Weekly Roundup Fall 2018 FINALE

So, this is going to be a short roundup. The Winter 2019 series hasn't arrived yet, and it turns out that Hinomaru Sumo was delayed this week! And with Run With the Wind still on hiatus for another week and Gridman and Zombie Land Saga having been wrapped up, there's only one show to talk about this week: The series finale of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. So, now it's time to talk about that, I guess...

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Who do you think you are, All Might?

In the 13th and final episode of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, upon realizing that the Kaede he had spent the last two years with is gone for good, Sakuta falls into a deep despair. But he is then saved by the older Shoko Makinohara, who takes him home and reads from Kaede's diary to him, where he learns that Kaede was aware that she was getting her old memories and persona back, and thus pushed herself to regain her independence on her own terms and spend time with Sakuta outside the home in order to protect him from regrets. But when Sakuta fails to tell Mai about Shoko's visit, they have a fight and she asks him to leave her alone for the time being. The day is saved, however, thanks to Nodoka's prodding and the convenient timing of Mai's birthday, and Sakuta races across the country to spend time with her, and the two of them make peace with each other. Upon leaving the hospital, Kaede expresses her desire to return to school, and says that she doesn't consider herself to be alone anymore. 

I'll be honest, the first time I watched this finale, I was a bit confused and a little annoyed. It felt like a cop out of Shoko and Kaede's stories, and I thought that Mai and Sakuta's ending, while still ultimately satisfying, was a little rushed. But then I watched it again, since I watch all episodes for the roundup twice (little behind the scenes info for you guys), and I understood. The fundamental argument that Bunny Girl Senpai has been making this whole time is encapsulated in this story. No matter how hard you try, it's impossible for everything in life to go the way you want it to. The most important thing in life is how you respond to that unexpected adversity. Sakuta couldn't save everyone, and the Kaede we came to know and love (or tolerate in my case) is now gone. But even still, he moved forward and did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt, and he still managed to do right by Mai and the new Kaede. 

I feel like there's too much text, so here's a picture of all the girls.

As for Shoko, well, I think that I figured out what's going on with her upon my second viewing as well. My theory is that the younger version has been subconsciously projecting an older version of herself to Sakuta and others like him as a response to feeling powerless as a small middle schooler unable to help all the people in pain she observes in her day to day life. I believe that Adolescent Syndrome is the literal manifestation of the hidden desires of teenagers who are trying to become their ideal versions of themselves realized in ironic ways. Mai was uncomfortable with her role in the spotlight, which was forced on her by her mother, so she started to literally vanish into the crowd, forgotten by everybody. Kaede internalized the verbal abuse from her classmates and wanted to die, so cuts spontaneously appeared on her body, the trauma of which led to her amnesia. Nodoka was highly jealous of Mai, so she literally became her. Koga suffered from extreme anxiety, so she got trapped in a time loop with unlimited do-overs until she achieved her desired result. Futaba was self conscious and presented an idealized version of herself on social media, so her dual identities became separate physical beings, allowing her to have it both ways. But when it comes to Shoko, her only desire is to help others and make the world a kinder place. This wish is inherently selfless, so the only backlash she experiences is not even being aware of the good she is doing in the first place. And that sort of thing happens all the time in real life. For all you know, just choosing to smile at someone who caught your eye in the street saved that person's life.

I will freely admit that my theory seems to fall apart when you consider Sakuta's experience with Adolescent Syndrome, since he lives freely and has no hidden personal drama being brought to the surface in an ironic manner. But consider this: his version of Adolescent Syndrome manifested itself in a similar way to Kaede's -- cuts appearing on his chest -- immediately after seeing her in her condition. Sakuta is the ultimate big brother. His wish was to take the pain away from Kaede, i.e. "I wish I could take her place," so he experiences the same pain she does. But that sort of martyr complex is pointless and unhelpful, and only creates more problems for everybody. Which is why his time with Shoko was so important: his conversation with her channels his selfless nature in a constructive direction, and he follows her example and pushes himself to be there and listen to everyone he meets from that point on. And he also learns that it's impossible to fix other people's problems for them: all he can do is point them in the right direction.

What a legend.

What else can I say about this show that I haven't already said? I never got what I expected when I watched it, and it was only fitting that the finale surprised me just as much. When I expected a cheap, disposable ecchi show filled with nothing but flat character archetypes and harmless sexy fun, I got an emotinoal and dramatic romance that had a lot to say about the unique stage of being that comes with being a teenager and how even the most positive desires for one's self can be harmful, which argues that, above all else, the most important things in life are to accept yourself for who you are and to be good and kind to everyone you meet. It's bittersweet, adorable, hilarious, and heartfelt all at once, and I am so glad that I got to watch it. It may have had its issues here and there, most prominently putting the main couple to the side several times in service of the individual story arc happening at any given time, but I am confident in saying it more than earned its spot in my best anime of 2018 list. 

And there's a movie coming!

And so  the weekly roundup ends its first season. Winter 2019 is coming up, and while the lineup sitll isn't technically finalized, since I pick up anime randomly as they catch my interest, and it entirely depends on timing and which streaming platform gets what show, I have a decent idea of some of the shows I want to cover. They don't all come out in the same week, with the earliest shows premiering next Friday, so expect another Double Decker situation where the episode numbers don't line up perfectly, as I'm going to have to take the next week off (unless Hinomaru Sumo comes back. I wish Crunchyroll would communicate these things and I didn't have to scramble anxiously across Google wondering what happened to it). With that in mind, in addition to the eventual return of Run With the Wind and Hinomaru Sumo, I plan on covering:

• The Promised Neverland (Jan 11)
• Boogiepop Never Laughs (Jan 4)
• The Rising of the Shield Hero (Jan 9)
• Dororo (Jan 4)
• Revisions (Jan 10)
• Domestic Girlfriend (Jan 12)
• Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka (Jan 12)
• Girly Air Force (Jan 10)
• W'z (Jan 6)
• The Price of Smiles (Jan 4)
• Pastel Memories (Jan 8)
• Dimension High School (Jan 10)
• Circlet Princess (Jan 8)

That means we're starting the Winter 2019 roundup with 15 shows all together. And that's not all! Upon further reflection, I decided that I was a bit too harsh and arbitrary with my cuts this season. As such, I am limiting myself to one cut per week from this point on, and every show survives the first episode. Yes, that means that there's more work for me in the long run, but at least this way, nobody can possibly accuse me of not giving shows a chance, I'm less likely to have a situation like this where my weekly roundup is limited to only one show, and I'll have more to work with when talking about my worst anime of 2019 list. Not that I picked some of these shows expecting them to be bad or anything. That would be wrong...

