Preview by Guardian Enzo

By the time you read this Kotaro Lives Alone will already have dumped on Netflix, but it’s a notable enough property that I wanted to include it. Kotarou is a manga with quite an interesting history. The manga itself is an award winner, and the live-action adaptation has been one of the most well-received TV dramas in recent years. It’s little-known outside Japan but quite a prestige property here.

Manga and anime’s fascination with children living alone seems to reach the point of absurdity here, where the child in question is 4 years old. I’m withholding judgment on that premise (update: it’s great) until I see how it’s rationalized, but there is obvious potential for emotional resonance in the story. Director Makino Tomoe did good work on Kitsutsuki Tanteidokoro (though he’s actually directing two series this season, which can be worrisome). An odd duck, certainly, but Kotarou wa Hitorigurashi has a lot to recommend it, not least that it’s a seinen and that always improves the odds of a series being good.

Kotarou wa Hitorigurashi represents the challenges Netflix presents to a blogger. Is it a winter series? Spring? How does one cover it? Preview it? Netflix stubbornly refuses to distribute anime in the manner fans are used to, and as a result their series seem to generate less buzz among serious fans than they otherwise might (as witness excellent works like Great Pretender and Godzilla Singular Point). The trade-off I suppose is greater exposure to the general public – one Netflix is willing to make. Kotarou at least was dumped worldwide as opposed to making subscribers outside Japan wait a season.

Preview by FJ Freeman

The story centers around people called The Lost, wanderers who come to this land from a far-flung world known only as Japan. No one knows who, why or how they came to lose their homes. Or how they came to be in this land. The Lost Ones created an advance civilization with the supernatural force. The civilzation ended up using Japanese as their main langauge. This community created a powerful force called the Pure Concept, which ended up getting out of control.

The only certainty that is present is that they will bring calamity and disaster to this world. Among those disasters, there are four legendary disasters – Sword of Salt, which turned the whole western continent into salt melting the sea in the process; the Pandemonium, which covers the southern archipelago; the Mechanical Society, which controls the Wild Frontier in the east; and the Starhusk, which carved out the center of the northern continent and set it afloat.

The task of exterminating The Lost Ones without remorse falls to Menou (Saeki Iori) a young executioner. But when she meets Akari, she feels it’s just another job, until, she discovers it’s impossible to kill this girl.

And when Menou decides she will begin a journey to search for a way to defeat this immortal being, Akari is more than happy to tag along. And so begins the journey of a lifetime that will change Menou and Akari forever!

Preview by Princess Usagi

More than molecules are bonding in the research of two graduate students Himuro Ayame (Amamiya Sora ) and Yukimura Shinya (Uchida Yuuma). Upon experiencing that common, yet unexplainable chemical reaction otherwise known as “love”, the two, being scientists, gather empirical measurements for the parameters of their “condition”. With the help of their professor and labmates, they turn romance into prime data-gathering opportunities. All while encountering the idiosyncrasies of the people (the madness) and the scientific process (the method) that come with research. While growing closer to leveling their hypothesis up to a theory, they level up their feelings for each other. Can they accept love as a feeling apart from the cold, hard facts? The second season will investigate further!

The first season was quite enjoyable. As a former scientist myself, I found the humor related to the idiosyncrasies of working in research and the ridiculousness of trying to objectively measure a subjective experience comic. Not to mention the heartwarming cuteness as the lab-bench romances evolved. On the staffing side of things, I except the quality to be consistent with the first season with the studio Zero-G and the director Kitahata Tooru continuing on for the sequel. If you liked the first season and/or you enjoy romantic comedy with science mixed into the equation, then I hypothesize that you should check out season 2!

Preview by Miss Simplice

Aharen-san wa Hakanerai is a romantic comedy about an odd, adorable girl named Aharen Reina. Her mannerisms are eclectic, she seems to be unaware of her quirks, and she possibly has difficulty understanding social cues and boundaries. The story follows her relationship with the boy who sits closest to her in class, Matsuboshi Raidou. From the corner of his eye, he notices her and wants to get to know his new classmate. He takes the opportunity during class to return her fallen eraser and from that moment on, a very unusual bond develops. It’s unclear how Aharen interprets the gesture but one thing is certain, she has now taken a liking to Matsuboshi and takes every opportunity to cross the boundaries of his personal space.

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai reminds me a little of Toradora!. While the characters, personalities, and backstories are entirely different, it’s Aharen’s lack of personal boundaries that recalls that of Taiga’s. Taiga is probably the only lolicon-type character I’ve ever truly appreciated, mainly because the character had depth and so did the story. I have a feeling this series won’t go much farther than the connection between a high school boy and the chibi girl sitting next to him but the trailer does seem to highlight the comedic aspect that comes with being friends with such a unique individual. So far, it doesn’t seem like the series is introducing any new ideas or concepts but with the coming of spring, a cute, fresh, and slightly familiar young love is probably just what we need. The dynamic between the main characters and Matsuboshi’s introspection is enough to make me want to watch a few episodes. If I were you, I’d give it a try just in case this ends up being the diamond in the rough we’re looking for.

Preview by FJ Freeman

Featuring a (second) new protagonist titled Light Tenryu (Uemura Yuuto), Shadowverse Flame is set in the Shadovar College, a facility that trains professional players of the Shadowverse game. Transfer student Light decides to join “The Seventh Flame”, one of the seven Shadowverse clubs.

However, due to insufficient members, The Seventh Flame is on the verge of being erased from history! To avoid the club’s demise, Light decides to look for new members. But what awaits him is a powerful opponent who holds all kinds of different strange and wild cards…

Shadowverse Flame is based on the mobile game by the same name, and it’s second attempt at a TV anime, where you play TCG battles against A.I. opponents as well as PVP action. It’s published by Cygames and now an anime adaptation is on the way hoping to garner new engagement from players and watchers alike.

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

It looks like we’re getting back-to-back badminton anime this year, with Ryman’s Club taking the helm for the Winter Season and passing over the torch to Love All Play which will be carrying this new badminton anime craze for the Spring Season. While I have been enjoying the salaryman x badminton approach of Ryman’s Club, the truth is I have nothing to compare it to when it comes to badminton anime – yes I have not even watched Hanebado! Regardless, Love All Play is still unique in that it’s an all-boys high school badminton series that, surprisingly, doesn’t seem to have been done before. It’s hard to form an opinion about this one with no source material and a fairly conservative trailer, but I do have faith in the animation coming from Studio Nippon and OLM, both of whom have produced some banger shows with series like Hunter x Hunter, Pokemon, and Kenpuu no Beserk.

Getting back on the topic, Love All Play follows teen Ryou Mizushima (Natsuki Hanae) who has achieved some awesome feats during his junior-high badminton career showing great vigor and physical prowess to make up for their lack of a proper coach. Now entering high school, Mizushima is offered a position in the prestigious Yokohama Minato, where he will join a team of individualistic teammates under an accomplished coach. My guess is that this series will feature the classical sports anime trope of “the individual vs the team” as each member learns the value of teamwork and working together in the otherwise fairly individual sport of badminton. As an already established school of prodigy badminton players, I’m feeling Prince of Tennis vibes with this series and am very much hoping my intuition is correct. Sometimes, it can be refreshing to follow the story of the best team or school in town as opposed to the usual motif of the underdog team rising to the top. I urge you to keep an eye on Love All Play because it could become the iconic badminton series that is sorely lacking in the world of sports anime.

Preview by FJ Freeman

At Nijigasaki High School, there are many clubs, but one of them is the Burial School Idol Club. This club despite its lack of popularity is certainly not lacking in potential. When they held their first live performance they were able to capture a large audience, even garnering the attention of their classmates.

Ayumu Uehara (Oonishi Aguri) and Yuu Takasaki (Yano Hinaki) enamored the audience with their charms. The two make their way to join the club. However, they are disappointed to learn that the club has just been disbanded!

Still, Ayumu doesn’t think it should end here just yet. Together with Yuu, they both begin to restore the school Idol Club hoping to recreate the Idol’s performance that previously had dazzled them. Aiming for the Love Live!

Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukaukai reformed school shines its light on the Idol Club as they recruit both former members of the company along with newcomers. How will these girls achieve idol stardom while taking the first step towards their dreams?

If anything is to go by, Love Live! is having a sort of resurgence, so here’s hopping that this will turn out as good Superstar!

Preview by Princess Usagi

Dreams can be both invigorating and terrifying- sometimes leading you to uproot the comfort of the known in pursuit of the unknown. Grace Amane (Hanae Natsuki), Kazanami Shun (Tsuchiya Shinba), and Arimura Yuu (Yano Shougo) leave the comfort of their present lives (one of which includes fame as an idol singer) for the hard competition of horse racing at an elite equestrian academy. The boys, who have lived their lives defined by their fame or family seek to find themselves through their passion of horse-racing.

This appears to be an intriguing combination of sports and pop idols. Not only is one of the characters an ex-pop idol, members of the real-life pop group J01 will also be making guest appearances in the anime. The director Katou Makoto also directed an episode of the boys idol group series IDOLiSH7, giving off premonitions of an idol/pretty boys drama dressed up in sports gear (whether that is a draw or not depends on the viewer). Whether the tone tips more towards to pretty boys’ drama, sports drama, coming of age drama, or preferably, a balance of each remains to be seen. Also on the music front, the score is composed by Sawano Hiroyuki (Shingeki no Kyojin, 86) whose beautiful melodies I am a huge fan of! Music aside, I am intrigued by the idea of a horse-racing anime, as I don’t think there has been one before and it seems like a regal sort of sport. If you like sports, horses, and/or pretty boys, you’ll want to bet your viewing time (time = money) on this horse race!

Preview by FJ Freeman

It’s the far future, everything is decided by Build-Divide, it’s the new currency, and there’s a king who reigns supreme over the Build Divide city, whoever can defeat him will be granted whatever their little heart’s desire. Everyone has a wish, but young Teruto Kurabe (Uemura, Yuuto) vows that he will win no matter what, and get what he desires the most.

He has companions that are at his side: Sakura Banka (Watabe Sayumi), and Hiyori Munemashi (Koga Aoi) are there to support him throughout his journey. Now the stage is set, Shin Kyoto is the play, and Teruto dives headfirst into battle.

This time around Build Divide is coming back for its second cour filled with action, intrigue, and mystery; let’s see what new fascinating card battles Build Divide brings to the table!

Preview by Pancakes

Editor’s Note: yes, this season is only four episodes long.

The now substantive spinoff to Madoka Magica (three seasons don’t lie), Magia Record centers on one magical girl Tamaki Iroha (Asakura Momo) and her search for her missing sister Ui. This search leads Iroha to Kamihama City, a strange hotbed of witch activity drawing in magical girls from all over desperate for the sake of promised redemption and salvation. Joining together with resident magical girl Nanami Yachiyo (Amamiya Sora) and outsider Kaname Madoka (Yuuki Aoi), Iroha and her new acquaintances soon start to unravel the mystery of Kamihama City, the involvement of an organization called the Wings of Magius, and the true plans behind bringing both witches and magical girls together. Although ultimately successful in stopping the machinations of the Wings of Magius last season, as Iroha and company will soon find out, there’s always something more dangerous waiting for the right moment to strike.

Magia Record’s adaptation really hasn’t had the easiest time of late. Between incessant production issues plaguing its previous season and a condensed story only growing more chaotic as the rushing issues (and anime-original insertions) mount up, this show has struggled to find the ground needed to help stand up to the immense nostalgia-coloured expectations of Madoka itself. I wouldn’t anticipate this season fully correcting course (particularly considering it was supposed to air last season), however given several plotlines have now been dealt with and we’re set to (hopefully) wrap things up I wouldn’t completely write off this one just yet. Magia Record may not be the Madoka continuation a lot have been hoping for, but if you’re in need of some additional Madoka-flavoured magical girl suffering make sure to keep this sequel on your spring radar.

Preview by Pancakes

Not every isekai adventure is made the same as Leon Bartfort (Ootsuka Takeo) can easily confirm. Resurrected into a fantasy world of swords and magic, Leon’s dreams of saving princesses and overcoming demon lords gets rudely sidetracked when he finds out this new world is a dating sim world. A matriarchal dating sim world. In the world of Otome men are little more than free labour, around simply to serve every need of their female half. Royalty? The nobility? All focused around their feminine sides. It’s quite the abrupt change of pace for Leon, but it’s also one he’s not entirely unprepared for. See, Otome’s world comes from a game Leon once was forced by his sister to play, a game he knows inside and out. This new life may not be living up to expectations, but Leon has all the tools needed to thoroughly upend the status quo.

Thanks to the success of Hamefura isekai keeps finding new material to sink its teeth into and Mobseka is arguable proof of concept. Much like with the Bakarina shenanigans, Mobseka’s focus is on the romance plot of its fictional game world: Leon will be flirting, he will be romancing, and by hell he will be conquering lest he fall prey to the game’s machinations. Of course Mobseka will be more about usurping the system than trying to avoid bad ends (laughs in Bakarina), but the underlying concept remains the same: expect lots of comedy and even more harem insanity to keep things moving, particularly when some of the more, erm, imaginative aspects start to come to the fore. Although the teased animation so far isn’t anything to write home about (ENGI can be hit or miss for a studio) you need look no further than this if in need of some romcom-flavoured chuckles this season. Between isekai and romance both, Mobseka has something for everyone.

Preview by Choya

The year is 2062. Two decades after a massive workforce automation project failed, the AI at the core of the project, Artemis, decides to lay waste to planet Earth in a sudden attack against humanity. In an underground facility, a lone girl named Empress (Ishikawa Yui) awakens as one of the three surviving guardians of humanity. Because of her amnesia, however, she can only remember the words that a colonel from the peace-building force tells her. It was a prime directive to prevent Artemis from constructing a space elevator to link the Moon and Earth, aiming to descend upon the planet with hordes of giant mechanized forces. Will Empress be able to protect the ruined planet, or will Artemis end up finishing the job?

Vocaloids are a hell of a drug. Back in ye olde 2010, a “multimedia project” based on a collaboration between Supercell and Hatsune Miku manifested in the form of an ONA film that would spawn a series of video games, TV anime, and manga. To be honest, the amount of material that came from the project is far more interesting than the story itself, which is often boiled down to magical girl fights between aliens. But much of the excitement around Black★★Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall rests on how it both reimagines the property and aims to revive it through a wider range of exposure. One of the larger reveals about the show is that it is one of the many anime that Disney + acquired the streaming rights for. While their main forays into anime were centered around the more lucrative IP’s they bought like Star Wars, I’m curious about the appeal that they figured a Black★★Rock Shooter anime in 2022 would have. It should be neat to see if the new installment is able to build up hype and momentum when it makes its way to the Spring season.

Preview by Gabie

Healer Girl, ”Kindhearted, powerful songs heal the world. These are beautiful miracles sung by humanity”, follows the story of four healer apprentices at the unusual Karasuma Vocal Medical Institute: these upcoming healers trade tomes of botanics and anatomy for practices of singing with soul, intention and mystic powers to aid anxiety and improve people’s mental health. With an upbeat PV that carries a bit of a slice of life and mahou shoujo tones, this show might take that sweet spot of comfort-show of the season! Studio 3Hz is behind this original animation and from what I could see on the PV, the magic evocations look sweet and cute, just like the entire cast!

Our main protagonists in this series are: Itsushiro Reimi (Horiuchi Marina), Yanagi Sonia (Yoshitake Chihaya), Morishima Hibiki (Kumada Akane) and Fuji Kana (Isobe Karin). And there’s another catch behind the concept of this show–it turns out that ‘Healer Girls’ is also the up and coming idol unit consisting of said main cast. So, if you enjoy wholesome cute singing girls trying their best at their craft, you might enjoy Healer Girl!

