Stínolez’s Seasonal Roundup [Winter 2022]
Greetings, and welcome to my seasonal roundup, an article I do at the end of (almost) every season to summarize my thoughts on the shows I watched. Lack of motivation to write resulted in me skipping almost all of 2021, but it’s finally time to bring this series back. Sadly, the shows I picked were, in most cases, average at best, therefore don’t get your hopes up. All things considered, I was quite disappointed by the Winter 2022 season, but at least I had a chance to catch up on a few shows I had in my backlog for several years.
Now, as per usual, the shows are divided into three groups: great and good, average, and bad and dropped shows. The opinions in this article are mine and you might disagree. If you do, please do so in a polite manner in the comment section and respect my opinion so I can be respectful of yours. Now without further ado, let’s dive in…
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Part 2
Episodes: 13 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Score: 7 / 10
At this point, everybody should already know that I’m a sucker for isekai shows. Each season comes with an abundance of these, so if the show has a unique or unusual spin, I’ll likely grant it more than one or two brain cells while watching it. Realist Hero had exactly that, and for that reason I enjoyed the first season. I know in our community this show isn’t so well received contrary to the public opinion by looking at MAL or Anilist stats, but I’m on the public side on this matter. The second season is just a direct continuation of the first one, and although it doesn’t reach the heights of the first season of Log Horizon, I still had a good time.
Love of Kill
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Action, Psychological, Romance
Score: 7 / 10
Love of Kill is rated purely on the enjoyment level, as I have difficulty grasping what I think about it otherwise. It was an enjoyable watch that had me hooked from start to finish. I liked both main characters and the dynamics they had between them. On the other hand, it was full of plot holes and left me without a non-existent (or “read the manga”) ending. I’d love to understand why the stuff in the past happened — that would be enough to keep me on edge for the second season if it ever comes out. Without it, I’ll probably forget the show ever existed in a month, which is a shame.
My Dress-Up Darling
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, Slice of Life
Score: 8.5 / 10
My Dress-Up Darling was definitely the peak of the season for me. At first, it didn’t catch my interest, and I was ready to skip it, but the flood of positive comments changed my mind. I was prepared to hate the show for what, on the outside, seemed like pointless fan service, but grew to admire how well they worked with it. They didn’t pointlessly oversexualize Kitagawa, she was simply confident about her body while also being a bit of an airhead sometimes, not realizing what she’s doing in front of Gojou — his reactions were funny to watch. Both main characters had great chemistry between them, and adding Inui’s sisters to the mix really highlighted how they shine when Kitagawa and Gojou are together. There were several great moments in the show, but the post-credits scene in the last episode was something so simple yet so incredibly well-made that it made me want more.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest Season 2
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Psychological
Score: 5 / 10
I vaguely remember the first season being quite dumb, so learning about a second season made my head spin in disbelieve. Despite my prejudice, Arifureta managed to surprise me with the sequel being more competent than its predecessor. It might arise simply from the fact that the introduction arcs and basic world building were already there, but I enjoyed the second season more. Somehow, the characters were more likable and even Tio wasn’t such a pain in the ass (sorry, not sorry) as in the first season. Is this Stockholm syndrome?
In the Land of Leadale
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Score: 5 / 10
I have to apologize right from the get-go. Leadale was my show to write for in our seasonal first impression articles, and, in the end, I decided not to write anything about it. Even now I’m struggling to find words about this show. It was an average show in every aspect and as such can fill some spare time, but I wouldn’t recommend making time solely for the purpose of watching this.
She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Score: 5 / 10
I’m conflicted about this show. On one hand, it did everything by the book, but on the other, it was executed well. The main characters had some personality and weren’t just cardboard copy-pasta from another isekai series. Same goes for the plot and world: generic but well put-together enough that I have no complaints about it — everything felt familiar, almost comfy. What is discussable about the show is the fact that the main character has his gender swapped, which leads to some plot points, but if you rephrase a few scenes and left it all out, it would, in my opinion, still be a competent show without a questionable decision that might turn some people off.
Life With an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into a Total Fantasy Knockout
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Score: 2.5 / 10
I really looked forward to this show; the premise sounded like it’ll be a blast. Sadly, it wasn’t the case. It had a decent start and made me laugh several times, but from the second episode onwards, it started rehashing the same jokes over and over. Without funny skits we were left with an underwhelming story and probably the worst representation of gender swap in any media I experienced so far. It was distasteful and objectified women to the point of me almost throwing up a few times. This show won’t ever get my recommendation.
The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest
Episodes: 12 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life
Score: 3 / 10
This show is dull. It lacks any original idea or pinch of personality in any character. Name any isekai or power fantasy trope and you’ll probably find it in The Strongest Sage. You are definitely better off skipping it.
World’s End Harem
Episodes: 11 / 24 min. per ep.
Genres: Ecchi, Sci-Fi
Score: 2 / 10
The primary point of this show is being horny, and it manages to do it despite its incredible censoring. If, by any chance, you manage to stumble upon the uncensored version, it’s basically no different from every other regular hentai — except for the plot. With World’s End Harem still being classified as an anime, they are trying to pull off some story progression and failing miserably. By removing the plot, upping the lewd stuff a notch and removing the ridiculous censoring they might have made a decent hentai.
You’re reading AniTAY, a reader-run blog whose writers love everything anime related. To join in on the fun, check out our website, visit our official subreddit, follow us on Twitter, or give us a like on our Facebook page. This article was brought to you by Stínolez — gamer, anime lover & so-called writer. Check my other stuff here or follow me on Twitter. As always, I’m thankful to Luigi for editing this piece, check his stuff here.
