Seasonals of the Abyss
* Spring 2026 *
Seasonals of the Abyss has reached a consistent year of serialization for the first time in history. With any luck, this will be the first year that I cover every season without flaking. Since the moment of its inception, this series has been representative of a constant struggle between me and my work ethic. The whims of fate and unpredictable stretches of writing fatigue would often derail my commitment to churning out seasonal opinions every quarter slice of the year. A single anime rubbing me the wrong way might completely dismantle the entire project. There was a fickleness I couldn't shake that was only intensified by my righteous belief that I don't owe anyone a blog post. You'd have to be a real freak of nature to come drink from my well. But the cold hard truth was that I failed myself more than I risked alienating potential readers. I'm not a publication or a career journalist. I'm just a hobby writer. In that respect, not being able to squeeze out a post every few months is even more embarrassing. As soon as I was able to internalize that reality, the pieces began to fall in place. Now I can stand and appreciate the persistence which brought me this far.
This isn't a prestigious sort of writing. It serves as a self-affirmation and a manifestation of purpose. I have been watching seasonal anime for over fifteen years now. A recent project of mine led me to dig through the entire list of shows I've completed since 2010. There are numerous titles that I have never written a single word about nor mentioned aloud. Dozens of anime completely forgotten between layers of dust. Maybe there's no grand purpose to sparing a thought to palatable-at-best fluff like Stella no Mahou or Anima Yell, but I reject the idea that the act itself is meaningless. Much of the names that clutter my list deserve, at the bare minimum, a footnote in history. To write about something is to commit it to a fragment of memory. It's too easy to passively watch a season of anime and move on, retaining little of worth as the grains slip through the mental sieve straight into relative nonexistence. I chose to continue this project because I don't believe that's a constructive way to engage with an artistic medium that has provided me so much enrichment and joy. I'm hardly bitter enough to take it all for granted. My unwavering faith in anime as a vector for creative expression keeps me motivated to pick up the pen.
That's all well and good, but what about the anime from this season? Surely after all that flowery talk I've got a selection of life affirming works to share, right? You're shit out of luck, I'm afraid. We're here for the usual song and dance of one or two standout picks surrounded by impulse fodder that I'll have to justify watching through a handful of paragraphs. There are five shows on the table for tonight. One is a returning champion who has crossed paths with me many times. Another has a surprising connection with a series I praised quite a bit last season. The rest of them are a refraction of my twisted mind trying to pry into specific tropes and vague idiosyncrasies that interest me. Those are the anime that make up the "abyss" in "Seasonals of the Abyss". There's always a piercing light in the darkness, but you can be sure that everything else is simply just dark. Frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Who doesn't love a little variety?
Seasonals of the Abyss is still Seasonals of the Abyss despite everything. Let's all hope it continues to stay that way. Thanks for reading.
Yowayowa Sensei
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| Produced by Brain's Base |
Every once in a while, a specific flavor of anime that has been out of vogue for quite some time manages to crawl its way onto the seasonal roster. The high school ecchi romcom with a male lead used to be a staple in any lineup that has largely fallen to the wayside as the trends shifted over the last decade. It's hard to see this as a particularly negative development when every Seitokai Yakuindomo of the genre was met with dozens of lesser grade Mayo Chiki! and MM! types that were quickly tossed into a landfill. Yet, there's no denying that I spent much time as a junior anime enthusiast rolling in the mud, picking apart countless examples of this premise with an endless hunger that only a teenager could have. Now that the average harem and low brow romcom fare has been chained to dime-a-dozen isekai and gacha wallet strippers, seeing a remnant of the old guard is an exercise in novelty. It's for that flimsy paper-thin reasoning alone that Yowayowa Sensei caught my eye with its guarantee of shameless nonsense from a bygone era. And a guarantee it was! There's no doubt that this is a piece of brazenly honest advertising well aware of its own substance.
Straight off the pages of Weekly Shounen Magazine, Yowayowa Sensei is a manga adaptation from Brain's Base - a studio on the cusp of its thirtieth year in business. Our protagonist is Akihito Abikura, a second year high school student and slacker who wants nothing more than to cruise through another uneventful semester. That dream is immediately shattered after learning his new homeroom teacher is the infamous Hiyori "Kowakowa-sensei" Hiwamura (as in 'kowai' [scary]) who is rumored to curse her students if they dare to upset her. Abikura initially laments his bad luck, but his divine power as the male lead steers him into a rare chance situation after school where he discovers the truth. Hiwamura is a clumsy, socially awkward mess who - through a number of gross misunderstandings - gave her students the wrong impression of her true character. She is in fact the titular Yowayowa-sensei (as in 'yowai' [weak]) who is barely capable of maintaining her balance, let alone making proper conversation. After enduring this lack of physical coordination in the most typical ecchi romcom way possible (she falls on top of him and smothers him with her huge boobs), Abikura inherits her secret and engages in one of the most classic taboo fantasies in history: falling in love with his teacher.
