Preview by Guardian Enzo

Editor’s Note: Premieres early through Funimation and bilibili broadcast. Regular release scheduled for winter 2022.

Heike Monogatari wasn’t even announced until after the first draft of my season preview was written. But in one fell swoop it transformed the intrigue level of what looked like a pretty dull season. There are so many interesting angles attached to this story that it’s hard to know where to begin. You have a series streaming on Funimation before it airs in Japan (though it will stream locally this season too). There’s the recent controversy regarding overwork and animator abuse at Science SARU, which this announcement only seems to exacerbate. And there’s director Yamada Naoko, a Kyoto Animation legend, leaving that hollowed studio to work with a new one.

It’s that last angle which has commanded the most attention, unsurprisingly. But as big a story as that is, for me the headline is Heike Monogatari itself, because this greatest of the Japanese classics is a story which I hold in the highest possible esteem.

Maybe a year ago I tweeted my puzzlement that this gripping saga that’s such a part of Japanese culture had never received a proper adaptation in anime or even manga form. The Tale of the Heike is a collection of oral fables, passed down by the (usually blind) Biwa Houshi monastic storytellers, chronicling the Genpei War between the Taira (Heike is another reading for the Kanji) and Minamoto clans. Cast as Buddhist parables, these stories were told as musical chants by the monks for decades before being compiled in written form in the 14th Century.

That’s all well and good. And make no mistake, this anime has a very strong staff – in addition to Yamada, the venerable Yoshida Reiko is writing the scripts. My worry – as it always was whenever I thought about this day – is that rather that a proper adaptation we’d get an “inspired by” series. And that looks like what this show is – its central conceit a completely original character (a little girl – historically all the Biwa Houshi were men) and subplot to tie the tales together. Frankly, Heike Monogatari doesn’t need any of that – it’s a magnificent and heartbreaking work that deserves at least one faithful anime adaptation.

This series doesn’t look like it, and that makes me very sad. It may in fact end up being great, but when you contemporize this of all works to appeal to a modern audience, I go in with a significant level of skepticism – I can think of few stories less in need of it. But that is what it is, and whatever this show turns out to be, it’s the closest thing Heike Monogatari has ever gotten to a real adaptation. That makes it the most interesting new anime prospect in a long time, one with a gaping chasm between floor and ceiling that few prospects have ever been able to match.

Preview by Gabie

フォースと共にあらんことを! Foosu to tomo ni aran koto o! Over forty years ago, a young George Lucas found marvel and fascination in the world of Kurosawa Akira and the History of the Samurai. And from a rich compost of inspirations and ideas, the space opera Star Wars was born. In the following years, thousands and thousands of fans, from all over the world would carry in their hearts the journey of the Skywalkers and some would even create works of their own. Since George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, there’s been mixed reactions to the expansion of the cinematic universe, and with reason, the last trilogy was pretty awful–but thanks to guys like Dave Filoni and Jon Fraveau, not all hope was lost. So imagine the collective surprise when they announced an anime series, then double that with the list of studios involved with the project and a mindblowing PV.

The series consists of nine short films produced by six prominent studios: Kamikaze Douga (The Duel), Twin Engine/Geno Studio (Lop and Ochō), Twin Engine/Studio Colorido (Tatooine Rhapsody), Trigger (The Twins & The Elder), Kinema Citrus (The Village Bride), Science SARU (Akakiri & T0-B1) and Production I.G (The Ninth Jedi). Part of what makes this project seem like it’ll be a hit is how much love the actual studios hold for the Star Wars lore and universe, how much each director has been personally inspired. The fact that they were given a wide creative berth to explore their own ideas certainly rings all the right bells. Star Wars: Visions is a much anticipated adaptation and it can set an amazing precedent for our fandom.

Preview by Guardian Enzo

Editor’s Note: Premieres early through Netflix Japan. Regular airing via TBS at listed time starting on October 1st.

There are no sure things in manga adaptation, but Blue Period comes about as close as any. Yamaguchi Tsubasa’s manga is almost universally praised, and with good reason. The story of a “normal” kid who longs to find an outlet for who he really is and does so in art, Blue Period touches on many themes with intelligence and subtlety. I love good stories about the creative process, and this definitely qualifies as one. In general the number of seinen adaptations we get these days is depressingly small – when it comes to the demographics elite works, evern smaller. Blue Period getting an adaptation is against the run of play, to be sure.

I wish Blue Period had been paired with a truly great anime director, but in Masunari Koji it has a very good one with a wealth of experience. And writer Yoshida Reiko is one of the surest hands in the trade. Together that should be all it needs to soar, really. The only caveats – as is so often the case – are the series’ length, and the fact that this adaptation comes quite early (the manga has 10 volumes though, so I’m not crazy worried about that). A one-cour adaptation would only give the merest teaser of how good this series is, and as with any ongoing series even it gets two cours it has to deal with the matter of a stopping point. In the end, though, it would be a surprise if Blue Period isn’t fall’s best new series.

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

The fourth part of the iconic Baki series is on its way to Netflix! This next installment of everyone’s favorite grappling anime is back, this time taking place in the USA’s “Black Pentagon” in Arizona, an exclusive prison to the most dangerous criminals in America. Baki Hanma (Nobunaga Shimazaki) has now reached a level of power and technique to rival his father, the strongest creature on Earth, Yuujiro Hanma (Akia Ootsuka). However, he decides to get one level stronger before taking on his father, willingly imprisoning himself in the Black Pentagon where he will go up against the most extraordinary fighters in the country. Baki will need to summon his strength and harness his abilities in order to reach the final boss, Biscuit Oliva (Houchuu Ootsuka) who goes by the title of “Mr. Unchained.” Based on Mr. Universe and three-time Mr. Olympia Sergio Oliva, Mr. Unchained is a US assassin who once crossed paths with the legendary Yuujito Hanma. Indeed, he is hyped up to be Baki’s toughest opponent yet, possessing an iron body of muscle that is believed to be invulnerable to anything.

Once again brought to you by TMS Entertainment, this season is sure to bring all the explosive punching, kicking, and grappling we all know and love. Indeed the UFC of anime, Baki promises fight sequences and choreography that any fan of mixed martial arts can appreciate and get onboard with. The journey to becoming the best continues with this latest iteration of the franchise, and the opponents at hand are stronger, meaner, and wackier than ever! There’s no doubt that it’s going to be the fighting anime of the season, so definitely keep an eye out for this iconic series during your next Netflix and chill session. Now with the plot thickening and that final showdown between father and son fast approaching, there has never been a better time to get on the Baki train than this anime season.

Preview by Pancakes

For the residents of Ixia life couldn’t be better. All whims taken care of, nary a threat in sight, it’s absolute perfection – and also a false front. In truth Ixia is a shelter, one of humanity’s few remaining refuges after the extraterrestrial Dracter came from space, eradicated over 99% of the human race, and proceeded to drill a massive hole into the Earth and terraform it to suit their needs. The denizens of Ixia have had their minds wiped to forget this past, except for a cadre of “Chosen Ones”, Ixians selected to learn the truth and fight to keep their homes safe and sound. Each Chosen One is trained to fight the Dracter in giant machines called Rogues, and today, after a prolonged period of delay, a new Chosen One is finally set to make their appearance.

