My Fall 2015 Anime Rankings (Of Everything I Watched)

A new season comes with a slew of new Anime, and things are looking considerably better than last season. I didn’t do anything like this for last season because I really wasn’t watching much. Gatchaman Crowds: Insight is actually the only series I finished, with everything else falling into backlog limbo. I’m glad to say that this season all my most insatiable desires are being met from human drama to popcorn to cutesy fluff, with big hits and reliable picks all around. I also came across a couple duds, but I was careful to avoid most of the stuff that didn’t look appealing to me. So, here’s my thoughts on all dozen first episodes I watched, arbitrarily ranked from best to worst and reviewed in one sentence with some notes attached to the end on how interested I am in continuing with them.

1. Owarimonogatari (Monogatari Series)

After the somewhat disappointing and unfocused Tsukimonogatari, Owarimonogatari’s premiere brings the franchise back in brilliant top form, wasting very little time on self-indulgence and bursting out of the gates with stellar visual storytelling and a richly layered groundwork for ideas, just as Monogatari should be. (STATUS: My potential Anime of the Season, will be following very closely)

2. The Perfect Insider

The Perfect Insider is the most promising new show of the season, loaded with living people and living places and living conversations, and topped off with confident and gorgeous subtlety in sprouting its ideas. (STATUS: One of my top picks for the season so far, definitely looking forward to seeing where this series goes)

3. One Punch Man

One Punch Man is an absolute blast, full of laugh-out-loud comedic bits that play wonderfully with its concept and gloriously composed action scenes backed by a seemingly infinite stream of roaring visual effervescence, and I want so much more of it. (STATUS: A high priority show that I’ll definitely be watching to the end, has the potential to either be a top pick for the season or at the very least a popcorn show of the highest calibre)

4. Mobile Suit Gundam – Iron Blooded Orphans (Gundam Franchise)

The premiere of Mobile Suit Gundam – Iron Blooded Orphans presents a very nicely constructed action show narrative, with plenty of good aesthetic hooks and a solid scattering of compelling plot threads that make for a strong first impression. (STATUS: Will try to keep an eye on this and keep up, but due to the longevity of Gundam shows I might drop out if it starts to lose significant momentum)

5. Beautiful Bones -Sakurako’s Investigation-

Beautiful Bones is an endearing and solid albeit uncomfortably eccentric detective drama, with a backbone of flowery storytelling that sometimes borders on overambitious but oftentimes makes this a very pleasing watch.  (STATUS: I think this will be a series worth following, will try my best to keep up on it)

6. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?? (GochiUsa Season 2)

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu Ka?? might be even more warm and fuzzy and silly and impossibly adorable than the first season, so if warm and fuzzy and silly and impossibly adorable Slice of Life is your thing you won’t be disappointed. (STATUS: Not a top priority but I’ll be keeping up from week to week)

7. Osomatsu-san (Osomatsu-kun remake)

Osomatsu-san’s premiere is a really fun screwball take on a franchise that’s old-school to the point of banality, making a great impression with a relentless wide-reaching barrage of Anime parody, but unfortunately leaving final thoughts on the episode at “what now?”. (STATUS: Hopes are high but keeping expectations muted, will give the next episode a shot and decide whether I’m interested in what this series has to offer)

8. Yuru Yuri San Hai! (Yuru Yuri Season 3)

Yuru Yuri returns with a brand new TV Anime after the TYO Animation “revival”, so to speak, and although I haven’t watched the two OVAs I can guess from this that the new Yuru Yuri wants to be more subdued and traditionally Slice of Life-y, which I’m okay with I guess?… (STATUS: A lower priority series, but one I’ll probably watch to the end because I’ve been watching the series up to now)

9. Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note

Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note is a pretty inoffensively clichéd short show that’s mildly compelling and slightly cute, not garnering much interest but certainly pleasant to be around. (STATUS: On-hold for a time “when I’m in the mood”… whenever that is…)

10. Concrete Revolutio

Concrete Revolutio is certainly one of the best looking shows of the season, with a vivid Pop Art aesthetic that explodes with character, but because of straight up terrible conceptual and structural coherency I can barely justify continuing to watch this show for its stunning looks. (STATUS: Most likely dropped, will decide if I want to continue based on general impressions of the next episode)

11. Dance with Devils

Dance with Devils is the first Anime musical I’ve ever come across, so kudos to it for that, but it’s a fairly so-so one with fairly so-so narrative execution, and the idea of a damsel lead girl doesn’t particularly interest me. (STATUS: Dropped, but open to the idea of picking it up again if strongly recommended)

12. Shomin Sample

Nah. (STATUS: 100% dropped)