The road ahead is anything but easy for Abikura as he takes on the herculean task of rehabilitating Hiwamura-sensei's reputation from the sidelines. He shoulders the burden of becoming the class representative so he can cover for her mistakes. The duo continues to engage in after school training where Abikura often takes on the role of a human cushion for his clumsy teacher. But it isn't long before other prying eyes get in on the madness. His childhood friend Mizuki Mukubayashi, a gyaru with gorilla strength, learns of their secret meetings and eventually agrees to help the rest of the class get along with Hiwamura-sensei. Yuuki Yukishita, a flat-chested truant who subverts the breast envy trope by being an insatiable pervert that loves fondling boobs, soon joins the crew after being convinced to come back to school. If that wasn't enough trouble, the voyeuristic photographer Kaya Kuguri catches wind of this scoop and uses her talents to coerce the gang into forming a photography club with their teacher as the representative. And if you think Abikura is finding any peace in his home life, think again. His older sister Akemi is a menace to society with an overbearing mommy personality and a complete lack of shame that no other character can possibly withstand. She desires nothing more than to push her brother and his teacher together, especially after learning that Hiwamura-sensei conveniently lives in the apartment next door.
This wild and chaotic setup serves the two primary directives of this show. The dignified side concerns Hiwamura-sensei's genuine desire to be a good teacher who can be relied on by her students. Despite everyone's ulterior motives, they all genuinely care about her well-being. She's a squishy moe adult with pure intentions and they want to make her dream come true, especially Abikura as he struggles to reconcile his romantic feelings. But the other driving force is where this show is really planting its feet - being a depraved, juvenile ecchi romp that revels in its own fun and games. Mukubayashi is increasingly prone to wardrobe malfunctions due to her excess force. Yukishita is a serial groper who abuses her teacher's good will for her own erotic cravings. Kuguri engages in unethical photography to fuel her pride at everyone's expense. Akemi's motherly aura hits covers every doujinshi trope in the book and that's including breast feeding. Abikura has to witness it all while also steeling her heart as Hiwamura-sensei's body is constantly put on display in front of him and often on top of him as well. He has to maintain his composure no matter how many times his teacher's nipples enter the line of sight. Or her genitals.
This is a true blue ecchi comedy all the way down. Hiwamura-sensei wins the honor of being the show's mascot, donning an endless number of scandalous outfits and dangerously scant lingerie. But it would be foolish to think that in an all female cast surrounding a single male entity that only the teacher would be living on the edge. After resolving a long seated misunderstanding with Abikura, Mukubayashi embraces her true role as the osananajimi character and starts falling for him. Yukishita's petite figure is no stranger to the camera as her perverted schemes require an equal level of shamelessness. Kuguri similarly isn't afraid to bare herself if it means scoring an erotic shutter chance. Akemi goes without saying, she's a freak of nature and the show has to suppress her presence to avoid complete unmitigated disaster. Abikura may be hot for teacher, but as long as the status quo remains dominant, he'll never be able to escape attacks from all sides. As a new age male lead, he isn't as clueless as the typical romcom protagonist. All he can do is tank the shots.
This is a profoundly dumb anime, but that's what makes it truly authentic to its predecessors. That's the highest amount of praise I can spare here. When I called this a "novelty", that was essentially the most direct label I could slap on it. I don't particularly love the characters or the situations they find themselves in, but it is highly reminiscent of many shows I've seen from the distant past. For better or worse, Yowayowa Sensei is a familiar landscape. It smooths out the edges that were often present in the ecchi works of yesterday but doesn't quite bat at the same average when it comes to the animation quality. They need to enrich a whole new era of freak animators before we're bound to see that change. I'm not that beat up about it, though. What I witnessed in the preview is ultimately what the show has delivered for its entire run. There's nobody else to blame but myself for choosing to watch this! It's a concentrated burst of nonsense that helps break up the weekly schedule, and for that alone I won't leverage any regrets. It's also nice to see a modern anime that has a classic ED song with the whole cast pitching in their vocals. I'll allow it some bonus points for being the only show I'm watching this season to pull that off. Otherwise, this is the bottom line of the whole experience. If you ever wanted to see a helpless teacher stumble and expose herself in the name of self-improvement, this one's for you.
Ichijouma Mankitsugurashi!
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| Produced by PRA |
Manga Time Kirara and its sister magazines have decades of presence in the anime scene. There's no doubting their impact on the shape of modern moe when weighing in manga publications like K-ON! and Hidamari Sketch that emerged straight from their pages. Even more recent works like Yuru Camp and Bocchi the Rock! prove that the Kirara legacy is one continues to produce uncut gems that are polished to greater heights thank to passion fueled animation teams and visionary talents. But nothing operates in absolutes. For every massive adaptation of a Kirara series, there are more than a handful that trail behind in the company of niche viewership. You won't be seeing Anne Happy or Blend S dominating the average tier list. There's something to appreciate about the wide range of quality that Kirara provides. With that thought in mind, we have a new contender to take a look at this season. It has the classic all-girls moe cast with a liberal amount of casual yuri seasoning and a whole heap of comedic tomfoolery to hold it together. Produced by PRA, another example of a support studio seeking a place of their own in this rapidly growing industry, Ichijouma Mankitsugurashi! is an anime so proud of its heritage that the OP gets to have two Kirara jumps in it.
