Sweet Dreams

Kimi ni Todoke - The decision for this new season after so many years to be broken up into five double-length episodes instead of the usual 12-13 normal episodes is a bit baffling, but that was pretty much my only real complaint with the cour. Otherwise, it was just as lovely and charming as the previous seasons. I still can't believe we actually got more of the Kimi ni Todoke anime! And hopefully it does well enough for Netflix to invest in more, since we still haven't gotten to the end of the manga. At least we finally got to Sawako and Kazehaya's first kiss animated, but, come on! I want more!

Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF - Hallelujah! At the end of this cour, we FINALLY got to a new arc that was skipped over in the first anime adaptation. To be honest, I kinda understand why they skipped over it. Not because it's bad -- in fact, I really liked it! -- but because it's more focused on world-building and exploring the tension between the church and villages who still cling to pagan ways, rather than the economics and money-making schemes that have been at the center of the other arcs. It would have made a strange choice to end the first anime on such an arc, but, fortunately, it was just announced that this new adaptation is getting another season, so as a bridge between seasons, the new arc works just fine. Looking forward to more in the future!

My Hero Academia - Last cour I said I didn't mind when MHA went into non-stop battle mode because the fights were easy to follow and fun to watch. This cour, however, things have become kinda confusing with all the separate battles. It doesn't help that the show keeps going back in time to show what was happening while something else was going on. I also don't think it was necessary to bring back literally EVERY single character that ever appeared on the show. (That may be an exaggeration, but seriously? They even brought back ( Spoiler ), two minor comic relief villains who decide to come fight for the good guys?) Deku should be the star of this final battle, but he's pretty much gotten lost in the shuffle because there are just so many characters also fighting. That being said, there were a lot of awesome moments as well. The entire Todoroki family coming together to defeat ( Spoiler ) was a particular highlight that left me in tears. And there are still a few more episodes left to go, so hopefully the series will stick the landing.

Mission: Yozakura Family - Again, just a fun, entertaining show about a wacky family of spies. I do wish the show had focused a little more on Taiyo and Mutsumi's romantic relationship, but otherwise, I can't think of much to say about it!

Twilight Out of Focus - I have to admit I was super-surprised that the main couple of Mao and Hisashi got together so quickly, unaware at first that this BL show was actually more of an anthology series. The first four episodes focus on Mao and Hisashi, the "friends-to-lovers" roommates. The next threee follow Jin and Ichikawa, the "rivals to lovers" directors. Lastly, Yoshino and Rei, who are basically the "opposites attract" couple, also get three episodes, with the last two episodes going back to finish Mao and Hisashi's storyline with a (very) minor focus on the other two couples. To my surprise, my favorite couple was actually Jin and Ichikawa. Friends-to-lovers is usually my thing, so you'd think I'd like Mao and Hisashi's story the most, but they got together so quickly that I didn't really get to enjoy them long enough as friends. They're also not the most interesting characters. (Actually, Hisashi's backstory as a victim of ( Spoiler ) could have been interesting to explore, but the show seemed reluctant to really dive into his character and how he felt about it, mostly sticking to Mao's POV. Considering that it's a fairly light-hearted show, I can see why they wouldn't want to go too deep into the subject, but in that case, why even include it in the first place?) Jin and Ichikawa, on the other hand) are much more dynamic characters and have the best chemistry of the three pairs. I also loved the little "twist" connecting their pasts. Anyway, I enjoyed the series! I just kinda wish they had stuck to one couple for the entire cour. I think all of the romances would have been better developed if they had more time.

SHY - Unlike the first season, which was broken up into several different arcs, this new season focuses on only one long arc, introducing the ninja, Ai. Though I liked the arc and Ai is a great character who I hope sticks around longer, I'm not sure it really needed to be quite so long. I admit part of my disappointment with the length is that Iko, being the only "normal" person in the main cast, obviously had to be left behind when Teru and the others went into battle, only showing up in the first couple of episodes and the last. Considering her friendship with Teru is one of the main appeals of the show for me, I really wish we could have seen her more! But it was nice to see Teru stepping into a leadership role, and the hints about the first superhero of Japan are intriguing.

Wonderful Precure - You know, this season might finally be winning me over a little. Or maybe I've just gotten used to the weirdness. I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a fan of the premise and it's definitely one of my least favorite Precures so far, but this cour didn't bug me as much as the earlier ones. I think the fact that they haven't been shown going to school in a while helps. Also, the villains behind the possessed animals have finally appeared, and they actually have a pretty sympathetic reason for disliking humans, so I'm kinda interested in where they will go with it.

Code Geass: Roze of the Recapture - This Code Geass spinoff sequel is based on the series of alternate timeline movies that came out after the main series (in which ( Spoiler ) lives), but you don't really need to be familiar with them to watch Roze since it focuses on a new cast with only cameo appearances by the characters from the original series (and Akito of the Exiled). (I didn't even know Crunchyroll had the movies until I had already watched the first couple of episodes, so I'll get around to watching them eventually.) That being said, Roze basically comes across as a pale imitation of the original show, even copying some of the same story beats. The new characters aren't particularly memorable either aside from Roze and Ash (although I quite liked Natalia). The main issue, however, is that the series was originally broken up into four three-episode movies, causing some weird pacing issues that probably would have worked a lot better if the series had been allowed to be the normal 24-episode series it clearly should have been. It's a decent enough watch, but, eh, not really necessary viewing unless you're a mega fan of the franchise. 

After a jam-packed spring, the summer anime season was a bit lacking. On a positive note, that did give me time to catch up with spring's Love After World Domination, which I absolutely loved! As for this season's shows:

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting - Give me an anime about some unexpected guy forced to take care of a cute little kid who wins over his heart, and I'm there. I do wish it had been a little harder for them to bond at first because Kirishima adjusts to babysitting Yaeka way too easily, IMO, but otherwise, it's just a cute, heartwarming series with the occasional dark moment (because it is the Yakuza). My favorite of the season!