Jashin-chan Dropkick' (The Other Series Finished in Spring 2020)

So when I said I finished four shows in Spring, I kind of forgot one show was during the season. My mind apparently convinced me it was a different season. Either way, that just gives me an excuse to dedicate on entry to it alone. So let's talk Jashin-chan Dropkick' aka JCDS2. A season where 11 episodes came out well all at once. It was kind of surprising, but hey it meant the only wait for 12.

This season introduced some new characters one of which was Pino. Pino is an angel and she's amazing. Her wings, her twin tails, her chest, everything about her. Also she continues the trend we see with Poporon and it kinds of makes you wonder about Pekola before the series proper. 

I mean how can you not want her as your new lord to worship? Well other than  fear of Yurine of course. Seriously she's amazing. Granted the downside to her and other Angels is related to well their halos. Ie it's the whole "I hope it happens eventually, it's never going to happen is it?" premise. Well I suppose there's always flashbacks and imagined spots to see their lovely wings again. 

Per-chan ended up being a bit more "evil" than I expected back during S1 where she was mostly teased until near the end. Her fondness for Noelle (Poporon) is something I did take notice of. And considering she is ultimately a devil, maybe I should have expected things. On a side note, the fact (mostly) everyone is kind of evil (including Angels) is part of what makes the show work.

The sisters provide nice eye candy and had their moments too. That said their impact wasn't as great as say Pino's was. Granted I won't deny I'm a bit biased towards the Angels in a show about Devils. I like the Devils too, but... Still I look forward to seeing more of these two if/when S3 is a thing.

Sometimes these two look so good together, you forget about the "premise" for  a second. I will say I was worried the "running" gag of the show would kill it for me (just as much as kills Jashin herself), but it didn't. That's not to say I don't skim passed some of the deaths, but the show has enough going for it. Also to be honest, the fact both Jashin and Yurine are evil in different ways helps.  Yes, Yurine is a "good" person, but let's face it some of what she does makes her "evil" as well.

Lierre-sama is an angel introduced in the special episode and she does make you wonder. If we get to see more of her, I shope they show off her wings and such. The fact Pino fears her tells me a lot. Especially given Pino's confidence back in episode 2.

 Yurine looks good in this outfit, it really does fit the image one might expect her to have if in some alternate universe she was an actual devil. Ok, I've rambled on enough. Point is S2 of JCD was definitely one of the best series of the Spring 2020 season and thus deserved a longer entry. Which was totally planned and not just me responding to the fact I didn't include it in the previous entry.

Finished 1 Cour Spring 2020 Anime

All right, I've managed to finish four series this season. One series got delayed after a few episodes so I'll treat it as part of another season. In any case, my feeling on the four series below.

Shachou, Battle no Jikan desu!

As a whole the series was decent, but some aspects of it were kind of bleh. I do like the interaction between the main group though. Definitely feels like a set up season too. I'd be shocked if we got a second season though. Still I work under the assumption we won't.

Hamefura

Love this series quite a bit. The harem of Bakarina is amazing. Especially Sophia herself. Probably my favorite for reasons that should be obvious if you've experienced the story. I'll likely watch S2 when it comes later on. Hopefully it will bless us with Sophia.

Princess Connect! Re Dive

It's been awhile since I watched a S1 that felt like it was secretly a S2 or at least makes you wonder about a prequel. In any case, we had quite a few fun supporting characters, but the real/main reason to watch is the developing "romance" between Karyl and Pecorine. You can't tell me they're not in love. Here's hoping for S2.

Tamayomi

Does the series suffer quite a bit? Sadly, yes.  It had animation/art issues sometimes. Some characters aren't that developed. However it's still an enjoyable series. Plus I love our main couple of Yoshino and Nozomi. In fact, from now on the series is YoshiNozo. Don't argue with me, it's a divine truth that can't be denied. Seriously those two made the show for me more than anything else. Ok, I like the Tama and Yomi  too, but dear baseball was Yoshino and Nozomi filled with greatness and enough reason to keep watching.

