The Best Anime of Winter 2024

With the end of the Winter 2024 anime season looming, it's time to look back at the best of what the season had to offer. And so here's a list of our editorial team's favorite anime series this season. The big takeaway? We really like Delicious in Dungeon.

Note: the commentary below may include spoilers.

Rebecca Silverman

Best: The Apothecary Diaries

I admit that I was a little worried since the original light novels and manga adaptation of Natsu Hyuga's The Apothecary Diaries are very high on the list of my current favorite reads. While I didn't see any major barriers to doing a good job with the anime, the possibility always lurks in the background. Fortunately for all of us, this show knocked it out of the park. From visuals and writing to voices and music, The Apothecary Diaries has shown how to do an adaptation right. Beautifully matching the tone of the source material and embellishing it with stellar vocal performances, particularly from Aoi Yuki as Maomao, the series covers roughly the first two light novels, detailing Maomao's arrival at the imperial court and the various ways she becomes unwillingly indispensable. Nominally a mystery series, it's much more straightforward historical fiction, albeit taking place in a fictionalized version of what is implied to be eighteenth or nineteenth-century China (for Western viewers, at one point we catch a glimpse of Loulan wearing a dress that looks like it's from the late 19th century, possibly the 1870s or 80s). There are mystery elements, and for the most part, they're grounded in the fair play subgenre; if you have some basic historical knowledge, especially of poisons, you can usually solve things along with Maomao. But the real draw here is the character relationships: Maomao's relationship with the various other people she encounters drives the plot much more than any of the cases she's called upon to help with. Through these relationships, we gain a fuller picture of the world that Maomao is barely interested in and the way she's helping to shape it. This is never more apparent than in her interactions with Jinshi, the preternaturally beautiful leader of the inner palace who has several secrets of his own—secrets that he'd very much like to let Maomao in on.

Whether or not she'd be interested in learning them feels a bit more up in the air at this juncture. Maomao is written in such a way that you could attribute any number of things to her—she could be read as neurodivergent, aromantic, or simply highly and selectively focused, but the base result is that she's actively creeped out by Jinshi's interest in her. Could it be because she was raised in a brothel and the truths we learn about her mother in this second half of the first season? That, too, is open to our interpretation but what's clear is that Maomao has created a space for herself that she'd very much like to just occupy. She's good at it, too—and as long as she's allowed the freedom to be herself, there's a sense that she's okay with wherever she physically is (although, she'd of course prefer to have some agency in that decision). She's unapologetically herself at all times, and in a field increasingly saturated with tropes and stereotypes (some of which can admittedly be seen in a few of the secondary characters), Maomao is a breath of fresh air. She's not a "strong female character," she's a person in her own right. If you've slept on this series, please give it a try. It's smart, gorgeous, and more than that just good.

Runner Up: Cherry Magic

Look, I know this has a terrible title and the production values aren't great. The animation is awkward, the colors are bland, and the manga deserved better. But the sweetness of the story more than makes up for that. Once you get past the very cringe premise of thirty years of virginity suddenly giving you the power to read minds, it becomes a charming love story about someone who never thought that he could be happy discovering that he can. Kurosawa's deep and abiding crush on Adachi is something that he'd never have been able to bring himself to truly act on had Adachi not gained the ability to read his thoughts, and while there absolutely are some very awkward moments around that, Adachi allows himself to be open to the possibility of a romance between them. There are brief moments of surprise that Kurosawa's another man, but those quickly fall by the wayside, and ultimately the story is about learning that love is love and that's okay. Both of the couples the plot follows can learn to support each other, and it's just been a weekly dose of sweetness and light in a stressful time. Plus, it's got Kurosawa's date song. Seriously, it's just a lovely series.

I also want to give a quick mention to Wonderful Pretty Cure. It hasn't had all that many episodes yet, but it's just such a fun entry into the franchise and I'm really enjoying it—and no, not just because I'd love to be able to transform into a magical girl with my dog. It's much more lighthearted than Soaring Sky Pretty Cure, but it has more direction than Tropical-Rouge Pretty Cure, the other recent sillier Precure title, and it has the potential to add another male cure in the midseason. But mostly I just love watching Cures Wonderful and Friendy play with the enemy rather than fight them and the way that Iroha's dad is presented visually. At the risk of overusing the word, it's a lot of fun.

