 Another anime season ends. Three months of research for me to go over all the new shows that they viewed at this winter. Some good, some bad, some outright terrible. What could go wrong? Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel. Today we're going to be reviewing the winter anime season 2022 and all the shows I watched. Overall, I have to admit it was a pretty underwhelming season. A lot of the shows I simply did not care for as much or just felt they were okay. We had some amazing shows as well that I will definitely be adding to my end of the year list. Two things before we get started. There are a couple of shows that I won't be talking about simply because they are still ongoing from previous seasons and years and my opinions haven't really changed that much so I wanted to make room for all the new stuff instead. Also, be sure to hit the like button and subscribe for more content. If you want me to go more in depth with any of the shows mentioned here, let me know in the comment section below. Without further ado, let's get started. I wasn't originally going to give this series a shot, but the creative team pulled me in. Having Kasutaka Kotaka of Danganronpa and Akudama Drive fame was a good enough reason for me to watch. The premise is pretty silly and amazing at the same time. This is the type of show that doesn't need to make sense, the villains are pretty crazy and our heroes might be even crazier. Look, I am aware of how silly the premise of such a show is, but there's a charm in that silliness. Though shiny and dripping with neon style, the classic tropes of sports manga and anime are really present in this. Our main characters learn, grow, and become better individuals as they integrate fully into the Minato tribe and aspire to be great XB players under Kamiya's guidance. The sport is serious business in the way it's presented and how over the top the bad guys are and how they threaten to overtake the city which leads into some very intense baseball action. Tribe 9 has fantastic character designs thanks to the creative team involved, but the actual animation I found rather blackluster. Lit and Films can be a mixed bag for me. Some shows look great and others are just okay. Tribe 9 falls in that category. Though the premise is silly or exciting depending on your point of view, there really isn't much to it and aside from a pretty surprising plot twist in the third episode, everything just sort of progresses in a predictable way. I remember fondly the first Princess Connect when it aired back in the spring of 2020, right at the start of the pandemic. Uncertain of what's to come, reduced hours, it was a strange time and somehow Princess Connect eased my worries a bit. Based on the RPG smartphone game of the same name from Psygames, Redive has a great colorful cast of characters, silly, caring, and quite wholesome. Back then, my big critique of the series was the lore or backstory. It being tied to the original game meant that a lot of people would be a little lost. Fortunately, everything else was great and pretty relatable. You had this quartet of eccentric characters, bonding and forming this friendship over food and their many adventures. Now with season 2, the production quality somehow increased even further. The animation displayed here is top tier in my honest opinion and easily one of the best animated shows of the year so far. Unfortunately, the same problem with season 1 occurs as well. You do understand what is happening. I mean, this isn't the most complicated show in the world. When the villain shows up, you get what the motivation is to destroy the world. But a lot of the secondary cast and their connections to the world are kind of lost to me. So I spent a good amount of time telling myself, yeah, sure, that happened of course. And I proceeded to move on. One of the highlights for this season has to be Pecorine. Everyone's story and motivations get more fleshed out, but her character to me stands above the rest. Of course, her willingness to go all out to save her companions is really awesome to see. Overall, the show may not win any awards for its peculiar story, but the character interactions and the drop dead gorgeous animation is worth the price of admission. Honestly to me, Sabiqui Biscoe is the true dark horse of this rather uneventful and underwhelming season. Chaotic and gritty in execution, this show brought a ton of charisma. A no holds bar main character on this post apocalyptic road trip with a buddy to potentially save the entire world from a deadly disease. This is Oz Studios' first foray and for the most part I think they did a great job. The source material provided them with enough visuals to make a pretty unique looking show. Having that post apocalyptic setting, you can really get some great backdrops and character designs. You have this duo of Sabiqui and Mila walking across what used to be Japan. Also, mushrooms. That I mentioned this show has a lot of shrooms. It's easy to compare this series to something like Doro Hedoro on the overall aesthetics of the rust and the disproportionate flora and fauna as well as the crazy kooky unorthodox characters. Usually with road trip type stories, you get a specific story beat and Sabiqui for the most part does not stray from that path. You kind of know what's going to happen but the characters I think are diverse enough that you don't