Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion

Anime Questions, Recommendations, and Discussion - January 08, 2026

This is a daily megathread for general chatter about anime. Have questions or need recommendations? Here to show off your merch? Want to talk about what you just watched.

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Commentaires

Korkez112026-01-08 11:20

I never watched more than 3-4 anime per season but this season I have 6 non-negotiable titles and a couple of others I'll definitely watch if they'll have high enough score and reviews. Although today's "non-negotiable", Champignon Witch, may be dropped very early because its premise is much better than reputation of people working on it.

moichispa2026-01-08 16:01

I used to watch less anime on the past but it has increased over the years. I think I became more open to different genres and there is simply more anime airing in general.

Is Champignon witch staff that bad? I'm interested on the series

Competitive-View34432026-01-08 11:28

Hello, Im looking for a romcom where both the girl and the guy have an attitude and are at each other's throats (alr saw toradora, which is not a good fit bc only Taiga is aggressive). Preferably high school setting with a fairly common artstyle and aspect ( I dont want the couple to be middle schoolers or the anime to be super stylized or stuff). Also dont say Nagatoro or Takagi-san).

IvanSemushin2026-01-08 11:29

Lovely Complex maybe?

Competitive-View34432026-01-08 11:37

was on my mind too but the quality kinda ruins it for me, got any other suggestions?

IvanSemushin2026-01-08 11:51

Don't have very good ideas, maybe Nisekoi? Though it's a harem.

Also, Say I Love You might fit in a way.

Competitive-View34432026-01-08 11:55

ooo these look good ty

awesomenessofme12026-01-08 14:43

I don't have super high praise for the series overall, but I think The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil fits here. Uzaki-chan, maybe. If you're including stuff that isn't necessarily a dedicated romance series, Dandadan definitely has elements of this, especially early on.

cyberscythe2026-01-08 16:37

not a high school setting, but *I Have a Crush at Work* has this dynamic where they're hostile with each other at work to hide their relationship

DragonspringSake2026-01-08 11:43

strong start to the year with Sentenced to Hero, Journal with Witch, and Playing Death Games

All the mega-hit sequels haven't started either.. gonna be a busy season

mr_beanoz2026-01-08 11:53

Not gonna lie, I kinda like hearing Hayamin as a boy

thisisdropd2026-01-08 12:42

She's also hilarious as an idol-obsessed teen girl in Tamon's B-Side. Those two roles are not what you would usually expect from her but she's delivered a banger performance in both.

SSjjlex2026-01-08 12:12

why the hell are there so many double/extended premieres?

nsleep2026-01-08 12:30

Some shows will just do better when the hook presents a whole arc as the start of the series. It's just giving the audience content for the "three episodes rule" in one go, with less chance of someone dropping right at episode one and missing the proper introduction of the premise of a show.

Charmanders_Cock2026-01-08 13:16

That explains why they exist generally, but doesn’t really address why there are so many more during this season specifically compared to others.

nsleep2026-01-08 14:05

I don't have the numbers so this is an educated guess: the success of doing this in the past few years, after streaming became a huge part of the anime market, specially with some key series, encouraged them to do this more often for series they believe that has a potential to be a hit. And this season in particular just happened to have more series they're trying to push hard.

cosmiczar2026-01-08 14:40

Happenstance. For one, Sentenced to Be Hero was delayed from its original October 2025 premiere. If we're counting Fake/strange Fake, that started airing this season with a rebroadcast of the special + the actual episode 1, that was also delayed from a 2025 broadcast.

Because of things like that we got more double premieres than it would have normally get.

awesomenessofme12026-01-08 14:36

What I've always wondered is why some of them are treated as two episodes releasing at once and some of them are treated as a single double-length episode.

Muted-Conference29002026-01-08 12:40

Gosso Kaisen Thursdays are coming back. I am excited for this. Words can't describe how much i enjoy this show.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-08 12:45

Happy slavery day to all who celebrate!

[](#mugiwait)

mekerpan2026-01-08 15:23

???

oedipusrex3762026-01-08 15:46

Likely talking about [Mato Slave S2](https://myanimelist.net/anime/58505/Mato_Seihei_no_Slave_2)

mekerpan2026-01-08 15:54

Aha!

I barely remember S1 of this.

oedipusrex3762026-01-08 13:28

Today’s the first episode premiere of The Holy Grail of Eris, and I’m super hyped. It’s got Suletta’s, Guel’s, and Nijika’s VAs, and I’ve seen a surprising number of Japanese accounts talking about the show on X. The LN/manga seems decently popular, at least going by the Amazon JP reviews.

AdUnfair5582026-01-08 13:49

I finished **Frieren.** I honestly think it was that whole mage test thing that really bored me out because last two episodes actually returned to what it was like before and I had no trouble with them. It was really just introducing WAY too many characters at once when the show up until then focused on such a small cast of characters.

Next is finishing **Slayers Next.**

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-08 13:55

I may be a day late to talking about the death game maids, but wow, Ueno knocked it out of the park with this one. Really hope the whole season can somewhat keep up with the caliber of eccentric shot compositions and color design on display in the first episode.

ProgressFew56132026-01-08 14:02

Hello, this is my first comment on an adult or similar anime search...

Sometime in the period 2005 - 2007, before my first computer appeared, I was watching TV, there was such a scene... Stylistically, it looks like it's from the 80s and 90s, when there was a lot of weird but brutal anime.

At night, in a dark alley or in a landfill, among a pile of garbage on the ground, a girl lay almost naked (in my memory, for some reason, a cyborg for adult services), it seems the camera was showing her from top to bottom...

Some kid or guy notices her (I don't know her age), he stretches out his hand to her to touch something ...

But his gaze drew attention to ... panties or thongs on her, he wants to put his palm there... but something starts beeping... there were some more shots, but it was very vague and there was an explosion. That's it.

I didn't find such a description, it's definitely not hentai (it wasn't familiar to me) and not someone's tape, because I didn't have a video recorder, as well as friends at that time.

I have little ability to search for such things, so I hope for our understanding and search.

p.s.

I'll add that it was on Russian television, but I don't know what channel it could be, which only complicates the search...

flamethrower22026-01-08 14:12

I didn't mind too much when I read the original work, but in *Production Magic*, the dismissal of the ability to "create whatever you can imagine, as long as you have the materials" doesn't survive suspension of disbelief. A lot of times alchemy is the skill that gets this treatment and it's similar. The reason given: you can make anything you want anyway if you have the manpower.

I read another work, Royal Rebound. It is a minor detail but in the background story of this work, MC Amelia used her water magic to water the crops during droughts. In the setting, this is typically not done "because the peasants do that" with barrel carts and river water, and nobles are the ones who use magic. It ends up being plot important, but not for the reason you might think.

LordWeirdSloughFeg2026-01-08 14:12

Is reddit the best place to find new anime? I'm watching everything on Crunchyroll but after finding Sentenced to be a Hero and Wash it all Away through reddit threads I've realiswd that Crunchyroll is kinda miss with recommendations. All I see are those popular anime that are already famous. Where do you guys find new stuff?

flamethrower22026-01-08 14:21

https://randomc.net/2025/12/22/winter-2026-preview/ There are many words there. Not a quick read. And then feel free to watch whatever interests you.

Animeschedule.net to see when each show is on.

TehAxelius2026-01-08 14:38

Mostly I find new stuff (or new stuff to me at least) through this subreddit or talking to other friends who watch anime. Crunchyroll's recommendations have always been near useless for me.

For new seasons I usually go through the Livechart or MAL season pages and have a look for stuff that seems interesting. And sometimes I do the same for old seasons, checking out what aired a specific season 10 or 20 years ago and see if there's anything interesting there.

Durinthal2026-01-08 15:22

I started off by hanging around here (or any decently large anime community, really) and any time someone named an anime I wasn't familiar with I'd look it up and if it seemed interesting I'd put it on my plan to watch list. There are also the [start/end of season surveys](/r/anime/comments/1pzoyu0/the_start_of_winter_2026_survey_results/) to see what people are interested in here.

These days I trawl the database sites like [MyAnimeList](https://myanimelist.net/anime.php) and [Anilist](https://anilist.co/search/anime) to look for things that match what genres I'm looking for or sometimes just seeing what's available by year/season.

wloff2026-01-08 15:22

Whenever I see people talk about a show really positively, on Reddit or otherwise, I tend to check it out on MyAnimeList and if it looks even vaguely interesting to me I slap it on my Plan to Watch. I have now 188 shows on there, and the list is growing at an alarming pace.

