Category: Anime

This first one was an interesting slice-of-life / romance that did not go as I expected it. This is also one I think is missing a lot of backstory that’s probably in the manga. Still enjoyable.

This next one is an “opposites attract” kind of rom-com. I’m not a big fan of the main female protagonist, but she doesn’t do anything to make me actively dislike her either. I also like that this is one of those where they get together in the first episode and it’s more of how their relationship goes than the “will-they / won’t they” normal.

The next is in the “reborn into an otome game as the bad girl” genre. The nice thing is the protagonist’s only goal is to avoid all the bad outcomes – and none of her plans involve romance. Different take on the tropes.

Okay, this last one is kind of weird for me – it’s pretty much everything that I’ve come to dislike. All the characters are kind of losers. The story is pretty much all slapstick and ecchi. Yet, like the train wreck that it is, I can’t look away.

Here are a couple of animes whose first seasons I adored and are finally coming out with second seasons.

This first one I’ve been waiting impatiently since it was announced. This is one I wished it was dubbed so I could watch it with The Wife. She would love it.

I was pleasantly surprised when the second season of this was announced.

This first one is an isekai with an overpowered main character, a lot of busty women around him, and just a lot of tropes. Yet, it still amused me. I also liked that it wasn’t someone from the current world reborn into a fantasy, but someone from a fantasy world reborn into another one.

This next one is an ecchi rom-com wrapped with an urban fantasy skin. It isn’t what I would call amazing, but it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time.

This next one is a bit older, but it is an awesome futuristic noir story. The world building is amazing, the characters are not just tropes, and the story is pretty damn compelling.

This one is a fantasy harem comedy that I enjoyed. Plus it has some neat twists on the standard genre.

I normally do four, but I’m doing five this month because I want to give an honorable mention because I love the concept, setting, and the characters. Unfortunately, I’m just not into yaoi (gay romance). I’m not enlightened enough to look past it to make it through more than a few episodes. But, I think those that can should give this one a try.

We’re starting off with a romance where the main character is reflecting on her high school experience as COVID shuts everything down and her relationship with her four male friends. The story jumps between the MC’s life in high school and her life ten years after.

This one is probably one of the most popular shonen anime in the last few years. I like the concept, I like a few of the characters, but TBH, after a while, it got repetitive. It’s still worth a look, even if just to understand all the memes.

This is a completely unglamorous look at policing in Japan. It has that work-a-day feel of people just trying to do their work while dealing with the normal annoyances punctuated by events that remind you why police work is a bit different.

Our last one is a gorgeous isekai that garnered a lot of chatter recently. The storyline isn’t innovative or super engrossing, but the animation is gorgeous. And there are few interesting plot twists.

This was a spin-off, but you don’t need to watch the original to enjoy this.

This one is good, but the “gag”, for lack of a better term, kinda gets long in the tooth by the end.

This one was a nice twist on the harem romcom format.

Really enjoyed this sci-fi, but disliked it was only six episodes.

To end the year, I have a quartet of romances that I really enjoyed.

This one I managed to get The Wife to watch. Those always make the recommendations list. And it is a cute romance.

This is a really slow burn, but watching the cast’s character development makes it worth it.

This one is good, but it took me a bit to get through it. The sci-fi and philosophy can be daunting, but it’s a good romance with an unusual mystery at its heart.

I enjoyed the ups and downs on this one, but the ending was a bit weak, in my opinion.

I’ve been enjoying the trope of a good-natured overpowered MC who thinks he is underpowered. My first two are good examples of that.

Next is an isekai that is very much in the light-hearted vein.

The last is a nice little rom-com. I really like stumbling on to the ones with adult protagonists.