The winter anime season is almost over, but you probably didn’t have time to sit around and sample all the new anime series to find something you wanted to watch. However, if you are the sort that waits to see what sifts through the other fans and rises to the surface, then we have you covered. If you want to watch our top picks for the 2018 winter anime season to watch this spring, then let us onwards!
*Note: As always, we are only doing new series for the season. Any sequels are not included in this list. So if you were a fan of Overlord, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Dagashi Kashi, or Seven Deadly Sins, then go watch those!
Best Winter 2018 Anime
Citrus
After her mother remarries, fashionable Yuzu moves to a new city. However, with her all-girls school being strict and conservative, she immediately butts heads with the stoic student council present. Worse yet, later that night, she discovers that the student council president is now her new stepsister.
Why It’s Worth Watching? – Most people probably watched this because it is some really aggressive yuri. However, as far as yuri romances go, it does tell a nice little love story. Even if you are not into yuri love, it tells a romance that kind of transcends what gender you are into. It is a nicely grounded show and once you start, it is kind of hard to stop watching.
Darling in the Franxx
In the distant future, the land is ruined and humanity now lives in the mobile city, Plantation. Inside, they are defended from massive life forms by children raised from birth to pilot robots called Franxx in boy-girl pairs. This story follows Hiro, once a prodigy, and now a failure. However, just as he was about to be cast aside, he meets a mysterious girl with horns that is a Franxx pilot dubbed The Partner Killer.
Why It’s Worth Watching? – This show, at a glance, seems like the generic mecha show that you would want to pass on. However, it is strong reminiscent of both Kill la Kill and Gurren Lagann with its big over-the-top action and fluid, beautiful animation. The plot is a touch generic, but you watch it for the characters.
A Place Further Than The Universe
Upon discovering an old list she made in the last year of middle school, Mari Tamaki, who is now in her second year of high school, realizes she is not making the most of her youth. Whenever she tries to do something new, she is paralyzed with inaction. Then one day she meets Shirase, a girl whose mother went missing when she was in middle school on an expedition to Antarctica. Knowing full well it is close to impossible, she works hard in order to go to search for her mother and invites Mari along for the ride.
Why It’s Worth Watching? – High school girls going to Antarctica? Unlikely and ridiculous, right? Well, the best thing about this show is that they acknowledge how unlikely it is and purpose a realistic way of overcoming it. It is cute girls doing cute things, to be sure, but that element of realism makes it all the better.
Laid-Back Camp
After moving, Nadeshiko decides to go see Mount Fuji. She manages to bike pretty far, but has to turn back because of the weather and ends up fainting. When she wakes up, she finds herself somewhere she has never been and no way to find her way back. It is in this wilderness where she is saved by Rin, a girl who was out camping by herself.
Why It’s Worth Watching? – There is an anime about everything these days, why not an anime about camping? If you were in Scouts or even just went/go camping a lot, there is something that will speak to you in this show. It is one of those series that shows you how nice nature can be.
After the Rain
Akira Tachibana used to love running, but after an injury, she can’t run like she used to. Now, she passes time by working in a family restaurant where she finds herself slowly falling in love with the divorced manager.
Why It’s Worth Watching? – It is a romance story between a high school girl and 45-year-old man, which is enough to put many people off. However, it is not that sort of age gap romance with the man creepily pursuing young girls. In fact, much of the time, their relationship doesn’t even seem like a romance at all. It is realistic and an interesting watch just to see how it plays out.
The Junji Ito Collection
The animation of some of Junji Ito’s legendary horror stories
Why It’s Worth Watching? – If you watched the first episode of this and gave it a pass, you should give it a try again. For some reason, they started this collection off with a story that left it feeling more like a dark comedy than a horror show. However, Junji Ito is a legend among manga horror fans, and there is a reason for it. Some of his stories are strange and almost comical, but many of them perfectly encapture the innate creepiness that makes Japanese horror so delectable.
Did you like something from the 2018 Winter season that is not on this list? Tell us what and why in the comments section below.
