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Winter 2025: what are your favorites? Thoughts?

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Mar 28, 7:24 PM
#1

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Winter 2025 seasonals have wrapped up (or are wrapping up), and Spring 2025 shows are starting up in a few days.

1. What are your favorites?

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?

Any other thoughts?
Mar 28, 7:24 PM
#2

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My thoughts:

1. What are your favorites?

Medalist. Just a solid, extremely charming sports anime. The leads are very likable with a healthy, interesting dynamic between them. Also, a good look into an interesting sport: solitary, hyper-competitive, very constrained for time, very technical but also artistic and performative.

Apothecary Diaries S2 (continuing to next season). My comfort watch, they didn't miss a beat from Season 1.

EDIT: Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. I was vaguely aware of some complaints about the ending, but now that I finally finished this, this comfortably fits in my favorites section, even anime of the year. It's often dry and clunky, but also thought-provoking, heartfelt and beautiful.

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?

Sentai Red Isekai de Boukensha ni Naru (Red Ranger isekai). I don't know anything about super sentai, and I still had a blast with this one. A gloriously stupid and loud spectacle that oozes with love for the genre, while also cracking jokes about it.

Also a shout-out to Zenshuu. A very strange MAPPA original about animators and a ton of other things, just a shame it didn't stick the landing.

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?

Completed/will complete 9 new shows. Still finishing up 1 continued from last season (Chi).

Dropped 4. Blue Box was the saddest drop this season; I was getting bored out of my mind.

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?

Pretty weak season. Worse than it looked in the beginning of the season.

There were a handful of good shows, and most were simply decent/passable.
perseiiMar 31, 12:08 PM
Mar 28, 7:44 PM
#3
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1. I don't know if Orb and Re: Zero S3 qualify for this since they were I think continuing from the season previous

2. None haha. Had way more fun watching Re: Zero S3 than I thought I would (I thought it would be good but for me it went from good to great), so guess that would be unexpected XD

3. Completed 2 (both previous though). On-Hold 2: Blue Box (again from previous season I guess), Zenshuu

4. This season was not for me I guess, in contrast next season feels way more promising.
Mar 28, 10:02 PM
#4

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1. My favorites this season were almost all sequels. The Apothecary Diaries is easily the best of the bunch, and I'm enjoying it as much as I enjoyed the first season. Also really enjoyed this emotional season of Blue Exorcist (whatever # season this is), Dr. Stone continues to not take itself seriously and be fantastically nonsensical and fun, and 100 Girlfriends was just as funny and unexpectedly wholesome as the first season. Solo Leveling continues to be a flashy power fantasy that is nonetheless very fun to watch. My Happy Marriage 2 felt a little weak compared to the first season, and I don't feel the supernatural part of the series is very engaging, but I enjoyed it overall.

Of the new anime, my favorites were probably Medalist and Zenshuu. I'm really hoping for a second season of Medalist, but either way, I'll probably end up reading the manga. I loved the relationship between the two leads, and how they're always encouraging each other and pushing each other to be better. As for Zenshuu, I know the ending has kind of split the audience, but I actually liked it, even though it could be seen coming a mile away.

2. Most unexpectedly enjoyable was Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan, which was just a really charming, wholesome, funny series about a middle-aged father getting transported into a dating game as a stereotypical villainess character. He's such a good guy that he constantly forgets what kind of character he's supposed to be playing and just ends up taking care of all the other students, all while trying and failing spectacularly to not be the object of everyone's admiration. Also Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu, which was just a nice basic romance between working adults. Teen/college romances are fine, but a decent adult romance is always very welcome.

3. Not including anime that were still ongoing from the fall, I completed/will complete 21 series. I dropped 1 (Douse, Koishite Shimaunda.), but since it was only after a couple of episodes, I'm not sure I'd even count that.

4. There have obviously been exceptions, but winter is usually a little underwhelming, so my expectations for this season weren't especially high. Still, I did enjoy most of what I watched, even if there wasn't much that really blew me away.
palm-treeMar 29, 12:56 AM
Mar 28, 10:09 PM
#5
OG Otaku Ojisan

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Oct 2018
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1. Favorite new series: Medalist
Favorite sequel: Shangri La Frontier season 2 (though I still plan on watching 2nd seasons of Solo Leveling, Apothecary Diaries & Hanako-kun over the next couple weeks)

2. Pleasant surprises were Bureaucrat to Villainess, Tasokare Hotel & Red Ranger isekai.

3. Probably complete between 15 & 20 series which is typical for me. The series I got furthest into before dropping was Ameku MD.

4. Decent season. Found enough to be entertained, but nothing exceptional (nothing I rated above an 8 so far & those were all sequels). Biggest change in opinion was probably Orb because I feel like it peaked during the Oczy/Badeni/Jolenta arc & the final 2 eps were confusing & disappointing to me.


Mar 28, 10:12 PM
#6

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1. Favorites (Sequel)-
Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo 2nd Season : The one I look forward to most, nothing need to be said more. True peak of Animanga.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 2nd Season : So far even better than first season imo
Favorites (New)-
Sentai Red Isekai de Boukensha ni Naru: Now that's how you do Isekai #1
Magic Maker: Isekai Mahou no Tsukurikata: Now that's how you do Isekai #2

2. I didn't expect much from Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu cause I was disappointed by the last office romance I saw. But this was so good. Adults acting like adults. Best romance this season.

