Wooper: It’s a little late to be reviewing just two episodes of a handful of new series, but that’s what I’ve got for you here. Between AOTY writing that’s progressing in the background, my growing interest in non-animated films, and some personal stuff happening in my life, I’ve been slow to keep up with anime this winter. Shibou Yuugi, whose double length premiere greatly intrigued me, was going to be part of this post, but I decided to just publish what I had and not wait around. It probably won’t show up next week either, but there’s a YouTube series that might make the column in a couple weeks if I end up liking it. We’ll see!
Ikoku Nikki – 2-3
Why was there a hybrid Japanese-English grammar lesson in the first act of episode 3, and why did it make me tear up? I guess that’s the strength of Ikoku Nikki, a grief-themed josei drama composed almost entirely of natural conversations between two or three characters. That third episode has received a lot of praise online, likely because it marked the first major emotional moment for its orphan protagonist Asa, and while it surely deserves the acclaim, I found the second to be exceptional as well. In that sophomore episode, Asa’s aunt and legal guardian Makio invites her friend Daigo over to their apartment, and maybe it’s just because I’m in awards season mode, but Daigo is already my frontrunner for Best Supporting Character of 2026. Her hiccupy laugh, warm yet patient personality, and teasing relationship with Makio made her an object of fascination for Asa, whose unfamiliarity with adult friendships hints at a past frigidity between her deceased parents. In episode 3, Asa was more active and less observant, but Makio still got some nice scenes, including one where she mistakenly addressed the specter of her sister while retrieving Asa’s belongings from her previous apartment. The show’s psychological breadcrumb trail is longer for Makio than it is for her new ward, but I’m enjoying the pace at which it’s following both paths.
You and I Are Polar Opposites – 2-3
Polar Opposites came out swinging in its premiere, romantically linking its two lead characters right away, so these two episodes had little choice other than to bring things down to a low heat. Suzuki and Tani are still official (episode 2 revolves around their first date), but the characters do more thinking and less acting on their thoughts across these two stories. That’s not limited to our primary lovebirds, either, as their classmate Taira goes into internal monologue mode about social hierarchies after learning that such an outgoing girl and invisible guy have become a couple. Thankfully, Taira isn’t painted as a villain for his stereotypical mental model – in fact, Polar Opposites uses his desire to understand his peers as a gateway to self-reflection midway through episode 3. He’s got an appealing default cynicism that contrasts with class clown Yamada’s refusal to acknowledge that Suzuki is “dating down,” so the series is interested in commenting on relationship dynamics just as much from without as within. Suzuki’s friend Azuma is an intriguing character, too – the reveal that her last boyfriend got sent to juvie makes me think she’ll get a “finally dates a nice guy” subplot, but the show isn’t overplaying its hand with any side couples just yet, which is a good sign.
Sousou no Frieren S2 – 2-3
There are plenty of reasons to be grateful for Frieren’s return, but number one on my personal list is its background art. Even when the story travels to places that don’t interest me (for example, the city in episode 2 where the gang is forcibly recruited for a demon hunt), I’m never disappointed in the show’s world. Studio Wyeth’s mastery at depicting the natural world is obvious, but they’re just as proficient at the manmade stuff – for example, the stonebuilt dining hall where Graf Dach commissions Frieren’s party to retrieve his family heirloom. Despite being largely brown, the texture of the rocks and their variable sizes give the scene plenty of visual interest, along with a grandeur that humorously contrasts with Frieren’s disappointment at her orders. Transitions between Frieren’s memories and her present adventures are made seamless by matching times of day, especially the deep sunsets of episode 2’s battle scene (followed by Himmel’s past retrieval of the same sword that Frieren saves) and 3’s arrival at a hidden hot spring. In some other reality, a slow, only partially action-driven series like this might not have been granted such fabulous production values – thank goodness we live in this and not some other timeline.
Ganglion – 13-15
I had no idea that Ganglion would continue airing beyond its first 12 episodes, but here it is again in 2026, continuing to offer its bizarre brand of toku-satire. The story of these episodes, where Hopeman must discipline his negligent trainee after his use of excessive force during a mission, is double-edged as usual for the show. On the one hand, the criticism of bothersome junior employees is likely to hit home for anyone who’s worked in a corporate setting, but on the other, Hopeman’s violent methods (exaggerated for animation’s sake, but likely containing a grain of cultural truth, especially given the age of the source material) are enough to change your laugh into a grimace. The selfishness of Hopeman’s motivations further complicate the situation, as he hopes to appeal to Isobe, his girlfriend’s brother, by beating up the man who caused Isobe’s squad such inconvenience. Ganglion isn’t the sort of series to dwell on a given subplot for too long, but it’s good to see that the tensions between its primary hero and villain have persisted into the new year.
P.S. Check out the new 30 second ED, an ode to returning home after several rounds of post-workday drinking, perplexingly depicted through morphing paint animation.
The post Winter 2026 Check-In – Weeks 2-3 appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
