10 Best Anime OP’s Fall 2019

It’s that time of the season to count down the 10 Best Anime OP’s and ED’s of Fall 2019, in this post we’re starting with the OP’s and while I don’t think this was the strongest season for OP’s there are still some bonefide classics amongst the top picks! As usual, in preparation for this post I’ve listened to every OP available to listen to and I try and not not let my personal feelings for a show influence the decision on the OP’s themselves. Let’s get started!

Note: I’ve tried to get Youtube links to all the listed songs where possible but some are not ideal quality (i.e. videos played in quad view to avoid copyright detection) and if links end up being broken in the future it’s because they’ve been taken down.

~Number 10~
“Smile Skill = Suki Skill!” by Akaki Chikai from ‘Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!’

There’s nothing particularly unique about this OP, it’s just a catchy good time sung by cute girls, plus gotta love an easily imitable dance move incorporated into an OP’s visuals.

~Number 9~
“TIT FOR TAT” by MYTH & ROID from ‘Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious’

By this point MYTH & ROID are veritable veterans of singing OP’s for isekai anime (they’ve sung OP’s for such isekai anime as: Iskeai Cheat Magician, Overlord, Re:Zero and The Saga of Tanya the Evil) and here’s another one for their belt and it’s a banger that showcases the vocalists unique sound perfectly.

~Number 8~
“Can now, Can now” by Study from ‘We Never Learn! 2nd Season’

Okay, this one is a totally biased pick. I just love this anime and these girls (the voice actors are credited as the band ‘Study’ for the various OP’s and ED’s from both the first and second season. And they just sound great and this OP (and its visuals) are adorable. It’s not quite as good as the first seasons’ OP but it’s still pretty wonderful.

~Number 7~
“CAPTURE” by EGO-WRAPPIN’ from ‘Case File nº221: Kabukicho’

I’m not really sure what genre this song is, (jazz maybe?) but this is absolutely a case of a song growing on me the more I heard it, despite it being counter to a lot of my usual musical tastes. It’s cool and chaotic and fits with the visuals of the OP perfectly.

~Number 6~
“Wild Side” by ALI from ‘BEASTARS’

I’ll fully admit that a large part of the reason this OP is even in this list is because of it’s outstanding stop-motion visuals that tell a full story in of itself because musically this song doesn’t really work for me (I don’t like the vocalist and it’s a bit messy), but together with the visuals it’s practically a work of art.

~Number 5~
“Q-vism” by Who-ya Extended from ‘Psycho-Pass 3’

This OP fits so perfectly into the Psycho Pass universe that it’s kind of surprising it’s from a different artist to any of the other Psycho Pass OP musicians. That’s not to say it’s derivative–not at all–in fact I think it perfectly strikes the balance between being inspired by the past and carving out a bit of its new identity (kind of like Psycho-Pass 3 itself). I think it’s honestly great!

~Number 4~
“Thought I knew ft.ra’z, Hayes” by YVY from ‘Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth’

My criteria for picking my favourite OP’s is kind of difficult to pin down, this song being absolutely an example of a song that I’d otherwise probably be indifferent to but for some reason the combination of the fractured, dark electro beat with the occasional falsetto of the vocalist and some genuinely evocative choice of English phrases really just clicked to make a stand-out OP.

~Number 3~
“BULLET MERMAID” by Rin Namiki (Yuu Sasahara) and Misa Aoi (Riko Kohara) from ‘Kandagawa Jet Girls’

I think something that anime OP’s seem to neglect nowadays is the importance of being ‘sexy’ especially for ecchi or even ecchi-adjacent anime–sure ED’s have it plentiful but not OPs!. Granted this OP doesn’t start really being sexy until the last 15 or so seconds but it makes it count! Also this song is just a damn catchy and fun little number that makes me smile every time I hear it!

~Number 2~
“Take On Fever” by OLDCODEX from ‘Special Crime Investigation Unit – Special 7’

I’ll always have a soft spot for this kind of music; heavy instrumentation kick-ass beat with a vocalist with a decent range. I’m not watching this anime, probably never will but this song will be in my head for days.

~Number 1~
“MAYDAY” by coldrain feat. Ryo from CRYSTAL LAKE from ‘Fire Force’

So I’ve got a lot of things to say about this particular OP and song so strap in for a wall of text. The reason this list is out probably a week or two later than I usually post them is because I was waiting for this one to come out. Not only is ‘coldrain’ an amazing band who I’ve recently gotten into in a big way (kind of like how I got into ‘Survive Said The Prophet’ after the Banana Fish OP) but when it was announced that this would be the OP I was practically giddy. I listened to the song a dozen or more times hoping each time that the visuals for the OP would be on par with the first cour’s OP. And alas, no, the visuals are honestly kinda lazy and don’t match with how killer this song is. So I fully admit that this Number 1 pick is 100% because of the song and not the OP’s visuals, if you think that’s a cop-out too bad this is my list. Amazing song, honestly one of the all time greats but with sadly lacklustre accompanying OP visuals.

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And that’s my Top 10 OP’s for Fall 2019! Agree, disagree? Let me know your picks of the season in the comments below and thanks for reading!

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Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019
10 Best OP’s Spring 2019
10 Best ED’s Spring 2019
10 Best OP’s Summer 2019
10 Best ED’s Summer 2019

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2018
10 Worst OP’s Winter 2018
10 Best ED’s Winter 2018
5 Worst ED’s Winter 2018
10 Best OP’s Spring 2018
10 Worst OP’s Spring 2018
10 Best ED’s Spring 2018
5 Worst ED’s Spring 2018
15 Best OP’s Summer 2018
5 Worst OP’s Summer 2018
10 Best ED’s Summer 2018
10 Worst ED’s Summer 2018
10 Best OP’s Fall 2018
10 Worst OP’s Fall 2018
10 Best ED’s Fall 2018
5 Worst ED’s Fall 2018
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The Best Anime OP’s of 2018
The Best Anime ED’s of 2018

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Summer 2019 Anime In Review

Summer is done and now comes the task of ranking all the shows I watched. Overall it was a great season, not the strongest I’ve ever watched but by no means the weakest. In total I watched 20 shows, 18 new ones and two hold-overs from the Spring 2019 season which I’ll be listing from least favourite to most favourite, also I’ll be giving my quick overall thoughts on each one. Anyway, let’s get to it!

Iskeai Cheat Magician

68/100

For those following my seasonal anime reviews, you may remember I straight up dropped this show ‘round Episode 7 for the crimes of being tone-deaf, generic and kinda sexist (yeah, I know) but guess what I binge watched the remaining 5 episodes after the season was over and… yeah, this show still is overwhelmingly disappointing because it never did anything outside of the expected ‘isekai’ genre despite having honestly fun, charismatic and enjoyable characters who frankly deserved to be in a better show.

If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord

77/100

I couldn’t really pinpoint anything really negative about this show at all but likewise nothing particularly remarkable either. Dale was the show’s weak point, likewise his overacting and overreactions while Latina was the undoubted bright spot, everything else was window dressing to an entertaining but otherwise uneventful series.

