Category: Season Preview

Ah, spring is here! Well, it is down here in Australia anyway, where the weather is heating up and the sooty smell of bushfire is already in the air. Fun. In animeland, though, it’s autumn, the season of food and plenty, so accordingly we have a fresh crop of shows ready for harvest. The seeds of sequels sown sooner have since seen sprout, giving us six more episodes of the singular FLCL, a third season of the seminal To Aru Majutsu no Index, and an insane 4-cour streak of Sword Art Online. Still starving for serials? Then Fairy Tale, Tokyo Ghoul, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure all serve second (or more) seasons. But if you’re sick to your stomach of the same script, you should seek special stimulation. The least straightforward shows of any season are the originals, and Fall 2018 has several across the spectrum, from P.A. Work’s supernatural slice-of-life Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara to the hard science-fiction of RErideD to… whatever Release the Spyce supposes to screen. But enough of this silliness. As always, our crack team of animethusiasts have taste-tested all of this season’s offerings and are waiting to provide you with samples and suggestions for your informed viewing pleasure. This is Random Curiosity’s Fall 2018 Preview.

After a scorcher of a spring (and an unusual delay in the previewing process—sorry about that), the summer season is looking down right sleepy. Are anime studios trying to get people to go out into the sticky Tokyo summers? Those monsters! Fortunately there are a few stars lurking amid the sleepers, which means outside activity will not be required. Some of the biggest headliners are hotly-anticipated sequels, from the split-cour continuation of the lich conquering hero protagonist of Overlord III, the return of the glistening swimming boys of Free! -Dive to the Future-, the final season of Gintama, and the third season of the world-shattering hit Shingeki no Kyojin. There are plenty of promising new adaptations as well, such as the crime thriller set in 1980s New York City BANANA FISH, adaptations of the acclaimed Front Wing visual novel ISLAND, the supernatural comedy romance Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, and a look at the more, uh, dedicated side of love with Happy Sugar Life. There are fewer originals, but I’m keeping my eye on several, including the absolutely bonkers Planet With, a supernatural stint with pretty boys in London in Phantom in the Twilight, and the other anime with jaegers and vampires by the name of Sirius the Jaeger. There’s always more anime to watch, so join us as we tell you all about it. This is the Random Curiosity Summer 2018 Preview!

March is said to go out like a lamb, but the next season of anime apparently never got the memo. After several strong showings we are looking at one of the most stacked springs in years, as the hotly anticipated sequels for Shokugeki no Souma and Boku no Hero Academia are accompanied by the return of Tokyo Ghoul, the wildly successful visual novel adaptation Steins;Gate, and incredibly surprising—but no less hyped—continuations of Full Metal Panic, WIXOSS, Amanchu, the ever popular harem High School DxD, and fighting anime’s star Souten no Ken. Not to be outdone are the latest adaptations for Sword Art Online and the Persona series, and even a remake for one of anime’s most influential OVAs in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Plus, if we weren’t spoiled enough for choice already (hint: we aren’t), there’s a slew of promising newcomers, from the violent magical girl series Mahou Shoujo Site to the psychic comedy Hinamatsuri, the quirky monster family slice of life Jikken-hin Kazoku, and the latest otaku romance in Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii. Spring has never looked stronger, and we are here to tell you all about it. This is the Random Curiosity Spring 2018 Preview!

Now that Christmas is over, and all the kawaii bishoujo and suteki bishounen are finished with their Kurisumasu daitos, it’s time to talk about the next season of anime! This has all the makings of a terrific season, starting with a bunch of high-caliber adaptations, including Japan’s Lord of the Rings from the Record of Lodoss War guy Grancrest Senki, KyoAni’s hotly anticipated automaton assistants in Violet Evergarden, the no less anticipated humanoid android drama BEATLESS, and another spin of the servant battling wheel (with a twist!) in Fate/EXTRA Last Encore. The sequels are no slouches either, which includes such favorites as the bicycle speedsters of Yowamushi Pedal GLORY LINE, the shounen battlers of Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu, the dark lich lord of Overlord II, and, wonder of wonders, after twenty years, a sequel to one of the defining magical girl series with Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Hen. If that wasn’t enough, there are a smattering of originals as well, most notably Trigger’s newest sci-fi exploration Darling in the Franxx. There are a ton of promising series getting ready to air, so let us tell you about all of them. This is Random Curiosity’s Winter 2018 Preview!