Well, I have no idea what we did to deserve so much mecha at once, but I shall gladly take it all. Unlike fellow season-mate Kyoukai Senki, MkM is your post-apocalypse take on the genre: mix equal parts TTGL and Franxx, throw in some Space Battleship Yamato for thematic spice, and darling you’ve got your adventure set. Or in other words, everything you’ve seen (and either love or hate) before, just now in a brand-new wrapping. The main caveat here will be the intended tone; while ostensibly dark in outlook, MkM is also the latest pet project of Level-5’s Hino Akihiro (Danball Senki, Inazuma Eleven) best known for his work on children’s series and games. It’s not to say MkM won’t tilt towards more mature themes and audiences of course, but it’s probably best thinking this will trend more kid-friendly Gundam than Evangelion for the moment. It’s anyone’s guess just what kind of show we get here in the end, but at minimum MkM is one series mecha and sci-fi fans will want to firmly keep on their autumn radar.

Preview by Choya

“Selection Project” is a national show that gives girls across Japan the opportunity to break into the idol industry. One of the show’s success stories is legendary idol Akari Amazawa (Hayami Saori), whose singing voice gave Suzune Miyama (Yano Hinaki) the strength to audition. Although Suzune has spent most of her childhood sick and weak, she is inspired to follow in Akari’s footsteps. In her last summer of junior high, she decides to challenge the “Selection Project” alongside a number of other hopeful girls. Of the thousands of candidates who all have strong emotions, accumulated efforts, and extraordinary charm only nine are selected. Now, the hot and harsh “Audition Battle” of the girls begins to make their dreams come true.

Kadokawa’s Idol x Audition x Reality Show multimedia project gave us a taste of what’s to come with the manga adaptation that began in July 2021. But one detail that makes Selection Project potentially worthwhile is the involvement of studio Doga Kobo. Their penchant for creating entertaining slice-of-life anime makes them an interesting, promising choice to develop an idol anime. Director Hiramaki Daisuke also has a solid record with Doga Kobo as the head of two comfy anime that thrive on their cozy atmosphere and their light pastel art style. Although the premise is pretty straightforward, it should be neat to see whether this will be an enjoyable show about the girls giving it their all or an intense drama that encapsulates the pressure it takes to push yourself to the very top. In either case, Selection Project aims to dazzle your screens when it arrives this Fall.

Preview by Zaiden

Isekai Shokudou is a series of individual stories of unique patrons at an unassuming Japanese eatery that has a hidden surprise up its sleeve. Because I wouldn’t be able to put it better myself, here’s how Passerby painted the scene back in the days. With a respectable fifty-year history, Nekoya has garnered a steady clientèle of office workers looking for affordable and appetising food. There, at the glazed oak tables amid the dim mood lighting, you can indulge in dinner with class, open a bottle from the chef’s personal cellar, and have a pleasant chat with the friendly staff. If you visit on a Saturday, though, Nekoya’s door will not open. It’s closed for business. But rumour has it that Nekoya still serves on those days, just to a different set of customers. For the restaurant sits not only on the corner of the shopping district, but on the corner between worlds. And on Saturdays Nekoya prepares a special menu—for diners from lands beyond imagination, from all walks of life, each with their own story to tell.

Season 1 ended on a huge plot twist. Turns out we were actually experiencing a reverse isekai all along with the Head Chef of Nekoya, Tenshuu (Suwabe Junichi), actually being the grandson of the Legendary Hero who people believed had died in the final battle against the Demon King. Only she actually got teleported to Earth where she settled down, lived out a normal life and presided as matron over a wonderful family. When I blogged this show, every item of food in every episode looked tantalisingly delicious. Sure, the animation might have been stilted at times and people shouldn’t expect anything too exciting. But Silver Link put up a weekly fare of comfy food that was consistently uplifting and enjoyable to the point I was inspired to improve my cooking. With the same director and multiple animation staff making their return, I expect a similar product to before and look forwards to resuming my weekly cooking traditions once more when I take up the reins for Season 2.

Preview by FJ Freeman

Based on and around the city of Tajimi, located in the south part of the Gifu Prefecture a short distance away from Nagoya. A region most famous for its pottery produce and ceramic art foundations tailored around sculptures using Mino earthenware. The abundance of this mineral has made Tajimi the exact location where people come to try their hand at making pottery. Toyokawa Himeno (Tanaka Minami) moves to a shopping district within Tajimi and is quickly swept to a new world of Mino earthenware. She makes friends along the way and meets the townsfolk, making buddies with them and taking her sweet time, learning about the culture and appreciating the regional pottery that molds Tajimi’s history of rich ceramic arts.

Himeno’s dad named Tokishirou Toyokawa (Ishikawa Kaito) runs a coffee shop where they serve drinks in cute homemade mugs, either made by the locals or the shop owners themselves. Consequently, Himeno attends her mom’s alma mater and very quickly joins the same club. The colorful cast of characters that appear around her brings life and piquancy to the series. There’s Aoki Tooko (Honizumi Rina), the silent leader of the group, Kukri Mika (Serizawa Yuu), the resident genki-girl who likes cute stuff and sweets, and Naruse Naoko (Wakai Yuuki) who serves as the supporting friend.

Sure this anime falls within the very familiar trend of creating anime just to promote tourism within a certain region of Japan, that brings life and culture to the city. The anime has a companion live-action show where the Seiju’s visit a certain coffee place featured prominently in the anime and try out sweets or other delicacies. At the same time, the voice actors are invited to try their hand at pottery. But its firm position as a daily life school show is what sets the program apart from the other tourist traps anime. the presence of the other girls keeps the show grounded and ultimately helps it be both an informative display about Tajimi and a fun slice-of-life about girls that just want to make pottery.

Preview by Gabie

Fans of the Yuuki Yuuna series rejoice in their confusion as the third installment of the series hits the screens this fall. After the Hero Arc, when the story reached a satisfactory conclusion, there no longer seemed to be any more tales to tell, but alas! The lovely ladies of Sanshu Middle School’s Hero Club are back in business for some more… Suffering? An epilogue of sorts? Perhaps a mix of both? Fans will have to embark on this new journey to find out. For newcomers with an interest in boarding this ship, the Yuuki Yuuna series follows the lives of Mahou Shoujo who split their lives fighting evil forces, doing kid shows and school. I have not personally seen much of the series, but fans certainly love and adore how it mixes Slice of Life elements with the magical action.

Back in this new production are returning director Kishi Seiji (Asobi Asobase), writer Uezu Makoto (Konosuba), BUNBUN (Sword Art Online series) with original character design, and Okabe Keiichi’s studio MONACA with the musical score, all previously involved with the Yuuki Yuuna series. Hopefully this continuation will be a positive addition to the lore!

Preview by Choya

After years of being separated and being cast into the modern era, Sesshomaru’s daughter Towa (Matsumoto Sara) is reuinted with her sister Setsuna (Komatsu Mikako). The reunion is bittersweet though as Setsuna’s memories of her past were taken from her, kicking off the sisters’ quest to regain her long-forgotten past. They are joined by Inuyasha’s daughter Moroha (Tadokoro Azusa), a spunky scavenger who helps the two find resources and bounties to fight along the way. The last season ended with Towa and Moroha kick-starting their new journey without Setsuna, but with Season 02 on the horizon, perhaps there will be a possibility of seeing more of Setsuna in the future.

The kindest thing you could say about Yashahime is that it helped extend the olive branch towards newer, younger viewers who would be entertained by the adventures of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha’s daughters. For newbies, it provides them with a rollicking adventure alongside a cast of strong, energetic girls as they journey across the feudal era. Older fans will have a harder time swallowing many of the decisions the show made towards altering the source material so that Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru are as distant as can be. Because the material you’re getting with Yashahime is firmly skewed towards a younger demographic, the tone of the show steers towards Saturday morning cartoon territory with its embrace of campier villains and a cheerier atmosphere. It might not be the InuYasha sequel that fans were clamoring for, but if you take callbacks to the older series with a grain of salt and embrace some of the fanservice from the old InuYasha, Yashahime’s second season should be an entertaining action show to give a spin if you’re looking for some early morning demon-slaying.

Preview by Zephyr

Following its well-received debut in spring 2021, Eighty Six returns for a second go around with A-1 Pictures at the helm and the cast and staff reprising their roles once more. The series focuses on an ongoing “bloodless war” between the unmanned weapons of the Republic of San Magnolia and autonomous Legion of the Giadian Empire. Hidden behind the propaganda is the truth that the Republic’s weapons are actually piloted by people known as the “Eighty Six”. Composed of immigrants and those different from the silver haired Alba’s leading the Republic, they became scapegoats early in the conflict and were ostracized. Now interned in a secret eighty sixth district outside the protective walls of the Republic, they are treated as less than human and forced to fight. The first season saw the arrival of Major Vladilena Milize (Ikumi Hasegawa) as the newest remote handler of the Spearhead Squadron, led by Shin the “Undertaker” (Chiba Shouya). Following a series of successful sorties and the squad’s imminent release from the military due to days served, Spearhead Squadron is suddenly given a special order to traverse deep into Legion controlled territory. The second season will reveal the fate of the Spearhead Squadron as they bid farewell to the Major and embark on what could be their final operation.

Having written the preview for the series’ first season, I’m glad to say that Eighty Six ended up meeting the expectations I had for it. The series was a shining example of how a faithful adaptation should be done, with great care taken to ensure that virtually everything from the light novel’s first volume carried over with little alteration. What resulted was an emotional rollercoaster powered by better than expected CG, great action scenes, a superb soundtrack by Sawano Hiroyuki, and just enough downtime to get you invested in the characters. Ending the first season on the cliffhanger was unfortunate, but the fact that many are eager to see how things end up shows just how well the series drew in its viewers, and if my quick glimpse into the light novel’s second volume is any indication—the series will only continue to impress. With the same cast, staff, and studio returning, Eighty Six’s second season is an easy recommendation if you’re into military Sci-Fi dramas or just want an above average series to watch in general.

Preview by Gabie

Last night a DJ saved my life with a song! Welcome to Neo San Francisco, lovechild. In this sparkling city you gotta listen up to your local DJ, you better hear what he’s got to say. Kind-hearted newcomer Muteki does just that and finds himself thrust into the role of the dancing hero Muteking, to save this beautiful city from the threat of alien monsters! Muteki and his friend and sidekick DJ fight with groove and melody, but unbeknownst to them, a much darker threat lurks in the shadows, hidden away from the bright lights. What perils await humanity? Can these heroes prevent calamity from striking?!

Directed by oldtimers Takahashi Ryousuke and Sasagawa Hiroshi, MUTEKING THE Dancing HERO’s stage was inspired by 80’s San Francisco and features Mashiro Kentarou as Muteki (in his second role) and Eguchi Takuya as DJ. The show promises a colorful and very musical adventure with a touch of humorous growth and camaraderie. In a joint production between Victor Entertainment and upcoming Smile Company, it sounds intriguing and charming enough to give it a go.

Preview by FJ Freeman

It’s the near future, new technology has been developed that functions only on social media, and rumors have been circulating around the SNS that strange phenomena of unknown authenticity termed Hologram Ghosts. First-year junior high school student Hiro Amanokawa (Tamura Mutsumi) one day suddenly activates a mysterious device left by his father called a Digivice, resulting in an unknown creature appearing that can’t be seen by the normal person. A Digimon named Gammamon (Sawashiro Miyuki). Since that fateful day Hiro met his companion Digimon life has never been the same. Suddenly a mouth-stitched man appears with an MO to steal human time. There’s also a mysterious “Mummy Man” who wanders around every night kidnapping people. Believed to be Hologram Ghosts, these people are a danger to everyone, and only Hiro, Gammamon, and Digimon can stop them.

A reboot or a completely new series set in the Digimon Universe, whichever the case here Ghost Game is taking a different approach to its storytelling and worldbuilding. Digimon has been evolving with the times and adapting its narrative to create new and unique premises that still avid to the original lore and story. There’s still the other world where Digimon reside, we still have the Digivices and the humans who accompany the digital creatures. It’s everything old, and yet everything new; this season join Hiro as he ventures into a new world of intrigue and mystery, and together with his friends go on an adventure to try and solve the case of the Ghost Game!

Preview by Miss Simplice

Right on time for the fall season comes horror-comedy Mieruko-chan, a series about regular high school girl Yotsuya Miko (Amamiya Sora) and her day to day life. One catch though, she can see ghosts and spirits lurking her community. While Miko may be able to see the monsters, it’s her seemingly placid composure that elevates the horror to comedy. She tries with all her might to ignore what she sees trying to live her best high school days alongside her best friend Yurikawa Hana (Hondo Kaede) but not without its consequences.

I remember the first time I encountered horror in anime with Umineko no Naku Koro ni. Little did I know it would evoke the same feelings of fear and anxiety I get when I watch a live-action horror. Unlike that nightmare inducing series, this one promises to include some comedic relief alongside its darker themes. The original manga, initially serialized on the ComicWalker website in November 2018, has been extremely well received growing a loyal community of readers. The anime will be releasing early October, right on time for the season of horror here in North America. If you’re into the genre, I’d add this to your watch list for the season or alternatively, give the manga a read as it’s not extremely long to get through.

Preview by Princess Usagi

The things that go bump in the night-are they the ghosts or our protagonists up to some after-work fun? For Sankaku Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru the answer could be both, as this show is both supernatural and Boys’ Love! Many protagonists that have the gift of supernatural sight often feel it to be a curse and Mikado Kosuke (Shimazaki Nobunaga) is no different. Who better for him to pair up with than someone to dispel those beasties-the exorcist, Hiyakawa Rihito (Hatano Wataru)! The pair set about to resolve various supernatural mysteries, as well as their feelings toward each other.

