Anime I've watched so far 2024
NG Knight Lamune & 40 (approximately 1/3rd through):
Someone showed me one episode in a tiny 240p livestream ages ago and thought about it for years. It's got swirly glasses girl. Weird humor. This first show also has a low low low budget. Toy selling machine show on par with sayyy Transformers or GI Joe production values but still a kids anime. I can tell the poor translator is doing their best but this is a PUN after PUN filled show. Being a kids show there are a few I understood thanks to my exteremly limited nihongo vocab. This is the sort of show I'm thankful for coming out here because... who the heck do you sell this to? And this is definitely not the easiest show to TL. Will be watching this slowly because I think I'll burn out if I watch it fast.
Sgt. Frog (S1):
I had to know what this show is. I feel like some of its humor is just sitting there in other Japanese media I've read/watched. Honestly, enjoyed it. Part of that enjoyment comes from having watched (most of) original Gundam. I like building Gunpla and Keroro loves it more. Will be watching S2 but more slowly. There's a character who sometimes shows up who is a parody of a tokusatsu guy so I will also be watching Space Sheriff Gavan alongside it.
Non Non Biyori (All minus the two OVA? that didn't get licensed):
I slept on this show. I don't know why. I maybe thought it was a different kinda show. It's a relaxing rural show and a comedy. I woulda loved back then it if someone sold me on it better. Real good silly kids. Real good relaxing moments. Great timing. May also be hitting different after being driven through rural Japan. More real. Or something.
Kinmoza (All)
Honestly. I originally dropped it the first minute when I heard the English. See, the main character is from England. Surely they got someone with the right accent. (They did not.) I return to it now trying to watch more Manga Time Kirara adaptations. Also hearing someone from the UK rec it helped. Getting past that I did find a pretty good adaptation of a Manga Time Kirara show. Fun jokes, great timing, several spoonfuls of yuri. Not quite Hidamari Sketch tier, but I did like it. Some of my favorite teacher characters from one of these sorts of comedies.
Girls Band Cry
Why did this get such a weird release here in NA? Actually bought merch for the show before I was able to watch it. GBC's presence was also a small part of an already small popup shop and they were sold out of the more substantial stuff. I bought stickers. A clearfile. I hope there's some interview where the show was underestimated.
I've been watching lower fidelity 3DCG anime for quite some time and didn't second guess the CG pivot for music shows. This though. This is that new stuff we've been getting after Land of the Lustrous. That new Trigun. This show does a lot with the faces and tells a pretty good girls in band story. It is not as stiff as a Bushiroad franchise. (Bang Dream, or when Love Live uses CG) These girls are great and get into arguments.
Senryu Girl
Short show about a girl who communicates in poetry. Budget adaptation for a manga. Feel like maybe it was a good choice to keep it short. Lives in that zone of manga advert anime. Cute show but nothing amazing. The Bluray bitrate won't be helping this show, just stream it. (I forget if HiDive or whatever has the home video version or not)
Some notes:
I know I'm forgetting a show. That could be saying something about the show, but my memory is that bad actually.
I used to recommend Tesagure! Bukatsumono for no reason as to get people to watch something very different and 3DCG. Then Kemono Friends happened and Se-ha girls so I had some real stuff to rec. I think there's definitely a space for high fidelity 3DCG but I hope they consider it carefully. Traditional 2D animation can be more efficient for some projects. (Y'know if everyone is paid well and not worked to the bone.) I do want more budget 3DCG shows.
Some people consider K-On! up there in Manga Time Kirara adaptations but I feel like we've come so far from that show. Yes, it did a great job making a better show out of the comic. Yes it was one of those that got tie in instruments as merch and a ton of albums. But you know what? These newer shows don't have their actors at such a high pitch or processed as much. I think even Bang Dream is still slightly less high pitched. (Still processed tho, even some of Bocchi the Rock's songs.) K-On! had a pretty high strength Kyoani but even Kyoani got much better after. Hidamari Sketch did some amazing stuff in animation. Lots of SHAFT animation stuff got established there that you will see in Zetsubou Sensei and Monogatari series. One of those adaptations that may have helped the manga. I prefer to use that for my benchmark. I guess this is me admitting I like Hidamari Sketch more than Bocchi the Rock. Maybe I just like them both.