Kiznaiver

I enjoyed Kiznaiver quite a bit. It takes the idea of sharing pain and presents its possible consequences in a somewhat zany way. Instead of going for a very elaborate plot full of finely tuned twists and turns, Kiznaiver decides to take its core concept and just have fun with it, almost as if the story itself was an experiment. That doesn’t mean that the show just starts and tries to figure out where it’s going along the way. From the very beginning there is foreshadowing and throughout the story the secret past of the protagonist, Katsuhira, is slowly unfolded. The characters are quite endearing and some of them manage to break out of their respected archetypes to become more unique and likeable. Others however, quickly fade into the back and only serve to some insight into a situation every once in a while. The way the show forces its love pentagon is actually kind of clever in the sense that it’s somewhat transparent. These characters were meant to fall for each other, as one of the “scientists” was pushing them closer in hopes to see how they’d react. For the sake of science, as they say. Aesthetically, I sometimes don’t understand the choices made regarding the color palette. If anyone has an idea as to why the show sometimes presents itself with these dreary gray backgrounds, feel free to leave me a comment below.

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

Definitely my favorite show of the season, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless is an excellent showcase of comedy and slice of life. The shows draws humor from many sources, one of my favorites being just the simple observations that our lackadaisical protagonist makes. Tanaka sees the world through a listless lens, classifying almost everything by a level of effort. It’s weird how such laid back comedy can be so utterly enjoyable. There’s not a single character I don’t adore in this show, even the ones with very little screen time like Ohta’s sister manage to leave a strong as long-lasting impression. I want to see more of her, as well as more Miyano and Shiraishi. Really, I just want more of this show. And I liked the way it delivered a bit of romance. Comedy and romance go together hand in hand, and so I’m glad to see the start of a relationship between Shiraishi and Tanaka. I don’t think it’ll go anywhere, but it would be really cool if it did. And I’m sure Tanaka’s sister wouldn’t react very kindly to it.

Joker Game

Joker Game was a very segmented show, and I can’t tell whether or not it benefitted from this style of storytelling. It sort of sacrifices its characters in order to tell interesting stories. I find it unlikely that anyone would have a favorite spy for this show. The only character that left any sort of lasting impression one me was the boss, due to his mysterious nature and connection to almost every plotline. However, maybe not being character focused is a good thing. There are plenty of shows that only try to deliver you characters that you can grow attached to, some made with only the insidious purpose of getting you to buy merchandise. I guess in a way, seeing a show like this is kind of refreshing. What isn’t refreshing however, is the weird English speaking going on in this show. Is it that hard to hire an English voice actor in Japan? If it is, then why even bother with the English lines to begin with? Every English speaking character in this show eventually speaks in Japanese. The mispronunciations are a little silly and kind of take away from the serious tone that Joker Game is trying to hold. But besides that, this show is about cool pre-WWII spies doing cool pre-WWII spy things. And for what it’s worth, I like it.

Space Patrol Luluco

This is probably the best short form anime I have seen so far. It is an amazing intermingling of all of the things Trigger has done so far, and for fans I’m sure Space Patrol Luluco was an utter delight. Even for a casual fan like myself, this show was a spectacle to behold. A fun, action-packed analogy for first love, Space Patrol Luluco holds no punches back. It’s a crazy, awesome, space-thrilling good time.

And that’s it for Anime Spring 2016. I did watch more than just these shows, but my thoughts on Bungo Stray Dogs and Re:Zero are already out there, somewhere in this blog. Other shows like Flying Witch and Mayoiga didn’t really change my opinion much from the beginning of the season. They’re okay shows, just not really for me. What did you think about this season? What shows did I miss that you think I should watch? My Hero Academia? Probably My Hero Academia…thanks for reading.