really mind. Plus the show throws a couple shocking twists and turns along the way that result in flying whales, giant crabs, tetsujin monster kaijus and so much more. The only negative I see to the series is that midway through the plot, the advancement of the main character's friendship seems a little bit rushed and might feel a little off when the big emotional scenes occur at the third act of the story. The original manga was written by Miko Yasu, a real former police officer. The story pulls from her experiences to create a pretty unique take for a slice of life story. Most of the episodes in the series are dedicated to individual cases and how our main character reacts to all the new lessons she's learning while on the job. Mai can be a little frustrating as a character and I have to remind myself that was the purpose. She's not like other rookies, she's unsure but through hands-on experience she starts to realize the pros to her job and maybe just maybe she'll want to stick around. The cases range from the silly to the spectacular from mild offenders to more serious crimes and even sparing some time for the occasional bizarre, paranormal type incident. Well not really having a solid narrative to pull from, the show relies more on the slice of life elements while introducing us to the colorful cast of characters in the main police station. The final episodes do bring everyone together for a larger case but for the most part each story could be viewed at your own leisure and you would still get some enjoyment out of them. The highest selling point for a police in a pod has to be the art however. Madhouse needs no introduction. Their work here is mostly serviceable, everything looks all right but easily the best thing about it is the character designs. Everything feels pretty real as these police officers go about their day. I always include an isekai in my season of viewings. I like the idea of it. I know it's a pretty tired out genre that a lot of people do not like but I always add one just for the hell of it. For some reason I went with this one instead of the others. Probably because Kana is a high elf, I don't know, the standard tropes and elements of isekai are all here. What separates the series from the bunch to me has to be its relaxing nature. Kana is super overpowered, everyone knows it but she's here now to enjoy this new life and restore that world to its former self. The game's abrupt cancellation after her passing in real life has made high level monsters go rogue inside of it. Plus you now have other players that were trapped inside for years, including a powerful one that has his sights on Kana herself as his future bride. Unfortunately while the plot description may be interesting, the show itself was just okay. Nothing really happens. Predictable plots and most of the story beats I've found to be quite repetitive and slow paced, which is not a terrible thing to be slow might I add. The show isn't concerned on the action. It trades that for a cast of quirky, funny characters instead. In the land of Ledeo it has below average art. Somewhat basic fantasy character designs and kind of dull backgrounds. Though all powerful, our main character is not fazed by much in this adventure, spending most of her time meeting and befriending others. There I guess lies the show's sole strength, that wholesome nature of Kana. Being a big fan of the original creator and her previous work in Magi, I was really excited to check the series out. But man, it took me a while for me to get on board with it. I do like that Orient is taking place during the Sengoku period in an alternate world where demons rule Japan and the samurai or Bushi are considered taboo. For a good while the series failed to grab my attention. Characters felt stereotypical and the story arcs they don't hold their weight compared to other series. The art was nothing to write home about either. Compared to the manga everything had a shine to it, but I think it felt a little dull and uninspired. I stuck with it though, since I wanted to discuss it here with you all. The first season felt like one long introduction to the world and characters. It really wasn't until the final five episodes where the pacing picked up somewhat. The characters felt more natural, and while the story doesn't reach new heights, it still kept a unique charm. Partially thanks to Musashi and his tenacity to not give up. Yes, this is a common element and shown in demographic, but when it is used well it can make the story super fun. The introduction of Sugumi as well as Kojudo's realization of the bonds that he shares with the main character really pushed the story along into interesting territories and a promise of high octane action for a second season. Also, these guys are riding bikes in feudal Japan. Peak fiction right there fam. The first entry in this video for Cloverworks. The studio had a lot to prove to fans after the disastrous second season of Promise Neverland and the fumbled ending of Wonder Egg Priority. Tokyo 24th Ward is an original anime that I can best describe as Minority Report meets superheroes and graffiti artists. The setting is pretty interesting. A ward that wants to integrate fully into Japan. There's a lot of nice political drama commentary and social class critique that you can do with that. Setting it in the future, you've got this quote unquote smart city with