Five Must-Watch Anime For Winter 2018

Now that the winter 2018 anime season has reached its conclusion, it’s finally time for all you binge watchers out there to dive in. But out of the 50+ new anime that started last season, which should you watch? Here are five that you shouldn’t miss out on.

Image source: TVアニメ 「恋は雨上がりのように」公式 on Twitter

After the Rain (Koi wa Ameagari no You ni)

12 Episodes

Studio: Wit Studio

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Non-spoiler Plot Summary: After an leg injury, high school track star Akira finds herself lost in life. At her lowest point she wanders through the rain, ending up at a chain restaurant. There, she is cheered up by Kondou–a balding, middle-aged, and largely incompetent manager. And for her, it is love at first sight. Soon, she gets a job at the very same restaurant, hoping that somehow she can become his girlfriend. Unfortunately for her, he’s pretty sure she hates him.

Why You Should Watch It: While there are more than a few comedic elements in this age gap love story, at its core, it is the story of two people who rediscover the joy in life through each other. For Akira, it’s the tale of how she attempts to move on from the thing that defined her life by finding passion in places she never knew existed. For Kondou, it’s about his rediscovering his youthful passion–and coming to terms with what that passion cost him.

And let’s face it, despite the age gap, the two are one cute couple.

Watch It If You Like: Sweetness and Lightning, Koi Kaze

Where You Can Watch It: Amazon Prime Video

Image source: ダーリン・イン・ザ・フランキス on Twitter

Darling in the FranXX

24 Episodes (Currently at  Episode 13)

Studio: Trigger

Genre: Mecha, Coming-of-age, Romance

Non-spoiler Plot Summary: In the far future, a group of boy/girl pairs pilot mecha to protect a domed, moving city from the monsters that roam across the Earth’s massive wastelands. Unfortunately for young Hiro, circumstances have left him without a partner—until the day he meets the mysterious horned pilot, Zero-Two. Hiro finds he wants nothing more than to pilot with her but there is one problem—no one has managed to co-pilot with Zero-Two more than three times before dying.

Why You Should Watch It: While a mecha anime by Studio Trigger, Darling in the FranXX shares more with coming-of-age drama Kiznaiver than with the giant robot battles Gurren Lagann. The story is basically about a group of kids dealing with puberty, first love, and all the drama that comes from such an environment. And it being Trigger, it goes all in with metaphors. The pairs are referred to as “pistol” and “stamen.” Inside the cockpit, the women become the mecha while the men literally ride them–controlling the mecha via handlebars connected to the girl’s butts. It’s over-the-top to the perfect degree: allowing the anime to switch between light-hearted comedy and interpersonal drama at need.

Watch It If You Like: Gurren Lagann, Kiznaiver, Kill la Kill

Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, Funimation (dub), Aniplus (Asia)

Image source: オーバーロード／TVアニメ公式 on Twitter

Overlord II

13 Episodes (Complete)

Studio: Madhouse

Genre: Fantasy

Non-spoiler Plot Summary: When a once popular MMORPGs closes down for good, the last player online becomes one with his character: the evil undead king known as Ainz Ooal Gown. Now trapped in a living, breathing fantasy world, where all his guild’s evil NPCs have come to life, Ainz has no choice but to play the role of the Evil Overlord and take over this mysterious world.

Why You Should Watch It: The first half of the second season is focused on Ainz’s conquest of the lizardmen. However, what sets this apart from similar stories is that the it’s told almost entirely from the POV of the soon to be conquered. Instead of simply rooting for our “hero,” the story does everything in its power to make the lizardmen sympathetic and heroic even as they face an enemy with powers they can’t begin to understand.

The second half, on the other hand, is built around exploring a single question: Can the former NPC characters naturally change and evolve—and if so, what does that mean for their supposed eternal loyalty to Ainz?

Watch It If You Like: Overlord, Log Horizon, .hack//sign, Sword Art Online

Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, Funimation (dub), AnimeLab (AU/NZ)

Image source: TVアニメ「グランクレスト戦記」公式 on Twitter

Record of Grancrest War

24 Episodes (Currently at Episode 13)

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Genre: High Fantasy

Non-spoiler Plot Summary: On the continent of Atlatan, demons from another dimension are invading. Standing against them are knights armed with superpower-granting crests and the mages who support them. Yet, instead of uniting against this threat, the war has entered a stalemate as the crest-wielding lords fighting amongst themselves to gain territory–along with the crests of their defeated foes. Enter Theo, a young wandering knight, and Siluca, the world’s most talented young mage. Together, they set out to do the impossible: unite the continent and expel the invaders once and for all.

Why You Should Watch It: From the creator of classic 90s anime Record of Lodoss War, Record of Grancrest War is for all those looking for a grand, sprawling, epic fantasy. Kingdoms rise and fall, wars rage, corruption amongst the powerful is commonplace–and that’s not even mentioning the demons, witches, and vampires out there seaking to take advantage of the situation.

But what’s really great about the series is that just because our lead duo are the heroes of the story, that doesn’t mean they are destined for an easy win. The pair face setback after dramatic setback, yet the series still maintains an air of hope because the two continue to move forward together–never giving up on their shared ideals.  

Watch It If You Like: Record of Lodoss War, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Dungeons and Dragons

Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, Hulu, AnimeLab (AU/NZ), Wakanim (France), Aniplus (Asia)

Image source: 「ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン」公式 on Twitter

Violet Evergarden

13 Episodes (Complete)

Studio: Kyoto Animation

Genre: Slice-of-Life, Steampunk

Non-spoiler Plot Summary: Violet, an emotionless and devastatingly effective child soldier, finds herself a double amputee when the Great War comes to a close. Equipped with new automail arms she begins to work at a private post office as an Auto Memory Doll–a woman tasked with not only putting people’s words to paper but also conveying the deeper meaning beneath. Through this job, she hopes to understand the meaning of the last words she heard from her commanding officer: “I love you.”

Why You Should Watch It: From the start, Violet is a broken character, completely unsuited for life outside of the battlefield. While human, she is undoubtedly a killing machine. All she wants are orders from her superior and, without them, she is unsure how to exist. Yet, through her (mis)adventures that come from writing letters for others, she starts to understand the human heart, and with it, the wants and needs of her own soul.

Watch It If You Like: Plastic Memories, Death Parade, Fullmetal Alchemist

Where You Can Watch It: Netflix

Top Image Source: 「ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン」公式