Anime of Spring 2021, Ranked

Spring 2021 ended two months ago already.  But even though it’s now very late, I still decided to make my usual end-of-season rankings for its anime, especially since I failed to do a “first impressions” post.  Besides, this isn’t the first time I was this late with my seasonal ranking.  Lol.

Anyway, just like Winter 2021, Spring 2021 was an excellent and jam-packed season.  Sadly, I haven’t gotten around to watching some of the most popular titles of the season – namely Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro, Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-, and Odd Taxi.  But I really want to catch up with them, especially the last two, which garnered “Anime of the Year” buzz.

But for those I got to watch, here’s how I ranked them from least to best.

Wonder Egg Priority

Note: This ranking concerns only the disappointing finale, the only part of the show that aired within Spring 2021.  Here is my review for the series as a whole. 

'Fruits Basket' Is a Melodrama Masterwork

I didn’t expect to love Fruits Basket.   A shojo about a homeless, orphaned, working-student teenage girl who meets and befriends a clan that’s cursed to temporarily turn into animals when weak, stressed, or embraced by the opposite sex isn’t exactly an instantly intriguing hook for me.  But I gave it a chance when it debuted two years ago, and the 63 episodes it brought about since then turned out being some of the most investing anime I saw during that span.  Wrapping up its run with its third and final season last Spring 2021, Fruits Basket has proven itself to be a melodrama anime masterpiece.

In ‘Record of Ragnarok’, Historical Figures Go Mano-a-Mano With Mythological Deities in One, Giant Tournament Arc

If Record of Ragnarok is to be described in a nutshell, it’s Mortal Kombat between historical figures and mythological deities to determine the fate of mankind – whether they will be allowed to go on existing or should be wiped out.  That’s a pretty cool premise, and if that doesn’t sell you on the show, I don’t know what will.

'Loki' Is Sheer Delight

The MCU has been knocking it out of the park with its TV shows.  Each new one ends up being better than the last, with Loki being the best so far.  However, I was honestly not very excited for Loki at first.  When I saw the trailer, it didn’t appeal to me.  It felt “off.”  The tone and aesthetics, especially those coming off the TVA, felt like it was forcibly trying to channel Doctor Who even though this doesn’t match the MCU style.  Thankfully, I was wrong with this notion.  The Doctor Who-esque feel actually worked.  It was just perfect.

'So I'm a Spider, So What?' Is Decently Fun, but It Doesn't Measure Up to Its Epic Plot Twists

So I'm a Spider, So What? is an isekai about an entire high school class being killed by a mysterious explosion and then reincarnated into a fantasy world.  Most of them are reborn as humans or humanoids, but a few are reborn as monsters, including the main character, “Kumoko.”

Waking up in a dungeon filled with high-level monsters as a newly born Taratect, a weak, dog-sized spider monster, she remembers being the socially withdrawn high school otaku Hiiro Wakaba in her past life, and quickly realizes the RPG isekai nature of her new existence.  Drawing from her wits and gamer instincts, she sets out to face her daily life, which is an unending fight for survival.  But she perseveres, and gradually, she becomes stronger and stronger, gaining more powerful skills and evolving into more powerful spider forms.  Eventually, she gains the notorious reputation of “Nightmare of the Labyrinth.”

'The Slime Diaries' Is Inconsequential, but Wonderfully Chill

The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a spin-off anime series of – well, pretty obvious what.  It’s a slice-of-life comedy that’s presumably set between season 1 and season 2 of the main series.  Taking place across a year, it shows the day-to-day activities of the citizens of Tempest, as they work for the sustenance and development of their nation, as well as enjoy the seasonal holidays and activities that Rimuru adapted from his previous life in Japan.

‘Wonder Egg Priority’ Ends Up as a Trainwreck, but Before Becoming So, It Was an Awesome Ride

Wonder Egg Priority was an original anime that debuted last Winter 2021.  I didn’t initially pick it up, but I eventually did, for it seemed like it was going to be the best new anime of the season, based on the buzz it was generating.  Catching up with it, I came to agree that it deserved the hype.  It was that good.  If I had given it a review after the season ended (March), I would have raved about it.  However, I didn’t review it then, since it wasn’t technically finished yet, as the finale was put off until June – a move that’s atypical for a seasonal anime.  And, sadly, the finale disappointingly failed to nail the landing.

'Moriarty the Patriot' Is 'Sherlock Holmes' Mixed with 'Death Note' and 'Code Geass'

Moriarty the Patriot is the latest anime reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.  A split cour, it ran during Fall 2020 (episodes 1 to 11) and Spring 2021 (episodes 12 to 24).  And as usual to a Sherlock Holmes fanboy like me, I was along for the ride from the get go.

The anime is set during the Victorian Era, the same time period of the original Sherlock Holmes series.  But this time, as the title implies, the story focuses on Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty.  However, this version of the character is portrayed as an anti-hero.  This series tells the “real story” of Moriarty, as the story that we have come to know through Dr. Watson’s accounts (information for those who haven’t read the original Sherlock Holmes series: it was written in way as if Dr. Watson wrote the stories) is supposedly just a “fictional” rendition of what really transpired.