Meiko Morita is a country bumpkin who is granted a rare chance to inject some excitement in her life when she receives a letter offer to apply for enrollment at the prestigious Amamiya Girls' Academy in Tokyo. She is miraculously accepted and leaves her rural home behind to take up residence in the school dorm. With a guaranteed allowance to help fund her new life in Tokyo, the technologically impaired Meiko enters a brand new world that seems almost too good to be true. It turns out there's a few quirks to her glamorous life at the audemy. Her dorm is a single room that's located inside of a manga cafe by the name of Hedgehog. To avoid being buried under tuition fees, she accepts her fate and begins working there with the other residents. However, it's not long before Meiko learns why she was offered enrollment in the first place. The energetic Rie Amamiya is a manga enthusiast who is both the dorm's supervisor and heiress to the family that owns the academy. Due to a freak misunderstanding, Rie believes Meiko to be a prolific manga artist who shares the same name. Realizing this mistaken identity is the sole reason for being accepted, Meiko plays along with the lie and begins leading a double life while befriending her new coworkers.
Meiko and Rie are but half of the quartet that helps Manga Cafe Hedgehog keep running. Working alongside them is Marika Suzuki, an internet streamer who does a poor job of keeping her real identity secret. She is heat sensitive and spends most of her free time with no pants on. They are also supported by Neo Nakano, a cute technologically savvy girl and aspiring professional gamer. Her personality is divided between "cutest girl you'll ever meet" and "twisted gaming psychopath". True to the moe bishoujo quartet formula, these four girls become fast friends while enduring the chaos of running a manga cafe in a rich girl school. Meiko must adapt to this fast paced environment while harboring her secret identity, although Rie is the only one who seems to be hung up about it. While running the business, recurring customers like the rival cafe worker Michika and the savant appraiser Suzu appear to keep their days lively. You can be sure that every single shot of a manga shelf in this show will be packed with references to other Kirara works.
My first observation was that this show has the most overt fanservice I've seen from a Kirara show since Dogakobo adapted New Game! nearly a decade ago. In a similar fashion to Kou Yagami sleeping at the office in her underwear, Marika's lazy bum is a frequent punchline as she gets caught both on and off stream with her panties on display. There's a traditional beach episode where the whole cast gets to wear goofy swimsuits. Another segment has Meiko going commando on the business floor after losing her underwear. Rie is a yuri fanatic who fantasizes about her friends engaging in perverted behavior without hesitation. I wouldn't go so far to call this an ecchi anime, but it is noticeably more provocative than the average Kirara work. I don't mind it personally, but it's not what I was expecting just going off the premise. One thing I do like is that this show takes advantage of its rich academy setting Kaguya-sama style to frequently exaggerate each scenario. The aforementioned beach episode takes place in Guam thanks to the influence of Rie's family. Perhaps the most bizarre episode of the whole bunch follows the cast on an international rescue mission to save Marika from a rival streamer who is obsessed with her.
It feels like I'm watching a SILVER LINK production in the spiritual sense. They did a handful of Kirara adaptations in the past and the general quality I've come to expect is reflected here. Very passable across the board but nothing to write home about either. The animation is fine enough to do the job but it tends to be pretty stiff. Contains liberal usage of the slideshow montage. For a show that is primarily just a vector for screwball comedy with cute girls, it's a tad less expressive than it should be. Every qualitative aspect of this experience screams "budget yonkoma adaptation" from top to bottom. To be fair, the PV clearly illustrated this fact long before the first episode was on air. Can you blame me for wanting to be surprised? Not every piece of driftwood in the seasonal ocean can be a sign of buried treasure, but that rarely stops me from taking the dive.
The main quartet grew on me quite a bit over time and I enjoyed watching their antics, but this had the ironic side effect of strengthening the disappointment I felt. All four of them have strong individual personalities that bounce well off each other. Meiko is a solid take on the out-of-touch country girl archetype and her siblings are charming side characters who get a handful of moments to shine. Rie is what you get when a bubbly genki girl is allowed to have unrestricted access to wealth and power which makes her a good fit as the wild card of the group. Marika is my personal favorite due to her slacker tendencies, sloppy lifestyle, and the fun integration of her streamer gimmick. Neo is the typical hardcore gamer packed into a small girl frame and I enjoyed her growing chemistry with Meiko. The extended cast don't quite meet the same bar, but I wouldn't say they dragged the quality down either. What's important is that the core cast is more than solid enough to run the show. They deserved a stronger effort than a routine adaptation job. All I can do is be thankful that the end result is thoroughly competent when it could be much worse.
Ichijouma Mankitsugurashi! is another notch in a well-worn belt of Kirara shows I've seen throughout the years. I wouldn't put it at the bottom. That counts for something! The OP and ED songs are pretty catchy. It's a cute show that I'll faintly remember long after everyone else forgets it aired in the first place. That's the limit of my abilities.
Otaku ni Yasashii Gal wa Inai!?