Me already regretting my rule changes.

The Worst Anime of 2018

The year is almost over. We went over the best of the best, but now it's time for the worst of the worst. What follows are going to be the ten worst anime of 2018. The rules are the same as they were for the best of list: Only tv anime that I have watched are eligible. That means that shows I avoided watching like Sword Art Online Aliciziation and The Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar will not be appearing on the list, no matter how bad I assumed they are based on looking at a few trailers. Unlike the best of list, however, a lot of these shows are shows that I have not watched all the way through, so I will acknowledge that it is entirely possible that I just watched the bad part and that the episodes I didn't watch make it all worthwhile, though I honestly doubt that.

Also, just like last time, I have a few anime that I want to call out as being not that great but weren't awful enough to make the worst of list. So, this year's dishonorable mentions are:

• Jingai-san no Yome
• Kokkoku
• Magical Girl Ore
• Hanebado
• Tsurune: Kazemai Kyudo Club
• Radiant
• Comic Girls
• Between the Sky and the Sea

Well, enough stalling. Time to relive my worst anime memories of the year for your entertainment! Whee!

Number Ten: Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer is a fantasy action/adventure story produced by Studio White Fox. In the story, after her first adventure went horribly wrong, a young Priestess teams up with the mysterious Goblin Slayer, and the two of them form a party and go on goblin slaying adventures together.

This is probably going to be a controversial pick, and I really wanted this show to be good. In fact, if you read my coverage of the first 5 episodes on the Weekly Roundup, you'd practically see me going through the 5 stages of grief as we go along. The first episode had me in denial, where I blissfully ignored the awkward animation and clumsy battle choreography in favor of the potential for a good dark fantasy story and defending a rape scene that I still will say was not in poor taste, but your mileage may vary. Then in the second episode, I got angry that Goblin Slayer's backstory was so cookie cutter and generic, and I almost rage quit the anime right there. But then I skipped over depression and went into bargaining when new characters were introduced in episode 3, and the dynamic that they brought to the party gave me hope that something could be salvaged from the wreckage that used to be the chance for dark fantasy. But between episode 4 turning the goblins into a bunch of chumps and episode 5 being one of the most boring things I had ever seen, I experienced acceptance that Goblin Slayer is nothing more than a story with potential being turned into a mediocre mess that thinks that referencing Dungeons and Dragons is a valid substitute for developing its story and characters.

Number Nine: Citrus

Citrus is a yuri romantic drama produced by Studio Passione. Our two would-be lovers are Yuzu, a new transfer student to an elite all-girls school, and Mei, the student council president who is also Yuzu's new step sister. And that is how you turn a two paragraph plot synopsis on MyAnimeList into only two sentences.

Citrus is bad, and I'll get into explaining why in a bit, but it's also a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, which is why I was able to watch it all the way to the end. The entire show felt like a train wreck, where I felt compelled to keep watching and try to figure out what went wrong. Yuzu especially is a really good character whose reaction to realizing that she is a lesbian was just to shrug her shoulders and move on, and the fact that as soon as she realizes how emotionally damaged Mei is that she backs off on her romantic advances and just tries to be a good sister and friend to her was not what I expected and almost made me take this off the list altogether.

But I know exactly where this show went wrong, and the flaws are so numerous that I cannot in good conscience ignore them. There isn't exactly a high standard for animation in a show that doesn't have a lot of action going on, and yet Citrus is extremely ugly in motion and avoids animation whenever possible, making it quite boring to look at if you don't like ogling drawings of high school girls. And Passione knows that the girls are the main highlight of the show, so they crammed in as many scenes of girls kissing, groping each other, or seeing each other naked as they could, consent be damned. And this isn't even a comedy anime, where the right context could make that sort of thing funny in its awkwardness. But I was willing to ignore all of that if the story was good. Too bad the different story arcs were basically the same basic story being told over and over, with one of the girls misunderstanding what the other wanted and facing interference from a potential romantic rival. This basic story repeats itself FOUR TIMES in the 12 episode run. That's just inexcusable.

Number Eight: Gurazeni: Money Pitch

Gurazeni is a seinen sports comedy/slice of life produced by Studio Deen. It follows the life of Honda, a professional relief pitcher who is obsessed with how much money both he and his fellow players are earning, reasoning that his career as a professional player is not going to last forever and his prospects for employment after that has run its course are limited, so he has to earn as much money as possible now.

I think it has been well established that I LOVE spots anime. I wouldn't say that it's my favorite genre of anime, not while shows like One Piece and Fullmetal Alchemist exist, but it does hold a special place in my heart and I tend to give shows more of a pass when they feature exciting sports matches (which is the main reason why Hanebado escaped the worst of list). But even I can't ignore the fact that Gurazeni has nothing going for it. I've seen PS1 games with smoother animation than the extreme amount of CG on display here, and after two episodes of boring, unfunny sketches without a single character endearing themselves to me, I knew that there was nothing in the writing that would make up for the atrocious visuals. I will freely admit that the idea of a workplace comedy focusing on a professional sports team isn't a bad idea, but this just does nothing for me.

Number Seven: Caligula

Caligula is an action sci-fi anime produced by Studio Satelight. The premise itself can be considered a spoiler, but since MyAnimeList didn't hesitate to spoil me and since the show turned out to be terrible, I don't care. The characters are a bunch of high school students who have been lured into a virtual world created by a sentient AI idol named Mu in a misguided attempt to spare them from the harshness of the outside world. Upon learning the truth, the students form a resistance group and try to escape to the real world and learn of a group of villains manipulating Mu behind the scenes.

I think that, aside from Goblin Slayer, there isn't an anime on this list that I wanted to be good more than Caligula. Between the slick character designs, competent animation, a premise that can be boiled down to "the Matrix, but Agent Smith is a Vocaloid," and how interesting Mu is as a character, there was some real potential here. But our "heroes" are the exact kind of self-absorbed idiots I hate seeing in fiction (yes, I understand that character flaws are important and that selfish characters can tell great stories, but I don't have time to write a dissertation on the kind of protagonists I prefer today), with no saving grace or interesting depth to them, and as soon as they figure out that they are in a virtual world (which takes 4 whole episodes!), the plot takes a weird left turn as they basically go on vacation to Sea World and judge a beauty contest. And when you take that and add in a character's fat-shaming rant being framed as a turning point for her where she decides to step off the sidelines and join the good fight, you get a 3/10 on my MAL profile.