..... 

That covers everything. We'll see what 1 Cour series are finished during Summer. 

Finished 1 Cour Winter 2020 Anime

The Winter 2020 anime season has come to an end. So here are my thoughts on the 1 cour shows I finished. Starting with the most disappointing show for me and then ending with my favorite.  

  22/7

This show was very frustrating. The show is a case of wasted potential and misplaced priorities. For example, they relied too much on "flashback drama" to develop the characters. Also while I do like the idea of every character getting a chance to shine, sometimes trying to force it only results in no one shining.  What hurts  most are the final few episodes. With them we got head desk moments and a glimpse of what could have been.

Yatogame-Chan S2

Some of the episodes were fun, but a few of them might have tried too hard to be promotional material. Still Mone is cute and the episodes are rather short. Like there's much to say about this one.

Oshibudo

The series started a bit shakey and sometimes the main couple's desire to be disasters frustrated me. I had almost (in fact had) dropped it after episode 1 because it was bothersome. However a rewatch and paying more attention to Maina helped improve my opinion on the show. It was definitely worth keeping up with the series. Sometimes it frustrated and some characters are just trash.

However the show had several great moments to it and the supporting cast aka the idols started to shine overtime. We got some pretty good supporting pairs and the overall group dynamic was pretty effective. Far from a favorite, but it was worth finishing.

Magia Record

Overall I enjoyed this season and it had some interesting developments. The ending was frustrating, but to be fair that's kind of the point. It certainly leads a lot to speculate as to what could happen during S2. I like some of the relationships in the show. That said, how I'll feel about S1 in the long run will depend on what S2 delivers. For now, I'm mostly positive about how it went down.

Heya Camp

On the negative side, not enough Rin. I get why, but I'm still docking points for that.  I guess they could make it up to us by making another short with Rin as the lead! In all seriousness, despite that issue, this was a fun series.  The three members of the club got a lot of moments to bond and they made good use out of the short format. The final three episodes together were good way to end this. Looking forward to more Yuru Camp in the future.

Bofuri
There were a few times I had to question the show, but other than it was a lot of fun. Maple is an adorable shield user. It helps the game remained just a game. That and it wasn't just Kaede that had her quirks. We also had Risa. Once she got involved in the show everything just got better.  The relationship between Maple and Sally is one of the best. Add on top of that a good supporting cast with their own quirks. Definitely one of the best of the season.

BanG Dream S3

I feel like S3 was meant to be the "pay off" I was waiting for during S2. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed S2, but I was left thinking "What about that plot point?" and S3 was like "Here's your plot point and more".  The events surrounding RAS were amazing. Especially ones with Lock and Pareo. The stuff with Pareo near the end might be my favorite moment(s) of the season. My only issue is this. I hope for a hypothetical S4, they perhaps focus on other bands a bit. I think certain bands have had enough chance to shine.

Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!

My second favorite show of the season by far. The main (title) band of the season was great. The relationship between Delmin and Ruhuyu was nice enough even if they were the side focus. What sold me on the show most was the romance between Howan and Himeko. From their very first interaction to the end of the series, the two have been amazing together. Their love is truly divine.

Asteroid In Love

By far my favorite show of the season. Mira and Ao are wonderful together. You just want to support both their journey and their love. Watching both their relationship grow and them make progress towards their goal was good. However what really helped the show was the supporting cast. From Mikage to Chikage, each character out main couple interacted with only helped the over all narrative. I'm especially fond of the journey Ino's character went through. I think in some ways she might be my favorite of them.
-----------------
And that about covers the season.  Over all,  Asteroid and Mashuairesh!! were the main two shows of Winter 2020 for me.

Finished 1 Cour Autumn 2019 Anime

With Azur Lane finished, I can now give my thoughts on this season.  Try not to read too much into the order here. Same goes for my questionable tastes in shows to watch from start to finish.