3. 13 from this season + will binge Unnamed Memory after I get time. 4 leftover from last season.
On Hold/Dropped- Honey lemon soda. It was bit to cringe for me. But seeing some clips looks like it had solid ending. May try finishing it.

4. It was a great season. Idk why people are saying this is a bad season. It had good shows from me from every genre. From start I was happy with lineup and after finishing I still am.

-
perseii said:
Sentai Red Isekai de Boukensha ni Naru (Red Ranger isekai
This anime deserves more recognition that MAL is rating is really sad to watch.
Mar 29, 1:20 AM
#7

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Sep 2018
5042
1.
Medalist
Okitsura
Sorairo Utility

2. Okitsura, because I couldn't tell from the cover image and the title alone if the setting was going to be a relevant aspect or just a gimmick to pretend to be different (like the Hokkaido Gals anime, a generic romcom... but in the snow!). I'm glad it turned out to be an educational anime about Okinawa.

3. 13 completed, 11 dropped

4. Still the worst season since Winter 2023, but not bad by any means. Better than I initially thought because Medalist and Okitsura rose up, whereas only Hanashura fell off.
Mar 29, 1:41 AM
#8

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1. What are your favorites?
Sakamoto days and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto S2, toilet ghost hanako-kun s2, Tasokare Hotel

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?
Fruit master, Sorairo Utility, momentary Lilly, strongest Alchemist.

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?
I dropped zenshi, honey lemon soda, getting married to my classmate

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?
Very good season. It exceeded my expectations to tell the truth.
Mar 29, 2:46 AM
#9

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Jun 2019
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I watched/am watching 14 series total for this season, but as two are continuing/returning ones (Orb: On the Movements of the Earth and The Apothecary Diaries season 2) and 12 are brand new, I'll be limiting my focus to the new ones as per usual.

Of the 12, nine are finished airing and of those I finished completely six and will probably be finishing the other three today or just about. The remaining three conclude next week and I'll probably finish next week or the week after (a bit of a delay on Medalist as I'm torrenting a fansubbed version which releases episodes some days after the official release as I can't stomach the...overly inventive subtitling from official sources).

1.) Favorites were and are definitely Tasokare Hotel, Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte, and Sorairo Utility. Those are the only ones I'd give a 7/10. Everything else I'd place at a 6/10 or below.

2.) Nothing really unexpected to be truthful. I think that I know my own dearest interests and tastes too well and have become quite adept at and familiar with reading and reading between the lines of synopses, tempering expectations, and such, that catching me by a huge amount of surprise either in a positive or negative sense doesn't occur overly often.

It wasn't unexpected, for example, that my three favorite shows of the lot are ones I would probably largely like (maybe that they would be favorites or their exact individual ranking in relation to the other sure, I don't pretend or attempt to know and discern beforehand, but that's about it).

Tasokare Hotel sounded like one of the closest things to either Death Parade or Haibane Renmei or both out of anything else that I've seen or read about. The former was a solid series I definitely would have watched a second season and continuation of had it continued (or if it ever does in the future) and would probably have been toward the top ranking each season among the batch of seasonals I watched these past few years. The latter is one of my few 10/10s and one of my top favorite series of all time.

Ameku Takao, I've wanted an anime series dealing with medical science and medical treatment of a variety of different illnesses for at least four years now since late 2020 when I got very ill in my own life and wanted to see more of a topic I had obsessively dove into in fascination and for practical application purposes more reflected and explored.

And for Sorairo Utility, I had already watched the, what at the time appeared then one-off TV short special released at the end of 2021 and liked it, and like others originally anticipated that that special was actually going to be a normal full-length series anyway before further information was disclosed about it. And had wanted it to be. And Slice of Life is one of my favorite genres and while sports is typically one of my least, golf is among my favorite sports to see portrayed and explored in anime. So yeah.

3.) Of the 12, completed half or six. Will complete another three probably today. Then that leaves the last three. I've dropped and put on hold zero. I don't really want to put any new series on hold for the time being considering I've such a backlog and there's a number of series from last summer season and even 2023 which I opted out of and put off at the time but want to eventually get to sooner rather than later once wrapping up everything I'm currently watching (Gimai Seikatsu, Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction, Shoushimin Series, 16bit Sensation: Another Layer, Tearmoon Empire, Skip to Loafer, etc.)

4.) I had decided in my mind a while back and have said numerous times that it was better than and I preferred it to last autumn season and last summer season, though definitely not last spring, which would make it the best season since last spring of 2024. But lately I've been second guessing that assessment as we've drawn closer to the end and I've gotten further and to the end in various series. It's very close to last autumn and last autumn might be better than it.

Hopefully and ideally there is at least one series from each season which will probably make it on a Top 10 list for the overall year by the end of that year. Sometimes an overpeforming season like last spring can have way more than that. The past two seasons before this winter only had one each (Raise wa Tanin ga Ii and Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai, respectively). Last winter, for another point of comparison, provided two (Dungeon Meshi and Sasaki to Pii-chan). This season the only series which probably will or at least has a decent shot at making my top list for the year by the end of the year is Tasokare Hotel.

