But that being said, no promises this year, but I'll try to slot in a post every month, more like a monthly review of anime to get some schedule going. I doubt this will happen, but hey, New Year's resolutions right?
Speaking of New Year's, here's wishing all those who read this post a very happy new year! Let's hope 2020 is better than 2019, and that somehow Blogger doesn't fall into absolute irrelevancy (not that it hasn't), but hey we can always hope. What better way to start 2020 than to look back at what 2019 has gifted us in terms of anime releases, both movie-wise and on regular programming.
I'll have to admit, 2019 hasn't been an excellent year for me in terms of the new anime released, I spent most of the time watching older installments. Some notable mentions of not 2019 anime which I enjoyed would be Grand Blue (picture below), which is definitely not the most work-safe anime to watch, but the comedic gags is just top class.
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| One of the best scenes in Grand Blue...not for the faint-hearted! |
Another pre-2019 anime which I enjoyed in particular would be 3-gatsu no Lion, which some of you might remember as March Comes in like a Lion. My personal interest in chess and other board games drew me to this realistic and emotional piece on Go (a Japanese equivalent to chess), and the two seasons which I had the pleasure of watching were excellent to say the least.
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| How the humble game of Go is portrayed beautifully |
A final honourable mention for pre-2019 anime which I enjoyed would be the Bungou Stray Dogs series, of which I sadly *spoiler alert* did not watch season 3 due to anime burnout (yeah, that's a thing for me). But the first two seasons and the movie were par-excellent, especially the first half of season 2. My personal favourite character has to be Kunkida Doppo, what's yours?
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| The duo of Dazai and Doppo has to be my favourite bromances by far |
You may take a look at my regularly updated personal anime list for recommendations here, of which I update after I have finished watching the series. I did watch many other series, but if I did not complete it or dropped it, I will not rate it. You can assume that I did not fancy it/ lost interest in it for whatever reason, and as such if I were to rate those dropped anime, it would not be favourable at all. So I decided to not rate them for fairness sake. But it doesn't mean I won't go back to them in the future, so as time passes I might pick some of them up again for viewing.
Other great anime which I have watched in 2019 include Koi wa Ameagari no You ni (After the Rain), Hoshiai no Sora (Stars Align), Asobi Asobase.
Well. I think I might have digressed quite a bit, but without further ado, here's my top 5 recommendations of 2019 anime, alongside with a short review of each of the five! Each recommendation is linked to MyAnimeList, with which you can see the aggregate scores/reviews. But note that the following five are PURELY my own choices!
Number #5: Psycho-Pass Season 3
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| Reporting for duty! RESET RESET |
We begin the top 5 with one of the last anime for the Fall 2019 season to be aired. With 8 episodes, each almost an hour-long, its' definitely jam-packed with action and suspense. It basically feels like you're watching a Psycho-Pass movie every week, which I felt was refreshing for a change, as 20-minute episodes when you remove the OP and ED sections, don't really help much in traditional storytelling of an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action then resolution/conclusion. Speaking of OPs, the opening for this season's installment was AMAZING. Love the song Cubism by Who-ya, definite earworm for end-2019 for me! An hour-long episode allows for ample time to draw cases to a close, and while not all episodes manage to do so (as suspense does help extend anticipation), Psycho-Pass does what it does well: thrilling action sequences interspersed with character development.
What caused this fall to fifth position when it could easily be top 3 would be the unsatisfying conclusion to the season. While I understand that the next movie Psycho-Pass: First Inspector will provide the resolution for this season in 2020, the way it ended just left many things unsaid and unresolved. Commercially this might be a good choice, but just storytelling-wise it does take a slight hit. But definitely an improvement over season 2, the friendship between Kei and Arata really holds this season together, as well as cameos from the older cast make for great reminiscing without stealing the limelight from the new cast. Overall, Psycho-Pass Season 3 was done well, but it could have been so much better.
