Winter Animu 2023: bringan it back

[bassgs435]

Kyouko Suiri S2.
The focus on shorter arcs make it better than the longer arc in S1, Keeps things fresh. I like it

Handyman Saitou
Pretty good show. I love how all the separate groups came together and how Saitou found acceptance and a place in his new world through his skills with no OP powers.

[Laserman]

My Hero Academia Episode 132:
So this arc is called the Dark Hero arc.
I guess that's supposed to be Midoriya, but I don't see him doing anything that I'd call dark or wrong, I was pretty worried about that.

Midoriya getting a new Quirk after just getting the last one was pretty surprising.

The look he has from his suit is from it still being so damaged.
Like before when had his hoodie on, it showed it eyes and it looked so goofy, but now it doesn't show them the same way.
And then's there's Gran Torino's cape he got from him...

The new equipment he has on his sleeves is from the first movie, so it's cool how that made it into the main story.

The face that he was able to beat Muscular shows how much he's improved. All that training with Endeavor paid off, I don't know.

In that fight, he used all the Quirks he had unlocked up to this point to help him. The way he used Black Whip in particular is pretty interesting. He has like several strands coming from arms instead of his hands. And Danger Sense has a pretty wide range too, and then's there's Float, which makes getting around so much easier.

The last attack was amazing, but, I wouldn't say he's fighting all that differently though.

I liked how at the end, the people who said that they wouldn't leave the building helped with transporting Shindo to the hospital and were willing to listen to them.

That moment with Midoriya's mother was so sad, having to say goodbye like that.

With All Might, Hawks, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist, Midoriya is going to be working with them to stop the villains that have been released and find Shigaraki.

[bassgs435]

Bungo Stray Dogs S4.
Easily the best season. A high stakes conflict, good development and characterization, and the Hunting Dogs are a legit threat. Good shit. Hyped for S5

Iceblade Sorcerer.
Pretty good. This one was fun thanks to charming and entertaining personalities and antics, especially Ray. Alber's development into a decent person is also interesting to watch

Nijiyon
Cute fanservice shorts for LL Nijigasaki fans

InuHiro (Life as Inukai-san's dog)
Crazy ecchi show. Good fanservice, and hilarious plot
Girls are great, and I love the use of PoV for a lot of scenes

KamiHiro 2.
I love S1 as a chill iyashikei experience and this is just more of that. It's good stuff to relax. I wish Eliaria had more screen time, though. She was reduced to cameos besides the single episode she got to herself

[bassgs435]

Spy Classroom
After a rocky start, it was pretty good. The cast is fun and their antics are entertaining and the 2nd impossible mission was pretty great
That cliffhanger ending seems to confirms the rumors about a 2nd cour, so looking foward to that

Shinka no Mi S2
I honestly and personaly liked this and had lots of fun with this second season. Good stuff for me

[Rafflesiac]

Ningen Fushin: That was not nearly as interesting as I hoped it would be. I wish the manga adaptation hadn't ended.
Spy Classroom: Cool cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to the next season of cute girls doing cute spying.
In/Spectre: LMAO Kotoko really ruined a man's life just because she was horny. Iconic protagonist, peak fiction. Season 3 when?

[LegalLoliLover]

Also, the ghost that distinctly isn't a metaphor for guilt.

[Rafflesiac]

Lieselotte: Well that was just precious. Absolutely incredible how Lieselotte returned the favor by going to the real world and roasting god so hard he got dragged back to heaven. This was a sweet story, and I'm glad I saw it.

[bassgs435]

Saikyou Onmyouji Isekai
Pretty good. What makes this one interesting to watch is the MC's personality. He's pretty ruthless in pursuing his goals, which are also quite interesting. Amyu is also very good and best girl

[Mattias]

So with the Winter season all wrapped (except those shows that got delayed), what was everyone's thoughts? Best? Worst? OP? Anything.

I think my favourite of the season was probably Tomo-Chan. There were better shows, but it was the one that was constantly entertaining.

My biggest surprise was Buddy Daddies. I expected a watered down SpyxFamily going in, but I ended up way more invested in it. I really liked how the ending confirmed what I thought the whole series, that Miri was just Ururaka from MHA. Runner up was all the high effort Isekai this season. Handyman, MagiRevo and Camp Cooking were all really solid entries into a diluted genre.

Guiltiest pleasure was Reborn Squire. It was cheesy as hell, but watching a MC Goku their way through a fantasy world was really fun.