I think the most accurate thing I can say for the time being is that it was an average season unless my viewpoint toward it is radically transformed in the near future to long-term by the remaining small amount of some series I've yet to finish, by the future three seasons of the year being absolutely phenomenal or awful, or by me somehow in the future discovering a bunch of series from this season I overlooked and them turning out to be hidden masterpieces. All pretty unlikely.

As for any other thoughts, for now I'll just give a hierarchical rank to where I think that the series in question will end up when the dust settles:

1.) Tasokare Hotel
2.) Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte
3.) Sorairo Utility
4.) Zenshuu
5.) Momentary Lily
6.) The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World
7.) Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku
8.) Medalist
9.) Beheneko: The Elf Girl's Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster!
10.) Nihon e Youkoso Elf-san
11.) Farmagia
12.) Ubel Blatt




WatchTillTandavaMar 29, 3:05 AM
Mar 29, 3:30 AM
🍅 Tomato 🍅

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- Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!! ~MIRAI DAYS~
- Momentary Lily
- Sorairo Utility
- UniteUp! Uni:Birth
- Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte
Mar 29, 3:46 AM

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Mar 2018
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Pretty much this. Stuff not present on this list I didn't watch.
Mar 29, 5:13 AM

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1. What are your favorites?

Unfortunately, none.

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?

Medalist

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?

To-be-completed => 8

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?

It has been consistently underwhelming till the end.
Mar 29, 1:21 PM

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perseii said:
1. What are your favorites?
https://myanimelist.net/anime/57616/The_100_Girlfriends_2nd_Season
Mar 29, 2:55 PM

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Apr 2020
1986
1. What are your favorites?
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 2nd Season, Dr. Stone: Science Future.

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?
Zenshuu.

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?
Completed only 4. No dropped anime.

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?
Good season because I enjoyed 3 of 4 anime. Sakamoto Days is a trash adaptation.
Imagine how boring this world would be without Japan - a comment at youtube
Mar 29, 4:49 PM

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May 2018
11989
"Your favourites?"

Tasokare Hotel and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (2025).
Also maybe Nihon e Youkoso Elf-san and Sentai Red Isekai de Boukensha ni Naru as trash watch.



"Thoughts?"

I have seen stronger winter seasons.

Mar 29, 5:54 PM

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1. Favourites

Medalist: Very passionate sports anime with well written child characters and solid comedy as a side dish. I plan to buy and read the manga

Apothecary Diaries: Good continuation of S1 though I miss the banter between Maomao and Jinshi a bit.

Orb (from Fall 2024): Exceptional show in terms of themes, character writing, dialogue and ost. I plan to rewatch and/or read this soon with the interpretation of the last to episodes in mind. My only complain is that this show does not utilize the medium 'anime' to it's fullest potential. It would have been better of as a visual novel.

2. Unexpectedly enjoyable

Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku: It amazes me how anime is able to make the seemingly most mundane things look interesting. Unfortunately this one fumbles the ending a bit. Also actual yuri > bait

Zenshuu: Very nice sakuga but thematically inconsistent

Honey Lemon Soda: Very weak adaptation but I want to shout-out to episode 11 which was unexpectedly good.

3. Completed Anime

I started 9 anime from this season and plan to complete all of them. In addition there are 4 anime from last season carrying over. I do not drop shows this time
I might check out the red ranger isekai and tasokare hotel later

4. My thoughts on this season

Weaker season but better than summer 2024, got mostly carried by the continuing shows from fall. There was way to much isekai (or just fantasy) slop. Also Solo Leveling S2 aired which overshadows actual good shows and makes social media posts giga annoying.
Mar 29, 10:08 PM

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Jul 2021
3072
Reply to WaterMage
1. Favorites (Sequel)-
Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo 2nd Season : The one I look forward to most, nothing need to be said more. True peak of Animanga.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto 2nd Season : So far even better than first season imo
Favorites (New)-
Sentai Red Isekai de Boukensha ni Naru: Now that's how you do Isekai #1
Magic Maker: Isekai Mahou no Tsukurikata: Now that's how you do Isekai #2

2. I didn't expect much from Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu cause I was disappointed by the last office romance I saw. But this was so good. Adults acting like adults. Best romance this season.

3. 13 from this season + will binge Unnamed Memory after I get time. 4 leftover from last season.
On Hold/Dropped- Honey lemon soda. It was bit to cringe for me. But seeing some clips looks like it had solid ending. May try finishing it.

4. It was a great season. Idk why people are saying this is a bad season. It had good shows from me from every genre. From start I was happy with lineup and after finishing I still am.

-
perseii said:
Sentai Red Isekai de Boukensha ni Naru (Red Ranger isekai
This anime deserves more recognition that MAL is rating is really sad to watch.
WaterMage said:
I didn't expect much from Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu cause I was disappointed by the last office romance I saw. But this was so good. Adults acting like adults. Best romance this season.

Was that last office romance 365 Days to the Wedding? That one was pretty unsatisfying for me.

Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu did look nice, but I missed out because it never got picked up by any streaming service (I think). We need more adult romances...
Mar 29, 10:14 PM

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Jul 2021
3072
Reply to WatchTillTandava
I watched/am watching 14 series total for this season, but as two are continuing/returning ones (Orb: On the Movements of the Earth and The Apothecary Diaries season 2) and 12 are brand new, I'll be limiting my focus to the new ones as per usual.

Of the 12, nine are finished airing and of those I finished completely six and will probably be finishing the other three today or just about. The remaining three conclude next week and I'll probably finish next week or the week after (a bit of a delay on Medalist as I'm torrenting a fansubbed version which releases episodes some days after the official release as I can't stomach the...overly inventive subtitling from official sources).

1.) Favorites were and are definitely Tasokare Hotel, Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte, and Sorairo Utility. Those are the only ones I'd give a 7/10. Everything else I'd place at a 6/10 or below.

2.) Nothing really unexpected to be truthful. I think that I know my own dearest interests and tastes too well and have become quite adept at and familiar with reading and reading between the lines of synopses, tempering expectations, and such, that catching me by a huge amount of surprise either in a positive or negative sense doesn't occur overly often.

It wasn't unexpected, for example, that my three favorite shows of the lot are ones I would probably largely like (maybe that they would be favorites or their exact individual ranking in relation to the other sure, I don't pretend or attempt to know and discern beforehand, but that's about it).

Tasokare Hotel sounded like one of the closest things to either Death Parade or Haibane Renmei or both out of anything else that I've seen or read about. The former was a solid series I definitely would have watched a second season and continuation of had it continued (or if it ever does in the future) and would probably have been toward the top ranking each season among the batch of seasonals I watched these past few years. The latter is one of my few 10/10s and one of my top favorite series of all time.

Ameku Takao, I've wanted an anime series dealing with medical science and medical treatment of a variety of different illnesses for at least four years now since late 2020 when I got very ill in my own life and wanted to see more of a topic I had obsessively dove into in fascination and for practical application purposes more reflected and explored.

And for Sorairo Utility, I had already watched the, what at the time appeared then one-off TV short special released at the end of 2021 and liked it, and like others originally anticipated that that special was actually going to be a normal full-length series anyway before further information was disclosed about it. And had wanted it to be. And Slice of Life is one of my favorite genres and while sports is typically one of my least, golf is among my favorite sports to see portrayed and explored in anime. So yeah.

3.) Of the 12, completed half or six. Will complete another three probably today. Then that leaves the last three. I've dropped and put on hold zero. I don't really want to put any new series on hold for the time being considering I've such a backlog and there's a number of series from last summer season and even 2023 which I opted out of and put off at the time but want to eventually get to sooner rather than later once wrapping up everything I'm currently watching (Gimai Seikatsu, Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction, Shoushimin Series, 16bit Sensation: Another Layer, Tearmoon Empire, Skip to Loafer, etc.)

4.) I had decided in my mind a while back and have said numerous times that it was better than and I preferred it to last autumn season and last summer season, though definitely not last spring, which would make it the best season since last spring of 2024. But lately I've been second guessing that assessment as we've drawn closer to the end and I've gotten further and to the end in various series. It's very close to last autumn and last autumn might be better than it.

Hopefully and ideally there is at least one series from each season which will probably make it on a Top 10 list for the overall year by the end of that year. Sometimes an overpeforming season like last spring can have way more than that. The past two seasons before this winter only had one each (Raise wa Tanin ga Ii and Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai, respectively). Last winter, for another point of comparison, provided two (Dungeon Meshi and Sasaki to Pii-chan). This season the only series which probably will or at least has a decent shot at making my top list for the year by the end of the year is Tasokare Hotel.

I think the most accurate thing I can say for the time being is that it was an average season unless my viewpoint toward it is radically transformed in the near future to long-term by the remaining small amount of some series I've yet to finish, by the future three seasons of the year being absolutely phenomenal or awful, or by me somehow in the future discovering a bunch of series from this season I overlooked and them turning out to be hidden masterpieces. All pretty unlikely.

As for any other thoughts, for now I'll just give a hierarchical rank to where I think that the series in question will end up when the dust settles:

1.) Tasokare Hotel
2.) Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte
3.) Sorairo Utility
4.) Zenshuu
5.) Momentary Lily
6.) The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World
7.) Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku
8.) Medalist
9.) Beheneko: The Elf Girl's Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster!
10.) Nihon e Youkoso Elf-san
11.) Farmagia
12.) Ubel Blatt




WatchTillTandava said:
Ameku Takao, I've wanted an anime series dealing with medical science and medical treatment of a variety of different illnesses

So did the anime deliver in that sense for you?

I also get excited about medical anime, but every one I've tried have left me mostly disappointed...

Agreed about Sorairo Utility. Very pretty and pleasant show.
Mar 29, 10:18 PM

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Jul 2021
3072
Reply to Hiyajo-san
1. Favourites

Medalist: Very passionate sports anime with well written child characters and solid comedy as a side dish. I plan to buy and read the manga

Apothecary Diaries: Good continuation of S1 though I miss the banter between Maomao and Jinshi a bit.

