My 2024 Anime Year in Review (plus other things)
Making a note of the anime and donghua I'd watched in 2024. Probably repeated myself many times over except for the fall season section. Personal opinion abound. Might contain spoilers, including the endings of some of the series.
Winter
30-sai made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii: Sweet BL romance about two working adults, one of whom can hear other people's thought by touching them. The visual isn't the greatest, and the relationship development might seem slow. I do like how the two main characters gradually open up to each other. The series ends with the wedding.
Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu Season 2: Middle school rom-com about an introvert boy and an extrovert girl who works as a model and actress. An improvement from season 1. The main couple is making a lot of progress.
Bucchigiri?!: Delinquent action comedy with a dash of the Arabian Nights. Action scenes look great, also great direction. There isn't enough plot here for a 12-episode anime.
Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi: Wholesome rom-com in Hokkaido, about a boy from Tokyo and a Hokkaido native gal. Hokkaido is a character in itself, and there are times that the series feels like a travelogue.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Political intrigue and mysteries in the inner court in pseudo ancient China, starring a young apothecary and an inner court official. First arc is good; second arc is even better. Clues were scattered throughout the first arc; the second arc is where pieces of the puzzle start falling into place.
Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san: An at-times philosophical slice-of-life about an earth-invading evil general and his mundane everyday life as a disguised earthling. And lots of panda.
Majo to Yajuu: Witch-hunting action fantasy in a setting vaguely reminiscent of early 20th century Europe. It has an interesting setting, and the dynamic between the two leads is quite unique. Unfortunately, the anime adaptation is hammered by less than stellar animation.
Sengoku Youko First Arc: Shounen fantasy action in the Sengoku era. It's the story of a human-hating boy wanting to strip himself of his humanity so that he could remain by his immortal, non-blood-related older sister's side. It's also the story of a cynical young man striving to become stronger and is on a quest to obtain greater power. Things backfire badly for both of them.
Sousou no Frieren: Wistful fantasy about a nearly immortal elf and her quest to reach the place where she can be reunited with her dead human companion. The examination arc took up most of the second cour; it lasted too long for my taste.
Undead Unluck: Abrasive action comedy with a surprising beating heart, starring a girl with the worst of luck and a man who cannot die. The final arc of the anime made me cry.
Great Pretender: razbiluto: A stylish heist movie about con artists in a battle of wit. I don't have any strong feeling about it one way or another.
On hold: Dungeon Meshi S1
Dropped: Hime-sama, "Goumon" no Jikan desu, Metallic Rouge, Sasaki to Pii-chan
Spring
Bartender: Kami no Glass: A slice-of-life about bartenders and their customers. It's more or less how I expected it to be, though unlike the 2006 anime, this remake focuses more on the bartenders than the customers.
Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi: Occult horror and folklore with an occasional risque flavour, featuring a 28-year-old writer and bookshop clerk who's struggling to write her next book and a boy with strange power who works at the same bookshop.
Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai: Inner court drama and political intrigue (and a murder mystery or two) wrapped up in traditional Japanese fantasy and folklore. The story takes place in a world where mythical creatures called yatagarasu take on human form and adopt the Heian era culture. This was the highlight for me in the spring season.
Kuroshitsuji: Kishuku Gakkou-hen: A mixture of the Gothic and comedy in Victorian Britain. A young Earl and his demon butler solve cases on behalf of the queen. It was around the Public School arc when I got a bit annoyed about the main plot not going anywhere for months in the manga, which only got worse as time went on. The weekly anime format definitely works better than the monthly manga serialization.
Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid Season 3: Charming love story with a fairy tale twist, about a young master who can kill anything he touches and his maid. Unsurprisingly this series ends on a happy note, and it's the second series I watched this year that ends with a wedding.
Wind Breaker: Delinquent action and a pleasant surprise. Sakura is the highlight here. Season 2 is coming in 2025.
Yuru Camp Season 3: Girls go camping slice-of-life. There's a change in studio and director. The visual doesn't bother me that much, though story-wise this season is more scattered than the previous 2 seasons. Season 1 focuses on Nadeshiko and the know-how of camping. Season 2 focuses on Rin and her gradually opening up. Season 3 doesn't seem to have a central focus, and the pacing between mini arcs doesn't flow as well.
On hold: Hibike! Euphonium 3
Dropped: Spice and Wolf, Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau, Tonari no Youkai-san, Yoru no Kurage wa Oyogenai, Grimm Variations
Summer
Oshi no Ko Season 2: A revenge story in the enterainment industry. The Tokyo Blade arc could have been shorter IMO. This series works better for me when it focuses on the revenge plot.
Giji Harem: Light-hearted rom-com in a high school drama club. The series charts the relationship progression between a stagehand and an aspiring actress, from their time as senpai and kouhai in high school to graduation and to them being working adults and getting married.