I'm not sure if my method is very good, but at least I'm never going to run out of things to watch. >.<

TheBlessedBoy992026-01-08 15:24

Yes. My plan to watch list ballooned to become twice the size of completed list after I started going on this subreddit.

Puddo2026-01-08 16:25

I do find Reddit works pretty well. The popular hits will also dominate this place, but you'll have a wide variety of users and some with pretty eccentric tastes. You'll have people who watch almost everything in a specific genre, oldheads, arthouse fans, the "I watched every seasonal" fan, animation nerds (in a positive way) with lots of knowledge about animation or the industry. So just by hanging around you'll run into people talking about their little niche with a passion and all the anime that get buried by the popular hits. So over time your PTW will slowly grow and grow and turn into some colossal list with more you can ever watch. Eventually you'll know some "hidden gems" of a genre without even having watched that genre.

Charmanders_Cock2026-01-08 16:58

The only place that’s worked better for me is wandering aimlessly through MAL interest stacks. Take any anime you really enjoyed, go to its MAL page and then find the interest stacks it’s in. There’ll almost always be more than a few. While some are meh, there‘s also a ton that are actually really well curated and thoughtfully made.

Niirai2026-01-08 14:30

After the first episode, I was fully prepared to hate watch Gekai Elise. But unlike pretty much every other anime I've seen in this genre, it actually gets better over time instead of worse. It even allowed a side character to be useful without the MC heroically swooping in and saving the day. She's still annoying though.

Nomar_952026-01-08 14:35

if you end up liking the show, give the manhwa a read. It's a complete story

awesomenessofme12026-01-08 14:35

Well, after getting through Shiboyugi episode 1, it definitely is good so far, but I had two noteworthy criticisms. The first is the pacing. There was never any individual moment that stuck out as a major issue, but it kept lingering just a bit too long, and not in a way that helped build tension. By the end of the episode, it felt like they could have trimmed down the runtime by like 10% without affecting the quality. The other issue is the egregious overuse of that low-detail vector art looking style. It doesn't look terrible in a vacuum, but I swear it felt like a third of the episode.

(Also, it seems like kind of nonsensical worldbuilding that there are events that you proactively sign up for and have a ~50% mortality rate, but they don't provide enough of a reward to set you up for life. But that's just an inherent part of the premise of the series, so I'm not going to call it a knock against it. Suspension of disbelief and all that. Or maybe Yuki is just a money hoarder and has a massive bank account.)

SSjjlex2026-01-08 15:31

Regarding both your criticisms, seems like that is very much just the Director's style as their previous work Gimai Seikatsu used both of them extensively as well (as sort of a signature I suppose), and if anything it feels like they've ramped it up more for this anime. I personally love it but I won't blame people for not being a fan of it. So basically buckle up because it probably wont be going away

Puddo2026-01-08 15:26

Read [this interview](https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/inside-dwarf-studios-japans-king) on Animation Obsessive with studio Dwarf members and Yuriko Okada mentions that stopmotion is very small in Japan and that Dwarf's employee staff is around 30. With Tomoki Misato (Pui Pui Molcar, My Melody & Kuromi) having a new anime upcoming with Candy Caries I ended up on Wit's YT channel with short interviews with staff members from My Melody and Kuromi. It's kinda cute to see it's just a bunch of Geidai alumni. It really is a small industry.

Obviously Misato himself with his disturbing but incredibly made [My Little Goat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8DLl05iM4w) that immediately made him a name to watch, but also Kei Sato who made one of my favourite student films with [That's why they were made](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc5PbiSjFpI). Bunch of faceless robots, no dialogue and a stationary camera but he manages to give the robots so much personality. Also really liked his [A Pawn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8vOpKR8xkI). So it's nice to see he's Misato's partner in crime. Makes sense with them being at Geidai around the same time. But it doesn't end there. Leina Muramatsu also [graduated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aekxa53F5L0) around that time and we also see her on My Melody & Kuromi. People might know her from the second Frieren [ED](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAOQDCF0jQE) she directed. Harune Sato also [graduated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDmrdjyGgPI) from Geidai around that time and again we see her on My Melody. Finally Anna Takagi [graduated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01KFdx457Z0) a bit later but also joined the team. All interesting creators in their own right and the end result is some stunning innovative stopmotion with My Melody & Kuromi.

ZaphodBeebblebrox2026-01-08 21:52

That interview was quite interesting, thanks for sharing!

I've seen the first two student films you linked, but not the others (or _My Melody_). I clearly should.

[](#mugiwait)

lalunafelis2026-01-08 22:10

I think it's an opportunity for WIT to go full Aardman at this point.

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-08 15:58

Watched the first of the three Mardock Scramble movies yesterday. Pretty fun Cyberpunk story, and a rare GoHands production that didn't give me motion sickness just watching (must be because its an older work before they locked on to their "signature" style...)

The best bit in it were the character names though... Medium the Fingernail, Boiled Dimsdale, Rune Balot (our heroine), Rare the Hair, and my absolute favorite: Welldone the Pussyhand.

awesomenessofme12026-01-08 15:59

Apparently the manga has been announced to be ending soon, so... Dangers in My Heart S3 when? (I know about the movie, but even if it gets a proper theatrical release it's not really a full sequel.)

Abysswatcherbel2026-01-08 16:21

Gosso doing JJK is like Wes Anderson doing another Ironman Trilogy

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 20:13

*Me, who doesn't know who Gosso is, who doesn't watch JJK, who hasn't watched Ironman or anything Wes Anderson ever did, trying to figure out whether that's a good or a bad thing*

[](#dontgetit)

TheBlessedBoy992026-01-08 16:37

I rarely watch currently airing anime even more seldomly anime I've read the source material for but after all the hype I decided to check out Shiboyugi. Damn, did that first episode have me floored. Talk about elevating the source material. Fortunately, it's been a few years since I read the first volume, so I couldn't remember \[Vague Spoilers\] >!who died and I had even completely forgotten about the ending so that really got me.!<

The art was what first caught my attention back in 2022, and they managed to carry its beauty over from novel to anime which is very impressive. The directing style works great for a double length first episode, but I wonder if it'll lose its shine as the season goes on. But anyways, I can't wait for more to come.

Charmanders_Cock2026-01-08 16:56

Should probably spoiler tag the last sentence of your first paragraph. I haven’t watched yet, but that definitely sounds spoiler-y.

TheBlessedBoy992026-01-08 16:57

Just did, but it is a death game anime so I didn't think that would need to be tagged.

Charmanders_Cock2026-01-08 17:00

Ah, that makes sense then, I don’t really know anything about it other than it being highly praised rn so I plan to check it out eventually.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 20:11

[Shiboyugi]>!Death Games don't always have people dying in the first episode!!<

dead_shoulders2026-01-08 16:41

If anime movies aren't canon, why don't they just kill characters off?

Salty1452026-01-08 17:14

Usually they’re designed to exist plausibly within the same universe as the TV series, even if the material is original. Audiences are assumed to not really know any better and changes to characters would confuse the audience.

Durinthal2026-01-08 17:16

There's a difference between canon and continuity; from my understanding most anime-original films for shounen adventure series like Naruto and One Piece could ostensibly fit in as some side adventure that was just skipped over with future material occasionally contradicting that. Doing something that disrupts that integration might be harder to justify to the audience and there's no way you could say something like "this fits in between episodes 480 and 481" if one of the characters that shows up in 481 dies in the film.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 20:01

> There's a difference between canon and continuity

^

If it became a trend to kill off characters "because it's not canon" (and they come back in the canon stuff) no one would watch movies anymore.

Well, other than those who watch them for the *epic sakuga* and stuff.

cyberscythe2026-01-08 20:22

if you made a movie that wasn't canon, would you kill characters

[](#sakuraconcern)

mr_beanoz2026-01-08 22:42

Sometimes there are continuity problems that make movies not fit to canon, see the many DBZ movies as example.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-08 16:45

choosing between hidive and amazon is the eternal struggle.

[](#frustration "yes I am watching seasonally.")

Guess I'll just download both.

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-08 17:40

Continuing on Chained Soldier:

~~As expected, both encodes kind of suck, but I think I massively prefer the subtitles on Amazon compared to hidive.~~

Scratch that, I forgot amazon has literally no typesetting at all.

[](#frustration)

God can CR just get a monopoly and jack up the prices already so i dont have to deal with this bullshit

Salty1452026-01-08 17:14

Finally under 1000 episodes left.