Orb (from Fall 2024): Exceptional show in terms of themes, character writing, dialogue and ost. I plan to rewatch and/or read this soon with the interpretation of the last to episodes in mind. My only complain is that this show does not utilize the medium 'anime' to it's fullest potential. It would have been better of as a visual novel.

2. Unexpectedly enjoyable

Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku: It amazes me how anime is able to make the seemingly most mundane things look interesting. Unfortunately this one fumbles the ending a bit. Also actual yuri > bait

Zenshuu: Very nice sakuga but thematically inconsistent

Honey Lemon Soda: Very weak adaptation but I want to shout-out to episode 11 which was unexpectedly good.

3. Completed Anime

I started 9 anime from this season and plan to complete all of them. In addition there are 4 anime from last season carrying over. I do not drop shows this time
I might check out the red ranger isekai and tasokare hotel later

4. My thoughts on this season

Weaker season but better than summer 2024, got mostly carried by the continuing shows from fall. There was way to much isekai (or just fantasy) slop. Also Solo Leveling S2 aired which overshadows actual good shows and makes social media posts giga annoying.
Hiyajo-san said:
1. Favourites
Medalist
Apothecary Diaries
Orb (from Fall 2024)

Hey, basically an exact match. And I agree with everything you said about these. Haven't finished Orb yet, though, I have high hopes.
Mar 29, 11:08 PM

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7478
perseii said:
So did the anime deliver in that sense for you?

I also get excited about medical anime, but every one I've tried have left me mostly disappointed...

Agreed about Sorairo Utility. Very pretty and pleasant show.


It delivered in the sense that it delivered better on that front than any other anime series I've seen, because it's just not a topic I've seen used as a main premise to that extent of a team of doctors and a general hospital setting out of all the series I've ever watched or am even aware of. So in the sense that it's, to the best of my knowledge, in effect, currently the only game in town.

I don't attempt to further elaborate upon and scrutinize the 1 - 10 numerical ratings offered and which I utilize on MAL down to the point of decimals. I know that on some websites you can get even more specific and granular and give 7.8s and 7.4s and all that. But knowing my obsessive nature, trying to break what's already a subjective assessment into even smaller pinpointed pieces would just leave me chasing my tail and quadruple, quintuple guessing, wasting even more hours. I just raise that topic for the purpose of saying that hypothetically if it were something I engaged in, then the series would be on the very low side of 7s; as in, probably a 7.0.

I've seen a number of comments on your part, expressing disappointment or relating to issues that you've had with it, whether on the AD sub-forum or on the Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte sub-forum. And basically, yeah - I agree with a number of your gripes and have some of my own including ones we may share.

I, for example, would have liked it to take advantage of as much of its time as possible to pack in a wider variety of medical conditions - something more like what the edutainment-style series such as Hataraku Saibou/Hataraku Saibou Black and Tenchi Souzou Design-bu do, respectively, for human health and evolutionary biology. But I realize that it's not exactly that type of show and is a somewhat more casual approach aping the style of live action American hour time slot-long police and medical procedurals. Or alternatively, in lieu of quantity, more in-depth diving into my pet interest in the field of neurology specifically and the limitless reservoir of potential there. It would also help if kooky "eccentric" Takao (in reality just autistic) had a straight man who wasn't as dry as the Sahara.

Plus, from someone who rarely ever complains over art and animation as it sits squarely at the bottom base of my hierarchical totem pole of priorities, the constant off-model character art switching back and forth is enough to rattle even me. Not to mention that three delays and weekly airings for episodes skipped or however many it's been is insanely obnoxious, even though I've consciously instructed my mind to dispense with anger and concern over that and not allow it to influence my evaluation of the series in and of itself, since it's an outside detail which will be wholly irrelevant to future viewers.

There are a number of gripes.

But it's just a case where my enjoyment of the premise is enough to bump it up into the 7/10 range (which, at least as I use and envision it, is such a broad and versatile rating anyway) when the quality by itself is easily no more than the 5 - 6 range at best. And enough to still secure a spot in my top favorites for the season, because everything outside of my top three are 6s and 5s to me which don't really even come close (mainly due to the execution of all those other series, not premise).
WatchTillTandavaMar 29, 11:21 PM
Mar 29, 11:20 PM

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2805
Reply to perseii
WaterMage said:
I didn't expect much from Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu cause I was disappointed by the last office romance I saw. But this was so good. Adults acting like adults. Best romance this season.

Was that last office romance 365 Days to the Wedding? That one was pretty unsatisfying for me.

Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu did look nice, but I missed out because it never got picked up by any streaming service (I think). We need more adult romances...
@perseii yes that one. It was very childish despite lebeling as office romance.

It was streaming for free in YT but maybe only for Asians.
Mar 29, 11:32 PM

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Reply to WatchTillTandava
perseii said:
So did the anime deliver in that sense for you?

I also get excited about medical anime, but every one I've tried have left me mostly disappointed...

Agreed about Sorairo Utility. Very pretty and pleasant show.


It delivered in the sense that it delivered better on that front than any other anime series I've seen, because it's just not a topic I've seen used as a main premise to that extent of a team of doctors and a general hospital setting out of all the series I've ever watched or am even aware of. So in the sense that it's, to the best of my knowledge, in effect, currently the only game in town.

