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  "description": "A look back at the best anime from the Winter 2026 season.",
  "path": "/winter-2026-anime-retrospective/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-02T21:36:48.000Z",
  "site": "https://mnchrm.co",
  "tags": [
    "the last time I did one of these",
    "my profile on MyAnimeList",
    "I've got a guide for that!",
    "Ikoku Nikki",
    "already written a bit about this series",
    "Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu.",
    "membership",
    "Retro",
    "Yuusha-kei ni Shosu: Choubatsu Yuusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku",
    "Sousou no Frieren 2nd Season",
    "Frieren",
    "Fate/strange Fake",
    "golden-age banger lofi hip hop track",
    "Eris no Seihai",
    "read The Prince",
    "Seihantai na Kimi to Boku",
    "Vigilante: Boku Hero Academia Illegals 2nd Season",
    "Buy me a coffee"
  ],
  "textContent": "In Tokyo, the sakura are in full bloom and the weather has turned; a sure sign that Spring has come. Winter is coming to an end, and with that, so is the Winter 2026 anime season, so I thought I’d do another roundup on the seasonal anime I watched this quarter. While watching anime live has a lower “hit rate” than sticking to watching only time-tested classics, I find it fun to engage with series’ over a span rather than all at once; spending the time between episodes thinking about them and reading others thoughts on them, and anticipating the next one.\n\nLike the last time I did one of these, I’m separating this list into three sections—**Must Watch** , **Recommended** , and “**If it Calls to You**.” These are ranked to the best of my ability from what I liked the most to what I was least compelled by. Additionally, this isn’t a 100% comprehensive list; it’s only the series I watched, that I had something to say about. If you want to see my full list, check out my profile on MyAnimeList for more—I keep it extremely up to date.\n\nWant to get started watching seasonal anime but don't know where to start? I've got a guide for that! Now on with the show:\n\n* * *\n\n## Must Watch\n\n### Ikoku Nikki\n\nIkoku Nikki is a beautiful and touching meditation on grief and the way it manifests in us. After Asa loses both of her parents in a freak accident, she’s taken in by her aunt, the eccentric (especially by Japanese standards) novelist Makio. The two have to learn how to coexist in Makio's small condo, and move forward in their own ways after the devastating loss, while dealing with the difficulties that come with the lives of a high school student and single adult. I've already written a bit about this series, which probably speaks to the amount it resonated with me.\n\nWhile there are plenty of stories that talk about loss and grief, what makes _Ikoku Nikki_ such a good watch is both the respect it has for its characters and audience, and the nuance with which it approaches such a tough subject. Despite being a child, Asa is not plunged into an immediate deep depression; in fact, it takes time for her to even allow herself to feel their loss. After a few episodes, it’s revealed that Asa has been sleeping irregularly adding another wrinkle to her life, and the viewer is shown her outbursts of frustration. The loss puts a strain on her relationships, but with the encouragement from Makio, gives her a bit more space to decide once more what kind of person she wants to be rather than simply the one her parents expected of her. Makio also has to square her relationship with her niece against the one she had with her sister, which was quite complicated, providing more care and support for Asa than true motherly love.\n\nIt’s refreshing to see a series that is willing to show both good and bad sides of all its principal characters, and tackle a tragic and shocking loss with such depth and care. I look forward to reading the source for _Ikoku Nikki_ , and can wholly recommend it to anyone.\n\n### Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu.\n\nShibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu. is a strange premise to say the least. It follows Yuki, a girl with snow-white hair who voluntarily participates in “death games.” The rules of these vary, but they seem to be televised games similar to escape rooms or video game levels; where the prize is riches and fame, and the stakes are life and death. With such a grim plot, I expected to bounce off of the first episode, but found myself dragged in, rapt by the nearly hour-long premiere episode (which is a difficult watch but fascinating).\n\nGenerally, I don’t have a good stomach for excessive violence and suffering, and while there are parts of _Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu._ that made me cringe, nothing crossed over the line for me. The first episode is particularly trying as it establishes the world and the stakes, but I don’t feel it revels in it the same way a lesser show would; the interest here is not in the extremely distressing scenarios the characters have to confront, but how they deal with them, emotionally and mentally. Still, if you’re squeamish, might be a good one to sit out.