Number Six: Anima Yell

Anima Yell is a sports comedy/slice of life series produced by Studio Doga Kobo. It follows Kohane, a high school freshman who loves to help others, as she is inspired to start a cheer leading club with her friends, as it is "a sport where you support others".

I already talked about Anima Yell in my unpopular anime opinions video, where I used it as a springboard to launch into a rant about modern anime using cute girls doing cute things as a substitute for actually developing story and characters worth remembering for more than five minutes after you finish watching it, and I really don't want to repeat myself too much when complaining about a show that I only watched one episode for. So all I'm going to say is, watch this opening. Look at how many still images there are. Look at how stiff the big cheer leading dance is. The opening theme is where you need to sell new viewers on your show and get returning viewers excited for a new episode. And they didn't put any effort into it whatsoever. They don't need to. After all, the show has a cast of cute girls, so it's guaranteed a 7/10 on MAL and figurine sales, so what more do you need? Honestly, the only reason this show isn't higher is that I didn't care enough to keep watching to find more to complain about and it doesn't go out of its way to be anything more than safe and average.

Number Five: Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Death March to the Stupidly Long Anime Title is a fantasy isekai harem anime produced by Studio Silver Link and Studio Connect. It focuses on a game designer named Satou who finds himself trapped in the world of his upcoming game, where in order to survive, he takes advantage of a programming bug that has yet to be fixed and instantly reaches max level, whereupon he decides to just chill in the fantasy world and take a vacation from his extremely stressful job.

Do I really need to explain why this show sucks? It's a fantasy isekai anime about an overpowered main character getting sucked into a video game world, where he easily succeeds at everything he does and has an army of women throwing themselves at him. Four of these women are underage (ew) and six of them (including all the underage ones) are technically his slaves (double ew). While I would be willing to praise the show for having Satou explicitly reject all of these girls' advances and choosing to pursue consensual romances with adult women that are on equal footing with him, the fact remains that he STILL KEEPS THEM AS HIS SLAVES! I don't care about his justification that he views himself as their guardian/father figure, that's still slavery! Our hero, ladies and gentlemen!

And even if you were somehow willing to forgive slavery, the show is just boring. I understand that this is more a travelogue than an action series, but the locations they visit are bland, so there is no fun at seeing the world that Satou has found himself in. One Piece is another show I would argue is more travelogue than anything else, so let me ask you, what sounds more interesting? An island where the architecture is made of candy and inanimate objects come to life and seems to be a Disney-style paradise where all races live in harmony, only to secretly be ruled by a bratty, child-like tyrant who takes portions of the citizens' life span as taxation and refuses to allow anyone to leave, or a fantasy town with a blacksmith and an adventurer's guild? I rest my case.

Number Four: Island

We all knew this would make the list. Island being bad has been a running joke on this blog since the very first post back in July, and back then, I was honestly ready to declare it my worst anime of the year. For the sake of proper formatting and extending the word count though, Island is a sci-fi mystery anime produced by Studio feel. It tells the story of Suzuka, an amnesiac who only remembers two things: he's from the future and there is somebody he needs to kill. Then some little girls start walking around half naked and any sense of potential evaporates in an instant.

For a brief moment, I had thought that I was being too hard on Island. After all, with 66,000+ members on MAL and an average score of 6.5/10, maybe there's something here I was missing. But then I rewatched the first episode and I remembered why I hate Island. The very first line is a girl who looks to be no older than 11 saying "I might break." in a way that sounds like it came out of a bad hentai. The whole time I watched this, I felt like I needed to be put on some kind of list. And it's not like the story can save the disgusting misuse of fanservice. Suzuka has no personality whatsoever, making him a terrible protagonist, and with every other character trying to be mysterious and sinister, nobody stands out as their own unique personality. And while the art isn't necessarily bad, it's very uninspired to the point where I felt my eyes start to droop during the halfway point of rewatching the first episode. How did you go from making Hinamatsuri to this train wreck, Studio feel.?

Number Three: Magical Girl Site

Magical Girl Site is a psychological horror take on the magical girl genre produced by production doA (that's how their name is officially written on MAL). It tells the story of Asagiri, the girl with the worst life in the world, and how she finds a mysterious website where a strange entity takes pity on her and gives her magical powers.

Remember Madoka Magica? How the normally bright and cheerful magical girl genre was turned on its head and portrayed the girls and child soldiers who were doomed to a tragic end thanks to their own hubris and belief that they were heroes in a world where selfless heroism cannot exist? Well, Magical Girl Site certainly hopes you don't. If you did, you'd realize that there is more to deconstructing a genre and taking it in a new direction than going all out on being ridiculously edgy and dark. The characters in Madoka had positive and negative aspects to their lives, and the show didn't hesitate to show that there was still a reason for hope and heroism even if things aren't as simple as we might wish they are. Meanwhile, in just the first episode alone, Asagiri has her shoes stuffed with razor blades and thumbtacks, finds glue on her seat at school, is abused by her brother, learns that her cat is murdered at the same time as someone is trying to rape her, and nearly gets her throat sliced open. Hell, in the very first scene, she contemplates throwing herself in front of a train! If she doesn't want to be here, why should I? It stops being dramatic and just starts being silly, and not in the tongue in cheek way that Killing Bites is silly. And why the hell are you in this, Ryusei Nakao? You've got Dragon Ball Super going for you, surely you don't need to stoop this low just to pay the bills!

If you want a better explanation as to why Magical Girl Site is a bad anime, this video by Explanation Point (who actually enjoys the show on an ironic level) explains it in much better detail than I ever could. Also, Explanation Point is a great anime YouTuber and you should watch all of his videos.

Number Two: Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary

Ready for the worst anime of the first season of the Weekly Roundup? Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary is a fantasy action would be epic produced by Studio Deen. It's an ambitious little story, telling the story of two sisters struggling against an evil empire where their childhood friend has started working for them as an inventor of deadly constructs. Then there are some rebel groups and imperial politics and all that other stuff that screams: "I want to be Legend of the Galactic Heroes!"

