This spring season has been a big deal in the anime community! So many shows are returning. Really hyped anime, some of which are based on popular manga, have finally made their debut. Is the hype worth it? I think we should dig into the spring!

The Netflix Effect

Piano No Mori

Piano no Mori (or just Piano)  is the only Netflix exclusive this season. It's about a very young piano virtuoso, I guess. Piano no Mori looks fantastic, at a movie level of quality. I don't know how many months down the line it will come to Netflix. That's alright. I think Piano no Mori is the kind of anime I can afford to wait for anyway.

I Finally Saw It!

Aggrestsuko

So I learned this at the last minute: Aggretsuko is not a spring 2018 anime! It's not even a 2018 anime! It originally debuted in 2016, and found its way to Netflix, where it's been English dubbed.

Sanrio is a weird company. They have Hello Kitty and her animal pals, who sell a whole slew of merchandise. Then Sanrio allows shows like Sanrio Boys to be made. That's not the oddest thing they've let happen. Aggretsuko is their latest project, but it's for sure not for kids. If you've ever had a desk job, a greuling full time position that is unfulfilling, then you know where Aggretsuko is coming from. This is a workplace comedy, but with adorable animals as people! One of our adorable characters is Retsuko, a female red panda who takes out her frustrations by screaming death metal into a karaoke mic in the bathroom. Yep, this is adorable Sanrio! I hope no one is fooled by the cuteness of the character art; don't skip over this on Netflix.

Returning Favorites

Amanchu!

Amanchu actually came back for another season! My heart grows 20 sizes whenever I watch the show. Something is different this time, and that's my only criticism of Amanchu! Advance. This season is weird, because it's supposed to be about Futabi ("Teko") getting an advanced scuba diving license- AND (possibly) advancing her relationship with Hikari ("Pikari"). The second season has far more episodes about vivid dream worlds than actual character interaction. I hope that the last few episodes carry the relationship between these characters further.

My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia continues to prove why it has gained such an incredible following. You have the excellent action, the drama, and the long-term consequences that heroes like Deku have to live with when fighting villains. If you have ever claimed to love superheroes, but you don't watch MHA, I have to tell you, you are only hurting yourself by not watching it.

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma

We're back to the foodgasams! Shokugeki no Soma had a moment (about half a season) where they were doing things a little different. We've gone away from the beloved shokugeki. It's coming back, because, um, it's in the name of the show, so not to worry. I think that the battle we're headed towards is going to be incredibly fun to watch.

Steins;Gate 0

It has been a long, long while since I've watched Steins;Gate. The last show in the Science Adventure series I watched was Occultic;Nine, and that is definitely not a show of the same quality as Steins. Steins;Gate 0 takes place after the end of the original anime, so newbies will be confused if starting off with this series. Steins; Gate 0 makes me feel the same emotions as it did in those last few episodes, where Okabe Rintaro was desperately trying to fix a bad future.

Full Metal Panic

I don't think it's fair for me to call this a returning favorite, because I haven't watched all of Full Metal Panic. I liked the FMP I have seen, so it's kind of a favorite? Anyway, the new Full Metal Panic is so good! The action is great, but if you're a true fan, and not a fake-ass loser who didn't watch FMP when I had the chance, you already know what the quality level of Full Metal Panic should be.

FLCL

Fooly Cooly has not one but two seasons for you; I don't know how you feel, but I never expected to see more FLCL in my lifetime.The first season up is FLCL Progressive, and the third season will be FLCL Alternative. Progressive takes place after the original FLCL. We have a completely new set of characters, but one old character definitely makes her presence known. Crazy beings are still popping out of peoples' heads, people are still getting hit by vehicles at high speed (and somehow living) and there's still a giant iron. What's not the same is how Hidomi figures into this story, and how the horn on her head changes her.

You never know what you're going to get in the winter anime season. Is it going to be a hot few months, or will it leave you cold? I think the upcoming spring season is going to be way hotter, but some of this winter's offerings are worth watching, and telling your friends about.

The Netflix Effect

With the moves Netflix is making in the Anime industry, a new category has to be made for all the anime I am unable to watch during their actual season. There are two anime that have debuted on Netflix that are airing at their proper time; they are true Netflix Originals that were produced specifically for the streaming service. You can't see them anywhere else, but at least you don't have to wait months to see them. What you do have to wait for are these shows.

Fate/Extra Last Encore

Every time you turn your back, another Fate show has come out! What's this new Fate about? This time, the protagonist is someone who has lost his memory, and he's been caught up in the Grail War. Last Encore will be ending in April, and all I've sene is a trailer for it.

Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden IS available on Netflix- just not in the United States. SIGH. Praised for its beauty, Violet Evergarden is a sci-fi story about a woman getting in touch with her humanity after being given cybernetic prosthetics. I hear mixed criticism about it. What I know is that a) it looks spectacular and b) It may be boring. By the time Evergarden comes to US Netflix, the Winter season will be over.

Returning Favorites

Sangatsu no Lion (March Comes in Like a Lion)

As Lion has continued, there are less moments of depression and more happiness, but the drama still carries a lot of weight. Looking at the series so far, I think it's best that we don't have a character who's wallowing in pity and dark feelings every episode. We have a lot of characters and issues that can be tackled, so a smart show like Lion can still entertain and touch your soul without focusing on tragedy.

King Baby Duck & his pals Elite4Derek and Wicked Anime's JonStar dive into two more Loot Anime boxes, with their focus on the underdog heroes and gaming-inspired worlds! My Hero

King Baby Duck and his con cohort Elite4Derek and Wicked Anime's JonStar get into the "spirit" of friendship with the unboxing of the October & November 2017 editions of Loot

King Baby Duck and Wicked Anime's JonStar unleash multiple explosions and flying cabbages as they piece together the recent Nendoroids of Megumin & Darkness from the hit anime series KonoSuba: