October - December • 202 anime
Fall 2018 looked cluttered on paper but wound up being surprisingly distinctive: almost a hundred shows with a lot of originals trying different things. A few titles — SSSS.GRIDMAN and the movie I Want to Eat Your Pancreas — really stuck around in people’s heads.
My take on fall 2018 was that it was a creative season more than a crowd-pleaser: a good number of originals aimed for style or emotional weight instead of playing it safe. SSSS.GRIDMAN reinvented tokusatsu tropes into a character-forward, visually punchy mecha show with a soundtrack that matched its energy. It was the kind of series that made its visuals and pacing part of the story.
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas was the season’s emotional anchor — Studio VOLN delivered a quiet, well-timed movie that leaned on small moments rather than melodrama. IRODUKU: The World in Colors stood out for sheer art direction and a patient, color-based approach to its witchcraft story, while Run with the Wind rewarded viewers who wanted long-form character growth and gutsy race animation. Big names like CloverWorks, A-1 Pictures, MAPPA, TROYCA and VOLN all showed distinct production chops, so the season felt varied and, for a lot of people, unexpectedly memorable.
