who have really connected with this one.

12 Votes – The Quintessential Quintuplets
I’m honestly glad I didn’t cover this one this season. I watched a few more episodes beyond the first one after some positive reviews from other bloggers but it just isn’t my kind of story. That said, this one is probably one to read the reviews for because if you like the set up and style then you may very well have a good time with this one.

13 Votes – My Roommate is a Cat
This may very well be one of the underrated gems of the season. Not perfect by any means, but a really nice watch if you are looking for something low key with just enough feels to give you some warm-fuzzies at the end.

My Roommate is a Cat Episode 8 Subaru and Haru

14 Votes – Sword Art Online Alicization
Colour me shocked that this even got 14 votes. I genuinely went into Sword Art Online Alicization wanting to enjoy it and have a good time given I’ve been a fan of the franchise since Aincrad, and to be honest I’ve been left mostly wondering where the fun has gone from the series. Still, some people are clearly still enjoying it and hopefully they will get what they are wanting from it when it continues.

19 Votes – That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
I honestly expected this to be higher, at least higher than Shield Hero. However, on reflection, even the die hard fans of the show have gotten quieter during the second cour so maybe that slump kind of put them off a bit. Still, with a season two coming and a fairly strong core audience, I don’t think this is the last we’ve heard of slime.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 19 Rimuru

25 Votes – The Rising of the Shield Hero
I’m a little surprised this one made it so high. Certainly there are readers who have been enjoying it but there are plenty who have made it known that they don’t like this anime and find it quite problematic. And yet, here it is.

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Top 5

26 Votes – Run With The Wind
So happy this made a top 5 appearance. I know this one has been very low key compared to some of the big names this season, but it was my pick for best of the season and really the sheer consistency of quality in this one as well as the wonderful way the drama of the story unfolded just made it pure joy to watch (when it wasn’t causing me to burst into tears of sadness, happiness, and frustration on the character’s behalves in the final few episodes).

32 Votes – Kaguya-Sama Love is War
I knew this one would reach fairly high in the reader’s poll. While it is doing very little for me, it is an incredibly well made anime so if the characters and the comedy work at all for you I can fully see why this would be an enjoyable watch.

Anime Going into the Best of the Year Poll

33 Votes – Mob Psycho 100 Season 2
I haven’t finished season 1 and I wasn’t a fan so I certainly haven’t tried this. Still, I knew going into the vote, this one was going to be well favoured by my readers. The number of you covering it on your blogs and giving it glowing reviews speaks volumes. While not for me, this one has certainly been a crowd pleaser.

34 Votes – Dororo
Yeah, I can’t watch this one (no access). So we once again get the anime that’s been heaped with praise of the season that I couldn’t watch even if I wanted to. Eventually I will see it and alas by then the hype will have made it impossible to live up to, but hopefully it is sooner rather than later because I am very curious about this one.

BEST OF THE SEASON

49 Votes – The Promised Neverland
Okay, no surprise here. The Promised Neverland has just been good. Even if you aren’t a fan of the genre, each episode has been well put together and it has told a remarkably coherent story. This one was charming and excellent fun and I really hope we get more anime as well made as this one has been.

Now, let me know what you think. Did the anime you voted for make it into the top 3? Do you think any of these might be the anime of the year?

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Previous poll results:

2019 Winter Anime End Of The Season

Posted on April 1, 2019March 30, 2019 by Karandi

Winter 2019 has had its ups and downs throughout but regardless of my final thoughts, I had a lot of fun this season. There was always something to look forward to and as some shows faltered, others rallied. While I know some shows are ongoing and some have not yet aired final episodes (and in the case of Boogiepop wa Warawanai I’m just hopelessly behind), this is my final standings for the Winter season.

In the listing I’ve commented on where the series was at the mid-season point in the list and whether it has moved or not but if you want to see my mid-season thoughts they are here.

Hopefully you enjoy and remember the results of the reader’s poll will come out later today.

Boogiepop wa Warawanai
Domestic Girlfriend
Endro
Grimms Notes
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
Magical Girl Spec Ops Asuka
Meiji Tokyo Renka
My Roommate is a Cat
Run With The Wind
Sword Art Online Alicization
The Morose Mononokean
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The Price of Smiles
The Promised Neverland
The Rising of the Shield Hero

Number 15: Boogiepop wa Warawanai

Previously placed at position 13. It didn’t even deliver the little that was expected.

I was vaguely hopeful that this one would improve, but realistically I’m struggling just to convince myself to finish watching it. It has continued to be a meandering mess and while some have enjoyed the mystery I’ve mostly just found it frustrating.