Bokuben S2

The show could sometimes frustrate. Other times it could be fun. Most of the time it really liekd talking about boobs. Any time it decided to focus on Asumi, it had my attention because I'm biased towards her.  That said by the time it was over, Bokuben has you asking one simple question. "What happened?" I mean seriously that was such a rushed ending.  I'm not even sure what to think.

Kandagawa Jet Girls

I dropped this after episode 1 because to be honest Rin was a bit much even for me. That said it seemed to keep winning people over so I decided to save watching more for near the end. I finished the series late and over all it does get better. That said, I feel a lot of the series is carried by Misa's character. Without her, I don't think I would have finished it or gotten passed the first few episodes.

Rifle Is Beautiful

The show was filled with occasional good character moments. Sadly it was also hampered with moments that just made you want to face palm. There were also times it feel like the show was missing something. It's kind of hard to explain what that something is, but I know it was missing. I guess overall I like the show, but I kept thinking there was a lot about it that could be better.

 

Noukin

I'm kind of mixed on this. I do like it as a whole, but how much of that is because of the source material is another story. Sadly there were times this adaptation felt lacking or problematic.  That being said, the source material itself wasn't free of issues. So not everything can be blamed on the anime. Regardless I was still glad to see the characters animated and Rena was wonderful.

BookWorm
This was perhaps the best series of the season. Main (Myne) is a strong character and the show has some good relationships. The show can also be quite amusing. Definitely looking forward to the next season in the future.

Azur Lane
The series did suffer a bit near the end and not just because of the delay. However it was still a good series over all. Now granted I could be saying that because I was invested in Ayanami and Javelin's romance (friendship) and the characters that supported their love. Oh and being nice eye candy helps too.  Ok, the Enterprise stuff and the main plot was interesting too, and provided some other reasons to watch too. However priorities are priorities.

Houkago Saikoro Club

This ended up being one of my favorite of the season. Yes, sometimes the "tutorials" made me zone out. Sure, episode 2 worried me. However I liked the main girls quite a bit.  That said, it was ultimately Midori (with some Emmy for good measure) that made the show for me. So yeah even with the issues the show worked for me.  I will forever hate that character from episode 2 for making some drop this and miss out on Emmy's greatness.

ZX Code Reunion

So I watched the previous series and one thing I like about this series over it is that it's a lot easier to follow. Also being more focused on cute girls that you can ship together helps too. Some pairings are especially good. Oh and we even have a lovely doll. A doll I'm using as representation for the series because I need help.

The show does sometimes suffer in certain moments. I also feel the main villain is kind of meh.  A few characters needed more development too. So there's no denying there are some issues. However despite those issues the show turned out pretty decently and again it gave me some good ships and the final few episodes were a good way to end things or rather be an understandable cut off point. Which is way better than a rushed ending if you ask me.

Null Peta
Perhaps one of the best series of the season. Sure the episodes were short, but better a show make good use of five minutes than terrible use of twenty minutes. The story was silly at first, but as it progressed and things became clearer it became stronger and stronger. The final two episodes proper were some of the best I've seen. Seriously this show needs to be watched by more people.
--------------------
While   I did say to ignore the order, I will confirm that my favorite four of the season are effectively the last four shows I mentioned.  So just pretend I randomly juggle between them. As for the other five? Just assume Bookworm leads them by a wide margin.

Finished 1 Cour Summer 2019 Anime Thoughts

Tried several shows during the Summer Season and these are the ones I ended up finishing that were a single cour. Ie no Aikatsu, Precure, Etc. My list ultimately only includes 7 series so you could argue in essence that they all make the top ten, but that's not saying much. Ok, let's get started.

Isekai Cheat Magician

First, let me say I could have done far worse in terms of Isekai options...  With that out of the way, this series was fine, but nothing truly special. I do have a few issues with how certain events played out. However it wasn't a bad way to waste time. I also rather liked Rin herself. Or maybe I just liked her pony tail.

Granbelm

This series had quite a bit going for it with the character themes, relationships, etc. However it decided to crush them all and throw them in the trash for the main theme. I will admit I grow less negative about the ending as time goes on. However it still hurts how they threw so much near the end. I didn't like the repeated "get rid of magic" mantra. It's not just being done to death, the show also didn't earn it. At the same time, Mangetsu's answer to her identity crisis bothers me way too much. 