With the temperature dropping (finally), it can only mean one thing: it’s time for the fall season of anime! And when a new season starts, it can only mean one thing: it’s time for Random Curiosity’s Fall 2017 Preview! The preview that tries its best to find the gems of the season while giving you ample information to make an informed decision on what to spend your valuable time on. This season is chock full of sequels as well as your typical fare of 4-komas, romances, idol shows, and romcoms. And if you thought I was joking about sequels (or continuations, I don’t discriminate), we have Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2, 3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season, Osomatsu-san 2, and Himouto! Umaru-chan R just to name a few. Alongside all of those we also have an adaptation of a prequel (and sequel) to the popular “hero” show Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru, an adorable slice-of-life that combines anime-tropes with maid cafes in Blend S, a painfully accurate description of a point in time most if not all online gamers experience in Netojuu no Susume, and last but not least the return of our guilty pleasure cooking show Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara. Overall, not too shabby of a season, even if it is a little heavy on the sequels.

It’s summertime! You know what that means, right? Sun, surf, fizzy drinks on the beach, and a brand new season of anime! (Note: RandomC does not promise readers sun, surf, or fizzy drinks. You’re on your own there.) There are a ton of new adaptations this season, including the high-stakes school gambling drama Kakegurui, an adventure in the mysterious depths of Made in Abyss, a historical grand epic set in fantasy-Ottoman Empire with Shoukoku no Altair, and I’d better stop because I could go on for a while. Of course there’s also Fate/Apocrypha, the next entry in the Fate series and something between a sequel, a spin-off, and an adaptation. We all know we’ll be watching it anyway. Speaking of sequels, they’re uncharacteristically light this season, though we are getting more moe work drama in NEW GAME!!, another season of the over-the-top music/battle series Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ, and the return of old stalwarts like Saiyuuki RELOAD BLAST and Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi no Togi. Originals are in much the same boat, though I’ve got my eye on a few of them, such as the running-and-gunning espionage thriller Princess Principal and the Stan Lee-produced superhero action of The Reflection. In every season there are gems to be found, and it’s our job to suss them out for you. This is Random Curiosity’s Summer 2017 Preview!

06/28: Added Mahoujin Guru Guru to the season preview line-up!

Every three months we hear comments about how each season is filled with more sequels, and about the lack of originality and how anime is just going downhill. Well it’s about time that anime comes back in full force with something for everyone, which it is as we welcome back spring! Spring has traditionally been known as a good season for anime, and this year is no exception. We’re not just getting any ol’ sequels, but sequels to the best anime from 2013: Shingeki no Kyojin and Uchouten Kazoku! Along with these chart-toppers are several classics like Naruto sequel Boruto and Natsume Yuujin-chou. And it doesn’t end there. We also welcome back recent favorites like Boku no Hero Academia and Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, as well as new adaptations from Kabukibu! and Clockwork Planet. There’s no denying it, I’m super hyped up for this season, and you probably are as well, so let’s just see jump straight into the preview.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the anime is so delightful. Or hopefully it is, which is what we’re here to find out. This season features some strong sequels, including the long-awaited return of the exorcist battle anime Ao no Exorcist, another hilarious adventure with the dysfunctional goofballs of Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, a new generation in Yowamushi Pedal, and a second season of the universally lauded Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. Not to be outdone, there are new adaptations of several promising properties, including the cop/spy/bureaucratic drama ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka, the Seo Kouji 100% certified ragefest adaptation of Fuuka, the classic salesman-transformed-into-magic-loli war story (haven’t we seen that a million times) Youjo Senki, and a period property you’re probably unfamiliar with, but which Japan has been gobbling up for years in Onihei. There are only a few originals airing this season, but standing tall among them are the first full season (finally!) of Little Witch Academia and the spiritual successor (hopefully) to Amagami SS in Seiren. There’s more where those came from, so let’s get on with it so you can figure out what to watch. This is Random Curiosity’s Winter 2017 Preview!