Gimai Seikatsu: A subdued, moody and down-to-earth rom-com and slice-of-life about a pair of step-siblings. A slow-burn that focuses on the mundane everyday life. I can see some people being thoroughly bored by this one. I like it the way it is though. The direction takes after live action films more than anime. This series is less about the romance and more about two lonely individuals suffering from previous trauma gradually opening up to one another and learning to rely on one another.
Isekai Shikkaku: A writer modelled after Dazai Osamu with a dash of Akutagawa Ryuunosuke is transported to a fantasy world after a botched lovers' suicide. This is the only isekai this year I'd watched to the end. It's not a power fantasy. The main character, Sensei, is the main reason this series works.
Make Heroine ga Oosugiru!: Summertime rom-com with a lavish presentation. It focuses on three girls who are losing out in love and the one boy who becomes both the observer and the girls' confidant without his being aware of it. As far as high school drama goes, this is one of the best this year.
Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi: Historical story about a young master whose family is slaughtered by a traitor and is now in hiding to hopefully revive his family one day. He's hopeless in combat, but he excels in the art of evasion. The series is a strange mix of bloody violence and over-the-top comedy. This visual looks great courtesy of CloverWorks. A season 2 is coming soon.
Ramen Akaneko: Slice-of-life about a ramen shop run by cats and one human. Comfort food.
Sengoku Youko: Senma Konton-hen: Building on the foundation of season 1, this is the story of a boy who knows nothing but violence and death, his quest for redemption, and the people he meets along the way. Seiya's story reminds me of Thorfinn in Vinland Saga Season 2. The series ends on a poignant note where time passes and people become memories.
Shoushimin Series: Cosy mystery starring two incredibly intelligent teenagers who want to be ordinary, except by the end of season 1, it's revealed that they don't actually want to be ordinary. The highlight of this series is without a doubt the dessert of the week. Season 2 will be out in spring of 2025.
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction: Painful coming-of-age about teenage girls dealing with alien invasion and the end of the world by going through life as usual -- but there's more to it than that. There's some time travelling involved. The visual is stellar. The story gets very depressing and despairing in both an existential sense and in the sense of how it reflects real-life conflicts and the worse side of humanity. There's also a case of child suicide, so please beware. On the other hand, it ends on a surprisingly uplifting note.
Dropped: Isekai Suicide Squad, NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Season 2, Senpai wa Otokonoko, Tasogare Outfocus, Tokidoki Bosotto Russiago de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san, Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita.
Fall
Dandadan: Wacky occult comedy that takes inspiration from real-life urban legends. It's also a rom-com at its heart. The battle scenes are suitably chaotic, and the colour really pops. This is probably the biggest hit of the fall season.
Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri Season 2: A classic "Holmes and Watson" murder mystery starring an eccentric detective and a kind-hearted police inspector. It's a direct continuation of season 1, so if you've watched season 1, you know what to expect in season 2. It's nice of them to invite Neeko (who voiced Reborn in Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Amano Akira's biggest hit to date) to voice Teddy Bear Milo in the final episode of season 2.
Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi: Wistful youkai fantasy with a dash of exorcist conflict. It's season 7, but the creativity it displays never ceases to amaze me. This season focuses less on the youkai side and more on Natsume's human friends and acquaintances, including an entire episode devoted to Natsume Reiko. The highlight for me is the Matoba episode, particularly the opening scene in the abandoned train station.
Raise wa Tanin gai Ii: Yakuza doing violent yakuza thing and plenty of scheming (the overarching result of which we don't get to see this season). Also, romance. The dynamics between the central characters is one-of-a-kind. Yoshino is the pillar of the series.
Ranma 1/2: More wacky comedy with a rom-com heart where anything goes. I've never watched the old anime, and I'm a bit surprised by how much I end up liking this remake.
Link Click: Bridon Arc (Shiguang Dailiren): Donghua. Time travel suspense using photographs as the time-travelling medium. You really need to watch season 1 and 2 before going into this new arc. The visual looks as good as ever. I've already written about it extensively in my previous post, so I won't say more here.
Dropped: Goukon ni Ittara Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi
On hold: Hoshi Furu Oukoku no Nina, Ao no Hako, Beastars Final Season Part 1 (haven't watched season 2 yet)
Also watched: Natsume Yuujinchou all seasons + movies + OADs, Mononoke the Movie: Karakasa, Tian Guan Ci Fu, Mo Dao Zu Shi, Sailor Moon Cosmos, Kitano Tanjou: Gegege no Nazo
...and probably others I'd forgotten about.
Completely unrelated, RagnarRox released a new video essay analysing all four games in the Amnesia horror game series (link). The video is over 2 hours long.
