This fall season of anime lived up to its formidable slate of premieres, delivering one of the most impressive lineups in a very long time. There were highly anticipated adaptations of mega-hit manga, interpretations of lesser-known properties, and more than a few out-of-left-field originals that were so delightfully weird I’m still slightly baffled they got greenlit in the first place.
While it can sometimes feel like the medium is inundated by a landfill of lowest-common-denominator nonsense, this assortment of shows at least partially restored my faith. We had detours into the depths of experimental animation, conventional but entertaining stories where people punched each other really hard, genuine hilarity, and productions that somehow managed to blend all of these at once. There were inspiring live performances, socially anxious lesbians, gory chainsaw battles, maid shootouts, the joys of carpentry, massive mecha duels, and, well, more socially anxious lesbians. In short, the last few weeks of anime were very good. Let’s run it down:
10. My Hero Academia Season 6
After some stretches so dull that I considered calling it quits on the long-running series, My Hero Academia’s latest arc pays off years of table-setting, making it the most vital the show has felt in a long time. On its face, this storytelling success is pretty simple; things have finally erupted into an all-out war. This large-scale conflict between heroes and villains has been a well-earned payoff because it weaponizes the attachments and motivations developed over its previous hundred or so episodes to deliver brutal blows as these characters engage in life-or-death scrambles. And while its animation doesn’t approach some of the incredible cuts from the first three seasons, it partially makes up for this through the improved tactical depth of its fights, as both sides leverage combinations of their superpowers to get the upper hand. There is palpable desperation as our protagonists face foes that feel nigh invincible, their well-laid plans hitting a brick wall. And through all the flashy moments, there are also affecting turns as likable cast members meet unfortunate fates, heroes see comeuppance for past abuses, and we witness more than a few exciting comebacks. Coming in, I wasn’t sure if I was still invested in this tale, but these last few episodes have convinced me this story still has more to give. Here’s hoping it can maintain its momentum.
9. Akiba Maid War
Akiba Maid War’s premiere was an absolute sucker punch, an absurd 20 minutes of television that showcased violent dark comedy as it depicted a ’90s Akihabara, Tokyo where rival maid cafes partook in yakuza-style turf wars. While the first episode was a trip, I had no idea if it could maintain its unhinged antics for a full run. I’m happy to say it mostly stuck the landing thanks to its deeply weird escalating episodic adventures, taking our heroines through high-octane poker matches, underground fight clubs, and perilous games of baseball that somehow always conclude with a cartoonishly large body count. Its humor remained razor-sharp, never failing to accentuate the dissonance between its cutesy affectation and blood-soaked gun duels.
However, perhaps its biggest surprise is that despite its occasionally mean-spirited gags, it also manages to build up the aspirations and wants of its characters, as our starry-eyed protagonist Nagomi attempts to break cycles of violence and revenge that define these maid syndicates. Like any successful parody, it at least partially conjures the gravitas and weight of the works it’s aping; moments of crime epic tragedy hitting far harder than they should considering this story prominently features a person permanently wearing a panda costume. Similarly, its action set pieces are smoothly animated and effortlessly cool, demonstrating the stone-cold badassery of Ranko the killer with grace, further solidifying this as a genre pastiche. My only real complaint is that it suffers from a somewhat awkward transition in its last two episodes. Here, it goes from its weekly escapades to a more serious serialized format, and its final beats don’t quite have enough room to breathe. Still, amidst an anime landscape defined by adaptations and sequels, Akiba Maid War is a wholly original mad vision brought to life with style and heart.
8. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean Part 3
While Netflix’s belabored rollout of the latest JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure arc seemed designed to drain as much hype out of the proceedings as possible, this last batch of episodes was so exciting that even its painful release schedule couldn’t hold it back. This run has everything that defines the series at its best; complicated battles fought with magical powers that end in impossible reversals of fortune, over-the-top action that boils over into comedy, and most of all, juicy melodrama. Here Jolyne continues her confrontation with Father Pucchi, a man of the cloth who wants to fashion himself into a God. Many of its greatest turns come as Jolyne repeatedly proves her ironclad resolve, best summarized when her archenemy acknowledges that these previous trials have forged her into a near-unstoppable fighter whose ingenuity lets her topple one unbeatable challenger after the next.
More than a few times, I audibly hooted and hollered as our heroine pulled off another impossible upset, well-conveyed motivations adding weight to the scuffles. These last few episodes also effectively set up the backstory of its antagonist, a sequence of dramatic misfortunes amping up the bad blood. And while my initial reaction to its finale was somewhat mixed, as I was admittedly looking forward to a predictably cathartic conclusion, with time, I’ve warmed up to the swerve presented in its climax. Considering this is the last segment of the narrative set in this continuity (the next two arcs of the manga take place in an alternate timeline), Stone Ocean is a fitting send-off to one of the most entertaining and influential action sagas around.
7. Raven of the Inner Palace
Raven of the Inner Palace was one of the biggest surprises this season, an adaptation of a lesser-known light novel series set in a fictionalized rendition of imperial China. The story follows Shouxue, a young woman whose supernatural powers have forced her into a hermetic existence within the royal palace. Using her gift, she sets out to resolve mysteries and lay troubled spirits to rest, digging up this place’s sordid past as she helps the living resolve their grief. One of the show’s greatest strengths is its thematic cohesion, as these weekly ghost stories paint a picture of an unjust royal system that disempowers women and leads to widespread abuse. The origins of the status quo even tie into Shouxue’s mysterious abilities and station, leading to an even more explicit indictment of this patriarchal political apparatus.
It also does a fantastic job of portraying our protagonist as she breaks free from her isolation. Through her kindness, knowledge, and bravery, she helps others find closure, slowly building a cadre of companions. Despite its heavy dealings, there are many delightful moments of low-key bonding, and it beautifully develops the friendships between its leading women. It may not be an animation showcase, and its dialogue-heavy episodes make its origins as a light novel clear, but I was pleasantly surprised by how invested I became in these episodic mysteries. Not only was each resolution interesting by itself, but these ghostly one-offs always tied into the narrative’s larger thematic ambitions. If there is a downside, it feels unlikely we’ll receive a full adaptation due to its seemingly humble viewership, but at least the light novels will be getting an official English translation soon.
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