I’ve been able to watch quite a bit of anime lately, but thanks to college life, I can’t plow through nearly as many series as I would like to. My list of recommended anime continues to expand and if you have an recommendations of your own, feel free to mention them in the comments!
Knights of Sidonia: 7/10
Knights of Sidonia is a pretty entertaining show. The combination of 3D and hand-drawn animation is a unique art style reminiscent of Fire Emblem: Awakening, but not done quite as well. Despite that, the action scenes were crisp and intensely shot and managed to justify the animation style. Nagate is a rather bland character in the beginning, but it’s hard not to grow to like his endearing personality as the show progresses. The show is short, and while that keeps the pacing pretty fast, it leaves a lot of lingering questions by the end. The lack of answers is almost too difficult to ignore and can be something of a letdown for viewers if they’re expecting everything to be resolved, but with Season 2 announced it at least remedies this issue. The world-building aspect of the show is arguably the most enjoyable, interesting, and memorable part and it’s worth watching Knights of Sidonia just for that.
Wakfu (Season 2): 8/10
Wakfu (Season 2) is overall a step up from the first season. The animation is more fluid, and the main story is interesting and memorable. The history of the Eliatropes was my favorite part of this season. Despite these improvements, this second season unfortunately suffers from unfavorable pacing, inserting filler throughout its entirety and making the story feel detached and lack urgency. The main plot, when it takes priority, is very strong and entertaining, but it does take a lot of patience waiting for it to reach its ultimate climax.
Psycho-Pass (Season 2): 6/10
Unfortunately, Psycho-Pass (Season 2) is not as strong a season as its predecessor. The villain, while interesting, has arguably one of the most absurd back-stories that is only intended to make him sympathetic instead of being logical or relevant. To my disappointment, most of the side characters – namely the new Enforcers – are almost completely ignored and barely developed. The new Inspector is the worst character in the entire show, and when even the show admits that the character’s boring, that’s not a good thing. Psycho-Pass (Season 2) does manage to get back on its feet, but it took too much time to get there and create a more cohesive narrative. Combine all of this with the season ending on an extremely unresolved note, and this season is far from great.
Yu Yu Hakusho: 8/10
The longest undertaking yet, Yu Yu Hakusho was worth the many sittings I watched it in. It’s a fun show with a memorable cast of characters, solid action fights spanning over many episodes, and a unique setting. While the story arcs in Yu Yu Hakusho are fairly self-contained, each one has relevance towards character development and establishing the setting. I’ve come to accept that 90’s animation is going to have silly moments in general, and while that was definitely the case here, I never felt like it distracted me from the action, which was a good thing. The Dark Tournament story arc is the most satisfying to watch, and I’d recommend Yu Yu Hakusho for this arc alone. Each opponent faced is memorable, the stakes are high, the character development is well-done, and the new abilities the characters acquire are ridiculously powerful, grandiose, and fun to watch.
Filed under: Entertainment, Michaela