Steve Jones

Best: Brave Bang Bravern!

It can only be Brave Bang Bravern!, right? What a dark horse. What a triumph. While Masami Obari needs no introduction, he's much better known as a designer/animator of mecha rather than a director of them. If we want to look for Brave Bang Bravern!'s nearest predecessor—that is, a TV-length original series with Obari in the director's chair—we have to go all the way to 2002's Gravion. That's not to say he hasn't been busy since then, but I had this show pegged to be a curiosity, not a contender. Shows what I know!

Brave Bang Bravern! is consistently wild, jubilant, and confident. In the decade since the inimitable Samurai Flamenco aired, no other anime has captured its episode-to-episode freewheeling spirit as closely as Brave Bang Bravern! has. Ironically, this also makes Brave Bang Bravern! difficult to recommend. “Just trust me” only goes so far, and you don't want to spoil a potential viewer when so much of their joy will be derived from experiencing the narrative rollercoaster firsthand. Brave Bang Bravern!, in a sentence, is a goofy and endlessly effervescent throwback to the mecha anime of yesteryear—condensed cleverly into a single cour of twists, homoerotic camp, and hot-blooded handsome robot pathos. You have to watch it yourself to find out more.

One last point I want to emphasize is just how funny the writing is. Brave Bang Bravern! is a better comedy than many anime that advertise themselves as such. While it earns plenty of yuks due to its audacity alone, it has actual jokes and gags that deliberately and successfully elicited huge laughs out of me. There's a running bit about an American CIA agent who keeps waterboarding the heroes. That's demented—and it had me howling each time. And that's just one small part of what makes Brave Bang Bravern! so special. Don't let yourself miss out on the rest. Be brave. Be bang. Be Brave Bang Bravern!.

Runner-up: Delicious in Dungeon

The Winter 2024 anime season has been all about Thursdays. The one-two combo between Brave Bang Bravern! and Delicious in Dungeon instilled a sense of weekly communal excitement in my friends, the likes of which I had not seen to that degree in some time. While I'm inclined to give the edge to Brave Bang Bravern! due to its boisterousness, Delicious in Dungeon earns a nearly equivalent amount of praise from me for its inspired adaptation of a universally beloved manga. That trademark Studio Trigger passion can be felt throughout Yoshihiro Miyajima's anime. The monsters look frightening. The monster food looks scrumptious. The character beats and interactions are lively and lovely. It's a cartoon buffet where I'm hard-pressed to pick out anything I don't like.

Naturally, much of Delicious in Dungeon's strength stems from its strong source material. Ryoko Kui's manga breathes a hurricane's worth of fresh air into those stagnant dungeon halls. She approaches familiar fantasy creatures and tropes with the observant eye of a biologist, building an ecologically holistic environment for them to thrive in. In the nerdiest sense possible, it's beyond cool.

It's also worth noting how much I've enjoyed watching the show despite being spoiled on several major plot points. The Delicious in Dungeon manga fandom, particularly the Yuri fan artists, have been ceaseless and effusive in their enthusiasm. Arguably too much so. But I'm not even mad. This story's fundamentals are sturdy enough to stand on their own, and honestly, that's on me for not reading the manga sooner. Furthermore, nobody has spoiled me on the most important development of all: what will Laios eat next?

James Beckett

Best: Delicious in Dungeon

This season had an embarrassing glut of riches to sort through, and this spot may as well have been a three-way tie between Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren, and Brave Bang Bravern! The deciding factor came down to the fact that I've unfortunately fallen behind in the latter two shows, and Delicious in Dungeon 's excellent penultimate episode is still fresh in my mind as of writing this. Thankfully, I'm confident that my colleagues will help to give this season's other excellent shows their due accolades because hot damn was this a great season for anime lovers.

All of that said, even if I had managed to catch up on every single one of this Winter's bangers (and Bang!-ers), it still would have been a very tight race—and I have no qualms with highlighting the latest Studio Trigger joint as one of this year's must-watch shows. In typical Trigger fashion, Delicious in Dungeon is brimming with style, charm, and confidence, making even the most low-key of episodes a joy to watch. It also helps that it has excellent source material to work with because while Trigger shows are often quite funny, this might be the most consistently well-written and quietly hilarious show that the studio has ever produced.

Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi are all lovely little goofballs individually but as a party, their best and worst traits combine to produce a reality-warping aura of likable lunacy that could give the Seinfeld and Community gangs a run for their money. Not only is it funny as hell, but the show makes some of the best use of its heavily D&D inspired fantasy trappings since…well, Frieren. In any other year, it would stand out even more as being exceptionally well-crafted adventuring! I hope and pray that Delicious in Dungeon gets the second season it so very much deserves because I could watch the dubiously edible escapades of these weirdos for years to come.

Runner-up: Undead Unluck

I know that I made that big to-do about how hard it was to pick a winner from at least three easy candidates for Anime of the Season but you'll have to forgive me for taking a swerve to once again shine a spotlight on the criminally under-watched Undead Unluck. The back half of the series' run has suffered from some noticeable pacing issues—what with the sometimes ludicrous amounts of flashbacking and recapping that get crammed into single episodes—but these recent few weeks have produced what might be the series' absolute best episodes. They're so good that they've forced me to once again exploit my platform as an ANN Writer to yell at every one of you who haven't been watching Undead Unluck, yet. I know that it sucks when a show gets sentenced to a lifetime in the Hulu Hoosegow, but that's still no excuse! Undead Unluck stars one of the most adorable deranged couples in anime history, and the most recent arc has shoved in enough meta-fictional time-traveling insanity to make Deadpool blush.

Combine that with what continues to be some of the most inventive world-building and genuinely exciting battle writing that I've seen in recent Shonen Jump adaptations and you have a series that should be a smash hit. It's not too late, friends! If you have any love for "Good Anime," then go and spread the good word of Saint Andy the Well-Endowed and Fuko, His Holy Mistress of Misfortune. I promise it will feel so good to be on the right side of history in five years or whenever the fandom finally catches up and realizes what it missed out on.

MrAJCosplay

Best: The Dangers In My Heart Season 2

Was anyone surprised? I have been praising this show every single opportunity I can get. It was my most anticipated show of Winter 2024 and it is probably going to be one of my favorite shows of all time. While some slice-of-life shows are about standing up to external expectations, The Dangers In My Heart is about standing up to internal expectations. The “danger” in this sense was the insecurity, fear, and paranoia that come with growing up. It's about being afraid of change, being afraid of leaving your comfort zone, and being afraid of pursuing something that could hurt you in the end. Sometimes it's easier to close yourself off and make up some weird persona because confronting the constant changes that go on around us is scary. But The Dangers In My Heart is a show that perfectly encapsulates one of the most natural progressions of dealing with those insecurities that I have ever seen.

It is a slow burn but every single episode has some degree of progress in it. The first season established the foundation between Kyotaro and Anna and the second season took it to the next level. The two characters are completely different as individuals and their dynamic as a couple is very different compared to how it was at the beginning of the series. Combine this with great presentation, great direction that puts us in the characters' heads, and a gorgeous soundtrack that makes use of minimalistic sound samples to properly convey those anxious feelings, and what we get is a show that I just want to recommend to everybody. Go watch it—especially if you're a fan of slice-of-life shows.

Christopher Farris

Best: Bang Brave Bravern!

I don't know how so many of us managed to not see this one coming. Masami Obari is Masami Obari, and Cygames joints being the surprise of their season is a pretty well-known phenomenon at this point. Even if the early advertising obfuscated the Super-Robot-ness of this mecha series, I probably should have expected this would be a good time. However, things were also undermined by Crunchyroll not even picking the series up for simulcasting until a week into its run. Thank goodness they did though, and I and so many others were able to get on board, because Obari's wild ride has turned into the appointment viewing show of the season.

Like Samurai Flamenco, another series starring a red hero serving as an unabashed love letter to a whole genre, Bang Brave Bravern! is one of those anime that works best if you just jump into it with as little foreknowledge as possible. But I can't effectively sing the praises of the series by dancing around the details, so here we go: Bang Brave Bravern! is a show that loves giant robots as much as I do and codes their camp-as-Christmas conventions in knowing reverent intentionality. It's equal parts uproariously funny and dramatically stirring—sometimes in the same breath. It's a show that'll make fun of the theatricality of a mecha that plays his visual effects and soundtrack but do so in acknowledgment that those things are, in fact, rad as hell. Bang Brave Bravern! is a series that wouldn't work without its confidence; it's easy to imagine a faltering version where the adorable Lulu came off as annoying instead—or where the fundamentally insane twist around the true nature of its titular character was a bridge too far. Fortunately, we live in the timeline where Obari got to go all-in on this cosmic craziness, and this winter was all the better for it. Ga-ga-pi!

