Is it that time again to welcome a new season and try some new anime? Honestly, I’ve been watching a lot of anime these past two months—mostly rewatching—to keep myself from doomscrolling into brain rot. So here we are, trying a bunch of new shows for this spring season. I think I had a pretty successful watch list last season.

I went into a lot of these blind. I saw a title trending on twitter and thought, why not? No deep reason, just vibes. Old me would probably stick to one series, but I ended up trying seven this time. Hopefully I can actually finish them all.

• Akane-banashi – Kinda influenced by my sister, but I think I’d enjoy it anyway if it’s in the same vein as Hikaru no Go or Chihayafuru. It’s about rakugo, which I know absolutely nothing about, so I’m just letting it play (no pun intended and hoping I pick things up as I go. I really want to learn through watching instead of my usual habit of googling everything beforehand. So far, so good.
• Daemons of the Shadow Realm – I thought this was going to be high fantasy or historical, but it turned out to be modern fantasy, with a town shrouded in magic. It’s like an Amish town, but fantasy coexisting with the modern world. I like the characters so far, though the MC kind of looks like a cousin of Ed and Al—probably because I just finished rewatching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and my eyes are still in that mode. Still, I’m enjoying it and looking forward to more episodes.
• Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! – This one is really fun. The art style surprised me. It reminds me of old ’90s anime, which I grew up with, so I’m very familiar. It’s lighthearted and funny, more comedic pining than hopeless yearning, which I appreciate. The two episodes I’ve seen so far definitely delivered.
• Kill Blue – I read the manga before but ended up dropping it. Watching the anime feels okay. I kinda know what’s coming, so I’m keeping my expectations neutral for now.
• Liar Game – I remember being obsessed with the manga over a decade ago. I even wrote a review of it back then. The anime itself isn’t anything special, but the story still hooks me. Since it’s been so long, my memory is pretty hazy, so that episode 2 ending actually shocked me again.
• Marriagetoxin – This kept popping up on my timeline, so I figured, why not. I thought it was about a married assassin couple like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but it’s actually about a poison specialist and a girl who acts as his matchmaker. It’s fun and has some action, but I’m not completely sold yet. Still, a decent start.
• Witch Hat Atelier – The anime is gorgeous, no doubt about that, but something feels lacking. The tragedy with her mother happened way too fast and felt underwhelming in execution. Like, she froze and that was it. It didn’t hit emotionally the way Ed and Al losing their mom did. It also feels like she moved on too quickly for something that just happened. I’m not fully connecting with the MC, Coco, either. There’s something about her that feels a bit artificial—crafted? Her enthusiasm for magic doesn’t quite feel genuine to me. The art is definitely the saving grace for now, but I’m not fully sold on the plot yet. Hoping my opinion changes as the story progresses.