Hello and welcome for the post no one asked for! HAH! Can’t keep me away from writing about anime when my life is, all of the sudden, opening up in all sorts of directions because of anime. I solute the craft, and now I will be slashing down some criticism on this season. So I apologize in advance for any highly adverse opinions I may have put out, as well as the ‘wow, second thought’ style of images used. Happy Spring 2021!
Koikimo
Alright, I was skeptical after the first couple of episodes but now I think I’m a bit more sold on this anime. Seriously, this is not one that will blow your mind, good for fans of romance and light comedy, splash of drama. I’m watching it because it is cute and the simp/rich/beautiful/playa guy matches well with the lightly weab/guarded/sweetheart type that slowly grows to accept this man-child with younger taste. So would I recommend this anime? Unless you are into romcoms with light drama then it would probably never come up.
Higehiro
You know, after being rejected, I also turn towards shaving and taking in runaway teenagers. Higehiro seems to have some inkling of a similar premise to Koikimo, but I think it is actually better. Essentially, teen high school runaway Sayu has been smashing crusty characters for a place to stay, when Yoshida takes her in and makes a deal: do chores for food and board. Personally, I think this premise is a bit stronger than Koikimo, and the character development has been coming along very nicely in that ‘soft smile’ slice of life kind of way. I would recommend Higehiro for people to check out, especially if they are into romcom slice of life anime.
ODDTAXI
YO! Talk about a charming anime! This is my sneaky surprise of the season, where I can’t peel my eyes away from the screen where this daily life drama captivates me with some of the most believable dialogue I’ve seen in anime. I don’t even know what to compare this to (Ping Pong, maybe?) to describe the vibe. Something about the daily life of a taxi driver as the people around him in life are slowly getting pulled into Yakuza type sketchy activities over a missing high school girl? Gah, it’s always a bout a high school girl, huh? Anyways, I highly recommend this for curious minds looking for a unique anime with smart dialogue.
Burning Kabaddi
Don’t hate on my having a thing for sports anime, there are some great sports anime out there! While that may be true, I don’t think Burning Kabaddi will join my favorites among sports anime. Don’t get me wrong, the ‘wait are all these guys gay?’ gag in this anime is especially well done and I have a good chuckle. Maybe once our ~star~ team expands the cast and starts fighting in real matches will this series really heat up. For now I am just enjoying bald Asta and gag humor, while learning some intricacies to Kabaddi, a sport I have literally never heard of before. Final say? I recommend to fans of sport anime and commedic guy groups, but would recommend a multitude of other sports animes before this one if someone was looking for the type.
My Hero Academia
Are you watching this? That is not even a question, you should be watching this. My Hero is actually so damn good you should really be tuning in. Are you tuning in yet? It is already season 5 you should have caught on by now! Seriously though, My Hero is a stellar anime, great art, storyline that keeps you interested, and amazing characters with well thought through development. Also note: Hawks is HOT, Endeavor is suddenly ?likable?, they brought back Mr. Brainwash (who was always underrated, please get this guy in Class A). Do I even need to tell you how much I recommend this series?
Fruits Basket
The Final Season is here… You should really just copy the intention I had in suggesting you watch My Hero down here because Fruits Basket is undeniably a gem. The original series was, believe it or not, the second anime I ever watched (after Ouran HSHC) and it hold a dear place in my heart. I was suspicious of this reboot, but it has absolutely smashed my expectations out of the park. Seriously, it is hard to find an anime, or even more so, a TV show, that successfully captures so many different kinds of love (parental, friendship, romantic, the intangible bonds of a zodiac curse, ect). This is a master class Shoujo. So yeah, if you are even remotely interested in Shoujo; yes, do it, watch it, prepare for your heart to shatter and heal again and again and again, you will not regret it.
To Your Eternity
Are you joking? Was the premier real? In the span of 20 minutes my hope for the future of anime dramatically increased. When I heard that it was the same creator as A Silent Voice, my heart fluttered and I understood: This is going to be good. If ODDTAXI is the offbeat hit of the season, this is just the straight up hit. Beautiful animation, character building that doesn’t feel rushed, a premise that doesn’t feel forced in the slightest. Seriously what a beautiful piece of art with a sturdy backbone. I think this anime will breed great this this season. 10/10 would recommend everyone to check it out.
Backflip!!
You see, I wasn’t actually planning to watch this anime, then I heard a very interesting piece of information: the sequences of rhythmic gymnastics are actually created by drawing/animating over real footage, something that brings some real legitimacy an craft to this anime. I came in with low expectations regardless, expecting some Free!-type fanservice with nice dancing, but WOW! Seriously was not expecting the charm that this anime brings to the table, some sort of blending that takes the best parts of Yuri on Ice and Haikyuu to make something that I am actually looking forward to. Sneaky sneaky! So yes, I would recommend, especially if you are a fan of sporty anime.
Well, well, well, this season appears to be looking up, with a multitude of surprisingly great catches, even though there is a fair share of nonsense that I am not going to touch (not written about). Certainly the second half of this review has the better of the bunch, so I would recommend watching those last 4 if you get the chance! Until next time, when I dump my opinions and obnoxious sass and obscure (but maybe accurate) description of the animated arts. Let me know if I missed any notable catches this season!
SLOANER ANIME 
You must be logged in to post a comment.