SSjjlex2026-01-08 17:17

Roll Over and Die's JP name being abbreviated to "omagoto" is one of the choices of all time

Abysswatcherbel2026-01-08 20:04

Zzz community every minute

Galaxy40k2026-01-08 17:38

While I've been reporting in about my Kingdom progress, people have been hyping up S3.

Dude I just watched the first episode of S3 and holy FUCK. Now THAT is how you build hype. That's just insane. How TF can they actually get out of this

Peak (historical) fiction

_Ridley2026-01-08 18:23

That arc is amazing. I can't believe how hyped it had me for a godforsaken *war*.

Popular-Paint-93272026-01-08 17:45

Does anyone hate it as much as me when someone is talking about a fight between two characters because and someone says "oh he scales way higher than him" when all we are talking about is how cool the fight would be.
I don't care if someone destroys a city and the other an universe, if the interaction between their powers or their style of fighting is interesting I'm interested.

vancevon2026-01-08 18:25

so, who would win in a fight, then

cyberscythe2026-01-08 20:14

the gorilla

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 19:59

Even putting powerscaling discussions aside, I don't really care much for fights of the "My random bullshit is stronger than your random bullshit!" nature.

Popular-Paint-93272026-01-08 20:31

True, I honestly think what's interesting about fights isn't power, but the interactions between the way people fight. It's also the reason why I like tactical evolution or adaptive evolution rather than raw power evolution in a character

cyberscythe2026-01-08 20:19

it's like those people who don't know how to play "would you rather"; they don't get that the hypothetical arguing is the fun part

they pose questions like "would you rather... win a million dollars, or get leprosy"

Popular-Paint-93272026-01-08 20:33

I saw a guy reacting to a "10 fights I'd pay to see" slideshow and he just kept saying "he destroyed him" and just said "these match ups makes no sense" ignoring what actually these characters are, such as fire user vs fire user, battle of the strongest in their show, etc

tiny_nova2026-01-08 18:20

I'm glad you guys are eating so good. Can someone help me find the bread and peanut butter so I can make a sandwich? Cuz I think I'm allergic to all this stuff.

* Doesn't look like I want any of these sequels. No Frieren, JJK, ONK, Fire Force, MG Ghost, etc
* No isekai. No banished adventures
* No josei. Probably
* Fan service/ecchi is fine. But I'm hungry, I don't want a can of chuhai
* Like seinen better than shonen
* Comedy, romance, and slice of life preferred
* Action and sci fi welcome
* Girl band and mystery rank pretty high too.

My top hits from this past year were *Kamen Rider*, *Food Court*, *You and the Rain*, *Rock is a Lady's Modesty*, and *Apocalypse Hotel*.

_Ridley2026-01-08 18:36

> Comedy, romance, and slice of life preferred

Tamon's B-Side should treat you right. It's a romcom starring Saori Hayami about an idol stan who ends up cleaning her fave's apartment at her housekeeping job, discovering in the process that his offstage and onstage personalities are polar opposites.

> No josei. Probably

If this isn't a hard limit, Journal with Witch is a fantastic drama about a woman taking in her teenage niece after the girl's parents die in an accident. Very well produced, with Miyuki Sawashiro as the aunt.

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-08 18:37

Have you considered trying Shiboyugi, the death game maid anime, and for some romcom fun Tamon's B-side?

wloff2026-01-08 21:29

For pure slice of life vibes, Wash It All Away has possibly the best girl of the season, immaculate vibes, hints of romance or even some mystery coming up, maybe? But really just good honest slice of life in the first episode. A really positive surprise for me.

_Ridley2026-01-08 18:31

How is Crunchyroll dubbing Misanthrope teacher and Daily Grind, cheap starchy filler nobody was anticipating, but not Ikoku Nikki or Tamon's B-Side, popular series they've been promoting for months? I don't understand them, honest to god.

IXajll2026-01-08 19:19

> nobody was anticipating

[](#mentioned)

> cheap starchy filler

Wtf, rude.

_Ridley2026-01-08 19:50

> Wtf, rude.

Are you saying that two titles with zero overseas fans given to studios asread. and HORNETS are not afterthoughts tossed at the wall by Kadokawa to see what happens?

IXajll2026-01-08 20:16

Lol, that's a lot of assumptions based on just 2 words. All I'm saying is that it's uncalled for to just randomly shit on two shows (while also dismissing any people who actually *were* anticipating them) just to vent about some dub argument you don't even have any stakes in in the first place, with you being mainly a sub watcher anyway afaik. Don't act like you wouldn't speak up just the same if I just randomly shittalked your beancounter show or something.

_Ridley2026-01-08 20:37

I'm not shit-talking them. I'm just pointing out that they have no fanbase behind them and are treated as schedule filler by Kadokawa. They're probably perfectly enjoyable 7/10 anime for people looking for what they offer.

> some dub argument you don't even have any stakes in in the first place

My stake in this is 1. I want to see these two reach as wide an audience as they can since they're the best looking shoujosei adaptations we've seen in years, and 2. I want to be able to buy them on Blu-ray, and having a dub is a good sign something will get a physical release.

> Don't act like you wouldn't speak up just the same if I just randomly shittalked your beancounter show or something.

Oh, you mean like how people decided to reply to my happy bean counter day comment the other day with their criticism of the show? Which I didn't pick a fight over?

IXajll2026-01-08 21:04

I'm not complaining since I take no issue at all with this clarified take:

> perfectly enjoyable 7/10 anime for people looking for what they offer.

but going to that (could have just phrased it similarly to that in the first place and I wouldn't have said anything to begin with) from "cheap starchy filler nobody was anticipating" is just plain backpaddling. Like without context nobody would believe that you are talking about the same shows with these two wildly differing takes.

> I want to see these two reach as wide an audience as they can since they're the best looking shoujosei adaptations we've seen in years

Fair enough.

> my happy bean counter day comment the other day with their criticism of the show? Which I didn't pick a fight over?

I honestly couldn't recall any backlash in that chain, but I went back and checked and besides the mass of happy replies you got, I guess you're technically correct that there were like 1 or 2 not entirely positive comments, so point taken if you insist.

_Ridley2026-01-08 21:43

> I guess you're technically correct that there were like 1 or 2 not entirely positive comments, so point taken if you insist.

I'll remind you that you picked today's stupid fight over me calling B-tier shows cheap starchy filler, which is "not entirely positive" at most.

IXajll2026-01-08 22:12

Since when is saying "wtf, rude" even "picking a fight"? That was little more than a slightly pissed off version of saying "that wasn't very nice". I didn't even necessarily expect a reply to that. I guess I should've added a comment face or something.

And to clarify, the "nobody was anticipating" was mainly the triggering part, rather than the "cheap starchy filler", and I find it hard to believe you weren't aware that your specific choice of words in that initial comment of yours was bound to rub people the wrong way.

awesomenessofme12026-01-08 21:00

People do watch that stuff. One of them I'm pretty likely to watch myself and the other was at least on my radar. I'd much rather they have picked Tamon, but maybe they felt like they were at capacity for shojo(-adjacent) series this season. (Although even then, again, I'd much rather have Tamon than Dark Moon or that villainess one.)

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-08 21:32

I do not think many people who watch that type of shows prefer dubs.

_Ridley2026-01-08 21:45

Which type of show are you saying this about? And what are you basing that on?

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-08 21:49

Like dub is more for casual viewers, I don't think a lot of them are into jousei staff. Maybe some actual 40+ women like my mom, but I do not think a lot of them use CR.

_Ridley2026-01-08 21:56

If it's only casual viewers watching dubs, then why dub the deep backlist titles like daily grind and misanthrope teacher that only the die hard seasonal fans watch?

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-08 21:59

Because it is yet another generic fantasy/isekai and a comedy with cute girls. Just like casual viewers like?

_Ridley2026-01-08 22:51

IIRC, the data shows that casuals don't really watch them. People who watch a lot of anime watch them.

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-08 23:00

When I don't know. These shows whenever niche they are do look like something marketing twam may think "it will be more popular dubbed". Ikkoku Nikki is not.

zairaner2026-01-08 18:41

Happy slaver killing day!

Episode 1 of **roll over and die** was ok. Not that much different yet, apart from the even higher levels of edge, though I was surprised that [roll over and die episode]>!only 1 party member was actually evil!<. But am mostly only continue watching for the same reason I started watching in [the first place](https://imgur.com/VUw3zEC).

_Ridley2026-01-08 18:45

> But am mostly only continue watching for the same reason I started watching in the first place.

