Ringtail Reviews

Summer's here, the heat's unbearable, and multiple governments are failing before our very eyes. But what's that, you ask? The anime?  Well, the anime's actually not so bad!  I've seen some general grumbling that this season feels slower than the last, but while it's true that there aren't as many big-name crowd pleasers as in  spring 2022 , the best shows of this season might be on track to outclass it. I'm of the opinion that a season's only as good as its top shelf, and in that respect, we're doing just fine. I had plenty of thoughts about the premiers I checked out, which I've listed below for your reading pleasure. I also want to give a quick mention to Made In Abyss , an often great show with disturbing tendencies that have made me reluctant to catch up on its currently airing second season.  But as for the rest, let's get to it! Tier 1: Must-Watches Yurei Deco Finally—after months, our first great theme show of the year has arrived...

If there’s one word to describe the best anime released in 2021, it's ambition .    I think that’s important because modern anime tends to be homogenous and insular. If production committees aren't releasing as many isekai adaptations as possible, they're often greenlighting quick genre ripoffs to cash in on the latest trends or churning out rushed sequels to proven properties. It’s not so different from what happens in other mediums, but anime has a weird specificity to its mass-produced power fantasies, idol show knockoffs, and gacha-game tie-ins. But 2021 felt different. To be more specific, 2021’s top shelf contained the most jaw-dropping assortment of shows I've seen since I started watching anime seasonally. I’d seen enough great shows by halfway through the year that I’d already filled a top-ten list—and then they just kept coming . There were amazing shows of every stripe: impassioned war stories, Lynchian arthouse dramas, emotive slices-of-life, muted romance...