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After this incredibly full season (of which nine shows I initially chose I ended up really fully following five of them... but that is how it goes every season), this season seems more lean. But, there are some interesting shows out there, if only because of their oddity factor.

So, here we go:

Hataage! Kemono Michi: Odd show number one! A professional wrestler get's Isekai'ed and starts his petting zoo out of mythical monsters. I mean, what? Okay, two episodes to convince me to stick with it, for the lulz.

Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru: Odd show number two! Here the princess who Isekai's the nominal MC is the actual MC and has to deal with an extra-wimpy OP protagonist. Again, this is interesting for the "Huh, what the hell?" factor. Two episodes.

Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan o Erande Iraremasen: And another isekai, this time with a more scholarly bend, where the MC is a bookworm who wants to bring widespread literacy to the fantasy world he's transported to. Oh, yeah, he also gets reincarnated into a little girl, because anime. Three episodes, since I don't mind the theme of bringing enlightment to a benighted world.

Choujin Koukousei-tachi wa Isekai demo Yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu!: Oh, look, another isekai, where seven genius teenagers are transported to another world and want to bring it into the modern age. I mean, okay. That's a bit over the top overall, but I guess I'll give it one episode to convince me. Maybe two.

Azur Lane: Mmmmh, I think we did the "girls as warships" thing already, but I'll give this a shot for one episode. I honestly don't expect anything but embarassing failure from this, though.

Granblue Fantasy The Animation Season 2: The first season was something of a snoozefest with some of the most clichéd villains (the "oh-ho-ho-ho, mah drills!" MALE villain stood out to me as being really stupid). Not to mention the chubby pet dragon was annoying. However, since it's a fantasy story it gets one episode to convince me that I might want to spend a bit of time with it again.

Val x Love: Oh, fuck you, Japan. Don't ruin Valkyries for me with your ecchi stuff. Okay, one episode just to see how much of a trainwreck it is.

Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majuu Sensen Babylonia: Another season, another Fate show. It might even be good, so it's probably an automatic pick-up. Still, three episodes to prove me wrong.

Keishichou Tokumu Bu Tokushu Kyouakuhan Taisaku Shitsu Dai Nana Ka: Tokunana: Well, that's the kind of urban fantasy stuff I really like. Dragons and fantasy races living among us, secret societies and all the good shit one loves in that genre. Three episodes. I hope they don't screw it up by going way over the top, which is a theme with anime urban fantasy shows (see: Kekkai Sensen).

Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode Oracle: Okay, did I miss that the first season of this was a good show? Because the promos look quite interesting. Two episodes to convince me to get S1. ^^

Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne!: And another isekai, now with cute girls as all the protagonists. Well, one episode, I guess, but color me not very optimistic.

Assassins Pride: Oh, no, help, it's faux-Kirito and faux-Asuna! Well, this gets two episodes, I guess. Not too hopeful here.

Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld: Wait, they are doing an SAO arc where Kirito is out of the picture for at least a while? Okay, color me intrigued. ^^ Three episodes, probably an automatic pick-up.

Where is the Macross show we were promised some years ago? Wah!

Well SAO has been moving pretty slow this season, but I have watched them all, so time for the next season.

They said that Phantasy Star Online the original anime was more of a poor promo for the game. i think this will be different from the other season.

I am looking forward to Azurlane since I play the game. Kancolle the anime I could not get into since it was far too much moe slice of life. I want a war and hopefully the promo will lead to that.

Thanks for the info! What are your own picks for this season?

Also, what about the rest of y'all?

Are Kawamori & Satelight doing anything this season?

Any of you see The Hory Froating Head's interview on Kotaku? I had no idea he was involved with Devil May Cry 5...

Actually, I am more surprised that he is 60.

He ain't slowing down.

Also, this interview got it right. A lot of pseudo-bio about Kawamori indicated that Gundam had the biggest influence over him etc, except he actually worked on the original Gundam, and his lifelong influence had always been Space Battleship Yamato.

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So I count five Isekai anime out of that list, which is almost half. That's... urm... yeah...

Is it really that hard to make a straight fantasy instead of relying on wish fulfillment all the time?