The fuck are those names?

zairaner2026-01-08 18:49

These are probably among the more normal names, there wasn't even any [random german](https://imgur.com/BFAjTUB) in there.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 19:54

*Souleater Zweihänder*

It's making me want to both watch Souleater, and play Diablo 2

[](#flustered)

wloff2026-01-08 21:17

I sometimes wonder if Japanese viewers have a similar reaction looking at names like those, like "how the hell am I supposed to read this weird-ass clump of katakana".

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 19:55

*Milk my apricot. Milkit!*

[](#bigthink)

Korkez112026-01-08 21:11

For some reason I remembered the character named Fa***t from the infamous "Limbo of the Lost"

Wanderingjoke2026-01-08 22:02

I'll admit I misread that name as Milk-tit. Then I went back and the real name isn't any better.

Nachtwandler_FS2026-01-08 21:31

As a Ukrainian I laught at the chosen heroine name while reading the LNs.

Yeah, this girl has an exclusively male name and her surname is "Candle".

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-08 18:48

Sick day, but I ate good with that first Culling Game episode. Dunno what exactly it is yet, but this season is giving me Devilman Crybaby levels of excellence.

oedipusrex3762026-01-08 18:50

First impression of The Holy Grail of Eris. Pretty solid first episode. The production values are a step up from the director’s previous work (Lost Song), though for villainess anime they’re more or less standard. They trimmed a lot of the LN’s long intro, and the pacing still flows well. We’re only seeing about 1% of Scarlett Castiel’s true greatness so far.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 19:17

Can we stop the double premieres please? I'm like 285 episodes behind this season already and trying not to make it worse.

[AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH](#panic)

GondolaMedia2026-01-08 20:44

Just wait till we get to the point where half the seasonals debut with 3 episodes!

[](#kukuku)

cyberscythe2026-01-08 21:07

or every show debuts with a 4-hour-long block of 12 episodes stitched together and nothing else for the rest of the season

[](#sassyimouto)

Ocixo2026-01-08 21:38

Or what about all new anime being scheduled to run for the whole year but only having a new episode once every 3-4 weeks.

cyberscythe2026-01-08 21:46

counter-point: each season has one new episode every hour, but each episode is only 8 seconds long

Wanderingjoke2026-01-08 21:59

Hello, Netflix executive!

[deleted]2026-01-08 20:10

[removed]

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-08 20:13

[This](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/d633f00045dc.jpg) looks like an amazing band anime, I wonder when it will start airing.

[](#smugrose)

IXajll2026-01-08 20:20

S1 and S2 really do be like night and day, already after just 1 ep. Also thank god they properly cooked with Ren so far, we eating good.

Tomorrow_Big2026-01-08 20:27

There's just too many good shows this season, and I still got 16 seasonals left to debut. If only there was a way to add more hours to the day.

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-08 20:37

Good crop of series today. I enjoyed both Invisible Man and Holy Grail of Eris well enough, but Mappa have outdone themselves with JJK and for now its probably my favorite series of the season... couldn't have believed that after season 2... Now off to watch Champignon Witch and then its a wrap for the evening.

harrietubmansburner2026-01-08 20:46

what are your thoughts on 86? I personally really really like it amazing plot line would you say it’s overrated however? Or under appreciated?

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-08 20:52

It's one of my favorite mecha shows (which is saying something considering how many I've seen). Reminded me of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (one of my *other* favorite mecha shows) in all the right ways, so if anything I wish more fans of 86 would go check out IBO.

awesomenessofme12026-01-08 21:02

It's definitely my favorite anime *with the mecha tag*, although I'd honestly debate if it's a mecha anime as such.

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-08 21:06

Please don't. It is 100% a mecha anime even if the mechs don't look humanoid.

Zeallfnonex2026-01-08 21:18

But we can have so much *fun* debating what's the line between a tank and a mech! If you just give a tank legs instead of wheels or treads but keep everything else the same, would a military show now be classified as a mecha show?

~~I'm kidding I really don't want to have this debate~~

Esovan132026-01-08 22:13

You start getting into the risk of participating in the arguments that military equipment nerds have about what counts as a tank versus an armored car versus an IFV versus an AFV versus an APC versus etc etc etc.

AngleRepulsive54702026-01-08 21:03

Yeah Shiboyugi has a great first episode, very intriguing. And this is probably an unpopular opinion \[Shiboyugi\]>!but regarding Momono and Beniya, they are alright. I see some people dislike them for playing favouritism or cowards and expect them to face consequences. I think at worst, they are just kinda cowards because they gave up on Kinko so easily at the elevator, but they still agreed to cut off their legs after being convinced. I don’t really have a problem with Beniya being biased towards Momono, it’s not like she wanted the others to die. The real problem was that she hesitated for a few seconds on whether she should just biasly help Momono, which caused a delay. If she had just quickly decided to give the key to Momono, even if she was being biased, there might still have been time for Aoi. But tbh, they already wasted a few seconds by fighting for the key initially anyway. Btw I also actually expected them to die too lol. But not because I dislike them, I just thought there would only be 1 survivor besides Yuki, and I expected Kinko to be that one.!<

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 21:18

Haven't seen these comments, but if that's really an unpopular opinion [Shiboyugi]>!I would love to see anyone who trash them for favoritism, play these games with a family member or wife/husband or their best friend... Would they really be impartial? I don't judge people for something I'd do myself. If I'm in this game with my brother, you can be sure no one would touch that fucking key until we're both free! But putting that aside: I talked about it in the thread, but favoritism (if done right) would not be objectively bad for the group. What was bad for the group, was them fighting for 10 seconds at the start. If they had said KINKO GETS THE KEY! and everyone let her have it, then AOI GETS THE KEY etc.. they might have been saved. The fact that they instead gave it to each other, would not be an issue, if they had all moved fast. The hesitation/fight was the problem, not the favoritism!!<

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-08 21:12

I was thinking about this, girls cutting their hair to signify a big change in their life/attitude is a common trope, but [title]>!Playing Death Games!< it might be the first time I see it happen for a legitimate plot reason!

Alt22212026-01-08 23:02

Red Data Girl does it really well. plot related

Korkez112026-01-08 21:30

Champignon Witch be like: "I know writers who use "show don't tell" principle and they're all cowards".

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-08 21:34

Champignon Witch is devastatingly deceptive. I thought I was getting cute mushroom fantasy, and, well, there’s that, but this one delivered me emotional gut punches along the way. Luna is already certified as must protect at all costs.

Ocixo2026-01-08 21:57

I’m liking that the [OP for Roll Over and Die](https://youtu.be/CUdMc-TYOIs) is metal in more than one way. Gets you in the right mood for the episode.

Similarly, [Wash It All Away’s ED](https://youtu.be/kCERfeJ2HWI) fits the show’s soothing feeling really well. We’re getting treated to some good slice of life series during this winter.

Journal with Witch takes the crown in this regard. [Its OP](https://youtu.be/g_nDJVMvSD8) is probably the best one that I’ve seen so far into the season.

Abysswatcherbel2026-01-08 22:31

Waiting fome someone to comment about Mato seihei here to see if I even bother with the new season

mr_beanoz2026-01-08 22:38

I wonder why there seem to be not much engagement with my rewatch posts compared to everyone else's.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-09 02:23

Rewatches are mostly about the shows, and interactions imho. (No one likes to post in a void).

I don't think I've ever been in your rewatches (to be fair, I've only ever been in like 3, ever), so I don't know what they're like, but I looked at your current rewatch to see what it was, and apparently there was not one person in the 'interest thread', so maybe the show just doesn't get anyone hyped.

I looked at the top rewatches of the past years; Almost all of them are either INSANELY popular shows that are still all the hype (Frieren, CSM, etc...), shows that have big sequel upcoming (so people want to catchup to it, or rewatch it to refresh their memories).

A show that's decades old, doesn't generate any hype, and is barely ever talked about anymore, probably won't gather much interest (no matter how 'big' it was back then). Which isn't to say old shows can't get rewatches, but say there's a different between say Death Note (that is literally recommended 50 times a day), or Captain Tsubasa (which I'm not sure I've seen mentioned even once in all of 2025).

Other than that, people are just trying to have a good fun time; Like the Prison School rewatch, it wasn't a super recent show, and there's no sequel upcoming,and it's not massively recommended/talked about... But the format was crazy fun, there was lots of interaction, and so on.

