The rumors are false: actually, there’s plenty of good anime to watch this season. We just had to wait for the anime oysters to sift through the crap.

I’m going to start the season out watching six shows, and possibly pick up more as I go. Here’s what i’m reviewing for Anime News Network, and what I’m watching just for fun (though keep in mind, I self-selected my ANN reviews).

What I’m reviewing

Kuroko’s Basketball

We’re at the third freaking season of Kuroko’s Basketball but, dare I say it, things are just getting good. Currently, Kuroko is narrating an extended middle school flashback to his Seirin teammates, a section of the manga known as the Teiko Arc. We all know it’s going to end in Shakespearean tragedy in order to set up the events of Kuroko’s Basketball in present day, but it’s impressive to watch the storytelling get increasingly fragmented, erratic, and dark.

Where I’m watching it: Daisuki

Gunslinger Stratos

I can already tell this futuristic story is going to be hit or miss. The anime has been adapted from a video game by Gen Urobuchi, the creative mind behind Psycho Pass and Madoka Magica… but also Psycho Pass 2 and Aldnoah Zero. A mediocre first episode gave way to some fascinating questions about alternate universes and doppelgangers, which I hope will become the nugget of originality that this science fiction story needs most.

Where I’m watching it: Crunchyroll

RIN-NE

I’m exactly in the age group to have discovered Rumiko Takahashi back when Ranma ½ and Inuyasha were still fairly new, so I felt a twinge of nostalgia when I watched this first episode. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a huge fan of “person inexplicably can see the supernatural” plots as in Natsume’s Book of Friends. Sakura Mamiya is the perfect straight man to Rinne, her shinigami-ish transfer student classmate, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Where I’m watching it: Crunchyroll

What I’m watching for fun

MY love STORY!!

One of the things I liked about Yowamushi Pedal was the variety of body types. I love how Takeo looks nothing like the typical shoujo hero, and yet this is his story. The entire synopsis that I’ve heard takes place in episode one, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the story develops from a typical love story into something more.

Where I’m watching it: Crunchyroll

Baby Steps 2

As big a sports anime fan as I am, I have no excuse for not watching this show sooner. Ei-chan is an unusual sports protagonist because he 1) is not part of a school sports team and 2) he actually loses—a lot! I’m not saying it’s a realistic story by any means, but it’s certainly a different take on the sports anime narrative.

Where I’m watching it: Crunchyroll

Blood Blockade Battlefront

When this many people tell you to watch a show, you listen. I tried out BBB because pretty much every anime fan I know was watching it. It’s a fast paced science fiction story with characters I’m already starting to love. I don’t think there’s anything brand new here, but as my friend Grant says, there’s something to be said for executing the basics well.

Where I’m watching it: Funimation

The Heroic Legend of Arslan

This is shaping up to be your typical high fantasy, with the added bonus that it’s being adapted by artist Hiromu Arakawa of Fullmetal Alchemist fame—and you can see that clearly reflected in the character designs. Given that this is the fourth time the Arslan novels have inspired an anime, I’m expecting a powerful storyline.

Where I’m watching it: Funimation

What are you watching this season?