Rating the Anime of Winter 2024

It has been far too long since I rated a season like this. The spring season of anime has only just begun, so I hope that I’m not too late to the party. I stalled in watching Doctor Elise and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. In the case of the latter, I have been trying to catch back up and have reached episode ten. Maybe by the end of the spring season, you’ll hear my thoughts on Frieren and the unique way I decided to watch it. Three anime below have not yet finished their runs, so I will eschew rating as of yet. Five of them will received a rating on a scale of one to five stars. Five stars indicates a masterpiece. Unfortunately, this season included no masterpieces. The most recent anime I gave such high marks to were Dororo, Promare, and Karakuri Circus–all from 2019. So, that means it’s been five years since an anime has risen to that level of perfection for me. Feel free to tell me if you think that there’s something deserving which I have not seen between then and now!

The anime from this season were enjoyable but average. I can only see myself going back to watch four of them again. Other than one slice of life and one science fiction anime, the anime below all fall in the fantasy genre.

1) Bottom Tier Character Tomosaki

Stories where a character has checked out of really living always grab my attention. Tomosaki finds joy in playing a certain video game called Attack Families, in which he ranks #1 in Japan. But, he drifts through school and does not make many friends. However, he learns that the class president, Aoi Hinami, is the #2 player in Japan, and she resolves to teach him how to enjoy living and to put him on the road to being satisfied with life. To this end, she arranges several goals for Tomosaki, which leads to him becoming more active in his school and developing various relationships with his classmates.

This scenario reminds me of the movie, My Fair Lady, which itself is based on a play of George Bernard Shaw titled Pygmalion. However, with Bottom Tier Character Tomosaki, the sexes of the protagonists are reversed such that we have a woman tutoring a man on social etiquette. The characters are all quite likable, despite Aoi Hinami reminding me strongly of Hillary Clinton. Not in regard to espousing political positions, but in her personality type–the type willing to use all available means for success in this world. For me, this serves as a reminder that everyone has some good in them no matter how much this good becomes effaced over time.

Hinami succeeds in bringing Tomosaki to have worthwhile friendships; yet, the series highlights an interesting tension between winning at life and Tomosaki’s true desires. The last season ends in a complete manner, but more story could be written about Hinami. In a certain sense, she’s a shell of a person moved by the desires of society. Another season could see her character grow by embracing what she really wants to become rather than what she feels obligated to become.

I’m happy to have watched this show and would not mind another season, but I don’t see myself watching it again.

★★★

2) Metallic Rouge

Here’s a series which looks gorgeous and has a great musical score. It examines a common theme in anime: what rights should robots have if they gained a personality. In the world of Metallic Rouge, the robots, known as Neans, are being kept as servants by human beings despite some of the Neans breaking free of their masters’ control and working to emancipate their fellows. This creates some great action and the characters are pretty likable. I should also mention that Naomi Orthmann is one of the greatest lookers of the winter season.

From a Catholic point of view, the conundrum of whether to give robots human rights is impossible: robots can’t develop true personalities because they lack souls, intellect, and free will. Men and angels have personalities because they have those three things. That is to say, God made us persons in His image and likeness. We are to use our intellects and wills for the salvation of our souls. What would be the point of a robot having rights, when rights are given to people so that they can order their lives such as to achieve salvation? No spirit, no rights.

Having said that, the perfection of the animation and the sound track make this an excellent anime to experience. However, I doubt that I will want to experience it again.

★★★

3) Solo Leveling

This anime received perhaps the most hype of all the anime this season. The animation is excellent. The hero is put through great trials, and you immediately come to root for Jin-woo–even though he nearly fits the bill of an overpowered/from-zero-to-hero type character who we see all the time now. It helps that he is somewhat of a pawn controlled by the forces from which he gains his new powers. Being the breadwinner for a comatose mother and a younger sister in high school also helps to humanize him. I’ll expect more good things from this one in the present season.

4) The Witch and the Beast

I tend to find something compelling about witch stories. I think that it comes down to my introduction to fantasy being The Sword of Shannara and finding Allanon a compelling character. Wizards and witches in fantasy are fun–unlike in real life. The series drew me in from the very first through its inclusion of very interesting Latin in regard to how to break a witch’s curse. (I’ll give you my translations if you ask.) The ambiance of the series reminded me of Witch Hunter Robin, though The Witch and the Beast has more action and abrasive personalities.

