Boku dake ga Inai Machi
Just a pretty fizzling effort that seemed like a very awkward amalgamation of all sorts of unrelated ideas. Its core is built around time travel, and while the show regularly reminds you that it is an aspect of the show, it's hard to feel like it is a necessary storytelling device for what is being delivered. Nothing about the mystery itself is all that satisfying, and it's hard to not feel that Satoru's self appointed quest of martyrdom has short-sighted and selfish motivations. In spite of his power being used to help all sorts of people early on, its real purpose is to benefit those closest to him. It doesn't help that the clear pruning done to the story has left all sorts of vestigial pieces that actually detract from the pacing. The wide variety of cliffhangers without followup or resolution sort of just highlights how cheap and without purpose the story can feel.
Grimgar
Grimgar handwaves away its contrived world set up early on, but the feeling of characters outside the party and the setting feeling like cardboard set pieces never really seems to drift away. This fantasy world is simply leaned on for its familiarity, and for all the time the show spends mulling over its scenery while insert songs play, the legwork was never really done to justify reflecting on the space, themes, or events presented. The show's unique artstyle has brief moments where things seem to click, but wild inconsistency leads to lots of lousy digital paint work, sometimes fit to maligned CG scenery, and the characters regularly refuse to gel with the environment.
KonoSuba
Mostly amusing, but this show finds a comfort zone early on that it doesn't really leave in the back half of the season. It's good for the audience to expect the characters to operate in a certain way, but the scenarios themselves don't really push heavy moments of discomfort on these characters often enough to create surprising moments that would make this a memorable comedy.
Phantom World
Amusing situations by phantoms warping the expected world popped up often enough for the well animated action to carry me through on this. The emotional calls Phantom World were, quite expectedly, something you just nod through until they pass. At the very least, it is forward and to the point with its themes and arcs, so little outside of the multi-episode finale ever feels like it gets tangled up on itself.
Dagashi Kashi
I have a difficult time evaluating what's here. The historical exploration and fun facts about candy can be enjoyable, but at a certain point their delivery begins to feel a bit formulaic, and the subject matter is too thin for it to be delivered in such large quantities. The character interactions can still be really strong though, which comes to really shine as the series moves into a more natural state where everything doesn't revolve around candy. Saya is probably the best about pushing Dagashi Kashi to that place. The end note for the show reassures all of the characters that the pleasant world state is okay to relax and enjoy, but the length at which this is dragged out sort of weighs on all the events in a way that makes everything seem unchanging and meaningless.
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime S2
The extended cast got their chance to shine in a more dynamic light, but the insight into the past of a number of characters didn't feel particularly revealing. A number of things happened, but it's sort of difficult to feel that most of them really changed the trajectory of where things were moving, so the series kind of left me just holding on to a bunch of promises. When it's hard to imagine Bones working on more of this...that's not exactly a position I like being put in.
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
The story of Yakumo/Bon was something that really felt like it was worth being wrapped up in, but the awkward framing of the story shines a light on Yotarou as his predecessor at what feels like should be critical moments. Yotarou never really succeeds as feeling like anything more than Sukeroku's spiritual offspring, but the time skip leaves this void around Yakumo's relationship with Sukeroku's physical legacy: his daughter. I wish the sound design was able to match pace with the highs that the visual direction hits, and that some of the rakugo performances felt less like low lights that lacked energizing framing or presentation, but things felt technically more complete as the show went on and found more opportunities to indulge the more fantastical elements of its storytelling nature. Highlight of the season.
Oshiete! Galko-chan
Similar to Dagashi Kashi, Galko-chan hits a point where the delivery of factoids just feels perfunctory. There aren't really interesting or clever situations. The characters don't really alter how they think, feel, or act towards one another, and the comedy quickly loses both ambition and punch. Unlike Dagashi Kashi, the bond these characters have just feels somewhat forced and not particularly worth peering in on. When the finale serves as sort of an origin story it feels like there's nothing really here.
Sekkou_Boys
Works well with its concept to explore interesting ideas early on, but things are maybe too grounded even when the show seems ready to shift off its tracks to do something crazy. Playing an absurd premise in a manner that's straight is fine to a certain extent, but it feels like there was room for a more creative climax that the show never really found.
Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
Good-natured and amusing, this series found a way to way to click with a tone that matched the characters and leverage its irreverence while adhering to the protocols one might expect from a magical girl show.
Koukaku no Pandora
There's a strong positivity surrounding Pandora that sort of just made everything work for me. It lifts the character interactions, and even when the series toys with complex subjects it never really asks for much more than consideration that follows the optimism of the cast. There's a personality this show carries that wound up making it unique and enjoyable for me.
