So I watched a metric shitload of
Anime over the holiday break. Probably more than I've watched in the last few years combined. Now that the kids are older and manage more of themselves (and due to me having had norovirus for a chunk of the break), I had more time. So let's get into it.
First things first, I caught up with a couple of "I'm late to this, and I know it"
anime:
CHAINSAW MAN, I binged this in a single 12 hour period almost straight through and I adored every single frame. What an absolutely banger of a show with super compelling characters, and a pretty mature storyline overall. Abyss, if you want something to scratch that DemonSlayer itch, this is it. The movie is out on digital now too, but I'm going to save it for my flight in February when I go on vacation, but I'm amped to watch it. More Makima pls.
TO BE HERO X: This one is a Donghua (Chinese
anime), but it's a crazy good almost anthology story with various sets of episodes focusing on different heroes in this city where going viral and social media rating gives you powers or increases them, and those episodes all seem to slightly overlap in small ways and come together more in the end. Can't wait for S2 now that everything is set up. The Animation switches were super interesting too.
SOLO LEVELING: I had already started this a while back, but I never got around to S2 so I binged that and loved it as much as S1. Is it a very basic idea? Yes. Is it also a hell of a good time to watch? Also yes. Like we can complain about it doing things other
Anime have done a million times till we are blue I the face, but it's doing those things SO well that you don't notice. Jinwoo and Cha Hae are wonderful characters to follow around. Can't wait to see for S3, and I'll probably dive into the manhwa at some point soon as I'll get impatient.
JUJUTSU KAISEN: It's fine, I've watched about 8 eps thus far, and I enjoy it...but I would be lying if I said it wasn't VERY close to the structure of/characters of Naruto or Bleach...and every time I hear Gojo say Jujutsu I hear Kakashi telling me about a Jutsu...it's not that I'm confused, it's that I feel a little "I've done this already in a much longer show" vibes. I'll continue but I'm not rushing.
TOJIMA WANTS TO BE A KAMEN RIDER: This show has ABSOLUTELY no right to be as good and entertaining as it is...considering it's about a bunch of grown ass adults who are essentially cosplaying as 70's Japanese heroes (and villains) of the Kamen Rider tv show, and fighting bad guys, only to come across REAL versions of the enemies...it's got SOME fan service (but nothing brutal and very much just in line with say Wonder Woman, just with bigger boobs), but the charm of the show is in how earnest these characters are and how much stock they put in what they are doing. I'm up to Ep ten (dubbed), 11, and 12 have been slightly delayed due to the holiday in dubbed versions, so I'm anxiously awaiting them. The show then goes on hiatus for two weeks and comes back late January for the second spat of 12 eps over the winter and spring. One of the best shows I watched really.
GATCHIAKUTA: This one was a odd duck, the animation was dirty and I don't care for the super thick lines on everything, or the weird almost angular characters designs (the one girl character looks like she's made of skeleton bones with skin stretched over them)...BUT the action is top notch, and the story is interesting. Who knew a show about trash could get such praise. Everyone seems to love it. I like it so far, but I'm only about 6 eps in so time will tell if I'm going to keep it up.
FIRE FORCE: My gods the fan service in this one is nonsensical...which sucks because the actual story is fun and cool. Now, I don't mind fan service, I watched
Anime in the 90's and early oughts when it was FARRRRRR more prevalent, but when it's constant and blatant you kind of have to raise your eyebrow. I'll finish out S2, but if this keeps up I may drop it entirely.
CLASSROOM OF THE ELITE: This light novels for this series are considered very good, but the show is only kind of so-so. Like maybe if I was more into the politicking, backstabbing, and rivalries in a fancy prep school, with nothing much else on the table, then I might be into this...but it's just meh. It could be better. Dunno if I'll even finish S1-Part 1.
MUSHOKU TENSEI: JOBLESS REINCARNATION: Now this one has fan service, nudity, and sexual situations, and it's about a wastrel perv from our world being reborn into a fantasy one...and he's simply not likeable, and yeah yeah I know he's on a journey to be a better person here than he was there...but I fear it's too long a road for me, I sat through 24 eps waiting to root for the guy, but it never happens, or is happening too slowly for me to stay invested. I doubt I'll continue it.
A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX: This one is a bit of a swerve. I started with A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN as I thought the concept was cool (Science VS magic in a futuristic city filled with students trying to advance), but then I felt a bit lost...and found out that the story actually starts in A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX...which would give me more context. So I was advised to watch Index eps 1-9, and then watch all three seasons of RAILGUN, and then come back to INDEX and finish it and then onto the 2 or 3 other series in this world. Index was fine, and I enjoyed it, especially after things kicked off proper when the MC lost his memory. Finished eps 1-9, and now will jump to...
A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN: which is about a side character in Index named Misaka who is on the science side of things and can use energy and a coin to be a badass. The first ep is....bad...like fan service nonsense bad....but eps 2-3 (which is where I am so far) are much better and leave that nonsense in the past, so I'm excited to keep going and see where it all goes.
SENTENCED TO BE A HERO: This one JUST debuted with a 1-hour opening episode, and it was straight FIRE start to finish. Felt like I was watching the season finale of an
anime. It was just hit, hit, hit, hit...for a whole hour. Great characters, great story, unique ideas, a killer score, and kinetic and pace animation. I loved every second of it.
This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 05 January 2026 - 01:30 PM
"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora
"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon
Maark Abbott 
Tsundoku, on 27 September 2025 - 12:55 PM, said:
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