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| Produced by TMS Entertainment |
Gyaru anime are not a modern invention, but the fashion subculture has been reinvented over the last decade which led to a boom of new gyaru focused works such as Oshiete! Galko-chan and more recently the well regarded Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru. Sadly, the realm of gyaru media isn't always courting the brightest creative minds. It's easier to write a series that happens to have a gyaru character in its ranks, but the complication arises when the focus is squarely on the concept itself. When I set my sights on Otaku ni Yasashii Gal wa Inai!? (Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!?), more commonly referred to as OtaGal, the synopsis gave me the impression this would be a significantly less sexually charged version of Hajimete no Gal with an otaku protagonist. Quite a terrifying prospect when the first point of reference I could think of was vile dreck with no redeeming characters that I couldn't stomach for more than five episodes. Thankfully, the PV sold me on giving it a try after getting a better look at its bubbly aura that dispelled my short-sighted first impressions. Perhaps there was some merit in truly seeing for myself if gyaru can be kind to otaku.
Takuya "Otaku-kun" Seo is a fresh high school student who was so destined to be an otaku that the word is legitimately wedged into his full name (Se[o Taku]ya) like a birthright prophecy. With the taste of a middle aged Niconico user, he's hopelessly obsessed with anime marketed toward little girls. His current fixation is Kirarimon Pets, a cutesy Sunday morning program packed with magic, monsters, and enough subtle edge to write a whole video essay about. One of the characters is just a guy in a tuxedo with a globe head. Another is a non-distinct orange guy who smokes an undying cigarette. Otaku-kun has all the pride of a series loyalist and the merch to show for it. On the fateful day he decides to bring his limited edition Kirarimon eraser to school, the cheerful gyaru Ijichi snatches it from his sweaty palms after forgetting to bring her own. The curse of having to sit behind one of the most popular girls in class turns out to be an unexpected boon for Otaku-kun as he learns that Ijichi is much nicer than his prejudice led him to believe! Not only that, but Ijichi's cool-headed gyaru friend Amane accidentally reveals her power level as a fellow Kirarimon appreciator. Thus begins the unlikely friendship between a hopeless nerd and two queens.
I'm impressed in a roundabout way because this show toes the line so frequently on the precipice of becoming hackneyed in a manner that would generally annoy the shit out of me but never quite stumbles over the edge. In fact, I've enjoyed it a degree more than I expected! I had the exact same experience picking up Sono Bisque Doll back when its first season aired, although OtaGal isn't quite Cloverworks level in the production values department. First we have a bumbling male protagonist who is as dense as a rock - an ill-fated archetype that managed to avoid being culled from the creative ecosystem when the Reiwa era began. His cringe inducing mindset and behavior has to be worn down for a few episodes before he cools off and becomes nice guy material. Ijichi and Amane are the classic modern gyaru leads that exist to subvert the age old stereotypes of being promiscuous and impure. Ijichi is a hard working onee-san type who takes care of her younger siblings at home and has a chad older brother with the personality of an overprotective dad. Amane puts on an ice queen facade at school to prevent other people from learning how much of a dork she really is. Otaku-kun's shared interest in Kirarimon has her struggling more than ever to stay in character.
This has all the trappings of a wish fulfillment love triangle at the romcom buffet table. Despite my initial worries, the show does a good job of keeping itself on track and revels in the status quo. Takuya's heart has been purified by genuine friendship which has blinded him from the idea of any romantic advancement whatsoever. Ijichi and Amane are vaguely aware of each other's affections for this guy but there isn't much of a serious rivalry to speak of. There's a playful haze of romance in the air yet very little conflict to be stoked. If you ask me, this is vastly preferable to the alternative. This show seems to perch itself comfortably in the zone of carefree flirtations rather than getting caught up in the friction of romantic drama. I don't particularly dislike Otaku-kun as a protagonist, but the idea of seeing two fashionable women actually compete over him is a miserable proposition. The playful dynamic between Iijchi and Amane allows the fun factor to stay within healthy parameters while seasoning the experience for taste. It seems unlikely that this formula will deviate very much in the anime before the clock runs out.
Wish fulfillment is a loaded term that is often wielded in the negative sense like a blunt force weapon. My controversial opinion of the evening is that harmless fluff like this isn't worth the venom. I'm a sucker for unconventional friendships and the idea that people are not defined in clearly marked boxes based on their lifestyle aesthetic. Sono Bisque Doll appealed to me with this aspect alone, with Marin and Gojo sharing the struggle of embracing their hobbies in spite of the stereotypical expectations others have about them. I think this is a healthy message to tie a character driven story around, especially one dealing with adolescent characters who are still deep in the pit of self-discovery. OtaGal is not a profound experience, but it has heart and a sincere belief in the way individuals of differing lifestyles can have meaningful overlap. If I have one criticism, it's that this element is somewhat lopsided between the two female leads. Otaku-kun clearly has the most chemistry with Amane due to their mutual love of Kirarimon which is a major crux of the show's initial premise. Ijichi has to play the traditional gyaru role where her dynamic is teasing and playful behavior and the series often has to come up with somewhat contrived reasons to get her alone with the protagonist. This is mitigated by all three of them frequently sticking together as a unit, but it feels like a missed opportunity to find more interesting common ground.
