(Fall 2020) Another Season & Another End to the Year

[Mostezli]

Due to the obvious predicament,
Winter 2020 started off strong with a boat load of variety proceeded by average - below average seasons.
Fall 2020, however, was definitely more noteworthy. It was a season of sequels:

They're even doing original - separate from any manga - story sequels like that Inuyasha continuation.

A season of re(boot)makes:

I'm guessing the two on the right are closer to their source material this go around.

A season of isekai:

Really dig the last one based on the delightfully contrived set-ups to progress the narrative. Hopefully, they get the chance to adapt the rest of the manga because it's definitely a show that hinges on what else these characters learn and how they finally escape.

A season of familiar fare:

And, my go-to, a season of weird:

So, what have you guys been watching this season and which would you enthusiastically recommend as the Winter 2021 arrives in a little over 3 weeks.?

 

[TnAdct1]

The main shows that I followed this season:

• Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (so adorable and so hilarious)
• Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (note: you may want to skip part of the first episode)
• By the Grace of the Gods
• Gal and Dino (finally restarted after it took some time off due to COVID-19)

 

[PicardMan]

Summer 2020 didn't feel that bad, but I guess part of that had to do with Re:Zero season 2 being so freaking awesome. That's why I hesitate to call it below average, but then I remember Gibiate happened.

Admittedly, the whole of 2020 has been not that great for action anime (again Gibiate and a few other bottom of the barrel titles). Feel like joining the moe side. Anime News Network's continued panning of Yashahime scares me from seeing the show and considering my nostalgia for the original, I worry it might poop the bed Boruto style. The only other shonen, Jujutsu Kaisen, is like one of the few competent action titles of the year (although Appare-Ranman from Spring-Summer 2020 is probably the best of the year) and I guess that's why it's been hyped as an anime messiah even though it seems like an okayish Bleach clone from what I've seen. Haven't really heard of any other hyped action anime for this season. With so little originality or creativity in most of 2020's action anime this is all I have to say:

 

[Mostezli]

Summer 2020 didn't feel that bad, but I guess part of that had to do with Re:Zero season 2 being so freaking awesome. That's why I hesitate to call it below average, but then I remember Gibiate happened.

Below average because the premiere lineup was so barren, which was compensated by airing the delayed Spring 2020 shows. Excluding sequels, there was also Deca-Dence (this has to be broadcasted on some Western anime block at some point) & GoH.

Haven't really heard of any other hyped action anime for this season. With so little originality or creativity in most of 2020's action anime

Don't give moe the time of day, unless it's really really good.

Winter 2020 (has to be the most I've watched of any season to date)

• Dorohedoro = Didn't think studios even made seinen like this anymore
• ID: INVADED = Source Code (2011)
• Pet = Inception (2010)
• Darwin's Game = Pokémon Go Battle Royale
• Kyokou Suiri = the longest exorcism ever
• Bofuri = VRMMO with a titular twist

and those are just the non-sequel/spinoff action titles I got around to
Spring 2020

• Millionaire Detective = Batman + the charismatic guy doing most of the actual detecting
• Appare-Ranman! = Wacky Races

sucks that these 2 got delayed to Summer

• Tower of God = best new shounen of the year
• Gleipnir = Battle Royal-esque psycho thriller
• The 8th Son = isekai with an apparent drawback to the resurrection
• President, It's Time for Battle! = learn how to run a business

so pretty much just these four for non-sequel/spinoff action...
Summer 2020

• Deca-Dence = AoT x VRMMO (they really nailed the 2 most influential 2010s subgenres)
• God of High School = what I'd expect a modern Street Fighter or KoF adaptation to be like

and that's all folks for the non-sequel/spinoff action...
Fall 2020

• Akudama Drive = Cyberpunk Suicide Squad
• Noblesse = vampires and vampire hunters
• Standing on a 1,000,000 Lives = isekai with multi-layered caveats; honestly the best in a long while
• Ikebukuro West Gate Park = social gang warfare
• Talentless Nana = pretty much the first MHA-inspired series I'm aware of
• Jujutsu Kaisen = like I said I shrugged this off initially based on what I blurbed in that first post, but now I'm thinking I have no idea how they can even top what they managed to pull off for the rest of the season (2nd best new shonen tentatively)

Still currently catching up on other Fall 2020 ones, so I might update this non-sequel/spinoff action list
I'd say impossibly refreshing start of the year to a not quite there/frankly a jumbled mess end of year,
since the pre-existing or tried & true IP dogpiled the lineup.

 

[PicardMan]

I've heard a lot of good about Dorehedoro and I know The US release of Beastars was also 2020. I know CGI anime is often not as popular as the traditional shows. A lot of those shows listed above I've seen very mixed reviews for. Most of my exposure to 2020 titles comes from the heavily marketed Crunchyroll originals. Come to think of it, I'd probably rank Tower of God above Jujutsu Kaisen in terms of shonen even though it wouldn't meet the strictest definition of having to be an adaptation of a Japanese shonen manga. It still has all the plot beats of the genre. I wasn't really wowed like others, but I still think it beats the crap out of the rest of the action-oriented Crunchyroll originals. 2020 didn't hit me like 2019 did, but it's all personal taste.