Everything about this show is awful. The background art is muddy and looks worse than a knockoff attempt to pirate Ocarina of Time and run it on an Atari 2600. The glow effect around the magic sword that the main character carries literally makes me nauseous. The voice acting is so amateurish that characters react to a massacre of innocent civilians the way you would react to a light drizzle outside, and the lip syncing animations don't even line up with the original dialogue that was written for that scene! One of my biggest rules for good writing is that they way characters act should line up with their own internal logic and that any hypocrisies should be part of their story instead of existing for the sake of the story. The characters here betray their own internal logic so many times that I could make a drinking game out of it and die in one episode, and they are so boring that I can't even remember their names even when I just heard them introduce themselves. And the worst thing about this show is that it wants to be good. The story is ambitious as hell, with all sorts of factionalism and friends pitted against each other and politics and all my favorite story ideas, but the execution is so incompetent that it's a miracle that something came out this year that I liked even less.

Number One: Tachibanakan Triangle

This show might not be nearly as grossly incompetent as Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary, but I find it infinitely more offensive. Tachibanakan Triangle is a yuri ecchi harem short-form anime produced by Studio Lings and Creators in Pack. It follows Hanabi, who moves into an all female dorm as her first experience living away from home as she goes to high school. Almost all the girls at this dorm have a thing for Hanabi, but because episodes are only 3 minutes long, nothing really comes of it.

Tachibanakan Triangle is almost a culmination of all of my complaints about anime in one package. Cute girls getting naked are used as a substitute for story and character development. Animation is virtually nonexistent as characters just stand around and talk to each other as fast as possible to try to make a 3 minute run time work. The show takes no risks and tells the most basic stories possible about a group of school friends living together. Everything they try is something you've seen before, and there's always another anime that does this or that story idea much better. When the only original idea is having an episode framed around a high school girl wetting her pants, you can't really sink much lower. And, above all else, it's boring, often ending an episode right when a new story idea is established, and then either forgetting about it or failing to make the new idea interesting in any meaningful way.

Every other anime I watched this year had some sort of redeeming quality. Goblin Slayer had the campfire scene. Citrus had a likable protagonist. Gurazeni had a unique spin on traditional sports anime narratives. Caligula had a slick art style and an interesting premise. Island had the seeds of a decent mystery. Magical Girl Site had a fun opening and some good voice actors. Sword Luminary had a lot of ambition behind its story. Hell, even Anima Yell and Death March had a handful of scenes that made me chuckle. What does Tachibanakan Triangle have? Yeah, the girls are pretty to look at and more curvaceous than most anime girls, but even still, they don't hold a candle to the sex appeal behind characters in Citrus, Lupin III, Overlord, One Piece, Food Wars, or Gridman, and all of those also aired this year. Besides, why would I care about anime girls being sexy when hentai still exists? So, take away the pretty girls, and Tachibanakan Triangle has nothing. No story, no appeal, no ambition, and no reason to justify its existence. It goes beyond being the worst anime I watched this year. It's the worst anime I have ever watched period, and I feel justified in giving it my very first 1/10 on MAL. So, of course, it has an average score of 5.6/10 on the site. 

Wait, people liked this show?

I kid, I kid. I don't honestly believe that there is such a thing as an objectively horrible show. I mean, I still hate Tachibanakan Triangle and I still stand by that 1/10 score, but if that's your thing, then by all means, continue watching it and shows like it to your heart's content. Anime, and entertainment in general, is supposed to be something that makes you happy. So, if this makes you happy, then I genuinely am happy for you. I just wish that I didn't watch it, because if made me very unhappy.

And with that, we officially wrap up 2018. The last Weekly Roundup for the Fall season will be out on Sunday the 30th, and then we ring in the new year. Which I know will be good because Promised Neverland is coming.

-incoherent excited squeals-

Weekly Roundup Fall 2018 Week 12

Well, here we are. The final week of the Fall 2018 season, and close to the end of the first season of the weekly roundup. Run With the Wind is on hiatus for the moment, Hinomaru Sumo is only half over, and Bunny Girl has one more week coming, but both Zombie Land Saga and Gridman had their series finales this week, and boy, were they good. So, no more stalling! Let's get to it.

Hinomaru Sumo

I knew I liked you, Hinomaru.

First up we have episode 12 of Anime History Channel. The Dachi High Sumo Club have arrived in Nagoya to train with the professionals of Shibakiyama Stable. As they take in the sights, Hinomaru is challenged by a rival sumo wrestler named Hikage. During the bout, Hinomaru senses that Hikage has a counter planned for his new finishing move, and his hesitation would have resulted in defeat if their match hadn't been interrupted. Later, Hinomaru trains with elite professionals, and while he initially impresses, the pros show their analytical skill and end up making a fool out of him. But he still gets the attention of an old mentor who used to be a champion yokozuna, who offers to train him one on one. 

Okay, first of all, I had no idea Hinomaru was a history buff. It's a fun subversion of expectations when the protagonist of a shounen sports anime has a brain in his head but still isn't a genius, and with how traditional sumo culture is, it makes a lot of sense for him to be knowledgeable about Sengoku Era Japan. And seeing him all excited to have a chance to wrestle an actor portraying Kenji Maeda (as in, the nephew and subordinate of the legendary Nobunaga Oda) was oddly adorable for the ordinarily bullheaded meathead. And Hikage's introduction, with a friendly match being interrupted by outside forces before he could properly lay the smackdown on our overpowered protagonist? Textbook hype buildup right there. It reminds me a lot of Murasakibara's introduction in Kuroko's Basketball, which is fitting since Hikage is also a freakishly tall and stoic character. The only major difference between the two is that Hikage is openly enthusiastic about sumo while Murasakibara is lazy and only plays basketball because he's good at it with no outward enjoyment of the sport. It's also a nice touch to see the analytical and strategic side of sports being represented here. Surprisingly, the tactical end of sports is a bit underrepresented in sports anime, probably because of the hotblooded underdog narrative being so prevalent, and is usually reserved for rivals and other side characters such as Inui from Prince of Tennis or Jun from Captain Tsubasa. But with all of the characters that have been shown recording booths and going over footage these past few episodes, it looks like this will be a major element in the story moving forward. At least, I hope so. It'd be cool to see Kirihito come up with strategies for the club to use against a rival school in the national tournament.

