Well, Spring 2018 was definitely an interesting season. A lot of shows started out strong, a lot got stronger as the season went on… and quite a few fizzled out half way. I’m a bit late on this, considering that the Summer season has already begun. However, i’ve finally finished up the Spring season.
Honestly, i’ve struggled keeping up with this season, both because of how many shows I was following, as well as just life busyness… but I managed to finish everything I wanted to, even if it’s a bit late. So let’s take a look at my final watch/drop list, shall we?
My Hero Academia Season 3
Of course I’ve been watching HeroAca. I’ve followed the Manga for years, since the first chapter was released online, and it’s one of my favorite Shonen series. Not only that, the story arc covered in this season happens to be my favorite story arc in the whole series. The All Might vs All for One fight was an incredible spectacle in the Manga, and the Anime totally took it to the next level.
This season was all about passing the torch… both the pinnacle of Heroes and Villains falling in battle, to be replaced by their respective predecessors. Simple, but effective scenes, some amazing action, and really super solid everything overall. BONES has really knocked this show out of the park this season, and it’s never a bad choice to introduce to a friend.
Animation, acting, music, intensity… the show has it all, and the writers really understand how to capture the true emotion of a Shonen series. While we’ve entered a bit of a low period in the series, the show may start to go a little downhill from here, though… at least until we get Lemillion. (SPOILERS!)
Steins;Gate 0
Steins;Gate is one of my all-time favorite series. The characters are some of the absolute best you’ll ever see in any Anime. Well-written, endearing, every single one of them, and the series does a fantastic job making you care about them. I was suuuuper excited when I heard the announcement of this show, but I didn’t really understand what I was in for.
As a big fan of the original series, so much of SG0 really resonated with me, little points standing out that i’ve seen before in the movies and the games… everything made me happy. And also made me cry.
Zero really takes Okabe’s suffering to the next level, repeatedly hammering him with flashbacks to his suffering from the initial series, and layering on the mystery, time and time again. The lighthearted moments are here, however, keeping the show from ever feeling too overwhelmingly dark and depressing. Overall, basically, I just love Steins;Gate.
Wotakoi
Romance is an interesting thing, and so many series fail at writing good, genuine, touching yet realistic Romance. Generally it’s either a disaster, or a golden fluffy rainbow fest of happiness and joy. Real love isn’t like that, though, especially for those of us who are nerds. Wotakoi does a fantastic job at delivering a real, down-to-earth romance story about nerdy adults… along with a healthy dose of comedy.
With one of the most interesting and inventive OP sequences from recent memory, great characters, and just being well-written overall… Wotakoi is one of my favorite shows from the season, and really needs more recognition. If only it wasn’t locked behind Amazon prime for most people…
Hinamatsuri
Brilliant. Okay, next.
… Okay, guess I should say a bit more than that. I don’t think i’ve ever seen a show that balances Comedy with Heartfelt nearly as well as this show does… except for maybe one. It ranges from some off-the-wall crazy ESP stuff, to yakuza culture, to family life and touching relationships.
Where Hina is always comic relief in the series, Anzu is a great opposite for her as she discovers love and family, and the importance of hard work. Hitomi is another high point, her savant-level of competence at everything she tries a constant source of laughter. Oh, and let’s not forget the best part of the show… the faces. Only one show this season has facial expressions that even compare… but Hinamatsuri still wins, I think.
Golden Kamuy
Speaking of the faces game… Golden Kamuy draws a close second place for facial expressions this season. Between Sugimoto, Asirpa, and the rest of the goofballs in this show, the number of funny faces we get is absolutely insane. Add to that the fact that the show has a pretty dang good story, and we’re talking top-tier entertainment here.
Of course, the show has some problems, mostly having to do with the awful CG we have to deal with at some points… specifically the bears. Oh, do the bears look awful. But despite that, I had a fantastic time with the show. It’s so much fun at times, intense at others, and generally a great watch all-around.
Mahou Shoujo Ore
I’ve already written a ton about this show, you can find my thoughts on it over on Aria’s Blog where we did our collab on Mahou Shoujo Ore.
Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory
Ohhh man, I was so happy when this season was announced. I just love the original series, the characters and the plot are amazing, but it really hasn’t aged terribly well. It really looks dated, and I fear lots of people avoid the show because of that.
Invisible Victory is truly the sequel/reboot this show both needed and deserved. With updated visuals, music, and production values, it captures the essence of the original show perfectly. Our favorite characters, the emotional trauma, and the great comedy with a shockingly dark underbelly. It’s with much passion and love that I recommend everyone see the original series, and absolutely watch Invisible Victory.
Boueibu Happy Kiss
The other show that I collaborated with Aria on. A newbie to the series, I had quite a bit to say, and you can find an extensive list of my opinions by reading my our collab posts on my blog.
And that’s it for the shows I watched to the end during the Spring 2018 season. I’ll make a follow-up post detailing the shows that I dropped, or haven’t finished yet, along with why I haven’t finished them up. Thank you all for reading, let me know what you thought of the shows this season, and i’ll see you all in the next post!
The Zodiac Room 
Wotakoi was one of my favorites too! I also with that more people could have had access to watch it. I was so sad when I found out there was only 11 episode.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I really wanted more of it. It’s hard to find a show that does such a realistic job at portraying a nerdy adult relationship. I hope we get more!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Invisible Victory was what the series needed, but we definitely needed more of it. It barely feels like things have started and its over (though apparently there are two more episodes it doesn’t seem likely they can do much with that).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I was hoping for 24 episodes, and the stop at 10 makes me very sad. I hope we get a continuation soon, because I would hate to wait 11 years for another reboot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s kind of my worry. I loved what we got but as you said, 24 episodes would have been more reasonable, and after the large gap in the first place it isn’t promising for another continuation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Any ideas why they decided to do only a 12-episode cour? The original 3 series were all 24 episodes in length, if i recall…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Know idea. The whole thing just reminds me of D Gray Man and Hallow all over again. Bring back an old series, give us no where near enough episodes and leave us hanging on a cliffhanger with no announced follow up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oof, yeah, that was brutal. Fingers crossed that it’s not the case here…
LikeLiked by 1 person