Snowflake Challenge is starting tomorrow. Not sure if I'll participate this time. We'll see.
Kind of want to work on original stories again. We'll see.
Winter
30-sai made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii: Sweet BL romance about two working adults, one of whom can hear other people's thought by touching them. The visual isn't the greatest, and the relationship development might seem slow. I do like how the two main characters gradually open up to each other. The series ends with the wedding.
Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu Season 2: Middle school rom-com about an introvert boy and an extrovert girl who works as a model and actress. An improvement from season 1. The main couple is making a lot of progress.
Bucchigiri?!: Delinquent action comedy with a dash of the Arabian Nights. Action scenes look great, also great direction. There isn't enough plot here for a 12-episode anime.
Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi: Wholesome rom-com in Hokkaido, about a boy from Tokyo and a Hokkaido native gal. Hokkaido is a character in itself, and there are times that the series feels like a travelogue.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Political intrigue and mysteries in the inner court in pseudo ancient China, starring a young apothecary and an inner court official. First arc is good; second arc is even better. Clues were scattered throughout the first arc; the second arc is where pieces of the puzzle start falling into place.
Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san: An at-times philosophical slice-of-life about an earth-invading evil general and his mundane everyday life as a disguised earthling. And lots of panda.
Majo to Yajuu: Witch-hunting action fantasy in a setting vaguely reminiscent of early 20th century Europe. It has an interesting setting, and the dynamic between the two leads is quite unique. Unfortunately, the anime adaptation is hammered by less than stellar animation.
Sengoku Youko First Arc: Shounen fantasy action in the Sengoku era. It's the story of a human-hating boy wanting to strip himself of his humanity so that he could remain by his immortal, non-blood-related older sister's side. It's also the story of a cynical young man striving to become stronger and is on a quest to obtain greater power. Things backfire badly for both of them.
Sousou no Frieren: Wistful fantasy about a nearly immortal elf and her quest to reach the place where she can be reunited with her dead human companion. The examination arc took up most of the second cour; it lasted too long for my taste.
Undead Unluck: Abrasive action comedy with a surprising beating heart, starring a girl with the worst of luck and a man who cannot die. The final arc of the anime made me cry.
Great Pretender: razbiluto: A stylish heist movie about con artists in a battle of wit. I don't have any strong feeling about it one way or another.
On hold: Dungeon Meshi S1
Dropped: Hime-sama, "Goumon" no Jikan desu, Metallic Rouge, Sasaki to Pii-chan
Spring
Bartender: Kami no Glass: A slice-of-life about bartenders and their customers. It's more or less how I expected it to be, though unlike the 2006 anime, this remake focuses more on the bartenders than the customers.
Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushi: Occult horror and folklore with an occasional risque flavour, featuring a 28-year-old writer and bookshop clerk who's struggling to write her next book and a boy with strange power who works at the same bookshop.
Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai: Inner court drama and political intrigue (and a murder mystery or two) wrapped up in traditional Japanese fantasy and folklore. The story takes place in a world where mythical creatures called yatagarasu take on human form and adopt the Heian era culture. This was the highlight for me in the spring season.
Kuroshitsuji: Kishuku Gakkou-hen: A mixture of the Gothic and comedy in Victorian Britain. A young Earl and his demon butler solve cases on behalf of the queen. It was around the Public School arc when I got a bit annoyed about the main plot not going anywhere for months in the manga, which only got worse as time went on. The weekly anime format definitely works better than the monthly manga serialization.
Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid Season 3: Charming love story with a fairy tale twist, about a young master who can kill anything he touches and his maid. Unsurprisingly this series ends on a happy note, and it's the second series I watched this year that ends with a wedding.
Wind Breaker: Delinquent action and a pleasant surprise. Sakura is the highlight here. Season 2 is coming in 2025.
Yuru Camp Season 3: Girls go camping slice-of-life. There's a change in studio and director. The visual doesn't bother me that much, though story-wise this season is more scattered than the previous 2 seasons. Season 1 focuses on Nadeshiko and the know-how of camping. Season 2 focuses on Rin and her gradually opening up. Season 3 doesn't seem to have a central focus, and the pacing between mini arcs doesn't flow as well.
On hold: Hibike! Euphonium 3
Dropped: Spice and Wolf, Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau, Tonari no Youkai-san, Yoru no Kurage wa Oyogenai, Grimm Variations
Summer
Oshi no Ko Season 2: A revenge story in the enterainment industry. The Tokyo Blade arc could have been shorter IMO. This series works better for me when it focuses on the revenge plot.
Giji Harem: Light-hearted rom-com in a high school drama club. The series charts the relationship progression between a stagehand and an aspiring actress, from their time as senpai and kouhai in high school to graduation and to them being working adults and getting married.