Bunny Girl Senpai

Next up we have Kaede's School Road (now I'm referencing things I haven't even seen). In episode 12, Sakuta tells Mai and Nodoka how Kaede lost her memories after the trauma of contracting Adolescent Syndrome due to intense cyber bullying, and how the stress of caring for her led him to have cuts spontaneously appear on his chest and his mother to become mentally ill. Meanwhile, even though she is aware of the bruises forming on her body from the effort and the danger of losing her new personality upon regaining her memories, Kaede continues to work on re-integrating into society, pushing herself so hard that she ends up briefly hospitalized. Respecting her wish to not be coddled anymore, Sakuta helps Kaede by taking her to the zoo and then sneaking onto her middle school campus at night to get her used to the environment. But it seems he was too successful, as the next morning, Kaede awakens with no memories of life after Adolescent Syndrome, thinking that the three years that passed in her life never actually happened.

This is how you write meaningful and exciting stories without actual danger. It doesn't matter to me that I essentially spent twenty minutes watching a child walk to school (wait, how do I phrase that in a way that won't get me arrested?). Because Bunny Girl helped me get to know the characters and established why it was important to them, I have become invested in the outcome. With nothing but a well-chosen music cue and my prior knowledge of Kaede from previous episodes, watching her walk down a sidewalk ended up being one of the tensest moments of the whole Fall 2018 Roundup! And the moment where Kaede is looking through the window at her classroom was well done, too. It filled me with such hope and optimism that I thought that this episode would end Kaede's arc and the finale next week would sort out Shoko's story. But then, well, my hopes were crushed. What a performance by Kaede's voice actress! She sounded like a completely different person, to the point where I actually had to look it up and make sure it was still Yurika Kubo doing the voice. It was very well done, and it provides another unique way to examine the central theme of personal identity. After all, is this Kaede the same one that we've been following this whole time? And if she isn't, since we are informed by our memories and all, then is she any more valid than the Kaede we know? Is a person's identity a permanent immutable concept, or is it malleable? I expect the show to conclude that both versions of Kaede are valid, similarly to how it handled Futaba's arc, but also to make a point that your identity is a semi-permanent foundation that naturally slowly changes over time as you experience new things every day. But who knows? The finale comes out next week, so hopefully we'll find out what happens to Kaede, what's been happening to Shoko, and whether we'll see a happy ending for Sakuta and Mai by then.

Zombie Land Saga

Alright, time for the good stuff. Season finales don't get silly nicknames, so in episode 12 of Zombie Land Saga, the rest of Franchouchou convince Sakura to take a leap of faith and perform with them after half an episode of prodding, stating that they would rather fail together than succeed without her. At the Arpino show, things quickly go awry when heavy snow fall causes the roof to cave in on the stage. But, being zombies, the girls emerge one by one, inspiring Sakura to get back out there and try one more time, and the uproarious applause from literally every person that they touched with their music up until now triggers Sakura's memories, and she is back to her old self. But then, the day after the show, the magazine reporter who has been documenting the rise of Franchouchou shows that he has discovered old photographs of Ai, Lily, and Junko from back when they were actually alive...

How dare you, Zombie Land Saga! How dare you have a finale so good that it makes me consider swapping you with Overlord on the top 20 list for even a second, and then hint at a sequel at the last minute! My heart can't take that kind of thing! 

Seriously, though, overall, I'd say this show has been pretty good, but this season finale was absolutely perfect for what it set out to be. There was always a bit of heart to this show underneath all of the absurdist comedy and cynical potshots at the real life idol industry, but it was out in full force this week. I never thought this show would make me feel emotions way back when I first saw Sakura get hit by a truck, but the themes of putting yourself out there and the value of idols as a source of escapist entertainment (not in that way, you perverts) are front and center in this entire episode. I'm writing this segment before Gridman's finale airs, but I don't think anything it can do will get to me the way that seeing the LEGENDARY Yamada Tae try to teach Sakura how to dance did. (EDIT: I was wrong, Gridman was amazing. Still, this moment came close). Imagine if we had actually seen the scene she was recreating in a previous episode and not in a flashback that just happened. That would have made this moment even better! Oh, and if you think that I wasn't clapping along with the crowd when Franchouchou got back on their feet, you haven't been paying attention to this blog at all. I'm a sucker for hype moments like this and I was very much taken in by the expert set up of a single slow clap building over time while the girls sang a capella until the sound team got the music back up and running. If the rest of the show had been this good, then Zombie Land Saga could very well have made my top 20 list. As it stands though, it's a mixed bag that is good more often than not, and its unique premise and tone will keep you coming back if you come in with an open mind. I'm glad that it was the first show I covered on the roundup all the way to the end.

SSSS.Gridman

Of course, the second series that I covered all the way to the end is even better. In the series finale of SSSS.Gridman, Gridknight is sent to rescue Akane from her kaiju form as Gridman brings Utsumi and Rikka to the Junk Shop. Gridknight succeeds in pulling Akane out, but is stabbed by Alexis, who fuses with Akane to become a Dark Hyper Agent. With Gridman and Yuta fused and the Gridman Alliance fully united, Gridman is able to combine with Anti and the Neon Genesis students to form a new Gridman that looks like the old 90s version. Though Alexis's immortal body resists Gridman's attacks at first, the Gridman Alliance is able to use their combined powers to send an impassioned plea to Akane (via lasers, naturally) to let go of her fears and move forward. Akane agrees and vows to leave the simulation and return to her real life, and with no more negative emotion to feed on, Alexis is rendered powerless and is captured and sealed away by Gridman. Akane, Gridman, and the Neon Genesis students leave the simulation once and for all, Yuta awakens in his body for the first genuine time all series, and Akane returns to the real world (in live action, no less!)

I can understand why some people might find this finale a bit disappointing. Less than half of the runtime is allocated for the final battle, which moves a bit quickly, and the Fixer Beam (stupid name, by the way) came out of nowhere. But honestly? Everything about this episode was great -- not quite as good as some earlier episodes, but still better than almost anything else I've seen from most other series all year. The battle may have been short, but the animation and choreography was spot on, the use of both the old school 90s theme and the full version of the opening was hype as hell, and the emotional imagery of Akane at the door was worth the price of admission all on its own. But the real standout of the episode was Akane saying goodbye to Rikka. Watching this once proud and haughty god who viewed her creations as disposable enough that she would kill one over a sandwich feel such remorse and break down like that really put the whole series in a new perspective.