I don't attempt to further elaborate upon and scrutinize the 1 - 10 numerical ratings offered and which I utilize on MAL down to the point of decimals. I know that on some websites you can get even more specific and granular and give 7.8s and 7.4s and all that. But knowing my obsessive nature, trying to break what's already a subjective assessment into even smaller pinpointed pieces would just leave me chasing my tail and quadruple, quintuple guessing, wasting even more hours. I just raise that topic for the purpose of saying that hypothetically if it were something I engaged in, then the series would be on the very low side of 7s; as in, probably a 7.0.

I've seen a number of comments on your part, expressing disappointment or relating to issues that you've had with it, whether on the AD sub-forum or on the Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte sub-forum. And basically, yeah - I agree with a number of your gripes and have some of my own including ones we may share.

I, for example, would have liked it to take advantage of as much of its time as possible to pack in a wider variety of medical conditions - something more like what the edutainment-style series such as Hataraku Saibou/Hataraku Saibou Black and Tenchi Souzou Design-bu do, respectively, for human health and evolutionary biology. But I realize that it's not exactly that type of show and is a somewhat more casual approach aping the style of live action American hour time slot-long police and medical procedurals. Or alternatively, in lieu of quantity, more in-depth diving into my pet interest in the field of neurology specifically and the limitless reservoir of potential there. It would also help if kooky "eccentric" Takao (in reality just autistic) had a straight man who wasn't as dry as the Sahara.

Plus, from someone who rarely ever complains over art and animation as it sits squarely at the bottom base of my hierarchical totem pole of priorities, the constant off-model character art switching back and forth is enough to rattle even me. Not to mention that three delays and weekly airings for episodes skipped or however many it's been is insanely obnoxious, even though I've consciously instructed my mind to dispense with anger and concern over that and not allow it to influence my evaluation of the series in and of itself, since it's an outside detail which will be wholly irrelevant to future viewers.

There are a number of gripes.

But it's just a case where my enjoyment of the premise is enough to bump it up into the 7/10 range (which, at least as I use and envision it, is such a broad and versatile rating anyway) when the quality by itself is easily no more than the 5 - 6 range at best. And enough to still secure a spot in my top favorites for the season, because everything outside of my top three are 6s and 5s to me which don't really even come close (mainly due to the execution of all those other series, not premise).
I see your point. Despite my disappointment, I also respect the anime for at least trying, and I want to support this, which is largely the reason I'm still watching. It just makes itself so hard to love.

WatchTillTandava said:
Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte sub-forum.

Yeah... I had to vent somewhere. And I really wanted something... better than this.
Mar 29, 11:54 PM

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Jul 2024
463
1. What are your favorites?

Orb, Zenshu, Apothecary Diaries, I Have A Crush At Work, Flower And Asura, Okitsura.

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?

Okitsura. Went in with few expectations and every episode was hilarious and the series itself was really heartwarming.

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?

I completed sixteen series that were currently airing in the Winter 2025 season.
No drops or on-holds.

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?

I don't think any of the sequels or the big-name new shows (looking at you, Sakamoto Days) really lived up to their billing, so the season felt disappointing to most, but I think the unexpectedly strong new shows that came out of nowhere made it a good season for me. I'm more worried about Spring 2025 tbh.
Mar 30, 12:29 AM
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Apr 2013
1220
Gonna be honest

I dont even remember like...

Im not sure if its just bad luck or something

This season is like its so bad I only finished one anime the entire season

Like I dont even know/want to know how many anime I didnt finish its just a complete disaster

Like its so bad I have a screenshot of multiple anime being scored below 6.0 or lower its completely..off the rails

Mar 30, 12:43 AM
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Mar 2018
300
I really enjoyed solo leveling, mostly because I watched it with 2 friends and we had a blast. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if I watched it solo.

I'm watching Apothecary Diaries (Binged S1 last week) and I'm really hooked up. It's really interesting and something that is quite unlike anything I usually watch so this one would also be my unexpectedly enjoyable show

Since SL ended today, I'm watching just 1. There was nothing elsed that catched my eye.

Can't really speak for the season because I picked up 2 shows. Still, I haven't seen a really good season in a while. Last one I can think of was Summer 2023.
Mar 30, 12:57 AM

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Jan 2023
2958
My two favorites this season have been Okitsura and Dad's been reincarnated as a villainess.
I will be completing soon all 9 of the series I watched this season.
Overall, I'd say there were several shows I did not enjoy as much as I thought.
Mar 30, 1:26 AM

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Sep 2020
5665
• My favourite anime from Winter 2025 are Zenshuu and Orb.