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

It may seem like an Isekai at first glance, but in fact Yuusha, Yamemasu is set in the fantasy world from the jump, following the story of Leo (Kensho Ono) who has saved the world with his incredible strength and essentially became the world’s strongest hero. In fact, he was so strong that he was exiled from this world as he was seen as “too dangerous” for the peaceful human society. As I’m sure many of us would do, Leo decided to join the Demon King’s Army instead, that is, the same army he took down while defending the human world. Using his powers to rebuild the army, Leo starts to get them back on their feet, and ultimately meets his old enemy Echidna (Kaede Hondo). Learning about the truth of why the Demon Army attacked the human world, Leo begins to question who he should be fighting for, and it would seem things are not so black and white as he initially thought.

In a series about finding your true purpose in life, Yuusha, Yamemasu is literally what its title alludes to, I’m Quitting Heroing. Except, Leo will be doing far more than just quitting the hero life, he’s going to become the ace of the Demon King’s Army that plots to crush the human world, for reasons yet to be explained. Of course, it won’t be an easy task, especially having to undo the damage Leo already caused them. My theory is that this show will be all about the adventure and the bonds between comrades in a world where there is no clear good and bad. In particular, Leo seems to be too strong for his own good, especially after seeing the trailer where he effortlessly slays his enemies without breaking a sweat. Brought to you by Studio EMT Squared, you can expect a similar style of animation and plot as their other fantasy-based shows such as Assassin’s Pride and Renai Boukun, though I’m hoping Yuusha, Yamemasu will score a higher rating than these not-so-popular shows as it does have an interesting premise from what I can tell. I say it’ll be worth a watch!

Preview by Zaiden

Any Dynasty Warrior fans out there will be sure to recognise ya boi Kong Ming as one of the greatest military strategists in history – Zhuge Liang. And here he is reimagined in a reverse isekai of sorts, transported from the Battle of Wuzhang Plains as per his final wish to incarnate into a future life that is free of war. He wakes up in modern day Japan, in attire similar to his traditional Chinese garbs at a costume party and is pressured by his peers to attend a Night Club. There, he witnesses the performance of an extremely talented singer called Eiko Tsukimi and realises his calling in this second life – to make her into a singing superstar! How might he call upon his past experience as one of the greatest military strategists and use it to forge his way through a ruthless, unrelenting entertainment industry as a penniless outsider where money and connections rule above all else?

History and the entertainment industry (if we’re talking about singers and idols) are two topics that don’t really scratch my itch. And given how niche those two things are, I suspect I wouldn’t be alone on that count. But there are some key differences to this premise that completely change my mind for this specific series. Zhuge Liang – or Kong Ming as he’s known in Japan – is that legendary folk hero who deterred an invasion on a town with no garrison by going out to the front alone and playing his flute, scaring the enemy forces into a retreat by making them believe he had a trap prepared up his sleeve. This heroic fable about his deeds will surely give you an insight into Kong Ming’s personality, and how he’s the kind of person who is accustomed to dealing with ruthless ambitions and outwitting enemies at critical turns. P.A. Works being involved also makes me intrigued – this deviates from their usual slice of life focus and gives off serious passion project vibes in the vein of their other work, Appare Ranman. Even if it looks like they’re trying to blood new directing talent by elevating episode director Osamu Honma to manage his first ever project. But because they continue to produce shows I enjoy watching, even if they are arguably way past their heydays, I don’t see any reason to stop indulging.

Preview by Miss Simplice

The world of golf is no easy one and the challenges athletes face are tenfold, so imagine what it means for two women to enter the realm that used to be so male-dominated. This original anime follows two women, Eve and Aoi, who “shake-up” the world of women’s golf with their skill. Although their skill levels are practically on par with one another, their upbringings and training stem from extremely different backgrounds resulting in different play styles. Eve has made a living betting on golf, and her difficult past has produced a ‘rough and powerful’ playing style unique to her. Because of this, she’s nicknamed the “Rainbow Bullet”. In contrast, Aoi is from a rich family and trained at a prestigious golf school giving her a leg up throughout her entire golfing career. She has a very professional (traditional) and delicate style giving her the nickname of “Innocent Tyrant”. The cast is varied with each main character having their own, unique support groups representing the socioeconomic worlds they both originate from.

After doing some deep dive into this series and its production, something particular came to light. Writer Koruda Yosuke, charged with the scripting, worked on various series within the Gundam franchise. And low and behold, two of our main male characters are voiced by Gundam actors Furuya Toru (as Amuro Reiya) and Ikeda Shuichi (as Leo Millafoden). Cast and production members working together again is nothing new in the anime world, however, the character name Amuro Reiya is very reminiscent of the Gundam character named Amuro Ray. I believe this is an homage to the Gundam crew working on this production and a nod to their love of the franchise. As a Gundam fan, I am curious to see how Amuro Reiya is portrayed in this series and if there will be any other nods to the franchise that transpire via this character. The PV makes the series look very grounded. It might not drive towards action-packed competition like some sport (or culinary) genre anime (i.e. Prince of Tennis, Shokugeki no Souma) but it promises to be full of drama. And with professional golf consultant Inoue Toru amongst the crew, the series will most likely adhere to the real-life physics of golf and its accompanying rules. I’m pretty excited for this one because of how unique the premise is so you can be sure that I’ll have this on my watch list for the season.

Preview by Choya

Money never came easy for Katagiri Yuuichi (Kobayashi Chiaki), but he remains positive through the help of his close circle of friends. When Yuuichi saves up enough money to join them on the school trip as part of a promise, the group is struck with misfortune when the money goes mysteriously missing. Because two of his closest friends Sawaragi Shiho (Miyamoto Yume) and Shibe Makoto (Tomohiro Ono) were in charge of collecting the money, they take responsibility when no one else comes forward about where the money went. A few days later, Yuuichi and his friends are tricked into meeting up by a series of mysterious letters and are quickly knocked unconscious when they come together. As they wake up, they are greeted by Manabu-kun, a character from a controversial children’s show who informs them that one of the friends indirectly gathered them together to settle the debt. Because Manabu-kun’s show was #canceled for spreading harmful, malicious content across airwaves, the character also expects them to play a “friendship game”. With Manabu-kun’s game, the friends are told to play a series of games that will test the strength of their friendship, their bonds, and their trust in one another. The “friendship game” turns out to sow discontent amongst the friend group as Yuuichi must figure out which of his friends are trustworthy, and which one is the traitor who is responsible for the growing number of secrets and betrayals they face.

If you ever had the pleasure or misfortune of watching an anime like Ousama Game or Darwin’s Game, you’d know very well why Tomodachi Game sounds like it’d travel down the same crazy alley. Nonsense self-immolating group participation games are always prime material for getting some of the craziest stories ever translated into an anime. In this case, the main attraction is seeing how much of a rift is caused between a group of friends by participating in a mean-spirited game where they’re constantly pitted against each other. With all the trickery, backstabbing, and wacky faces this anime is promising us, who would I be to turn my back away from such wackiness?

Preview by Pancakes

The demon lord Varvatos (Fukamachi Toshinari) is not one for subtlety. As the most powerful being of his time he wants for nothing and indeed desires nothing, having everything a mere flick of the finger away. It’s enough to drive any man to boredom and so Varvatos takes matters into his own hands and decides to reincarnate several lifetimes into the future with perfectly average powers. There’s just one catch: Varvatos cannot account for the powers of everyone else. Coming to as Ard in the modern world, the demon lord not only finds himself still ridiculously overpowered, but with everyone from ladies to royalty and even ex-minions seeking him out for his abilities. Such things won’t stop this demon lord though, and one way or another he’ll find the thrill he’s been searching for.

The fantasy (and isekai) train has always been one for flavour of the month and it shouldn’t be too hard seeing why with Shijou Saikyou. The overpowered MC returned as average (yet still overpowered) concept has been done multiple times already, from Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha to Noukin and even Shikkaku Mon no Saikyou Kenja this past season exploring it in some capacity. In short don’t expect a lot of ground breaking to happen here: the MC is ludicrous in terms of power, the harem options are cute and plentiful, and it features only the best of modern light novel fantasy plots. Pretty much everything we’ve seen before, however given Shijou Saikyou is a Silver Link production and is being helmed by the fairly robust (and fantasy/comedy focused) Minato Mirai as director there’s still plenty of opportunity for some entertaining shenanigans. I wouldn’t expect Shijou Saikyou to be setting any records, but it’s definitely worth some attention if in need of some lighthearted spring entertainment.