My personal favorite of the cast is Sayu, a cheeky elementary school girl with big round glasses who Amane refers to as her little sister. She lives next door to Amane and is the whole reason she got into Kirarimon in the first place, though Sayu has already grown out of it. Her interactions with Amane and Otaku-kun are often adorable and silly little moments that I've consistently enjoyed. Generally, I think the side cast is pretty good and essential for keeping the experience from going stale. I enjoy that this anime tries to have a distinct visual style even if the animation isn't necessarily the best for a slice of life romcom. The best looking sequences are legitimately in the OP. Speaking of which, the opening song is a complete earworm and I fear that it might psychologically alter my mind to make me enjoy K-pop. My
father is nearly seventy and listens to this stuff every time I come
home to visit, so trust me when I say I've heard enough to have an
opinion on it. It's not a genre of music I particularly dislike, but this is the first song I've heard of this style to spark my brain in a satisfying way. The signature dance choreography that is an omnipresent aspect of the K-pop experience is slickly engineered into the OP visuals and it's quite good! Color me pleasantly surprised. It's not my preference but it more than deserves the credit for pulling it off.
OtaGal is a nice little show and one of the smaller highlights of this season. If two Stacy grade high school students orbiting around a plain nerd is a concept that fills you with intense rage then immediately turn around and spare yourself the exhaust. I think it's neat, though. Probably wouldn't defend it with my life, but you have to pick your battles in this medium. Plus, if you think this concept is bad, you'd expel your guts in anguish if you watched even a single episode of Hajimete no Gal which is irredeemable fermented sewer waste and the world would be better off if all its characters were disintegrated in a freak explosion. I remember it so you don't have to.
Re:Zero Season 4
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| Produced by White Fox |
The long arm of Narou-kei has been a controversial presence in Japanese animation for over a decade. Right around the time Hollywood struck oil propping up Fifty Shades of Grey in theaters, the Japanese analog to Wattpad became a gold mine for money guys in the industry ready to throw themselves headfirst into the next potential multimedia hit. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu is one of the earliest proven successes of the Narou-kei trend and many have attempted to ride its coattails since the first anime season premiered back in 2016. It may seem odd that someone of my stature who is fairly critical of modern isekai fodder would chomp the bit for one of its biggest progenitors, but my perspective is simple: no reason to blame a good work for its pale imitators. In the video game world, many people lament the continued existence of "Soulslop", but none of those carbon copies could ever retroactively deprive artistic worth from a genre-defining game like Dark Souls. It's not the formula that's flawed, it's the poor execution and frequent misunderstanding of how to make it harmonize in the first place. Re:Zero inhabits a similar position in modern anime culture. It was a trendsetter, but I've rarely seen any series derived from it that properly understands the method to the madness. Truthfully, it is proper heir to the dominant forces of the otaku light novel boom that preceded it. Self-indulgent and earnest with a healthy dose of trope subversion, Re:Zero will have its cake and eat it - even if that means baking two cakes.
Produced in tandem with the third season which aired just a year ago, White Fox is back again to helm the fourth major entry of this sprawling anime franchise. If you have any intention of starting this series and don't wish to be spoiled, I'd recommend avoiding all the following text and instead skip to the next header. Once upon a time, Natsuki Subaru was a good-for-nothing shut-in a wearing a tracksuit who didn't even have the energy to help his mom do the dishes. On a routine walk to the convenience store, Subaru is inexplicably snatched from his world and transplanted into the fantasy kingdom of Lugunica. His immediate excitement and awe is quickly suppressed when he learns that he's barely strong enough to handle routine thugs. He's also chained internally by the power of Satella, the Witch of Greed who is connected to a world threatening calamity from several centuries ago. This union is what allows Subaru to "use" his one defining power - Return by Death. To get where he is now, our hero has experienced death dozens of times in a trial-and-error gauntlet that has earned him several allies and a plethora of knowledge about the world around him. Every time Subaru is killed, he reverts back to a "checkpoint" that he has no control over with all of his memories retained. He is unable to tell anyone else about this ability without being punished by Satella's greedy hand. There are no shortcuts on this perilous adventure. The only way out is through.
The previous events covered a citywide battle royale in the Watergate City of Priestella involving several of the Sin Archbishops - fanatics of the Witch Cult who wield dangerous abilities known as Authorities. This large scale battle dominated the entire third season and left me conflicted. Obviously this is a high concept fantasy story that's trying to establish quite a bit of history and lore, but it's also Subaru's personal journey of self-improvement. He certainly endured a few crisis moments during that onslaught, but most of the screen time was being split between different factions and conflicts with little downtime between them. I wouldn't call it bad, but it was definitely the weakest of the seasons thus far. This left me curious where the story was heading after the carnage. The twist ending involving Julius turned out to be a hint that a major plot thread was primed to unravel after multiple seasons of build-up. Since the fierce battle against the White Whale from the climax of the first season, the Authority of Gluttony has been hanging over our cast as a major threat. With the ability to "eat" memories and even names, the power of Gluttony has left quite a mark on our crew. Rem, the blue-haired maid employed at Roswaal Manor, has been comatose for years with only Subaru capable of remembering her. Crusch Karsten, a candidate for the Royal Selection, had her memories devoured. Now even Knight Julius, Subaru's former rival, had his name consumed in battle. To counteract this phenomenon, this coalition must cross a perilous desert and reach a mystical watchtower where an all-knowing sage is said to take up residence.
