Spring 2017 had an admittedly strong lineup. We’ve gotten a second season of both Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia, as well as the next iteration of Naruto in Boruto. However, despite my interest in My Hero Academia specifically, I’ve not really taken the time to watch these this season.
Not only was this season’s other offerings not really appealing on the surface, but Persona 5 took up a good chunk of the early weeks for me. Having been playing catchup, I now have a better sense of my favorites of the season.
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Re:Creators
This is probably the only show this season than can get its core plot point across with just one phrase; reverse-Isekai. Breaking from the usual convention of the "trapped in another world" trope, Re:Creators instead has characters from other worlds coming to this one.
I've only gotten the chance to catch the first couple episodes so far, but Re:Creators is set up extremely well. You've got heroines from anime, video games, and magical girl shows, as well as the final boss of one particular game all brought together in the first two episodes. Even with that, it still manages to be cohesive and an enjoyable watch.
Action scenes are this show's forte and they're done very well. Even then, my favorite moment so far is the main girl Celestia's fight with the magical girl Mamika. As it takes places in the real world, the clashes of these two leave tangible scars in both each other and the landscape. Mamika's shock as to why there's blood and destruction that doesn't normally happen in her world is a nice touch of self-awareness.
Re:Creators could easily flounder the concept, and I can't really judge it any deeper until I see more. However, it's clear that the production value in every aspect is beaten out by only one other show this season. *hint hint*
Sakura Quest
If there’s one thing I’ve learned diving back into anime in the last couple years, it’s that light-hearted slice-of-life/comedy shows are my jam. It’s also nice to see original shows not being held down by adaptation from other media. Luckily Sakura Quest fills both those slots for this season.
With big dreams, Yoshino moves to Tokyo to be an actress when a small-town tourism board asks for her to play a queen for their Kingdom of Chupacabra attraction. Once there, she discovers that she’s the wrong Yoshino and that her contract was to stay on Manoyama for a year. Upset at being stuck in the boonies again, Yoshino reluctantly accepts the job of boosting Manoyama’s tourism.
It’s a sweet comedy that explores a rather interesting time in Japan’s history; the Bubble economy that drove the construction of micronations for tourism. It also stands as a good highlight of life in the big city compared to dwindling towns and rural areas.
While its subject matter is the only part that really stands out, its presentation makes it one of my favorites for the season. The girls in the cast suffer from same-face, but the expressiveness and personalities of the characters stands out. Yoshino’s development from outright refusal to begrudging acceptance to her genuine attachment to Manoyama is probably the show’s strongest aspect. With a planned 25 episodes, I’m curious to see where this show goes.
Eromanga-sensei
I’m usually pretty bad at predicting what anime I’ll like in a given season before it starts rolling. In this case, Eromanga-sensei is probably the only show for Spring 2017 that I anticipated to actually like before it started. Even then, it’s not quite for the reasons that I was expecting.
The basic premise of the show is Masamune and his step-sister Sagiri live with their (so far unseen) guardian after their parents died. Masamune writes light-novels with illustration help from Eromanga-sensei and takes care of Sagiri, who has shut herself into her room. By the end of the first episode, we find out that Sagiri is Eromanga-sensei and hi-jinks ensue.
As expected of a show called Eromanga-sensei, it dives pretty deep in the lewd territory. I wouldn’t describe it as tasteful, but this show does a good job of balancing the lewdness with humor. All of the supporting cast is great in their own way, buy Sagiri and Masamune’s rival Elf Yamada are the standouts.
Sagiri’s expressions, her soft speech, and her obvious romantic interest in Masamune are adorable. Her personality changes when throwing on the Eromanga-sensei persona and her mannerisms highlighted in Episode 5 also really round out her character. As a side note, I appreciate that Masamune’s relationship with Sagiri isn’t from the creepy romantic angle, but rather the responsible big brother one.
Elf Yamada personifies the quirky side of the show. While having a shy side, her pride as a top-tier light-novel writer gives her an intimidating edge. Still, she’s funniest when her cracks show, like being a writer that focuses more on fan service than a good story.
It’s a well-produced, well-executed, and well-acted show. However, it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table and its writing is average. Still, if you’re up for some light-hearted fun, Eromanga-sensei has you covered.
KADO: The Right Answer
For the sake of your viewing experience, I want to put a disclaimer that you should really watch this show before reading this. Don’t look up anything for it. Even the promo art takes away from the experience.
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Got it? Ok good.
KADO: The Right Answer is as of right now my favorite anime of Spring 2017. From second one, everything from the writing to the music to the animation and visuals knocks it out of the park.
For Episode 0, this is all for something so simple; Shindo is a negotiator for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tasked with clearing a factory site in order to build a new political hall. All of the presentation elements come together in a beautiful marriage for such a simple concept, and the execution had me psyched to check more bureaucratic shenanigans. That is, until the end of Episode 0.
As Shindo and his partner are taking off from the airport for an international trip, a 2-kilometer-wide cube falls from the sky and envelopes the plane on the runway.
This is perhaps the most jarring genre-shift I’ve ever seen any media take. Starting with a political drama with tinges of mystery to set up the normalcy of this world, then flipping it upside-down in an Arrival-style sci-fi thriller is brilliant and entirely unexpected.
Almost everything else makes it through the switch unscathed as well. The excellent writing and presentation makes Shindo’s conversations with the alien being have that much more impact.
Another change was the transition from traditional to 3D animation in timing with the switch. This change makes for more dynamic camera shots and visual effects, especially for the giant cube’s geometric patterns. It does bug me when the 3D and hand-drawn animations play out in the same shots, but these moments are fleeting.
For a home-run swing of a shows that nails its opening so hard, it would be a shame if a sudden gust of wind were to blow the ball onto this side if the fence. With a 12-episode run, it does seem like it at least won’t overstay its welcome.
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Well, that's it for my favorites of Spring 2017. I'll have some other content for the Spring 2017 anime season coming up in a bit, including some honorable mentions, guilty pleasures, favorite OPs and EDs, and my thoughts on the worst show of the season.
