Can a Short be Anime of the Season?

I never thought I’d ask or be asked this question but this season has made it a tangible idea. Can a short be anime of the season? This season, we’re presented with an anime short about a group of couples in high school and the different feelings and situations they’re put in. This series is called Tsuredure Children and it has left an immense impact on me BUT this isn’t the only short that I’ve enjoyed this season. We’ll get to the short later. I’ll be honest with you. I never thought I’d find myself watching an anime short and enjoying it. I strayed away from shorts even if they were presented to me from friends as “My Show.” Somehow, I’m watching 2 anime shorts in one season? What the hell is going on?

Now, let’s talk about why this is even remotely a discussion. Well, what’s great this season? Think about it…

…You said My Hero Academia, didn’t you? As much we all love MHA, I don’t like to count sequels. As much as it’s growing more and more challenging to do that since this year has an extensive list of sequels. Other than sequels, there’s not really enough options. I really enjoy anime like Welcome to the Ballroom and Re: Creators but with these series being two cour, it’s hard to count them. Like I’d rather keep them in an anime of the year discussion of a season. Also, it’s hard to really talk about shows like Kakegurui being anime of the season when the majority of the anime community has no legal way of watching it.

I did briefly mention Tsuredure Children but I wanted to expand further by discussing why this series has an impact on me. As I mentioned before, it was super hard to get me into anime shorts. So it didn’t quite grasp my attention initially but I was intrigued, mostly to see what all the hype is about. WELL, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to find myself so immersed in these kids’ love stories. Every story speaking almost as if they were reading directly from my high school memories. Granted, I’ve never been able to phase through a hug from a girl that’s fallen in love with me… Working on it.

Now let’s take a look at the other side of the spectrum. Fucking AHO-GIRL! AHO-GIRL is about a girl, who’s an idiot, who loves bananas. For those who don’t know, AHO-GIRL translates to idiot-girl. I’d say that she has a special ability. She can talk others into being just as stupid. This series has always been able to get me out of a slump or just a bad day. The comedic delivery is always on point. It may not be for everyone depending on your taste in humor. I was extremely surprised to see that the series is barely shared on Twitter. Usually, you’ll find some great moments via gifs, memes, and short clips but for some reason, this series was just not getting the attention it deserved. Their loss.

So these two anime shorts I present to you not just as shorts but as anime that can hold their own against a regular seasonal anime. As much as these anime are shorter, they can pack the same punch that a full show can and potentially more. A good example of this was Space Patrol Luluco which actually had a nomination in the Crunchyroll Anime Awards of 2016. Each episode might have zipped right past you but its impact stayed causing you to yearn for the next episode. Ultimately, I believe an anime short can be the best anime of the season. What do you think? Are you a fan of anime shorts? Let me know in the comments below! Also, if you liked this article, hit that like button!