Demon Lord, Retry

80/100

This show had a rough journey but ultimately ended up a very positive experience not the least because of how unexpected and unconventional so many of its elements were–especially in comparison to other isekai series. There was something fluid and improvisational about this show’s narrative that could easily be mistaken for laziness or unfocused narrative stylings but I found it consistently refreshing in its inconsistencies. Also it was damn funny at times too, which counts for more than you might expect at least in my estimations.

Do You Love Your Mom And Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

81/100

Despite some early signs that this series would veer into ecchi territory, it became evident by the midway mark that this show was more interested in telling a story about familial bonds and the importance of connecting and understanding one another rather than MILF’s and big boobs. And I mean take that as you will, it at least was very good at one thing (even if it’s not the thing I had a preference for) and that’s probably something worth recommending.

Magical Sempai

81/100

The titular (pun intended) Magical Sempai of this series was this shows massive (pun–again–intended) saving grace as, while a funny series on the whole, it was kind of ~slight~ in almost every other regard (pacing, character development, narrative structure). There were moments of true excellence that showed this series had the potential to be more than just a gag anime, but there were far more moments were it was clear that was the extent of its ambitions.

Are You Lost?

82/100

At its best, ‘Are You Lost?’ managed to flawlessly fuse together ecchi comedy with genuine survival techniques and a palpable sense of danger about these girls’ situation. And while the show remains frustratingly unresolved at this point, it was still a really enjoyable experience to undertake. Like ‘Survivor’ only you actually like all the characters involved.

given

82/100

I couldn’t help but be deterred by this show’s slow initial pace and frustrating characterisation around Mafuyu, I knew it was leading somewhere deeper and darker but that doesn’t excuse such a dragging narrative development. Thankfully every other character more than carried the series throughout its rough points and once it finally hit its emotional stride it was a pretty compelling and honestly touching romance series that presented a same sex relationship as natural and beautiful as any other–exactly as it should be!

Cop Craft

83/100

An anime cop procedural is such an obvious fit and adding in the fantastical element of a gate to another world into the mix and the various dramas that arise of two different species interacting not only on the societal level but on the personal level as our Earth based detective is partnered with an “alien” from this other world and they solve crimes together and learn to accept each other is a recipe for a damn good TV show. And that’s exactly what this is, it’s not without its hiccups, and the overarching plot is less interesting than the individual stories but it’s easily an anime I could recommend to almost anyone just because of how competently entertaining it is.

How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?

85/100

An anime about exercising seems like a ludicrous idea, until you realise there’s already been several previous to this one, but none of them were full length anime and that’s indeed one of the most interesting and impressive things about this series is its near fearless commitment to its general conceit and making it not only interesting but downright compelling at times. At times an uneven experience, with some episodes being less interesting due to their focus away from our main girls but for the most part it’s a tremendously fun show with a terrific sense of humour.

Are You Willing To Fall In Love With A Pervert, As Long As She’s a Cutie?

85/100

The title kind of says it all, and yet this show surprised again and again by being so sincere with its seemingly jokey premise. In a lot of ways this series was reminiscent more of 80’s Hollywood teen romantic comedies by the likes of John Hughes, than any specific anime which lent the series a refreshing framing that a lot of harem anime lack. I’m not saying this is preferable to the norm, just that it was different enough to be compelling by itself. 

Re:Stage! Dream Days

86/100

I have a patchy (at best) history with ‘idol’ anime, so imagine my surprise when an unassuming series like this manages to connect so immediately with me. I think a part of the appeal of this series in general was how earnest it was while never taking itself too seriously–it struck the right balance throughout and delivered a surprisingly emotional story but with plenty of laughs and silliness that made the dramatic moments hit harder.

Fruits Basket (2019) (Episodes 13-25)

86/100

At this point there’s not much more that needs to be said in favour of this wonderful reboot as its garnered acclaim and fanfare across all corners of the internet. And even from someone as sceptical and disconnected from both the original anime and manga source material I eventually found myself spellbound by this series. It wasn’t ‘love at first sight’ though, as I reiterate that the series’ first cour was slow and occasionally annoying to the point of distraction but the amount of sheer ‘hits’ among the ‘misses’ was well in favour of the positive as it wrapped up its second cour. Believe the hype, ‘Fruits Basket’ is truly a great series once you get past its early problems.

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love At The Bound of This World (Episodes 13-26)

87/100

Based on a visual novel from the early nineties its evident the mark this property has played in so many subsequent VN’s and likewise anime, especially the likes of ‘Steins;Gate’–which was heavily influenced by this story. So with that in mind its kind of surprising more people aren’t treating this anime adaptation with the reverence it deserves, sure it’s not perfect but its indelible mark means its worthy of praise in just how well it executes such a complex and high-concept story with dozens of characters and just as many convolutions throughout.

Wasteful Days of High School Girl

87/100

As far as outright ‘comedies’ go, nothing made me laugh like ‘Wasteful Days of High School Girl’ did this season. With the absurdity and inanity pushed to eleven the comedy was a given but this show managed to back up its gut-busting comedic stylings with more than a few genuinely compelling character turns and significant development of likewise to prove itself as an anime to be reckoned with!

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2

88/100

The only way is up, and that’s true enough for many sequels but especially one where its slow but steady escalation of romantic intimacy between its two leads means eventual but substantial development is made. Truthfully a lot of this second season feels frustratingly similar to the first but that only seeks to heighten the brief but impactful moments where Takagi and Nishikta’s relationship evolves into something more.

Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? II

89/100

While on the subject of sequels (see previous entry) the second season of ‘Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon’ improves on a lot of what made the first season great while also doing something unexpected in the grand scheme of things by having almost all of the series take place outside of the titular ‘dungeon’ that served so much of a setting for the first season. As a result, the world feels bigger, the stakes feel more real and the series in-of-itself feels more liberated which is only a good thing for this show going forward.

The Demon Girl Next Door

91/100

I love this show, but more than that I adore our titular demon girl Yuuko who is one of anime’s perfect characters–and that’s not a statement I make lightly knowing the sheer calibre of characters that exist out there. Aside from Yuuko’s distracting brilliance this show excels in being the kind of endearing buddy comedy ‘Odd Couple’-esque that so many shows aim for but fall short of. Not here though as the magical girl x demon girl interactions between Momo and Yuuko are absolutely flawless.

Fire Force (Episodes 1-11)

92/100

‘Fire Force’ is the kind of show I want to run forever the same way that ‘One Piece’ seemingly exists in perpetuity, I know that’s an unlikely dream but there’s something that’s so indelibly compelling about every single part of this show–from its visual styling, to its characterisation, to its personality, to its fan-service–that makes me want more.

O Maidens In Your Savage Season

95/100

This series managed and almost flawless run from beginning to end, only tripped up in its penultimate episode by racing a hairsbreadth from jumping the proverbial shark. That mild fumble aside ‘O Maidens’ sold the complexities and intricacies and intimacies of the modern high-school relationship in such a wonderfully messy and unflinching way that it was kind of a wonder to behold–even if the climax was never quite as strong as the build-up.

