Happy Lunar New Year~! And also, a very happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!

The time for me to bundle up against the winter wind and take on another highly treasured anime property is here! That’s right, we’re back at it again this year, but with a slight change in management . . .

I’ve decided to shift the name (and holiday) of this annual anime binge session from being a Valentine’s or “V-Day” special to a Lunar New Year one. Too often, I’m unable to actually complete a series, let alone multiple, in a single weekend. Lunar New Year arrives just around the same time, and for all my Asian friends, the celebration continues for a least a couple weeks until the beginning of March or so for Lantern Festival. Now THIS is a much more manageable timeframe to tackle an anime property, especially when we’re talking about series with multiple sequels, cours, or films.

As the early part of any year tends to put me in the mood to bite down on some sci-fi anime, I could usually call this the “Sci-Fi Special” too. However, I decided to let my friends and followers cast their vote for this year’s pick, and I’m eager to GALLOP into this long-awaited backlog title. (obligatory Year of the Horse joke)

BUT, before I make the announcement, let’s look back on the history of this homegrown tradition. Here’s a refresher for those in need!

2013 ~ Steins;Gate

2014 ~ Kokoro Connect (I think . . . )

2015 ~ Neon Genesis Evangelion

2016 ~ The Rose of Versailles (It’s not always a sci-fi watch, I know!)

2017 ~ Ghost in the Shell

2018 ~ Haikyuu!! (Again, not sci-fi!)

2019 ~ RahXephon

2020 ~ Gunbuster (PANDEMIC)

2021 ~ Gunbuster

2022 ~ *SKIPPED* (I did watch Heroic Age, though.)

2023 ~ Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (REWATCH)

2024 ~ Trigun

2025 ~ K-On!

This annual advent always emphasizes classic anime, those which have proven the test of time and are still beloved across many circles. I’m happy to announce that this year’s Lunar New Year Special will be . . .

2026 ~ Chihayafuru!

After the Trigun and K-On! watch posters turned out so nicely, I put similar (if admittedly a bit less) effort into designing the watch order “roadmap.” Hope y’all like it!

Sentai Filmworks’ Chihayafuru season 1 and 2 Blu-rays have been collecting dust for YEARS on my shelf. I know it’s a favorite of Simply Gee’s over on YouTube, though given the overwhelming majority vote for this to be my next watch, odds are high that it’s a favorite of yours, too. But boy, nearly 75 episodes will easily make this one of if not THE most ambitious years yet!!

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be hibernating before the TV and munching on the sweet Japanese, Chinese, and Korean treats. As I spend this time recollecting myself and appreciating all the things I’ve accomplished within the past year, I hope you, too, will be spending this season of renewal and love doing that which makes you happy. (And fear not, I’ll also be visiting with family so I won’t be entirely alone!) Whether that means enjoying time with your own family, friends, or a loved one, what matters most is that you find and embrace that warm, tingly feeling that makes you ambitious to start the Lunar New Year celebration off right. Of course, eating something savory is a must as well!

When next we meet, I hope I’ll be able to muster the energy to organize my thoughts on the Chihayafuru via a reflection post. It’ll be a retrospective glance at a 15-year-old anime gem. Look forward to it with passion!

– Takuto