Quiddity1312026-01-09 05:51

Good points and probably the single biggest factor. I'd personally love to host a Galaxy Express 999 rewatch on this sub. Will I ever do it? Almost certainly no. It's 113 episodes long and over 45 years old. I'd expect hardly anyone, perhaps no one to participate. One has to be strategic about several things, how popular is the anime, how long is it, has there been a recent rewatch of it already, etc...

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-09 06:00

Are you kidding? There's plenty of people on this sub, *especially* in the "regulars" who participate in rewatches, who absolutely love watching old shows. Time it to an anniversary as a bonus hook and you would 100% get an interested crowd for it.

Quiddity1312026-01-09 05:38

I'd say it comes down to three core things -

1) The anime itself. Is it a good, popular anime? Is it an anime that will drive a lot of conversation? I hosted my rewatch back in May for Shin Sekai Yori and while my love for it certainly factored into me picking it, a big reason was also the fact that it was a mystery show that I knew would spurn a lot of conversation and that's what it did. There are anime I like even more than Shin Sekai Yori but it was the clear choice for me to do a rewatch on over anime I like even more. The length of the anime can play into things as well. I recall several saying a few years ago for the Kyousougiga rewatch that they were able to participate because it was only a 10 episode show. Anime that are very long can have a hard time keeping up the audience and there are some where it may scare them away. I always say that I deeply regretted not participating in the Fruits Basket rewatch here a few years ago and it is still my top /r/anime regret (watching it shortly after it and it being one of my all time favorite anime), but a factor of not doing so was that it was 63 episodes long.

2) Is the host either someone with a good reputation for doing rewatches or a respected member of the rewatch community for which other participants want to see succeed in hosting a rewatch? For example while I certainly can't participate in every rewatch Shimmering-Sky does, I will at least consider it because she has such a long track record of being a rewatch host and participant. Of course every rewatch host has to be a first timer and build up a reputation, but I think it probably did help for me that I'd been participating in them a great many years before I hosted my first one.

3) This may be the biggest thing of all - timing and luck. What other rewatches are occurring at the same time? Are there multiple other rewatches occurring that may steal the thunder, or cause people to have to choose only one and they choose something else? Or is it simply bad timing for people? There's certainly been times where I've wanted to participate in a rewatch, ex. Shimmering-Sky's Macross one and timing simply didn't work out for me. Sometimes it really does just come down to bad luck if there's not much attendance.

[deleted]2026-01-08 22:44

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Shimmering-Sky2026-01-08 22:46

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qwertyqwerty45672026-01-08 22:58

[Chained Soldier S2 Ep 1 Manga vs Anime]>!The first half of the episode is anime original and they skipped chapters 43-45 & 47.5. There is a possibility that maybe some of the content is re-arranged and will be shown later, but most of it probably not.!<

[cont.]>!Those chapters have way better reward scenes than the one right after the OP, which is somewhat similar to one of the cut scenes, but not exactly the same. I am a bit scared/disappointed as the ecchiness of that scene compared to the manga is, may allah forgive for the words i am about to utter - considerably toned down.!<

bandannadann2026-01-08 23:17

Haven't watched yet but it's a good sign that the Mato community seems to be gushing over the first episode. There's a poll on the Discord server and 93% of voters say it's an upgrade over season 1

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-08 23:33

it is an upgrade over season 1, but so far im kind of disappointed still.

Abysswatcherbel2026-01-09 00:26

Guess it is PonyCanyon Slop after all

qwertyqwerty45672026-01-09 00:45

I will cope until the last episode, but yeah things are not looking good so far.

RobinLeaves282026-01-08 23:40

Anime that you keep rewatching over and over? Looking for something new and epic to sink my teeth into

alotmorealots2026-01-09 02:39

I only rewatch comedies myself.

* *Aho Girl*

* *Sabage-bu*

* *Plastic Nee-san*

I did triple watch *The Dangers in My Heart S2* as it was airing if that counts; watched each episode twice on release day and then again later in the week.

Heda-of-Aincrad2026-01-09 03:11

I've been rewatching an episode or two of Full Metal Panic each day for the past year or so. It's my absolute favorite.

A few others I've rewatched often are Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan, Spy x Family and Oshi no Ko.

theangryeditor2026-01-09 00:08

Shiboyugi's first episode wasn't bad. Would've worked well as a short film, but now I'm curious how the rest of the show will follow up on it.

[Shiboyugi]>!It did pretty well making red and especially pink hateable while making you sympathize with blue and hope for yellow's survival. It does make me wonder if there will be attempts at metacommentary on the nature of producing reality death games as entertainment and deliberately crafting a narrative with villains and victims out of it for the audience's enjoyment, but probably not.!<

With the initial mystery and suspense settled it'll be interesting to see what the meat of the series will be.

[](#mugiwait)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-09 02:07

> it'll be interesting to see what the meat of the series will be.

Obviously it'd be nice if it had some more *meat* to it, but to be honest I'm perfectly fine with just [Shiboyugi]>!Here's some new girls, here's some new deadly traps, MORITURI, TE SALUTANT!!<

theangryeditor2026-01-09 02:24

[shiboyami]>!That'll be fine too as long as the death games themselves are entertaining enough!<

vancevon2026-01-09 00:34

[kaichou maid 5] >!ahahahahahahahahahahahahah sexual assault ahahahahahahahahahahahaah very funny (unironically i'm actually laughing for real)!<

theangryeditor2026-01-09 00:46

[Champignon Witch]>!You go girl, make your husbando real [](#toradorasalute)!<

Salty1452026-01-09 01:03

A man can only dream that the trend of overprocessed anime visual design is coming to an end.

I mean… it’s far from dead, but enough high profile series are starting to adopt sharper, flatter, and more colorful styles that one can only hope the trend chasers will soon follow

Time_Fracture2026-01-09 01:11

Tried to watch Champignon Witch but the animation is pretty rough to the point I think it falls into a light anime. At least the OP is good.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 01:13

I need to somehow hit pause on new releases for a few days so I can catch up already. Falling so far behind. All I managed to watch last night was half an episode of Invisible Man before I passed out. I liked it too. Kind of sweet and easy to watch.

Before that, I finally finished Twisted Wonderland, which was nice enough (though it tricked me and had hardly any Uchi boo). But more than anything, I was just happy to get one show off my list.

Hell's Paradise rewatch ends tomorrow but I'm possibly joining another one - something Arjuna - mainly for Yoko Kanno.

And all the big hitters are starting this weekend when I'm travelling aaaaaa

Sundays are just too insanely stacked. I'll be playing catch up all week long on just the Sunday releases. This season is getting to be too unwieldy. Fall was much better paced with the schedule spread out nicely.

Am I the only one struggling so? How do those of you who watch 20+ shows a season manage?

Wanderingjoke2026-01-09 01:55

We don't. I'm still working on Fall.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 02:11

[](#womanlytears)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-09 02:03

>Falling so far behind.

The secret ingredient is drops!

[Dropped!](#thebutton)

But yeah...

> Am I the only one struggling so?

[](#panic)

It's quite crazy with all these double premieres... I'm watching the good stuff first, and when I'm left with just the stuff I'm not that interested in, I can see myself dropping 3/4 of them.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 02:14

Yeah, I'm probably going to have to drop a shit ton of shows that I'd normally watch.

They need to have a limit on how many double premieres are allowed in a season. It's getting quite out of hand here!

_Ridley2026-01-09 02:18

> How do those of you who watch 20+ shows a season manage?

No job, no school, no kids, nothing to do but entertain my disabled self.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 02:28

I've always looked forward to retirement, ever since I started working pretty much, but I'm more eager to get there now simply to watch anime in peace. Don't see it happening for another 15-20 years at least though. 😭

_Ridley2026-01-09 02:35

Yeah, I'll never understand the people who get bored when they retire. There's so much fun to have!

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 02:41

Yeah, it's the working and having to make ends meet that's boring. Everything else can be fun in life. That's why I couldn't relate at all to our Bean Counter. Still love him though.

Salty1452026-01-09 01:13

Winter 2026: *The Stories of* (two) *Witches Who Couldn’t Get a Proper Budget*

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 02:33

One's Champignon, which is the other?

Salty1452026-01-09 03:16

Am I gonna get hanged for saying *Journal with Witch*?

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 03:23

[](#shock)

Rotorscope2026-01-09 03:45

Yes because it's an above average production at worst. I think it's a subtle but high-quality production personally.

Salty1452026-01-09 04:01

I'll give you that its not as bad as *Champignon Witch*, but it's definitely worse than the writing deserves. It's got a pretty good story and character writing, but could use a little more on the visual front to move it up into the top tier of works this season.