Not aided by ugly visuals and characters that are pretty bland, there’s very little compelling me to keep going with this but I will finish it at this point. I kind of feel I past the point of no return a while a go. Still, if I wanted to pick the series on my watch list that I most regret watching, Boogiepop would be it.

Number 14: Grimms Notes

Previously placed at position 15, Grimms Notes continued to underwhelm.

While it would be nice to say that it managed to pull its narrative and characters together, mostly I just felt this one oozed wasted potential until the very end. Not that there weren’t some fun moments along the way, but it just never felt satisfying to watch.

It isn’t all bad news with some of the character moments being cute enough and having a simple ‘save the story zone’ plot each week. Even if the main story line felt hopelessly underdeveloped and the themes unexplored, it wasn’t as if this ever became unwatchable.

Number 13: Sword Art Online Alicization

Previously at position 10, how this has fallen.

I was disappointed when Sword Art Online Alicization was only managing position 10, and yet honestly I can’t say this has gotten any better. If anything, the faults with the pacing, character motives, exposition, and just idiocy have gotten worse to the point where I’m honestly wondering whether to keep going with episode reviews when it continues or whether to just let this one go and review it once they finally finish it.

Eugeo - Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 23

An increasingly frustrating and underwhelming watch full of babble about things that barely make sense even in the context of the story, and characters who essentially break the rules of the world at will, it all just became fairly tiresome to watch this season.

Alicization Series Review
Sword Art Online Series Review
Sword Art Online Abridged Review
How Does Kirito’s Belief in Himself Cause Success?
Images from: Sword Art Online Alicization. Dir. M Ono. A-1 Pictures. 2018.

Number 12: Kaguya-Sama Love is War

Previously and still position 12.

For a comedy anime it wasn’t bad. It isn’t really my style and to be honest outside of the occasional moment where the characters really clicked there were a lot of times where watching this was just kind of empty. Still, the visuals, animation and sound design of this one were pretty fantastic so I can’t fault the production in the slightest.

However, ultimately, if I’d stopped watching this one it wouldn’t have mattered. There was no compelling reason to keep going and while I can see why it appeals to some, it really isn’t speaking much to me.

Number 11: Endro

Previously placed at position 14, this one actually was kind of charming fun.

Despite the pastel colour scheme and cute girl antics, I actually did find this one entertaining from week to week. There were some moments that really just shone for both the story and the characters proving you really can take something fairly standard and make it shine if you put enough love and effort into it.

Honestly, this isn’t going to be something I watch again but if you like cute girl stories or just want a fun slice of life/comedy that has an adventurers setting thrown in, this is actually really cute and entertaining. The only reason it didn’t get higher up my list is because I’m just not that into cute girls and some of the friendship sequences made me roll my eyes hard.

Number 10: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Previously position 7 there’s just no denying the second cour was ordinary.

After slowly warming up to the show in the first cour, the second cour that aired during Winter 2019 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime was overwhelmingly average. Now source readers will pull out the ‘it gets better’ cards as well as explain that some bits were skipped over, but none of that changes the fact that the anime is most definitely average.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 19 Rimuru and Milim

There were some cute moments and character encounters and a few fairly awesome moments in the occasional fight, but a lot of this second cour was sitting around talking, or introducing characters we were never given a reason to care about who effectively had their problems solved with minimum effort. It remained light and fun to watch but had absolutely nothing to hook the audience or to convince me this would ever be worth watching a second time.

Number 9: The Price of Smiles

Formally position 5. Okay, I was being optimistic.

It is almost scary how on the nose my prediction for this series was at the half-way point. I suspected we had a show that would simply kill off its characters towards the end and in the lead up to the final episode we had one prominent character death an episode all to serve the ‘war is bad’ slogan this anime seemed to want to plaster onto almost every episode. That doesn’t mean it was terrible. There was actually a lot of promise along the way. It just never quite delivered.

Still, there have certainly been worse mecha anime over the years and while the ending was foolishly optimistic and naive, much like the main character, I can’t say I’m upset with it. While The Price of Smiles never managed to break into being something truly good, it certainly skated along the edges of it and kept me hopeful throughout.

Number 8: Domestic Girlfriend

Previously in 6th position.

Right, so you get what you expect when you keep watching a melodrama and as the story progresses they have to push to increasingly forced and silly methods to up the ante. That said, there is a certain delight in watching this train wreck unfold and while I wouldn’t say I actually like any of the characters, I kind of am curious about where they will ultimately end up.