Preview by Gabie

Not an Isekai–it’s a fantasy RPG show about girls working at a real estate company! “Our work is to make people happy by providing them with a place to live!” is the motto behind RPG (Rent Plan Guide), and they take this very seriously. Set in a world that’s finally at peace, the story follows Kazairo Kotone (Inoue Hanoka), a newly arrived female magician and her three new coworkers: dragonkin Fa (Kino Hina), priestess Rufria (Kawaida Natsumi) and soldier Rakira (Iwami Manaka) as they support one another while trying to help their clients find their forever homes!

Based on the ongoing 4koma by mangaka Kenmotsu Chiyo, the series has been adapted by studio Doga Kobo and seems to fall under the same category as Healer Girl: a comfortable, wholesome and cutesy type of show following a group of four girls striving for their best at their craft. If that’s your niche, this one might be a fun addition to your weekly watch list.

Preview by Pancakes

At one time Iwatani Naofumi (Ishikawa Kaito) was just another high schooler doing typical teenage things. Until he and three others found themselves transported to another world. Summoned to be Legendary Heroes, the world’s saviours, the four out of place kids are granted immense power to see their task through, however for Naofumi not all is as it seems. Granted only the seemingly measly power of a shield, Naofumi is soon belittled by his fellow heroes and even betrayed by his early confidant and assistant Malty Melromarc (Sara Emi Bridcutt) looking to benefit her own position. Outcast, despised, and now burning with rage, Naofumi turns towards the path of revenge, enlisting the assistance of demi-human slave Raphtalia (Seto Asami) and the literal birdbrained Filo (Hidaka Rina) along the way. And now, after having exacted revenge and learned a good deal of the world’s truth, Naofumi once again returns his original mission: saving the world – and maybe a bit more besides.

While not the absolute best isekai has to offer, I always had a soft spot for Tate no Yuusha. An ostensibly dark isekai (it effectively enabled the likes of Kaiyari and Arifureta to see the tv screen), Tate no Yuusha displayed some surprising depth when it premiered in 2019, taking a revenge-based story and slowly morphing it into your usual saving the world premise, albeit with more edgy flair. It was simple, it was very generic, yet it was also fun, particularly after Naofumi’s quest for revenge finally gave way to proper hero shenanigans. Although it’s taken over three years to see this sequel, likely due to Crunchy Roll’s acquisition (some might remember the talk of CR funding four seasons total) the good news is that little is changing: all cast and most crew are reprising their roles, Kimena Citrus remains at the animation helm, and the always impressive Kevin Penkin is back for more soundtrack goodness. I wouldn’t expect this season to win over any doubters, but if you only watch one isekai this spring Tate no Yuusha should be it.

Preview by Princess Usagi

There’s nothing like the sweet taste of youkan or any of the other wagashi (traditional Japanese treats)! Irino Nagumo (Shimazaki Nobunaga) is supposedly in line to inherit his family’s wagashi shop but has been disconnected from his family for 10 years. When his father’s illness precipitates a bittersweet return home after a 10 years’ absence, Nagumo expects to head the traditional sweets business only to discover that the young Yukihira Itsuka (Yuuki Kozue) is the heir. To make matters worse for him, he is asked to care for the very girl who “usurped” his position.

This looks like it could be a heartwarming tale of food and adopted family like Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari. It could also be a healing story with the obligatory genki girl. It could go either way. Nothing from the staffing and the studio (Encourage Films) really catch my eye, but a blank slate isn’t always a bad thing. As such, I can’t really say much about this manga-based series other than the fact that it centers around wagashi and I like wagashi, so I will tune in for at least the first episode. If you also are a fan of sweet things or are interested in a healing drama, I would recommend this from the menu of Spring 2022 previews!

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

Just as season 1 was my #1 choice for the 2021 Fall Season of Anime, Komi-san wa, Komyushou Desu Season 2 is my anime of choice for the 2022 Spring Season and I have no doubt it will be just as hilarious and just as wholesome as its first installment. From what we’ve seen in the trailer, there’ll be plenty of wacky characters returning for this season and we’ll also be introduced to a few new ones that, as the show’s motif goes, will be eyeing Komi Shouko (Aoi Koga) in pursuit of her love and affection. With the mission of making 100 new friends still hanging in the balance, Tadano Hitohito (Gakuto Kajiwara) will continue to do what he can to support his friend and, let’s be real, his love interest in achieving this goal and hopefully overcoming Komi’s communication disorder in the process. This season looks to have something of a winter theme, so it’ll be interesting to see how that comes into play (I’m thinking ski trips and snowball fights).

If you’ve been reading my coverage of Komi Can’t Communicate Season 1, then you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Osana Najimi (Rie Murakawa) and often call him the “MVP” of the show because of how they always come in clutch to break down awkward barriers between Tadano and Komi and generally takes all the initiative to create fun memories for the group. Thankfully, the loveable childhood friend will be just as relevant in this upcoming season as we’ve seen from the trailer and main cast, and as I always say they will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the plot’s progression and (I would even say) the progression of Tadano and Komi’s romantic relationship. Fanboying aside, it’s set to be an exciting new installment of Komi-san and I have no doubt it will deliver the same quality of laughs, over-the-top reactions, and some wholesome kawaii moments to give us the full experience of what this show is all about! Oh yeah, the new theme songs sound like bangers too.

Preview by FJ Freeman

In the distant future, Earth’s population has reached its peak and is unable to sustain anything more. Which prompted the development of an AI to help preserve the environment. Titled the “Supernatural Renovation Project” Tokyo gets split with towering walls into several clustered sectors. Through genetic engineering, various citizens were created to live in the city. All governed by an ever-watching looming A.I that tracks each and every single one of their movements.

Each cluster had its own unique culture. The AI maintains the system’s survival rate by monitoring the people living in the area. Most of them live their lives in their own unique clustered sector, unaware of what others are doing outside of it. However, there are those who seek to escape into other sectors. A special outfit, when worn, helps those that seek escape, achieve it.

Gorou Taniguchi has created a new mixed-media original project called Estab-Life. It consists of various anime and mobile games. One of these is the mobile game called Unity Memories, which was developed by Square Enix.

The anime is being assembled by Polygon Pictures, the people behind Knights of Sidonia, and the one semi-good Blame! movie, as well as adapting the Ajin manga into TV form. As for expectations? They’re certainly out there, with mixed media projects it’s always anyone’s guess if it’s going to be any good, but Polygon Pictures have redeemed themselves time and time again; even though CGi is not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s certainly one of the better studios to handle it. So let’s throw caution out the window and see what this anime can bring to the table!

Preview by Choya

Ms. Fushihara (Kanemoto Hisako) is a corporate lackey who is beaten down and run ragged by her working conditions. While others find catharsis through drinks at a nearby izakaya or karaoke to let off steam, Ms. Fushihara wants to be healed by a loli spirit. A little ghost girl is worried to find that Ms. Fushihara is working until midnight, and tries to get her to take on healthier habits. While saying “Leave now~” in an effort to make her go home, the ghost girl brings her refreshments and helps her out along the way. Her preciousness is quick to heal Ms. Fushihara’s heart as she finds the motivation to carry forward on her miserable work/life imbalance. Perhaps you might feel the same rejuvenating factors when you experience the heartwarming daily life of Ms. Fushihara and this cute ghost girl.

It’s hard to be too hyped up for a show that has the title Ms. Corporate Slave Wants to be Healed by a Loli Spirit. Between the current waifus of the year being comprised of high-school girls and the upcoming anime remake of a story created by a sex offender, 2022 is the year of treading as carefully as can be with regards to what the anime world deems as peak fiction. But from the looks of things, I have a feeling that Shachiku-san wa Youjo Yuurei ni Iyasaretai will be a lot more innocuous than it sounds. In its essence, Ms. Fushihara is only looking for some relief and inspiration to carry forward in an unforgiving work environment, and this appears in the form of a small ghost child. Not going to lie, it just made me go from cautious to really depressed to think that many of the supernatural characters in the show were children who died in tragic circumstances. On a lighter note, it is a slice-of-life coming from Project No.9, a studio that has also made a plethora of other relaxing and colorful comfort anime. Here’s to hoping that the premise is as wholesome as it sounds in the description when it appears this spring.

Preview by Miss Simplice

Idols, track and field, work, high school, and romance. When you’ve got all this to manage, I don’t know how a teenager doesn’t crack under the pressure. I’m always drawn to series that show the challenges of being an independent high schooler. It’s at that youthful age that we begin to experience life and its hurdles. While anime (or any form of entertainment) doesn’t truly represent our experiences, I can appreciate a good high school plot. In Heroine Tarumono! Kiraware Heroine to Naisho no Oshigoto, the story follows Hiyori Suzumi, a young girl who leaves her home to pursue her dreams of becoming a track and field athlete. She enrolls into Tokyo’s Sakuragaoka High but getting into the ideal school doesn’t equal success. To be far from home means standing on your own two feet, so Hiyori must find a job and that’s when she becomes a junior idol manager – for her classmates Yuujirou Someya and Aizou Shibasaki. They are members of the idol group LIPxLIP making Hiyori’s day-to-day quite eventful. With her plate full with school, chasing after her own dreams, making new friends, and managing her peers, Hiyori will have to learn to juggle the struggles of being a high schooler the best way she can.

As a full-fledged adult, I don’t think I could manage as much as Hiyori has on her plate. But I like to imagine that if an anime character could, then I could too. I think that’s the appeal of a genre like this one. The hard work and determination of youth are still so pure that it tends to rub off on me. The other reason I’m looking forward to this series is that it is somewhat reminiscent of Skip Beat!. At the time, romance was an underlying theme of the show whereas the heroine’s aspirations and hard work were center focus. While the PV showcases some stereotypical romantic scenes, I do hope the story highlights Hiyori’s determination to achieve her goals. It might not be the most original plot but I’m confident this series will offer audiences a perfect balance of love, happiness, tears, and friendship.

Preview by Pancakes

Another day, another kid enjoying the wonders of MMORPGs. Or at least that was originally case for Arc (Maeno Tomoaki), a guy who got a kick out of playing an undead skeleton clad all in white, because as we know reality is stranger than fiction, and reality decided to give him a taste of the isekai life. After falling asleep one night, Arc wakes up to find himself in the body of his bony impersonation and in the world he enjoyed playing in so much. Not the most predictable of scenarios, and while equipped with powerful weapons and ludicrous abilities, Arc quickly deduces his appearance may invite trouble and so decides to live as an anonymous mercenary. When elven warrior on a mission Ariane (Fairouz Ai) stumbles across Arc, however, his hopes for a quiet life may prove less sustainable than first thought.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Video game; skeleton avatar: it’s Overlord in new packaging right? Indeed you’d be half correct. At its core Gaikotsu Kishi can be thought of as Overlord gone nice. Whereas Ainz seeks to dominate the world Arc sets out to save it, while death and destruction follow the original bony boy around in lockstep the new white knight (literally) endeavours to end it. It’s basically your typical vanilla isekai tale, just now from the perspective of someone other than the expected human/elf insert. Although good to note that Gaikotsu Kishi isn’t without some measure of controversy (there’s a scene early on which could’ve come right out of Goblin Slayer) don’t expect this one to playing too hard into the dark and gritty – it’s all adventuring all the time here, and with the expected character development to boot. I wouldn’t personally expect any season-defining performances on the part of this adaptation, but this one will certainly not disappoint anyone in need of some fresh new isekai material.

Preview by Zaiden

Yoshida Yuuko (Kohara Konomi) is a newly inducted devil who has been given a mission by her demonic ancestor Lilith (Takahashi Minami) – defeat the Light Clan’s shrine maiden Chiyoda Momo (Kito Akari). Yuuko has no choice in the matter. Lilith has placed a curse on her immediate family, turning them into active hostages that force Yuuko to carry out her bidding in bringing about the demise of the Light Clan. Unfortunately, she’s also extremely weak while Momo and her friend Anri are both magical girls. After experiencing an extremely one-sided defeat, Yuuko has an epiphany – she is able to slowly drain Momo’s powers whenever they are in close proximity with each other. Coming across this realisation, Yuuko conspires to obtain victory by slowly draining Momo’s powers until she can defeat her.

Cute Girls do Cute Things with a magical girl twist.Machikado Mazoku sets out to marry these two popular premises and actually reinvent the wheel through combining them. Those who have seen Season One of Machikado Mazoku will know that it features the classic comedy and slice-of-life routines: there will be ridiculous gags, lighthearted humour, and plenty of adorably cute awkwardness, alongside a hefty dose of slice-of-life shenanigans to help keep things fun. J.C. Staff return to handle the series, reinvoking the expertise of veteran director Hiroaki Sakurai (Kusuo Saiki, Cromartie High School, Milky Holmes) to animate the light novel series written by Izumo Itou. If they can replicate their previous form, or even take it up a notch as we’ve seen with some of their recent sequels, fans of these genres might be in for a serious treat.

Preview by Zaiden

A long time ago, in a fantasy world of magic and swords far far away, a war raged between the Church and Witches. Sounds like a parallel universe take on the European witch hunts and inquisitions, only this time around witches actually exist and pack some serious firepower to strike back – leading to an extended and destructive stand off. Skip forwards five hundred years and all is amicably resolved. Our peacetime setting is the Royal Academy of Magic of the Kingdom of Wenias, where our amnesiac protagonist Sable (Umeda Shuuichirou) is sent by the headmaster to the frontline to fight against anti-magic insurgents. He is accompanied by a group consisting of intriguing personalities – Roux Cristasse (Okasaki Miho); the Witch of the Dawn who seeks out powers and knowledge from the Grimoire of Zero, the academy’s valedictorian Holt (Suzushiro Sayumi), as well as the lizardman, Kudd (Yashiro Taku).

When I see that blonde goth loli with knee socks, I have a suspicion the FBI will be busting down the doors of some weebs out there. Funnily enough, this is a stealth sequel of sorts for a story from years ago – The Grimoire of Zero – the tale of a beastman mercenary defending a mysterious young witch as well as her special grimoire from the Church’s anti-magic forces. I thought that show was quite charming and unique enough to stand above your usual light novel adaptation rabble. The banter dynamic between the gruff (yet kindhearted) Mercenary and Zero’s cool sass really made for a fantastic duo reminiscent of Holo and Lawrence from Spice and Wolf – so I am confident that the same writer will be able to generate similarly engaging relations. With production staff changing hands from White Fox to Tezuka Productions, I’m not so sure we will be getting the same sort of quality as before. However, it’s in the capable hands of Kuwuhara Satoshi (5-toubun no Hanayome, Kanojo mo Kanojo, Adachi to Shimamura), who is actually quite a capable slice of life director. Which is why I’m excited to see the continuation of a fascinating world setting all the same that had me pulled in all those years ago.

Preview by Choya

In the not-so-distant future, superpowers are relatively common in people known as “NEXT”. While some have to weigh whether to use their powers for good or evil, a unique organization of NEXT are recruited by TV producers in Stern Bild City to broadcast their crime-fighting. With the help of corporate sponsorship, this futuristic reality TV program takes a procedural crime documentary and transforms it into sports entertainment for the masses. The first season of the episode followed Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (), a veteran hero known as “Wild Tiger” who is paired off with the young, no-nonsense Barnaby Brooks Jr. () in a bid to revive his dwindling popularity. While Season 01 ended with Kotetsu and Barnaby’s bond strengthening for the better in a feel-good ending, this season will deal with the aftermath of the Tiger and Bunny: The Rising when new NEXT are thrown into the mix. Will Kotetsu and Barnaby’s connection be fortified or severed by the new heroes who plan to throw a kibosh on their group dynamic? Find out when Tiger & Bunny 2 springs to action.

There is a lot of cautious optimism in whether Tiger & Bunny 2 will be able to spark the same kind of magic that Season 01 had. It was a terrific anime that ended on such a positive note that it’s hard to imagine adding more and more to the narrative. But I have faith that, at the very least, it should be easy to come up with the idea of Kotetsu and Barnaby having to work within the confines of newer heroes that crop up. It might be neat if they examine the dystopian nature of relying on cast members of a reality television show to act as a private military police operating in tandem with actual law enforcement. Not sure if it’d address that since the show at its simpler times saw their TV show as the only means of combating some of the more ruthless antagonists they’ve had to overcome. But nonetheless, it is still exciting to be able to revisit a lot of the characters given how likable and fun our main NEXT heroes were. It’ll also be awesome to catch up with Kotetsu again and see how things are going with him when the show makes its way onto your TV set soon.

Preview by Gabie

Star-crossed lovers–a trope tale as old as time, true as it can be–that is the premise behind Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de – Love After World Domination. Simple enough, right? But then add an anime twist to it! The story follows Aikawa Fudou (Kobayashi Yusuke) who is the leader of the hero squadron called Gelato 5 (yes, he is the red power ranger) and his nemesis (who’s also his secret girlfriend) Magahara Desumi (Hasegawa Ikumi), who works as a minion underneath super villain Gecko–whose organization’s goal is world domination and all that villainous jizz.

This parody rom-com features paparazzi news, life within corporations, fighting, baking and two lovers trying to date amidst a battle of heroes and villains. Studio Project No.9 is the one behind this show based on an ongoing manga of the same name, written by Noda Hiroshi and illustrated by Wakamatsu Takehiro and serialized in Gekkan Shounen Magazine, come tag along Fudou and Desumi as they try their best to make their love work amidst so much chaos!

Preview by Pancakes

Buckle up boys and girls, everyone’s favourite (or infamous) harem chaos is back for round four. Date A Live centers on the exploits of the thoroughly ordinary and all-vanilla Itsuka Shidou (Shimazaki Nobunaga), a normal high school kid living the background life until a so-called spacequake devastates his hometown and has him stumble across a mysterious girl. Shidou probably would’ve been fine dropping her off at the local police station – if his little sister Itsuka Kotori (Taketatsu Ayana) didn’t suddenly reveal herself to be commander of the secret organization Ratatoskr and demand Shidou woo said girl. The reason? This girl is a spirit, a being whose powers are capable of mass death and destruction, powers only contained and sealed through love. And now, having conquered the hearts of numerous spirits, Shindou once again sets out to do the same as the otaku Nia and introvert Mukuro enter the harem picture.

The Date A Live series is probably as unabashed as harem shows can ever get. This one is heavily old-school, where action and story exist in part to explain away the harem hijinks and keep the drama going because by hell there’s little to tell if the main man settles on just one girl. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea (as proven over the years), but it certainly knows how to give harem fans everything they want and then some. Although Date A Live’s third season arguably flew the coop with its disjointed plot, condensed development, and divisive ending, the series jumping over to GEEK TOYS this time and rumblings of better emphasis on adaptation faithfulness does suggest those earlier stumbles aren’t indicative of a new trend – however I’d fully wager fan-favourite Kurumi (Sanada Asami) will remain just as elusive as before. In short, Date A Live will do as Date A Live has always done and it’s highly recommended going back and checking out the earlier seasons if you haven’t kept up to date. Otherwise grab a seat, put your legs up, and get ready to see how Shindou saves the world this time around.

Preview by Miss Simplice

For those new to the series, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai is about two stubborn headed, head over heels fools who won’t take the time to tell one another how they truly feel. Shinomiya Kaguya, our heroine and Shuichin academy’s student council Vice President, has hidden feelings for the student council President Shirogane Miyuki. They spend years by each other’s side trying hard to get the other to reveal the other’s true feelings while concealing their own. It’s no easy task and it often feels like a game of chance, but as perseverant, as they are, they are only human. And humans aren’t flawless which means both Kaguya and Miyuki let, from time to time, their feelings show through their actions. It’s in these moments, the moments shared with their fellow council members Fujiwara Chika and Ishigami Yuu, that offer some of the most comical moments you’ll find in anime to date.

Season three is bound to be full of humor, once again. There weren’t many moments during the first two seasons where I wasn’t laughing out loud or on the edge of my seat. I was invested in watching our protagonists ‘battle’ it out and as invested in supporting characters who made impromptu appearances or comments. What I appreciate most about the series is its short storytelling form. While the sequence of events is linear at a broader level, the individual stories within each episode are so contained that it provides so much flexibility for the writers to play with the script. If you need a little preview or pick me up after season two last aired, give the nine-minute teaser Yu Ishigami Wants to Chat a watch. For new fans, it’s a perfect demonstration of fan-favorite characters and the humor that accompanies their over the top personalities.

Preview by Miss Simplice

A young boy and ballet. A simple yet uncommon premise is making its way onto our screens this spring. Junpei Murao is dragged to his sister’s ballet recital as a child. Unimpressed, he falls asleep until a male ballet dancer makes his way onto the stage. He’s blown away by the performance and the sheer demonstration of strength and beauty coming together on stage that he immediately falls in love with the art form. However, after a brief encounter with his peers, he begins to question himself: “What is manly, anyway?” Tragedy strikes and Murao embodies everything it means to be a ‘man’ and leaves behind his passion for ballet. A few years later, he finds himself face to face with the art he loved so much. How will Junpei reconnect with what he once loved so dearly? And how will he reconcile the art and the manliness he’s vowed to embody for the rest of his life?

I love a good show about the classic arts. Ballet is one of the most beautiful live experiences I’ve had the pleasure to witness in my life, so when it was announced that Dance Dance Danseur would be getting its own anime, I was over the moon. Ballet is aesthetically pleasing so the idea of it combined with beautiful MAPPA animation is really exciting. There’s aren’t that many dancing anime series out in the wild but the few that have been released often focus on the idol industry. A recent favourite dancing anime was Ballroom e Youkoso. Much like this one, it showed the experiences of a young man entering the dazzling world of dance but not without its difficulties. While this new show might draw inspiration from Welcome to the Ballroom, this story seems to be rooted in our main character’s painful past. It sets the tone for an anime that will be about more than the competitive life of a dancer, but rather an anime that offers a holistic look at the life of a young man trying to break into what is perceived to be an effeminate industry. In recent years, there has been a growing number of series that pull main characters, women or men, outside of their ‘respective gender’ roles (i.e. Houkaho Teibou Nissh). I do hope this adaptation will do the manga justice and offer a fresh perspective, challenging the existing ideology of what it means to be a ‘man’. This story has a lot of layers. It doesn’t exactly depict what ballet dancers go through but you can be sure that, even if you aren’t a ballet fan, you’ll find something for you in this story about a young boy coming to accept his love for the classic arts. Add this to your watch list if you’d like to sprinkle it with something unique!

Preview by Guardian Enzo

It’s been way too long since we’ve had a really good soccer anime (Ginga e Kickoff, I guess). Plenty of mediocre or even decent ones, mind, but given how many terrific soccer manga are out there, anime hasn’t been kind to the genre in recent years. Hopefully that will change with Ao Ashi, a very good manga indeed if not a masterpiece. This is certainly my top pick among this seasons dollop of sports series.

In my mind’s eye there’s kind of a big three of “blue” soccer manga along a continuum from most traditional to most “modern”. Be Blues is at the traditional end and Blue Lock (also getting a 2022 adaptation) at the other, with Ao Ashi in the middle. For my tastes it’s also in the middle in terms of quality – I really love Be Blues (it’s basically the Majorof soccer), but Ao Ashi is a very winning series (nominated for the Manga Taisho in 2017 and winner of the Shogokukan “General Manga” award in 2020) with a likable titular protagonist. He’s a middle schooler from the inaka with big dreams, which are seemingly dashed after he causes the downfall of his team in a big tournament. But if that were the case, we wouldn’t have a story…

Production I.G. being the studio doesn’t seem to hold as much weight as it once did, but you’d certainly take it over most options. There’s not a big-name director or heavyweight staff attached to Ao Ashi but I.G. sort of gives you a baseline beneath which you know you won’t drop. As for series length that’s still unknown, but this is airing on NHK and they almost never do one-cour productions, much less of sports manga. I’d guess two cours for now, and then we’ll see – the manga is very popular if not on the level of something like Haikyuu.

Preview by Princess Usagi

What happens when an assassin, a spy, and a mind-reader walk into a room? No, this isn’t the beginning of a joke- but the premise of “Spy X Family”. With tensions rising between the nations of Ostania and Westalis, Twilight (Eguchi Takuya), a top Westalian secret agent of many faces, is tasked with adopting one face he hasn’t tried on yet-that of a family man, aka Loid Forger. To spy on an important and almost unreachable Ostanian politician, Twilight must connect with him through sending a child to said politician’s son’s school. Normally, it would be difficult to start a family overnight-but with Anya (Tanezaki Azumi), a mind-reading child in need of a home and Yor (Hayami Saori), an assassin for whom married life is a perfect way to stay undercover, Twilight’s assignment becomes reality. While each holds their secret from the other, they grow to learn that caring for a family goes deeper than mere appearances.

As a huge fan of this manga, I am so excited for this anime adaptation! The series is quite popular in Japan, with a high number of volumes sold and nominated for numerous awards. The story combines James-Bondish espionage drama (except if James Bond were a family man- if you can imagine that), suspense, and humor polished with class. It bodes well that the stellar Wit Studio with its reputation for elegant, high-quality shows (the most recent standout series being Ousama-Ranking) will be partly handling SPY X FAMILY. I have some reservations about Clover Works collaborating on this project, what with their recent works, Yakusoku No Neverland Season 2 and Wonder Egg Priority that train wrecked at the end. The director (Furuhashi Kazuhiro) is also quite talented, having previously worked on classics like Dororo and Rurouni Kenshin. If you are a fan of James Bond and espionage and/or of drama and heartwarming comedy, you should put this show at the top of your watchlist!

Preview by Guardian Enzo

At this point I think you pretty much know what you’re going to get with Kingdom, and what you’re going to get is very good indeed. The production nightmares seem behind us (Signpost is an offshoot of Pierrot, but things haven’t been distractingly horrible for a good while anyway). Of course some arcs are going to be better than others with a manga this long, but in the anime at least the writing has always maintained a pretty high standard. Hara Yasuhisa has been at this for over 15 years now, and Kingdom has become one of the most popular manga in the world for a reason.

For my tastes Season 3 was probably the best of the series so far. There are individual sections in the first two that match it (though dismal visuals were a looming danger), but S3 was pretty consistently epic from start to finish. It obviously adapted a very major arc, so the story by nature has to chart a new direction from here. I haven’t read enough of the source material to know what’s coming but I trust Hara at this stage – I expect this season to deliver an appealing mix of grand spectacle and personal drama just as the series always seems to.

It’s rare to see a seinen achieve the levels of popularity Kingdom has, but pound for pound it’s the demographic that seems to have the highest batting average in terms of quality anime adaptations. I think action series that straddle the line between seinen and shounen – Hunter X Hunter also springs to mind – often hit it big because they’re filling a niche that fans want to see filled.

Preview by Choya

The Akane Clan is an all-girls ninja collective who isolates from society and adheres to one specific rule that forbids the young kunoichi in training from interacting with men. Kunoichi Tsubaki (Natsuyoshi Yuuko), the leader of the Dog Squad, has plenty of potential as the best trainee in her academy. But her promising future is constantly placed on the line when she starts to experience a strange feeling in her heart when boys and men are brought up. Because she struggles with a secret that she can’t talk about, she has to keep her curiosities under wraps as she has to maneuver through her daily routine without anyone finding out about her secret interest. In this ninja slice-of-life, Tsubaki will have to carefully conceal and suppress her interest to avoid letting her curiosity for men get the better of her.

It’s easy to be skeptical about this one. Given that the premise is about an isolationist group of young girls who secretly pine for men, it sounds dangerously familiar to the guilty pleasure ecchi ninja comedies of the early 2010s. But this particular story has one secret weapon after the next. Knowing that this is from Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san’s author Yamamoto Souichirou gave me a sigh of relief because if it’s anything like Takagi-san, I can imagine it being a cuter, more innocuous kind of story where the fun comes from the awkwardness Tsubaki has to face as she keeps her one big secret. On top of this, we’re getting more songs from the peggies, which is always a treat no matter the circumstances. When Kunoichi Tsubaki no Mune no Uchi shadow clone jutsu’s its way into spring, I’m cautiously optimistic about it being a surprise hit that nobody would see coming, much like the shinobi of yore.

Preview by Choya

On the surface, Shikimori (Oonishi Saori) is cute, sweet, and very fun to be around. Around others, she would appear to be the perfect girlfriend to Izumi (Umeda Shuuichirou), an upbeat, friendly boy who is, unfortunately, unassertive and unlucky. But when Izumi’s bad luck rears its head, something in Shikimori changes; her cool dark side manifests! Her glare sharpens and her reflexes kick in as she regularly rescues Izumi from a number of dangerous situations. Luckily enough for the boy with bad luck, Izumi absolutely loves her confidence, poise, and stern approach towards his mishaps. As they navigate through their everyday high school lives as a couple, Izumi aspires to be as bold and confident as Shikimori while Shikimori hopes to motivate Izumi to be more assertive while strengthening her own personal weaknesses.

2022’s greatest accomplishment so far has been providing anime fans with a de facto seasonal waifu. Last season’s Kitagawa Marin was near inescapable, so Shikimori has some heavy competition. However, if there’s something Shikimori has going for her, it’s that she has a little more edge to her than your standard manic pixie dream waifu who just so happens to have the same exact degenerative hobbies that you do. At the same time, Shikimori seems like a multi-faceted character who isn’t afraid to let her guard down around her boyfriend or shift between her two separate emotional states. Hopefully, it’s able to pick up a positive amount of momentum when it makes its way towards the spring season.

Preview by Choya

A common problem in fantasy worlds is maxing out only one particular trait in a wide skill set. Karla (Oonishi Aguri) is a cute dark elf cleric who shares this exact problem as the healer for the novice warrior Alvin (Satou Takuya). Yes, her abilities as a healer aren’t too shabby, but because she maxed out her Taunt skills, her gut reaction to any problem is causing emotional damage for the warrior whose wits are sharper than his blade. The investment she made in her Taunt skills causes her to come up with one insult after another as she mocks Alvin for desperately begging for any kind of assistance. Will it be possible for Alvin to put up with Karla’s increasingly mean insults as he puts up with her antics, or will Karla’s insults prove to be more hazardous for the warrior than any of the enemies he’ll have to face along the way?

Fantasy comedies tend to get a bad rep for wanting to have their cake and eat it too. We’ll have a comedic premise that serves no other purpose but to give personality to yet another series of fights against the Demon Lord’s army. But with Kono Healer, Mendokusai, it at least seems more committed to being a comedy given the “water and oil” relationship between Alvin and Karla where they both play off of each other because of their dramatic differences. Where Alvin tries to make it in a difficult world where even his healer Karla is at odds with him. It helps that Karla is adorable, making it all the more difficult to be mad at her for being as smug and destructive as she can be. This season, look forward to finding out if emotional scars are as easy to heal as physical ones.

Preview by Pancakes

In the near-future Japan is a beaten state. Slowly subsumed and broken into several militarized economic zones under the exclusive control of various foreign powers, the islands have become a hot zone of geopolitical rivalry, intrigue, and competition. With AMAIM, humanoid mechas, dominating the field and simplifying the act of occupation, kids like Shiiba Amou (Satou Gen) have known nothing but brutal oppression. At least until they decide to make a stand. After getting caught secretly assembling an AMAIM for the hell of it, Amou winds up joining the Japanese resistance, and together with the autonomous AI Gai seeks to free Japan from its foreign invaders. No war is ever easy, however, and while Amou and his friends have found some success, plenty of road yet remains to travel before Japan can be called free.