Worst show I finished and am eagerly awaiting a second season is Fire Hunter. The animation was shoestring at best, the story was a mess until 2/3rds of the way through and I would recommend it to no one. But damn am I anticipating the conclusion to this story. It's the anime eqivilent of those youtube videos of people skidding on an icy road. You can see that it's not going to end well, but every move that happens you think that maybe they'll gain control.

Biggest turn around a toss up between In/Spectre, for being so much better than S1, and Nier, which had a really bad first episode and got much much better. But then Nier got delayed again so maybe it will turn again before the end.

OP was a toss up between Trigun and Urusai Yatsura. Both are great at encapsulating the tone of the show. Honourable mention to High Card's Casino Royale-esque OP

ED goes to Urusai, as it's just a great song, but Revengers is a close second with how it ties in at the end of the show.

[GDB]

Danmachi was my top for the season, but that might be cheating since it was the second cour of the season.

For ones purely in the season, also Tomo-chan.

Most disappointing was Nier:Automata. While it technically isn't over, it just looks (so far) like it'll only cover endings A/B, which is boring as hell. Doesn't help that 2B is boring as hell, 9S is annoying, and A2 has almost no screen time.

Actually, can I just say the episodes of Kamen Rider Geats that aired during this season's timeframe surpassed anything and everything else I watched anime-wise?

[Rafflesiac]

Danmachi is the strongest.

- - - Updated - - -

Ningen Fushin was worse than I expected, and I barely finished it. Spy Classroom has a great OP and ED.

[Laserman]

My Hero Academia Episode 133:

It's gotten so bad that people are just attacking innocent people for just being out at night, geez.

I'm glad that number 2 and 3 finally decided to turn around though.

I do like how right at the end, when you think that the fight will be over as soon as Midoriya can get to the building she's at, Lady Nagant reveals that she got a Quirk from All for One which eliminates the whole mobility issue for snipers.

It was a pretty cool episode.

[Mattias]

Most disappointing was Nier:Automata. While it technically isn't over, it just looks (so far) like it'll only cover endings A/B, which is boring as hell. Doesn't help that 2B is boring as hell, 9S is annoying, and A2 has almost no screen time.

I agree with you for the most part, but I still hold out hope for it getting 24 episodes and covering the whole story. The fact they changed things somewhat, and are tossing in things like the flower robot makes me optimistic for it.

[Rafflesiac]

Tengoku: Unsurprisingly, the innkeeper bit it. Wild how Maru has Zabaniya. Lol at the crocodile gag. It makes sense that the sheltered schoolkids would be horny, but I still wonder who's sending the texts. Given Kiruko's behavior, I guess he's the dead little brother using his sister's body somehow?

[bassgs435]

This is the winter thread, Rafflesiac. That post should go in the spring thread

[Laserman]

My Hero Academia Episode 134:
I just loved how those two villains couldn't do anything against All Might when he went towards them.
So Lady Nagant did the dirty work for the Safety Commission while also maintaining the public figure of a hero.
It makes sense she just couldn't take it anymore after a certain point.
I have no idea how to spell that new Quirk Midoriya used, but it was just what he needed to beat her, and the fight itself was so cool.
I wonder what they're going to do with the information that she gave them.
I didn't it notice it at first, but Midoriya didn't say "Plus Ultra" at the end like he usually does.

[bassgs435]

Bofuri S2.
As a fan of S1, I enjoyed this one a lot. More Maple being crazy adorable, and I enjoy all the major characters. Had lots of fun and loved seeing what monsters everyone got for companions
Hope S3 happens and has a less troubled production

[Laserman]

My Hero Academia Episode 135:

People are freaking afraid of Midoriya now and it's easy to see why.
I remember seeing a page that Viz Media posted of him that I only now realize of him looking the way he does now saying, "Look at how our boy's grown up", and it's like, how is this a good thing?

Calling him a All Might wannabe was spot on.

I can't believe he's going to try to fight his entire class though, he's completely lost it.

[Laserman]

My Hero Academia Episodes 136-138:
From the big battle between Midoriya and his classmates, Bakugo apologizing for bullying him, or Uraraka's big speech, these last 3 episodes have been amazing.
I didn't expect Stain and All Might to meet like that, but since was out and about, I guess it was bound to happen. But for him to actually be the one to get All Might to realize there are still things he can do...

The information he gave to All Might was important too.

Shigaraki's body will be complete in 3 days instead of the 2 months the heroes assumed they had. Knowing that they would need more help and fast, All Might personally asked for help from heroes around the way, and the first one on their way, is the number one in America.

Even though there were a lot of sad moments, this season was really good, way better than the last one.