Winter 2018 Anime

Re Zero is pretty much the antithesis of Power Fantasy, which is why it was so popular. It gets even more critical of the idea later after the anime, and until then, since white fox is busy with Peace Maker Kurogane movies and Steins Gate Zero anime, it will be a while before that part of the LN is adapted.

There’s was also a what if for if it was power fantasy story, where Subaru becomes an Evil Emperor for Emilia and it ends horribly.

edited 4th Dec '17 12:02:52 PM by Demongodofchaos2

Yes, but would it be better as a regular fantasy show where Subaru has grounded context in the world he's in (as say, a peasant or a merchant) rather than being some schlub from our world just being dropped in there?

That's why I'm not saying that all Isekai are bad, just that no shows are better for being Isekai (except for Konosuba which is a blatant parody of it and therefore doesn't count).

to my understanding Re:Zero is a critical take on the genre so it not being an isekai wouldn't really work, since that would fundamentally change the nature of the story.

That said I don't think I've ever seen an isekai I didn't find kind of tiresome. A lot of them are also very, very weird, and not in a good way.

I mainly dislike that they've largely displaced regular fantasy anime.

Isekai have been abundant for decades, it’s just most of the most before SAO were traditional fantasy influenced then ROG influenced ones of today.

Inuyasha is the big one, as are Fushigi Yuugi and Visionof Ecaflowne.

I can agree with that, though I think you're otherwise overplaying your hand. It got to point where the frankly mediocre Grimoire of Zero from two seasons ago held my interest simply because it was a fantasy series that was neither isekai nor harem.

Though we have Mahoutsukai no Yome this season and Made in Abyss last season. Those are good fantasy shows that aren't Isekai.

Also Kujira no Kora. I think the number of Isekai has actually been decreasing lately? Or maybe it's just me.

Some LN contests have been straight up banning them despite them still being the most popular genre of L Ns by like a factor of 50.

Also gotta remember that anime at its heart is a power fantasy, you are supposed to relate to the MC as almost every single one is a self insert analog of some form. The only ones that do not include a self-insert MC are CGDCT and Yaoi works and those will stick them off to the side as the Cute Sports Club Manager or genderflip them and still have them looking in.

edited 4th Dec '17 4:16:33 PM by Memers

I think we've likely hit the tipping/saturation point, and we should be seeing some decline now. Especially since the isekai this season, coming so close on the heels of Isekai Smartphone, is firmly in the 'here's a transparent comedy power fantasy' genre. Hard to say if it's also like other parody ones like the light novels that have been cropping up.

Anyway, yeah, I don't expect another Gurren Lagann from FRANXX. I've honestly been disappointed by Trigger's series more often than not (LWA banked on a sense of mythos and character development it didn't invest anything into, and Kiznaiver went from fun and punchy to flat and tasteless the instant it had anything to do with the main character interacting with the female lead), so I'll withhold judgement. If we can get something more in the vein of Eureka Seven than Evangelion, I'll be happy.

Huh...is Cute Sports Club Manager a recent trope page made?

After checking the history, I take that question back.

edited 5th Dec '17 12:37:05 AM by IceAnt573

I should probably watch Kiznaiver at some point (if only to see if I actually like Mari Okada or just like Black Rock Shooter).

I actually loved the LWA TV series but it had a troubled production and you could kind of tell.

I gave Kiznaiver a try, but its first episode bored me out of going further.

Kiznaiver really only shines when its side characters are around. The main character and the two female leads are just... so, so ridiculously dull.

Kiznaiver is alright if you watch it for the over the top teenage shenanigans, but since it let the horrifying power abuses that were driving the plot go completely unpunished, it annoyed the feck out of me.

Same. Outside of my dislike of the mellowdrama (seriously WTF was with Episode 9), the fact that they tried to wrap everything up neatly in the bow in the end left me scratching my head.

well my understanding is that melodrama (yes, that's how it's spelled. The English language makes no damn sense) is just kind of what Mari Okada does. Very over the top emotion and presentation.

Granted BRS is the only show of her's I've seen so far, so we'll see how that holds up over multiple properties.

CR and Funimation announced their preliminary lineups.

Biggest surprise was them getting DARLING in the FRANKXX. I for sure thought that Aniplex USA would've licensed it.

I wonder if DARLING's dub will be another Panty and Stocking cast reunion...

Actually, as surprised as I am of Funi calling dibs on DARLING, I'm just as surprised (if not more surprised) at them calling dibs on Cardcaptor Sakura.

(Crosses fingers)

Kari Wahlgren as Sakura, Kari Wahlgren as Sakura, Kari Wahlgren as Sakura

They should bring back the cast for the original Cardcaptors dub. It won't be the same without them.

She's a SAG voice actor, so I wouldn't get my hopes up.

The original voice work was done in Canada, so I wouldn't count on that either.

Video recap:

I'm really intrigued by Cocolors…

And god, we're getting two different Fate series in the same season? And that's not even counting the Heaven's Feel movies… How many spin-offs of this thing are there anyway? >.>

edited 15th Dec '17 12:35:39 PM by Lyendith

Wait, Gintama is ending? isn't that one of the longest running shounens ever? or is it only the anime that is ending?

x2

There are tons of spinoffs but I'm pretty sure there's only one series airing next season.There's a movie coming out at the end of January There are two specials airing on New Years but those aren't full on anime series. Extra is the only actual Fate series airing next series.

My understanding is that the Gintama manga is in it's final arc

And like a lot of shonen "final arcs", it's been running for a while now. Admittedly Gintama's arcs are way shorter than the average, but in relation to it's normal arc length, it's been going for a while.