You see, this was never Yuta or Rikka or even Gridman's story. This has always been Akane's story: the story of a sad little girl who created a fantasy world to run away from her problems and got corrupted by a dark and horrible entity that fed on her sadness and anger and manipulated her so that she would never leave and get better. It's a story about depression and the dangers of over-indulging in escapist fantasy. Akane was never condemned for trying to escape into her fantasy and nor should she have been -- a little escapism can be healthy, as it allows your mind to properly process the stress that life brings us. But the hostile alien force that is depression kept her there and encouraged her to wallow in her despair, and that was where the danger lied. And now that Akane has woken up, she can move forward and face the world with a little more courage and clarity. And that's a beautiful thing. 

Gridman made it to number 7 on my best of 2018 anime list, and that was before this final episode aired. While this finale was AMAZING, I think I still stand by the list as it stands right now, though a year from now I may regret not including it in the top 5. Gridman is a fantastic series, and I highly encourage that everyone gives it a try at least once. The visuals are stunning, with fluid animation and constant use of symbolic shot composition. The sound design is masterful, with a juxtaposition of understated realistic scenes and bombastic action scenes. And the narrative is amazing, built around a central character that straddles the line between protagonist and antagonist, and gives a story that feels like a kid slamming action figures together and gives it a heartfelt weight that even most serious dramas fail to achieve.

 This has been a momentous iteration of the weekly roundup, with the first shows to make it to a finale. Congratulations to both Zombie Land Saga and SSSS.Gridman, you earned it. You have been the trailblazers, the first shows to fight through my scrutinizing and criticism, where 8 other shows have fallen, and you have made it to the end as shows that I say are worthwhile all the way through. But two more shows will come back next week. What will the yokozuna have to teach Hinomaru? Will Kaede regain her memories as an amnesiac? Did that last question make any sense? Find out the answers to all these questions and more, or possibly none of them, next time on the Weekly Roundup!

The Best of Anime 2018: Part 2 (10-1)

Last week, we talked about some of the best tv anime of the year. Today, we continue that happy trend, with my top ten favorite anime that aired in 2018. Just like last week, the rules are the same:

• Only tv anime will be considered.
• Only anime that I have watched will be considered.

That's it. Those are the only rules. No more stalling, here are the top ten best anime of 2018!

Number Ten

Violet Evergarden is a fantasy drama/slice of life series produced by Kyoto Animation. It tells the story of, well, Violet Evergarden (imagine that), a former child soldier struggling to adjust to civilian life who takes up a job as a letter writer for various clients in an attempt to learn how to properly emote and live without her late commanding officer (spoiler, but not really) who she was in love with.

This is easily the best looking tv anime I have seen all year. The art and animation is on a level that can give most anime films a run for their money, and I had to pause the show several times just because my gasping was louder than the dialogue (I watched this dubbed - the dub is excellent). But what really sells this show is the story. The letter writing gimmick breaks the show up into one to two episode arcs that expose Violet to a new aspect of emotional maturity, and the individual stories of her clients, as well as her own slowly developing story overall, are all so moving that I am unashamed to say that I have cried multiple times in its thirteen episode run. I said before in my unpopular anime opinions post that I think that Kyoto Animation tends to focus too much on smooth animation and cute girls and not enough on narrative, but Violet Evergarden bucks that trend and is one of the best stories in anime I have seen in a long time. Though that's probably because it's based on a light novel series and not an original story.

Number Nine: Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri is a seinen comedy/slice of life series with some science fiction elements produced by Studio feel.. It follows the everyday life of three girls: a telepathic super soldier named Hina, who ran away from her handlers and is adopted by a yakuza enforcer named Nitta; a second telepathic super soldier named Anzu who was sent to retrieve her, only to screw it up and end up homeless; and their normal friend and Hina's classmate named Hitomi. 

This show is hilarious. Every character in the massive cast has a unique quirk or two and their interactions are so well done and funny that I have had to pause for laughter multiple times. And the configurations of characters who interact are switched around all the time to create all sorts of unique interactions. What happens when a yakuza brings a little psychic girl to a strip club? What happens when a homeless girl robs the bar next door? What happens when that same bar hires a middle schooler to work there? Every single one of those scenarios happens quite early in the series, and they are all amazing. If anything, this anime reminds me of early Simpsons, where every character is so well defined that you can put them in any situation and you can imagine exactly how they would react, and it would be funny. But even more than that, Hinamatsuri has some great action scenes with beautiful animation, and there's a real heart to it that has brought me to tears once or twice (it's a running theme on this list. I'm a crybaby.).

Number Eight: Major 2nd

I talked about Major 2nd before in one of my first posts on this blog, so I'll try to keep this brief. Major 2nd is a shounen sports drama produced by Studio OLM (it stands for Oriental Light and Magic, by the way). It's a sequel to the baseball anime Major, which I never watched, and follows Daigo, the son of the previous protagonist Goro, as he struggles to live up to the expectations put upon him as the son of a professional baseball player.

There is a very credible argument that this show is way too high up on this list. It's production values are not anything special, easily being outdone by Hinamatsuri, Violet Evergarden, Darling in the FRANXX, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Run With the Wind. But while I do take visuals into account, story, characters, and themes are what is most important to me. And Major 2nd knows how to take a core theme and run with it. The very idea of pursuing your passion with no regard for external expectations is integrated into every single aspect of the story. Daigo quitting baseball in the first episode and taking multiple episodes to get back into it was a real surprise, and the actual games are very well paced and exciting once they really get going. But my favorite part, and this is something I didn't mention in my post back then, is that this is a sports anime that doesn't try to make the characters super-athletes. Like at all. These are children, and the show isn't afraid to show even the best players make dumb mistakes or get stressed out at crucial moments, because that's what kids do. And it feeds back into the story, creating tension in the match or reaffirming the themes of confidence and optimism even when things look bleak. Much like Killing Bites, this is at the top of my list for shows I want to get a second season, because there is a real potential to take these characters and make something truly spectacular.