Natsuo and Hina - Domestic Girlfriend - Episode 11

This one somehow manages to be trashy without actually being trash and while it isn’t great it is also something that is hard to stop watching. While the occasional scene pushes the sexual content a little further than I’d like and the basic premise and the idea of teachers and students dating isn’t something I’m thrilled about, I can’t say that this is actually a bad watch. Not really one I’d jump to recommend but one that I’d honestly have to admit I’ve been enjoying despite the many complaints I might muster about it.

Number 7: The Rising of the Shield Hero

Previously in position 4.

I’m honestly pleasantly surprised that this one has remained as entertaining as it has. With Sword Art and Slime both plummeting in the ranks during the Winter season it seemed isekai fantasy was taking a serious downward turn. While there are plenty of points against Shield Hero in terms of pacing and at times characterisation, I’ve mostly had fun watching it and continue to look forward to how it rolls out this story.

While this one might also take a downward turn as it moves into a second cour, I’m kind of hopeful of this one just keeping things moving. And while the fights remain fresh, the story doesn’t linger for too long on any one part, and Naofumi continues to be an interesting character to watch, I’ll probably keep enjoying this even though I would hardly call it great.

Number 6: Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka

Down from position 3.

I kind of knew this one probably wouldn’t hold in the top 5 for the season but I was hopeful. A dark magical girl story that actually seemed willing to deal with the trauma a teenage girl would face if forced to fight to save the world and watch companions die? It is a good idea and at least provides some kind of grounding for the violence rather than just being opening gratuitous in killing off young characters grotesquely.

However, the execution both from thematically and in the delivery of the narrative have been somewhat lacking and once again we’re left with a show that is more concept than delivery. The over the top torture segments also don’t help to ground this as anything more than something trying to be sensationalist when actually there’s a reasonable attempt at exploring trauma and PTSD buried here but alas the show can’t give it the time or weight it needs between the other ideas it wants to cram in an a desire to imperil Asuka’s classmates. I didn’t mind this but I kept wanting more from it and by the final few episodes it was clear that it wasn’t going to deliver.

Images from: Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka. Dir. H Yamamoto. LIDENFILMS. 2019.

Number 5: Meiji Tokyo Renka

Formally in position 10 – nice climb.

While this one reeks of mediocrity in visuals and almost everything else, this is the anime I’ve gone back to again and again just to feel good and kick back and relax. There’s something incredibly fun and infectious about Mei as a character and the cast of guys surrounding her aren’t too shabby. The supernatural elements work well but it is Mei’s ongoing relationship with Ougai that really grabs your attention.

While I won’t say this improved as it went, it maintained its standard throughout and the characters are naturally charming enough to slowly make you warm to them and each episode feels just that little bit more fun than the last. Not one to be proclaimed a master-piece but for those who don’t mind the occasional reverse harem romp this one is certainly a fun time waster to fit into your viewing schedule.

Episode 1: Alert! Time Travelling Heroine Surrounded by Pretty Boys!
Episodes 1 – 4: Friendly Talks With Arthifis
Episodes 5 – 9: Friendly Talks With Arthifis
Episodes 10 – 12: Friendly Talks with Arthifis
Meiji Tokyo Renka Series Review
Images from: Meiji Tokyo Renka. Dir. A Daichi. TMS Entertainment. 2019.

Number 4: The Morose Mononokean

Previously number 8 on the list – this one exceeded expectations.

Season two of The Morose Mononokean continued to far outstrip season one and advanced the plot and character development in a way I’d been wishing the first season to but it just never got to. There is very little to complain about with this second season with almost everything being better than season one and the balance between yokai of the week episode and episodes developing the world and characters being pretty well thought out.

With cute yokai characters, conspiracies, blossoming powers and generally more supernatural fun, The Morose Mononokean ended up being one show I began to look forward to each weekend. The chats with Irina around the episodes were also a factor as watching a show is always better with friends, but honestly this one was a delight this Winter season.

Number 3: My Roommate is a Cat

Previously number 9 on the list (that’s quite the rise).

If I was asked whether this got better as the season went on and whether that accounts for its rise, the answer would be a clear no. This isn’t a story that gets better. There’s a solid character journey for Subaru and one that I greatly appreciated which certainly accounts for a lot of its rise through the ranks, but what My Roommate is a Cat does brilliantly is deliver a fairly consistent performance. Tie in consistently meeting expectations week after week with concluding a character arc in a fairly coherent manner and My Roommate is a Cat might be decidedly average in a lot of ways but it was one that I found a very satisfying watch in the end.