Dumbell Nan Kilo Moteru?

As long as you can accept the fact the show is stupid (and there ar too many guys without shirts) then this show is fine for wasting time. Can't speak for the exercise lessons though.  However I can speak for Hibiki getting some decent moments. 

Joshikousei No Mudazukai

Sometimes after watching the first episode, I end up thinking "This was bad, but I really like this one character so I'll watch more".  Sometimes I regret being tricked into watching a show for this reason. Other times it pays off. Not only is Yamai herself  great, several other characters were amazing too.  Show still had issues, but it was  a fun experience. Even Baka sometimes had value.

Symphogear XV

Being the season to end a long journey, XV had a lot of pressure. I can never say any show 100% ends as I'd hope. I couldn't say that even if I wrote the show myself. However I can say that I'm over all satisfied and happy with how the series concluded. So long as I don't let my greed for "Show more" overwhelem. Hibiki and Miku are one of my favorite couples of the season. Heck they're one of my favorite during any season that a season of Symphogear aired. I think mostly happy the show was able to reach this point. I'd hate to be in a universe where Symphogear only got one season.

Re Stage Dream Days

Whether you view them as one group, three couples, or six individuals the end result is the girls that make up KiRaRe are wonderful and amazing.  From the moment the group started forming or if you prefer the moment Sayu and Mana fell for each other the show won me over. It just continued to win even more points as the relationship between the girls developed further.

Also I will admit part of my bias towards the show is the fact it gave us three separate "couples" each with their own appeal. Sayu/Mana, Mizuha/Mii, and Kasumi/Kae were all good.  I especially like the Kasumi/Kae appear. Shadow Princess and Thousand Angel are great.

Machikado Mazoku

This is by far the best series of the Summmer Season, perhaps of the entire year of 2019. It's mostly thanks to Yuko (Shamiko) and Momo's relationship as rivals, enemies, and much more. It also helps to give a good manga a good adaptation. Looking forward to what S2 has in store if/when we get it. 

Finished 1 Cour Anime of Spring 2019

Not going to bother with any real rankings aside from making obvious which is the favorite series of the season. This entry is basically every 1 cour series I finished from Spring.

Yatogame-chan Kansatu Nikki

There are some shows I like to watch, but also don't feel are really worth tweeting about much. This would be one of them. It was amusing and cute enough, but that was about it.

Hitoribocchi no Seikatsu

My favorite series of the season.  The key is in how Bocchi's journey progressed. It progressed not by standing still or by jumping over cliffs, but by doing a steady walk. It also helps that they both made sure to show improvement for her without making it so all her problems just simply vanished. 

Another thing that that helps is her friends or in some cases companions. Each of them in their own way provided some sort of push for Bocchi to get better.  As the cast expanded, we got more and more amusing interactions. As well some shipping fuel. I'm sorry, it's hard not to wonder abou Nako and Aru sometimes.

Cinderella Girls Gekijou: Climax Season

Save for a few skits (as to be expected) this continues to be a fun way to spend time with a large variety of idols. Although it does make me wish for a new proper series. Which of course then begs the question of who they should focus on. Ok, starting to see why they've gone this route for now.

Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine

While some issues production wise might have limited the potential of the series, it still managed to be a good experience for me. I liked seeing how the girls joined the team and their progress afterwards. 

Joshi Kausei

The series vastly improves around episode 4. Sure there are still a few issues, but for the most part the show started to really sell the idea of a trio of gtirls enjoying life. We also got a few strong character episodes. One for each of the supporting girls. It does have a few weak episodes, but over all it's a good experience.

Senryuu Shoujo

Over all a rather charming series. I like Nanako a lot. The supporting girls are good. Eji isn't that bad for a male lead either. I'm also fine with the romance angle except for the moments they doubled down too much on it. Ie when they let it speak for itself, it was fine. 