a lot of technological advancements, but most mysterious of all is the call our three lead characters get. A voice that seemingly grants them inhuman abilities to solve potential catastrophe as freak accidents occur that puts the lives of the Ward's citizens at risk. The art ranges from okay to a little generic. But for a series like this that relies more on the dialogue, I didn't mind it as much. The characters in this series are for the most part pretty interesting. Our three main leads come from different walks of life, but their friendship binds them together. As they get these weird calls that unlock hidden abilities, you get a feel for the show and the setting, but that all slowly takes a backseat in favor of more dialogue and ideologies. Unfortunately, there are multiple episodes where nothing really happens. Instead, characters reflect on upcoming political events that can shape the Ward and its inhabitants. The upcoming integration to Japan is coming and the Ward is integrating new tech that will make their city safer. Even if it means profiling and discriminating against Shantytown, a slum filled with criminals and the poor folk as well as the disenfranchised. Tokyo 24th Ward has high ambitions with a multi-layered story, but I don't think it quite succeeds. I think it's too wrapped up in its own fervor. The show tries to balance the heroics of the three young leads with different views on the same problem, while also trying to establish ideological arguments on social class, security, safety, and government. But never really making a solid case for each. This needs no introductions. Ranking of Kings was my third favorite anime of 2021 and now it concluded that second half pretty fricking spectacularly. Masterfully drawn and adapted by Wood Studios, Ranking of Kings second half continues with grace and wonderful characterization. The show subverts your expectations of tropes and what heroes and villains are supposed to be. It isn't all as simple as stating that this show is about good and evil. The good characters can commit evil deeds, while those labeled as evil might be seeking redemption as a result. This second half is one of the finest animation efforts I've ever seen, from the fight against Oken and the introduction of the big four to the final confrontation between our heroes and Miranjo. It all effortfully brings that intensity to the viewer with great attention to detail in its choreography as well as that picture-esque fairy tale look that is punctuated by Studio Witt's pencil work. The heart of the story lies within our main protagonist, Boji, who's just the sweetest and his journey will have you rooting constantly for him to succeed. I was impressed from the beginning at how this show plays with my emotions. Characters that you think are one-dimensional reveal more about themselves and challenge your perception of their role within the story. Miranjo, Daita, and even King Desha are not as cut and dry as you might think. There's a complexity there as they balance their morals in order to achieve their purpose. So a few series can tackle a large ensemble of characters, but ranking of kings does it effortlessly. From Boji's growth as an individual, as well as his blossoming relationship with Shadow, to Hilling's despair at what has happened to her son, the guards and how they define their own loyalty to the crown, this show has a little bit of everything for everyone. Most importantly, this is a story about Miranjo, a lesson for all to learn on how we may screw up, but with the right mindset and people guiding us, we can pick ourselves up and walk a path of redemption. The stellar cast and wonderful resolution, I do think the show stuck its landing. I know the manga is still ongoing, but if you were to tell me that the show would not be renewed, I would be okay with that, considering how the finale played out. I apologize in advance if you liked this show, but this was easily one of the weakest and lamest series that I watched. I could spend a whole episode dissecting this bad boy, but I'll be brief. This series has a somewhat decent plot. I was genuinely interested to see how it would go down, but what we got as a result I thought was a jumbled rush to mess would possibly one of the worst endings to a show I've ever seen. The main character, while I don't mind that he's kind of a wimp, I do kind of appreciate that he sticks to his guns and values, no matter what. He takes part in this battle to become the next god against the other candidates, and those values and way of thinking is constantly challenged. At first by the over-the-top and cringiest of all villains, Metropolitan, and later by the also over-the-top professor, Gaku Yoneda. Overall, the show has a lot of similarities to Death Note in its structure. I found the first half of the series competent and somewhat interesting in a clear battle between good and evil, only for the second half of the story to be plagued by an underwhelming plot and characters. The art in this show was wildly inconsistent, mostly bad all around, which is a shame considering the original source material had such good visuals. I don't mind the nature of the series and it trying to have philosophical debates, but Platinum End tries to tackle tough questions about religion and humanity, only to fail on its execution. Characters for the most part share pretty one-sided takes and are