Gimai Seikatsu: A subdued, moody and down-to-earth rom-com and slice-of-life about a pair of step-siblings. A slow-burn that focuses on the mundane everyday life. I can see some people being thoroughly bored by this one. I like it the way it is though. The direction takes after live action films more than anime. This series is less about the romance and more about two lonely individuals suffering from previous trauma gradually opening up to one another and learning to rely on one another.
Isekai Shikkaku: A writer modelled after Dazai Osamu with a dash of Akutagawa Ryuunosuke is transported to a fantasy world after a botched lovers' suicide. This is the only isekai this year I'd watched to the end. It's not a power fantasy. The main character, Sensei, is the main reason this series works.
Make Heroine ga Oosugiru!: Summertime rom-com with a lavish presentation. It focuses on three girls who are losing out in love and the one boy who becomes both the observer and the girls' confidant without his being aware of it. As far as high school drama goes, this is one of the best this year.
Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi: Historical story about a young master whose family is slaughtered by a traitor and is now in hiding to hopefully revive his family one day. He's hopeless in combat, but he excels in the art of evasion. The series is a strange mix of bloody violence and over-the-top comedy. This visual looks great courtesy of CloverWorks. A season 2 is coming soon.
Ramen Akaneko: Slice-of-life about a ramen shop run by cats and one human. Comfort food.
Sengoku Youko: Senma Konton-hen: Building on the foundation of season 1, this is the story of a boy who knows nothing but violence and death, his quest for redemption, and the people he meets along the way. Seiya's story reminds me of Thorfinn in Vinland Saga Season 2. The series ends on a poignant note where time passes and people become memories.
Shoushimin Series: Cosy mystery starring two incredibly intelligent teenagers who want to be ordinary, except by the end of season 1, it's revealed that they don't actually want to be ordinary. The highlight of this series is without a doubt the dessert of the week. Season 2 will be out in spring of 2025.
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction: Painful coming-of-age about teenage girls dealing with alien invasion and the end of the world by going through life as usual -- but there's more to it than that. There's some time travelling involved. The visual is stellar. The story gets very depressing and despairing in both an existential sense and in the sense of how it reflects real-life conflicts and the worse side of humanity. There's also a case of child suicide, so please beware. On the other hand, it ends on a surprisingly uplifting note.
Dropped: Isekai Suicide Squad, NieR:Automata Ver1.1a Season 2, Senpai wa Otokonoko, Tasogare Outfocus, Tokidoki Bosotto Russiago de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san, Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita.
Fall
Dandadan: Wacky occult comedy that takes inspiration from real-life urban legends. It's also a rom-com at its heart. The battle scenes are suitably chaotic, and the colour really pops. This is probably the biggest hit of the fall season.
Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri Season 2: A classic "Holmes and Watson" murder mystery starring an eccentric detective and a kind-hearted police inspector. It's a direct continuation of season 1, so if you've watched season 1, you know what to expect in season 2. It's nice of them to invite Neeko (who voiced Reborn in Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Amano Akira's biggest hit to date) to voice Teddy Bear Milo in the final episode of season 2.
Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi: Wistful youkai fantasy with a dash of exorcist conflict. It's season 7, but the creativity it displays never ceases to amaze me. This season focuses less on the youkai side and more on Natsume's human friends and acquaintances, including an entire episode devoted to Natsume Reiko. The highlight for me is the Matoba episode, particularly the opening scene in the abandoned train station.
Raise wa Tanin gai Ii: Yakuza doing violent yakuza thing and plenty of scheming (the overarching result of which we don't get to see this season). Also, romance. The dynamics between the central characters is one-of-a-kind. Yoshino is the pillar of the series.
Ranma 1/2: More wacky comedy with a rom-com heart where anything goes. I've never watched the old anime, and I'm a bit surprised by how much I end up liking this remake.
Link Click: Bridon Arc (Shiguang Dailiren): Donghua. Time travel suspense using photographs as the time-travelling medium. You really need to watch season 1 and 2 before going into this new arc. The visual looks as good as ever. I've already written about it extensively in my previous post, so I won't say more here.
Dropped: Goukon ni Ittara Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi
On hold: Hoshi Furu Oukoku no Nina, Ao no Hako, Beastars Final Season Part 1 (haven't watched season 2 yet)
Also watched: Natsume Yuujinchou all seasons + movies + OADs, Mononoke the Movie: Karakasa, Tian Guan Ci Fu, Mo Dao Zu Shi, Sailor Moon Cosmos, Kitano Tanjou: Gegege no Nazo
...and probably others I'd forgotten about.
Completely unrelated, RagnarRox released a new video essay analysing all four games in the Amnesia horror game series (link). The video is over 2 hours long.
Snowflake Challenge is starting tomorrow. Not sure if I'll participate this time. We'll see.
Kind of want to work on original stories again. We'll see.