Winter 2026 Anime I've Been Watching
So I'm sure the three people who have been reading this blog are wondering why I broke my streak of posting my list of anime I'll be watching in a specific season. The reason for that is that when I started writing that post for the Winter 2026 season, I realized that doing so had become not that fun for me. I didn't really have strong reasons for watching a lot of the anime I chose to watch, and the lists would become kind of obsolete, anyway, when I'd end up watching at least one more anime than what I'd list. (There are also some rare occasions where I'd end up not watching certain anime until later on due to certain circumstances. Looking at you, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity.) Thus, I concluded that it might be better for me to wait until everything I planned to watch started airing and gave my first impressions on each of them (or at least what I think of the new season so far, if it's a new season of an already-aired anime); that way, I could have more unique things to say about each series and give a more accurate list of what I've actually been watching. Hopefully, this strategy works well!
First and foremost, though, there are three anime that were airing last season that I've been continuing to watch this winter. This is probably the only time I'll be listing anime that continued from the previous season; after all, you can't really give first impressions of anime that have already been airing for a while! Just gonna warn you now, though, that I might be spoiling these three. Okay, here we go!
Continuing Anime #1: To Your Eternity Season 3
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Well, I was certainly right; changing the setting to the modern day sure has made To Your Eternity feel like a fresher story than what it was starting to become in season 2. It's too bad not everyone was able to be brought back, though; I want to see Parona again, gosh darn it! The whole thing going on with the Nokkers has been pretty interesting, too, and while I wouldn't say I like Mizuha as a character, she's definitely a pivotal part of this arc who I believe will have gone through a lot of character growth as this season comes closer to its conclusion. Here's hoping!
Continuing Anime #2: Ganso! Bandori-chan
I don't really have a lot to say about this one. I mean, it's cute enough and serves its purpose, but....man, Garupa Pico was a lot funnier. I miss Garupa Pico, Tails. I miss it a lot.
Continuing Anime #3: Princess-Session Orchestra
The release of the subtitles has continued to be slow and inconsistent (not that that's a problem; I don't want to bombard the WakuTomete folks with subtitling work), but fortunately, I haven't had to put this on-hold yet. The story has been going in some interesting directions, too; I didn't think a character like Sumire, who one would have thought she was one of those characters who was only really important for only one episode, would have such a major role in the second half of the series, first as a villain and then as one of the princesses! I still can't say this is anything special, but I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how the princesses' journey ends!
And now, onto the new stuff!
This new season of Oshi no Ko has gotten off to a pretty good start, with Ruby showing how calculating she can be after what she discovered at the end of season 2. The question, however, is if the series can remain as interesting as it is as it comes closer and closer to the manga's infamous ending. No matter how it turns out, though, at least Doga Kobo's animation remains as beautiful as ever!
2. Dead Account
While I won't say I hate Dead Account as vehemently as ANN's Jeremy Tauber seems to be, I will concede that out of the anime I've been watching this season, this one is probably the weakest. Like, I know that SynergySP is working on another anime this season (which we'll get to later), but come on, guys, you could have put a little more effort into that tea-pouring scene from episode 3! Even putting that aside, the animation is a little bit on the rougher side, and the characters are either just okay or not particularly likable. You won't believe how much Kukuru apologizing for his profanity when he's constantly using the profanity annoys me, even though it probably shouldn't! That said, though, the concept is stupid yet fun, and I look forward to seeing more of Souji's journey as an exorcist.
3. Hana-Kimi
Man, if this came out in the 2000s and had a better animation studio working on it, people would probably be talking about this more fondly. Instead, we've got average animation from a studio that has already dissolved and a release date that came far after the original manga's prime, dating it significantly. I'm pretty sure I've seen some modern tech used in the anime that makes it feel like it takes place in the Reiwa era, but the more important aspects of Hana-Kimi are definitely aspects that would have been more unique when it came out, such as the whole concept of the protagonist crossdressing and attending a school specifically for the gender they're crossdressing as. Still, I do like the characters a fair bit, and I do look forward to seeing how Mizuki and Izumi's relationship develops.
Please tell me this scene from one of the drama adaptations was in the manga, though, and if it is, please tell me it's going to be included in the anime.
4. Isekai Office Worker: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter
I haven't read the light novel series that this anime is based on yet, but when it was announced that Yen Plus had licensed it, the concept did interest me enough to add it to my Plan to Read list. Thus, when the anime was announced, I decided to give it a try to see if the light novels really could be worth it. My impressions so far? Well, there are quite a few things I like about it (the details of Seiichiro's dark circles being kept throughout, the intrigues of the world, etc.), but somehow, I just can't say that this is particularly great. The animation isn't really the best Studio Deen has done, and I don't really know what to make of Seiichiro and Aresh's relationship. (Also, Seiichiro's last name, Kondou, isn't as hard to say as the folks of this new world seem to make it be. Like, come on, people!) Still, I'm willing to watch until the end.
Man, ain't that an accurate title! Despite how spooky-looking the animators try to make the ghosts, this anime is more cute than scary, which isn't the best thing to say about what is supposed to be a horror anime. Still, Kaya beating up the ghosts can be pretty fun to watch sometimes, so I can't really say that this is a bad time. Plus, I am interested in finding out what the deal with Kaya's mom is.
