This was quite a year for chinese cartoons wasn’t it? A lot of bad shows, a lot of bad CGI, but also the most 9s and 10s I’ve seen in a single year. I try to be stingy with my high ratings but I couldn’t help it. I’ll just make a list of everything I’ve watched this year and give my rating and thoughts. I’m going to limit myself to only shows I watched at least six episodes of because otherwise I don’t feel qualified to give an opinion.

Citrus
Rating: 3/10
Progress: Episode 10
Thoughts: Damn I was so close to the finish line on this one but the bland characters, forced romance and the constant bait and switch killed my interest early on, not sure how I made it to episode ten to be honest. Are there any interesting Yuri shows out there? Because I’ve never seen one.

School Babysitters:
Rating: 9/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Have you ever wanted to see something so wholesome and cute that it’s physically painful? Well this is the show for you! There’s really not much to say beyond that it’s just a pure wholesome time that you can use when you’re feeling exhausted by how rotten the real world is.

How to keep a Mummy:
Rating: 9/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Just copy/paste the thoughts on School Babysitters it has all of the same qualities.

Pop Team Epic:
Rating: Pop Team Epic/Pop Team Epic
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: While I was aware of the 4-panel gag strip this uses as it’s source material not once did I think it was going to get an animated adaptation. It really is in a category of its own which is why I can’t give it a serious rating. Just see it for yourself, words really can’t describe this show in any accurate detail.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments
Rating: 5/10
Progress: Episode 9
Thoughts: I really liked the first season but this season really struggled to hold my attention. I remember most of the episodes I saw but I can’t remember how I felt about them at the time that how disinterested I was.

Devilman Crybaby
Rating: 1/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Would have been zero out of ten if zero was on my rating scale. Really terrible all of the way through, animation is ugly, all characters are entirely unlikable, story is absolute nonsense, symbolism is forced and takes up way more screentime than it deserves, gore is excessive, misery porn is through the roof, I could go on with this list of complaints for a while. What boggles me is the fact that this is apparently such a hit among people when there is nothing appealing about it, maybe they think the paper thin symbolism is “deep” and the “humans suck” message is somehow original. The only redeeming factor is the amazing modern remix of the old 1972 theme which was the only reason I picked this up in the first place.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride
Rating: 10/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Okay technically this aired in 2017 but it ended in 2018 so it counts to me and I really want to talk about it! My god this show was a treat for the eyes and ears, not only that but it was also filled with Irish folklore. It managed to balance comedy and tragedy well and if I have one complaint it’s that some of the “sad” moments feel a bit unearned but it’s never so bad that it disrupts anything else. I highly highly recommend it.

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits
Rating: 6/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Imagine Spirited Away is it was 5x blander and that’s basically what you have here. It’s not unbearable but the characters and stories are never as interesting as you feel they could be and certain parts drag on way longer than they deserve to. I can’t really recommend it.

My Hero Academia 3
Rating: 10/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Not only was this the first good season but it was also the first GREAT season. Prior to this season I had a “meh” attitude towards MHA but this season got me hooked. A real emotional roller coaster that had me at the edge of my seat in suspense at points made the two lesser seasons that came before worth seeing.

Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 2: Sono Ni
Rating 10/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: I am so glad this didn’t slip under my radar. This tragically underrated comical depiction of Japanese hell is probably the best comedy anime I’ve ever watched. Japanese humor normally doesn’t really do it for me but the clever jokes mixed with well timed slapstick and unique concept make this a must watch in my opinion. Just to give you a taste of the silliness of all this, Satan from Christian hell shows up as a recurring character and it turns out he’s a massive weeaboo. But it also has frequent references to Japanese folklore with substantial crash courses on each legend which was good for someone like me who knew jackshit about Japanese folklore prior to watching this.

DARLING in the FRANXX
Rating: 4/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Started off pretty strong but quickly lost sight of what made it good. Emotional points in the story felt manipulative and a little unearned. I think in the end it might have just been another subtle attempt by the Japanese government to combat the birthrate decline. Also it ends in a space battle, because that’s just a requirement for it to be a proper mecha anime I guess.

Cells at Work!
Rating 9/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Amusing, exciting, clever and educational. Imagine if they took Osmosis Jones made it into an anime and actually had it be accurate to the way the human body works? That’s what Cells at Work is. Really just a good time and you may learn some stuff.

I Want You To Make a Disgusted Face and Show Me Your Underwear
Rating: N/A
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Yeah, this was a thing. The title is exactly what it is.

UzaMaid!
Rating: 4/10
Progress: Episode 10
Thoughts: A story about a lesbian pedophile maid who is caring for a discount Umaru who is a discount Nagi. Starts off mildly amusing but wears you down as it just beats you into submission with a bunch of variations of the same gag over and over again. Pedophile maid does some stalkery and it freaks out the girl. There that’s the show.

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Rating: 10/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: Not only is it the winner of this year’s “Most Misleading Title” award but it’s also a really solid show and probably my favorite show this year. The banter between the characters is brilliant all of the time and all of the characters are likable to some extent. Just go watch it for yourself you’ll understand what I mean. Just try to get past the awful misuse of Schrodinger’s Cat at the beginning.

ZOMBIE LAND SAGA:
Rating: 6/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: I certainly wouldn’t call it “good” but it’s not terrible either. I held my attention well enough with its somewhat unique premise and almost likable characters. I didn’t factor this into my rating but one problem I have with this and all other idol shows is that in the back of my head I can’t shake knowledge that the real world idol industry in Japan and Korea is horrific and a violation of basic human rights. It could honestly be considered borderline slavery in some cases and the practices real life idol managers partake in should be illegal. So when you’re enjoying Japanese idols keep that in mind.

Goblin Slayer
Rating: 8/10
Progress: Episode 6
Thoughts: This is the first time I’ve ever watched a show when I’ve already read the source material. The bad CGI really holds this back but I’m so in love with the concept of the main character that it’s hard to tear myself away. Eventually I did adopt the “I already know what’s going to happen.” attitude and drop it but I’ll still be reading the vietnamese comic book for a while.

Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-San
Rating: 10/10
Progress: Completed
Thoughts: A letter of sympathy to everyone has worked in retail at any point in their life. Never before have I truly felt such a personal connection to a chinese cartoon character before. The comedy will have you laughing on the outside but crying on the inside as you remember that soon you will have to go back to work and suffer the exact same pain soon.

Here’s to wish all of you degenerate weebs a Happy New Year!