'Nomad: Megalo Box 2' Is Much Better Than Its Predecessor

Unlike with SSSS.Dynazenon, the sequel to SSSS.Gridman, I knew going into Spring 2021 that Megalo Box was having a continuation.  Nevertheless, Megalo Box getting a sequel was a surprising development.  It was a self-contained story, and it already wrapped up nicely.  So, nobody was expecting a sequel.  Hence, I was stunned when Nomad, the title of this sequel, was first announced.

Then I remembered that Megalo Box is a science fiction reimagining of the classic boxing anime Ashita no Joe, which ran during the 1970s and 80s.  In the ending of Ashita no Joe (SPOILER), Joe presumably died after the final match.  That’s why when Megalo Box was ongoing, everyone was wondering if it would wrap up similarly with Ashita no Joe.  Episodes even closed with a “NOT DEAD YET…” title card, which understandably fueled assumptions that it was foreshadowing Joe’s fate.   However, in the end, Joe ended up winning – and surviving! – his final match – the opposite of what happened to the original Joe.  So, by having a sequel, it meant that the new Joe’s story was continuing, negating his “happily ever after” ending in Megalo Box.  That also meant the new Joe could still end up dying in his final match, like the original Joe did.

'Burning Kabaddi' Sputters Out

Burning Kabaddi follows Tatsuya Yoigoshi, a once well-renowned soccer star during middle school who has since been turned off of the sport and all sports for that matter.  Now a freshman in Noukin High School, he’s been constantly asked by the soccer club to join them, but he strongly refuses each time, adamant about renouncing sports forever, as he would rather put his time into his new hobby, livestreaming.

But then, another sports club starts recruiting Tatsuya – the kabaddi club.  After some bribery that benefits his livestreaming and some minor blackmail, Tatsuya is swayed to give kabaddi a shot, although he insists that he’s never going to join their club regardless.  However, after witnessing and then participating in kabaddi for the first time, he’s become intrigued of it.  In the following days, the more he hangs out with the club, the more he finds it intriguing.  Soon enough, he finds himself getting invested into this new sport, and becomes an official member of the club.  Rediscovering the competitive spirit and athletic talents he developed as a soccer genius, and repurposing them into kabaddi, he progresses at a rapid pace, that he soon becomes one of the team’s best players.

'Those Snow White Notes' Makes You Fall in Love with the Shamisen

Those Snow White Notes is an anime about the shamisen, which is probably Japan’s most iconic traditional musical instrument.  The story follows Setsu Sawamura, the talented teenage grandson of shamisen maestro Matsugorou Sawamura.  Setsu grew up idolizing his legendary grandfather, and has come to replicate the pieces that he’s heard from him.  However, Setsu has never been interested in showing the world his gifts, and thus, he’s never joined a competition or recital.

The "Gridman Universe" Delightfully Expands with 'SSSS.Dynazenon'

Prior to the Spring 2021 anime season, I was not aware that SSSS.Gridman was having a sequel.  It was only on the day the first episode of SSSS.Dynazenon was finally posted that I learned of its existence, and with just a glance at it, without reading any description or synopsis, I immediately knew that it was a sequel or spin-off series to SSSS.Gridman, since: a.) it has a “SSSS.” in its title; b.) I saw that it’s from Trigger, the same studio that made SSSS.Gridman; and c.) the poster/key visual (see above) has the same style as the poster/key visual of SSSS.Gridman.

'Invincible' Isn't Just Another Superhero TV Show

An animated TV series adaptation of the comic book series of the same name, Invincible follows Mark Grayson as he finally gains his superpowers at 17 years old and kicks off his superhero career as “Invincible”.  But being the son of Nolan Grayson a.k.a. Omni-Man, the greatest superhero in the world, Mark also has to deal with the added burden of living up to his father’s legacy on top of the struggles of juggling his high school life.

Giving you with such a synopsis, it comes off as very cliché.  Actually, if you go into this show knowing nothing what it’s going to be about, you will think that it’s just another superhero show.  For it’s not just Omni-Man that is an obvious analogue of Superman.  Many of the characters, organizations, institutions, and dynamics existing in its world are reminiscent of those found in the DC Comics universe.

But to have the initial perception that it’s just a cliché superhero show is the best possible condition for someone who’s going to watch this show for the first time.  For soon enough, it will utterly blow the socks off such a viewer, as it awesomely turns the genre on its head.

'Friends: The Reunion' Is Nothing More Than an Ephemeral Nostalgia Rush

Friends: The Reunion is everything I expected it to be.  I expected it to be good.  But I also expected that it would never be good enough.

For starters, it isn’t a sequel to the series.  While I agree that Friends – a show that I’ve grown to love more and more since I first watched and reviewed it – doesn’t really need a sequel, that it already ended perfectly the way it did (let’s pretend Joey never happened), I wouldn’t have minded a special in which we get to see where the characters are now in their lives.  Besides, I would argue that the only appropriate thing to do with any Friends reunion is a sequel episode.  “The One Where They Get Back Together”, which is an alternate title for this special, should have only been used on an actual sequel episode.

