What I watched – Autumn 2022 – and an announcement

2022 has come and gone, ending with one of the most dynamic anime seasons ever. I watched a lot more than I typically follow in a season and therefore this post is gonna be long, so I ‘ll try to be brief with each. But before I get into it, I have an announcement to make.

2022 will be Moeronpan’s final year. (The anime, that is, since I’m still talking about it in 2023, and we still obviously have the 2022 awards post to do!) This is something that I decided roughly halfway through last year after giving it a lot of thought, and something that I have been continually considering for the past 3-4 years.

I enjoy reviewing anime, and my cowriters do too. We enjoy getting to talk about the good stuff, we enjoy discovering things we wouldn’t have otherwise, we even often do get a genuine kick out of the bile fascination of absolutely dogshit anime too. But it’s been a very long time, and I think that the stellar year of 2022’s anime is a good place to leave it. We have been writing about anime on here since 2008. That’s about fifteen years of reviewing! I think fifteen years is a good amount of time to keep at something, especially given that the average life span of an anime blog is (allegedly?) 2-5 years.

While I definitely had fun, the last thing I ever wanted was this blog to turn into a chore, for me or my cowriters, and unfortunately it often can be. Especially as none of us are being paid, but all of us are very busy with the things we are paid for. And writing about anime is a fun hobby, but I do have a lot of other hobbies too, and I realised over the years how often they have to take a back seat every time a new season rolls around. Watching something for enjoyment and watching something with the intention of reviewing it are completely different head-spaces, and it can lead to burnout. I felt this with this season in particular – there was an immense pressure to actually finish them before the end of the year rather than just watch them at my leisure, and as a result I had to drop a few shows solely due to literally not having time to watch them. I had been wondering for a long time after deciding this about half a year ago if it was the right decision, and it truly hit me that it was when I was looking at the Winter 2023 anime season chart and realizing how relieved I felt that I wouldn’t have to write about anything there.

Anyway, after our 2022 awards post I am really interested in writing another final farewell post as a kind of retrospective on the 15 years of memories I have running this blog. I hope you’ll look forward to it!

Thank you to everyone who has read my our content, whether your a recent reader or someone who has been here since the early days. And with that out of the way, on to my last Autumn Season roundup post.

Mob Psycho 100 III

I rewatched the first two seasons of Mob before this aired, because it had been so long since season 1 especially that I had forgotten almost everything. I’m really glad that I chose to do that because not only does season 3 start immediately where season 2 left off, having the earlier stuff fresh in my mind let me appreciate the growth of the characters all the more – especially Mob and Reigen. It also let me fall in love with it all over again – I definitely enjoyed it more the second time.

Season 3 is pretty stellar material all around, with a balance of surreal comedy and hard-hitting emotional beats that very few other series have perfected to the extent that it has. We’re also treated to some of the most incredible and satisfying animation of the entire series so far, and a conclusion that made me want to give the show a standing ovation.

That episode about the aliens though…what was that all about huh.

Out of 5,

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BOCCHI THE ROCK!

I was really happy to see that Bocchi was such a surprise hit this season because it absolutely deserved it. Cute anime girls playing rock music is a draw on its own, but Bocchi is much more memorable for its surreal comedy and some of the most unique facial expressions around.

Something I really like about the humour is that while it does largely centre on Hitori’s (AKA Bocchi’s) crippling social anxiety, it never felt particularly cruel or mean-spirited to me. It feels much more like it comes from a place of experience, which is probably why so many people are relating to her. As a fellow anxiety-haver it definitely had its moments of ‘oh, same.’ The other characters are also really fun! I definitely hope it gets another season.

Out of 5,

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Chainsaw Man

I read way ahead in the Chainsaw Man manga, so it has been interesting comparing the adaptation as it aired. I think that overall MAPPA did an amazing job with it. It’s a somewhat unique series that, despite having a lot of elements that seem like they should be typical shonen trappings, are done in a way that feels new – and MAPPA turned that into one of the most unique anime of the year. And not just in its overall style and plotting, it’s the whole package. One of the most interesting things about it is how every single ending theme is different – different song genres, animation styles, etc – and they’re all really stylish and cool. The amount of attention and detail that went into it is frankly unreal, to the extent it makes me worry about the staff’s work-life balance.