Arifureta: From Commonplace To World’s Strongest

97/100

So, there’s a lot I could talk about this show, about how fans in the West completely and unjustifiably overreacted to its significant first episode deviation from the source material and decided to make it the whipping boy for the season–picking apart everything it did wrong and ignoring everything it did right. I could spend pages comparing it to other shows that didn’t get anywhere near as much hate, showing examples of how it’s far more unique and compelling than almost every other isekai out there. But now’s not really the time, simply put I love this show–I love its characters and their interactions with each other, I love the world and story-telling, I love it’s quirky sense of humour and unpredictable nature. Maybe I’ll write up a full post about this series in the future because it’s genuinely stolen my heart and mind and not only is it my anime of the season but it’s also in my Top 5 anime of all time.

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And that’s what I thought of all the anime I watched in the Summer 2019 anime season! Let me know what your favourites were and thank you for reading!

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10 Best Waifu’s of Summer 2019 Anime

Too many waifu’s, too little time! With a new season (almost) completed it’s time for me to countdown my 10 Best Waifu’s of Summer 2019 Anime!

~Number 10~
Hibiki Sakura from ‘How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?’

Tasty waifu.

This show has such high quality waifu potential that honestly any of the girls were deserving of a spot (from an aesthetic point of view I think Akemi is a favourite) but I chose our main main girl Hibiki over the others for a couple of reasons. One she’s got a unique look, she might look like a ‘gal’ but she’s a movie buff and lover of all types of food, she’s got an energetic personality and is very relatable in her weight-loss struggle. Also her voice actress is first timer Egyptian-Japanese which adds a wonderful noticeable difference to the character’s personality.

~Number 9~
Sayu Tsukisaka from ‘Re:Stage! Dream Days’

She’s got all the right moves!

I’m a sucker for an angry fang-girl, or just a fang-girl in general–okay let’s be honest any and every anime girl–but let’s not understate the appeal of it in certain circumstances. Not only is Sayu super cute but she’s got a fiery temper and is loyal to her best friend.

~Number 8~
Asuka Suzumori from ‘Are You Lost?’

Why are her hands in the way, dammit!

Some of this season’s sexiest visuals have come courtesy of this show and it’s probably no coincidence that Asuka has probably supplied the most of them and has ended up on this list. Sexy shenanigans aside Asuka is a genki, upbeat sports girl with a bit of a stupid streak but that just makes her all the more endearing!

~Number 7~
Tilarna Exedilica from ‘Cop Craft’

She deserves happiness! Such a good girl.

Tilarna is inescapably interesting, not only as a character in this show but as a waifu in general she’s a strong independent warrior from another world thrust into a world where she’s not only an outsider but often vilified just because of her race. She’s also cute, feisty and just a little bit sexy.

~Number 6~
Yuika Koga from ‘Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie?’

And very much not a good girl.

I’m not a masochist, I don’t have any of those particular tendencies and really don’t see the appeal of being stepped on, but damn if Yuika ain’t the cutest little thing, she almost makes me want to be her slave for life… almost.

~Number 5~
Haruhime from ‘Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon II?’

Protecc Haruhime!

The whole ‘prostitute with a heart of gold’ may be a trope in Western media, but in anime it’s kind of unheard of (at least as far as I know). So seeing a character as tragic as Haruhimi having to endure the circumstances of her unfair existence is indeed evoking of sympathy. But Haruhime is more than just a victim, she’s a well rounded character with immaculate character design and an all round beautiful person.

~Number 4~
Tamaki Kotatsu from ‘Fire Force’

Hot stuff.

Forgetting for a second all the endlessly stupid complaints about her character ‘trait’, Tamaki is an absolute goddess; she’s sexy, she’s fun and she’s a badass fighter with a neko-girl aesthetic, what’s not to love?! The only reason she isn’t higher on the list is because we’ve only seen a little bit about her but she’s definitely destined for the pantheon of waifu’s.

~Number 3~
Hitoha Hongo from ‘O Maidens In Your Savage Season’

The one girl I couldn’t find a decent gif for.

Oh, Hongo… you frustrated, tortured little genius when will you understand your overwhelming worth as a person. It’s weird talking about Hongo as a waifu because she’s so real and fully rounded as a character and has such depth and believability that she’s kinda beyond being a “waifu” and just a girl I’d like to date. Is that weird? Probably, but I don’t care.

~Number 2~
Yuuko Yoshida from ‘The Demon Girl Next Door’

The best transformation.

If there were a venn diagram with ‘sexy’, ‘funny’ and ‘cute’ square in the middle of it would be Yuuko, the adorkable demon girl with a heart of gold and a god-tier chest in front of it. From her overall design, her voice acting, her personality and her comedic timing, Yuuko is just an absolute treasure and I love every minute of her being on-screen.

~Honourable Mention~
Sempai from ‘Magical Sempai’

Ta da!

I felt kind of obliged to include the titular (pun absolutely intended) Sempai from ‘Magical Sempai’ because she is a busty, dumb fun girl who’s just a heck of a lot of fun to be around. She’s not worthy of my Top 10 because the lack of characterisation (I mean she doesn’t even have a name she’s just referred to as ‘sempai’ throughout the whole series) means forming a connection to her is especially hard but it’s hard to deny her appeal!

~Number 1~
Yue from ‘Arifureta’

Nom.

I could write an entire post about how much I love Yue, few anime characters have made an impression on me as quickly as she did and continue to do so with every passing moment from their first appearance. Not only is she impossibly cute but being that she’s a 500 year old vampire loli means she’s also got an innocence to her overall seductiveness. As far as personality goes, she’s precocious, intelligent, loyal and level-headed–what more could you ask for?!

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And that’s this seasons’ list! I’d love to know which waifu’s made your favourite list this time so let me know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading!

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Previous Best Seasonal Waifu Lists:

10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Spring 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Summer 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Fall 2018 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Winter 2019 Anime
10 Best Waifu’s of Spring 2019 Anime

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If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime ED’s Summer 2019

And now we’re counting down my best ED’s of Summer 2019 anime! A reminder that I listened to all the ED’s of the season and even shows I’m not watching have made it onto the list, so it’s not a completely biased list (though obviously its biased towards my tastes–it is a personal list after all). Let’s get started with the 10 Best Anime ED’s of Summer 2019!

Note: I’ve tried to get Youtube links to all the listed songs where possible but some are not ideal quality (i.e. videos played in quad view to avoid copyright detection) and if links end up being broken in the future it’s because they’ve been taken down.

~Number 10~
“Hibari” by ASCA from ‘Lord El-Melloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note’

I don’t know what it is about this song, its not unique or particularly interesting–nor am I watching the show (nor will probably ever) but something about its melancholy intonations really got to me in a way I can’t really quantify–and sometimes that’s all the more reason to make mention of something.

~Number 9~
“LIFE” by Rude-α from ‘Dr. Stone’

There’s something very laid back and chill about everything this ED does which I’m really fond of. Rap kinda does nothing for me as a musical genre and the visuals are pretty weird and off-putting in places but  the more I listened to this the more I enjoyed and I’m not even watching the show!

