Winter 2024/25 Anime Recap

#AnimeHunters

Buds are sprouting, flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and the weather is getting warmer. Spring is just around the corner, bringing with it a new lineup of anime. But before that, I want to take a look back at the anime from the winter season. Basically, this is a small reflection to all the new winter season anime that I watched.

In the past, I’ve been told that my season recaps are too long, so I kept it shorter this time. But don’t worry — you’ll still get plenty of my opinions! I mainly cut down on the story summaries for each anime. If any of them interest you, you can check out the descriptions on MyAnimeList or similar sites.

I also decided to make ratings this time. This is purely based on how much I personally enjoyed it — so it's a completely subjective evaluation. To emphasize this even more, I’m not giving out stars — I’m giving out :hearts: . The maximum is five :hearts: .

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I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

Yet another anime adaptation of a light novel with an excessively long title. I really don’t know why light novels have to have such long titles these days. But whatever. The anime's abbreviation is Girumasu, by the way. A fantasy anime with a guild system, hunters with awakened skills, dungeons, and an overall strong JRPG vibe — yeah, we've seen tons of those. Most of them don’t really appeal to me. So, what makes Girumasu special enough to win me over?

First off, the female protagonist, Alina, stands out. She may be super strong, but she actually has no desire to fight. She much prefers a safe job with fixed working hours as a receptionist. If only it weren’t for all the overtime. Another pro is that it's not a harem anime where a bunch of big-breasted women mindlessly follow a male protagonist around. I can’t stand that stuff. As a woman, I’m not putting myself through that. Another big plus: there's barely fanservice.

Instead, the anime shines with well-developed characters, a good balance of action and quieter moments, and a story with twists. There were plenty of workplace scenes, but also a fair bit of romance. Throw in some action sequences now and then, and you’ve got a well-balanced mix. I also really loved the character designs. If I have to criticize something, it’s that the protagonist is completely overpowered from the start. It’s just so cliché. The story is not finished yet, and I'm hoping for a continuation.

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ZENSHU

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

Zenshu is an original anime by MAPPA, and my expectations were pretty high going in. Were they met? Yes — although the anime turned out to be a bit different from what I had initially expected.

Once again, MAPPA showcased its strengths in this anime. Fast-paced action is definitely one of their fortes. I also really enjoyed all the references to other anime. There were even a few guest appearances! In of animation and soundtrack, the anime was truly top-notch.

When it comes to the story and characters, it was good as well, though there was still some room for improvement in certain areas. Though, whenever I felt the story was starting to get a bit repetitive, the anime surprised me with new twists and turns. Especially in the final episodes, the plot really picked up speed and almost spiraled out of control — you just sit there wondering how things escalated so quickly.

Whether the anime wanted to be an isekai, action, or romance anime is still unclear to me even at the end. Maybe it’s just a wild mix of all that, blended with a pinch of otakuness. Is that even a word? Well, I really enjoyed this anime and had a lot of fun watching it. I can definitely recommend it.

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Momentary Lily

:hearts:

A post-apocalyptic anime with an all-female cast. So either men never existed in this world, or they were all wiped out. That question really bugs me. The anime just completely ignores the male gender. So, is it a Cute Girls Doing Cute Things anime? Ehh, not really. There’s plenty of action, and there’s always something happening on screen — sensory overload non-stop.

You either love or hate GoHands' style. Personally, I kind of like it. But the anime has much bigger problems, and story is at the top of the list. It starts off pretty wild, with episode two being especially strong. But then, for about half the season, the story just drags — it barely moves forward. Towards the end, they try to explain the crazy stuff with even crazier stuff, and it just feels forced and weak. I ended up with more questions than answers.

The characters also felt weak and unconvincing. That second episode really gave me hope for a good anime, but the rest just couldn’t live up to my expectations. Momentary Lily is one you can safely skip — unless you’re into completely insane and over-the-top anime. And I don’t mean that in a good way.

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Übel Blatt

:hearts:

Übel Blatt was the most disappointing anime of the season for me. That probably also has a lot to do with my expectations as a fan of the manga. I'm a huge dark fantasy lover, and I devoured the manga back in the day. It's a revenge story set in a dark fantasy world full of brutality and sexuality. But in the anime, they completely cut out all the sexually suggestive scenes. That made the characters feel very different compared to the manga. They did keep the bloody scenes, but they were animated so poorly that it was just sad. The action scenes were badly animated too.

Do yourself a favor and don’t watch the anime. Read the manga instead — it’s genuinely good and beautifully detailed. Unlike the anime, the story in the manga is easier to follow. In the anime, everything was put together so poorly. For example, the manga starts with volume 0, but the anime begins at volume 1. The earlier events are important and are referenced in the anime, but never actually shown or explained. That can only lead to confusion for viewers.

So yeah, no recommendation from me for the anime — it was nothing but a disappointment. But don’t let that stop you from checking out the manga! That one gets a clear reading recommendation.

