I can hardly believe that they announced a season 3 for this show already. This series has never felt like it is particularly popular. Certainly not like Slime or Overlord, but apparently it has done well enough to justify its continuing adaptation.
This episode is where we very quickly jump around and tie up a lot of loose ends. Well, one loose end is tied up by Root instead, while another was mostly eaten by Mio. The interaction between Root and Sophia is a good reminder that underneath the flirty, quirky exterior, he is not anybody's friend. The whole guild system was set up to act as a way to get the strongest hyumans killed after all.
Looking forward to a season 3! As for this season, I think Mio said it best...
This series has never felt like it is particularly popular
I never even saw it on the popularity charts you posted but maybe that was because it was a 2 cour anime so not technically a spring one? Although maybe those charts are for outside Japan.
Certainly not like Slime or Overlord
I don't know how everyone else feels but I haven't watched the last like four episodes of slime. I probably shouldn't give up on it but boy does it seem like it's just time I won't get back... I could see people liking Tsukimichi at least more this season rather than overall.
Do you have any closing thoughts on the season overall? Especially with the heroes in the first part, and the students later on? Should they have cut more, less, or was pacing the main issue? I feel like I'm coming out of it with a positive opinion but thinking about it, that might be because everything good was stacked right on the last few episodes, where it took ~23 other episodes to get here
Looking at the charts that zabadoh posts is a good idea. Here is the most recent post. The JP twitter list shows that Tsukimichi has about as many twitter followers in Japan as 7th Prince does, a show that just aired for its first season, compared to the second season/third cour of Tsukimichi.
Looking at the other chart (MAL + AniList) gives an idea of the following in the English-speaking world. On that chart, Tsukimichi has about as many followers as Wind Breaker, another show that just aired its first season.
So, overall, not a tremendous showing for Tsukimichi. Again, surprising that this gets an immediate season 3 announcement. Perhaps there is some merit to the "some rich person likes the series" theory you had.
Slime
I haven't watched this show at all to be honest. Instead, I read the manga basically up to the content covered by this season (based on what I have seen of the discussion during the episode threads). I basically stopped reading at this point though, so I sympathize with having trouble finding the motivation to go on.
closing thoughts on the season overall
I think the season had some ups and downs. I personally really enjoyed the beginning of the season where we got the stories of the heroes that was cut out of season 1. However, I do sympathize with anime-onlies that were confused/frustrated that these characters aren't why they watch Tsukimichi. Their stories kind of come out of nowhere if you aren't familiar with the source.
After that bit of filling in the blanks left by season 1, moving to Rotsgard, the story really slowed down and I think it probably could have been done better. There were opportunities to make things a bit more exciting through here that were just passed up. Classes/fights with the mist lizards could have been more exciting. The tournament arc started ok, with the student fights being exciting, but then the fights against the monsters felt extremely boring. There were lots of politics happening during this sequence, so I understand they chose to focus on that, but I feel they could have helped balance it out a little bit by slimming down conversations and adding in a little more action. Also through here, they mostly cut the backstory of Ilumgand, which is a shame. Without his backstory, he is just an asshole rather than more of a victim of circumstance that was preyed upon.
Then, finally, the last section of the season where Makoto and Shiki are summoned by the Goddess to save Hibiki. From here on out it was fantastic, and was a great way to end the season. Just like the first season, the show runners really know how to end on a bang. I wish there was more of the Kaleneon, Left, or Lancer fight, but I think the show chose to focus more on Sophia/Makoto, which is probably the right call if you have to make a choice.
Oh and one last thing I wanted to say was that it was fun discussing these episodes with you and the others that chimed in. I think based on your post in summer season preview you won't be watching Tower of God so WE'LL NEVER SPEAK AGAIN 😆 but maybe I'll give something new a chance or if not, we can pick it back up in season 3
These threads have been great. It's a preview of what is hopefully to come as more people are active in the community. I usually try to quickly binge a show in the slow week or two during season transitions, I might try to quickly binge Tower of God (workload depending). If I get to, I would try to write about it in the weekly threads and would probably pop up a couple episodes into the season once I get caught up. I am hoping that my workload will be fairly light over the summer since the project I am working on is based in the EU and it seems like the whole continent disappears for the summer. Something about having worker's rights and vacation time? Idk...
In any case, here's to Season 3! Thanks for the fun chats!
I have to be the one to come defend Rimuru as somebody who's catching up to the novels (I'm like 3-4 books behind the official translations). Oh yeah, several "Meeting Episode" in a row will disappoint people, but just hang on, now we're in the Rozzos story arc which while by itself is not the most exciting (they're financial enemies, by nature the fights are not gonna be too flashy), it does bring fun stuff thanks to the festival, both interesting new characters and fun events, and i do believe it's at this point that we get some fun demon action. Then there's one interesting story arc i cannot even name as it's in itself a spoiler, AND THEN it's multiple novel volumes of just war and more war, which should completely satiate all the battle nuts. Not sure how far we will go this season but i anticipate the rest of it should be more fun than just people sitting in meetings (which i nevertheless defend because those explain all the stuff that's happening).
I have no doubt that the slower parts of Slime builds to something great. It is a well written story and I have enough confidence in the author to pay off the slow portions. I simply moved on at that point (I think I caught up with the current chapter at the time, and I didn't want to wait for each chapter). I plan on coming back to it at some point once it is finished. I am in the same boat with Danmachi, waiting for it to wrap up before consuming the whole thing.