~Number 8~
“Torches” by Aimer from ‘Vinland Saga’

This song reminds me of a Western song but I can’t for the life of me think of which one… Regardless it’s all kinds of beautiful and emotional.

~Number 7~
“Hajime no Uta” by DracoVirgo from ‘Arifureta: From Commonplace To World’s Strongest’

Much like this show’s OP I do love how ‘unconventional’ this ED is while still remaining an air of familiarity also like the OP its reminiscent of James Bond openings (though in this instance its more with the visuals than the music) which is something I love. Hey! I did warn you that I had a strong bias with these things sometimes!

~Number 6~
“Seishun no Reverb” by Nozomu Tanaka (Chinatsu Akasaki), Akane Kikuchi (Haruka Tomatsu), Shiori Saginomiya (Aki Toyosaki) from ‘Wasteful Days of High School Girl’

Unlike this show’s OP (which took the Number 1 spot if you recall) the ED is very indicative of an anime ED it’s more relaxed and chill but it still manages to be catchy and inherently enjoyable over multiple listens.

~Number 5~
“Connected” by Tilarna Exedilika (Mayu Yoshioka) from ‘Cop Craft’

I’m kind of hung up on the idea of a cop show having an ED sung by its female protagonist (which is exactly the situation here) it’d be absurd if it were a US cop drama but because it’s anime it’s perfectly normal. I know, weird thing to get side-tracked by but here we are. Anyway this song is just great and powerful and Mayu’s vocals are a commanding force to be reckoned with!

~Number 4~
“Glow at the Velocity of Light” by Riko Azuna from ‘Astra Lost In Space’

This ED hits all the right notes and delivers a terrific and toe-tapping song from beginning to end.

~Number 3~
“Future Sign” by KiRaRe from ‘Re:Stage! Dream Days’

Any idol series worth its salt is bound to have top quality music and thankfully this show looks to have stellar music as shown in full splendour by this ED performed by ‘KiRaRe’ the idol group made up from the main characters of this series. It’s bouncy, fun and catchy–everything a good idol song should be!

~Number 2~
“Macho a Name?” Naruzou Machio (Kaito Ishikawa) from ‘How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?’

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before (surely I must have) but I’m quite a fan of the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ in all its cheesy glory and this song sounds exactly like a Soviet Bloc entry–and that’s absolutely a compliment to this song. It’s absurd, hilarious and gets your feet moving and singing along to that chorus–I love it!

~Number 1~
“Veil” by Keina Suda from ‘Fire Force’

Wow. This ED song and its accompanying visuals sure do make an impact, from the minimalist but powerful vocals that start the song in an evocative and mysterious way to the absolute banger it transitions into just everything about it is a masterpiece. There’s kind of not anything else to say about it other than if you haven’t heard it yet, do yourself a favour and take it all in!

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And that’s my Top 10 ED’s for Summer! Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know your favourites in the comments below and thanks for reading!

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Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2018
10 Worst OP’s Winter 2018
10 Best ED’s Winter 2018
5 Worst ED’s Winter 2018
10 Best OP’s Spring 2018
10 Worst OP’s Spring 2018
10 Best ED’s Spring 2018
5 Worst ED’s Spring 2018
15 Best OP’s Summer 2018
5 Worst OP’s Summer 2018
10 Best ED’s Summer 2018
10 Worst ED’s Summer 2018
10 Best OP’s Fall 2018
10 Worst OP’s Fall 2018
10 Best ED’s Fall 2018
5 Worst ED’s Fall 2018
***
The Best Anime OP’s of 2018
The Best Anime ED’s of 2018

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019
10 Best OP’s Spring 2019
10 Best ED’s Spring 2019
10 Best OP’s Summer 2019

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If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

10 Best Anime OP’s Summer 2019

It’s time for the OP’s of Summer 2019, and I watched all of them to make this list, yes every OP of the season and while I don’t think the OP’s were as strong as some previous seasons we’ve still got a enough truly great ones to make up a top 10! As with my previous lists I’m judging both the music and the visuals and of course, I’m a little biased with my picks (who isn’t?!) With that out of the way let’s count down the 10 Best Anime OP’s of Summer 2019!

Note: I’ve tried to get Youtube links to all the listed songs where possible but some are not ideal quality (i.e. videos played in quad view to avoid copyright detection) and if links end up being broken in the future it’s because they’ve been taken down.

~Number 10~
“FLARE” by Void_Chords feat.LIO from ‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’

I’m not sure what it is about this OP but despite being very ~modern~ sounding it just connected with me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s got a bit of James Bond about its opening notes, then transitions into something reminiscent of trap and dubstep and then suddenly saxophones? Maybe some might call it “messy”, I call it “avant garde”!

~Number 9~
“Inferno” by Mrs.GREEN APPLE from ‘Fire Force’

A part of me wanted to complain how generic and routinely ‘shonen’ this OP for a new shonen anime sounded… and then another part of me thought I should get my head out of my ass and just enjoy what is a simply banging tune, with slick accompanying visuals. It just works!

~Number 8~
“Zero Centimeter” by Yuiko Oohara from ‘Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2’

While not as immediately catchy as the OP for ‘Takagi-san’s’ first season, this OP feels like a worthy spiritual and emotional successor that only benefits from having knowledge of the show its from and the journey we’ve been on. It’s cute and sweet and fun and light and just an utter joy to watch/listen to.

~Number 7~
“Shadow is the Light” by THE SIXTH LIE from ‘A Certain Scientific Accelerator’

It’s dark and brooding and tense but still got that infectious beat that makes an OP a winner.

~Number 6~
“MUKANJYO” by Survive Said The Prophet from ‘VINLAND SAGA’

Survive Said The Prophet delivered one of 2018’s best OP’s with “Lost & Found” from ‘BANANA FISH’ so its no surprise that their second(?) go at an anime OP is a kick ass banger! Yes, it’s not as catchy as the aforementioned but it’s still packs a punch and captures your attention from beginning to end!

~Number 5~
“Iya yo Iya yo Mosuki no Uchi” by Spica Spica from ‘Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?’

It’s just well made, high energy silly good time fun–kind of like the show itself!

~Number 4~
“HELLO to DREAM” by Yuka Iguchi from ‘Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon II’

Say what you will about bagpipes as an instrument but they can be evocative when used sparingly and, let’s face it, as far as rare instruments appearing in anime OP’s bagpipes are pretty much at the top of the list. Aside from that though it’s just a damn solid OP with some expensive looking 3D background visuals to tie it altogether.

~Number 3~
“Daisuki” by Ayaka Ohashi from ‘Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie?’

There’s something comfortably cliche and fundamentally familiar about this OP song, it by no means breaks new ground musically, nor is it an exemplary example of this genre’s music, but what it is is an OP that impresses without being flashy and delivers without being drastic, simply said it’s just an all round great experience without drawing attention to itself.