It's kind of like *Medalist*. It's a show that you can tell has the bones to be truly great, but thanks to a middling production is kind of capped at being little more than a seasonal novelty. Then again, we do only have one episode so far, so maybe things pick up a little more as the season goes on.

Rotorscope2026-01-09 04:26

I mean what's your definition of a middling production haha. Because compared to a "base" anime production Journal with Witch is very high quality. The drawings and art style is great, the OST is top tier and matches the vibe perfectly, the direction is subtle but effective, the expressions are well done and the secondary animation is good. Sure it's not flashy sakuga but it's a good production.

Like yeah it's not Takopi's Original Sin but...

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 04:30

I thought it looked very nice and the art was beautiful. I don't know much about animation and production, but I wouldn't have pegged this for a low budget production at all. Looked quite high quality to me and very lovingly made.

_Ridley2026-01-09 05:32

This is your worst opinion yet, ngl.

IXajll2026-01-09 09:04

Yea, hard to think of anything worse tbh lol.

Salty1452026-01-09 11:04

I pride myself on always striving to be better than I was yesterday.

zairaner2026-01-09 12:20

It probably is, but at least it gave me some insight into the minds of the people who said mayonaka has the worst production values ever.

entelechtual2026-01-09 03:54

Just because it’s got pretentious direction doesn’t mean the budget is lacking, just the creativity.

Psyduckisnotaduck2026-01-09 05:45

nobody's going to hang you, they're just all going to think you have no ability to determine production quality.

IXajll2026-01-09 09:04

[](#cokemasterrace)

Rotorscope2026-01-09 01:18

**Invisible Man** is great! An adult office romance that actually manages to look fantastic (the art style is high quality), a fun setting, unique character dynamics, and just gets straight to the point with the sugary fluff. Makes for my 3rd weekly of the season so far.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 02:35

Yeah, picked this up on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. Nice feel good adult romance. As packed as my season is, I think I'll keep this one.

collapsedblock62026-01-09 01:19

[Its fantasy anime time again](https://imgur.com/02z8B05). Agh, these impressions are looking negative but guys, I swear I already am enjoying this season more than the last already (kinda). At least there are things intrigue me, such as:

* Shiboyugi - Really interesting indeed. This maid death game is like, Monogatari meets Saw, much slower and less dialogue though. But really cool aesthetic and directing. [Didn't expect]>!for the game to end right this episode. So this will be episodic games? That will make it a bit hard to care about any characters, the MC is already a death game pro too and didn’t give much reason to care so far.!< [Lots of interesting stuff around]>!I didn’t expect the deaths to come so early, maybe one at the end for hook but by the half point I expected the MC to be the sole survivor. The cotton blood was a surprise, at first I thought it was fancy censorship but they really were made of cotton. Me and friends theorized whether it was weird magic/science that puts them in doll bodies or maybe they are inside some VR SAO-type game. Also the MC mentioned them having spectators. Just many small elements that make it interesting.!< I did call the ending ‘puzzle’, it was just leaving too many trails to not end like that.

Oh, don’t think this directing will be your style, /u/Amethystitalian.

* Vacation Recommendation - One of the more boring fantasy shows I have seen in a while. The premise started with this earth shattering tweak, it's an isekai but the MC is already from a fantasy world. He just goes from one fantasy world to another that is similar to his but just not the same. Unfortunately it has the most uninspired storyboards of all time, they spend like 10 minutes in this room yapping about the details of the MC’s isekai summon and the camera keeps jumping to the same 3 angles several times, and negative charisma on all of these guys. Oh right, this is an male cast, but it makes no difference, it is still really boring and generic.

* Sentenced to be a Hero - Mmm, wait, that was it? I mean, sure it is 50 minutes of really well produced action, and in this economy! No small feat. But otherwise it is just another fantasy, with a healthy dose of edge. Teoritta was fun, I will give it that. And I like this take on the cowardly sidekick, not enough dialogue to be annoying, not loud, and I dig this kleptomaniac habit that somehow saved the day twice. It's a neat twist to a flaw that is so universally frowned. Then towards the end it gives more backstory and set up with this Shield Hero-ass trial, didn’t care much for this or the MC as a whole but it wasn’t a dealbreaker by any means.

Not bad, not great. I will keep it for now.

* Hanakimi - This girl has a Matou Sakura moment after seeing some dude doing high jumps and transfers school to the other side of the world to get penis. Sadly, I found her passive and bland, the motivation a bit silly. Similarly, the main guy is just the classic stoic and quiet guy, he is just boring. The blonde bestie is good, he is cool and hints a conflict over his newfound bi/homosexuality. The nurse I thought would be the token age gap creeplord, instead he is just a gay man but hey, he is the variant that hates women so, still based. Overall, it was a bit dull. I feel this would be funnier if the guys and humor were more…guys, think of Grand Blue. A comment that sounds massively hypocritical given my consumption of moe girls anime but this is just a general take of me thinking it would be better. I just think more boyish guys would lend itself to more hijinks. As it is, Hanakimi is just really w/e.

* Blind guy isekai - I was mildly interested by the premise and oh wow shocker, it feels the same as any other fantasy show. Remove the first two minutes and you get a typical fantasy show of a prodigy child growing up. I will say I really liked the maid, she is so enthusiastic and positive towards the MC, it feels like seeing a mom constantly cheering for her son. She was fun and endearing ngl. But everything else meh.

wloff2026-01-09 02:07

> Sentenced to be a Hero - Mmm, wait, that was it?

I had a pretty similar reaction, honestly. Sure, it was a lot of really beautiful action, but for a full hour, very little actually happened. And in the end when we did get the whole exposition dump, it felt really heavy-handed and on the nose. I could've almost done without the whole [Sentenced to be a Hero]>!trial scene in the end; just ending the episode with the ominous "he murdered a Goddess" declaration would've been much more impactful and memorable, I think.!<

But it *was* some really beautiful action and interesting characters, so I'm happy to let them cook and see where the story goes.

mr_beanoz2026-01-09 04:51

Is Kunon an isekai?

collapsedblock62026-01-09 05:12

It actually isn't, I wrote that as a quick meme title because I couldn't recall the name lol. But you know, its about the vibes.

Donnie-G2026-01-09 11:39

I feel like there's more than a few non-isekai stuff that just feel like isekai due to the use of many common tropes - such as arbitrary cheat powers and videogamey-reality type worlds.

zairaner2026-01-09 12:12

[Shiboyugi episode 1]>!They are not made out of cotton, they just have something put into their blood that reacts with the air If I udnerstood it correctly!<

AmethystItalian2026-01-09 21:31

Good to know!!

collapsedblock62026-01-09 21:33

You should check out Champignon Witch instead! Comment soon ^^tm but it may be my AOTS contender among premieres.

AmethystItalian2026-01-09 21:35

Yup that one is on my list to try!

On a busy day though...

theangryeditor2026-01-09 01:56

[Champignon no Majo]>!Claude evokes memories of Obi from Shirayukihime, though I doubt he'll be nearly as important. It's hard to wish for your master's happiness isn't it [](#toradorasalute)!<

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 04:29

[Champignon no Majo] >!Cute crow familiar being a prickly softy is my type of familiar. What a tragic dingus.!<

theangryeditor2026-01-09 04:30

[Champignon]>!I'm sure he's just overprotective and wants her to be happy. He's just like us [](#makicry)!<

theangryeditor2026-01-09 02:32

At 8 shows now excluding carryovers from previous seasons. I think I'll remain open to picking up another 2 to 4 if any other seasonals catch my eye.

[](#mugiwait)

gautamgoswami2026-01-09 03:12

You guys have any recommendation for an elf anime? Not Frieren please because I've watched it already.

theangryeditor2026-01-09 03:15

Edomae Elf

OmegaVirgin942026-01-09 03:22

[Record of Lodoss War](https://anilist.co/anime/207/Lodosstou-Senki) - RPG inspired fantasy OVA. Features the EOAT, [Deedlit](https://files.catbox.moe/bdysrv.jpg).

[Crest/Banner of the Stars](https://anilist.co/anime/290/Seikai-no-Monshou/) - Not fantasy like I expect you were looking for but it very prominently features what I would call an elf (and a load of them from her race) in a space scifi setting.