Number Seven: SSSS.Gridman

I've been covering this extensively in the roundup, so again, I will try to be brief. SSSS.Gridman is an action, science fiction, tokusatsu-inspired mecha-esque series (that's the best I can do to classify it) produced by Studio Trigger. It follows Yuta Hibiki, an amnesiac high school student, who is chosen to be the host of a virtual soldier named Gridman to fight against a series of dangerous kaiju who have started attacking his city. 

When this show first started, I thought it was a pretty fun monster of the week series and a good tribute to the low budget live action tokusatsu shows that inspired it (including it's namesake Hyper Agent Gridman, or Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, as it's known in the States). But the mid-season twist turns everything on its head, in ways that I won't spoil for those who haven't watched it themselves (or followed my coverage on the weekly roundup). There really is the sense that every aspect of this show is handled with care, from the animation faithfully recreating the stiff movement of actors in costumes to the contrasting use of sound design in peaceful scenes versus chaotic ones to the excellent character writing. And boy does this show know how to handle its characters! The apparent flatness of several of them is shown to be either a front for more interesting characterization, or justified by the narrative in a creative way. The villain of this story is one of the best villains I have seen in fiction period, straddling the line between sympathetic and despicable in a way that really makes me wonder what their ultimate fate will be when the final episode airs on Saturday. Whatever happens though, this was truly a return to form for Trigger, in what is easily their best show since Kill la Kill saved anime 5 years ago. Now if only more people would watch it...

Number Six: Golden Kamuy

Golden Kamuy is a seinen action/comedy anime produced by Geno Studio, which aired its first season in the Spring and is about to wrap up its second season. The story follows a Russo-Japanese war veteran named Sugimoto and an Ainu child named Asirpa as they search for a stolen Ainu treasure which can only be located with a map made from tattoos on the skins of a series of escaped prisoners that all link together. Several other factions are also searching for the gold, however, and they all clash with Sugimoto and Asirpa on their journey.

I've been interested in Golden Kamuy ever since I saw an ad for the manga three years ago. I couldn't afford it back then and I wasn't able to find an official source to buy it when I had more sustainable disposable income. So I was in a unique head-space going into this: with expectations for a mature adventure series in a historical setting that was built up over several years of wonder and speculation based on a manga cover and a plot summary on Wikipedia. I went in hoping for dynamic characters with tragic backstories and some super gory action, with multiple factions scheming against each other and lots of betrayal and shocking twists. And, to be fair, I got all of that. But I also got a lot more. I did not expect a warped sense of perverse humor, a collection of absolutely insane villains that straddle the line between terrifying and laughable, a real appreciation of historical campfire cooking, or an honest desire to teach the audience about the culture of the Ainu, an indigenous culture that has had a history of suffering and prejudice similar to what the First Nations peoples have experienced here in the United States. And all of these chaotic elements have defied all expectations and have come together into a beautifully unique whole that really needs to be seen to be believed. I truly believe that the only other work that can compare to its unique tone that swings back and forth between wacky humor, adrenaline pumping action, and truly emotionally resonant drama is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and considering that JoJo is a 32 year old series that is still publishing and is one of the most critically acclaimed anime and manga series of all time, that is truly saying something.

Number Five: Lupin III Part V

Lupin III is a LONG running seinen action/comedy series produced by TMS Entertainment. Every series and film follows the exploits of the master thief Arsene Lupin III and his exceptional partners: Jigen the sharpshooter, Goemon the samurai, and Fujiko the femme fatale. 

I LOVE Lupin III. I'm not a super fan or anything, but I have seen parts I, II, and IV, as well as the film Castle of Cagliostro (a Hayao Miyazaki film for those of you who are fans of his), so I knew what to expect coming into this: A series of episodic stand-alone adventures where our heroes always have a plan to pull out at the last second to outsmart their marks, the police, and the villains who are typically worse than they are. And just like I thought, this show is fun as hell. But it's more than that. Part V is actually an attempt to examine what Lupin III is all about and whether or not a 47 year old franchise still has any relevance in the modern day. And let me tell you, if this is the future of Lupin, then the future is looking bright. The story arcs of Lupin and co adjusting to the unique challenges of thievery in an age of social media were compelling, and the shift to a semi-arc based story structure for the season really paid off in the end. New characters like the hacker Ami and Lupin's old rival Albert feel like they've been part of the canon for decades with how naturally they fit in, and the standalone episodes that throw back to the previous styles of Lupin's previous tv anime were a real treat. If you're curious about this series but don't know where to start (maybe I should make a blog post about that?), then let me just tell you: this 24 episode romp isn't a bad starting point for newcomers. Just don't be surprised if going back to the 70's anime is hard to swallow afterward.

Number Four: Planet With

Planet With is an action sci-fi/mecha series produced by JC Staff, and marks the anime debut of creator Satoshi Mizukami, a favorite manga artist among pretentious manga fans that I look up to whose work I have never experienced before. It tells the story of Soya, an amnesiac alien refugee who gets mixed up in a conflict between two space-faring factions and the defenders of Earth and takes advantage of the conflict in order to pursue revenge for his extinct planet. And that is the simplest explanation of the story that I can come up with. 

This show is a lot of things. It's an exciting action series, a unique space opera, a political thriller, a meditation on the nature of violence and self defense, an argument in favor of being true to your own personality, and occasionally a really funny comedy. But above all else, it's a series of genre tropes and cliches being subverted and twisted in its own unique and interesting way. Every time you think you have a handle on what is going on, the show throws you a twist that puts everything in a new context and makes previous episodes take on a new meaning upon rewatch. And yet, none of it ever feels like it was pulled out of nowhere; nearly every crazy new story development falls into place in such a neat way that it really shows off the excellent writing. It COULD be argued that Mizukami and his team were a little too ambitious for a 12 episode series, as things DO feel rushed during the final stretch. But even then, the weakest episodes of Planet With still stood head and shoulders over almost everything else I watched this year.

Number Three: My Hero Academia Season Three

Everyone knows this one, right? It's been THE popular shonen battle series for the last three years. For those of you who don't know or haven't gotten around to watching it yet, My Hero Academia is a shonen battle series produced by Studio Bones. It tells the story of Deku, formerly one of the only people in Japan without super powers, who impresses his idol, the #1 professional hero All Might, enough to be chosen to be the next one to receive his powers and become his successor. Now Deku attends a school for up and coming heroes, learning how to manage his new unstable powers and dealing with the rise of a new dangerous group of super villains.