Here we return to the character focused drama that Re:Zero is generally known for, though it takes a roundabout path to raising the stakes. Subaru, his beloved elf Emilia, and the loli spirit guardian Beatrice set off to reach the Pleiades Watchtower with a team including Rem's twin sister Ram, the beast whispering assassin Meili, the royal candidate Anastasia and her forgotten knight Julius. After a harrowing approach through the Auguria Dunes where Subaru has to endure a few bad ends, the gang manages to enter the watchtower proper and is greeted by sage apprentice Shaula who believes that Subaru is her long lost master. To climb the tower, our heroes must overcome a series of trials that they can no longer back out from. All seems well and good until they hit an unfortunate snag. Reid Astrea, ancestor to the invincible Sword Saint Reinhard, is guarding passage to one of the upper floors. With only Emilia capable of overcoming his test, the rest of the group must come up with a plan to bypass this massive roadblock despite their wildly differing levels of strength. The real trouble begins when Subaru decides to search out Reid's weakness in the watchtower's library and is later found unconscious by Emilia and Beatrice. When he wakes up the next morning, Subaru can no longer remember anything that happened since he was summoned to this world.
Writers get to cheat if they can make good entertainment out of the end result. This arc serves as an equalizer to counteract Subaru's increased competency since the conclusion of the second season. While he is by no means overpowered, the preceding battle royale event gave me the impression that the worst of his struggles were long behind him. Now he has been effectively reverted to the pitiful NEET that thrashed and sputtered so often in the very first episodes of the series. This is a wildly convenient screwball that exists to add an extra layer of friction and further complicate the task of ascending the watchtower. In this high pressure environment, Subaru succumbs to the strain of his amnesia and is only barely able to grasp his situation before someone pushes him to his death. Twice! Now he's become a paranoid wreck who is incapable of trusting anyone including himself. A mysterious voice in the back of his head is driving him insane, convincing him that he's at the mercy of a twisted alter ego. The murder mystery angle is reminiscent of his original stay at Roswaal Manor but with far more psychological anguish. I'm inclined to let this contrived development slide because it has been far more engaging as a result. I can think of more than a few reasons why Subaru's memories have been scorched when considering the end goal of this excursion is to counteract the effects of Gluttony. The Sin Archbishops have yet to make their reappearance since the third season's climax, but I figure it won't be long before they pop back in.
I admire that White Fox has managed to keep a consistent visual quality throughout the series despite the varying production times. They definitely took the extra effort this time around to embellish the more dramatic scenes, and for the first time in a while they whipped out some especially visceral sequences like Subaru's falling death and the ensuing carnage in the watchtower. Yuusuke Kobayashi continues to deliver a masterful performance as Subaru, cycling cleanly between his goofy demeanor and the pathetic wailing that has underlined his amnesiac experience. Much of what I'm enjoying in this season is a reflection of the elements that made the first arcs such a treat when I diligently kept up with the series ten years ago. Subaru can't be helpless forever, but it's a reminder that the most satisfying elements of this narrative occurred pretty early in the story when he had to truly improve himself and overcome the mental barriers that made him a shut-in to begin with. The horror of his plight had much to do with his inability to adapt and a lot of that was dispelled in the later seasons now that he has reliable strategies, knowledge, and allies he can count on. It also makes me wonder what kind of obstacles will be placed in his way after he inevitably gets his memories back. Judging by the pacing of this arc so far, I think it's going to be a hot minute before the group can move on to the next challenge.
Although it is not technically a split cour, the latter eight episodes of this nineteen episode run won't be airing until we're more than a month deep into the Summer 2026 season. As such, I can only judge the setup laid out in front of me and theorize how the payoff will manifest itself. Re:Zero has taken on a form of comfort food for me and I don't mean that in a negative way. The first season will always remain the peak of the experience for me and I doubt that's going to change. That's fine. This series has distinct strengths and a consistent ability to tap into its power center to produce quality entertainment. It has an expanding cast that I generally like with very few duds in its wide pool of characters. The fantasy world building isn't mind-blowing but it certainly leaves more than a few threads to chew on in a genre that is overrun by shallow set dressing. The lows of the Re:Zero journey could easily eclipse the highs of lesser works, and you know the isekai trend has produced more than a few of those. And, most of all, I genuinely like Subaru as a protagonist. His imperfections make him a good lead; an earnestly human character who is deeply flawed but has wrested the ambition deep within him to strive for better. I'm on board until I get bored. Until then, I'm enjoying the madness. My only worry is that I'll be middle aged by the time it finally ends.
