This season in many ways is a direct opposite of Fall 2022.  That was a season of greatness at the top (though losing Golden Kamuy really hurt), and almost no in-betweeners.  I basically had no bubble, and even coming up with options for the Patron Pick was pretty difficult.  This season has Vinland Saga of course, but it almost feels as if my entire schedule is on the bubble after that (apart from carryovers).

I would also say Winter 2023 has the earmarks of a better than expected season.  Those expectations were very low going in so that isn’t a terribly high bar, but I’ve been mildly surprised by the number of series that are still in the mix.  I don’t think a lot of winter shows are going to be on the eventual 2023 Top 10 (spring might have a lot of that covered), but it has a lot that I’m at least going to finish, I suspect.  On the other hand, the empty “Outstanding” category reflects that this is not ultimately a strong season.

Patrons will be voting on their pick by the time this post goes live, but it’s going to be an interesting process this time.  If Fall was feast or famine, Winter is a lot of light snacks and desserts.  Plus Vinland of course, which is a main course if ever there was one.  It’s nice to have multiple romcoms and sports anime in the mix, as those are among my favorite genres, even if the real headliners in those categories figure to hit later in the year (especially Spring).

 

Onward, then, to Winter 2023:

The Elite

Vinland Saga Season 2
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: A
Comments: Perhaps (well, there’s no “perhaps” about it) the visuals have ticked down with Vinland Saga’s move from Wit to MAPPA.  But this series is so gorgeously written and directed that “just fine” – which is where we are now – is just fine to keep the series at the top of the pyramid.  Yukimura Makoto is choosing a quieter means of exploring the darkness and light in the human spirit with this arc, but so far it‘s no less incisive and powerful.  In an era where vapid, vaguely admiring looks at slavery have become trendy in anime (especially LN adaptations), the moment is ideal for a master like Yukimura to expose the truth about the peculiar institution with subtlety and mercilessness.

 

Outstanding

None

 

Very Good

Revenger
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B+
Comments: Liking an Urobuchi Gen series after four eps is a very unsettling experience.  But I can only go by what’s put in front of me, and so far I like that very much.  Gen and director Fujimori Masaya have done a very good job with the world-building (Edo Jidai Nagasaki), and the premise is an interesting one.  Moral ambiguity like what the Reben-ji are engaged in is something Gen does pretty well, and Revenger seems to be solidly in his comfort zone as a writer.  Hopefully that means he doesn’t lose interest in mail in the second half of the series as he often does.

Hikari no Ou 
Episodes Watched: 2
Grade: B+
Comments: A very tough show to score, which is not something I often say after only two episodes.  The premiere was superb apart from some clumsy exposition – the second had more of that, plus some obvious cost-cutting and questionable directorial choices.  Any series that puts me this strongly in mind of Shin Sekai Yori and Seirei no Moribito has my full attention, and I remain convinced this fantasy has the potential to be seriously good.  But I’m not as convinced it will reach that level as I was after the first episode.

Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko!
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B+
Comments: If I was ranking based on the first two episodes Tomo-chan would certainly not have been in the “Very Good” category.  And there’s no way I’d have believe it would be my 4th-ranked series after the premiere, but that’s why the three-episode rule exists.  This series and its characters have grown on me and the humor has started to click.  Tomo and Jun have a nice chemistry as likeable idiots made for each other, and the addition of gaijin girl Carol has injected the series’ funniest material and softened up Misuzu considerably.  Tomo-chan is easily the biggest overperformer of the season for me – so far (largely because I had a suspicion Revenger might be pretty good).

 

Worthwhile

Tsurune: Tsunagari no Issha 
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B-
Comments: The second season of Tsurune has been roughly in-line with the first for me – that is to say, the parts I covered.  The visuals and sound design are as phenomenal as you’d expect (pretty exceptional even by KyoAni standards), and there’s a sincerity to the writing I find appealing.  It certainly helps if you’re interested in Japanese archery, which has never looked so good, but some of the character stuff is involving too.  I would like to see more Masa-Minato interaction, as that’s the strongest part of the story.

Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B-
Comments: Koori Danshi is the fluffy feel-good show of the season, nicely filling the Sempai ga Uzai/Heaven’s Design Team slot on the schedule.  There’s no real drama in a series where you know instinctively that everything will always turn out fine, but there’s a charm in seeing nice adults being nice to each other in a work environment, and the humor does have a bit of bite to it.  These past two series have a tendency to engage me much more in the second halves of episodes, which is a good sign for their staying power.

Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai  
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B-
Comments: It’s getting crowded in here.  Kubo-san is right in the bubble zone for me, which would have necessitated a decision (and a place in the patron poll) had it not been delayed until spring starting with Episode 7.  It’s still a decision of sorts with 3 more eps to come.  Whether these “Covid delays” really have anything to do with Covid is debatable (the first three were all Aniplex series), but the explosion of the pandemic in China could certainly be a factor.  As for the show itself, I sort of like it but not as much as I’d hoped going in.  It all hinges on how Kubo and Shiraishi’s relationship  evolves, especially as it portrays his somewhat ridiculous peculiarity.

 

Still Watching

Tokyo Revengers Seiya Kessen-hen
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B-
Comments: I’m about where I was with most of the first season here.  The stupid stick is always in liberal use with this series and your suspension of disbelief gets a taxing workout, but when it eases off on the larger plot and focuses on the visceral Tokyo Revengers is a pretty effective story.  I’m in pretty deep to bail now, anyway.

Mononogatari
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: I sense there’s more here than what I’m getting so far, but Mononogatari is very much a tweener for me at this point.  It’s a relatively interesting premise and there’s an obvious path for the protagonist to take to character growth (not that he’s especially winning so far, but that’s all part of the path).  It’s just that nothing in this tsukumogami story has much snap for me yet – the execution and writing is very middling.  One of those cases where the three episode rule isn’t quite enough.

High Card
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: In contrast to Mononogatari I don’t see much evidence that there’s untapped potential in High Card.  But what we’re getting is fine – silly, unpretentious goofball entertainment with relatively winning characters and some semblance of an overriding plot.  A fun little diversion and there’s nothing whatsoever wrong with that.

Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsu no Ma ni ka Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: Light novel adaptations which catch my attention (rare as they are) are often a bit puzzling, vexing even.  The two leads in Otonari have nice chemistry, and there’s a superficially quite respectful tone between them.  Maybe more than superficially.  But there’s such a strong underlying rip current of sexism in the premise – and the other elements of the show, like the B couple – that the result is kind of discordant.  It’s intriguing but maybe not in a good way; nevertheless I’m not ready to quit Otonari just yet.

Ooyukiuni no Kaina
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: Nihei Tsutomu is a writer of some stature, but the vibe I get from this show is that the character side of things is just an excuse to fill out the plot.  That plus the usual ugly character animation from Polygon is a lot to take, though – as usual – Nihjei comes up with a pretty solid sci-fi premise and the Polygon backgrounds can be quite pretty.  In every sense Ooyukiumi is a series that looks better in wide shots than close-ups.

NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: I was just sort of starting to get interested in the plot here when the Aniplex curse hit and Nier was put on indefinite hiatus.  Depending on when it comes back I may give it another look, but the first three eps were decidedly a mixed bag.  Fans of the game have been relentlessly bitching about the production quality but honestly, that seemed fine to me.  Robots vs. androids as humans sit out the fight is not a bad premise, and game fans swear it’s a great story full of pathos.  Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t (I have no idea) but translating that between these two mediums is never an easy task.

 

Dropped:

Buddy Daddies, Ayakashi Triangle

 

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

Monday:
Definitely Blogging: Vinland Saga Season 2
On the Bubble: High Card, Mononogatari

Tuesday:
On the Bubble: Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai (hiatus after Episode 6)

Wednesday:
Definitely Blogging: Tsurune: Tsunagari no Issha, Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko!
Probably Blogging: Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi
On the Bubble: Ooyukiuni no Kaina

Thursday:
Probably Blogging: Revenger

Friday:
Definitely Blogging: None

Saturday:
Definitely Blogging: Boku no Hero Academia Season 6, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun 3rd Season, Tokyo Revengers: Seiya Kessen Hen

Sunday:
Definitely Blogging: Fumetsu no Anata e 2nd Season, Yowamushi Pedal: Limit Break
Probably Blogging: Hikari no Ou
On the Bubble: Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsunomanika Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken

Manga: Otoyomegatari, Hunter X Hunter (hiatus)

Watching For Now: Digimon Ghost Game, Cool Douji Danshi, Boku to Roboco

As to that Patron Pick vote, it’s Mononogatari, High Card, Ooyukiuni, and Otonari.  Nier and Kubo-san would have been on there if they had not been hiatused.

 

One more thing before I wrap. Sincere thanks to everyone who stepped up to support LiA during our last-ditch fall pledge drive!  We managed to hit the minimum target and I’m eternally grateful, but the need for support is as strong as ever – links are in the sidebar as always if you want to help out.  The “LiA Bespoke” commissions program is officially open and off to a flying start, so please check it out!

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