Fall 2019 – The New Anime Season is Here!

Last week, the fall season of anime began and, sadly, I found very little to be excited about. We do have some returning shows such as Dr. Stone, Food Wars, and Sword Art Online. It isn’t that there is a lack of good content this season, but this is, by far, the weakest season for anime in a long time. There were quite a few hard passes this season. Here are my first impressions.

HARD PASS

Sometimes, you just have to give a show a hard pass and move on.

Ahiru no Sora
Ahiru no Sora is a sports anime, specifically basketball. It could also be categorized as a slice-of-life. The protagonist is very passionate about basketball, but he is height challenged and not taken seriously because of it. He discovers his high school’s basketball club doesn’t actually play basketball, but instead, is used as a way for delinquents to meet the high school’s club requirement. The story follows the protagonist as he tries to win over the delinquents and revive the basketball club.

To begin with, I am not a huge fan of sports anime, but that does not mean I don’t give them a chance. Two of my favorite anime is Haikyu and Yuri on Ice. That being said, the story on this one is pretty stale. I also was not a fan of the animation style. Reading comments on Crunchyroll, the story is supposed to get better, but if I am being honest, I just didn’t like it enough to care.

Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm is an isekai focused around a female protagonist named Motosu Urano. In her previous life, she was college student and an avid bookworm. Her life’s goal was to become a librarian surrounded by the books she loves. She tragically dies and awakes as a child in a world that appears to have no books.

This show bored me so much, I couldn’t really pay attention. I powered through for a glimmer of hope, but it never came. It might have potential, but after the second episode, I decided the story was pretty lackluster. It simply lacked enough content to keep it in my queue.

Days of Urashimasakatasen
Days of Urashimasakatasen is categorized as a comedy, but I think it could also be a slice-of-life. This show is a short with the first episode only being about three minutes long. The show follows four male protagonists who are transfer students focused on their “debut”.

This is another show that will not be granted the three-episode test. The story is a bit on the fantastical side and I found myself glad that it was only three-minutes long.

THEY HAVE POTENTIAL!

Bananya
Bananya is a cute short that follows the lives of cats that live inside of bananas. This is the second season of Bananya.

If you’re looking for a show for your smaller kids, this is right up their alley. That being said, I adore this show, too. It’s nonsensical, and quite silly, but it puts a smile on my face. The show doesn’t have an on-going plot, so it really is great for kids.

Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!
Didn’t I Say is another isekai. Our protagonist is Kurihara Misato. She is a well-above-average high school student that has no friends or a social life due to her success.  When she is reincarnated, she asks that she have average abilities so she can lead an average life. Unfortunately, when her skills were “averaged”, it included the ratings for an elder dragon thus making her “average” insanely overpowered.

My understanding is this anime completely deviates from the existing manga. For those reasons, if you’re a fan of the manga, you might actually hate the anime. I have never read the manga, so taking the anime at face value, I found the first episode held my attention and I could see the potential for this show to have some great moments. If you’re a fan of the formulaic isekai, you might want to test the waters with this one. From first impression, it seems like it will follow all the tropes.

High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World
High School Prodigies is another isekai/slice-of-life show. The show follows seven prodigy high school students that are the very top of their fields. While traveling together, their plane crashes transporting them to another world. In their efforts to find a way back home, they use their talents to help the village that helped them.

Right off the bat, I have to say that the skills of the high school students are far-fetched and unbelievable, but you are watching anime. So, check your logic at the door. The flow of the show was good, and I think there is a good story to be had despite the very unrealistic talents of the protagonists. I am actually curious to see where this one goes.

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun
Welcome to Demon School is an isekai and comedic slice-of-life. It follows our protagonist that is sold to a demon who wants to make him his grandchild. Demons eat humans, so sending a human to demon school isn’t a problem, right? In a series of unfortunate events, Iruma somehow ends up with his first underling.

Demon School almost inched out Oresuki as my season’s pick. This show has a lot of potential. If you enjoy the always-avoiding-disaster brand of comedy, this one is going to be right up your alley.

MUST WATCH

ORESUKI Are you the only one who loves me?

Oresuki is a comedic slice-of-life. One could make the argument that it is also a harem. It follows our protagonist who is playing his cards in the dating game with his eyes set on the student council president and his childhood friend. Problem number one: Both girls have feelings for his best friend. Problem number two: He has a stalker that knows everything he is up to and has her own plans.

If you’re going to gamble on any of this season’s shows, this is my pick. It had me laughing pretty hard at the scenarios our main character gets himself into. The stalker throws her own wrenches into things, and I think this show has the potential to keep bringing in the laughs.