~Number 2~
“Onegai Muscle” by Hibiki Sakura (Ai Fairuz), & Naruzou Machio (Kaito Ishikawa) from ‘How Many Kilograms are the Dumbbells You Lift?’

OP’s from Doga Kobo anime in the last year or so have been absolute utter joys to behold, there’s just such an utter commitment to the theme of their given anime and “Onegai Muscle” is absolutely no exception. It’s a high energy, supremely focused and wonderfully tight melding of music and visuals that transcends the language barrier and indeed even the interest barrier (I have no interest in exercise or weight training and yet this OP has me entranced) which comes together to create a sublime OP experience.

~Number 1~
“Rin! Moon! dass! cry!” by Nozomu Tanaka (Chinatsu Akasaki), Akane Kikuchi (Haruka Tomatsu), Shiori Saginomiya (Aki Toyosaki) from Wasteful Days of High School Girl

Before I’d been given the translation of this OP’s lyrics this song was already highly ranked on this list, probably second or third. After all its a unique sounding song (which is admittedly rare given just how many anime OP’s exist in all sorts of musical genres) but not only that the visuals were a fun and dynamic treat too. Then came the third episode on ~whatever streaming service this show airs~ and we were afforded the translated lyrics… and then everything came together. This OP is wonderfully meta, tongue-in-cheek and legitimately hilarious… I don’t think there’s ever been a case where I’ve not only laughed at an OP and its lyrics but done so repeatedly after the fact. It’s very specific but it’s also very funny and very cool!

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And that’s my Top 10 OP’s for Summer! Agree, disagree? Let me know your picks in the comments and thank you all for reading!

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Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2018):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2018
10 Worst OP’s Winter 2018
10 Best ED’s Winter 2018
5 Worst ED’s Winter 2018
10 Best OP’s Spring 2018
10 Worst OP’s Spring 2018
10 Best ED’s Spring 2018
5 Worst ED’s Spring 2018
15 Best OP’s Summer 2018
5 Worst OP’s Summer 2018
10 Best ED’s Summer 2018
10 Worst ED’s Summer 2018
10 Best OP’s Fall 2018
10 Worst OP’s Fall 2018
10 Best ED’s Fall 2018
5 Worst ED’s Fall 2018
***
The Best Anime OP’s of 2018
The Best Anime ED’s of 2018

Previous Seasonal OP & ED Lists (2019):

10 Best OP’s Winter 2019
10 Best ED’s Winter 2019
10 Best OP’s Spring 2019
10 Best ED’s Spring 2019

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Spring 2019 Anime In Review

So the Spring 2019 Anime season has come and gone and in its wake a bunch of shows and many more opinions on them! Overall it wasn’t the strongest or most memorable season in recent memory, but the highs certainly were high! I watched 16 shows in Spring and I’ll be ranking them from best to worst with a score and a little review for each too!

BOKUBEN: We Never Learn
(94/100)

There’s so many good faces in this show it was hard to chose just one!

Oh boy, do I have so much to talk about regarding this show but then again most of it will be me complaining about “people” who compare this show to last seasons’ ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets’ despite the fact that ‘We Never Learn’ came first (as a manga) and is infinitely superior! Okay I’ll stop with the mini-rant and just say that seldom do I see a harem anime with such a commitment to fully developing its female characters and making the audience not only want each of the girls to end up with the male lead but also give them personal and unique journeys that make all these characters feel real. I really love this show and I’m so glad it’s getting a second season in October of this year!

Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu
(91/100)

Don’t be shy, Bocchi, you have people who like you!

Shows like this are especially hard to review because the journey of the anime is less about a definite ‘beginning’, ‘middle’ and ‘endpoint’ narratively speaking but rather just watching characters find one another, grow closer and develop as people in their own right. Likewise the amount you’re going to get out of a series like this is directly proportional to how much you can be brought into their world and sympathise/empathise with the characters in it. Bocchi and her cohorts remained like friends I never knew I needed right up until the end and I’ll forever appreciate them for letting me be privy to their journey, this show was wonderful.

Why the Hell are You Here, Teacher!?
(90/100)

Boing!

A show as shamelessly ecchi as this one deserves kudos for fully committing to its ridiculous premise alone. But what was more surprising than the myriad ways it managed to push together a female teacher and a male student in compromising situations was the honest to goodness heart, character development and how well it tied it all together. Sometimes a show can be sexy and sweet.

Wise Man’s Grandchild
(88/100)

She’s too precious.

I went into great detail (and defense) about this series in my episode 1 & 2 review but my thoughts on the series as a whole remain more or less the same. ‘Wise Man’s Grandchild’ is an isekai that knows it’s an isekai, embraces the tropes of its genre but is still wise (heh) enough to do things differently when it needs to. Its sense of humour remains its greatest strength though and made every single episode an absolute joy to watch.

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World
(86/100) [ongoing series Episodes 1 to 13 watched]

Okay, so sometimes our protagonist can be a gentlemen…

Here’s a series that gets more interesting, more complex and more narratively satisfying the longer it goes on and the fact we’re only halfway through its planned 26 (plus 1 OVA) episode at the time of writing this makes things all the more exciting. This show feels fresh despite being based on a Visual Novel from the 90’s and whats more its just entertaining as heck. Yes it’s got some issues (mostly to do with its sometimes sexist protagonist) but the good far outweighs the bad in this particular anime!

Ao-chan Can’t Study!
(85/100)

She loves it.

I haven’t watched that many strictly romantic comedy anime (harem’s usually don’t count as such) likewise even less with a female lead but not only was the titular Ao-chan an adorable neurotic and refreshingly frank character but the show itself was as funny as it was endearing.

Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki
(84/100)

She’s a high energy individual that Yatogame-chan…

When’s a 2 minute anime better than half the anime you watch in a particular season? When it’s ‘Yagogame-chan Kanatsu Nikki’! Food anime are often a favourite of mine, and what’s better than a food anime? A food anime filled with comedy and niche references to very specific parts of Japanese culture (in this case the Nagoya region of Japan). As you’d (hopefully) expect for an anime this short not a second is wasted and the result is a fun and frenetic, but still surprisingly laid back anime that I’m very glad is getting a 2nd season next year!

Isekai Quartet
(83/100)

I can literally hear the theme song in my head just by looking at this gif.

Bringing together characters from four different popular isekai anime and smashing them together could have been a recipe for disaster–or at least a recipe for a messy anime but the team responsible for this crossover handled it (almost) perfectly and gave us fun and entertaining experience. Even if you’re only familiar with half the shows being referenced it’s still a worthwhile experience if you’re into seeing crazy characters interact with each other with often hilarious results!

AMAZING STRANGER
(83/100)

I watched it for the plot, I swear!

The otaku references in ‘AMAZING STRANGER’ were an endless source of comedic delight as were the marital shenanigans between our protagonist and 1/6 scale bishojou figure but it was the commitment to its world building, the connections between the characters and the surprising amount of drama that ended up making this anime such a rewarding (if still inherently silly) experience.

The Helpful Fox Senko-san
(82/100)

She is pretty damn adorable (and don’t forget 800 years old, so it’s legal!)

