Wow. I would say that the past winter season was the biggest disappointment in a while if I didn't already believe that about the whole of 2018. I ended up dropping most of the shows I looked at last season except for four: Tate no Yuusha, Mob Psycho 200, Dororo, and Date a Live, the last of which is on my to-finish list. So with all that out of the way, we can look at the upcoming spring season.
One Punch Man Season 2
There's been a lot of controversy over whether JC Staff was the right studio to make season 2 based on the lackluster trailer. I honestly am not a great critic of action sakuga, so I can't make a call on that front, but so long as Saitama is out there being his fun self, I honestly couldn't care. Saitama is strong again, Genos is over the top again, and all the other heroes are pushovers. What more could you want?
Isekai Quartet
What happens when you combine a bunch of people who went to other worlds and bring them all back? They go to school, of course. The first episode is not much to judge it, given it's a twelve minute short and that this is the introduction episode. Already I can tell it's going to be gag related based on the expectations of the characters you build up after having watched their respective series'. The only one on this list I skipped out on was Konosuba, and I only skipped season two. I predict not much original fun, just a clash of personalities and inside-jokes. Don't watch it unless you enjoyed the involved shows for their characters. Also, everything is chibi, a massive quality raise for Tanya and quality drop for all the other art. (sorry I just hate how they do faces in Tanya).
now, on to the new shows
Kenja no Mago
Here is your generic overpowerd-protagonist-killed-in-a-car-crash-isekai of the season. Honestly, why would you ever make it an isekai if the character's personality is the least important thing about the show? Alderamin on the Sky (another show with terrible face designs) had a very much isekai style protagonist despite not actually being an isekai, and I loved it. The point is you're bringing a modern point of view into a society which has not accepted our norms. If that is not the point, do not make an isekai. I guess I should talk about the story. MC is overpowered. the end. I could tell this was how it was going for a while, but I still had hope until I saw this. You can pinpoint the exact moment they gave up on any semblance of quality.
I, too, walk on the side of fruit stands
Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO
Here is your mystery/sci-fi entry for this season. Its something about a kid with crazy parents who got into archaeology. He's got this time travel device (not really time travel? plot pedantry?) that lets him be stupid over and over again à la Steins;Gate. Did I mention that every character in this show is either crazy or unreasonable? It's quite a bit of fun just watching, if only to see how our main character will screw up next. I fear this will turn into a mindless pseudoscientific series like Sagrada Reset and bore me, but for now it hasn't done so. Besides, it has best seiyuu Rie Kugimiya, so it can't be that bad..?
There are bound to be some more shows coming out soon, which I may touch upon, but this is all I've seen for now. Leave a comment if you think I missed anything important or I passed over your favorite show.