Koori no Jouheki
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| Produced by Studio KAI |
Those who read my write-up about the previous season may remember the sugary romcom Seihantai na Kimi to Boku that will soon be returning for its second cour in the summer. It was a highly enjoyable exploration into adolescent romance with wonderful chemistry and fuzzy moments aplenty. Writer and illustrator Koucha Agasawa has an impressive talent for character writing and clearly enjoys building a cast of dynamic people with different backgrounds and dispositions. This gift is yet again bearing fruit as Agasawa's other manga series, Koori no Jouheki (The Ramparts of Ice), was also blessed with an adaptation this year. Someone who knows how to grease a production committee clearly had an eye on this mangaka's work if they were able to nest these two shows so closely together. In contrast with Seihantai and its bubbly sweetness, this series delves further into themes of interpersonal drama and self-worth that could be described as "darker", but ultimately remains packed with the whimsical fun and playful dynamics that seem to define this mangaka's output. Not only does it live up to my high expectations coming right off of Seihantai, but with every new episode I become more convinced that I enjoy this one more
Koyuki "Koyun" Hikawa is a cold, unapproachable high school student who has trained herself to keep people at an arm's length. Her middle school years were punctuated by discomfort and struggle. A frequent target of bullying and social pressure, her timid nature turned to bitterness as she was ostracized by her club and trapped in a relationship she didn't want. Koyun wipes the slate clean in her new high school life and remains averse to forming meaningful attachments with other people except her longtime friend Miki Azumi. Her comfortably passive existence is shaken when she runs into the sociable Minato Amamiya, a kind yet troubled guy who has the compulsion to help those he perceives as lonely. She also meets Miki's cram school buddy Youta Hino and soon finds herself in a shaky position between her self-isolated world and the potential for friendships that would make her days glow a little brighter. Koyun's penchant for overthinking and inability to stare straight at her issues leave her tethered to an internal tug-of-war match that will seal the fate of her defensive wall of ice that has kept everyone else separated from her.
Similarly to Seihantai, this series takes its core concept an expands it beyond just the protagonist. Miyu and Yuusuke were not the only "opposites" who were drawn to each other, and here we quickly learn that Koyun isn't the only one with inner walls to reckon with. Miki puts on a facade at school to suppress her brash, loud personality due to the fear of rejection by her peers. Youta struggles with a tumultuous home life where he feels like an outcast and often finds himself dissociating to clear out the inner noise. Minato relies heavily on a veneer of logic to calculate his actions, leading him to act in ways that would seem manipulative when he's trying to avoid being overwhelmed by his own emotions. These four stumble through each day together, overcoming their mental hangups and resolving misunderstandings with the faith that there's something better waiting for them. There's a fantastic sense of emotional build in the early episodes as Koyun feels out her comfort zone through bonding with Youta and addressing her own faults as she experiences an awkward tension between her and Minato. This in turn expands outward, illuminating the other characters and their own perspectives as everyone inches closer to being able to express their true selves.
Minato in particular reminds of the kind of character writing I witnessed watching Skip and Loafer a few years ago. He's a densely layered male lead who has a fascinating introduction that makes him seem almost malicious at first. There's this sense of cruel kindness emanating from him as he perceives socially disenfranchised people as "locks" that he has the ability to pick open. His friendly demeanor is a tool to accomplish his "job", compulsively prying open the hearts of others with cold pity. He's established as a womanizer who constantly starts relationships to instill self-worth in other people, all of which end quickly once they realize his love is not at all genuine. When he approaches Koyun, the viewer is left to believe he's going to turn her into another trophy for self-validation. Too bad for him because it doesn't work! Not only is he harshly rebuked by our heroine for awkwardly digging into her middle school life, but he's also scolded by Miki who feels as if Minato treated her the same way when they met each other in cram school. This completely throws him for a loop and forces him to reconcile with his emotional pettiness and toxic behavior, reflecting on the true friends he does have while also coming to terms with his actual feelings toward Koyun.
All this talk may color the show as an adolescent drama marathon, but the real beauty lies in its bright optimism and feel-good progression. For every resolved conflict, there's a genuine show of friendship that explores how empathy between struggling individuals can help mend the wounds of time, even if the process is sometimes messy and inefficient. Koyun's self-reflection allows her to approach Youta and give him the space to vent about his issues. She overcomes her reflexive negativity and gives Minato a real chance to be her friend without prematurely rejecting him. She inspires Miki to value her desire for friendship and come clean to her new friends about her real self. Every struggle and lacerating experience that defines these characters ultimately allows them to find a way to help themselves, and in turn gives them the strength to be relied on by others. While the general atmosphere and themes are heavier than what Seihantai expresses, this still has plenty of the saccharine joy and warmth that was abundant in Agasawa's other work. There's a little more darkness in between the cracks, but it is ultimately another coming-of-age story of self-empowerment. Skip and Loafer also employed a similar kind of energy which was a large part of why I enjoyed it so much. The conflicts are never built up on cheap drama or shallow misunderstandings. There's a real human element that compels these characters to face their problems directly, and that results in an experience that is often rewarding for a committed viewer such as myself.
There's a slight step down in production quality here in comparison to Seihantai and an increased reliance on the mangaka's deformed art, particularly in comedic scenes, but overall I think the show looks great and pulls through when it counts. While I do enjoy the OP, it's not quite as impressive as its counterpart either. This is largely made up by its fantastic ED that not only does the lead-in sting at the end of every episode (if you've read my writing enough you should know by now I'm a sucker for this), but it's also a banger track paired with slick visual composition that has earned my full ninety seconds of attention every week. At the end of the day, Koori no Jouheki proves yet again that the easiest way into my heart is to write good characters. It's really that simple. A highly individualistic cast that harmonizes well together with plenty of satisfying chemistry on screen is going to get me fully in the door nine times out of ten. It reflects an enhanced level of creativity but also a genuine belief in the potential for good in people. Even when abstracted through the exaggeration and caricature that goes into animation, this quality will easily shine through when present. Color me impressed that the same creator can produce two works of quality with overlap that are still very distinct from each other.