Number #4: Tate No Yuusha No Nariagari (Rising of the Shield Hero)
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| The bond between Naofumi and Raphatalia is strong, and one of the best pairings in anime so far |
I would say that Tate No Yuusha comes in really close to Psycho-Pass S3 in the sense that both are well done shows, but disappoint when it comes to the ending phase of the story. The premise of Tate No Yuusha is like any other isekai or fantasy genre anime which has come to define the last two years of anime releases, but with a twist. While I won't elaborate on the twist here as it includes major spoilers, it does help to differentiate it from many other fan-service anime adaptations (not mentioning any, except maybe the one which has a season coming out soon, go figure).
Overall, the growth which our main character Naofumi undergoes is both touching at times and the friends which he makes along the way does lend the name "Rising" very well to this anime. Typical fantasy fights keep the story engaging, although we do know the inevitable 'happy ending' that would come, it feels like the door is left wide open for a second season, as it did not feel complete. While I agree that doors should always be left ajar (read: ajar, not flung wide open) for sequels, the intention of every show should be to be the last season, unless already announced. But for an adaption, Tate No Yuusha does well in making the storyline interesting, although too many mechanics and new plot threads were introduced towards the second half of the anime, which I felt caused it to suffer from a fast-paced and cramped second half. 24 episodes is a long time to keep someone's attention, and that being said I looked forward to every weekly installment of Tate No Yuusha in trembling anticipation. This says a lot about a show in its' ability to keep the audience coming back for more, and for that, it makes its' way into my top 5 anime of 2019.
Number #3: Tenki No Ko (Weathering with You)
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| Another success for Makoto Shinkai |
At number three on my top 5 recommendations of 2019 is Tenki No Ko, an excellent movie by director Makoto Shinkai of hit anime movie which you might have watched, Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name). I had the opportunity to watch it in theatres when it came out a few months ago, and I loved that it focused on the innocence of love, which many animes and movies in our present era focus less on. The sheer emotional gravity of the show is what made Kimi No Na Wa great, and while I do not feel it is fair to compare it to Tenki No Ko, the same formula is somewhat emulated in this show very well. This a overall good-paced, well done movie by director Shinkai-san.
While refraining from spoilers, the show is focused on this weather girl who brings joy to others. The rain dance in the movie was a light-hearted moment in the story, and our main character's journey in finding himself was clearly depicted in the short span of a movie. While I feel that the ending was pretty cliche and predictable, the rollercoaster of emotions was ever present in the second-half of the movie. Tenki No Ko blends real-world issues of climate change with traditional Japanese mythology of shrine maidens. This is a show aimed at the mainstream, and with that comes the high expectations of the one that came before (Kimi No Na Wa) while also having the privilege of not being constrained to typical anime genres and overused stereotypes and tropes.
Tenki No Ko is not the best anime for me in 2019, but as a recommendation for someone that has barely stepped into anything anime-related, it is a great start to get your feet wet (pun intended) in a span of 2 hours. It deserves the number 3 spot on my list for 2019.
Number #2: Seishun Buta Yarou wa Yumemiru Shoujo no Yume wo Minai (Rascal Does not Dream of a Dreaming Girl)
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| A fitting and beautiful way to cap the Bunny Girl series |
The next show was a surprise for me. This comes very close to the previous entry Tenki No Ko in terms of how I think it falls on the list, and if I could I would tie it. However, it being a definitive personal list, I had to choose, and Dreaming Girl (let's use this, the actual name is too long) is ever so slightly better in my opinion. However, I would still highly recommend that you watch both. It's surprising that I find movies somehow better than conventional anime series this year, and looking back 2019 has been personally disappointing in terms of the 'blockbuster' anime being released.
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| Bunny Girl Senpai: If you can get past the name, it is an amazing series |
Dreaming Girl is somewhat of a sequel to the previous anime series which I enjoyed thoroughly: Bunny Girl Senpai (You just have to get past the name). This means that you MUST watch the anime series Bunny Girl Senpai for this movie to make any sense, which I highly recommend. Suspend your disbelief when watching this show, as the scientific jargon they use is mainly to justify the plot that follows (with quantum mechanics somehow everything is explained away). I personally don't agree with how it executes the whole plot in terms of logic, but hey as an anime (which I am grading it based on) it is excellent. Pacing is good, the climax is fantastic and the ending is stellar.