[Here's the Elf tag on Anilist.](https://anilist.co/search/anime?genres=Elf)

Psyduckisnotaduck2026-01-09 05:37

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf - extremely pleasant anime that is kind of both isekai and reverse isekai at once because the MC and titular elf end up able to jump between worlds, bouncing between chill, sweet SoL stuff in Japan and dungeon adventures in the fantasy world. extremely high tier elf girl, the requisite characteristics of being adorable and a powerful magic user. also the sort of slow burn friendship-turning to romance is really pleasant, not really a will-they-won't-they but a kind of inevitable getting closer and closer as they spend more time together.

Donnie-G2026-01-09 11:38

How do you even define an 'elf' anime? Japan has taken the elf concept and dragged it through the dirt and thrown it into the sky - it doesn't even mean anything anymore. You got Plus Sized Elf, which y'know - could be about not-elves for all we know. Than there's even FUTANARI no Elf... which also doesn't necessarily need to be about elves.... Heck even Edomae no Elf could have just featured a regular shinto goddess or something but is just superficially an elf to tick a box or something.

Half the time you can swap the elf for like... a British person or something and you'd probably get the same effect.

I feel like the last thing I watched with a proper elf was like Lodoss. And that was a long ass time ago.

So do you need like a more traditional elf or is any pointy eared golden haired pretty girl in whatever the hell setting and premise good enough?

Retromorpher2026-01-09 12:48

Sounds like you're one who hunts elves.

There's a series about rooming with an elf this season that hasn't dropped yet.

oedipusrex3762026-01-09 03:36

If I had a nickel for every time my favorite show has a vengeful ghost possessing the MC to do all the dirty work for them, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

vancevon2026-01-09 03:39

the question isn't how many nickels you have, but how you would use them

oedipusrex3762026-01-09 04:01

True. But in the case of these shows (Le Chevalier D'Eon and The Holy Grail of Eris), they’re special because they do this thing called “aura farming.” They enchant the whole room with their powerful aura just by existing.

Zeallfnonex2026-01-09 04:37

Ha, funnily enough I'm watching Le Chevalier D'Eon right now... And while it's fine, I'm getting more and more irritated with the anachronistic arguments about wealth disparity and royalty in France. It's one or two generations too early for these arguments to be made, these topics really shouldn't be cropping up or blowing up for another 40 to 50 years...

oedipusrex3762026-01-09 06:04

Ah, that. The show mixes and matches a lot of events, and sometimes even splits real historical figures in two, so you kind of have to suspend your disbelief. Most of it just serves as an excuse or motivation for the villains, and I can see how it might feel a bit cringe from a French perspective. For me though the highlight was always Lia, the drama, and the whole occult thing.

Throwaway7853202026-01-09 03:39

[can anyone confirm if this is the exact time it releases?](https://x.com/animedubupdates/status/2009375898353672256?s=46)

I know it comes out Sunday but was wondering if it's actually releasing at 12:30 AM PST

SSjjlex2026-01-09 05:46

ANN is as reliable as it gets when it comes to news, idk what the time converts to but thats a start

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-01-08/you-and-i-are-polar-opposites-tv-anime-gets-same-day-english-dub/.232880

Specific times I usually take from livechart

https://www.livechart.me/anime/12939/schedules

They dont have specific time for dubs but I dont see any reason why it should be any later than the regular subbed release on crunchyroll if they're doing same day

Throwaway7853202026-01-09 05:51

Ok thanks

Hopefully they're right so I can watch before going to bed

entelechtual2026-01-09 03:50

I can’t believe out of all the shows airing this season the cleaning show is the horniest one. I thought it would be wholesome, not dirty.

vancevon2026-01-09 04:03

fuckin ripoff laundry place they say they're gonna clean your clothes but they actually just make you soil your pants in various ways i swear to god man

Throwaway7853202026-01-09 04:19

Hornier than that childhood friend one?

Psyduckisnotaduck2026-01-09 05:32

it has me asking the age old question: did the mangaka get their start as an H-artist?

gnome-cop2026-01-09 08:24

I ended up looking up the author honestly out of pure coincidence due to another one of their series I’m following and then things suddenly made sense in a “Oh, it’s you” way.

zairaner2026-01-09 11:11

Oh it's the sankarea author, I heard of that series.

IXajll2026-01-09 09:00

> not dirty.

kinda funny how half the replies completely missed that you weren't serious and only made a sort of pun about the cleaning show being dirty lol (and if you actually were serious you must've be trippin, ain't no way that one single shoe cleaning scene makes this the horniest one of the season)

entelechtual2026-01-09 11:03

I’m semi serious, I don’t think it’s the horniest, but I do feel like… it’s a series very much catered to the male gaze/fantasy. It’s one episode so maybe early to say, but something about an innocent girl with a huge rack with no memory who is exceedingly nice and loves nothing more than helping people. It’s just a little uncanny.

66Kix_fix2026-01-09 04:07

How close to ending is Mikadono sisters manga

To_Be_Hero_X2026-01-09 14:00

As far as I know there's no official info

Salty1452026-01-09 04:12

Actually, debate on *Journal with Witch* aside, it's kinda crazy that there's been four witch(ish)-themed shows in the last year or so that had rough starts and at least three really should have been better than they ended up being.

*The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't be Magicians* really had no right being as frustrating as it was. Like the art direction was generally there, I just wish the character writing had been there too.

*Maebashi Witches* came real close to continuing that streak with a pretty underwhelming first episode, but did claw it back in the end to hit expectations. It gets a pass. I had fun.

*Witch Watch* baited me with a Megumi Ishitani directed OP and then proceeded to be a mix of painfully unfunny and laughing more at it than with it. There's a certain degree of meta-comedy that works and WW didn't exactly have the legs to look down on all the things it really wished it could.

Then we get to *Champignon Witch* and I'm just left wondering if there's some anti-witch cabal out there that demands sacrifices every other season. Is Big Dragon really so worried that you'll stop ingesting their pro-dragon waifu propaganda if you get too many half-decent witch anime?

I guess we did get *Panty & Stocking* last year, and if I can't get witch anime, then *b*itch anime is close enough.

Sandor_at_the_Zoo2026-01-09 07:17

Little Witch Academia used up all the mana for a decade. No more good witch anime for another year.

Salty1452026-01-09 11:06

It couldn’t even manifest a sequel for itself, best it could settle for was *BNA*.

zairaner2026-01-09 11:09

*another season.

Spring has witch hat (probably) finally come out.

zairaner2026-01-09 11:08

> The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't be Magicians really had no right being as frustrating as it was. Like the art direction was generally there, I just wish the character writing had been there too.

Truly a one of a kind missed opportunity

flamethrower22026-01-09 22:22

I dropped Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians, one episode rule'd Maebashi Witches, and didn't watch Witch Watch because I didn't like the manga.

I will probably watch Champaignon at some point, at least #1.

There was 1000 drops of joy or something. I watched the whole thing of that. Upon a Witch's Death.

Layz252026-01-09 04:55

Been working my way through JoJo's part 4 (Diamond is Unbreakable) and am on episode 24. Not finished yet but given this is the point even a long season of anime would be over figure it was worth throwing some thoughts out before I forget things.

As someone who read the first 3 manga parts and wasn't a fan of the series I came in fairly skeptical. So to that end I was pleasantly surprised. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. I used to think the art was ugly and while it still isn't my favorite, I don't mind it and the animation is really good. The other place I would say it does well is introducing a good variety of Stands that make for some good battle strategies. That being said, I also think there are quite a few problems with it.

\- Probably the main one is just how long it is going. I wouldn't say I was ever bored or would have stopped already but there seems like a lot that feels like it could be cut and you wouldn't lose much. I know none of it is actually filler but.....the chef episode could be completely cut and you lose nothing. Shigechi seems like he was just introduced to kill off for a cheap emotional pop. Everything with the hair girl was dumb and despite in turning into a relationship with Koichi, doesn't feel like it added much. Which then includes the plastic surgeon episode being filler. While I like getting a variety of Stands I just think this could have been told really well in 24 episodes or even paired down to a more standard 12.

\- Wtf are they doing with Jotoro? He has a pretty broken power and they mostly just write him out of the show to keep everything from being easy. What was he up to all of the episodes he wasn't on screen? Why when pressure moments in battles come up he didn't use The World to help out? I am forgetting the name of the electric Stand but when it tried to escape on the motorcycle he could have just stopped time and went for it but just stood around doing nothing and when it was fighting Okuyasu he continued doing nothing. Same for when they were in the coat store and run into Kira for the first time. He could have used The World and went right at him but goes completely passive and they end up getting wrecked. Just bad writing all around.

