First post of 2026 woohoo here we are!
Read more: The Fav Anime Of 2025
I wasn’t sure if I was going to write this post as my anime of 2025 was super slow last year, probably the worst ever. You shouldn’t rate yourself on how much media or things you read but for me it’s really important watching or doing something anime related everyday of my life haha. Otherwise I don’t feel happy. I say this but currently this week I have been obsessed with the series Chicago fire and nothing else, there are reasons so it’s been a nice brain turn off for me. I’m back in the anime saddle and how many anime did I actually watch last year?
30
That is the lowest number I think ever but it is what it is and there were some standouts.
The Flower Blooms With Dignity
I have talked about this series on the blog before if you click here. This was my favourite watch of the year, heart, heart, heart nothing but heart this series has. If you don’t like slow momentum when it comes to romance or in general you can go over to another corner, as reading online calling this series boring and that’s fair enough because that’s their opinion. There is a lot of apologising and many obvious realisations that the characters go through that make you face palm but existing within all that is adolescent maturity that carries the show through. Adults issues are being covered at an age that wasn’t on your mind, that’s what makes this show hit. It is beautiful the presentation and care taken into this. Rintaro and Kaoruko romance is a slow burn but why I love them, representing what it means to feel seen and feel that change you have been searching for has come. Emotional, heartfelt series you couldn’t fault, SEASON 2 COME NOW!
Planetes
Watching older anime is still something important among all the new shiny seasonals and without a doubt this series surprised me. I watched 2 space anime last year and Planetes from early 2000 has a lot to say and I feel is seriously underrated. Set in a time where humans are on the moon and we follow a group of characters who haul space debris as it is a hazard to the earth’s atmosphere. This anime has the whole package of what makes a great show. Character driven plot following the ups and downs of following dreams, political world divide covering race and people divide, comical humour that works alongside the heavy parts, slow burn romance that doesn’t hide the ugly of what it takes to meet each other halfway. This anime was amazing and so surprising, I laughed and cried multiple times so I encourage you to give it a go even if it’s not your thing set in space. (Pst I have a podcast episode for this anime if you’re interested in this anime)
May I Ask For One Final Thing?
I didn’t watch a lot of seasonal things until the end of the year and the first episode of a noble woman beating up arrogant arses is what will have you hooked. This anime was nothing but a good time and the addition of a fantastic english dub. Scarlet the main female I imagined having a regal, english accent and Morgan Laure brought what was in my head into vision. The dub took me back to the first time I watched Ouran high school host club or Full Metal Panic. It had that old essence that you don’t see a lot now, it was so good the dub. If you’re having a bad day this is a series that will change that with the first episode.
Princess Jellyfish
Tokyo Tarareba Girls manga by this author but for years this anime work had been on my plan to watch list for too long. Akiko Higashimura has a unique style when it comes to her stories and I love for the aspect of her humor, Princess Jellyfish has plenty of that following introvert Tsukimi who is obsessed with Jellyfish live her best comfort life along with her room mates with their own self isolation obsessions. Life gets exciting when she meets a woman but then finds out she is a cross dresser and he is a he. This series focuses on coming out of your shell and seeing there are exciting things out there but also an acceptance to have towards yourself. I watched this in the evening with 11 episodes of laughter with a solid message.
Honey Lemon Soda
Highschool romance where we fall for a boy who has blonde hair and gives me a soda. The series is more than this overview, I was genuinely surprised how much it touched me. I found a younger me in the main female who wants to be seen and have some friends to get through her school period of her life. Why I found this series to be different. Kai the main boy didn’t come save the main girl all the time, encouraging her to find her own footing. This is still a shoujo and Kai comes to save her but for the majority of the series the female is doing the hard work for herself. There is a genuine connection between the two that builds and it’s hard not to follow to where they end up. I really loved this cute title.
Great Teacher Onizuka
45 episodes later this was a slow watch but I was glad for it. This was one of the funniest anime I have watched in a long time. An unqualified man whose a gang background somehow gets him a gig as a teacher to the bottom glass at a high school, he has to turn these failing students into passing colours somehow. Every episode is pure gold of comedy but some of the show’s content might not appeal to all. Some themes might be taken derogatory or inappropriate. I will point out for example the speaking of womanhood. I recommend watching a clip on youtube to see if this is a show you will feel comfortable watching. The show will make a gag out of different things but 70% is very harmless honestly. I would keep in mind that being an early 2000s show, there was a lot of weird shit that came out then. If you can get past that or it doesn’t bother you, then you are in for a hell of an entertaining time. Onizuka’s solutions to upcoming problems are ridiculous but so funny, he cares about his students when others wouldn’t and that is the heart of the show for me.
I loved all the things I watched out of 30 anime but it makes me want to do more. Right now I would like to watch more seasons this year from the current seasons and past ones that I never got around too. Old anime will not go on the back burner either, I have some on my shelf that I would like to get out of the way so that will be limited to one or two per month watching older anime. As for rewatching the series one at a time because there are so many and I dare say I will be doing that when it comes to wanting to talk about a series for the podcast and gives me the opportunity to do that. I feel more organised at the moment for my anime year ahead and really hoping to discover some great watches this year.
Also wordpress just told me by notification that the blog is 11 years old today so hooray!
Until next post!
Lita
