Hinomaru Sumo
I've been dabbling in a modern martial art that might be described as a re-imagined Japanese martial art. It started out as a re-imagined Aikido, with all Aikido movements distilled into five "great themes", but quickly evolved to incorporate influences from Judo and Sumo, so that the practitioner would, in theory, be comfortable with body-to-body grappling. Aikido is typically practiced with one's partner kept about arm's length away, but in real situations, an opponent is likely to come into closer range than that. Anyway, I've enjoyed a few sports anime, but the emphasis on sumo was a new one to me. As is typical of sports anime - Chihayafuru being an obvious exception - female characters are kind of just decoration, but at least they're not subjected to fanservice. The characters in general are a fun bunch. So far, it's one of the better sports anime I've seen, with a better than average pace.
Ms Koizumi Loves Ramen
It's just like the the title says - about a girl so obsessed with ramen and antisocial that I wondered at times if she was autistic. I'm kind of a sucker for foodie anime, so it was easy to dismiss the lack of character development, and the girl who has a mad crush on Koizumi-san provides comic relief. My only complaint really is the one bit of fanservice in which Koizumi-san appears in a bikini for no apparent reason. Favorite scene: Koizumi-san tries Muku Zweite Ramen, as Kraftwerk-style music kicks in. The scene appears around 17 min:
Apparently, Muku Ramen might no longer be available at the ramen museum, but this article supposedly has the recipe.
Violet Evergarden
This might be the closest thing I saw this year to a true shoujo/josei anime, although it doesn't have the obvious tells like flowers appearing in the background for humorous effect, though comedy is decidedly not the focus of this show. The titular character is a former child super-soldier who has been led into a new career as an "Auto Memory Doll". Her new job is to type letters for clients, but unlike the old-school secretaries, "Dolls" are typically expected to assist in composing the letters, in accordance with the client's requirements, not just type what a client is saying word-for-word. This sets up some scenes that are intended to move the audience, but the emotional connection isn't consistent. That said, the episodes involving a child do tug at the heartstrings quite effectively. The world setting resembles Victorian age Europe, but it's clearly not set in the past of our world. This might very well be the most beautifully drawn, colored, and animated show this year, except perhaps compared to Iroduku, which is equally stunning visually, but doesn't quite make my favorites list.
Laid Back Camp (aka "Yuru Camp")
This is what I believe anime fans would call textbook "moe" anime - aka Cute Girls Do Cute Stuff (for a male demographic), for better or worse. But it's "moe"-ness is not an issue here, because our gals love cold-weather camping, and cooking mouth-watering dishes to enjoy at their campsites. I had to look up the voice actress for Rin to make sure she wasn't the same one who played Koizumi-san (above). Rin, however, is not a borderline Asperger's sufferer or anything like that - she's depicted as a mentally healthy girl who just happens to enjoy solo camping, and none of her friends make a big deal about it. This quickly became my favorite show to watch before going to bed at night, because it's so relaxing and peaceful. I absolutely love how the show ends too. The music is quite wonderful as well.
A Place Further Than The Universe (aka "Yorimoi")
Yorimoi is not only the best anime I saw this year, it's one of the best anime I've seen in my lifetime. The premise sounds simple: Four teenage girls go to Antarctica. But just a look at the four reveals this anime is something different - each girl has a distinct face, unlike a lot of anime where everybody pretty much has the same face and is only differentiated by hairstyle and/or hair color. A quick Google search will turn up tons of reviews, blog posts, etc. about Yorimoi, and some lively discussion of which of the four protagonists is the "best girl". Some favorite articles:
Japan: Yorimoi vs. Real Life
Singapore: Yorimoi vs. Real Life
AnimeFeminist Winter 2018 Recommendations (includes Yorimoi)
NY Times: Best 2018 TV Shows
A moving video love letter - but it does show some spoilers:
So there's not much I can add that hasn't already been said. The NY Times comment is spot on: it’s an absolutely authentic depiction of how friendship can overcome adolescent anxiety and grief. The show Violet Evergarden also explored grief, but I haven't seen an anime cover it as effectively as Yorimoi and the equally classic Maison Ikkoku.
Why is has Yorimoi left such an indelible impression on me? For one thing, it caught me at a point in my life where I'm mulling next steps - whether I should move to take on a new job, or stay in town; should I change my career, etc. The desire to make a change in one's life, maybe even make a bold move is a big thing in Yorimoi. If I do move to another place, the friendships I have would inevitably be affected, so Yorimoi's depiction of friendship, and the nature of friendship also connected with me. The scenes of kids being, well, kids, was also quite enjoyable as well, as I was reminded at times of the goofy parts of my own childhood. Before you can cry with a character or four, you need to be able to laugh with them first and this is a show that has the perfect balance between comedy and drama. On top of all that are occasional displays of Studio Madhouse's stunning virtuosity as animators.
I wrote about some of the music here, which includes clips from the show that might give some impression of what the characters are like. While there is some strategically placed monologue and no shortage of dialogue, the characters also say a lot without uttering a single word, through their facial expressions, glances, gestures, etc. Oh, and Crunchyroll put up Episode 1 in its entirety for free on Youtube:
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