Winter 2016 Overview

Hey, all!  Another season, another barely-squeezed-in-among-a-rare-break review!  Let's get right to it!

Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

I personally think this cour was an improvement on the last, but understand how a lot of people might not like some of the developments in plot and character. I'm just glad the plot moved forward at all; it looked for a while like very little would happen. But goals were indeed established, characters were pushed to the limit and changed accordingly, and the battles still looked awesome. I'm curious what the reported next season will do to expand on this.

Gate

I'll admit first off that this cour of Gate did more right than the previous one: the episode where they fought the dragon was great, for example, mostly because the heroes were the underdogs just this once. Also, I really wanted to see the villains defeated. But all the tension came from irredeemable assholes doing whatever they wanted for a dozen episodes. “I don't like Japan, so let's work hard to frame them! Now let's throw everyone who disagrees with me in prison! Boy, I'm the best king ever!” The good guys still aren't good; the show just began relying on constant shit-eating grins from bad guys to keep us invested.

Osomatsu-san

Okay, this is officially one of the best comedies in recent years. This cour has been even stronger than the last, with wonderful sequences like the road race and the kerosene heater incident emphasizing how much humor can come out of shitty people. A big hit nobody expected.

Haru Chika

Those looking for a good mystery show should look elsewhere, because this one relies heavily on the Ranpo Kitan model of crazy. Want to see piggy bank houses, underground radio broadcasts by illegal nursing homes, and high school students running a business that tests whether middle-aged womens' first loves were true? Then this is the “mystery” show for you! At least it didn't have Ranpo Kitan's ego, but my god was this a boatload of wtf.

Active Raid

In my write-up a few weeks back I essentially called this show a piss-poor pastiche of Patlabor. Nothing's changed my mind since then. Are we really getting another cour three months from now?

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

It's always nice when we get us a historical show like this, because I usually end up learning someone. In this case it was the ins and outs of a very unusual art form, as well as the time period that saw its twilight and gradual decline. While slower-paced and more serious than most shows, the great chemistry between characters keeps things entertaining even if you have zero interest in history. I'd recommend this to someone who wants a series a little bit off the beaten path.

Dimension W

While this show looks as great as one expects from Studio Bones, the characters are a total buzzkill. The main character in particular is such a joyless, angry, abusive waste of a tragic backstory that he negates whatever happiness the side characters could have brought into our lives. Worse, several recurring villains/antiheroes share these exact same characteristics (and dead girlfriend syndrome), so it's like being beaten over the head with EDGY. The plot's generic, too, but I don't see it conjuring any empathy for these characters even were it more ambitious.

Assassination Classroom

The show continues every bit as strong as when it left us. A solid shonen action/slice of life series with some good messages; looking forward to the upcoming finale.

Erased

The standout show of the season, though you may not have heard anyone talking about it because shit gets pretty real. Time travel aspects aside, this is a story about child abuse and abduction, and it does not shy away from showing you what that means. Almost the anti-Dimension W, in that the well-written characters practically jumped off the screen at you. I was deeply invested after only an episode or two because everyone is treated with so much more realism than you'd expect from, you know, a time travel story. As long as you don't mind some dark images and implications, I'd definitely recommend this dramatic thrill ride.

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash

While not perfect by any means, I really enjoyed this more introspective trapped-in-a-video-game show. It took its characters seriously, know how to show rather than tell the world's intricacies, and kept us wondering if everyone would survive the episode. That's more than many similar shows accomplish, plus it's nice to look at.

God's Blessing on this Wonderful World (Kono Suba)

This show was sort of the hybrid between Grimgar and Osomatsu-san, now that I think about it. While focusing on the least glamorous aspects of a fantasy world, most humor came from how crappy the main characters can be. Though much less consistently good than those other shows, I still found myself looking forward to it, and I plan on watching the eventual second season.

Bubuki Buranki

A fun show, as long as you watch for the crazy visuals and cheesy emotions alone. The plot can some odd directions; it's clearly just a vehicle to show off all those CG character designs. But I wasn't expecting much worse, so it turned out to be a nice little diversion.

Lupin III

Oh yeah, was this show worth the wait. Despite an unusual (for the Lupin franchise) ongoing plot, the best episodes were the stand-alone ones; just a character and a caper. A must-see for Lupin fans, and also a great introduction for potential new fans.

Koyomimonogatari

Okay, even I know these Bakemonogatari-related shorts were superfluous (until the very end; holy shit). But these characters have proven to be entertaining just sitting in a room talking about whatever weird, random idea entered the author's head. I'd still welcome more pointless stories.

Sushi Police

You don't have to enjoy sushi to like this show a lot. Although disliking it may make you feel a little guilty. Regardless, it was nice to see CG animation put to good use; shows that rely heavily on it tend to get a lot of backlash from fans, so maybe shorts like these are the way to go for now.

Oshiete! Galko-chan

Despite being nothing more than a bunch of high schoolers swapping dirty jokes and questions about sex, a fun little show. Probably best it's only seven minutes long, though.

Sekko Boys

This bizarre bit of humor was hit-or-miss for me. Not all the situations were funny, but the laughs came easiest whenever the show tried to act like your standard idol show. I mean, these preening, dysfunctional celebrities are . . . statues. In that respect, I found the credits consistently hilarious.

While this was a pretty good season overall, it still felt like a slight letdown because there wasn't a huge crowd-pleaser to fill the enormous shoes of One Punch Man.  But who knows what next season will bring?  I'll soon find out . . . right after I work through a slight backlog problem!