I haven’t had occasion to say it for a long time, but Winter 2021 is starting to resemble a pretty good anime season.  Not Spring 2012 or anything, but good – especially given winter’s usual second-tier status (all the postponements likely helped in that respect).  The tentpoles are holding up the tent, the sleeper has infiltrated the enemy’s inner circle, and there are some decent surprises among the rest.

I can say this much for sure – there are 3 series this season that would have been locks for the 2020 Top 10 list, and another couple that would have been Top 20 for sure (with the potential for more in both cases).  2020 was an exceptionally weak year but we can at least say that this season seems destined to be better than any single season from last year.  And that’s allowing for the fact that it has an enormous number of high-profile series which are off my radar – if you’re excited by those I imagine Winter 2021 looks seriously strong.

For me specifically, it boils down to a couple of main factors.  The shows I needed to be really good are, and among the rest of my list, more shows have exceeded my expectations than fallen short of them.  That’s made me busier as a reviewer than I have been for a while, and just when I’m launching the YouTube channel too – but that’s a nice problem to have I suppose.  I do think there’s an element of diminished expectations in play here – five or six years ago I suspect I’d have called this season pretty average.  But it’s not five or six years ago and I’ll take what I can get.

 

Onward then to Winter 2021:

The Elite

Horimiya 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: A
Comments: With Ishihama Masashi in charge there was really no reason to doubt that this adaptation of one of manga’s best romantic comedies would do the source material justice.  But you never know till you know, so I’m still relieved.  Ishihama has frankly rushed things a bit, and Horimiya has the feel of a show that’s going to blow its wad in 13 episodes and doesn’t want to waste any of them.  But the pacing hasn’t undercut the effectiveness of the story much, if at all.  To those who don’t look too closely and have been desensitized by the general degradation of anime romcoms Horimiya might seem quite formulaic, but there’s tremendous depth and subtlety to this story, and Ishihama is aptly highlighting it.

 

Outstanding

Kemono Jihen 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: A-
Comments: In contrast to Horimiya there was a little more reason to worry about Kemono Jihen, with its less-heralded director and uncertain budget.  But the first three episodes have blown that concern out of the water, as Ajia-Do and Fujimori Masaya have pretty much nailed it.  The staff turns out to be a really good fit and it seems as if the production committee has considerable faith in the project, as the budget looks to be quite respectable.  As a fan of the manga there’s not much more I could ask for (apart from a couple of casting niggles).  Aimoto Shou’s writing is an intriguing mix of old-school slow burn shounen, seinen, and edgy modern twists, and Kemono Jihen is a hidden gem which seems in the process of being discovered.

Beastars 2nd Season 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: A-
Comments: All systems are go with Orange’s Beastars sequel, which is delivering exactly as you’d have expected.  If anything the material has gotten even darker and more psychologically disturbing (and that was a high bar), as it explores Legosi’s contradictions and Louis’ darkness even deeper.  If I have any complaint it’s that Haru has developed into more of a concept than a character, but that seems to have been exactly the point.

 

Very Good

SK∞ 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B+
Comments: SK∞ is definitely one of the upside movers of the season for me, despite being in my mid-tier of expectations going in.  Bones is a draw for sure but I haven’t been a fan of either Utsumi Hiroko or Ookouchi Ichiro’s work for the most part.  Somehow the alchemy seems to be working perfectly here, as this has been an insanely fun ride so far.  The art and animation is top-notch and the tone is classic Bones infectious boisterousness.  I’d wondered why anime hadn’t seen any real skateboarding anime before now, but with SK∞ the wait seems to have been worth it.

Koi Byoui Ramune 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B+
Comments: This show was my top sleeper going into the season, and I haven’t been disappointed.  Sort of a surrealistic adult folktales collection, Koi Byoui Ramune has an interesting aesthetic, a compelling cast, and more than a little distinctiveness to bank on.  As the series layers more and more character development and recurring plot in with the episodic storylines I expect it to only get better and better.

 

Worthwhile

Tenchi Souzou Design-bu 
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B
Comments: I’ve started to get drawn in a little more with the last couple episodes of Heaven’s Design Team.  Comedy is funny that way (pun intended) – once you buy in things which didn’t make you laugh start to.  Basically this series follows the same pattern as the Cells at Work franchise, anthropomorphizing biological processes for entertainment value.  I won’t say this series is objectively better (OK, I’ll say it) but it does seem more attuned to my tastes.  It’s quite smart, very sharp in its wry observations about working in design, and even sort of educational.

Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season 
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B-
Comments: The Promised Neverland started veering off into the promised new material with the third episode, which skipped a major arc and hugely important character from the manga.  Some fans are now speculating that the plan is to finish entirely in 12 episodes.  That makes absolutely no sense to me, but it would explain the decision to go original.  Original content is always a crapshoot with manga adaptations, though it should be noted that the manga’s final third is a hot mess so maybe it could be a good thing here.  The problem is, as a commenter on ASF noted, what if they decide to cut the good parts and keep the bad parts?  Based on what was apparently skipped over, that could be what’s happening.

 

Still Watching

Mushoku Tensei
Episodes Watched: 3 
Grade: B-
Comments: The quest for an isekai with legs continues, and while I’m not convinced Mushoku Tensei is going to be the one it’s certainly more engaging than most of its competitors.  The combo of moe character design and Sugita Tomokazu’s relaxed performance make dirtbag protagonist Rudy just sympathetic enough to work, and the overall production quality is excellent.  The reliance on tired tropes can be vexing, but Mushoku approaches this material with such confidence and ease that it manages (for now) to feel distinct and authoritative.

Shingeki no Kyoujin: The Final Season
Episodes Watched: 7
Grade: C+
Comments: I’m never quite sure which season to toss Shingeki no Kyoujin in with, since it always seems to start in-between them these days.  Technically this is a Fall 2020 series but it started too late for that check-in post so I may as well cover it here.  The big news for many has been the change from Wit to MAPPA, which has mostly been a nothingburger to me – I don’t see a major dip in production quality.  The omnipresence of the historical allegories is a much bigger concern, and we’re at the point where it pretty much infuses everything that happens on-screen.  AoT’s bleak embrace of brutality and historical revisionism has made it a bit of a slog, but the series still has the ability to deliver spectacle and raw emotional power so…  I’m still here.

2.43: Seiin Kōkō Danshi Volley-bu
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: 2.43 has had a bit of an uneven start  to be sure.  The third episode was the best, but things took a real step back in the most recent ep, which relied heavily on clumsy humor and manufactured drama.  2.43 looks good enough not to suffer too badly from the inevitable Haikyuu comparisons, but while the premise and characters are interesting enough the writing has thus far lacked a certain spark.  In terms of tone it’s not as odd a fit for NoitaminA as one might guess, but the execution may just not be up to snuff.

Wonder Egg Priority
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: This series has become something of a critical darling, more or less out of the blue.  I get it – there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on visually here, even if it’s all a bit too art school for my tastes.  But I find the writing to be rather unsubtle and mannered.  Right now WEP strikes me as a conventional non-anime writer’s idea of what an edgy anime is supposed to be.

Shin Chuuka Ichiban! 2nd Season
Episodes Watched: 2
Grade: C+
Comments: Tofu!!  Noodle!!  Garlic!!  I rather enjoy Shin Chuuka Ichiban’s utter abandon when it comes to cooking – it’s nothing too profound, but this is authentic blend of shounen battle tropes with food obsession.  A fun diversion and nothing more, but there’s a place for those on the schedule to be sure.

 

Dropped:

Jaku Chara Tomozaki-kun, Hataraku Saibou Black!, Back Arrow, Skate-Leading Stars, Vlad Love

 

Here, then, is this season’s blogging prospectus:

Whenever Time Permits: Hyouge Mono

Monday:
Definitely Blogging: Kemono Jihen, Shingeki no Kyoujin Final Season
On the Bubble: Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Desu

Tuesday:
Definitely Blogging: Osomatsu-san Season 3

Wednesday:
On the Respirator: Wonder Egg Priority

Thursday:
Definitely Blogging: Beastars 2nd Season 

Friday:
Definitely Blogging: Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou (for the moment)
Probably Blogging: Tenchi Souzou Design-bu
On the Respirator: 2.43 Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu

Saturday:
Definitely Blogging: None (first time ever?)

Sunday:
Definitely Blogging: Horimiya, Kai Byoui Ramune
Probably Blogging: SK∞

Manga: Otoyomegatari (hiatus), Hunter X Hunter (hiatus)

Watching For Now: Shin Chukka Ichiban! 2nd Season, Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki Sansatsume

 

One more thing before I wrap.  Of course you’ve heard me say it before, but the need for financial support for LiA is greater than ever. Everything has gotten more expensive again this year, and it gets more and more difficult to justify the time I have to put in to make the site one I feel proud of.  I know times are tough right now but if you’re inclined to consider helping out, please visit one of the links in the sidebar. Patreon patrons, Paypal subscribers or one-time contributors  – you all have my everlasting gratitude.

Please check out the LiA YouTube channel for manga recommendations, from the vault anime, Japan journeys and more!