I am a HUGE fan of My Hero Academia, to the point where I'm caught up with the manga (which is further ahead than the events of this latest anime season) and I have a blog post or two about the series in the works. I could literally talk about this show for hours. As it happens, I only have the next paragraph to explain why this season is so good. Yikes.

Season three adapts three very important arcs from the manga, and marks a real transition for the series narrative. Much like how the events of season two elevated My Hero Academia's story from good to great, season three elevates the story from great to truly exceptional. I said earlier that Violet Evergarden is the best looking show of the year, and I stand by it, but the animation here may even be more impressive, showing off exceptional choreography of powerful characters moving at high speeds with a sense of smoothness and fluidity that you rarely see in television. And if you thought that the fights in the last season were well produced, well, let me tell you something: they don't hold a candle to the three highlight battles of this season. Add in some amazing character development that pays off on the previous two seasons of buildup and still hints at greater developments to come, and you have a truly great series. Honestly, if it weren't for the weak filler episodes (which are few and far between, but still), this probably would have been my anime of the year. Either way, though, this is a much watch for any shonen anime fan.

Number Two: Megalo Box

Megalo Box is a sci-fi inspired sports drama produced by TMS Entertainment as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the classic boxing manga that I never read Tomorrow's Joe. In this science-fiction re-imagining, boxers fight while equipped with cybernetic enhancements and society has been stratified between the sleek urban landscapes of the ultra-rich and the dirty slums of the poor and disenfranchised. A nameless boxer known only as Junk Dog works as a boxer who takes dives for the mafia until he gets the attention of the reigning champion Yuri, at which point he gets a fake ID, names himself Joe, and fights his way to a championship bout against Yuri.

There were a lot of sports anime in 2018. Some were great (like the three other shows that made this years top 20 list), and some were terrible (we'll get there next week). But Megalo Box stands apart from traditional sports anime. From the art and animation to the story and characters to the soundtrack (best soundtrack of the year, by the way, hands down), everything about Megalo Box speaks to a primal part of me that few other anime can. Everything about it reminds me of the grunge-y aesthetic of the 90s OVA era, and it's just so good. And it's not all style, no substance either. Joe himself is a simple character, but he's not badly written either, and his pure nature makes him a good foil for the rest of the vastly more interesting cast and creates a narrative that plays to the classic conventions of any good boxing story and elevates them to be something profound. And let me tell you, every match had so much character and significance to it and every punch had such weight behind it that I am not ashamed to admit that I was standing up and yelling at the screen like I was watching the goddamn Super Bowl. 

Wait, am I a loser?

NUMBER ONE: A Place Further than the Universe

I have been staring at this screen for the last five minutes, trying to find the words to talk about this show. Even writing a plot summary is difficult for me. Not because the story is hard to follow or anything, but because it just brings back so many emotions from watching it that I become overwhelmed. A Place Further than the Universe is an adventure/slice of life series produced by Studio Madhouse It chronicles the stories of four high school girls who, for various reasons, decide to go on a crazy journey to Antarctica. What follows is a coming of age story that needs to be seen to be believed.

This is more than just my anime of the year. A Place Further than the Universe is only the fourth series out of the 246 anime I have seen that I can honestly give a 10/10. All four of the girls is amazingly written and has her own personal journey that can hold up an anime of her own. To have these four great characters all in the same story is simply mind-blowing. While the majority of the emotional weight in this story is dedicated to Shirase's arc of moving on after her mother's death (it's not a spoiler if it's established in episode 1), Kimari's arc of trying to find purpose and doing something worthwhile is what spoke to me more than anything else. But still, again, every girl is lovable and amazing and there's something to relate to in each of their stories, at least for me. I fully expected this show to be another disposable cute girl show of the same ilk as Comic Girls and Anima Yell; with no actual narrative or depth to the story beyond: "Here are some girls who are cute. Watch them do nothing for 12 episodes." I didn't expect to see animation way better than it really needs to be, a supporting cast so well developed that even the side characters have their own memorable qualities or even story arcs of their own, uproariously funny character-based comedy, and a main plot so powerful that I cried at six different episodes. That's half of the series! How could anything else be named my favorite anime of 2018.

2018 was a big year for me. This was the start of this blog, which was born from a new awakening into how much anime means to me and a desire to leave my normal comfort zone of shonen battle anime and try new things. And honestly, A Place Further than the Universe was one of the biggest reasons why I started this blog. I was so blown away by what this showed me anime could be capable of that I wanted to talk to people about it. But I held back on talking about this show in particular because A.) I didn't want to spoil anime of the year and B.) I didn't even know where to begin. I will talk about this show in more depth someday, but it will take a lot of work before I am even close to being confident that I can do it the tiniest amount of justice. 

Am I overselling this show? Possibly. Maybe it just means so much to me because of where I was at in my life when I saw it and where I am now: four years out of college, bouncing from crappy job to crappy job in a haze, desperately trying to get to a place where I was happy with where I was. And like Kimari, I decided to do a few crazy things I never thought I would do, and I think I'm on my way to getting where I need to be. And that's why this is my anime of the year. That's why it's clawed it's way into my top 5 anime of all time (spoilers for that eventual list if I don't change my mind when I get around to it): it inspired me to be more confident, change my worldview, and ultimately: it changed my life.

I feel like I only just started my journey as an adult, even though I'm 26 years old. And I couldn't have done it, without the wisdom of a quartet of cute anime schoolgirls. I'm pathetic.

So, that was 2018. All in all, I'd say it was a really good year for anime. It's most likely because I'm only just now diving into the culture headfirst, but I honestly can't remember a year with so many greats all in a row. It makes me really excited for what 2019 has in store. I already have ten new shows planned for the weekly roundup next season, and Mob Psycho 100 is returning then as well! And later in the year we have the next season of My Hero Academia, the return of One Punch Man, a remake of Fruits Basket and Saint Seiya (which gives me a chance to expose myself to beloved anime I missed out on the first time around), a new Macross anime, a Dr. Stone anime adaptation, Baki the Grappler finally being released to the West, and that's just what I know about so far! I'm so excited!

But, it would be remiss of me to ignore the other side of 2018. For just as there were gems, there were also piles of fool's gold. There were the shows that stunk worse than rotten eggs made of sulfur. And just like I recapped my twenty favorite anime of 2018, so too will I recap my ten least favorite anime of 2018 next week. So, I hope you're excited for that.

Because I am not.