Favorite Anime of the Winter Season
With Spring now officially here, I wanted to dive into some of my favorite anime from the Winter season. I love anime like Jujutsu Kaisen & Attack on Titan, but I wanted to point out some animes, this year, that I feel have gone a little under the radar that I have truly enjoyed. Let’s dive in.
Horimiya
I felt that I was watching too much action and adventure anime and wanted a change of pace. I was recommended some slice of life and romance anime. One, My Little Monster, just missed my list and I’d recommend watching. The other was Horimiya, which has been an incredible watch.
I’ll try to refrain from too many spoilers (sorry in advance) but Horimiya is about two high school students who come from two different backgrounds and fall in love. Those two high schoolers are Izumi Miyamura & Kyoko Hori. The show’s plot revolves around those two but, in addition, we get to explore the relationships between their friends and acquaintances as well. One of the things I really like about Horimiya is the way that the relationship between the two main characters has developed.
A lot of the anime that I watch follows a couple typical paths: The protagonist is awkward and doesn’t know how to approach someone they like, or the protagonist is oblivious to the people that like them. I’m sure that these situations do happen in real life but it gets annoying because it is portrayed in so much anime and it makes me so frustrated with the characters. We never get to see the progression of the relationship because if they do get in one (which is a big if), it is at the end of the show. With Miyamura & Hori, they get together early in the show. Here’s a clip from when their relationship became official:
Them holding hands for the first time initiates their relationship. It’s something so beautiful to me about how Miyamura discusses how he wants to learn more about Hori and his appreciation for Hori’s heartbeat. I’m taking notes.
There is some awkwardness in their relationship but it seems a lot more natural. This is what seems to be their first real relationship so they are trying things out. It makes sense for there to be some tentativeness. In other shows, the awkwardness is way over the top and gets annoying.
As the season goes on, we begin to see the developments in their relationship. They learn how to best love each other which results in some real tear-jerker moments. In addition to their relationship, we get to follow how their friends navigate their own love interests. Personally, Miyamura & Hori is the most interesting plotline to follow but it is cool to follow the stories of others as they navigate love. Each friend has their struggles but they also have the support around them to help get through it. Horimiya is really a beautiful show that just makes you cheerful inside after watching. I’m excited to continue to see how the two main characters grow.
Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone was one of my favorite anime of the year when the first season dropped, and the second season has not disappointed. I first became interested in it because the plot was so unique. A lot of the anime I watch (I probably need to expand my selection) has a character that starts off pretty weak and then continues to grow while being pushed by their rival (Naruto, Black Clover, My Hero Academia, etc). They continue to develop and beat the bad guys. I like those shows but the narrative is definitely a little tired. So, when I watched the trailer for Dr. Stone, I was amazed:
Humanity is turned to stone for thousands of years and, by pure luck, Senku Ishigami gets awakened by a miracle liquid. He makes it his mission to bring humanity back. He begins on his path, but Tsukasa awakens from the miracle liquid and becomes his enemy. Tsukasa wants to build a new world and wants to take out everyone except for the youth (will need to do another article because his idea is interesting). We get to watch the two as they prepare for the inevitable “Stone War.”
The first couple episodes immediately caught my eye. The show was so unorthodox, and I loved to see what the next thing was that Senku was going to create. This season, Senku has continued to try to advance the world back to its modern ways:
As we continued on in the season, we saw the war between Senku’s Kingdom of Science and Tsukasa and his crew. I won’t spoil it but it was incredible to see each side’s strategy and there were also some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. It has been a really good watch so far.
Dr. Stone’s magic ultimately comes from Senku. He is a logical thinker but is very inspiring to those around him. If you give him a couple tools, he’ll be able to help you escape from the toughest challenges. He is one of my favorite characters of all time. His optimism comes from his belief in science and that makes him really hard to root against.
It is said that Dr. Stone will have a third season so I am glad it is continuing and will be really interested to see what comes next.
That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime is another unorthodox anime that I love. It came back with its second season this Winter and it has brought the heat. In Slime, the main character, Satoru Mikami, is reincarnated as a slime after his death and becomes Rimuru Tempest. As a slime though, Rimuru has the ability to absorb other beings and take their powers. In addition, he has a supercomputer-like being inside of his head that is able to analyze all situations and figure out the best way forward. Because of his abilities, he becomes one of the strongest monsters in the land.
Rimuru embraces his new life and sets out on his adventure. He moves forward through the new world and, after making friends, he decides to make a city where he hopes that monsters and humans can coexist. Because of his kind nature along with his abilities, he is able to successfully build his nation and acquire allies. The second season begins with him in the middle of running his nation.
I love that in Slime we get to see Rimuru navigate the different challenges of creating a nation. Slime reminds me a lot of the RPGs and MMORPGs that I used to play as a kid. Rimuru continues to level up as he goes on his journeys and because of his powers, he is able to level up the individuals around him. Slime is a feel-good anime that brings joy to its viewers. There are serious moments (especially in Season 2) but ultimately, Rimuru is a fun-loving slime that is trying to protect his friends and the people of his nation.
He truly loves and cares for his friends:
That’s one of the reasons I like this anime so much. It’s beautiful the way that those in Rimuru’s nation treat one another and fight for one another. They trust one another 100% and because of that trust, they’ve been able to rapidly grow the city.
Slime teaches us about true friendship and the power of relationships. Rimuru is a motivating leader that has helped his people reach prosperity. If you’re looking for a more positive and loving anime, Slime is the one for you.