Honestly, I have no idea what compelled me to watch this one. I have enjoyed the anime adaptation of Sankarea, another one of Mitsuru Hattori's works, but I didn't find out they were from the same manga artist until after I decided to watch this! In any case, Wash It All Away is okay. It's just one of those anime to just vibe to as you watch its cheerful heroine run her cleaning business. Nothing more than that. I would like to know what the heck the deal with Kinme's amnesia is, though; it's a seemingly insignificant detail in what is otherwise an ordinary slice-of-life, and I really hope to see it come into play later in the series!
God, I really wanted to like this anime. It's a pretty classic harem set-up with a fun and unique protagonist (though he may not be likable to everyone), and the manga's art looks really good! However....man, I don't think Gekkou was the right studio for this. Either that, or they shouldn't have left this project in the hands of the pig reincarnation show. Either way, this anime looks so rough that it can be distracting. Welp, I think I finally figured out what to replace Fruits Basket with on my 5 Anime That Could Use A Remake list from 2018, though said hypothetical remake will have to come years after the current anime adaptation ends. Might as well try to enjoy what we've got now!
Man, we're not going to have a whole lot of time to enjoy this season of Medalist. It started airing pretty late in January, and there are only going to be 9 episodes; I was hoping for at least 10! Oh, well. Another issue I have about Medalist season 2 but not about the content of Medalist season 2 is the fact that I can't watch it legally; no one in my family has been able to access our Disney+ account for a while, for some reason, and the new episodes aren't even showing up on Hulu at all. With that being the case, how is it that I'm able to see the dubbed version of this season on the pirate ship that I travel on!? Well, regardless, the first episode of this season is setting up the Chubu Block Tournament, and I expect to see a lot of well-animated skating scenes going forward! Oh, and I'm watching this season subbed, and....yeah, Natsumi Haruse's voice really does fit Inori. Good on you for having an oshi that fits the main heroine of your manga so well, Tsurumaikada!
9. A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation
Huh. There are 10 isekai anime airing this season (not counting any movies and specials that came out or will be coming out around this time), yet this and Isekai Office Worker are the only ones I'm watching. How did I pull that off?
Anyway, this is an anime that I probably wouldn't have watched as it aired had it not been for a friend of mine getting me to read the manga adaptation of the light novel it's based on; while it's nothing particularly special, I do like the artwork. Unfortunately, the artwork isn't quite as good in the anime; it may not be as rough as the animation in the other anime SynergySP is working on this season, Dead Account (yes, we are going to ignore Oedo Fire Slayer), but it's not great, either. I'm also not quite feeling the same chemistry between Lizel and Gil (whose name is apparently pronounced the way a Japanese person would pronounce "Jill", by the way) here that I felt in the manga. Oh, well. It's still not too terrible, and I do look forward to whenever Eleven shows up; he's a fun character. Also, am I the only one who thought Stud would be voiced by a woman doing a boyish voice? I was pretty surprised to hear Jun Fukuyama's voice come out of his mouth. I'm not complaining, though!
10. You and I Are Polar Opposites
You see this right here? This is a serious contender for Anime of the Season. No, seriously; this anime is just so freaking cute and funny! Suzuki and Tani are a perfect representation of the whole "opposites attract" saying; they complement each other so well! (Suzuki's definitely more of an introvert than the anime wants us to believe, though.) I was intending on reading the manga before the anime came out, but I never got around to it; that's okay, though, because I might not have been squeeing as much as I have been had I known anything of what was supposed to happen beforehand! Well, regardless, I look forward to seeing more of these two, as well as other couples that may form during this anime's run, which the opening theme is certainly teasing!
11. Tamon's B-Side
If anyone needs any proof that J.C.Staff is capable of putting out incredibly-animated stuff after the One Punch Man season 3 fiasco (which I understand more of since that blog post I wrote about it but still think was a little overblown), here you go! Yes, Tamon's B-Side is a completely different anime from One Punch Man, but still, this animation is gorgeous! I also like the chemistry between Utage and Tamon; I think it's cute how Utage still fangirls over Tamon even knowing about his more negative side. Screw the idol industry! I want to see these two become a couple! Anyway, yeah. I'll admit that it took me a little bit to get into this one, but I do look forward to seeing more!
12. Toumei Otoko to Ningen Onna: Sonouchi Fuufu ni Naru Futari
Finally, there's this little gem. I was interested in this anime because the dynamic of an invisible man and a blind woman seemed fun, and while the aforementioned couple isn't terribly interesting - the title gives away how their relationship is going to end up - I do like seeing how well Tounome treats Shizuka. Like, seriously, this man is everything one could want in a partner, and we don't even know what his face looks like! I also appreciate that we get to actually see some detective work being done; I kind of thought the detective agency was going to be nothing more than a backdrop of a cute rom-com, so I was relieved to see that that wasn't the case! Yeah, I actually have more positive things to say about this anime than I thought I would. Give it a try if you'd like!
Also, we appreciate some casual gay representation in this household.
And that's what I've been watching this season! As I've suspected, listing the seasonal anime I've been watching this way definitely gave me more unique things to say about each one, so I'll continue to do it this way during the spring 2026 season. There might be others that I'll pick up throughout the season, but whatever!
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