It’s not a show for everyone – it’s very violent and very surreal, but my enjoyment of it mostly came from Denji and Power and their ‘one shared brain-cell between them’ dynamic. I love these stupid kids. I do also have to commend it for some of its more emotional scenes too – there’s a really good use of music and framing that makes these scenes leave a huge impact.

Out of 5,

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Tiger & Bunny 2 – Part 2

Unfortunately, until the last handful of episodes I found part 2 much harder to enjoy than part 1, which makes it the opposite of season 1. For season 2 to have such a fun first half and then transition into something so…dare I say it? mid, felt disappointing.

The main villain Gregory Sunshine (I know he’s not the true main villain, but he sure gets the most screentime) is nowhere near as fun and charismatic as the weird murder-twins in the first half – he’s actually just annoying and feels more like he should have been a single episode villain. The entire plot focuses on society turning against NEXT and not wanting heroes, which is a good plot idea in theory, but requires the majority of the non-Hero cast to act like idiots (especially the Mayor) in a way that felt unnatural and frustrating. And new heroes Mr Black and He is Thomas (every time I type that name I think ‘why’) continue to be completely uninteresting with a dynamic that brings nothing new to the show, but uses up a hell of a lot of screen-time that would be better spent on the actual plot or the other characters. HOWEVER, right when I was worried I’d have to give this a Biggest Disappointment award, it picks up a lot in the final stretch and I was genuinely enjoying it again. There’s a really hype ‘Kotetsu and Barnaby are the ultimate team and I love them’ moment that nearly made me punch the air. And despite the overall unimpressive art direction, there is one absolutely phenomenal scene with Lunatic right near the end that almost made up for it.

Was it the perfect follow-up to the original Tiger & Bunny? Maybe not, but it was still entertaining, and I was glad enough just to see everyone again.

Out of 5,

1/2 ( for the last 3 or so episodes)

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Akiba Maid War

Boy this sure was a show. It committed to its absurdity for the entire run (as well as being even more absurd than its first episode on several occasions), and thus as bizarre as its entire world-building of organised crime rings and maid cafes was, its straight-faced commitment to it all made it easy to just shrug and go with it.
I think one of the things that impressed me the most is how little fan-service there actually was, and I didn’t even notice this until it was over due to how unnecessary it would have been. It would have been very easy for it to resort to it, but its ‘fanservice’ lies more in its violence and Ranko being incredibly badass. (An argument could be made for the fetishisation of violence and cute girls, but I don’t think it really went far enough to be uncomfortable.) To be honest, what annoyed me more was its breakneck pace – there’s an episode with multiple major plot points (including one characters death) that kind of lose their impact when they happen so close together.
I couldn’t really say for sure if the show was good, but I wouldn’t call it bad and I did have fun watching it. The animation and character designs are all really great (its fun seeing all the different maid themes, and I like the sheep ones especially). When it was finished I kinda just went ‘Huh! Okay.’ If nothing else, it was definitely unique.

Out of 5

1/2

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Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

It’s been a lot of fun discussing and reading the reactions to each new episode of G-Witch after what has been designated ‘Suletta Sundays’. I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this, but it’s been a really engaging ride so far that has been biding its time setting itself up for something much bigger in the second half, airing in April 2023. Also holy shit how about that final episode and the post-credits scene, huh? Wow.

I’ve really been enjoying the cast and how they play off each other, and there’s a diversity that feels natural. (Props for all the stocky female characters, by the way). I really enjoyed the contrast between Suletta’s sheltered innocence and the over-the-topness of the school – and then the contrast between the comparatively ‘safety’ of the comfy school scenes and duels with the later brutality. There’s a lot of unanswered questions so far and a lot of potential for drama so I’m excited to have my feelings stomped all over in April when it continues.

Out of 5,

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Reiwa no DiGi Charat

I didn’t expect Reiwa to be as good as the original Di Gi Charat, because it doesn’t have the advantage of nostalgia and being one of the first anime I ever watched. The updated animation seems to teeter between being too ‘good’ (missing the charming jankiness of the original) and not good enough (there are several moments in the original that look far better – such as the original Party Night episode.) But, Reiwa is still silly, it’s still cosy, and it still feels like Di Gi Charat. The newer characters get enough screen time to feel worth adding but not so much that they wear out their welcome, and almost everyone gets a chance to appear. The structure of the episodes and even the cadence of the voices is almost identical to the original. If I was going to rank Di Gi Charat anime, I’d actually award this the number two spot. To be honest, this isn’t very difficult feat considering I have limited attachment to any other Di Gi Charat that isn’t the original and its specials, and I do think that a 2022 reboot should look noticeably better, especially for a series over 20 years old, so there is a sense of disappointment that it very often does not.