This anime is based upon a manga of the same name and has also had a live action movie adaptation. The directors (Yasuda Yoshitaka and Iwanaga Daiji) and the studio, Zero-G, have all previously worked together on Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue and Tsugumomo. Doukyonin was an enjoyable show with a good focus on character relationships and I hope that style will come through as well with Sankaku Mado. This appears to be their first foray into Boys’ Love, although the producer, Avex Pictures, has previously done some BL shows such as, Hitorijime My Hero. Sankaku Mado looks to have the potential for some good paranormal crime-solving and passionate romance-this would be a show to check out for fans of the supernatural and BL.

Preview by Choya

Did you know famed inventor Nikola Tesla scattered jewel shards across the world? No? Well, these fragments are what the secret operation known as “Mission T” seeks to gather to save the world from destruction. Two members of the operation, the young ninja Botan Negoro (Kohara Konomi) and the excellent spy Kuruma (Suzuki Tatsuhisa), are selected to pursue what is known as the “Shards of Tesla”. Together, they aim to outwit agents from other countries in an original sci-fi spy thriller.

TESLA NOTE has quite an uphill battle that even SpaceX would have a problem climbing up. The newly founded studio Gambit is taking a CGI direction with the show, drawing direct comparisons to EX-ARM thanks to its trailer. Right off the bat, you also have to suspend disbelief to buy into the crazy world presented by TESLA NOTE where Nikola Tesla was able to scatter random shards of electricity across the planet during his lifetime. As if it wasn’t enough, there is an air of uncertainty as to whether Suzuki Tatsuhisa will still be attached to the project given that his recent infidelity scandal has caused him to back out of a number of projects and go on hiatus. At the same time, its ludicrous concept combined with the tumultuous lead-up to its premiere creates its own sense of appeal. It’s hard not to root for an underdog, and even EX-ARM gathered a cult following because of its infamy. Whether TESLA NOTE will follow suit or end up overcoming the odds will be answered when the anime debuts in the fall season.

Preview by Zaiden

On that fateful day, a calamity befell Fittoa. A piercing sphere of blue light descends from the skies before rapidly expanding and detonating across the region, teleporting tens of thousands of citizens to random locations in the world with few confirmed alive, some confirmed deaths and the majority being missing people who will most likely end up dying. Though Paul Greyrat (Morikawa Toshiyuki) and Norn Greyrat are confirmed to be safe and well, the whereabouts of Zenith (Kanemoto Hisako), Lilia (Lynn), Ghislaine (Togoyuchi Megumi), Aisha and Sylphiette (Kayano Ai) remain unknown, while our protagonist Rudeus (Uchiyama Yumi) and his cousin Eris (Kakuma Ai) are flung away to the Demonic Continent. 10 and 12 years old respectively with limited formal training in magic and swordplay, they are ridiculously out of their depth and prospects of survival look extremely bleak. Through sheer luck, they encounter Ruijierd (Namikawa Daisuke), a fearsome warrior who makes a vow to find them safe passage back to the Human continent. The last member of the Superd Tribe, Rujierd is seeking to atone on behalf of his race from the infamy and hatred they garnered in the previous Human-Demon War. So begins the coming of age, adventure of a lifetime for Rudeus Greyrat as he continually faces dangers of life and death combined with significant moral dilemmas amidst the laws of a ruthless demonic jungle, during the transformative teenage years of his second life.

As mentioned back in the first season, Mushoku Tensei is widely regarded as a progenitor of modern isekai with most modern staples of the genre drawing from its inspiration. Any questions about how the production quality would turn out have been completely set aside by Studio Bind, who have demonstrated pristine animation quality beyond anything many fans could have hoped for as they turn back the clock to elect for a work-intensive, hand-drawn, cel-shaded vintage animation style which looks every bit as beautiful as the effort required. Setting aside morally controversial topics, my primary qualm with Season 1 was definitely the music. Hopefully it comes closer to meeting the mark. Otherwise, I would still expect amazing things given how the first cour staff have been retained across the board. A must-watch in my books and for anyone new I’d highly recommend taking the time to catch up – assuming you can stomach your way through some highly questionable earlier scenes as far as ethics go.

Preview by Miss Simplice

The first astronaut in space was a vampire girl – I’d have paid much more attention in history class if that were fact. In this alternate world after WWII, two opposing countries, the Republic of Zirnitra and the United Kingdom of Arnack compete to send the first human manned shuttles out into space. To achieve this, the Republic has devised a secret project named “Project Nosferatu”. They task Lev Leps with overseeing the project’s success which he soon discovers is reliant upon the testing of our young heroine, Irina Luminesk, a vampire. While this isn’t the typical setting for a romance between vampire and human, it’s one that’s sure to bring these two space aficionados closer together. But in a world that was just to recently torn apart by war, how will their world accept the connection and affection between a human and vampire?

Bandai Namco Arts is producing while Arvo Animation is listed as the studio for the series. I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed series from Bandai Namco Arts including Bungo Stray Dogs or Kimono Jihen so I say with only some caution that I trust the quality that will come of this one. While vampires and space travel might not be for everyone, I can’t imagine this story not piquing the community’s curiosity. We’re also blessed with a pretty solid main cast. You might recognize Hayashibara Megumi as Irina, our vampire Juliet, who voiced Rei in Evangelion, Midori in Chihayafuru 2, and Paprika in Paprika. And our Romeo, Lev, will be brought to life by Uchiyama Kouki who played Ulgar in Kanata no Astra and Kei in Haikyuu!! amongst so many others. I can imagine this being a combination of Space Brothers’ ambition, Vampire Knight’s romance, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil’s setting. I’m slightly biased because anything with a vampire will attract me like a moth to a flame, but I’d suggest not to scratch this one off the list just yet.

Preview by Princess Usagi

A weak vampire-every vampire hunter’s dream. A vampire that dies only to be resurrected-every vampire hunter’s nightmare. Vampire Draluc (Fukuyama Jun) happens to have both qualities and the cause of his deaths-not an epic showdown, but terror at everyday things. Ronaldo (Furukawa Makoto)- a vampire hunter- while on a hunt, ends up with Draluc as his roommate and the two must work to fight off evil-the normal stuff like bosses, detectives, and vampires.

I have not read the manga source, but the premise of a constantly-terrified vampire constantly dying paired with a vampire hunter sounds amusing, so long as the same joke doesn’t get resurrected as often as Draluc does. Madhouse has a strong reputation thanks to previous shows like Death Note , Hunter X Hunter (2011), and Cardcaptor Sakura, to name a few. The director Koujina Hiroshi is also quite experienced, having worked on some older shows like City Hunter and Detective Conan . He also directed a series called Vampire Hunter D , so I expect that experience would come in handy for directing this vampire show. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in vampires and comedy and I hope the humor has more bite than Draluc!

Preview by Princess Usagi

Mecha as a political linchpin is nothing new-we’ve seen it before in various renditions of the Gundam franchise, Code Geass, and so on. This anime original is following in the spirit of this, set in a futuristic Japan crushed underneath a trade-held regime. This trade-ruled Japan makes itself a world power through weaponized mecha-AMAIM. A machine-geek, Shiiba Amou encounters an A.I. machine named Gai, setting him on the path to fight for Japan’s freedom.

This show isn’t explicitly labelled as a Gundam show, however, it does have connections to the franchise, with the studio Sunrise Beyond having done a few Gundam anime in addition to being a branch off of Sunrise, the studio known for Gundam series and Code Geass. Everyone here, from director Nobuyoshi Habara and the mechanical designers Ebikawa Kanetake and Teraoka Kenji have oodles of mecha experience, promising something interesting. Although the premise itself sounds standard, it could still have an interesting storyline and cool robots. Or at the least you can definitely see promise for the cool robots part from the first episode preview that the producer Bandai Spirits released. I would recommend checking this out for any mecha fans.

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

It is the collaboration of the gods, Takt Op. Destiny combines the efforts of MAPPA and Madhouse studios for this visually entrancing depiction of the upcoming mobile game Takt Op. Destiny in the City of Crimson Melody by Game Studios. The story takes place in 2047 America after a meteorite crash lands on the Earth and completely changes the world as we know it. Monsters known as D2 have emerged from the meteor and are now running rampant, forbidding humans from all music, their one weakness. Humanity’s hope now lies with the “Musicart,” a category of young musical women who are able to resist the D2, and they are led by “Conductors.” Within this premise, protagonist and Conductor Takt Asahina (Kouki Uchiyama) is partnered with the Musicart Unmei, meaning fate or destiny, and with their combined hopes of bringing music back to the world and defeating the D2, they work together in battle as they head towards New York.

A peek into the trailer has already got me excited about this, more so for the animation, effects, and musical components as opposed to the plot itself, which doesn’t look half bad either. It’s definitely a premise that requires flawless execution to capture the audience, in my opinion, and I think with studio team M & M on the job Takt Op. Destiny is on route to be a hit. In my first season here at RC, I had the honor of covering Mashiro no Oto which brought me into the world of musical anime, so I definitely have high hopes for this one! Musical series are made for anime as far as I’m concerned, and I think if the composers can pull off the music then this series is heading towards greatness as a top-tier show within the genre. If you consider yourself an anime fan of the music genre, I’d recommend keeping this on your plan to watch list, because I know I will be!

Preview by Choya

Editor’s note: Specific airing time and hosting station still unconfirmed at this time.

Hiiragi Seiichi (Shimono Hiro) is an ugly bastard. He’s revolting. He smells horrible. He’s a massive tub of crap. He flat-out sucks. Nobody likes him. Or at least, these are the kinds of insults that poor Seiichi has to contend with in his daily school life of bullying. However, when a voice claiming to be a god announces through the PA system to prepare to be transported to another world, Seiichi and his classmates have a new lease on life inside of an RPG-inspired fantasy world. Because Seiichi was excluded from the groups formed by his other classmates, he was summoned to a different area where he came upon the “Fruit of Evolution”. As soon as he takes a bite into the fruit, he’s suddenly transformed into an attractive boy on the right path to becoming a champion. And he’s not the only one. After his life-changing transformation, he is joined by Saria (Hanazawa Kana), an affectionate gorilla who might just have the power to shapeshift. These two will have to keep their heads up and stay positive if they’re going to survive in this new world with their new looks.

Shinka no Mi thrives on the surreal, odd-ball absurdity that it revels in. Isekai might be a dime-of-a-dozen nowadays, but an isekai where an ugly kid is trapped in an RPG whose new attractive looks end up landing him a gorilla as his soul mate is bound to gleefully lean into its goofy premise. Rather than be bogged down by taking itself entirely seriously, Shinka no Mi embraces its silliness by having Seiichi willingly take Saria as his partner even if her human form doesn’t quite erase the fact that she’s a gorilla with a deep lust for a human at both his ugliest and his prettiest. It might be tempting for the show to lean into the wish-fulfillment aspects of becoming cool in a fake world to escape reality, but the premise might help prevent the show from steering entirely into generic territory. Only time will tell though as Shinka no Mi prepares to go bananas in the Fall season.

Preview by Choya

Nikko city, Tochigi Prefecture. Characterized by cold winters with heavy snowfall, it’s the perfect climate for the hockey season. Local junior high school student Manaka (Masuda Riku) and her younger sister Ayaka (Sagara Mayu) aim to be some of the greatest hockey players in the world. When they both end up joining their hometown team, the Dream Monkeys, they are joined alongside their childhood friends to become further fascinated with ice hockey and eventually begin their path to glory.

As with many contemporary anime titles, if it isn’t about traveling to another world, it’s tied into a mixed-media project. From this upcoming title produced by CyberAgent and DMM Games, Puraore! Pride of Orange will focus on girls who compete against one another in the high-octane sport of ice hockey. This anime is set to be the first of many titles in the franchise with a mobile game expected to be released shortly after its grand debut. But that shouldn’t discount the series for average viewers considering how popular sports anime can be when it’s done right. Ice hockey in particular is a fun sport to watch and play, so it’d also be a natural fit for anime to tackle. For all of the manga about ice hockey, Puraore! Pride of Orange looks like it’d be one of the first ice hockey anime to come out in a while, if ever. Hopefully, the anime can re-capture the exhilarating experience of ice hockey when it pulls a hat trick this fall.

Preview by Choya

Red (Suzuki Ryouta) used to be a prospective adventurer who joined the Hero’s party and joined him on a fateful journey to battle Taraxon, the Raging Demon Lord. But when he gets kicked to the curb by one of his comrades after they finally surpassed his level, he opts to avoid the obnoxious platitudes of heroism in favor of a quiet life in anonymity. Although he shifts his goals towards opening an apothecary, he has a difficult time keeping his former life a secret, especially when the beautiful adventurer Rit (Takao Kanon) shows up to see if he was really one of the adventurers she traveled with in the past. When she decides to move in with him, Red finds that maybe he might not be living the slow life he thought he would.

We were this close to having two fantasy pharmacy anime debuting at the same time. Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shima’s original release date coincided with the release of the isekai slice-of-life pharmacy anime Cheat Kusushi no Slow Life. But while that series was more focused on giving viewers a fluffy, mellow comedy about the ordeals its main character went through to concoct medicine for tricky customers, this series looks like it’ll focus more on the angst that Red had to contend with after he was booted from the Hero’s party. I can imagine that he’d be regularly haunted by his past as recollects old teammates and familiar situations. But even with Red’s troubled past, Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shima looks like it will check off every box for a wholesome, romantic, and quiet slice-of-life that explores his new life together with Rit. Look forward to Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shima when it opens up shop this season.

Preview by Pancakes

As many can attest, the isekai bug makes no distinctions, even for the realm of assassination. After the world’s greatest assassin finds his usefulness made obsolete, his subsequent “retirement” sees him reincarnated into an alternate world as Lugh Tuatha Dé (Akabane Kenji), the son of an aristocratic family which also happens to be filled with – you guessed it – skilled assassins. While Lugh would likely be content with living his new life in relative peace, the goddess who reincarnated him has other plans in mind. In exchange for a new shot a life, Lugh has been given a job to complete, one whose outcome will affect the entire world. You see there’s a wickedly powerful hero on the loose with insidious intentions, and unless Lugh finds and kills that hero, this new world as he knows it will end.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: SSnA is going to be divisive. And no, not because of the (relatively tame) premise. For the unaware, SSnA is one of Tsukiyo Rui’s works, the author of Kaiyari which has a multitude of, shall we say, enthusiastic audience opinions. Love or hate the guy writes what he likes with no reservations, and any viewer should expect similar narrative quality in SSnA. The key though is that this series will be more conventional: rape-a-thon revenge porn is now replaced with a thriller-esque plot and a harem arrangement that sticks largely to PG13 material. Don’t expect any sort of brilliance on the part of SSnA mind you (simplistic cookie cutter runs through this series’ veins), but its head won’t be plumbing the depths of the gutter all too much – and Silver Link producing ensures the quality will at least match the aspirations of the source material. While a healthy dose of caution is recommended here, any isekai fan will certainly want to keep tabs on this one once the autumn season kicks into gear.