constantly trying to one up the main characters, but their solutions aren't that deep. The show tackles heavy subjects like murder, suicide, and religion, but it doesn't have the tact to deal with the topics in a meaningful way, instead opting for edgy battles with wings and arrows. And then the finale. I was just left flabbergasted at what was happening. I don't mind a series going that route, but closing out like that without any deeper meaning or development was pretty off-putting in my honest opinion. If you are a comic reader, the best way I can describe this series is think why the last man from Brian Cave on been a hornier. I'm not going to make excuses. The premise for this sounded so bonkers and dumb that I really wanted to check it out. A male killer virus knocks out 99.9% of the male population, except for 5 dudes in Japan that were cryogenically frozen because they were being treated for multiple sclerosis. When the main protagonist wakes up, he's now in the ultimate harem with women needing to reproduce with the available men so that humanity can survive. I think that about covers it. The art is lackluster. For an adaptation of a story that revolves around sex, you would think they would, artistically speaking, put more effort into highlighting the one thing this dumb story is known for, but instead it has some of the dullest art of the season and hilariously censored on Crunchyroll. The story genuinely has some interesting ideas floating around, things like man-made viruses, the distribution of power without men, how society can function and move forward with just the women in charge, also the idea of cults being formed over the last remaining males. But instead, most of the time, this show is dedicated to harem and sexual fantasies. But I get it. Yeah, I was fully aware of what this series is. I just went to log for the ride. The girls are back, possibly for one last ride. This season of Yasha Hime was an overall delight compared to the first one. It still has a lot of awkwardly drawn scenes with kind of dull or boring backgrounds, but the character work is a lot better, in my opinion. The main trio is developed a lot better. The story has less pointless missions, it gets straight to the point of solving that main plot against Kirimaru. I'm not going to spoil things here, but what I've been waiting for all season long finally happens and I couldn't be happier. If you know what I'm referring to, that is what I've been wanting this show to be about since day one. It's just a shame that we had to wait so freaking long to get it. Honestly, my dress of darlings surprised the heck out of everyone, if you ask me. Easily, the best show of this winter season, with a fantastic set of characters, gorgeous art and just an overall great wholesome story, filled with that extra spice. When I first heard of the series, I thought I was not going to like it. I thought I was going to focus on the wrong side of cosplay, or maybe just the technical aspect of it. Dress of Darling does that, and so much more. Instead, we find a great rom-com with lovable characters that you can't help but root for, even when they make dumb decisions. Lighting Kitagawa instantly became the internet's favorite anime character. Her style is modern, her voice and mannerisms are pretty realistic in showing modern day nerddom. Her love for cosplay, food, anime and more is downright infectious. Meanwhile, Gojo is such a sweetheart, a clumsy, awkward naive sweetheart. I was so glad to see the two of them become friends with no toxicity, gossiping or rumors in the background with the extra characters. Very easily, in manga and anime, stories tend to incorporate these elements when it comes to rom-coms. Instead, we were treated with a delightful slice of life that takes us out of our busy schedules to relax and unwind, and enjoy a young, coming-of-age story, you know, a young man finding a friend, combining his passion for Hina dolls with the craftsmanship involved in cosplay, and that could potentially lead to romance. So yeah, I was all up for that. The show is downright gorgeous too. Talk about a redemption arc for Cloverworks. Some scenes were just pure flexes on their end with how well the backgrounds flowed with the characters or just their movement overall in the energetic scenes, but it also had quiet moments that stood out as well. This is easily a contender for best of the year, and for me personally, one of my favorite rom-coms in modern anime. Round 3 for Cloverworks. Akabe's sailor uniform may not be as popular as Dress Up Darling, but on a storytelling level, I think it surpasses it quite easily. This show had a pretty strong start, with one of the all-time weirdest scenes I have ever witnessed in all of television. Hell, I'm still wondering about it. I mean, I got why it was there. Erika was an oddball in secret, similarly in style to Akabe, but why did they go with what we saw? If you know what I'm talking about, I'm pretty sure you were freaked out and maybe grossed out as well. I don't know, I was just weird guys. Especially when you compare the rest of the series and how wholesome and tame it was. I mean, yes, the author clearly has some sort of fetish when it comes to legs and feet, but at its heart, Akabe's sailor uniform is a gorgeous looking slice of life and the journey of one energetic girl into making friends. The story is pretty bare bones