Despite seemingly being an anime that’s exactly in my wheelhouse (a.k.a. it’s about a cute loli fox girl in a Slice of Life setting) there were certain things about this anime that I wasn’t exactly a fan of and hence prevented me falling in love with the show like so many others did. Having an adult male protagonist felt like it was pandering to a different demographic entirely (I wrote a whole rant-y post about it which I never ended up posting) but external factors should seldom detract from a show’s enjoyment factor. Also the fact the show felt the need to mention that the loli fox girl is actually 800 years old in every episode (sometimes multiple times) felt like the writer was embarrassed by his very own premise–which sucked a lot of the joy out of the show. Regardless of my issues it was still a wholesome, comfortable and well-made anime.

Fruits Basket 1st Season
(81/100) [ongoing series 13 Episodes watched so far]

*kick*

As someone who’s never seen the ‘original’  Fruits Basket, read the manga nor is particularly a fan of this genre of anime (whatever genre that is) I’m still yet to see the monumental appeal of this series–however its characters, its overall emotional impact and the promise of something bigger and more serious behind the scenes means I’m more than happy to keep watching the show and see where it goes.

Nobunaga teacher’s young bride
(74/100)

The face of all the ‘normies’ who stumbled upon this show.

There’s a lot of promise in this anime’s premise but unfortunately not a lot of care in its overall execution. It’s clumsy, occasionally ugly and extremely problematic. But it’s also fun, amusing and occasionally inspired. Also kudos for being one of the only ecchi harem anime I’ve ever seen to have a “trap” character get further sexually with the main (male) character than any of the girls did! I’ll remember that about this series if nothing else…

Joshi Kausei
(71/100)

Literally the best moment in the whole series and it happens two minutes into Episode 1.

An interesting premise and some wholly likeable characters are the highlight of this short anime that never does anything particular inventive with its ‘no dialogue’ premise but is still a pleasant and entertaining diversion.

Cinderella Nine
(62/100)

Do they have ‘yellow cards’ in baseball?

As of the writing of this I’m only 11 out of 12 episodes (due to a broadcast delay) but ‘Cinderella Nine’ is an example of a sports anime without the budget to wholly execute its sport in any satisfying way, with characters who amount to little more than single sentence cliches and nothing in the way of a gimmick to spice up the proceedings.

Han-Gyakuisei Million Arthur 2nd Season [on hold at Episode 3]

So, this show is great, probably with a score around the mid 80’s, but I had to stop it at Episode 3 because Funimation being the incompetent twats that they are decided to cut out the post-credit gag scenes which were a source of so much joy in the 1st season. Maybe it seems weird to put a show on hold because of such a (seemingly) minor reason but its a matter of principal, you know?! I’ll probably get back to watching this just… not on Funimation…

AFTERLOST [on hold at Episode 7]

*sigh* This show… is so frustrating, there’s so much good about it and almost in equal measure so much bad about it. I haven’t considered this ~officially~ dropped but at the same time I don’t know if I want to ever go back to it so consider this in the limbo between on hold and dropped–whatever that might be called… okay let’s call it ‘Lost’!

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And that’s the Anime of Spring 2019 that I watched reviewed! What are your thoughts? What are your thoughts on my thoughts? Drop a comment below if you have something to say! Thanks for reading!

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10 Reasons Why ‘A Centaur’s Life’ is the Best Slice of Life Anime (And Why Those Same 10 Things Make It So Polarising)

I recently finished a 2017 anime series called ‘A Centaur’s Life’ and I was blown away by two things, firstly by how amazing it was–and secondly, how lowly regarded it was (at least if the MAL rank and people’s general indifference was anything to go by). So rather than make a simple review I thought I’d unpack what issues are among the most polarising but highlight them as 10 of the reasons that I think ‘A Centaur’s Life’ is the Best Slice of Life Anime!

 

1. It’s a monster girl anime (except it’s not–and that apparently makes them less interesting?)
On the surface ‘A Centaur’s Life’ shares some similar themes with Monster Girl Anime (few as there are) but it’s not really about ogling monster girls–and they’re not really monster girls anyway. Everybody in this ‘world’ is a product of divergent evolution where six legged mammalians became the dominant species and four-legged (a.k.a what we consider human) became extinct. Yes there are people in this world who are centaur’s, and one’s with angel wings and cat ears–but they’re ostensibly just different races rather than different species. Also, there’s men too who belong to these races, so you know, not just monster girls!

Their halo’s are made of hair, also a federal crime to cut them off, not even joking.

2. The anime intersperses it’s SoL shenanigans with intermittent world-building (Rather than just having an info-dump prologue that explains all the rules of this ‘alternate universe’–which apparently some people would prefer?)
We’re never given the full scope of what this world is like beyond the first episode explanation of how the races of this world evolved. We’re given glimpses into aspects of the world–such as people being imprisoned for treating a person of a different race negatively. Likewise we’re never even sure of the political structure of other countries aside from a news report talking about how America has a newly elected “Democratic Communist”. This gradual unfolding of the world is one of the joys of the series as every small, but substantial piece of information feels like its hard-earned and all the more rewarding because of it.

Don’t mount centaurs, ‘kay? It’s illegal!

3. The girls in the anime talk about sexuality and body confidence issues (But in a really frank and honest way that puts off fans of ‘traditional’ SoL shows)
In Episode 4, Hime (our titular Centaur) gets a love-letter from a boy but rather than accept the letter she runs away embarrassed. When endlessly quizzed about her uncharacteristic retreat by her friends she bashfully replies that she’s been paranoid that her vagina might look gross. The cause of her hang-ups are from a kindergarten field trip to a dairy farm where one of her classmates tactlessly presumed her vagina would look like a cow’s. Nozomi suggests that they all take a look at each other’s to reassure Hime that there’s nothing for her to be self-conscious about. While the scene is played mostly for laughs it was still a refreshingly honest approach to an issue many people (regardless of gender or genitals) suffer from.

Poor Hime…

4. Episode 9 is about the Third Reich and WW2-era concentration camps (some might call that tonal whiplash, but if you’re paying attention it’s exactly on message)
Things take a turn for the dark and serious half way through Episode 9 as we’re afforded a flashback to an alternate history WW2 where sadly things aren’t too dissimilar to our own history. A boy watches on helplessly as centaur soldiers execute his family in the street, he’s then forced aboard a train with other civilians and taken to a forced labour camp where he and his ilk are starved, beaten and worked to an inch of their life. It’s a devastatingly effective series of scenes that actually has a surprisingly uplifting ending that I won’t spoil but is par for the course for this series’ messages about tolerance and living with people from vastly different cultural backgrounds and exceedingly different physical attributes. If you’re not expecting it, it might feel like a truck to the face but sometimes something unexpected does not necessarily equal an inconsistent tone.

Nobody expects Nazi centaurs!

