We’re into the proving grounds at this point, folks. With the season over halfway over, we’re now entering the episodes that demonstrate whether our seasonal crop are merely capable of pulling off a couple great episodes, no more than a strong aesthetic sensibility, or a genuinely lasting work of fiction. Our various contenders are all answering this question through whatever means they can muster, but so far, it’s the action team-up of Thunderbolt/JoJo and the relentless consistency of Run with the Wind that are setting the pace. Both Gridman and Tsurune are still perfectly engaging shows, but they haven’t really presented that hard sell yet – Tsurune’s emotional drama still feels a little underwritten, while Gridman’s many mysteries haven’t quite congealed into a thrilling whole. Still, it’s the messiness of fiction that’s often most satisfying to write about, and we’ve got plenty to celebrate even in the season’s shakier shows. Let’s run down one more week in anime!
Tag Archives: Run with the Wind
Fall 2018 – First Half in Review
Dear lord, is the season really halfway over already? Well folks, we’re somehow here, and I think it’s about time to take stock of the season so far. Traditionally, I’ve used these halfway point articles as a way to informally rank all my ongoing shows; more recently, I’ve decided that particular gag has far outlived its theoretical charm, and am now happy just to break down my overall thoughts on each seasonal contender. The seasonal halfway point is a pretty silly time to rank shows, but it’s actually a very reasonable time to more generally assess them; with shimmering premieres long in the past and thrilling finales far in the future, it’s at this point that shows demonstrate their true stamina, their ability to keep us engaged week after week.
As for this particular season, I’m still more than content with my sturdy mix of sports dramas, action spectacles, and SSSS.Gridman’s tokusatsu-slanted weirdness. I’m not sure this season has one highlight I love as much as summer’s Planet With or winter’s Violet Evergarden, but the overall quality of my watch schedule is very high – this is a season marked not by highs and lows, but by perpetual consistency. That doesn’t mean I don’t have much to talk about, of course; even if everything I’m watching is pretty darn good, it’s all pretty darn good in its own unique way. With that, let’s start with this season’s most venerable franchise, and break down Fall 2018!
Fall 2018 – Week 5 in Review
With the season nearing its halfway point, basically all of my shows have settled into their mid-run neutral at this point, and continue to each offer their own steady charms. Thunderbolt Fantasy feels like it’s at last in full swing at this point, offering thrilling fights and meaty discussions between its thoroughly established cast. Run with the Wind is also demonstrating great confidence, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure seems to be harnessing everything Araki has learned so far. The only real weak point this week was SSSS.Gridman’s beach episode, but to be honest, I feel like a beach episode was basically a sunk cost for that show from the start. All in all, the fall season continues to offer plenty of excitement, and seems determined to end this year on a high note. Let’s run these shows down!
Fall 2018 – Week 4 in Review
I’m starting to think there may actually be fewer ways to say “the anime was good again” than there are to say “anime was a mistake.” While Run with the Wind experienced a little roughness in its integration of various genre influences, it still offered a strong episode on the whole, and both our other character-focused dramas knocked it out of the park. Gridman did a phenomenal job of humanizing its heroine Rikka, while Tsurune carried us through a bevy of tiny, well-observed scenes that demonstrated exactly what Kyoto Animation does best. We are getting absolutely spoiled this season, and I’m doing my best to savor every moment. Let’s run down all these worthy cartoons as we explore another week in anime!
Fall 2018 – Week 3 in Review
Why does the anime do this to me. I feel like Run with the Wind, Gridman, and Tsurune could all easily have claimed the top spot in either spring or summer – here in fall, having all three of them at once just seems excessive. I know you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but couldn’t we have parceled out these horses a little more consistently throughout the seasons? My cup runneth over with gift horses.
Anyway, complaints about Too Much Good Anime aside, there sure is a whole lot of good anime this season. Tsurune finally made its debut this week, and stunned from start to finish with its gorgeous color work, efficient characterization, and generally compelling art design. Run with the Wind maintained its cheerful general excellence, while Gridman demonstrated that its “default mode” is still a show well worth celebrating. With the action spectacles also holding steady, this is looking to quite possibly be the best season of the year overall. It feels almost certain that over half of my current watching schedule will end up in my top ten of the year, with only winter’s formidable Evergarden-After the Rain-Universe-Laid Back Camp block offering much competition. I am thrilled to be enjoying this much anime, and eager to share all my enthusiasm with you. Let’s start with our running boys and run this week down!
Fall 2018 – Week 2 in Review
Holy crap, it’s time for the Week in Review. Having just finished working on the preview guide this past weekend, I had to hustle to catch up on what I wanted for today, and still haven’t really gotten the chance to expand beyond my four must-see properties. Fortunately, those must-see properties are offering more than enough entertainment to sustain me, between the reliably ridiculous action of Thunderbolt/JoJo and the newfound pleasures of Run with the Wind and Gridman. Gridman in particular is really stunning me so far; the show is building on styles of characterization and shot composition that echo some of my all-time favorite anime, while effortlessly carving out its own identity all the while. Even with relatively limited overall animation, Gridman is able to sell its world at all times through its gorgeous scene setting and purposeful, highly active direction. Let’s dispense with the preamble, then, and get right to this week in anime!
Fall 2018 – Virtually Every First Episode Retrospective
Well folks, it’s that time again. With nearly every fall premiere now on the books, and me having also watched nearly all of those premieres, it’s time for me to break down what’s worth watching, what’s worth skipping, and what contains so much dark energy that merely glancing in its direction may scar your soul. It’s a serious duty, and I take it very seriously. Anime criticism is no joke!
As for this season in particular, I am thrilled to report that The Anime Is Good. After two straight seasons where I found myself having to stretch for a reasonable watch schedule, we are once again inundated with far too many good shows, in genres ranging from romance to drama to action to comedy and beyond. Several of this season’s premieres were genuinely stunning, far more offered sturdy entertainment from start to finish, and there were even some borderline efforts that still seemed like they might bloom into something wonderful. As usual, you can check out the full list of reviews over at ANN (check for Nick Creamer), or find quicker thoughts and my overall rankings below. Let’s celebrate some fresh new anime!