What I’ll Be Watching This Fall 2018 Simulcast Season!

Greetings all! With the first days of October under our belt, fall is officially here!

I realize I never did one of those Summer 2018 recaps . . . I’ll get around to it once I actually finish them . . . maybe. Anyway, I’m super pumped for this fall season. Couple of  long-awaited “season threes” to go around, plus some neat new stuff from KyoAni, Production I.G, and even Trigger. Let’s see what I’ll be watching this fall 2018 simulcast season!

Banana Fish

First for returning shows of the summer season is everyone’s favorite Yuri!!! On ICE-meets-gang-warfare-and-mafia-conspiracies smash hit shoujo BL series (you’re tackling a lot of ground there, BF). Banana Fish had me at the beginning, but admittedly not as much now. I think it’s become one of those things where the show’s visual aesthetic (the 1980s art style with Mappa’s lightly drawn character designs and the intricate backgrounds) is better than the actual plot. Every single episode ends with a cliffhanger, so that’s definitely a factor that keeps drawing me back, but the characters are the best part of this beloved title for sure. I have a feeling that Ash Lynx’s path will start to grow plenty darker, and as his mental state teeters on the edge of becoming a real beast, I do hope Eiji will be there to keep him from committing an irreversible sin.

Attack on Titan Season 3

Wow, wow, wow, where to begin with this one? The second of two returning summer titles, AoT 3 certainly put the franchise back on the map. Things are getting revealed, characters from the shadows are making their move, and Eren is growing more and more into an understandable character at the behest of Levi and Historia’s suffering (and their eventually overcoming the demons from their pasts). People and themes are starting to better connect, and as humanity careens on the its own self-destruction, everything is coming to light. It’s incredible how this franchise can transition from straight shounen action in the first season to this horror, murder mystery that is the second, and now a political drama AND STILL maintain my interest and fascination with the world and its characters. Each season has its own unique tone (the second still being my favorite, as unpopular as my opinion is), yet they are all equally–and unmistakably–Attack on Titan. I’m ALWAYS looking forward to more, and I hear the next developments are particularly epic.

Radiant

Now to the new stuff . . . I know literally nothing about this series. I guess it’s based on a French shounen manga, which is cool. But the main reason I’ll be trying to follow it is because Lerche is behind the project, and y’all know I love that studio. Not sure if I’ll end up following it, but I put it here anyway just to try out the waters.

Tsurune (Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu)

Aww yeah, now THIS one I’m excited for. It’s #archeryboys, and I can’t wait for Kyoto Animation to bring this school sports/drama series to life! I love the soft green, brown, and white color palette the advertising department has been working with. Having thoroughly enjoyed Free! and virtually everything else that KyoAni has produced in the past, I’m absolutely ready to cheer on this high school archery club as they aim for the prefectural tournament.

Run with the Wind (Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru)

More sports drama, woohoo! Other than the fact that this is animated by Production I.G (who brought us Haikyuu!! and, more importantly to me, Welcome to the Ballroom), I don’t know much about this series. The characters look cool, but apparently they’re all just a bunch of university novices trying to run in the some big famous marathon in Japan. WAIT, is that UNISON SQUARE GARDEN doin’ the OP? Strap me along for the ride, cause I’m sure it’ll be a fun one!

SSSS.GRIDMAN

Hahaha, another one that I know nothing about. But it’s GRIDMAN—IT’S HYPE, RIGHT!?! I guess this one already has mixed reviews since the first episode came out, but regardless of whether they’re “good” or not, I support Trigger’s original projects 100%. Kiznaiver was alright. Darling in the Franxx wasn’t so hot. So let’s wait and see how Gridman turns out and hopefully this sci-fi mecha series will win more hearts than turn minds away. Oh and did you guys hear Funimation’s dub trailer yet? Greg Ayres, Lindsay Seidel, AND Barry Yandell on board? HECK yeah, sign me up!

Sword Art Online: Alicization (Season III)

Get the hate out of your system. All of it. Keep going, I’ll wait.

Is it gone yet? Alrighty, it’s SAO S3, and I’m hella pumped. The past couple weeks I’ve been catching up on the light novels in anticipation for what is supposedly the franchise’s best arc yet–and trust me, I believe it. In 2015 I read books 1-4, or what we know as the first season’s Aincrad and Fairy Dance arcs; in 2016 I read 5, the first half of Phantom Bullet; and just recently, I picked up books 6-14 minus 8 (yes, that is a lot of books and money). Whenever I have free time between classes and studies, I’d immerse myself in Reki Kawahara’s virtual worlds, enjoying every second of leisurely reading. I first read 9 to get a preview into this next arc, then went back to 6 to truly finish Phantom Bullet, and lastly took an emotional pit-stop at 7’s Mother’s Rosario to bridge the storytelling gap. With practically all of SAO in both anime and novel form under my belt (save for the Ordinal Scale film), I’m excited to venture on with my homework in volumes 10-14, as well as follow the anime side-by-side. The promos seem promising and the advertised character designs are simply beautiful. In other words, Alicization, here I come!

