Winter, 2017 - Anime Season Overview

Hey guys, it may be a little early for this but I decided to do it anyway - mostly because I've finished all of the series in which I initially set out to watch at the start of the season, but also because I wanted to write down all my thoughts on them before they fade from my memory.

Please keep in mind, I'm not trying to discourage you guys from watching any of the series that I rated badly. My intentions of writing this post is to merely provide an insight on what to expect from a certain series and hopefully promote a few that I enjoyed/ think is worth checking out. Its also worth noting that my comments from here on out are (obviously) purely subjective and all stems from my own personal tastes.

I will also assume that you guys have read the synopsis/ know of the anime that I will be talking about. So I will be diving right into my thoughts. (Though I have left links above each "mini overview" if you guys wanna find out what the series is about.

Here are the series (not all) in which I followed this season -

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Masamune kun no Revenge

Episodes watched - (12/12)

My score - 4/10 (Bad)

https://myanimelist.net/anime/33487/Masamune-kun_no_Revenge

Fabricated. Cliched. Anticlimactic.

To be honest, I was really hyped for this series when it started airing. As soon as I finished episode 1, I couldn't wait for episode 2, and then 3...4... Then I just wanted the series to end as quickly as possible.

I was excited for this series mainly because of its plot. I saw potential in it - and the first few episodes delivered. However towards the middle, this series morphed into a cliched and dragged out romantic comedy that has been done countless times before. This series does include some drama that works ---- until they inevitably brush it off with 'humor' like its nothing. Needless to say, I am disappointed.

But if you're looking to kill time with a brainless harem anime, sprinkled with (almost) every waifu trope out there - this may be the show for you.

Fuuka

Episodes watched - (8/12) -Dropped-

My score - 3.5/10 (Bad)

https://myanimelist.net/anime/33743/Fuuka

Fuuka faces the same problems with Masamune kun no Revenge as the plot takes a long time to build - up all while seeming as if it is going for the first prize in an originality contest, Although the story does have its climaxes, it was just too unrelateable which mad me genuinely not care. On top of that, the show doesn't spend much time building up its characters which makes the show even more tedious to watch during its later half.

I dropped this series 8 episodes in not because its worse than Masamune kun no Revenge. I was frankly too tired to sit through another 4 episodes of teen melodrama which (most likely) wouldn't lead to anywhere worth my time right after completing MknR.

Yet another cliched anime that I'm kicking myself for picking up at the start of the season (which was mostly due to curiosity).

At least the show is pleasant to look at. lol.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufufu wo! 2

Episodes watched - (10/10)

My score - 8/10 (Very Good)

https://myanimelist.net/anime/32937/Kono_Subarashii_Sekai_ni_Shukufuku_wo_2

Comedy, and the sense of humor in general is really subjective. With that said, I found the humor better in this season of KonoSuba compared to its first. Mainly because of them handling Darkness and her 'characteristics' in a way that I appreciated more. Additionally, the story is more interesting than S1's as they travel more and do more things in general.

KonoSuba is a great series (both S1 and S2) and I would be here all day I were to start singing its praises. So I'll just make a condensed list of awesome things about the S2 and move on:

1) Detailed and fitting graphics to perfectly fit the series' tone.

2) Lively voice acting

3) Epic climax

I highly recommend it.

Kuzu no Honkai

Episodes watched - (12/12)

My score - 8.25/10 (Very Good)

https://myanimelist.net/anime/32949/Kuzu_no_Honkai

Ahhh. I have just so much to say about this series... But then the amount of text here would make it unproportional to the other series' text... So I'm probably going to have to save it for a full-fledged review on a later date.

Let me start off by saying that the dark, melancholic and borderline depressing tone to the series was what really hooked me. After watching the first episode, I was ready to call it my favorite anime of all time, topping Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (at the time) if the series continued on that way. However as the series progressed it took on a lighter tone and started to lack in some departments, which was mainly the side-characters. Despite that, I am happy to report that -although it didn't live up to my initial expectations- this is still a very meaningful and though -provoking series which also doubles as great entertainment with a (surprisingly) uplifting and optimistic core message.