'Castlevania' Is an All-Time Classic

The much anticipated fourth season of Castlevania turned out being its last, which might as well.  By keeping its run relatively short, the show didn’t overstay its welcome.  It prevented itself from getting overly complicated.  However, even with just 32 episodes, its storytelling and cast still got somewhat extensive.  When season 3 ended, the show had on its hand a couple of dangling character arcs and plot threads.  It was the type of situation in which a lesser show would have easily messed it all up (see Game of Thrones).  But season 4 managed to tie each loose end neatly, give its characters solid resolutions, and deliver a strong finish.

All in all, not only does Castlevania succeed in being an amazing adaptation of a legendary video game, it has become more than that.  It has cemented itself as one of the greatest animated series of all time.

'Beastars' Gets Even Better in Its 2nd Season

So, I’ve just caught up with Beastars season 2.  It ran last Winter 2021, but because I had so many anime to watch each week already, I wasn’t able to follow it.  Nevertheless, I meant to binge it as soon as I could, and I managed to get around to doing that a few days ago.

If I had seen Beastars season 2 last Winter 2021, it would have been one of my favorites.  Only Re:Zero and Attack on Titan would have ranked above it.   Beastars was one of my favorite anime during the year it debuted (it didn’t make the top 10, but it was either the 11^th or 12^th place), but great as it was, I believe season 2 has been better.

'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' Is Triumphant in Upholding the Legacy of the 'Captain America' Films

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier picks up one of the potential plot threads left by Avengers: Endgame, which is, of course, when wizened Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans) passed the torch – or rather, shield – to Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon (Anthony Mackie).  This TV show exists for the purpose of telling the story of Sam’s transformation into Captain America.  For even though Steve himself already chose him as successor, Sam was apparently unconvinced of the idea when he received the shield.  Thus, he needed to get a character arc where he would learn to embrace the role, which this six-episode miniseries provides.

'The Way of the Househusband' Is a Comedy Gem

Gokushufudou a.k.a. The Way of the Househusband is a slice-of-life comedy ONA anime series about a former mobster who became a full-time househusband.

Tatsu was once a notorious, formidable yakuza boss nicknamed “the Immortal Dragon.”  By his reputation alone, he makes others tremble in fear.  However, one day, he decided to leave the world of crime in exchange for a banal, homebody married life.  While his kyariaūman (a career woman) wife Miku goes to work, Tatsu stays at home to do the chores and other housekeeping tasks.  However, he may have totally retired from crime, but the yakuza boss spirit remains in him.  Amusingly, by employing his yakuza skillset, smarts, and attitude when carrying out his domestic duties, he actually turns out being an excellent, successful homemaker.

Anime of Winter 2021, Ranked

Winter 2021 should be in the running for best anime season ever.  It was so stacked with quality anime.  Sequels to several reputable anime titles simultaneously dropped this season.  On top of that, there were also a good deal of notable new titles to choose from.  I really had my hands full watching anime this season.  In total, I ended up watching 18 shows this season – the most since Fall 2019 (although, I did drop two, so I only finished with 16).  And those aren’t even all the anime I wanted to watch.  I never got around to watching Beastars season 2 (I hope to catch up to this soon) and SK∞, which is supposedly one of the absolute best new anime of Winter 2021.

Same as always, I will be enumerating here all 18 anime I watched, arranged from the worst to the best for me.

The Promised Neverland 2^nd Season

The second season of The Promised Neverland pulled off one of the most shocking twists in anime history: it sucked.

I haven’t read the manga, but I just knew that there was something off with it around episode 3 or 4.  Then, I learned from the Internet that its story had proceeded to dramatically divert from the manga, cutting off many of the things that made the manga special.  This made me lose any motivation to watch beyond episode 5.

Apparently, according to what I heard, it only got worse from there.  The version of the story that the anime opted for is not only radically condensed, but is also plagued by stupid writing – a far cry from the intelligent script of season 1, which was a bona fide masterpiece.

And I think that’s why the second season seems worse than it really is.  It’s because it betrayed one of the greatest single seasons of anime of all time.

The Promised Neverland season 2 will surely go down as one of the most atrocious anime adaptation botches ever.

'Jujutsu Kaisen' Is a Pretty Basic Battle Shonen, yet Brimming with Awesomeness

Jujutsu Kaisen was a huge hit when it debuted last Fall 2020.  In fact, many even considered it worthy of being Anime of the Year, even though its first season was only half-way done.  Personally, I preferred a couple of other anime over it in 2020, but I don’t necessarily think it didn’t deserve the hype.  And by remaining relevant in the loaded Winter 2021, in which it had to contend with many returning fan favorites and hot, new titles, Jujutsu Kaisen has cemented itself as a legit rival to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba for the title of best battle shonen in recent memory.