T5W#487-Top 5 Anime Set During the Holidays

The Holiday Season is upon us once more (and I’ve already lost Whamageddon thanks to my stupid work radio).  While we’re all out buying gifts for family and friends and prepping the house with decorations, for Anime fans this is definitely a time to relax, keep warm and catch up on a show or two with lots of Anime binging.  And while that’s an all fine and good marathon option, there’s also those Anime with a ton of holiday cheer (or at least a ton of snow).  So to kick off the month of gifts, hugs and cookies, here are my picks for the Top 5 Anime Set During the Holidays.

KonoSuba: God’s Blessings On This Wonderful World Part 2 Episodes 4-6

Kazuma’s dream of being a heroic Adventurer isn’t going as well as planned.  He’s got a party assembled but it’s the most ineffective bunch of beautiful idiots ever assembled.  And just when things can’t get any worse, Megumin goes and accidentally picks a fight with one of the Devil King’s Generals…who’s none to pleased his castle is being used for target practice by the “Explosion Maniac”.  Kazuma’s crew might still be new and inexperienced.  But this is their mess and one way or another, they’ll have to clean it up.

So I have a small confession to make: I’m absolutely loving this series.  The comedy is top notch, the cast is a blast and every new episode is a breath of fresh air for me.  That said, it is hard as heck to take notes when I’m having this much fun and it makes me wonder if I can really give this show a proper review when basically I could probably sum up every review with what you just read.  But no, I am committed and I shall continue chronicling these reviews like completing a quest (just not getting paid for it).  Anyway, if last weeks intro episodes set the bar for KonoSuba, this weeks sophomore outing needed to prove it wasn’t a fluke.  Quest Complete: It wasn’t a fluke.
 

FIF#221-Dragon Ball Daima

Goku’s defeat of Majin Buu has sent shockwaves across all worlds.  In the Demon World, King Gomah succeeds King Dabura, learns of the powerful warriors of Earth and seeks to prevent them from foiling his future plans.  Using Earth’s Dragon Balls, he turns Goku and his allies into children, hoping it will lessen their fighting strength.  But Gomah has no idea who he has just messed with and soon Goku is on a new journey into the Demon World to undo this spell, bringing along old friends and encountering new possible allies in the process.

 
Almost 30 years after Dragon Ball Z first dropped in the US, the franchise continues to be one of the most beloved and fiscally reliable Anime in the world.  Dragon Ball Super’s successful run and it’s two subsequent feature films just reinforce that little fact.  But for anyone who thought Super ended too soon, new Dragon Ball has arrived, the very last we’ll sadly see written by Akira Toriyama before his passing earlier this year.  And it looks like Toriyama’s final tale to tell might be a bit of a redemption for another failed Dragon Ball venture that never involved him.  That said, are we really ready for Chibi Dragon Ball that’s actually cannon?
 

T5W#486-Top 5 Thoughts on the Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuX Announcement

Hold onto your Char Masks ladies and gents, we have legit fresh new Gundam news. And not just any news: we’ve got a brand new Mobile Suit Gundam TV Series on the way for debut sometime in 2025.  And it looks…interesting.  A brand new unorthodox design. A new female lead.  Plus a union of two Anime powerhouses behind two of the greatest Mecha Anime franchises of all time?  Let’s not waste any more time on this one and get into my Top 5 Thoughts on the Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuX Announcement.

 

KonoSuba: God’s Blessings On This Wonderful World Part 1 Episodes 1-3

After dying an embarrassingly pointless death, Kazuma Satou receives an offer from a Goddess: pass on to the after life or be reborn in a Fantasy world under siege by the monstrous Devil King.  Eager to live a real life JRPG, Kazama accepts the latter.  But the life of a hero isnt all its cracked up to be, especially when Kazama’s party consists of a ditzy Goddess, a Mage who loves Explosions and a Crusader who gets turned on by damage and danger.  And this is the quartet that’s supposed to take on the Demon King?  This world might be in more trouble than it realizes.

KonoSuba is a title that’s been popping up here and there for me over the years.  When people talk about the Issekai genre, it’s actually a contender for Sword Art Online’s coveted throne and I’ve seen characters like Megumin and Aqua cosplayed at a lot of conventions.  I got a chance to see an episode back during Katsucon 2024 and while my plan was to do a First Impression, as soon as I watched the first two episodes, I knew this had to get onto my review queue ASAP for 2024.  Low and behold, we’ve come to it at last, the perfect feel good Anime for the Christmas Holiday.  If it seems like I’m singing praises a bit early, it’s because I’ll admit I am.  For a guy who frowns at Issekai Anime (though there are plenty that I like), KonoSuba appears to be an instant winner and we’ll be spending all of December going through the first two seasons and the Legend of the Crimson Movie.  For now, let’s start with Season One’s extremely promising opening.