A Certain Magical Index III

And last but not least, my most anticipated title in the line-up is the loooooong-awaited continuation of one of the big franchises that pushed my journey along as a young anime fan, arguably becoming my favorite series for the longest time. FINALLY, we’ve got the third season of Index, and although it’s not Railgun (the true best), I’ve been waiting to find out what happened after the climactic events of the second season since what, like 2013—has it really been that long!? Anyway, I don’t have much else to say other than I’m absolutely, positively thrilled to be back in Academy City, a place where science and magic clash, and there’s never a dull moment!

---

That’s all for what I plan to be following! What about you? Will we be watching some of the same shows together, or do you have your eyes set on something else this fall 2018 season? I’d love to hear your line-up, as there’s a bunch of good stuff to look forward to! Let me know in the comments, and until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Takuto WILL Be Participating in The 12 Days of Anime! | Blogmas 2017 Introduction

Hey guys, been a while!

Initially, I was just planning on sliding through finals week, then returning to the blogging scene for my OWLS post. Well, that OWLS post doesn’t come out for another week or two, and with my last final being just next Tuesday, I thought I’d hop aboard the holiday hype train with the “12 Days of Anime” since it technically starts next Thursday, the 14th! My version is a little different, though. Or rather, it has very few rules or restrictions (partially because I’m super lazy to impose order upon something that, if actually accomplished, is a feat in itself). It’ll be 12 straight days of blogging, which is very different than the typical NOTHINGNESS that I usually post. But what can you expect during these 12 days?

1. Favorite anime moments from 2017—these will include the top-tier scenes that I bore witness to in the anime I watched this. They may include moments from simulcasts, or even shows that I just now got around to seeing (like Ergo Proxy, for one). They’ll usually include spoilers, but I’ll warn you in advance. 🙂
2. Best anime-related happenings that occurred this year—from special events to the announcement of sequels or English releases, these will be celebrations of accomplishments from this year relating to anime. AKA it’s “Which anime news updates were my favorite!”
3. Full-series reviews of shows I watched from 2017—it’s just as it sounds, and it might include titles from both the backlog or those that are hot off the press.
4. Stuff about me—not sure how much these may encompass right now (for all I know, I might already have enough material to work with), but these kinds of posts are for, in the event, when I don’t feel like writing a review (which is often, because, you know, I’m lazy). They could include long-withheld blog award nominations or tag posts. You’ll just have to wait and see!

From Thursday, the 14th all the way up through Christmas Day, that Monday, the 25th, I’ll be posting DAILY, and though they may be short posts, it’ll still be my way of interacting with you all before the new year arrives—in that sense, it’s as if Takuto’s Anime Cafe will be open from dawn to dusk, welcoming all who are looking for warm drinks and conversation throughout the holidays!

Each day, I will also be looking back on the OWLS blog tour posts by month, starting CLEAR BACK IN MARCH HOLY CRAP (because I procrastinated on reading those). Lastly, anyone remember when I tweeted out my iPhone home screen, which was littered with bins of posts to read by all of you? Yeah, I’m going through those one day at a time, too, because I WILL NOT LEAVE ANY STONE UNTURNED FROM THIS YEAR. It’s all or nothing, and this will clear the slate for all of the great reads in the new year. Looking forward to all that you guys will be writing, by the way.

Lastly, I DO happen to have a couple posts planned, those mainly being my December OWLS entry and one big-ass comparative analysis on the works of Makoto Shinkai. It’ll likely be my last big blogging project this year, so please look forward to that!

---

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Takuto, your host at my Anime Cafe, a small underground shack in the vastness of the web that caters hopefully heartwarming reviews and promotes relaxation. I post infrequently—with no schedule to contain me whatsoever–but I hope you still enjoy the things I write and the random stuff I say, be it an in-depth story analysis or about the latest obsession plaguing me.

To celebrate the holidays this year and honor all of my long-time customers (and the new ones, like you, perhaps!), I’ll be opening the doors for 12 consecutive days. Expect a flurry of posts, a messy mish-mash of all of different writing styles that make me, well, me! I can’t wait to follow any of you on your own “12 Days of Anime,” too, so be sure to comment below if you are starting one! Let’s usher in the new year as we anibloggers always do—by reading, writing, and celebrating all of the friends we’ve made, and the long-lasting friendships to come! Until December 14th, this has been

– Takuto, your host