\n\nThe show is fascinating to the end, though it never reaches the high point of the first episode, which is practically self-contained. The series sets up a few interesting questions it never resolves, and somehow makes a minimal production into a strength, with the season's most interesting filmmaking decisions around the series’ framing, cuts, sound, and art. This is definitely a YMMV series, but it managed to keep me guessing through the end.\n\n* * *\n\n_If you enjoyed this issue, consider joining my_ membership_program, The Order of the Black Lotus. For the price of a cup of coffee in Tokyo ($3/month or $30/year), you not only support my writing and photography, but I’ll send you a**handwritten, one-of-one postcard from me in Tokyo** —a tangible piece of my journey, just for you. You’ll also get access to all **exclusive posts** , and an invitation to **my private photography feed on**_ Retro_._\n\nJOIN THE ORDER OF THE BLACK LOTUS\n\n _Joining is the most meaningful way to ensure this work continues, and I thank you for your support!_\n\n* * *\n\n## Recommended\n\n### Yuusha-kei ni Shosu: Choubatsu Yuusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku\n\nFor my money, Yuusha-kei ni Shosu: Choubatsu Yuusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku is the winner of this season’s fantasy / action series (which may come as a surprise when it’s up against Frieren, but more on that in a bit).\n\nLike _Shibou Yuugi_ , _Yuusha-kei_ has a strong first episode, establishing a world that’s a lot more interesting that a stock-standard fantasy. Humans fight against the demon blight, creatures that look like mutated and fungus-infected animals, lead by “demon lords,” the creatures who rise above the rest. Leading the fight are of course heroes; but rather than the world’s finest adventurers, these heroes are the lowest of the low: criminal sentenced to eternal war instead of death. These heroes often pair with goddesses, mysterious beings who bestow great powers on their “knights.” Further, the heroes can be killed, but if they are, they’re simply resurrected to continue the fight after experiencing the pain of death, losing a piece of their consciousness in the process.\n\nProtagonist Xylo is one of the strongest and most principled of the heroes, but he’s been accused of the worst crime possible: killing the goddess whom he swore to protect. After accidentally joining with a new goddess, Teoritta, he continues the fight alongside a motley cast of characters, as well as some other factions such as the omnipotent temple or the respected military. The show also hints at a number of interesting complications, such as a group who hopes to coexist with the demon blight, and conspiracies abound in all the series’ factions.\n\nThe lack of many solid answers (though a second season has been announced) holds _Yuusha-kei_ back, but it’s most let down by its characters. Each are simply too one-noted to be that engaging: from Xylo’s gruff reservation he approaches everyone with to military commander Kivia’s tough shell, no one really shows the depth that pulls you in. Still, even with these flaws, it’s a series that’s trying something, and mostly succeeds.\n\n### Sousou no Frieren 2nd Season\n\nFrieren is such a darling of a series right now, it hardly needs any introduction. But if you’ve been living under a rock, it follows Frieren, the eponymous elf mage who was part of the hero’s party that defeated the demon lord and brought peace to the land. In the years following the hero’s death of old age, she once again journeys across the continent with Fern and Stark, two students of her former party, as they head toward Aureole, the place where souls come to rest.\n\n_Frieren_ has a slightly unconventional plot, following a few characters in a fantasy world _after_ the defeat of the main villain, and a good balance of action, comedy, and touching elements; all on top of world-class art and production.\n\nYet for all the hype and genuinely interesting elements, I find a lot of _Frieren_ quite stale. I love slice of life, so you’d think the fantasy / adventure-filled version of slice of life _Frieren_ offers would be right up my alley, but nearly every arc follows the same structure: Frieren and co. are heading North, but they run out of money or are tasked with some quest, which usually involves fighting monsters and something left behind from the hero’s party Frieren was part of, in exchange for a magical grimoire that contains a “useless” spell (like the ability to perfectly flip a pancake, or to say a tongue twister without getting tongue-tied).\n\nEven the action sequences are largely uninteresting. Frieren is an expert mage, one of the best in the world, and her hobby is collecting magic; but magic in this world is largely “solved”—almost every fight is resolved by using the single “death ray” spell. Fern and Stark learn some lesson about themselves and their own abilities, and Frieren reflects fondly on the journey she had with her comrades all those years ago. It gets a little tired after a while.\n\nIt doesn’t deserve the hype it’s getting—I bought the first volume of the manga at a conbini to see if there was something I was missing—but _Frieren_ is still a cut above a lot of anime. The art and production is truly excellent, there is a good balance of tones, and the series is at its best quite thoughtful. I like the characters even if they hit the same beats again and again. I found the first season a lot more interesting, and the next arc looks promising, so maybe this season was just a bump in the road.