Surely they'll be producing a second season for this, right? There's no possible way they're going to wrap this all up with the remaining episodes, and the manga is roughly the same length as Seihantai which is returning with a second cour to finish the job. While I could definitely go read the source material, this is an adaptation that has been well worth the commitment and I'd hate to see it go unfinished. I'd be surprised if they leave this one on the cutting room floor. This kind of youth story in modern anime has a lot of mileage. Skip and Loafer was so good that P.A. Works, a studio that is infamously averse to producing a second season of anything, greenlit a followup years in advance. Final episode announcements are a more common occurrence nowadays, so I'll temper my expectations for these next couple of weeks as the show comes to a close. It'll be funny to have to tackle this author's work yet again next season. Hopefully I'll have some new thoughts to share by then that aren't limited to me calling the show cute and awesome (which it will undoubtedly be).
If you couldn't tell, I started drafting up this edition of Seasonals of the Abyss quite late into the season. Writing the Strike Witches post and finishing up Armored Core VI ended up eating into my priorities and this almost slipped off the docket. The flowery intro I spun up for this post would be awfully ironic if I failed to get it out in time. Or at all. It was a trap I sprung on myself to ensure my commitment wasn't being skirted, lest I stare at all the words I spent on congratulating myself and feel sick at how disingenuous they are. Maybe this anime writing thing isn't that serious, but if I don't treat it as serious for my own good then I might just come up with arbitrary reasons to fool myself into not doing it. What would be the fun in that? The only one who can ensure anything gets done is me!
This time around I aimed for a compact writing style to keep this post from stretching on too long and to ease some of the writing burden off my shoulders. Last year, my post covering the summer anime season was a behemoth sized endurance test that stretched the word count beyond what I ever intended for these seasonal entries. It was the appropriate time to take off the limiters, but it's an unsustainable approach even as a yearly writing experience. The trend seems to be continuing with the Summer 2026 season packing a lot of heat and I'm already dreading the self-inflicted burden that's on the horizon if I watch all the shows I've expressed interest about. GoHands is tackling the video game isekai trend with no survivors. There's an original anime about circus performers. Kinema Citrus is farming nostalgia points with the retro stylized Sayonara Lara. Seihantai is returning for its second cour. Youjo Senki is rearing its head for a second season after years of wait. KyoAni is showcasing their newest project with a first-time director on board. There's also the second half of Re:Zero season four as I mentioned earlier. There could be more, so be afraid. I know I am.
Anyways, we'll see how I do when the time comes. For now, let's hit the seasonal postmortem on Winter 2026 to finish things off.
Sousou no Frieren Season 2 - Before watching the final episode, I was already informed that a third season was announced with an air date set in stone. That pretty much confirmed that this was no more than a transitional set of episodes to clear out the space so the next arc - which seems to be a big one - can start right out of the gate. It was fine for what it was, but I'll have to wait until the next season to determine if this was a smart move or not. Everything else I felt was already expressed in my original post.
Himesama "Goumon" no Jikan desu Season 2 - I regret my harsh tone of words in retrospect because the second half of this season was a major step up in quality. Ultimately, my desire for PINE JAM to do more original work may have clouded my emotions. The final episode was a highly climactic bit that I really enjoyed, but it also made me realize this is probably all there is to adapt. Judging from the comments I've seen, they basically covered the majority of the source material and had their last hurrah with it. It's a cute show and I'm glad I watched it. There's my official endorsement.
Seihantai na Kimi to Boku - I basically went over this one already in the Koori no Jouheki write-up, but I'll say it again. I loved it. Adorable, heartwarming, fun, silly, entertaining, satisfying, other positive adjectives, etc. Sweetness overload with wonderful characters and highly memorable scenarios. Really looking forward to the second cour to see how everything shapes up. I'll save my breath because you'll be seeing me talk about this one in length again soon.
Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu. - It's still burning to this day. Everyone has a pretentious adaptation they love, and this one is mine. Souta Ueno is a name that'll bring me to the table free of charge. What a ride of abstract proportions. The trifecta of wrapping up the Candle Woods arc, solidifying the character motivations at play, and revealing the gimmick behind the episode names all at once with a wildly cinematic sequence that nearly drowns under its own abundance is such a masterful feat that any criticism I could leverage isn't even worth muttering under my breath. Despite the ire from joyless otaku circles over the creative liberties taken, this was a massive success that gave DEEN the confidence to allow Ueno to keep his director's chair for a feature film continuation. It's airing in less than a month and you know I'll be there as soon as I can feast my eyes on it. What's next for Yuuki in her ruthless quest to survive ninety-nine death games? What lingering shots will we be provided? I genuinely hope I can somehow experience this in a theater despite how unlikely that is. The audio direction being such a highlight for the anime must go crazy with theater sound. If Shiboyugi has no defenders then I'm dead. The tutorial has concluded.
And that's all I've got. Until next time, stay moe, friends.
