We’re about five episodes into the winter season and I have opinions. Not reviews — just impressions from someone who watches too much anime and has no authority to judge anyone else’s taste.
The ones I’m keeping
The season has a few shows that grabbed me immediately:
- Dandadan continues to be unhinged in the best possible way. The animation quality hasn’t dropped, which is a miracle given the pace.
- There’s a new original from MAPPA that I won’t spoil, but the first episode had me pausing to process what I just saw.
- The isekai pile has one genuine gem buried in it — you know the one. The one that has no right being this good.
The best anime seasons are the ones where the show you almost dropped becomes the one you look forward to most.
The disappointments
I won’t name names, but that sequel everyone was excited about? The pacing fell off a cliff in episode three and hasn’t recovered. The source material readers keep saying “it gets better” which is what they always say.
What I dropped
Three shows. Life is short, seasonal anime is long, and my watch list doesn’t need charity cases. If a show can’t hook me in three episodes, that’s not a failure of patience — that’s a failure of storytelling.
More detailed thoughts once the season wraps. For now, I’m enjoying the ride.