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

If there is a show that stands out from the rest for me this Fall 2021 season, it’s Komi-san wa, Komyushou Desu, or Komi-San can’t Communicate. The plot follows the beautiful Shouko Komi (Aoi Koga) who unknowingly by the rest of the school has a communication disorder. As the school’s “Madonna,” the students have wrongly perceived Komi as being perfect in every way, but her tragic communication skills have now been uncovered by the average high schooler and classmate Hitohito Tadano (Gakuto Kajiwara). Despite her flawed communication skills, Komi longs to be able to speak with people, and her dream is to make 100 friends to which Tadano has resolved to help her out in order to overcome her disorder. An overly ambitious goal? Perhaps. A goal wacky enough to keep me interested? Most definitely.

In a story about overcoming one’s flaws, lending a friendly hand, and embracing imperfections, Komi-san wa, Komyushou Desu promises to be a hilariously heart-warming series that explores the nature of introverts, misunderstandings, and unlikely romance. Brought to you by studio OLM, the studio that brought us Odd Taxi, Pokemon, and Berserk 1997, I feel this will be a series many of us did not know we needed in our lives. On a personal level, I’ve grown up in a similar predicament to Komi-san, that is, I’ve had my own struggles when it came to expressing myself properly, and I understand the pain of not being fully understood (even now to an extent). As such, I feel this will be the most relatable series for me, and perhaps many others, as we watch how even the most seemingly “well put-together” person can have similar human struggles to ourselves as the audience. This Fall 2021, be sure to keep an eye out for Komi-san can’t Communicate because I have a feeling it’ll be a big hit!

Preview by Zephyr

Often regarded as one of the best visual novels of all-time, Muv-Luv Alternative finally arrives in anime form as a collaborative effort between Graphinica, its partner media company in Avex Pictures, and subsidiary anime studio Yumeta Company. Muv-Luv Alternative follows the events of Muv-Luv Unlimited, which introduced a world where aliens known as the BETA have invaded Earth, taking over much of Europe and Asia and decimating most of the human population. Following the enactment of Alternative V—a plan to evacuate a portion of the population to another habitable planet while the remainder attempt one last all-in counteroffensive against the BETA—protagonist Shirogane Takeru (Kouichi Kamiki) wakes up to find himself in same ruined hometown he found himself in at the beginning of Unlimited three years prior. Armed with knowledge of events to come, Takeru endeavors to save Earth and humanity by bringing about the previously failed Alternative IV plan instead. Thus begins the final chapter of a tale about love, courage, and the overcoming of insurmountable odds.

If you told me back in 2012 that we’d get eventually get almost the entire Muv-Luv franchise officially translated and released, I wouldn’t have believed you. But following a Kickstarter that received a record million USD in pledges, that’s exactly what happened, and it came with the bonus of many other series receiving localized releases as well. Now that everything relating to that Kickstarter campaign is almost done, it’s only fitting that everything culminates with the release of an anime adaptation that fans of Muv-Luv have wanted for the longest time. Unfortunately, the adaptation won’t cover the Extra and Unlimited prequels, nor will the series have nearly enough length to cover all 50+ hours of Alternative’s content. This means that newcomers to the series won’t be able to experience the entirety of Takeru’s legendary journey from regular student to a hardened mecha pilot fighting to save the world and the great writing that accompanied his development in the visual novels. As excited as I am for the adaptation and as much as I want it to end up great, Muv-Luv Alternative could very well end up a series that appeals strictly to people who are already familiar with the content and want to see the series’ best moments animated. It’s definitely worth looking into if you’re interested in the franchise regardless in the off-chance they do something spectacular here, but it’s likely the visual novels will remain the way to go to receive the definitive Muv-Luv experience, and watching the anime should hopefully persuade you to read said novels if they do things right.

Preview by Pancakes

In the far-off future humanity has it rough. Pushed into living shoulder to shoulder in vast underground colonies, everyone finds their lives hemmed in not just by rampant squalor, but also by the Labyrinth, a massive uncharted subterranean zone lying beyond the confines of the colonies. A few brave individuals called Markers seek their fortune in charting this Labyrinth, and Gaganbar (Touchi Hiroki) is one such person. A Labyrinth mapper made a single father through dreary circumstance, Gaganbar’s life of calculated exploratory risk is upended when his rambunctious genius daughter Memenpu (Amane Kanon) decides to seek out her mother in the Labyrinth. Given the love of Gaganbar’s life has not been found to date in his own expeditions he personally doesn’t hold much hope of finding her, but he’s not about to disappoint his only child and so throws caution to the wind. Come what may father and daughter will conquer the unknown and do their utmost to reunite their family.

As the winner of Project ANIMA’s sci-fi/robot theme competition, Sakugan certainly has its mind fixed on fun. Inspiration should be pretty obvious at first glance: Made in Abyss meets Usagi Drop and complements the proceedings with the dieselpunk mecha aesthetics of Deca-Dence. Did I mention the Trigger influences too? Because there’s a bit of that at work as well. Although it’s unlikely something of Made in Abyss calibre will occur (if Crunchyroll’s pilot showcase is anything to go by), considering the father-daughter pairing at work and Satelight’s fairly consistent record of late good wholesome adventuring is easily within the cards – particularly when Log Horizon’s Nemoto Toshizou is pulling script duty for what effectively amounts to an anime-original story. I’d caution against any major expectations being placed on this one until we see more, but without a doubt Sakugan will do the trick if you’re in need of some distinctively “anime” anime this fall season.

Preview by FJ Freeman

Angel or Devil? Based on the manga by the same name, with the talent behind Death Note and Bakuman, Platinum End starts with Mirai Kakehashi (Irino Miyu), shrouded in darkness. One day he decides to end it all. He jumps off a building, gravity pulls him down, but before he can hit the ground an angel named Nasse (Ogura Yui) saves him from his doom. Now Mirai is pitted against 12 others chosen players in a battle to decide who will become the next god of this world, as only the last one standing after 999 days gets this heavenly title. Mirai has an angel to his side, but he may have to become a devil in order to survive.

Just from that synopsis, we can already safely assume Platinum End runs with the battle royal trope on its sleeve and wears it proudly. But the heavenly twist of angels and demons makes this series unique. The arrows the angels carry also hold certain rules over them but are given to the players in order to be able to concoct their master plans for killing each other in order to become God. You already know this series is going to have lots of twists and turns, some hidden in plain sight, others have deeply cloistered for shock and surprise later on. Just by the simple fact that the creators of Death Note penned the original work, the community is going to have a field day, scrummaging through every little detail, hanging on every word, every sentence, and every breath. It certainly looks interesting.

A battle royal set in the urban landscape of the sprawling metropolis, a game played in plain sight but hidden away in the shadows, a game protected by the angels. Do they have a hidden agenda? Or is their heart in the right place? I’ve been keeping a close eye on this one, and now it’s finally time to sit back and enjoy!

Preview by Princess Usagi

Music can be the key to open emotions imprisoned within the heart. Yuki Ange( Chiba Shouya ) seeks just such a relief when he encounters two visual kei groups, Lost Eden and Eclipse, put on a fierce performance- forever changing the life of this solitary young soul. These are not your average musicians, as they are also vampires, performing in a legendary music festival for the red moon.

With A-1 Pictures as well as many of the staffing choices having also been involved in various renditions of Uta no☆ Prince- sama♪ and other musical group-oriented anime such as BanG Dream! and Senki Zesshou Symphogear, I am expecting this original work to be another cute boys singing anime, but with a gothic twist. For anyone who has not heard the term before, visual kei is a style of Japanese music that has gothic overtones and ornate costuming. Given the gothic elements of visual kei, it makes sense that they would eventually have made an anime combining vampires with this musical genre as a way to keep the all-male singing group genre fresh. Given that Elements Garden is doing the music composition and the seiyuu have music experience relating to anime pop music as opposed to visual kei music, I don’t expect the music to be anything ground-breaking (in my opinion). That doesn’t mean it won’t be good, especially if you are a fan of music anime! At the very least, the concept of vampire musicians sounds both fitting and intriguing!

Preview by Princess Usagi

Sometimes it takes just one person or one event to change one’s life more than any amount of money could ever do. Rich boy Tamahiko Shima’s (Yuusuke Kobayashi) cushy life is shattered when an accident leaves him with a crippling injury and out of his father’s favor. Shima becomes enveloped in darkness until a chipper girl, Tachibana Yuzuki (Aizawa Saya), barges in and brightens his life. Yuzuki was purchased by Shima’s father to be his wife and caretaker, but through showering him with the joy and genuine love he has always longed for, their relationship grows from caretaker and her charge to that of loved and beloved.

One of the most exciting things for me about this manga-based series is that it takes place in the Taisho era (mid 1910’s-late 1920’s) Japan, a fascinating period which is not focused on as much in anime as say, the Edo period. The director Hatori Jun is an interesting choice, because up until now, he has done mainly children’s anime such as Kamiwaza Wanda. While the director and SynergySP don’t have much to recommend (at least for my personal taste), what will be a draw is the plot, which promises a good romance and character development (plus the historical setting!). If you are a fan of romance and history, I would recommend putting this on your watchlist!

Preview by Zaiden

A man completely loses his will to live and passes on. However, as his mind succumbs to darkness and oblivion, the faint glow of a lamp lights up the way. He ends up making a promise to the goddess of flame and eternal flux who has become weakened and long forgotten following the extinction of her followers in a terrible war. A promise to make people re-remember her lost, olden ways. And in another world, at a once glorious citadel of a fallen empire subsumed by decay and undeath, he awakens as a helpless human baby crying out into the night. Yet curiously, he is taken in by a party of three undead entities: Blood the Berserker (Konishi Katsuyuki), Mary the Cleric (Horie Yui), and Gus the Wizard (Tobita Nobuo). All who carry a deep sadness and regret over their former lives. They raise him with every bit of love in their hearts, passing on centuries of wisdom and experience, preparing him for the inevitable day where he must venture beyond the Undead Citadel. The life he once carelessly threw away returns to him once more, and William G Maryblood (Kawase Maki) must learn what it means to handle loss while appreciating the preciousness of life in this strange yet wonderful fantasy world, on his journey to becoming the eponymous Faraway Paladin.

I know this wouldn’t be the first time you’ve heard someone say ‘This isekai isn’t like other isekais’. But believe me, it really is different in a special way too. For starters, no Japanifying of the other world experience – meaning no JRPG mechanics or attempts to simulate creature comforts from home such as rice or soy sauce. Saihate no Paladin starts off in a Dark Souls type setting – in a grand citadel filled with arching spires in the backdrop of eternal dusk reminiscent of Anor Londo in both decayed magnanimity and the absence of any hope. Material comforts and personal glory are mostly eschewed in favour of focusing on what it means to live a meaningful second life transitioning over from an unbearably painful first life. If the anime lives up to the source material, you will most probably cry. Only that’s actually a pretty big if. As mentioned in my preview for Shuumatsu no Harem, Nobata Yuu sorely lacks for directing credentials. He’s like the grinch who is about to ruin my Christmas. To make matters worse, Children’s Playground Entertainment is a pitiful studio judging how Hatena Illusion completely ran out of budget halfway through its production cycle. Like many source materials that deserved so much better, Saihate no Paladin looks destined for adaptation hell. As such I highly recommend that anyone interested should read the light novel or manga at J Novel Club.

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

It is the must-watch series of the season for trading card game enthusiasts. Coming in with its own collectible card game, Build Divide: Code Black may well be the next big TCG franchise since Yu-Gi-Oh! Set in the state of New Kyoto, the series follows Teruto Kurabe (Yuuto Uemura) who is on a journey to take down the “King” by means of challenging him to Build Divide, the card game that determines one’s strength and worth in this world. Teruto is guided by the mysterious girl Sakura Banka, as they battle through the Black Divide TCG tournament known as “Rebuild” in order to reach the King. “He who defeats the King can have any wish fulfilled,” this is the driving force of all participants as they fight to complete the “Key” which will allow them to challenge the King and have their shot at a wish.

Brought to you by LIDENFILMS, the studio that brought us the ever-popular Tokyo Revengers, this game-fantasy series has stunning visuals and an iconic card design that is sure to entice members of the TCG fandom. As a lover of anime card games myself, I am keen to give this series a shot and after seeing the trailer I don’t think that is a decision I’ll regret. Teruto’s VA Yuuto Uemura has done an amazing job of voicing the main character of RE-MAIN, a series I am currently covering, and I think he has a knack for voicing heroic-like protagonists. I look forward to seeing this collaboration of top-tier studios and VAs bring to life what could be the next big trading card game franchise. Not only that, Build Divide: Code Black surely has the potential to draw in audiences outside the TCG fandom through its awesome animation sequences, intense fight scenes, and interesting premise.

Preview by Choya

Arsène Lupin III (Kurita Kanichi) is a legendary thief who seeks out some of the world’s most valuable jewels, treasures, and artifacts to cleverly swipe. He’s aided by expert marksman Daisuke Jigen (Kobayashi Kiyoshi) and the deft swordsman Ishikawa Goemon XIII (Namikawa Daisuke) as they work together to undermine any obstacles that get between them and the loot. That’s not to say that Lupin won’t be constantly tested and thwarted during his schemes. His most endearing rival Inspector Zenigata Koichi (Yamadera Kouichi) has a borderline obsession with being the one to throw the cuffs on Lupin for good, and will go to any lengths he can to get there. Additionally, Lupin has to keep his guard up for Mine Fujiko (Sawashiro Miyuki), a thief extraordinaire who plays into Lupin’s weakness for women as she often tricks him into making costly mistakes. In this installment, Lupin will be making his way to the U.K. in pursuit of treasure, mysteries, and lust. However, it appears that there are harrowing threats during this season’s heists that could end up bringing out a darker, more dangerous side out of the master thief.