• Completed : 3 (Solo Leveling S2, Orb, Zenshuu.)
• Watching : 2 (Re: Zero S3, Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan)
• Dropped : 1 (Honey Lemon Soda)
ZXEANMar 30, 1:53 AM
Mar 30, 4:21 AM

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Aug 2024
176
Reply to perseii
Hiyajo-san said:
1. Favourites
Medalist
Apothecary Diaries
Orb (from Fall 2024)

Hey, basically an exact match. And I agree with everything you said about these. Haven't finished Orb yet, though, I have high hopes.
@perseii Glad to meet someone with similar taste

Regarding Orb, I recommend checking out this post https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2206328 about an interpretation of the last two episodes after finishing the show. The last two episodes felt a bit rushed and served as a rather lukewarm ending of the show but that was probably a blunder on my part for not understanding it in time.
Hiyajo-sanMar 30, 4:30 AM
Mar 30, 4:23 AM

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Feb 2025
119
only watched solo leveling & sakamoto days, haven't finished any of them yet 🗿
Mar 30, 4:55 AM

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Jul 2021
6296
solo levelling easy but only because i haven't watched kusuriya no hitorigoto s2 yet. i'm waiting for it to binge. i really loved s1 so i have high expectations. and well tbh i haven't watched any other seasonal so

The end of an era. Thank you Wit, Mappa and Isayama.
Feeling half happy, half sad.
  

Kawaii waifus
and precious
  best girls <3333
                                             


Mar 30, 8:05 AM

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May 2020
157
I dropped so many shows this season. I watched a bunch of older anime this season, but just sticking to this season's new stuff, I found Guild Receptionist, Sakamoto Days, and My Happy Marriage S2 to be underwhelming enough to drop them completely. I also finished Zenshuu and Blue Box while finding them to be kinda disappointing (if still enjoyable).

Medalist was my surprise favorite. I didn't expect to like it so much! It hit me harder than I thought it would.

Overall, I'm just happy to have found stuff I liked. Kusuriya S2 has been solid, and Medalist was great. I didn't think this season was particularly weak, since I usually expect a few stinkers every batch.

Looking forward to the next few seasons.
Mar 30, 8:06 AM

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Aug 2021
3498
Babanbabanban Vampire was a great anime... I think.

Mar 30, 8:16 AM

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Jan 2008
3322
My favourites were Orb, Dr Stone and Re Zero and the Sk8 OVA
Sakamoto Days was also good too

Enjoyed Shangri-la Frontier too but preferred it's earlier season more.

Solo Levelling was decent but I absolutely can't stand Cha and it kind of lost a bit of heart in the process.

If I had to place everything I saw in order (I never got around to a few on my ptw)

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Best anime in years)
Dr. Stone: Science Future (Solid Dr Stone. Couldn't wait for next episode)
Sk8 OVA Extra part (Man love the humour in this. Gutted only an OVA)
Re Zero ( Had some great episodes and the cast was solid)
Sakamoto Days (I enjoyed it a lot. Wish it got more support)
Shangri-la Frontier (I enjoyed but was a little boring in some parts)
Dragon Ball Daima (Bit too long for me but I still was very happy to see the characters again)
Solo Levelling (Excellent fight scenes. Lacked a lot elsewhere though
Babanbabanban (Only watched one episode so far)
UberBatMar 30, 8:24 AM
Mar 30, 8:53 AM

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Apr 2020
762
Tasokare hotel was the only new series I finished. There is orb too which was great, but I don't count ongoing seasonals from previous seasons as new series.


perseii said:
What did you think of the season?

One of the worst seasons in years for me, maybe the worst.At least spring and summer look good.
Mar 30, 9:34 AM

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Apr 2020
3001
1. What are your favorites?
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, Blue Box, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, Medalist.

2. What is the most unexpectedly enjoyable?
Medalist for me. I expected it to be a lot of things that isn't for me: Cutesy, for younger demo, morale story, or something like that.
But NO! It was so much fun with the very goofy and fun Mentor-Student(s) dynamic.
EDIT: Forgot to mention Tasokare Hotel. As disappointing its ending may have been, the show was surprisingly entertaining for what initially seemed would be a series of boring not-so-mysterious episodic cases.

3. How many have you completed (or will be completing soon)? How many have you dropped/put on-hold?
12 comp., 4 Watching (including Apothecary S2, which will be continuing), 3 'On-Holds', 6 Drops (might rewatch some of it).

4. What did you think of the season? Did your opinion change since the beginning of the season?
Lots of Winter 2025 series are good or at least entertaining enough to watch, but nothing was strong enough to lead; The sequels/continuations did much better than the new titles.
I initially thought it was gonna be Sakamoto Days Pre-Winter season but, it's just 'alright'.
Jozuwa-_-Mar 30, 9:52 AM


Mar 30, 11:34 AM

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Apr 2020
620
By order of the most liked to least liked:

-1) Orb: On the Movements of the Earth 8/10 (peak fiction)
-2) Shangri-la Frontier season 2 8/10
-3) From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated! 7/10 (this one has been surprisingly good)
-4) Re:Zero season 3 7/10
-5) Solo Leveling season 2 7/10
-6)The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 not yet finished
-7) Zenshuu. 6/10 (MAPPA undercooked the ending otherwise I would have put it higher on the list)
-8) Dr. Stone: Science Future 5/10
-9) Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! 5/10
-10) Even Given the Worthless "Appraiser" Class, I’m Actually the Strongest dropped after 3 episodes

This has been a relatively good season, I would say. No god-sent animes but enough quality animes that kept myself entertained and waiting during the week. Especially Orb.

Mar 30, 12:08 PM
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Apr 2021
21

1. Favorites: The Apothecary Diaries, Orb
2. Most unexpectedly enjoyable: None
3. Completed: 4 from this season, 3 continuing from last season
Dropped: Sakamoto Days
4. Overall thoughts: This season was good.