5. The girls talk about ~typical SoL girl struggles~ like weight loss, studying and boys (Also racism, religion, reproduction, art, politics–things girls in these types of shows apparently shouldn’t talk about!)
The expression “never talk about religion or politics” is fine enough for common every-day exchanges with acquaintances or work colleagues–but why shouldn’t girls in these types of shows have opinions on more lofty subject matter than the ones usually afforded SoL characters. In one episode, Sassasul (an Antarctican “snake-person”) explains that her race doesn’t have time for religion as they are a “logic-based society” to which the three girls comment they aren’t that dissimilar then.

#religion #sorrynotsorry

6. The girls are cute and innocent and wholesome (but it also has nudity–which is apparently unforgivable!)
Only 3 of the episodes contain nudity, and 2 of these episodes contain non-sexualised context appropriate nudity. But as always when “children” are involved there’s always a moral panic despite the scene in question from Episode 3 being as innocent as two sister’s bathing. And what’s consistent about the majority of these types of scenes in this show (along with a similar pool changing scene in Episode 7) is that the scenes are less about simple exploitation and more about examining the difficulties living with different body shapes–especially centaur bodies–are for these girls.

Apparently this was too ~offensive~ for some people.

7. The parental figures are expectantly peripheral to the show (except they exist as ‘Real’ characters with busy lives and worrying about the future and with interests of their own)
While the collective screen-time for the various parents on this show would probably amount to less than 10 minutes throughout the entire series–their appearances are meaningful and interesting. For example Hime’s mother is scene talking to another parent about investing in the stock market for financial security. Meanwhile a whole essay could be written on the complex relationship between Manami and her father who spends the majority of his spare time painting; for pleasure not for profit which remains a surprising issue of contention between the father and daughter.

I agree with art dad here.

8. It has episodes with a decent amount of fan service (And then it has episodes with none–almost like a show doesn’t have to be defined by a single attribute!)
On the other side of the coin from people who were “offended” by the inclusion of any kind of nudity or fan-service, are the people who only watched it for the fan service. Perhaps out of virtue of it being a monster girl anime (which it isn’t) they thought it would supply the goods, and while it does–it does so sparingly that some might call it unreliable. I’d call it realistic.

Boy mermaids are topless just like girl mermaids.

9. The show has such a wide breadth of topics it wants to cover and characters it wants to visit (And 12 episodes just isn’t enough time to do it all!)
A genuine complaint and one I share (to an extent) is that there’s a lot going on in this series and that a lot of characters don’t get nearly enough screen-time. The mermaid race for example has one of the most interesting societies in the series, with their streets and buildings (including schools) permanently flooded to allow ease of travel. From an aesthetic standpoint alone these towns are intriguing–and then there’s the more religious aspect of their society and the revelation that ‘Antarcticans’ may be trying to interfere with their religious practices for ~unknown reasons~. We get what amounts to a single episode with this part of the world and it’s just not enough! But at the same time that’s hardly the fault of the show if it’s adapting a manga that’s unfurling its world and characters at the same slow pace.

The mermaid towns are absolutely stunningly beautiful (in more ways than one, see previous gif)

10. The show is a lot of different ‘Genres’ of anime in one (Go in expecting just one ‘Genre’ and you’re bound to be disappointed)
Smarter bloggers than I have written on the seemingly pointlessness of using genres to define a show but I don’t think any show has ever suffered such a disservice due to the expectations of ‘genre’ that what people had going into this particular show. Too ‘real’ for CGDCT series, too ‘controversial’ for a SoL series, too much nudity for a ‘wholesome’ experience, too ‘wholesome’ for an ecchi. Too smart for a dumb comedy, too dumb for smart dramedy, too dramatic when it’s unexpected, too dull to be a drama. It’s messy… it’s LIFE… it’s ‘A Centaur’s Life’.

And if my words can’t convince you to watch this show then maybe Sue-chan and the Chi-chan’s can by just being their adorable selves!

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10 Anime That Everyone Hates That I Love

There’s no feeling quite like finishing a show, loving it, then going to check MAL and finding out that it’s ranked among the bottom of the proverbial anime barrel. To borrow a ‘Simpsons’ quote: “Am I out of touch? No, it’s the children who are wrong!” For the sake of this list I’m presuming any anime under #6000 on MAL qualifies as being widely “hated” and any anime I’ve scored 80/100 or higher falls under being “loved” by me. So with that info out of the way we can count down the 10 Anime That Everyone Hates That I Love.

~Number 10~
Magical Girl Spec Ops

MAL Score: 6.45, MAL Rank: #6147, My score: 80/100

I wouldn’t mind a prequel series featuring these girls.

One of the more recent shows on the list (last season as I write this post), its not entirely surprising that this show didn’t resonate with everyone but I think it had a lot more going on than anyone (maybe even the show itself) gave it credit for.

~Number 9~
Hangyaku-sei Million Arthur

MAL score: 6.30, MAL rank: #6890, My score 81/100

I love these idiots.

While there were availability issues with this series at the start (it wasn’t on any Western streaming services) that shouldn’t really be deserving of a show scoring so low. Especially one that had such a bright and entertaining cast of characters who were impeccably voiced and had such wonderful comedic charisma with each other. With comedic styling reminiscent of ‘Konosuba’ its utterly perplexing why more people haven’t watched and don’t love this show.

~Number 8~
Girly Air Force

MAL score: 6.39, MAL rank: #6465, My score: 82/100

She’s not just a plane.

Another show from last season that seemingly had the internet against it for inane reasons from just the title alone–“girls as planes, pfft stupid” was one of the more frequent and tone-deaf dismissals. But beyond the surface level was an interesting story about war-torn refugees, what it means to be human and the dread of fighting an enemy with seemingly no motif. Also Gripen was adorable best girl!

~Number 7~
Senran Kagura

MAL score: 6.43, MAL rank: #6301, My score: 83/100

Ready to fight the haters!

The first Senran Kagura series was a big hit in the West and yet its score reflects that it was somehow a disappointment too? Colour me confused…

~Number 6~
Tachibanakan Triangle

MAL score: 5.61, MAL rank #9188, My score: 83/100

I’d like to see more please.

Manga readers will tell you that this short anime does a disservice to the source material but I say an anime should be judged separately from its origins. And personally I think this show is cute, sweet and hella sexy.

~Number 5~
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Masters

MAL score: 6.36, MAL rank: #6654, My score: 84/100

Episode 2 was 100/100 though. #justsayin

While the original Senran Kagura kept its fan service in the PG-13 non-nude realm, (thankfully) Shinovi Masters brought us all nipples, all the time! Well at least for the first few episodes until it got all serious–maybe that’s why the score is so low?

~Number 4~
HIMOTE HOUSE -A share house of super psychic girls-

MAL score: 5.81, MAL rank: #8631, My score: 85/100

Yes they are 3D. So what? 3D anime girls need love too!

It’s always devastating to see such an original comedy get neglected and ignored as much as ‘Himote House’ did. From episodes that went their entire duration before revealing a punch-line to a joke, talking the reality of gay-marriage in Japan, and bath-time discussions of cryptocurrency–not to mention all the improvised parts–this series was a breath of fresh air–I could have seriously watched a thousand episodes of this and never got bored.