Runner-up: Delicious in Dungeon

Now for the one everyone expected would be good. It feels like I've been hearing people I know sing the praises of Ryoko Kui's manga mash-up of monsters and morsels forever now. I'll be honest, just based on what I knew about the series, I wasn't certain Studio Trigger would be the best choice for adapting it. I never should have doubted them. The studio's take on Laios and the party's edible antics has been a wonderful cartoon of a thing to watch. Every chase with a creature is stretched into zany chaos. Marcille has all the mannerisms of a panicked chihuahua at any given moment. It's great.

Trigger's stylish applications pair perfectly with what is, indeed, an excellent story. The denizens of Delicious in Dungeon inhabit one of the most well-realized fantasy worlds I've witnessed—and that's coming from someone who generally doesn't care about the details of fantasy worlds! And it's not just that the world-building is thoughtfully functional, but the way the writing uses it for its comedy and to propel portions of its plot. It's carefully sauteed together to turn what could have been a mere gag series into a story as propulsively watchable as that swerving giant robot show I talked about up top. And they both aired on the same day? Truly, getting some anime version of Must See TV Thursdays was the highlight of my winter.

Nicholas Dupree

Best: Delicious in Dungeon

This was an odd season. While there was a solid crop of really good shows, it rarely felt like anything I watched could hold consistent momentum. That is, except for D in D, which turned out to be some of the most incessantly fun, interesting, and consummately watchable television of the season. While the premiere set it up as “Fantasy food porn”, every subsequent episode demonstrated how much deeper and more ambitious this series is beyond the initial hook. Sure, you come to see the weird monster delicacies, but you stay for the lovable cast and their hilarious interactions. Then, just when it feels like you've hit a holding pattern, it introduces some new aspect of its world-building that drastically re-contextualizes that initial food-focused shtick. As soon as you're acclimated to that, it brings in new characters and carefully laid implications that make the world and cast far more complex than you'd ever expect.

It's a trick the show pulls countless times across its runtime, and every single one of them works like magic. That narrative alchemy lets the series explore a broad range of tones without ever feeling incongruous, or fully straying from what made it appealing in the first place. One episode can be all about eating weird stuff, only for the next to be a somber character drama, a thrilling episode-long action set piece, or even a mortifying—yet fascinating—detour into dark fantasy. All of that, while still staying true to its roots as a cooking series set in a classic RPG dungeon crawl. It's fantastic material, treated impeccably by the hands at Trigger—who are more than willing to pull drastic shifts in animation and direction to facilitate every swerve the story throws. It's the whole package, despite its seemingly simple beginnings, and an easy contender for best of the year.

Runner-up: A Sign of Affection

I'm always gonna be a sucker for a good romance, and this one delivered just about everything I could ask for from one. I love the characters and the warm personalities. From the shy but determined Yuki who always finds just the right words to capture the sensations of love, to the deceptively passionate Itsuomi—and all their equally messy but relatable friends and frenemies—the cast is so enjoyable that the best moments are when they're just chatting and relaxing. The warm and fuzzy vibes are perfectly channeled through the designs and direction, with color work just as eloquent as our heroine when it comes to capturing the feeling of being in love.

Alongside all that, I appreciate how the show portrays Yuki's deafness with thought and care—while never tripping over into the more tired forms of drama that typically come with media about disability. Yuki's hearing impairment is a part of her, and it affects her life, but she is never solely defined by that friction. Her communication in unorthodox ways ties perfectly into the larger subject of communication in relationships—emphasizing the need for all parties to build trust through honest, direct means. There's a concerted effort to characterize the cast through their body language as much as their voices. It's an admirable and impressive choice that allows characters to speak through their hands in ways rarely seen in animation. It's a feel-good experience from top to bottom and well worth it for anyone who needs a pick-me-up.

Kevin Cormack

Best: The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Holding its own against some stiff opposition this season (mostly from a deluge of high-quality fantasy anime), this impossibly adorable, wholesome rom-com stole my heart week in and week out. The very best anime aren't merely fun eye candy—they make you feel things. The Dangers in My Heart succeeds spectacularly in this regard. From delirious mirth to heart-warming joy, every episode is an emotional roller-coaster of delight.

