The Winter season is officially in full swing. So let’s take a look at everything on our coverage list and talk first impressions.

Voyager: Oh, thank merciful heaven this season is so much lighter.

EvilBob: I know, right? I mean… that last season. Yeesh. Good idea we came up with TKO to cull it dow-

Voyager: Bob!

EvilBob: Oh. Uh… I mean, good thing Anime TKO let us cull it down by the end or it would’ve been insane.

Voyager: Right… well, we can talk about this season’s TKO, and why you’re gonna lose again later. For now, let’s get some initial thoughts out of the way.

EvilBob: Yeah… HEY!

Grimms Notes The Animation

EvilBob: Well. This is definitely not what I was expecting. It’s about a group of heroes, trying to save multiple worlds with… the power of stories. And they’re fighting against people who are rewriting stories to turn beloved characters and NPCs into monsters. I guess it’s a fun, neat concept. Buuut the execution needs a little work. Character building is almost nonexistent, for one. It’s also edited weird, so it feels like parts are missing. Not sure if that was intentional, but… that’s all I really have to go on, so… yeah.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War

Voyager: Huh. Meanwhile, my “worst” show of the season is this delightful romp. Simple concept, really. Take the entire idea of Takagi-san, but age boost the leads and make things more even. Throw in a psychological (kinda) twist, and a really fun art and animation style with some really psychedelic visuals and poof. You’ve got this. The battle between the two leads is great. Seeing them trying to mastermind the affections of the other out into the open and react to their opponent’s… “strategies” is great. And Chika’s friggin’ precious. Also. That OP, tho.

EvilBob: …Can we trade?

Voyager: HA! You did this to yourself, dude.

EvilBob: …Did you just-?

Voyager: Next!

Boogiepop and Others

EvilBob: Not gonna lie. This show is weird. I like what I’ve seen, so far. But the way they chose to edit it together can get a liiittle confusing, sometimes. Like… the first arc ends in the first episode. And we spend the next two episodes finding out how that ending came to pass. Oh. Also, aliens are a thing. And I didn’t see the original, so I have no idea where this show’s actually going to end up going. But at least it’s been a fun ride, so far?

Date A Live III

Voyager: It’s back. It’s finally back! Yes!

EvilBob: He’s excited. Can you tell he’s excited? Because he is. Excited, that is.

Voyager: Look, I’ve made my love for this series no secret. (Ahem) And this largely confirms why. I’m a sucker for a good Harem Action/Comedy, and Date A Live really hits a sweet spot with me. The comedic timing is great and Shido, despite not being the most interesting protagonist, gets the job done (and will be getting some development, later). The newest Spirit is interesting (and I already know how this arc plays out, so it’s gonna be fun), and the old ones are just as amusing as ever. But what I most appreciated was how the show just skips the BS, and dives straight back into things like it never went away. Unlike Index – another of the three shows I’ve been dying to see make a return – it didn’t come back with a concept-affirming filler episode. I dug it. The only thing I’m a little concerned about is the animation, actually. Compared to both previous seasons, this one’s animation took a dip and it’s very noticeable. It doesn’t look awful, but it’s not great, either. Nowhere near as crisp as the first season, despite J.C Staff taking the reigns, this time. Huh… that means that now all three of the aforementioned shows on my “Please Come Back!” list are now helmed by J.C Staff… neat.

Dororo

EvilBob: Okay. I’m gonna put this as simply as I can. Medieval. Samurai. Cyborg. Yep. That’s it. I’m done.

Voyager: Child, you thought.

EvilBob: Okay. Seeing as my boss actually seems to have this thing about wanting me to do my job… this show is amazing, so far. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it since, like with Boogiepop, I never saw the original show. But a cyborg fighting demons, kinda pushes the right buttons for me. Plus he’s kinda like Mega Man and that’s a plus, so… Also, I’m looking forward to seeing the lead become more human as things go on, and how that develops his character. Also, Dororo’s fun. She’s a mischievous troublemaker. Those are cool.

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Voyager: So. I watched the first episode. All 45 or so minutes of it. And. Upon close review. I have determined… that people really need to chill out. It’s… really not that bad. And I don’t see why every season needs to have some sort of unnecessary Goblin Slayer-esque controversy. Especially when the scene that pissed everyone off was designed to piss you off. That was the point. It was grossly unfair. That being said, the episode was also not the most amazing thing to ever exist. It was good. Really good. Well animated, decent character progression, the works. But again. Chill, people. It really says a lot when people are more pissed off about this than an anime that is literally about murdering children. Case in point…

The Promised Neverland

Voyager: …Oof.

EvilBob: You can say that again. This… I actually did read the first chapter in the manga, which is essentially the first episode. And that still didn’t prepare me for the episode. The really dark stuff is short, but it is brutal. A cute little 6-year-old girl. Murdered and shoved in a tank to be used as food for demons. Yeesh. But I do have to point out that I rather like how the demons look. And the sounds that went with their movements just made them all the more creepy. I’m also really curious what’s outside of the farm, though. And how much of humanity might be left. I’m… not expecting the answers to be at all pleasant. But I’m in this for the long haul.

Voyager: Real talk. OOC, for a second, here. It is good. The animation is excellent, especially when it comes to facial expressions (good god, those looks of sheer horror). And while the writing isn’t anything to praise as high art (yet), the kids are all charming in their own ways. The performances are top tier. Also. Damn good OP.

EvilBob: Oh my god, SO good.

Mob Psycho 100 II

Voyager: And now, ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Winter 2019 Hype Award.

EvilBob: Hey, to be fair, it’s definitely living up to that hype.

Voyager: OH yeah. And the funny thing is… there’s not really much I feel the need to say about it. It’s basically everything that was awesome about the first season. But with an animation bump. It highlights all of the personal issues that Mob faces as a result of his powers requiring him to keep his emotions repressed. And the resolution to the episode was well executed and sweet. I’m loving it, so far. Still though. Shame they couldn’t just reuse “99,” the OP from season 1. It was a major bop.

EvilBob: Right?! Though the visuals for the new OP are amazing.

Voyager: SO amazing.

The Wrap-Up

Voyager: And there you have it. All the shows we’ll be covering for the season… with the exception of Noragami Aragoto and Black Clover, for my part.

EvilBob: Looking like a pretty solid line-up, honestly. Here’s a hopefully awesome Winter season, this year.

Voyager: Indeed. And not to worry. We’ll get the ball rolling on the new season of Anime TKO next weekend. In the meantime, thanks for reading, as always.

EvilBob: And thanks for letting us waste your time.

Voyager: Keep up the Awesome.

EvilBob: And Keep it Classy.

Voyager: Take Care.