Anime I'm Watching During Spring 2019

Having tried enough series for now, I've settled on these series being the ones I watch during the Spring 2019 season. Assuming of course none of them suddenly decide to become completely unwatchable. Not going to rank these. It should be obvious which is the favorite of the season by the end. 

Cinderella Girls Climax (TV43/WEB35)

Sure like with previous seasons there will be segments wasted on "I like Producer" stuff, but aside from that the series still continues to be fun for the most part. Plus I will admit it can be fun to see what girls get to be the next focus of the next episode. And yes, since some of the ladies are rather attractive, that helps too. It's not my fault some of them have nice mountains. Yes, even this type of art can have fanservice.

Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine (3)

While I enjoyed the first episode, I can't deny having some worry.  Mostly because there was the question of how the show would be paced. Never mind how many members they need to JOIN them on their quest. However, I now feel confident enough in the series. If nothing else, I have several girls to be attached to. Akane is still the best of them. However Aoi and Yoshime are both good too.

Senryuu Shoujo (3)

I love the way the poems are voiced. I love Nanako's expressions. The series is for the most part charming. The main negative is related to the HET aspects. I'm not against a series being het and it's a thing even in the manga. But for some reason it feels like the anime doubles down on the het. Maybe it's because of the difference between formats? Despite that issue, I still enjoy watching the anime.  In part because of what I read of the manga and because again Nanako. Seeing her animated and voices is a dream come true. Plus some of the side characters are amusing.

Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki (3)

Let's not kid ourselves here. The main reason I'm going to keep watching this is because Yatogame has me charmed by her voice and her cat antics. Which is sad because one issue with this show is this. For a series about trying to promote a location, it feels  more like they're promoting the idea of having a fetish towards someone due to her accent and mannerisms. And if you take the idea further, I can't deny it's bad. Which I should complain about.

Yet here I am watching the anime because her voice charms me, her cat like appearance is hypnotic. That hair. Long story short, I'm literally part of the problem. Still I need at least one "bad" show to watch this season and this seems to be the best choice among the ones I've tried. Not only is it just 3 minutes, I also get my fill of her.

Kiratto Pri-chan (3/54)

There's no denying I'll miss some aspects of the previous season, but the new season of Prichan is off to good start. If nothing else I especially love the idea of finally having someone to ship Mirai with. Seriously she deserves to have a love interest. Please marry her! Ok, I'll stop shipping. The point is this series is good, watch it. Of course it will be even better if certain aspects from season 1 end up being a thing in season 2. (Yes, I want them back, there I said it)

Aikatsu Friends  (3/53)

One could say that the new season of Aikatsu Friends has really turned up the heat. Not sure what to think of the whole Jewel part, but to be fair it's clear the season is less about the  jewels and more about Hibiki and Alicia's relationship. One I'm interested in and cautious about. I guess I'm mainly worried about pacing. However the first few episodes have given me hope in that regard. Plus it's more Aikatsu, so I'm going to keep watching this one.

Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu

 Yes it does suffer a bit from repeating jokes. However I can forgive it in a series like this because believe it or not for some shows, the repeating of jokes serves a narrative purpose. Ok maybe it doesn't and my bias is allowing me to be more forgiving  than I should be. 

Still what matters most has been how wonderful the relationships are. Between just Aru, Nako, and Bocchi we've gotten some great moments. And there's promise of more to come.  I rather enjoy what I've read of the manga and this has essentially become my favorite anime of the season. At least among the new series.

Star Twinkle Precure (11)
We'll end this entry with a reminder that I'm still watching this series. It's Precure, what do you expect. I don't really have much to add though. Other than I like how our girls are coming together. I guess the main issue right now has to do with history repeating itself and the formula of Precure. I'm not complaining about Precure having one, it has more to do with being conditioned.

Ie I'm conditioned to expect/hope for big moments to happen in the plot arounds the 20s or the 30s. So when a precure series series reaches double digits, I start anticipating and hoping the current season's version of the moments I come to expect end up being well good.  For now I probably should just enjoy the ride.