The characters were a cut above those in the other anime series I watched. (Sengoku Youko counts as an exception.) I am very eager to see if we get another season which will reveal whether Guideau breaks the curse on her at last.

★★★ 1/2

5) Tsukimichi: Moonlight Fantasy 2

This anime provides us with a very cozy world to get into. It’s what I wish That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime had been able to accomplish. But, I lost interest in Rimiru and his friends because they lacked personality and reasons to be interested in their fate. (Feel free to disagree with me here.) The Tsukimichi manga was very enjoyable to read, and I’m glad that we got a second season of it.

This season introduced us to two new characters: Hibiki Otonashi and Tomoki Iwahashi. These are two heroes this world’s goddess imported into the world of the story. Hibiki is the more noble of the two. In a real sense, Tomoki was given too much power for his own good. He was a pathetic figure in his last life, but here Tomoki is granted invulnerability during daylight and eyes of seduction which can make practically any woman fall for him. He lacks courage and a sense of responsibility; but, one feels as though one can’t blame him too much for being so flawed. Think of how badly some people become corrupted as soon as they become big name actors in Hollywood. The phenomena we see with Tomoki in the series is along the same lines.

Despite the story dealing more with the war between hyumans (their word, not mine) and mazoku, the first half of this season is still very cozy. It focuses a great deal on Makoto teaching his students and developing his business in the academy’s town. Also, some problems spring up with the climate in Makoto’s demiplane, which looks like it should provide some good conflict in the coming episodes.

6) Sengoku Youko

This counts as a unique choice for an anime series. The manga for Sengoku Youko ended back in 2016, and it feels like the sort of Warring States Era anime which was popular twenty years ago. I don’t think that the anime garnered many fans, even though it was everything one might hope from an anime adaptation. I loved watching Tama, Jinka, Shinsuke, and Shakugan in color. If they turn out more episodes of this group trying to bring about peace between youkai and humans, I’ll watch it.

All the same, than manga felt like a better experience of the characters and the world of Sengoku era Japan. Maybe, I just have a bias towards the original material, which prevents me from rating it higher than:

★★★

7) Villainess Level 99: I May be the Hidden Boss, but I’m not the Demon Lord

The whole strength of this anime lies in the main character: Yumiella Dolkness. If you like the main character, you’ll love the anime. This makes it rather similar to Trapped in a Dating Sim or My Next Life as a Villainess. At the same time, it’s almost a fantasy version of Bottom Tier Character Tomosaki. Yumiella masters the video game part of her new life–maxing out her level and making herself the most powerful figure in the kingdom. However, she does not meet any people who want to be supportive of her or understand her until she enters the magic academy.

So, her main growth in the series takes place on the personal level. Whether it is playing her monster calling flute over and over again to help her classmates level up or scaring the light magic user half to death with her dark aura, this personal growth is both hilarious and heartwarming to watch. The entire time, she is also hoping to avoid her untimely demise by staying on the protagonist’s good side as much as possible. The last episode ends the series conclusively, and it was a joy to watch.

★★★★

8) Delicious in Dungeon

I am always happy to praise an anime brought to life by Studio Trigger. The plot of Delicious in Dungeon has the quirky setting and plot which allows this studio to show its best side. (The opening, sang by Bump of Chicken, set the mood for the series very well too.) Adventurers barely escape the dungeon through the sacrifice of Falin, Laios’ sister, who they need to go back into the dungeon to save from the red dragon, in whose belly Falin is currently digesting. They fortunately get the assistance of a dwarf who knows how to transform the monsters inhabiting the dungeon into delicious cuisine. But, will they be able to reach Falin in time to perform a resurrection spell?

Though the anime is flooded with great comedy, there’s a serious streak running through it which keeps the plot going strong. Right now, I would probably rate this a four star series, but I’m curious to see how much better it will become in the second part.

I hope to be able to tell you about the anime I picked out from spring 2024 shortly. How did my watch list match up with yours?