Originally Aired: Fall 2017
Himouto! Umaru-chan R represents one of the biggest 180s I’ve seen a franchise take in a while. I reviewed the first season of the series for ANN back in 2017, and it just didn’t click with me. The titular Umaru was just too much of a selfish-brat for me to latch on to the comedy, though things did improve in the final few episodes.
Himouto! Umaru-chan R, however, manages to recontextualize Umaru’s childishness in a way that keeps her a brat while making her infinitely more likable, and I ended up loving the second season ten times more than the first. The side-characters get much more to do this season, too, which means that the stories the show can tell are much more varied and impactful. Himouto! Umaru-chan R is so good, in fact, that I can appreciate the first season much more in retrospect. A turnaround like that is no easy feat.
You can find my episodic reviews of Himouto! Umaru-chan R on Anime News Network.
Kick the Beckett! 