I don't mind isekai stories, when they're done competently, but... yeah, that seems like a tired trope, at this point.

Also, Azur Lan. Why oh why?

I guess it succeeded in being a mobile game, but the entire concept was a Chinese rip-off of Kancolle. I can only wonder what the differences might be between the two.

Hey, those are only the isekai I'm at least having a passing interest in for their individual quirks. There are even more, IIRC. ^^

And, yeah, the genre definitely is oversaturated at this point. I think even the high concept stuff (which the ones coming out now definitely are) will be exhausted at some point. Then what? ^^

I understand that isekai gigs tend to be a form of wish fulfillment to overcome the otherwise mundane everyday life, but they can easily do that with a straight fantasy series as opposed to this level of pretense all the time.

The original isekai gig was actually less about badassdom than attempting to survive, and they were more or less within my accepted realities (especially without the stupid pseudo-game mechanics). Take the Twelve Kingdoms for example.

But, with the Sword Art Online (2002 debut), this concept apparently changed.

Yeah, SAO kinda fucked it up for everyone. Oh, well. We still got some good stuff in-between as well.

Damn, I want more animated Log Horizon.

Log Horizon was very good while it lasted.

Nonetheless, it is still an isekai with obvious game mechanics. Isekai itself as a genre is not new, but the many isekai gigs I actually like at least do not pretend to be a videogame.

Not to say that I don't like isekai gigs with videogame shenanigans, but they are really an aspect that is not necessary.

Actually, for the story of Log Horizon to be told in the way that it was, they were pretty integral.

I don't mind video game mechanics (or to be more precise: RPG mechanics). I've been playing and mostly GM'ing D&D/Pathfinder for the last two decades. Having a mechanical system behind the whole fantasy stuff is pretty integral to my thought process, so having those overt RPG mechanics in anime is actually making them have more sense to me.

And that's fine, but I would have a lot less complaint if that very same concept is not saturating the entire genre.

Come on now, just about every-single-one these days have at least a made-up video game mechanics.

I mean, not trying to argue or anything, but what about Re:Zero? Other than the respawning thing, what would be the other video-game mechanics at play, there?

Yeah, but Re: Zero is also the exception of the exception.

OTOH, Log Horizon was great, but it also benefited from being released early. Had it been part of this messy puddle of current Isekai gigs, I would find it difficult to believe that our reception towards it would have been as warm.

To be honest, I don't even remember the first season of Log Horizon all that well... Never got around to watching the second one. It didn't click for me, I guess.

Well, being the frontrunner for a genre always leaves high impressions, be it Evangelion or Gundam or Yamato or Sailor Moon. So I think it's well deserved for LogHora (and, although it pains to say so, SOA). And, yeah, it wasn't for everyone, since the fights very much very mechanics based (like Nyanta vs. Demikas, which was all about the game mechanics). That tended to make them less exciting than normal fight scenes.

Oh, no, the battles weren't what bothered me.
I guess the story and the characters didn't really do much for me, in the end. Someday I might try again, just to see if I didn't watch it in a bad mood or something.

I'm only getting slowly through the new shows, but I've seen four so far:

Hataage! Kemono Michi: Um, no thanks. This is genuinely disturbing, rather than funny. Euuuugh.

Choujin Koukousei-tachi wa Isekai demo Yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu!: Yeah, not feeling it. The arrogance those seven unrealistic teenager (miniature nuclear reactor, MY ASS) exposit isn't really my cuppa tea. Dropped.

Azur Lane: Hahahahaaaaaah. This was even worse than I expected. Dropped like a hot coal.

And that's three shows with animal ear girls which are complete ass. <lesigh>

Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majuu Sensen Babylonia: This is more like it! It's too bad that the mobile game ain't available for Europe, otherwise that would make me play it. Deeply steeped in Fate lore, good action and well animated. Not too happy about all the ass and panty shots (feels like something from one or two decades ago, man), but them's the breaks. After Lord El Melloi II Case Files, this is not as good, but very decent overall, nonetheless. Picked up.

Hm, looking back at what I just wrote, I probably am in an ass mood, given all the ass shots.