Another notable thing is the way Kuzu no Honkai tells its story. It is very poetic. Not just in the sense that the dialogue/ thoughts are crafted specifically to invoke thought; the series also uses an abundance of effective and purposeful imagery to carry subtle yet significant messages across.

This series really speaks to me on an emotional and philosophical level and would definitely recommend it if you're into that kind of stuff.

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Sorry if my writing was sloppy, I just had a tiring week and wanted to get all of this down as quickly as possible so please forgive me for some incoherent sentences that might have taken shape. Also, I know that I didn't cover other popular shows such as Kobaysahi and Youjo Senki. The reason for that is that I'm still in the midst of watching those 2 and won't be finishing anytime in the next few days (but they are looking quite good from where I'm at now).

Also, please do let me know if you guys are interested in anymore of these kinds of posts/ pieces. Especially if you are in a Kuzu no Honkai review. I am even planning on analyzing and explaining every single piece of imagery used in that show lmao, as there are just so many.

Nonetheless, enough rambling.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed/ found this post helpful. Oh! and also feel free to discuss your opinions on any shows I've mentioned, or give your own overview on shows that I didn't in the comments. Definitely looking forward to it

Thanks for the fantastic post, Nutty! I'm one of those people who are always looking for some direction in what to invest in next. I work quite a lot and in between that and other adulting activities I have little time to go scouting for new entertainment, especially in the anime world. Therefore I genuinely appreciate seeing reviews and opinions that help me discover new anime so I can try to keep up with the rest of you lot.

 

Kuzu no Honkai doesn't seem to be a genre I'm interested in, but Subarashii looks like something I can dig my heels into, and I've never even heard of it! I'll be certain to check it out. Thanks for the recommendations.

Glad you found my post helpful I'll be sure to add more anime from this season to the list whenever I get around to finishing them (probably in the next few weeks) so hopefully you'll find those to be of help too.

If you need any other recommendations in any genre/ anime in general, please feel free to hit me up and I'll reply ASAP.

@Nutty san! Have you tried writing reviews? By the looks of this posy maybe you'd like to share your opinions there as well

I pretty much haven't started any anime for 2017 as of now. I'm pretty much dragged by the Cartoons from Disney. Although I'll start watching the animes soon. Can't wait for it

@Nutty san! Have you tried writing reviews? By the looks of this post maybe you'd like to share your opinions there as well

 

I pretty much haven't started any anime for 2017 as of now. I'm pretty much dragged by the Cartoons from Disney. Although I'll start watching the animes soon. Can't wait for it

I have tried them. However, It felt quite boring to be honest. Because in a review, you are expected to look at an anime "objectively" - judging it's story, art, characters etc.

Those have been said thousands upon of thousands of times before. It is hard to formulate your own unique opinions when you are supposed to be " objective." Plus, personally, I don't believe in the idea of being objective at all (won't go into detail on that here).

So, I have resorted to writing pieces that show my interpretation of a show. Usually an aspect of a show, not the entirety of it. My goal with writing is to explore an idea and explore it well - so much so that I can confidently say that I am proud of my work.

With reviews, its hard for me seeing myself being proud with saying things that have been said over and over again before. There is no originality.

If you would like samples of what I have written, my blog would be a great place to start:

https://nutmegsjuice.wordpress.com/blog/

If you do check my pieces out, please feel free to share your own opinions in the comments with me. As I am certainly open for any critique or new ideas.

You should try your hands at:

- Little With Academia

- Youjo Senki

- Gabriel Dropout

They were the gems from last season.

You should try your hands at:

 

- Little With Academia

- Youjo Senki

- Gabriel Dropout

 

They were the gems from last season.

I checked out both Youjo Senki and Little Witch Academia during the season. They were pretty good

Will definitely check out Gabriel Dropout if given the time, though.