This anime definitely demonstrates the power of simplicity in that it has a very simple gimmick with the cat narrating part of the episode from its perspective but otherwise the character count is low, the scenarios very low key, and things tie in together way too neatly for real life but in a way that makes for a fairly entertaining weekly watch. Not to mention, there’s a cat in it and apparently having a cat in it is something that makes a story recommendable.

Number 2: The Promised Neverland

Remaining in second place.

I feel a bit bad for The Promised Neverland. Given the genre and style of story in almost any other season this one would have been a sure number one for me. Yet, opposite Run With the Wind that mostly didn’t rely on cliff-hangers to maintain viewer interest or suspense, I just can’t say that the gimmick filled Neverland is better even if I’m certainly enjoying it a lot.

The mark of a great story where I want to know what happens, where it keeps me guessing and theorising, and when the reveal is made it may not be what I thought but everything kind of clicks into place as all the anomalies and hints suddenly make sense even while a new mystery rises to be solved. The cast are charming, the setting thrilling, and all and all this one has been a delight to watch this season.

Number 1: Run With The Wind

Maintaining first position.

While I never expected to like Run With The Wind that much, even with a fairly strong showing from The Promised Neverland, there just isn’t any reason to not make this my number one of the season. I’ve fallen in love with the team and through the final episodes I cried, I cheered, I cried some more and then I smiled through those tears in absolute delight. It really helps that every character had a moment to shine in those final episodes and each character journey felt like it was given time to draw to a conclusion. It was a lovely viewing experience and one I’m really glad I picked up.

Run With The Wind Episode 22 King hands the sash to Kakeru

Whether it was Shindo’s absolutely heroic actions during his leg of the race, the general camaraderie and support each member showed for the others, or the feat they accomplished together, there were just so many moments to celebrate. This anime is gorgeous, well put together and has just the perfect number of episodes to tell its story. For all that I do have some minor complaints, they are just that, minor. This is definitely my pick for must watch of the season.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Last Day to Vote – Best of Winter 2019 Poll Closes Tomorrow

Posted on March 29, 2019March 28, 2019 by Karandi

Can I just say thank-you to everyone who has already voted?

300 votes in the Best of Winter 2019 poll. That’s amazing. Compare that to Best of Autumn 2018 which only received 157 votes. I’m really looking forward to revealing the results of the poll on the 1st of April.

So, last chance to vote and have your say.

Remember this is about which anime you enjoyed the most this Winter season and you can pick up to three for those who can’t decide.

The top 3 choices will go into the reader’s poll for best of the year at the end of the year.

Please vote, please share, and check in on the 1st of April for the results.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

5 Days Left To Vote – Pick Your Favourite Anime of Winter 2019

Posted on March 25, 2019March 23, 2019 by Karandi

The Morose Mononokean Season 2 Episode 10

We are down to the final five days to get your vote in. And there’s now a clear distinction between the front of the pack and the rest. Still, the top 3 anime chosen in this poll will go into the anime of the year poll at the end of the year so even if your favourite doesn’t take the top spot, it could be in with a chance later in the year when more people have had the chance to see it.

As the Winter shows draw to a close it is time to ask yourself what your favourites have been. This isn’t about technical proficiency but about pure enjoyment as a viewer and what you have wanted to talk with your friends about. Which anime did you eagerly anticipate each week and which are you sad to see ending?

Choose up to three and have your say. The poll will close March 30 with results out (hopefully) on the 1st of April.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Previous poll results:

The Vote For The Best of Winter 2019 Is Really Heating Up

Posted on March 22, 2019March 22, 2019 by Karandi

Previously, the biggest voter turn out for one of these best of the season polls was 178 votes. Winter 2019 has already passed that with 8 days still to vote. 231 votes in already and while first place seems decided, the second and third place positions (both of which will go into the running for Anime of the Year at the end of the year) are tightly contested with three titles continually switching positions as votes come in and a number of outliers are coming up and might just manage to snag a placement.

What that means is, you should definitely vote.

Remember, this is not a vote for technical best anime or anything like that. I just want to know what my readers liked the most this season. You can pick up to three titles to vote for and while that is making it hard for some readers, I think it takes the pressure off those of us trying to weigh up the different genres we watch where different anime are doing different things well and appealing for different reasons.

If you’d like to share your picks, let us know in the comments below. I’d also love to know what you think the worst anime of the season is.

Thanks again to everyone who voted and be sure to share.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Previous poll results: