

Recall that the anime industry produces TV anime [according to a 4-season
schedule](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/4327/1908): winter (Jan-Mar),
spring (Apr-Jun), summer (Jul-Sep), and fall (Oct-Dec).

Since at least 2010 (and perhaps even before than that), there have been
consistent differences in the average quality1 of anime released in each
season.2 The details are open to argument, but most commentators will agree
that spring is consistently the best season of anime in any given year, while
winter is the worst.3 My personal impression is that on average, spring > fall
> summer > winter.

It is not surprising that seasonal trends would _exist_ \- in Hollywood, for
example, all the big "blockbusters" come out in the summer, and it seems that
January and February are off-months for the industry ([or so this article
claims](http://www.hollywood.com/news/movies/55002083/bad-january-february-
movies-oscar-season)).

The real question, though, is **why**? What is it about winter that makes it
the dumping ground for lousy anime? What is it about spring that gets the
anime industry to put out good content?

* * *

1 When I talk about "quality" here, I'm basically talking about Rotten
Tomatoes ratings - an aggregate of opinions from critical reviewers and
ordinary consumers. Quality may not be objectively measurable, but quality-as-
perceived-by-the-consumer certainly is. Technical merits of the production
(e.g. sakuga, sound direction, etc.) are important in this context only
insofar as they factor into the "Rotten Tomatoes ratings" here.

2 For ease, let's restrict ourselves to thinking about anime that run for one
year or less (so no Naruto, Bleach, Yugimanz, etc.), and treat anime as
belonging exclusively to the season in which they began airing (so e.g. all of
Shingeki no Kyojin counts as a spring anime).

3 I can substantiate this claim if need be, both by reference to user ratings
on sites like MAL and by reference to more subjective impressions by
commentators who know a thing or two about anime. That said, I'm sure those of
you who have a finger on the pulse of the anime-osphere probably have more or
less the same impression.


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Why is there consistent seasonal variability in the quality of anime?


I was going to agree with you jogging off recent memory however taking a look
at upcoming anime for the rest of the year I can't say I agree one season is
stronger than another. Here are a few examples for the rest of the year: Akame
ga Kill!, Hanamonogatari, Space Dandy 2, Sword Art Online, Fate Stay/Night
remake, Psycho Pass 2, Durarara 2, Evangelion 4.0, Log Horizon 2, new Gundam
series. There are plenty of other great looking titles too though I can't say
I know them well enough to know whether they will be successful or not.

I feel like this is all just a subject of opinion really, though this does
seem to be the season for romance anime however, cant recall there being this
much of it before.

Last winter did seem to have an unusual amount of mediocre anime though. I
only watched a few things last season (winter) other than ongoing shows that
were still running from the previous season.


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