\n\n## If It Calls to You\n\n### Fate/strange Fake\n\nUnfortunately, this goes hard. Sorry. While watching, I can just imagine all the fights set to some golden-age banger lofi hip hop track.\n\nI don’t know all that much about Fate, but I’ve been kind of hovering around it for a few years now (especially with my love of _Melty Blood_ ; might be time to jump in and play the damn VN). So far, I’ve really only interacted with _Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan_ , which is a delight. This seemed interesting, so I thought I’d give it a go.\n\nThe series concerns Holy Grail Wars, where mages summon heroes from human history—characters such as Gilgamesh from the _Epic of Gilgamesh_ to King Arthur—to fight for control of the Holy Grail, which can grant a wish to the winning mage. These wars are mediated by priests and gods, and have their own sets of rules beyond simply survive.\n\nFate/strange Fake offers a slight mix on this scenario, taking place in a fictional American city called Snowfield (Vegas?) where mages / the government (maybe?) have somehow set up a “fake” Holy Grail War; but the details are admittedly fuzzy to me. I’m guessing it makes more sense if you’re familiar with the series.\n\nBut what _Fate/strange Fake_ lacks in coherence, it makes up for in sick-as-hellness. Like a couple of other series on this list, it starts strong with a banger first episode, and largely answers its promise, so long as what you’re expecting are rad fights.\n\nI enjoyed watching Assassin, who zips around and just wrecks havoc, especially in the first couple of episodes. Also, it has my girl, Uchida Maaya in it. Great show. Might become a Fate guy now, who knows.\n\n### Eris no Seihai\n\nEris no Seihai is a political thriller with a twist. After the execution of Scarlett Castiel some years earlier, the too-earnest-for-her-own-good Constance Grail finds herself at the center of political intrigue and scheming; with the ghost of Scarlett by her side to help avenger Scarlett's wrongful execution, and figure out what’s really going on.\n\nI love this kind of political intrigue / scheming (plots like it are what encouraged me to read The Prince earlier this year), and _Eris no Seihai_ starts strong but ends a bit flat. It does a good job setting the stakes, building tension, and establishing relationships, but in the last quarter of the series once the depth of the plot is revealed, everything starts to sputter. It doesn’t completely blow the landing, but it doesn’t live up to its own high bar, and starts to lean more and more into deus ex machina solutions rather than cunning.\n\nI still found it to be an enjoyable watch, and there are a few interesting ideas on play even amongst the niche, but _Eris no Seihai_ ’s pleasure is best experienced elsewhere.\n\n### Seihantai na Kimi to Boku\n\nSeihantai na Kimi to Boku is a fairly standard rom-com, where the bubbly and outgoing Suzuki falls for the quiet and reserved Tani. The two end up getting together right away, so the drama here is not a slow burn, but rather just a exploration on the development of their relationship together with their friends.\n\nI usually like these sort of light romances, but _Seihantai na Kimi to Boku_ didn’t do it for me. The problem starts with the characters. Both are largely what you expect, with Suzuki being high-energy but occasionally awkward, and Tani being reserved to the point of almost disappearing into the background. But _Seihantai na Kimi to Boku_ fails to answer one of the most basic questions it asks, which is “why Tani?” in the first place. He speaks his mind (saying he doesn't want to participate) and is quietly confident (prefers to be alone)? Suzuki is not the most popular girl in school, but she’s outgoing and has friends. Tani sits next to her, but he’s not like some loser or loner, he’s not a nerd whom she happens to fall for. He’s just a guy, who before going out with Suzuki, doesn’t want to bother to associate with anyone.\n\nBecause of this, and the lack of development in their relationship, I found myself much more interested in the side characters, like Suzuki and Tani’s outgoing classmate Yamada, who’s fallen for a quiet girl in the class next door (sounds familiar…) and Azuma and Taira, two characters who knew each other in middle school and have their own hangups they attempt to work through. While there’s not nothing on offer here, I don’t think I’ll be coming back for more. _Ao no Hako_ this is not.\n\n### Vigilante: Boku Hero Academia Illegals 2nd Season\n\nYou are not going to make me care about “Captain Celebrity,” dude. You’re just not.\n\n* * *\n\n## Subscribe to Refrakt\n\nA bi-weekly newsletter on curiosity, creativity, and (hopefully!) insight, through the lens of photography, writing, study, art and beauty, and my life.\n\nSubscribe\n\nEmail sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.\n\nJoin 150+ members on the path.\n\nBuy me a coffee",
  "title": "Winter 2026 Anime Retrospective",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-02T21:36:49.341Z"
}