As they tend to do more often than not, this season’s anime schedule has behaved pretty predictably.  That is to say. a couple of really good series at the top, a huge dropoff after that, and not a lot of depth.  I love the top tier, but as a whole this is a very weak season – a throwback to when summer used to be the worst season in a typical anime year.

As you’d expect the pool of new series in the running for coverage is pretty shallow – it was at around 20 last season at this time, but it’s barely half that this season.  Fortunately there are quite a few carryovers from spring (which is also fairly common in recent history) but on balance, there’s a lot of dead air at the moment.  What’a going to make or break this season is whether the series at the top of the ladder can reach truly elite status.  I have a pretty good handle on what one of them (Hi Score Girl) is going to be, but the other is a bit of a mystery.  Even mediocre seasons can go down as decent if they produce one truly great series, and there’s still a chance that could apply to this one.

Onward, then, to Summer 2018:

The Elite

None

Outstanding

Planet With
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: A-
Comments: Honestly, there are only two things preventing this series from being ranked in the “Elite” category.  First, the visuals are mostly in the realm of “fine” instead of being really outstanding (though the character designs and facial expressions do reflect some of Mizukami’s brilliance as an artist).  And second, the slow-build narrative style which is a part of every Mizukami series, without exception – he never shows his hand this early in the story.  It’s almost a given that Planet With is going to jump up a notch before it’s done, but as is it’s still the best series of the season.

Hi Score Girl
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: A-
Comments: Actually, to an extent some of the above applies to Hi Score Girl as well.  Oshikiri Rensuke definitely doesn’t reveal all in the early chapters of this series, and the 100% CGI visuals certainly leave much to be desired.  But I pretty much know exactly what we’re going to get with Hi Score Girl, and it’s one of the best stories in manga in recent years.

Very Good

Banana Fish
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: B
Comments: Even with its setting updated to the present (probably unwisely), there are still elements of Banana Fish that feel dated rather than nostalgic.  I like a lot of what this show brings to the table, though, and it has the potential to continue NoitaminA’s modest recent winning streak.

Worthwhile

Angolmois: Genkou Kassen-ki 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B
Comments: Kind of a mediocre third episode, but still one of the more engaging stories of the season.

Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B
Comments: Quite the opposite in play here, as “Holmes” third episode was easily the best of the series.

Tsukumogami Kashimasu
Episodes Watched: 1
Grade: B-
Comments: It’s kind of tough to check-in with a series for which you’ve only seen one episode, but the late premiere of Tsukumogami makes it unavoidable.  I liked the premiere, but the potential for a stock incest storyline takes some off the bloom off the rose for me.  We’ll see how that plays out but there’s still potential here.

Shinya! Tensai Bakabon 
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: B-
Comments: Not as inspired (or as novel and groundbreaking) as Osomatsu-san, but good for a few solid laughs every week (especially if you have some knowledge of Japanese pop culture).

Still Watching

Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger
Episodes Watched: 3
Grade: C+
Comments: Beauty is skin deep so far with this period horror piece from P.A. Works.  Andou Masahiro directing a vampire/werewolf story set in 1930’s Tokyo should be a recipe for success, but as it turns out, writing is the rub.

Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro!
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: C+
Comments: Who would believe the problem with a show about what happens on a girl’s walk to school would be repetitive humor?

Shingeki no Kyoujin Season 3
Episodes Watched: 1
Grade: C+
Comments: Come for the bad characters, stay for the fascism.  The thing is, no matter how laughable it gets Attack on Titan remains sort of interesting to write about.  Go figure.

Sunoharasou no Kanrinin-san
Episodes Watched: 4
Grade: C
Comments: Once in a while this show displays the whisper of something almost cute or charming, but mostly it’s just mediocre soft-core ecchi.  Barely hanging on by the thinnest of threads.

Dropped:

Grand Blue, Hataraku Saibou, Asobi Asobase, Satsuriku no Tenshi, Island

So with that, here’s this season’s rather modest blogging prospectus:

Monday:
Probably Blogging: Tsukumogami Kashimasu
On the Bubble: Shingeki no Kyoujn

Tuesday:
Probably Blogging: Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes

Wednesday:
Definitely Blogging: Steins;Gate 0
Probably Blogging: Angolmois: Genkou Kassen-ki 

Thursday:
Definitely Blogging: Banana Fish

Friday:
On the Bubble: Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger
On the Respirator: Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro

Saturday:
Definitely Blogging: Major 2nd, Boku no Hero Academia Season 3, Hi Score Girl 

Sunday:
Definitely Blogging: Planet With, Gegege no Kitarou (2018)

Manga: Otoyomegatari, Hunter X Hunter (hiatus)

Watching For Now: Koneko no Chii: Ponponra Dairyokou, Captain Tsubasa 2018, Shinya! Tensai Bakabon, Sunoharasou no Kanrinin-san