Spring 2025 Watchlist: Only The Apothecary Diaries (continuing).
Mar 30, 12:16 PM

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Oct 2022
2288
Favorites... probably Fate/Strange Fake and Re:Zero S3. FSF was released New Years, and unfortunately after a strong start- went on hiatus!
Re:Zero S3 Review Here was nearly as well made and impressive as FSF; Episode 61 about Lilliana Masquerade was its high point, ending to season kinda mid.

I enjoyed Momentary Lily much more than I expected, watching it changed my opinion of the studio, I think doing crazy shit and making backgrounds spin and girls fly through the air and cherry blossoms glow is idiotic- and therefore awesome. The experimental 'let's go crazy' approach to anime I want more of.

Ubel Blatt was the biggest disappointment but I still enjoyed it; everything else I watched was not worthy of mentioning. I completed FOUR and two more from prior years.
Mar 31, 12:03 PM

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Jul 2021
3072
Now that I finished Orb, I'll have to put that in my favorites section...

Hiyajo-san said:
Regarding Orb, I recommend checking out this post https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2206328 about an interpretation of the last two episodes after finishing the show.

Thanks for linking that post, interesting interpretation.

But I think this anime is something special, even without that interpretation. What an achievement. I really, desperately want more anime like this to be made.
Mar 31, 1:12 PM

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Mar 2021
3512
perseii said:
Medalist. Just a solid, extremely charming sports anime. The leads are very likable with a healthy, interesting dynamic between them. Also, a good look into an interesting sport: solitary, hyper-competitive, very constrained for time, very technical but also artistic and performative.


I just finished the "Medalist" recently. I was honestly pleasantly surprised how much I ended up enjoying it. Not only were a majority of the characters extremely likable to a person like me, but just the main character "Inori Yuitsuka" was just too adorable not to love. The Anime didn't even need to revolve around figure skating, it could have been actually any sport and I would have likely still enjoyed it as long as everything else was present from the dynamics each character displayed between each other to the humor that was the cherry on top for me.

Though I am still in the process of trying to wrap up some Anime series that even started back in the Fall that are still on going or even just recently concluded to really make a personal definitive judgement about winter. But it would still be hard to see with what I have experienced so far this season that for only a hand full of episodes of everything else I have been watching will suddenly and drastically change my opinions about them.


Mar 31, 1:29 PM

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Aug 2017
200
Hehe, yep, before the spring season begins tomorrow, a little review of the winter season. Nice idea, perseii

1) I personally really liked "I May Be A Guild Receptionist, But I'll Solo Out Any Boss To Clock Out Time." It had such a relaxed mix of comedy, fantasy, work life, magical world, adventure, and a touch of romance. Plus, that old town vibe with half-timbered houses, which I really liked as a backdrop for "Frieren." And Alina's guild receptionist outfit is just sooooo cute.

I also really enjoyed the fourth season of "Dr. Stone." Every week was always incredibly exciting. Even as manga-reader you were sitting on the edge of your seat. It was the best season since the show's start.

The second cour of "Amagami san chi no enmusubi" was very entertaining, as well as the second season of "The 100 Girlfriends," "My Happy Marriage" (we'll have to catch up on episode 13 next week), "Ameku Takaou Medical Detective," and "Honey Lemon Soda,".

2) A title I liked, that many people initially didn't notice was "Flower and Asuna".
Okitsura was also a nice little series, which I didn't had on the schedule before. As well as NEET Kunoichi - the series profited from the 12-minute episode-format, where the small storys stand for themself.

To be honest, I only watched "Farmagia" because Hiro Mashima was in it, but I was well entertained – despite the obvious "Rave" and "Fairy Tail" references

3.) 19 titles in total. Never dropped anything.
Would've been more, if Exams came not in the way. Winter Season as a student is always very struggeling.

4.) The remaining series
"I'm Getting Married To A Girl I Hate In My Class" – the anime by a YouTuber, "from fan to fan," so to speak – doesn't reinvent the wheel, but still manages to please with its lovable characters.

The biggest disappointment of the season for me was "Kuroiwa Medaka Is Impervious To My Charms." I really hoped for more. Instead, it was a loveless repetition of stale gags, including the classic "Oops, I slipped and accidentally landed on her breasts" scene, which no anime can do without these days. There was something like that with the Amagami sisters, but the whole thing was made much more entertaining by the backstories of the Miko girls.

The office anime "Crush At Work," "Welcome To Japan Ms. Elf" (screamingly boring!), and the reverse harem anime "Anyways, I'm Falling In Love With You" also fell short of my expectations. The princess comedy "I Want To Escape From Princess Lessons" was only partially salvaged by the meta-gags of the charmingly sardonic protagonist; otherwise, I felt really sorry for it at times.

The second cour of "Blue Box" was quite nice, but I still felt it lacked that certain "killer instinct" that made this title stand out.

All in all, a winter season with ups and downs. I'll definitely remember Guild Receptionist Alina and Dr. Stone fondly.

And "The Apothecary's Diaries" will still accompany us in the spring season.
julranmaMar 31, 2:11 PM

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