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BEASTARS FINAL SEASON

Part 1

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

It may be called Beastars Final Season, but so far, it hasn’t really felt all that final. After all, Netflix split the season into two parts and gave us the first half back in December last year. I can hardly believe it’s already been six years since the first season of Beastars came out. Netflix released the latest season super early in the winter season, with a release date at the beginning of December. Unlike traditional TV anime, they also dropped all the episodes at once. Not that I’m complaining — at least I was spared any cliffhangers.

So, it’s already been a while since I watched the anime, so my impression of it isn’t all that fresh anymore. All in all, I really enjoyed the new episodes. Seeing Legoshi struggle with his instincts gave his character even more depth. In my opinion, Legoshi is one of the best-written anime characters out there. His development throughout the series is just great.

I was also really happy that we finally got to learn more about his family and background. And wow, that really surprised me! On the other hand, it fits him perfectly — this constant inner conflict, this feeling of not truly belonging anywhere, being exposed to the prejudices of others. That’s what defines him.

I think you can probably tell, that I’m really satisfied with how the anime is developing. I'm already looking forward to the final part of the final season!

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Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 2

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

Hanako-kun is a true comfort anime for me. You can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. There’s no overly complicated plot to follow since the anime is clearly divided into different mysteries. The bit of action it has is also easy to follow. Despite that, the anime is always entertaining.

I think the characters are really well-written. Each one is unique and clearly distinct in both personality and design. I also really enjoy the humor—it always manages to make me smile. At the same time, the anime tackles darker themes, especially death. You can definitely feel that, but the show handles the topic gracefully without making it too heavy.

I’m absolutely in love with the anime’s art style. The characters and world just look amazing! I had been reading the manga for a while in the past, but I stopped when the anime was announced because I wanted to experience the story in animated form. I just didn’t expect to have to wait this long for the second season!

I had read up to about where this season’s final episode ended, so from the next episodes onward, I have no idea what’s going to happen. I’m really excited! At least this time, I only have to wait until July for the continuation.

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Blue Exorcist -The Blue Night Saga-

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

I think the Blue Night Saga has been the best arc of Blue Exorcist so far. While the familiar characters didn’t get much screen time, that didn’t matter at all. Instead, Rin got some solid character development. Shiemi has also become more interesting, though I think her big moment will come in the next arc.

The plot itself didn’t actually move forward that much, but we finally learned more about the birth of the Okumura siblings. We also got to witness the tragic story of their mother and adoptive father. And of course, we can’t forget about Satan. After this arc, I despise that guy even more.

This backstory was long overdue and incredibly satisfying, even though it was heartbreaking. It explained so much and was so well told. The story was just moving, gripping, and so sad. I’m really looking forward to seeing where things go from here!

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The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

The second season of The Apothecary Diaries is only halfway through, and we still have another cour to enjoy Maomao’s deductions and the ongoing intrigue at the imperial palace. Schemes and mysterious incidents will surely continue to be part of everyday life there. I’m especially curious to see how the relationship between Jinshi and Maomao will develop. Will she uncover his secret? Or will he eventually tell her himself? The episodes so far have made it quite clear that Maomao means a lot to him, and Jinshi actually doesn’t want to keep anything from her. Well, Maomao has other plans and just plays ignorant. But honestly, I think she knows. After all, she seems to be the smartest girl in the Imperial Palace.

I’m pretending to be clueless here — but truth is, I already know how things will unfold. I loved the first season so much that I continued the story in the manga. My favorite scene has already been animated. I think you know exactly which moment I'm talking about. I'll just say one word: frog :frog:

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the episodes and am glad that the anime is running for two cours.

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Solo Leveling Season 2

-Arise from the Shadow-

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

Back when I first read the manhwa, did I ever think it would get such an insanely amazing anime adaptation? Not even in my wildest dreams! Solo Leveling has always been and will always be my favorite manhwa, and the anime absolutely does it justice. Just incredible! It’s so much fun seeing my favorite characters and moments fully animated. Just so good!

And finally, Beru has ed the gang! Definitely my favorite shadow. And that fight against Beru? Just wow. A-1 Pictures really outdid themselves—they even managed to improve on the manhwa in some ways! They changed a few things in the adaptation, and honestly, for the better. I absolutely love the Solo Leveling anime and can’t wait for the next season.

But seriously… who else is sick of seeing Jin-Woo’s feet? Those cliffhangers! They were almost worse than the ones in the manhwa (and those were already brutal).

Anyway, if you think Jin-Woo has already reached his peak and there are no serious opponents left—think again. The story is just getting started. So get ready for the next season!

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And that’s a wrap on the winter anime season! Overall, it was a mixed bag — some absolute hits, a few disappointments, and a couple of surprises along the way. The standout for me was definitely Solo Leveling Season 2, with the anime version completely exceeding my expectations. Blue Exorcist and The Apothecary Diaries also delivered some of the best storytelling this season. On the flip side, Übel Blatt was a massive letdown, and Momentary Lily just didn’t work for me.

With spring on the horizon, I’m already looking forward to what’s next. New anime, fresh stories, and (hopefully) more great surprises. What were your favorites from the winter season? Let me know!