It is now around halfway through the autumn season of anime for 2021, which means time for me to share my thoughts on the shows I’ve been watching so far. Might as well just dive right in.
The aquatope on white sand
It amuses me to no end that there were people out there who genuinely believed the second cour of The aquatope on white sand would stop focusing on Kukuru and Fuuka, and were willing to drop it because of that. Turns out the girls are very much still at the centre of the show.
The show is at its best when it isn’t pushing any big drama; just the average lives of the employees of an aquarium. Of course there are challenges to overcome when working in an aquarium, but sometimes this shows does lay things on a bit thick. Whilst most of that stuff does seem to have passed, I do wish somebody would do something about Kukuru’s boss. Chiyu was pretty bad at first, but she got better – Kukuru’s boss is just a jerk. And you just know the show is making efforts to redeem him, but… ugh.
BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! PICO☆Fever
Weekly bitesize episodes of BanG Dream!, and yep, they are still as out there as ever. Enjoyable stuff from this show, as ever.
BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS
The Chuunin Exams are underway (again) in BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS, but Boruto and Mitsuki are off elsewhere, looking into a kidnapping. Perhaps it is because this is coming off the Vessel Arc, but the fights between side characters we’re getting here are a bit meh. Maybe things will pick up with Sarada’s turn, or perhaps Boruto and Mitsuki will stumble into a more interesting battle.
The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!
I’ve been enjoying The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! a lot, and feel that it keeps getting better and better as it goes on. Having the Dark Lord actually appear and the Magical Girl… “switch allegiances”, I guess… has kept things interesting. Of course, the other characters all have their own charms, too. This show is making a strong argument to be my favourite of this season.
Let’s Make a Mug Too 2
More Pottery Club fun from Let’s Make a Mug Too. More of the same that we got from the first season, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
Mieruko-chan
Mieruko-chan has been pretty good so far. I’d initially thought that Miko would take seeing the ghosts in stride, but no, she’s terrified of them. Just really good at hiding it. That has definitely led to some interesting situations. Also, I like the designs of the ghosts.
One Piece
Inching ever closer to the big climactic fight of the Wano Kuni arc. Also, the screenshot above was taken from the 999th episode, so we are very close to the big 1000. There’s a quite a bit going on, and we have plenty more battles to look forward to. The anime is right on the heels of the manga, though, so they have to keep taking things perhaps a little slower than they should be otherwise…
PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~
The most recent episode ended by reminding us that there will be an idol part to PuraOre! ~Pride of Orange~. Other than the girls doing “stretches” for it, the focus has pretty much been entirely on ice hockey until now. It was all about building their team, and certain members realising that they are not alone out there. Sounds like pretty typical sports stuff, and it is. Still have been enjoying watching this one, though.
SELECTION PROJECT
Yes, this show has some similarities with Idoly Pride. SELECTION PROJECT is much better, though, simply because it’s not adding an entirely needless supernatural plot element to the show. I’ve enjoyed every episode of SELECTION PROJECT so far, and it seems pretty likely I will continue doing so. I know the idols are competing against each other, but I would love to see more from GapsCaps in some capacity.
Tropical-Rouge! PreCure
Tropical-Rouge! PreCure is definitely shaping up to be an extremely solid entry in the PreCure franchise. We’ve got a strong group of characters, and they each stand out in their own unique ways. The most recent episode also brought some of PreCure‘s darker tones out, and I do like when PreCure goes dark.
Waccha PriMagi!
Waccha PriMagi! has been pretty great so far. Matsuri and Myamu have a great dynamic between them, and the other PriMagi stars certainly make for an interesting bunch. Lemon might be well on her way to becoming my favourite, though. For those who enjoy shows like PreCure or Aikatsu, definitely give this one a look.
Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Great Mankai Chapter
Going into this chapter of Yuki Yuna is a Hero, I’d thought we’d see more from the present day Hero Club – you know, new challenges for them to overcome after what they experienced before. Apparently my expectations were wrong; instead, the focus has been on the Sentinels, and then the very first Hero Club members.
Regardless of who is getting the focus, though, the show remains just as dark. Yeah, seems everyone has to suffer in some way or other. Quite a contrast from the happy-go-lucky first episode, but that is in line with Yuki Yuna is a Hero.
Pretty good stuff from this show, though.
That covers all the shows I am watching this season. For me, The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! is definitely standing out as my most enjoyable show, but the others definitely have their charms. I’m pretty happy with what this season has given us so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing what more it will give us as it continues.
Rory Muses 