A Quick Glance at Winter 2016!

Howdy fellow Anime nerds! A new season of anime is upon us, Winter 2016! With over 50 shows airing, I’ve put together a short recommendation list.  This is based off the first episode, overall hype, and a little bias toward VAs.

For a full list of this season’s anime: http://anichart.net/

Go there for a brief description and genre labeling on each series.

Top 5 General Recommendations:

1.       Dimension W – Very fun premise and unique style of animation. The Loner MC is appealing and I’m digging the dark color palette used.  This is number 1 because you don’t need a prior season of anything else. I’m interested in seeing how they flesh out the world created.

2.       Myriad Colors Phantom World – The first one I watched for the season and so good, I watched it again 3 days later! A fun cast of personalities and interesting abilities makes this universe entertaining to watch.  Having Saori Hayami doesn’t hurt either, available on Crunchy Roll

3.       Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash – When a getting sucked into an RPG is too real. And I mean WAY too real. This is a fresh take of being trapped in an alternate world, with the characters having no memories but needing to adjust to a different world. The everyday struggles make this engaging and refreshing to watch.

4.       KONOSUBA – The only other one I watched a second time! Also trapped in an alternate world, but this time with a goddess! A more light-hearted anime with a breathing world. The two MCs dynamic make me want to watch more and see where their adventure goes, available on Crunchy Roll

5.       Dagashi Kashi – Received the most hype for whatever reason, but super enjoyable! A quirky girl, solid animation, and funky candy make for a deadly combo. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what makes it good to watch, it just is! Also Ayana Taketasu is amazing, so there’s that. Also available on Crunchy Roll.

Top 4 Nerd Recommendations: (For veteran anime fans)

Disclaimer: These contain substance that might seem boring or weird to weeaboo eyes

1.       Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu – Wow. How Refreshing and Re-invigorating.  Superior voice acting about story telling makes this a phenomenal anime. The first ep is 47min, but sadly the only one that long.  The pacing just draws me in and the characters are very likeable. Avail on CR

2.       ERASED – The chills! What a gripping anime, the story telling device makes for interesting possibilities.  Given that it’s a mystery, not a lot has been revealed. But that only makes me want to watch more! Avail on CR

3.       Shoujo-tachi wa kouya wo mezasu (Girls beyond the youth) – Initial premise reminded me Saekano, a group of individuals with specials skills come together to create a bishoujo game. Each character personality feels well defined and the interactions make for humorous dialogue. Though Kana Hanazawa isn’t the main girl, her voice makes it especially appealing.

4.       Koukaku no Pandora – I’ll be honest, this one is a little weird to recommend. But it’s underneath its cheerful characters, moe costumes, and a questionable data port is a very deep question.  It addresses the boundaries of human and machine all while being almost like a mechanical magical girl anime.

Top 3 You should already be watching! (Second Season):

1.       Gate – not to be confused with “Divine Gate”. Strong start and awesome characters. Really enjoyed the second episode. When the Japanese SDF enter a fantasy region, only chaos can ensue. The military in this anime is handled very realistically and the political discussions sound plausible. Hype!

2.       Durarara!!x2 Ketsu – The third arc of the second season. THE FINAL ONE! What a crazy story it’s been up until this point and it only gets better. Def recommend recapping before diving in again, so many characters to remember. No anime can compare to character depth here.

3.       Gundam: Iron Blood Orphans – The latest Gundam series, featuring a dark and grim solar system.  Although some say the pacing is slow, I feel like it’s happening in the right way. The character reactions and dialogue are taking place and make the conflict feel real. Any fan of Gundam will enjoy this series. Plus so many Gundam possibilities await!

Shameless Enjoyment: Osomatsu-san – Go watch for sextuplet craziness and amusement. Seriously, pick any episode and watch it. Non-linear story with outstanding characters.

That’s it for now! Let me know if you enjoyed or used this post. Maybe I’ll do an update post on season down the line, if people want more details on the shows or thoughts on episodes, I was intending on posting this on FB but it got a little too long haha

 Have fun and good watching! 

Shout-out to HTX Anime nerds!