\- Morioh feels like it is supposed to be small town like but why is there never anyone anywhere? Going back to the coat store, there are explosions going off left and right and not one witness? Nobody out on the street or sidewalk? Same for when Shigechi gets killed in the school. An explosion happens and all we get is "did someone say my name"? No sound from the bomb? Nobody just happens to be in the hallway?

Anyway, still some left to go but wanted to get some thoughts out there. It certainly isn't dull but objectively speaking it is probably like a 6/10 at this point.

Eraos_MSM2026-01-09 05:01

Diamond is unbreakable is one my of least favorite parts.

I’d say definitely power through it simply so you can get to Golden Wind, because golden wind is awesome.

Also diamond is unbreakable picks up during the last 9 episodes or so and starts to feel more like normal Jojo.

Layz252026-01-09 05:05

Ok good to hear. I know I dropped a lot of negatives in there but given original expectation it has done enough to make me curious how it is beyond this season so I do plan on finishing. Kira is a good villain too so him getting more involved is getting me pulled back in a bit more.

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 05:24

Rohan and Kira are the highlights, for me. I liked Part 4, but it was never my favorite, that being Part 2, until Steel Ball Run. You’ll probably like Part 5 more if you’re looking for something a bit more snappy in pacing.

Layz252026-01-09 05:50

Yea Kira is a really good villain and Rohan was fun (albeit also filler ish lol).

I don't know if pacing is really my complaint. I would say it is more just the episodic nature isn't my favorite. If it had been more focused on following the main plot while making all of the randomly introduced characters feel more connected, it could have worked a lot better.

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 06:00

I wasn’t into the side characters in part 4 much either. They’re much stronger on Part 5, and arguably overshadowed Part 5’s JoJo in main character energy.

Ebbrain2026-01-09 08:12

> but.....the chef episode could be completely cut and you lose nothing

You would lose a great time. Cut any part 4 episode and you would just be losing a ton of fun. Part 4 is borderline a slice of life show and thats part of the appeal to many people

Layz252026-01-09 16:53

Fair, and that was included in my breakdown. I do give it credit for the variety of Stands and not actually being boring. It was just my view as I was sitting there at episode 24. Like yea that was kind of fun but how have we not gotten anywhere? You could still have all of those characters but make them feel more connected and make the flow better.

To me I think of like a Naruto or Bleach where you have arcs but it is still all 1 flowing story. So many characters but a lot of them continue to be relevant and play major roles. It doesn't feel so disjointed like JoJo's does.

Donnie-G2026-01-09 11:23

I really liked Diamond is Unbreakable. I kinda liked that it stepped away from the usual Joestar feud and power levels and stuff. I mean it is still there to some degree, but rather than your typical heroic journey - it was just hanging out in a town and doing more mystery type shit. It was a welcome change of pace after the very long and samey Stardust Crusaders.

Layz252026-01-09 17:00

That makes sense for your order of watching. DiU is my starting point so I am only comparing it to other anime I guess. Not versus itself. I read the first 3 parts A LONG time ago and honestly can't tell you much about them at all. I just know I stopped after part 3 and was so disinterested I am only now giving the anime a chance. I will get a better feel for how it ranks against itself when I watch more seasons.

And again, I am not knocking it for not being straight battles. I just keep going back to the flow. You can have the chef episode but then make him a recurring part of the team. They kind of did it with Shigechi until they killed him off. Which to me is kind of a cheap way to add stakes. If you really want an impact kill off Okuyasu or Koichi.

Eraos_MSM2026-01-09 05:00

Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc VS Demon Slayer Infinify Castle?

Which movie did you like better?

Shimmering-Sky2026-01-09 05:09

Same as when you asked this question the other day, Infinity Castle is the one I liked more but I think Reze Arc is the better movie.

ududbsisysveiudvdid2026-01-09 05:10

checkout this thread

https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/s/B9jJglWTbp

Sandor_at_the_Zoo2026-01-09 05:15

The audiovisual aspects of JJK are somehow getting better and better while the plot is becoming more and more a mediocre video game. In a couple seasons it will consist entirely of people saying lists of Capitalized Noun Power Words while also being the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

In these two the sound mix and background music in particular impressed me.

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 05:30

I was pretty impressed with how creative every shot decided it wanted to be. So many different angles, lots of different lighting combinations, textures, tones, everything. Storyboard gods delivering us. Animators delivered. Just delicious feasting for my eyes. There’s so much attitude in the animation this season.

Sandor_at_the_Zoo2026-01-09 07:14

They really hit a sweet spot between the visual abstraction and flair of S2 fights and the tight coherence of S1 fights. Lets just see if they can maintain it throughout the cour lol.

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 08:31

I really like this balance because one of the things I dislike about super frenetic stylization in fight scenes is sometimes things are sped up too quickly to really appreciate the choreography. You gotta have enough of a visual pause to get those really impactful moments because your eyes can only follow so much at once. They did that really well here.

Wingy_Yams2026-01-09 07:29

That's basically JJK in a nutshell. Most casual viewers are here for the animation and not the plot.

Sandor_at_the_Zoo2026-01-09 07:54

What was surprising is that it wasn't just flashy post-effects splatter. There was actual direction and storyboarding in a way that went above and beyond what the casual viewer normally cares about.

Wingy_Yams2026-01-09 08:31

Yeah, JJK is a masterclass in animation. It definitely drew in *more* casuals than usual which is how it became big so quickly. If I were to be honest, one reason its animation is so good is because the studio doesn't spend extra time directing complex stories that anime that *are* well-written usually have. Its insanely simplistic plot makes the job easier.

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 08:43

This kind of storyboarding is really a skill and balancing act that can go sideways, even if you have a huge amount of talent behind it. Striking the right balance between what looks cool and is engaging vs what becomes too choreographed and is stretched out. One example in more recent memory that was executed well but did not have the same impact, at least for me, was the first episode of Lazarus, which had a similar sequence throughout the city. Technically beautiful, but narratively dull.

To_Be_Hero_X2026-01-09 13:58

Yeah most of same type of anime are becoming no story but god tier animation eye candys hope we'll have more anime with god tier animation without losing quality of story

Psyduckisnotaduck2026-01-09 05:57

So I've actually been making a little effort to round out my 2025 viewing before fully pivoting to 2026, and I decided to both do that and rectify a past screw up by getting back into Shoshimin Series. and then I ended up bingeing all of the episodes. idk, this series might be boring to some people, but the sheer style of it really does something for me. also the way everyone's eyes look is so particular and kind of aesthetically pleasing. especially Osanai's eyes.

There's a lot I could say about the show, but I think what surprised me most is that it's actually a love story hiding inside a mystery box. not a conventional love story, but just kinda two people who are, for lack of a better term, soul mates, because they match each other's freak, and they can't truly be themselves to their fullest extent without the presence of the other. OP 1 I think represents them metaphorically as a fox and a wolf, and the series is pretty consistent in maintaining that characterization for each of them throughout. also, I already thought this from the half of season 1 I watched, but I love Kengo. good guy, better friend than either of those weirdos deserve.

the OP of season 2 is a contender for best of 2025, and would absolutely deserve a nomination, hopefully the jury comes through for it.

Dull_Spot_82132026-01-09 06:28

Shoshimin was one I could not stop watching once I started the first season. Just excellent directing and dialogue. Season two I liked even more. The visuals are there too, but that whole series pokes my brain in the best way.

PsychoGeek2026-01-09 06:37

Fully agreed. One of the best anime love stories ever made imo.

BaytaCosmico2026-01-09 06:37

Agree with everything you've said but especially glad to see some Kengo love here. Everyone is too hard on him since that Hot Chocolate episode in Season 1. Granted that was a pretty wild thing to do but he's a good guy for all that imo.

Donnie-G2026-01-09 10:44

I thought Shoshimin would just be a less upbeat version of Hyouka. I also thought the main 'couple' were just too idiots coming off a big case of chuunibyou. But I didn't expect Osanai to be actually kinda deranged, which highly entertained me.

Otherwise996_9112026-01-09 09:37

Hey i'm making another AMV for Dragon Ball Z. Does anyone have any reccomendatoins for a song that is fast past, post-harcode.

AnimeMod2026-01-09 12:15

Hello /r/anime, a new daily thread has been posted! Please follow
[this link](/r/anime/comments/1q84eah/anime_questions_recommendations_and_discussion/) to move on to the new thread
or [search for the latest thread](/r/anime/search?q=flair%3ADaily&restrict_sr=on&sort=new).

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fleurbluegirl102026-01-12 20:55

I would highly recommend Fushigi Yuugi as an older anime show to anyone who likes older style art!