But, it’s really hard to put into words the exact emotion I felt seeing a 2023 version of Party Night and being transported back to watching the version from over 2 decades ago in a terrible quality video file downloaded over dial-up internet. This was one of the first anime I ever saw and got obsessed with, so there’s just something symbolic about it getting to be one of the last things covered on this blog.

Di Gi Charat can not be constrained by mortal rating systems, so no melonpan rating.

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ONE PIECE FILM RED

I wasn’t sure if I should include the movies I saw too but…what the hey. I was lucky enough to catch the theatrical release of Film Red in Sydney in November. I’m a big One Piece fan, and although I’ve only seen a handful of the movies the ones I have seen do tend to have a certain formula to them – usually just giving Luffy a new big bad to beat, typically some very large weird guy. Film Red completely breaks that formula in numerous ways, the most striking of which is that it’s something like a musical – the songs all courtesy of the singing sensation Uta, on which the plot focuses. Uta is a fascinating character to me, from her design to her function in the plot, which took me by surprise. Her songs are provided by current internet sensation Ado, who has the kind of phenomenal voice and vocal range necessary for the variety of songs that come up.
It wasn’t a perfect movie by any means – several plot points rely on ‘look just go with it’ logic, a lot of things happen a little too conveniently and some things aren’t explained at all, but damn was it a treat to see on a big screen. As someone who used to find Ado solidly OK, it turned me into a fan of her and I’ve had her discography on repeat ever since. Its differences (and retcons of canon) made it polarising among One Piece fans (although it performed extremely well overall) but I think this shake-up was a touch of uniqueness the movies really needed. I don’t consider it all that accessible to people without a decent grasp on One Piece canon, but if you’re curious about Ado’s songs, official music videos of all the ones featured in the movie have been made and are on youtube. Each one features Uta in a different animation style, which is cool to see!

Out of 5,

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Odd Taxi: In The Woods

I’m really glad that I didn’t rewatch all of Odd Taxi to refresh my memory before this movie, because In the Woods is mostly a whole lot of recap. Throughout the retelling of events we get scenes of the characters being interviewed as part of the central murder investigation, which is a unique take on the recap formula. The famous cliffhanger ending also gets expanded on, and we finally see exactly what happened inside the taxi. I have mixed thoughts about all of this.

For one, I’m not really sure who this movie is aimed at. It was a theatrical release in Japan, so it was aimed at a wider audience than the original show. But the recaps aren’t really in-depth enough to be a proper substitute for the entire story, making it likely confusing to newcomers. Those who are already fans have literally already seen all of this – but the added footage and ‘true’ ending are the real draw. I mean, I loved Odd Taxi and whether I’d seen it or not, it would have been pretty special to see it on a giant movie screen. It was fun enough just revisiting this world again after a year or so. At the same time, I’m not sure why it had to be a movie-length (over 2 hours) rather than a bonus episode without all of the recapping. But if it got more people to notice this gem, I guess that’s all that matters.

I’m just overall undecided on how I feel about expanding on the ending, because I personally really liked how it was originally – an ‘oh shit’ moment where the rest is left to the viewer’s imagination. Here, we get a clear answer of how it ended up in the end (via a later news headline), with the mystery now being how it happened, since it’s still left unseen. I do like how some sense of mystery was preserved, but in a way it felt anticlimactic. That said, any negative feelings I had about that were quickly extinguished by how adorable the end credits were. Anyway, if you liked the series (which I still recommend with more gusto than I have probably recommended anything on this blog) it’s worth a watch, I would just personally wait a while if the original is still fresh in your mind, since the majority of the movie is just watching all that again.

It’s kind a tricky one to rate, so I’ll just give it Odd Taxi out of Odd Taxi.

Anyway, that was my autumn 2022 season! There’s still shows I wanted to watch that I couldn’t get around to like Do It Yourself, and shows that were fun that I just didn’t have the time to keep up with like Urusei Yatsura 2022, The Little Lies We All Tell and the second seasons of Spy x Family and Pop Team Epic. It was a pretty solid season to end an extremely solid year of anime, though.