It’s honestly difficult not feeling some sorrow for Kyoukai Senki. A brand-new Sunrise mecha franchise (and from the Xebec team to boot), a story which effectively meshes Gundam and Code Geass into one, and some very nifty and unique mecha designs to drool over: it seemingly had everything. At least until those first few episodes. In short execution and derivation really dragged this series’ first season down, with bland characters, annoying mascots (oh the mascots), and blunt forced developments (particularly political ones) affecting an otherwise “normal” mecha story. To Kyoukai Senki’s credit its latter half did start picking up as the intrigue began outweighing the negatives, but it’s frankly anyone’s guess how well the second half here will make up for all the faceplants in the first. Don’t expect much to change opinions this season if the first wasn’t up your alley, but if you’re like me and have stuck around this long it’s certainly worth considering checking out part two to see just where Kyoukai Senki’s developments are all leading to.

Preview by Zaiden

Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen—or Ascendance of a Bookworm as it’s known in English—follows the journey of Mein (Iguchi Yuka) and her insane passion to recreate her favorite object in the world: books. However, after being reincarnated in a fantasy-like world as a young child to a family with a less-than-stellar financial status, it was near impossible to even find something resembling a book. Not one to let obstacles stop her, with a little bit of luck Mein was able to recall all of her memories as an adult during her time as Motosu Urano in a world just like ours, the first season began with Main’s various failures and successes at creating paper as her first step in accessing books and spreading their joys among the populace. In the second season, after being able to create something resembling paper, Mein moves onto the next step – creating a way to press ink into said paper. Along the way, while we get a close look at the medieval fantasy world Mein lives in and the wonderful communities she’s involved in, it comes with a side offering of aristocratic and religious headaches too. Mein’s endeavours to bring literacy rates and books to the wider populace won’t be a straightforward task. But heart unwavering, it’s hard not to root for her as she ploughs unceasingly towards her ultimate goal.

To be completely honest, I haven’t been watching much anime as of late. But one show I most certainly will be watching next season will be the third instalment of Honzuki no Gekokujou. Isekais with a female protagonist that aren’t about some reincarnated villainess are quite rare. Mein’s feverishly bookish quirks make her stand out, and her female perspective as well as approaches to resolving problems are a breath of fresh air. And while she is born into a body that contains a huge amount of magical energy, this is actually a huge problem that could end up killing her. If memory serves me correct, Mein successfully transforms the Church’s travesty of an orphanage – where children were not clothed and starving to death – into the fundamental cornerstone of her industrial plans to bring the printing technologies into this world. However, with church politics flaring up in an exceedingly ugly way, how exactly can she navigate her past malicious influences? I will probably write a post to help refresh some memories. But if you have never experienced the franchise before, I would encourage anybody to try three episodes of this wonderful premise.

Preview by Guardian Enzo

There are plenty of reasons to be intrigued by Summertime Render – interesting premise, wonderful PV, two cours for a finished manga. But the headline is certainly Watanabe Ayumu. Anytime one of the deans of anime direction both TV and theatrical is attached, you pay attention. There are limits to what a director can do with adapted material – Watanabe’s flair wasn’t enough to mask Komi Can’t Communicate’s ginormous flaws, for example. But he’s one of the best, and when he’s at the helm of a quirky property like this, it’s of considerable interest to me.

Summertime Render is the story of a young man who as an orphaned child lived with two sisters, one of whom drowned under mysterious (to him) circumstances. There are apparently some supernatural elements to this but it seems to be mainly a mystery and character drama. The source manga is quite well-regarded if not unreservedly beloved, for what that’s worth. 13 volumes for 25 episodes sounds about doable, and my hope is that Watanabe agreed to direct because he finds the material to be sufficiently interesting.

The staff and cast are very experienced (though I could do without yet another lead role for the eponymous Hanae Natsuki), and OLM is a studio capable of very solid production values if they have the time and budget. Did they? I guess we’ll find out soon enough, but Watanabe’s presence suggests this is a project that was given some priority. Largely an unknown for me, but certainly one of the more compelling prospects this season.

Preview by Choya

Umino Nagi (Ishikawa Kaito) is a second-year overachiever at Meguro River Academy high school who was switched at birth. He was just about to meet his wealthy birth parents, but when he stumbles across the brash social media celebrity Amano Erika (Kitou Akari), she takes it upon herself to designate Nagi as her fake boyfriend to avoid an arranged marriage. But when he makes it to his dinner meet-up, his parents decided to resolve the hospital switch by having him marry the daughter his birth parents raised. The only problem is that the child they raised winds up being none other than Amano Erika. With Nagi being pushed away from his true crush to marry into his own family and Erika being pushed to marry her parent’s son and forced to transfer into his school, things are about to get messier for a couple of cuckoos like these guys!

Known by some as A Couple of Cuckoos, this series has quite the reputation as the first volume flew off of shelves with ease when it came out. It’s easy to see why since it streamlines many of the tropes that appear in currently popular romantic comedies like Nisekoi and Go-Toubun no Hanayome. In fact, it’s hard not to compare the synopsis to Nisekoi’s since they both carry over the idea of working within the confines of an arranged marriage between two mismatched teens. But while some might see this as chasing popular trends, the best way to think about it is getting more out of the initial concept, considering how mangaka Yoshikawa Miki accomplished this much with the fun, quirky Yamada-kun to Nananin no Majo. With this in mind, I have a good feeling about Kakkou no Iinazuke being a nice, stand-out rom-com when it arrives this spring.

Preview by Choya

Yuzuki Shidou is a second-year high school student who spends her days listlessly trying to find things to do. On top of that, she’s constantly pushed to the brink by her parents, who always tell her that she only needs to concern herself with studying. One day, a fairy named Buruburu suddenly appears before her, throwing a wrench in her daily life. As Buruburu teaches her how to find and fulfill her dreams, Shidou is also instilled with valuable information to help make others around her happy. Follow Shidou in this CG anime as she not only regains her confidence and helps those around her, but also finds hints towards a road map leading to a prosperous, happy future.

There isn’t too much that can be said about Joshikousei to Mahou no Note aside from some polite optimism. It aspires to be on the same level as many of the quality CG you’d see in the Resident Evil animated movies, but on the smaller scale of a short slice-of-life book adaptation. That alone should be an interesting draw-in since CG is usually used to capture more intense premises than spreading happiness and yearning for the future through the power of a cutesy dream fairy. With only a scant idea of what the story would entail and who is involved beyond being one of the first major projects of CG studio Noovo and originating from a book series written by Kyoto Kakutani, the president of the Kyoto-based health supplement company Wakasa Seikatsu, we can only hope that Joshikousei to Mahou no Note will be a pleasing, feel-good experience when it arrives in the spring.

Preview by Choya

We’ve finally reached a point where humans and Japanese oni can peacefully coexist. Isn’t that exciting!? Well, hold onto your pantsu, because things are never that easy. There’s still a stigma attached to oni that can’t be easily erased through times of peace. That’s why three oni girls will take it upon themselves to transform into humans through the help of magical underpants. As humans, the demon girls transfer into a normal Tokyo school where they strive to set the record straight on the misconstrued image people have of oni. Sometimes, they jump headfirst into school events; other times, they become idols. But most importantly, they place themselves in the spotlight to revitalize their hometown and show humans that oni have come a long way from the times when they were at their most fearsome.

Wit Studio has quite a unique show on their hands with this anime about oni girls interacting with humans in a world where they live in harmony to some extent. While the “pantsu” aspects will likely influence whether you think this is worthwhile or not, I have a sense of cautious optimism about any original anime out there. From the looks of it, I’d imagine much of the content will be a hodge-podge of many tropes that you might’ve seen in other cutesy “save our town” anime such as forming a local idol group or setting up for a culture festival. But while we’re often dealing with podunk rural towns with one regional delight in these kinds of stories, it’s fascinating to see one about a group of oni who are trying to dispel any misconstrued notions of what oni are up to in a world where there is still coexistence between them and humans. It feels like a neater objective for cute girls to do cute things for the sake of combating prejudice.