Emotionally, I was moved to tears (actual man-tears let me add) during certain scenes, it felt like the voice actors' emotions were just raw and so genuine at moments. While the plot may seem confusing at times, the entire picture and ending is wrapped up ever so beautifully. You might have to re watch the movie to understand the whole idea, but Dreaming Girl manages to compress the novels which it adapts from succinctly and beautifully, while still capturing the beauty of what made Bunny Girl Senpai great: an anime with subtle tones of psychological issues like depression, deep-seated hate and insecurity. The way the characters develop and how they overcome these challenges is an acknowledgement to the suffering of many ordinary people and the struggles we go through fighting our personal demons.
Dreaming Girl is a show which provides a beautiful conclusion to the Bunny Girl Senpai series, and definitely a must-watch!
Number #1: Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai (Love is War)
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| Love truly is a battle sometimes! |
For the final anime, we look to the beginning of the year. The first thing that I have to say about Love is War is that I absolutely LOVE the anime opening. I dare say "Love Dramatic" is one of the most catchy, memorable and well-choreographed openings in anime by far. Usually I would skip the opening (sacrilegious! some of you might say), but hey, to be honest I don't really like most anime openings as they feel too generic, the song isn't catchy or memorable, hence not worth watching. But I sat through all the episode's openings without fail, tapping my feet to the tune by Masayuki Suzuki. My only peeve is that the song isn't available on Spotify!
Onto the story. To put it simply, the episodes are based on daily mundane tasks from planning events to just normal interactions, but set in a 'winner-takes-all' kind of battle royale format, accompanied by an epic narrator who just states the obvious but helps to over-dramatise the unfolding events. Fun, joy and laughter ensues, and while there is some element of relatability in the sense that love and relationships is somewhat about give-and-take, this is dialled to the extreme and the wacky expressions alongside with the fact that us, as the viewer knows exactly what is going on while the characters don't, helps make this anime a beautiful gem. This is one that you ABSOLUTELY must watch for the cheap entertainment it provides.
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| Ishigami Yu, my favourite character apart from the MVP narrator |
Each of the four main characters have their own quirks, which make this anime quite similar to other shows like Asobi Asobase with comedic relief, but a romance unique compared to other high-school type of anime over the years. Ishigami has to be my personal favourite character in the show, with his anti-social behaviour and brooding self. What I particularly like about the show is that most of the plot is set within the same room, but still manages to be so interesting! Just goes to show that sometimes, a plain setting with great characters and an even better plot is a formula for success.
I'd say that the charm of it was that while there was an overarching storyline, each episode has a standalone mini-story which makes the weekly release perfect. While watching it now might not be as magical of an experience as before, Love is War still is a great show worthy of rewatching (since it came out pretty early in 2019). It is a great show to recommend as a starting point for those who have not watched anime, and similarly excellent for veteran weebs as it builds on existing anime love tropes. It has the magic of One Punch Man in the sense that every episode can be watched standalone and has the ability to carry itself.
While Love is War might not have the same emotional gravitas as our previous recommendations Dreaming Girl and Tenki No Ko, I believe the light-hearted anime is timeless and I placed it first as not only did I thoroughly enjoy the episodes, a Number #1 recommendation should stand the test of time and still hold it's own in the coming years. Hence, Love is War I feel is likely to maintain this air of longevity as a unique recommendation not constrained by emotions and as a stand-alone series.
Summary
To end, 2019 while overall it has not been a great anime year for me, the small diamonds in the rough like Love is War and Grand Blue makes watching generic and dreary anime in the hope that I will find a gem is worth the struggle. I hope the list has given you some inspiration on your next series to watch! Again, if your favourites are not mentioned, take a look at my list here!
Until Next Time,
Endblade
