Winter 2017 Anime Season:
This is literally the dryest season I’ve seen. Almost all of the shows I’m watching are carry-overs from last season (All-Out!, March Comes in Like a Lion, Iron-Blooded Orphans, Trickster, Twin Star Exorcists). And even among the “new” shows, all but one are simply new seasons of shows I already liked (Gintama, Yowamushi Pedal, Super Lovers). The only totally new show here is Spirit Pact. So here’s what I think about them.
Spirit Pact is another series from the studio that brought us The Outcast and Bloodivores, which means it’s based on a Chinese comic and the Japanese version is actually dubbed over the original Chinese voices. It also means the animation quality is subpar and the story is a bit muddled but has a lot of interesting ideas and doesn’t fall neatly into the usual anime tropes. Spirit Pact is notable in that there is very obvious homosexual attraction between the two male leads (they even kiss, sort of). And not just in a, “fangirls’ imaginations running wild” sort of way. This is deliberate and factors into the plot. I’ve seen people calling it a yaoi or shounen ai series, but I hesitate to label it that way. The show is, first and foremost, an action/fantasy/supernatural series. While the relationship that is growing between the two male leads is compelling, it’s definitely not the main focus of the story. The show has likable characters, a rich mythology, and some lovely design work that negates some of the shoddy animation (the outfits and backgrounds are really nice-looking). High on my watch list.
Gintama’s new season began airing in January, and it was such a welcome return. It wastes no time at all diving into the next major story arc, which makes for some exciting and fast-paced episodes, but leaves little time for the series’ trademark comedy. As much as I love the more serious storylines, it was the silly comedy that hooked me on this show, and we’ve had three back-to-back serious story arcs with practically nothing in between. I wish the serious arcs had been spaced just a little farther apart. But this is a minor complaint, since every single episode has been incredibly entertaining, and even at its worst, Gintama is still head and shoulders above 90% of everything else out there.
Yowamushi Pedal is on its third season now, and this really feels like a new season, as opposed to a continuation. It’s a new school year. The third years have graduated and new first years are joining the bicycling club. It’s a pretty exciting time in the series, with new rivals and, of course, returning favorites. The show hasn’t lost any of its goofy, bizarre charm (there’s a character who has named his own pectoral muscles Andy and Frank and he even talks to them! This show is approaching Prince of Tennis levels of batshit crazy I swear), and it’s all still held together by a super likable protagonist who keeps the show grounded even at its weirdest.
Super Lovers season two is getting dangerous. Back when I talked about the first season, I said I would keep watching until it goes from “cute but slightly uncomfortable” to “downright disturbing”. Well, season two is definitely walking that line, sometimes stumbling across it but then catching itself before it goes too far. There have been moments that made me cringe, but at this point I’m really attached to the characters so I can’t imagine just dropping the show outright. If Ren didn’t look so young compared to Haru (on his own, he looks like an average anime high school student, but next to the tall, manly Haru, he looks like a kid), and if the series didn’t keep hammering us over the head with the family aspect, the show wouldn’t be giving its audience a moral dilemma every time they watch. Still, the show has its sweet and funny moments, and a very enjoyable cast, so I’ll keep watching for now.
Spirit Pact is another series from the studio that brought us The Outcast and Bloodivores, which means it’s based on a Chinese comic and the Japanese version is actually dubbed over the original Chinese voices. It also means the animation quality is subpar and the story is a bit muddled but has a lot of interesting ideas and doesn’t fall neatly into the usual anime tropes. Spirit Pact is notable in that there is very obvious homosexual attraction between the two male leads (they even kiss, sort of). And not just in a, “fangirls’ imaginations running wild” sort of way. This is deliberate and factors into the plot. I’ve seen people calling it a yaoi or shounen ai series, but I hesitate to label it that way. The show is, first and foremost, an action/fantasy/supernatural series. While the relationship that is growing between the two male leads is compelling, it’s definitely not the main focus of the story. The show has likable characters, a rich mythology, and some lovely design work that negates some of the shoddy animation (the outfits and backgrounds are really nice-looking). High on my watch list.
Gintama’s new season began airing in January, and it was such a welcome return. It wastes no time at all diving into the next major story arc, which makes for some exciting and fast-paced episodes, but leaves little time for the series’ trademark comedy. As much as I love the more serious storylines, it was the silly comedy that hooked me on this show, and we’ve had three back-to-back serious story arcs with practically nothing in between. I wish the serious arcs had been spaced just a little farther apart. But this is a minor complaint, since every single episode has been incredibly entertaining, and even at its worst, Gintama is still head and shoulders above 90% of everything else out there.
Yowamushi Pedal is on its third season now, and this really feels like a new season, as opposed to a continuation. It’s a new school year. The third years have graduated and new first years are joining the bicycling club. It’s a pretty exciting time in the series, with new rivals and, of course, returning favorites. The show hasn’t lost any of its goofy, bizarre charm (there’s a character who has named his own pectoral muscles Andy and Frank and he even talks to them! This show is approaching Prince of Tennis levels of batshit crazy I swear), and it’s all still held together by a super likable protagonist who keeps the show grounded even at its weirdest.
Super Lovers season two is getting dangerous. Back when I talked about the first season, I said I would keep watching until it goes from “cute but slightly uncomfortable” to “downright disturbing”. Well, season two is definitely walking that line, sometimes stumbling across it but then catching itself before it goes too far. There have been moments that made me cringe, but at this point I’m really attached to the characters so I can’t imagine just dropping the show outright. If Ren didn’t look so young compared to Haru (on his own, he looks like an average anime high school student, but next to the tall, manly Haru, he looks like a kid), and if the series didn’t keep hammering us over the head with the family aspect, the show wouldn’t be giving its audience a moral dilemma every time they watch. Still, the show has its sweet and funny moments, and a very enjoyable cast, so I’ll keep watching for now.