The Fall season and the entire year of 2025 is drawing to a close. Most shows have drawn to a close or are about to. So, let’s talk about it! Did anything surprise you? disappoint you? exceed your expectations? Of course, more general topics are still welcome just like any week.
As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).
Year end impressions:
Objectively good IMO:
Milky Subway was refreshingly original - especially in the natural way it presented dialogue - and consistently laugh out loud funny. Even at only four minutes per episode, I think I got more pure enjoyment out of it than about anything else this year.
Apocalypse Hotel was probably my overall favorite of the year. Over the course of its run, it hit on lots of different genres, but mostly because Yachiyo (later on with the admirable assistance of Ponko) is so conscientious and so determined, it’s ultimately more iyashikei than anything else.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity was charming from start to finish, and not just the best and most rewarding rom-com of the year, but arguably one of the best ever.
May I Ask For One Final Thing? was a rollicking adventure, and Scarlet is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Silent Witch was a wonderful combination of fluff, intrigue and action, as Monica showed that being sweet and shy doesn’t mean you can’t also be a terrifying badass when necessary.
Personal favorites:
I’ve watched Honey Lemon Soda all the way through four times now, and have enjoyed it every time. I recognize its flaws, but I love it anyway.
Maebashi Witches was a pleasant surprise - on the surface it’s just fluff about magical girl/idols who grant wishes, but it ends up being an intriguing exploration of hope, desire, fulfillment and disappointment, and especially of the possible gap between what you might think you want and what will actually make you happy.
Taken by itself, I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time was only so-so, but that was mostly because it spent too much time telling too little story. I suspect that if it can get another season or two or three, it’s going to turn out to be excellent.
Disappointments:
Food Court de Mata Ashita is one of my all-time favorite manga, but the adaptation didn’t even begin to do it justice. It still boggles my mind that the manga did a better job at comedic timing than the anime did - how is it even possible, when you have direct control over the timing of line delivery, to get it so wrong?
After standing out in season 1 by nicely fleshing out its relatively tropish characters and making them interesting and distinctive, Sono Bisque Doll season 2 unfortunately reduced them to dull, one dimensional caricatures of themselves.