The Forgotten Anime Part 2

With 2015 came more good anime, more bad anime, and most importantly, more anime that no one cares about! Actually though, most of the shows on this list have some redeeming qualities. Though, I won't be making fun of a popular show like I did last time. I figure it's best to start by thrashing a show that is already roundly disliked.

Spring 2015: The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan
After watching the hit series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and the great movie that came after, fans were really excited to learn that a new series was being made under the franchise. However, when it became clear what the plot of this new series was meant to be, it lost all credibility. Following up one of the biggest hits in anime is difficult in and of itself, but the challenge is turned up to 22 when you decide to remove everything that made the original series great. No longer is the story about an unknowing god with a band of living tropes, but instead about boring people living their boring life with nothing interesting at all happening... Sorry about that. I just really hate this show. It was produced by Satelight, a studio that's done two shows I love, two shows I hate, and tons of random stuff I don't know about. It feels a bit paradoxical that the show where Yuki is given emotion is consequently devoid of it. I'm really glad no one talks about this anymore.

Summer 2015: Himouto! Umaru-chan
Have you picked up that I dislike slice of life yet? Because I actually don't dislike them inherently, they're just the shows most likely to contain elements that bug me. Umaru chan was talked about for a few months at the most, before it dropped from the public eye. Once again, that may be because there were no themes to spark debate. Sure, Himouto was a relatable character for teenage weebs who never do their homework and play games all night, but the story didn't exist beyond that meme. Once it wasn't in fresh memory, everyone stopped caring. I personally didn't care enough to hate the series; I just think it would be a waste of time to watch it now.

Fall 2015: Hidan no Aria AA
I mentioned I liked Hidan no Aria before, and I mentioned that I wanted a second season, so my wish was heard, right? Similar to Nagato Yuki-chan, this show was more of a spinoff series than a proper sequel. It seems to take place in parallel to the original series, with a few cameos, but the main story is about a new character named Akari Mamiya. Her goal is to become Aria's apprentice (amica). The whole girls with guns appeal is ruined by several episodes of anything but that, and the failure tropes are turned up beyond team rocket level, leaving the comedy completely predictable and boring. The tone of the original series is replaced with that of Yuru Yuri and stakes are nonexistent. I was probably the only one who followed Hidan no Aria, so even if there was something to say about this sequel, anyone willing to say it left after season one.

Winter 2015: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
I was going to put the second season of Utawarerumono here, but I figured it would be better to end this rant on a high note; keeping the balance. Grimgar is neither a sequel, nor a bad slice of life. In fact, it is in my top ten favorite anime, so it pains me that people don't talk about it more often. When it is brought up, it's just mentioned lightly as an isekai series that isn't as crappy as the rest, but I see more in it. The story is about a group of Japanese kids who wake up in a strange fantasy world with no memories of their home. The first episode or two is spent getting the world building out of the way so the story can move on to what it's great at: The characters and art. I kind of want to do a complete review of Grimgar later, so I'll spare the rest of the details. This is the only show on this list I would absolutely recommend to anyone who thinks they share my taste. I find it strange that Grimgar has some of the most realistic character dynamics I've seen, but no one mentions it at all when discussing the topic. For those goblin fans out there, Grimgar has the best goblins in anime, so go watch!

Great translation there, Youtube.