at times. You are going in to watch these characters interact, whether it's a sport, a club activity, or just going to the mall or fishing. The series has a pretty relaxed time showing you all of this. Akabe is determined to have an eventful time at school. She gets to wear the Academy's old sailor uniform from her mom, which you might think would get her bullied from the other students, but instead they just find it odd. And as they get to know her, they realize how much of a free-spirited and wholesome kid she really is. While something like Dress of Darling focuses on the blossoming relationship between the two leads and the potential romance aspect to it, this show is concerned with the formative years in student lives and how monumental a good friendship can be to our development. Akabe grew up without many friends, and little by little they come to see and appreciate our main character as they navigate through social life. One final note here. This show, again, dropped dead gorgeous animation. The backgrounds are so rich in detail and color. Everything looks so fricking palpable. You really do feel like you've been whisked away to this academy. We finally get the conclusion to 86 Season 2. It was a long three-month wait, but it arrived in spectacular fashion. Continuing after that previous cliffhanger, the final two episodes resolved things pretty beautifully, giving us a deeper insight into the mindset of these characters that have gone through so much, thrown into a battlefield and constantly being discriminated upon, but yet relied on as well. The art direction was breathtaking and phenomenal, with some fantastic visuals that are kind of frame-worthy. I need to go back and binge the season again in one go to get an even better appreciation for how great this war story was. It's dark and grim, but filled with a lot of humanity and hope towards its end. The Entertainment District arc set the internet ablaze with UFO Table's amazing craftsmanship. This season was easily the best work they've ever done, surpassing the Mugen Train movie and many of the Fate projects. Tanjiro is one of my personal favorite shonen leads because of his empathy and optimism in the face of adversity. Those are qualities people should admire and try to emulate. And if you haven't read the manga, then this arc is probably the most harrowing adventure yet, as our favorite characters face an overwhelming foe disguised in the Red Light District, as our favorite characters face an overwhelming foe. Unlike Rengoku in the Mugen Train, Uzui is a lot more brash, eccentric, flamboyant, and in your face about things, but he still cares about his subordinates. Seeing him in action was just a pure delight. He's one of my favorite Hashita's in the series. UFO Table did him justice in some of the coolest action scenes ever animated. If I were to nitpick anything from this second season, I honestly think the whole arc could have been condensed into another successful motion picture. The story isn't as long or convoluted to warrant so many episodes. The pacing in the original manga is pretty quick, it doesn't waste any time in giving us the action packed scenes. But at 11 episodes, you could definitely see where they started to stretch things out to fill the time quota. Thankfully, the next season will be out soon-ish and will be adapting one of my favorite arcs as well. Here we go again, the final season of Attack on Titan R2, and we didn't even get the full thing again! Instead, we need more screentime to finish the freaking adaptation. All complaints aside, this is a hell of an adaptation on Mapa's end, perfectly emulating Studio Wits' art style and taking it even further. Several of the episodes in this final season are just breathtaking action packed and all around quite fun to behold. It's a shame that with a solid extra 4 episodes we could have finished the whole damn thing, but it is what it is. I've read the manga in the past and honestly, I prefer the story of Attack on Titan in animation form. I wasn't that upset with the finale compared to the rest of the internet, so I've been really enjoying seeing the final chapters adapted into anime and how chaotic this final portion of the story becomes. Hard to believe this adventure started back in 2011 with such baby-faced characters. The story itself just keeps escalating with that infamous rumbling taking center stage, a true apocalyptic event that finally unfolds in the world of Attack on Titan. Eddyn's decision to take on the world will no doubt remain a controversial one, but I thought it made for some exciting television. That's a lot of shows, although not as many as other seasons where I was literally doing 24 different shows, but I'm looking forward to Spring with all the wonderful sequels to hit shows and all the new stuff that's coming out. Overall, I would say it was pretty underwhelming. A lot of the shows, honestly, I just kept watching for the heck of it, but I could've easily have tuned out. But if I were to pick a favorite, definitely Ranking of Kings and My Dress of Darling are on the list for best of the year. But what about you guys? Did you watch any of these shows? Let me know in the comment section what you thought of the different anime that I talked about here today. And as always, thank you so much for tuning in. God bless, stay safe out there. I will catch all of you on our next video.