We've come a long way from those first few episodes where terminally awkward teen protagonist Kyotaro Ichikawa sublimated his attraction to delightful female lead Anna Yamada by hiding his head in edgy books and ruminating in dark, murderous thoughts. As viewers, we're made excruciatingly aware of his pathologically self-defeating inner monologue. He certainly reminds me of my awkward teenage self—sometimes painfully. Now, via his blooming relationship with Anna, he's taking more and more steps into adolescence and eventual adulthood—realizing what he wants and how to get it.

Although the central relationship progresses slowly (Kyotaro has only just turned fourteen after all), each episode makes every small step of both Anna and Kyotaro's progress an intense emotional crescendo. The show's genius is how that drama is leavened with goofy character-based humor that endears to the audience not only the delightful central couple but the various colorful side characters as well. They're all clumsy, fumbling teens who make silly mistakes and hide behind affected personas—but in each one, I recognize archetypes of friends and acquaintances from my own school experiences. Such a beautifully made and amazingly-observed show deserves praise: It's now my number-one anime romcom of all time.

Runner-up: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Losing out on my top spot by only an elf-hair's breadth, studio Madhouse continued to work some kind of mad alchemy with this practically perfect adaptation of an already superb manga. Marrying stupendous movie-quality action animation with a deeply emotional, melancholy story. This is the absolute peak of what anime can achieve in the fantasy medium. Multilayered storytelling contextualizes immortal elf Frieren's contemporary experiences with those of her past. Film students looking to study the effective use of flashbacks as a storytelling device will find little else superior to Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Too many other shows use flashbacks as a means to clumsily wedge in backstory or unwieldy retcons—with Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, flashbacks are integral to the structure and tone.

Few anime succeed in evoking such a deep sense of loss; in the character Frieren's case, it's the long-past death of her former companion Himmel the Hero. Although he's been gone almost thirty years, Frieren can't help but recall the happy times they spent adventuring together. It's only now that she can process the subtle lessons that she, an immortal elf, millennia in age, learned from that one short-lived human. In a way, despite her strange, aloof nature, Frieren is incredibly human—she didn't know what she had until it was gone. Thankfully, she seems to be learning that lesson and cherishes the time she spends with her daughter/apprentice/mother-figure Fern. I, for one, very much appreciate the twenty-eight episodes I've experienced and sincerely hope that Madhouse makes more.

Richard Eisenbeis

Best: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Not surprising to anyone who reads my weekly reviews, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End once again tops my list for the best anime of the season. Continuing the adventures of the titular immortal elf, this second season takes things in a more serialized direction by focusing almost entirely on a single story: First-Class Mage Exam.

Centering things around this test allows the show to spend a fair amount of time keeping Frieren and Fern apart. On the one hand, this forces the master and apprentice to interact with people they are not used to in the form of a dozen new characters—all with their own goals, magical specialties, and philosophies about magic. On the other, it allows Fern the perfect opportunity to step into her own—to prove to herself that she is an amazing mage in her own right. To top it all off, the test serves as the perfect excuse to further develop the larger setting by teaching us more about the world and the rules of magic.

And while this arc is much more action-oriented than what we saw in the fall, there are still more than a few slower episodes focusing on thematic explorations—in addition to the constant look at the nature of change in Frieren's immortal life. But most importantly, despite the shift in format and emphasis on action, it is not the fights but the ideas and lessons behind the fights that are truly important. The biggest climax of the back half of the anime comes in the form of a pair of conversations where philosophies collide and it becomes clear that Frieren's lasting impact on the world will be far more than simply defeating the Demon King.

So what more can I say than to reaffirm what I've already said? Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a modern classic that will be remembered for decades. You really should give it a watch.

Runner up: 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

As a “villainess story aficionado,” I enjoyed all three of the villainess anime we got this season. Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord is fanatically determined to ride its single joke not only into the ground but into the underworld as well. Meanwhile, Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp does a solid job of combining a medical drama with a fantasy-world reincarnation story. However, 7th Time Loop is the one I've enjoyed the most in the end.