~Number 3~
SONI-ANI: Super Sonico the Animation

MAL score: 6.18, MAL rank: #7425, My score: 86/100

Sonico desu!

It’s disappointing to see a show as purely joyous as this one, and a character as wonderfully wholesome and kind-hearted as Sonico-san get so maligned by the MAL anime community. In fact, when I was telling this list to the irlwaifu she audibly gasped and said “not Sonico!” a sentiment I can only echo. If there’s one show that’s worthy of a second appraisal it’s this one–just give it 3 episodes and not just 1.

~Number 2~
Hybrid X Heart: Magias Academy Atraxia

MAL score: 6.39, MAL rank: #6480, My score: 88/100

Don’t be shy! I love you!

Aside from the phenomenal fan service this series also had an engaging storyline and considerable character development–obvious points against the show are how things were left unresolved (like most one-season action ecchi shows) but what we got was still compelling–in many senses of the word…

~Honourable Mention~
Pastel Memories

MAL score: 5.22, MAL rank: #100049, My score: 75/100

I’ll be talking about this show’s ED ’til the end of time!

While obviously not eligible for the list because of my own self-imposed rules (I gave this show a 75/100 while my cut-off was 80 or above) I wanted to mention it because I honestly don’t understand how a show like this can rank as low as under 10,000(!) Yes it’s sometimes lazily animated and is occasionally boring. But it’s also a love-letter to anime itself and that in of itself is endearing enough to mention it! Also it has one of the best ED’s of any anime ever made so shut-up haters!

~Number 1~
Chu-bra!!

MAL score: 6.29, MAL rank: #6929, My score: 92/100

I’ve wanted to talk about this series on my site ever since I first watched the show–it’s something of an anomaly–a female led ecchi series that’s also almost entirely made by women from the script writers, to some of the episode directors, to the key animation as well as the original mangaka. And it’s just interesting as someone like me, who is an unabashed fan of ecchi see something which is ostensibly directed to me (it’s about bras and panties after all) but directed with the female gaze. It’s almost hard to put into words and while I could understand ‘ecchi purists’ taking issue with the unexpectedly innocent and down-to-earth approach of the show, I’m saddened that more people don’t know about this series. It’s a body positive series that’s empowering and informative to women of all ages, that has great character development, plenty of laughs but also a lot of depth too–and it just happens to be an ecchi too–go figure!

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And those are my picks! Let me know which shows you love have found themselves in the “Under 6000” rank on MAL, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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10 Anime That Need A Second Season

There’s nothing worse than becoming invested in a series only for it to end after a single season, plot lines unresolved, characters unfulfilled and an empty space in the audiences’ collective hearts. The following anime are shows that I personally think are most needing of a second season–chances are my picks won’t align with yours but that’s to be expected, after all I’ve got weird taste in anime! I’ve tried to pick shows that left me with more questions or that made me want to know what happened to the characters–rather than just pick shows that’d I’d solely love to see more of. Also, spoiler warning for any given show listed as I may talk about final episode plot points. Let’s get this started with the 10 Anime That Need A Second Season!

~Number 10~
How Not To Summon A Demon Lord

The thing about anime based on long running light novel series’–especially in the isekai genre–is that answers to overriding plot arcs are going to be mostly left out in service of completing shorter story arcs. There’s so many factions whose ultimate motives going forward are left on the sideline that one can’t help but long for more episodes to answer these questions–also more Shera.

~Number 9~
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

The “will they/won’t they” has been a tried and tested formula of romantic comedies the world over and even if we know in our heart of hearts that Kaguya and Shirogane will end up together that doesn’t make the fact that we don’t get to see as much as a kiss between the two throughout the season! We need more, we need closure! As the newest show on the list there’s still an iota of hope a second season will eventuate but I’m not holding my breath.

~Number 8~
Citrus

The thing that makes ‘Citrus’ such a bitter tease is that its first (and to date, only) season ends on something of an artificially happy note that kind of shoo’s away the potential of a sequel but likewise leaves things otherwise unresolved. This is a “will they/won’t they” where I’m not especially rooting for the couple but just for them to find some happiness, the intrigue would then come from ‘how’ and ‘with who’.

~Number 7~
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

Cliffhanger endings are the worst–especially if you’re an anime who isn’t guaranteed a second season! While by no means the worst unresolved anime cliffhanger in history this show builds and builds in its final episodes and by the time we’re halfway through the season (now series) finale we come to the gut-wrenching realisation that they’re not going to wrap this up in time. And indeed the show ends just as the story is about to enter a new and interesting phase. Why must you do this to us!

~Number 6~
A Sister’s All You Need

There’s a lot of really interesting things about this series that make it worth watching–even if its polarising opening scene had you scrambling for the stop button. For me, beyond the seemingly endless scenes of playing board and card games, the lengthy fantasy sequences and the wish fulfilment writer life paired with crippling reality actuality the most interesting thing about this series was Chihiro–who had a secret whose inevitable reveal was something that could rock the foundation of the series to its core. But alas in 12 short episodes we never got to see a full reveal of said secret and we were all left wondering what would happen.

~Number 5~
The Devil Is A Part Timer!

There’s so many interesting and nuanced pieces of character development and world-building that NOT revisiting this series feels like a crime. Plus I want to see if Maou and Chiho ever get together properly–I ‘ship them so hard!

~Number 4~
Killing Bites

The only thing worse than a cliffhanger ending is blatant sequel baiting in the form of an epilogue after a series is more or less wrapped up. Had ‘Killing Bites’ ended where it ended with our protagonist Yuya dying at the hands of Hitomi in a a massive betrayal it would have served as a powerful ending to a series that was pretty much never going to get a second season. But instead they tease us with a post credit scene that shows not only did Yuya survive but much time has passed and the world is a very different place then it was. I want to know more! But sadly we never will know!

~Number 3~
Slow Start

I know what you’re thinking, “what’s a mediocrely received CGDCT show doing on this list?” First of all, how dare you ‘Slow Start’ is amazing and secondly while it’s true CGDCT shows don’t generally lend themselves towards forwarding any kind of dramatic narratives. But where ‘Slow Start’ excelled was its side characters, specifically Eiko and her homeroom teacher Kiyose whose relationship moves (rather aptly) slowly but steadily throughout the first season. But it’s never enough, every intense and suggestive encounter leads to wanting to see what will happen next between this student and teacher–it’s utterly irresistible but sadly will be relegated to the pages of the manga and not any subsequent anime season…

~Number 2~
No Game, No Life

The movie doesn’t count! It was a prequel/side story! We need a second season of this now!

~Number 1~
Watamote

This choice is purely motivated by having read (most) of the manga and wanting to see the rest of Tomoko’s growth from socially awkward loser with no friends to social awkward loser with some friends in an animated form. It might not seem like a lot–especially for the Number 1 spot–but I’ve always had a sort of personal affinity towards Tomoko and her struggles in life. Its a journey that deserves to be continued in anime form.

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And those are my picks! I’m sure you’ve all got anime you think should have gotten a second season so let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

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