Anime Writer's Choice: Winter 2018 Anime Wrap-Up Review! Introducing "DEVILMAN crybaby", "Love is like after the rain" and 5 more! [Anime Column

Why do we publish a column summarizing the previous season in late April, when the spring 2018 anime are on the air? It is because we must not forget about the winter 2018 anime that were full of masterpieces, such as "DEVILMAN crybaby" distributed by Netflix, "POPTEPIC", the most talked about winter anime, "Killing Bites", a battle action series, "Love is like after rain", the finale of the original work, and the part-time job themed short anime "Working Oyasan! short anime with a theme of part-time job. which is a short anime about a part-time job.

DEVILMAN crybaby

The daemons in this work are portrayed as beings loyal to their instincts, and Akira Fudo, who fuses with the daemons and becomes Devilman, is plagued by physiological urges. Because Netflix is a medium that is not bound by broadcasting codes, appetites and sexual desires are also expressed in a proper manner. However, the point is that these desires are depicted as something that humans originally had.
This is why the freelance editor calls high school girls while searching for a love hotel, the boys on the track team talk about girls' breast shaking, and the high school girls in the mob get excited with hard-hitting bottom jokes. Akira, who has become Devilman, spends his days in agony, living under the same roof with the heroine but struggling with his sexual desires. His appearance is filled with a humanity not found in the herbivorous heroes of harem anime.

POPTEPIC

In the winter of 2018, the first thing people ask me when I meet them is, "What do you think of 'POPTEPIC'?" was the season of fear. The reason this question is so terrifying is that when you express your attitude toward "POPTEPIC," your stance on the anime is laid bare. They are not asking whether the work is funny or not; they are asking about the reruns that show the same footage in Part A and Part B, the casting of different voice actors for every episode, and the surrealistic live-action footage. The question is whether this is acceptable or not, a question of otaku beliefs.
In the end, whether we approve or disapprove, the other party smiles with a satisfied smile and says, "So that's the way it is," and we are categorized as either believers or antis. Yes, "you are always being watched. The only way to escape from this dystopia is to become an accomplice to the work. We have no choice but to use the term "shitty anime" without hesitation and act as if we were employees of King Records.

Killing Bites.

Interesting anime and watchable anime are two completely different things, and there are many otaku who will straighten their collars and say, "This work is interesting, so I must watch it when I am in perfect physical condition ......," and then end their lives without ever seeing it. In such a situation, "Killing Bites" is a rare anime that is both interesting and easy to watch.
In this royal situation, fighters with the power of beasts are gathered on a deserted island and engage in a battle royal. The violence is depicted with bloodshed and even dismemberment. The female characters show sexy scenes with plenty of sex appeal. The narration is filled with trivia about beasts, which will satisfy even your intellectual curiosity. The one with the sharpest fangs wins! That's Killing Bites! is also inserted in every episode to entertain viewers who have never seen the show before. The ease with which viewers can easily catch on to the show is sure to draw them in, even if they happen to tune in late at night.

Love is Like After the Rain

Akira Tachibana, a high school girl, falls in love with Masami Kondo, the manager of a family restaurant where she works part-time. Akira boldly makes a move on her boyfriend, who is more than a year older than her, and Kondo is taken aback by Akira's attitude, and the two make an unlikely pair.
As in the original work, the background art is meticulously rendered, and the family restaurant "Garden," the nearest station (Motosumiyoshi), and Kazamizawa High School, where Akira goes to school, are realistically rendered. The polka-dot pattern hidden on the roof of the Garden is also a nice touch to make the viewer aware of the "rain. The OP animation also shows a fanciful side of Akira's character.

Working brother!

The short animation features two cats, the energetic and positive Chatorasawa Tapio and the cool-natured Roshibara Quehiko, who work hard at various part-time jobs. The strings are left as they are without erasing them, giving the animation a somewhat retro flavor.
The main story has the touch of a picture book. The soft, warm outlines and the three animal characters are very cute. The cast members who play the senior employees at the part-time job are different each time, and their enthusiastic performances are also a major highlight. Including the somewhat familiar character "That Animal Whose Name Must Not Be Called," this work is reminiscent of the omnibus anime slot "Ultra Super Anime Time.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)

(C) Go Nagai/Devilman Crybaby Project
(C) Bukubu Okawa/Takeshobo/King Record
(C) Shinya Murata, Kazuasa Sumida, HERO'S/Killing Bites Production Committee
(c) Jun Bizuki, Shogakukan/Anime "Love Rain" Production Committee
(c) GSC, Yoshihiro Usa/working brother! Production Committee!