The reason for this is our titular villainess herself. Rishe is both likable and intriguing. Having lived her life seven times has left its mark on her. She has looped repeatedly, each time making drastically different choices about how she wants to live her life. This has led to her having a wide range of skills. On one hand, this makes her the latest in the ever-growing line of overpowered fantasy protagonists but on the other, her abilities feel uniquely earned.

This is because Rishe's lives continue to directly affect her—be it her first life or her sixth. Rather than being little more than an excuse for why she can do what she can, they define the unique way she views the world. Being the imperial crown princess does not wipe her past away. Instead, she is still a merchant, a knight, a maid, a sage, and an herbalist—she's just adding “crown princess” on top of those. She still wishes to become better at each of her past roles and will jump at any chance to do so.

Yet, despite all her skills—not to mention her knowledge of six previous timelines—Rishe is far from all-powerful. She's not the best fighter nor the cleverest merchant. She is only human—and far weaker physically than in her last life. Her plans fail as often as they succeed. But her ideals are inviolate—her drive unstoppable—and seeing how her six lives combine to help her navigate her newest life each week has been a real treat.

Lucas DeRuyter

Best: Delicious in Dungeon

Delicious in Dungeon—or "Dungeon Meshi" if you're in a discoursing mood—is so good that I binged through the manga after watching the first three episodes of the anime. A more subdued visual spectacle than what's come to be expected from Studio Trigger, this anime shines in a lot of smaller, cozier ways that I find endearing; its world and world-building are chief among those high points. I'm not exactly sure when the default fantasy setting in anime became video game-inspired backdrops that allow an isekai'd protag to live out a power fantasy. That ubiquity is frustrating and flattens the genre. Delicious in Dungeon drawing on elements of Dungeons and Dragons—or should I say "DinD" drawing on "D&D"—is a breath of fresh air that becomes a core theme of the show as it focuses more and more on how the titular dungeon is an ecosystem that needs to be studied, respected, and sometimes cared for.

That being said, the importance of self-care and general wellness is the focal theme of this season of anime, and I love the way the series explores it. This subject is usually reserved for more grounded, slice-of-life fare, but it works surprisingly well in this more fantastical setting. The show's inciting incident, a party member being eaten by a dragon because our heroes didn't eat in the lead-up to the battle, is a catching metaphor for the dangers of not minding your physical and mental health. Forced to learn how to prepare meals from defeated monsters and eat them as they try to revive their companion, this gives them a chance to reflect on themselves, their shortcomings, and their relationships through the universally meditative act of cooking.

While the need to defeat monsters in specific ways for cooking purposes adds a fun dimension to every fight, the dynamic between the characters is the real strength of the show. The eccentric Laios, persnickety Marcille, nonchalant Chilcuck, and the weird/hot gourmet Senshi are all extremely well-defined and their interactions are the best part of each episode. These exchanges are only bolstered further by an extremely fun English dub cast; with Damien Haas playing Laios as a lovable oddball, Casey Mongillo giving Chilchuck just the right amount of sass, and internet golden boy SungWon Cho giving maybe his best performance yet as Senshi.

This is an amazing anime that will only get better in subsequent seasons and is worth checking out while it's still pippin' hot and fresh.

Runner Up: Mashle: Magic and Muscles

Is Mashle: Magic and Muscles a great anime that pushes the medium forward while thoughtfully exploring elements of the human experience or condition? No… but it does take the piss out of well-worn shonen tropes and the growing and rightfully maligned Harry Potter franchise—and that makes it my second favorite winter anime of 2024.

I read the Mashle: Magic and Muscles manga before checking out the anime, and I think the series works best in its original format. It feels better to just invest eight or so minutes a week into a release instead of 22, and I think the jokes land better when they hit after a page turn instead of the anime trying to figure out the timing of a punchline. That being said, the jokes in this season of Mashle are still some of the best in this season, with the gag of the main characters playing an overly wrought and frustratingly personal version of The Game of Life board game being one of my favorites.

With the Crunchyroll Anime Awards freshly concluded at the time of writing this post, I also can't help but think that Mashle's new OP, set to “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” by Creepy Nuts, is an early frontrunner to win the Best Opening Sequence award next year. Not only does the opening perfectly capture the show's frantic humor but it also demonstrates how that absurdity can horseshoe back around to being genuinely hype-shonen action sequences. Like all comedy, Mashle: Magic and Muscles is going to be hit or miss on an individual level but if it hits for you as it does me, it's a fun show to come back to week after week.