Lupin the Third has been on quite a roll since 2012 when the stellar anime spinoff The Woman Named Fujiko Mine helped renew interest in more installments for the franchise. 2015’s Part IV and 2018’s Part V took Lupin and his crew to Italy and France respectively to continue stealing treasure and hearts from a modern perspective. Because of their emphasis on transporting these timeless characters to a present-day setting, these newer seasons serve to provide the cast with more advanced hurdles by stealing riches in an age of mass surveillance, facial recognition technology, and online databases. Many of Lupin’s older adventures were fun, casual romps as we watched Lupin, his crew, Fujiko, and Zenigata in a constant tug-of-war for control of a major heist. But recent installments have also tinkered around with experimental animation and darker themes that help to spice up the formula that made Lupin the Third an addictive and fun series to follow. One interesting detail to note is that Lupin slaps his green jacket back on from 1971’s Part I after spending the last two seasons in a new blue jacket. It should be neat to see how much of the green jacket era shines through this sequel and what tone it ends up taking on with its edgier promotional material.

Preview by Choya

Igarashi Futuba (Kusunoki Tomori) has every reason to be excited about her new job… The only obstacle keeping her from enjoying it to her fullest is having to share a workplace with her annoying senpai Takeda Harumi (Takeuchi Shunsuke). Takeda is massive, has an obnoxious laugh, and treats her like a small child because she’s short and looks young. But even as Futaba continues compiling a list of complaints about Takeda’s boisterous personality, she finds herself spending far too much time with him. As she starts getting used to his frustrating quirks, will she still see him as an annoying senpai, or can love bloom between this odd duo? Find out when Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi gets under your skin this Fall.

For viewers that enjoy comedy anime or manga, there are a few simple words that will have many falling out of their seats like the Vince McMahon meme; “short romantic gag comedy”. This sub-genre might seem like it’s easily digestible, but a little goes a long way with fun hilarious stories that avoid overstaying their welcome, especially for a comedy manga about two goofballs who eventually fall in love. For Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi it’s both adorable and humorous to see Futaba begrudgingly enjoy the company of her boisterous yet caring co-worker Takeda. For the anime equivalent of a cute, wholesome aperitif with a little bite to it, like a fine limoncello, you can’t go wrong with Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi.

Preview by Yaseen Hijazi

Not much is known about the upcoming 3rd season of the iconic World Trigger series unless of course, you are a manga reader, but for the sake of spoilers, I won’t be mentioning anything that may be adapted to this season. For those new to the series, World Trigger follows the story of Mikado City, which is being invaded by strange alien creatures known as “Neighbors.” Osamu Mikumo (Yuki Kaji), Yuuichi Jin (Yuuichi Nakamura), and Chika Amatori (Nao Tamura) fight against the Neighbors using special weapons called “Triggers.” Things get interesting when transfer student Yuuma Kuga (Tomo Muranaka) joins the Tamakoma branch after revealing that he is in fact a humanoid Neighbor who exhibits extraordinary abilities. With humans and Neighbors working side-by-side, we begin to learn who the true enemies are, as the battle for Earth’s survival continues.

After producing the hit that was World Trigger Season 2, and trumping its predecessor on MAL ratings, I’ve got high hopes for World Trigger Season 3, and with Toei Animation on the job, I think it’s bound to be at the same, if not greater level of supremacy. As the second battle for Tamakoma begins, things are as interesting as ever now with the addition of Hyuse (Nobunaga Shimazaki), a Neighbor from Aftokrator who is sure to lend a massive helping hand to the Tamakoma Second team through his latent abilities. Definitely a must-watch for World Trigger fans, and perhaps an incentive for others to get started on the series, the third installment is looking promising from its PV trailer alone. Manga readers will be ecstatic to see their favorite characters and scenes brought to life by Toei Animation, and as someone yet to give the series a shot, this may just be the push I needed to get started. Awesome fight sequences, quality animation, and a beautifully orchestrated soundtrack are all staples of the World Trigger series and it looks like the upcoming season won’t be compromising on any of it!

Preview by Miss Simplice

Action, adventure, sci-fi and the supernatural come together in Sublimation’s new fall anime series, Shikizakura. The story follows Kakeru Miwa, a high school kid who inadvertently finds himself joining a tech-armored team tasked with saving the world from the Oni, otherworldly beings who possess humans. He dons the powered suit “Yoroi”, said to be the only one of its kind with the ability to defeat the Oni. In this adventure, Kakeru is joined by a shrine maiden Myojin Ouka who is fated to save the world. What lies in store for these two fated souls is still to be seen.

At first glance, I personally cringed at the animation style. I’m not a huge fan of excessive 3D animation, especially when the entire series is done in the style. A good balance or light touch can always elevate a series but in some cases, it can distract. This is a particularity of Sublimation who is best known for its Netflix original series Dragon’s Dogma. I was immediately taken aback by the animation though, with some surprise, the story drew me in and kept me invested through to the very end. If you choose, like me, to look past the animation style, there might be something in Shikizakura for you to latch on to. If you strip back most of the summary, the essence of the story is about a hero navigating new abilities while he protects the shrine maiden fated to save the world. It resembles so many other series but including the high tech gear – heavily inspired by Kamen Rider Zero One – is what gives this series its modern touch. I’m not convinced this one will make it onto my watchlist but I’m open to the idea. What about you?

Preview by FJ Freeman

Editor’s note: Season officially premieres December 5th. A seven episode re-edit of Mugen Ressha-hen will precede it beginning on October 10th.

After a very successful first season and movie, Kimetsu no Yaiba returns for a second cour and I’m glad to have this series back in our lives. Not too much is known about the second season outside of it being two seasons – except maybe for the manga readers of course! To keep things relatively spoiler-free though, what I can say is that Tengen Uzui (Konishi Katsuyuki), the sound pillar, will be joining the Demon Hunting Corps this time around. Or more like the Demon Hunting Corps will be accompanying him, something like that. Not only that, the new location the group is visiting is the entertainment district – i.e. the red district. A demon has been terrorizing said district, and it’s up to our lovely cast of characters to find and defeat it. All your favorites are back for the adventure, with Tanjiro (Hanae Natsuki), Zenitsu (Shimono Hiro), and that wolf boy, err, Inosuke (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu) all reprising their roles this new season.

Kimetsu no Yaiba has reached unprecedented heights in its aptitude to attract readers and anime watchers alike. Ufotable has done an incredible job so far at adapting the manga into a series that is worth remembering. Ufotable is the perfect studio for such a high-octane supernatural action-adventure like this one, especially considering the results after they took charge of the Fate/ franchise – I couldn’t be happier to have them on board here. It’s hard to deny my expectations are high for this season considering how the studio and the franchise are towering in my list of what I consider good anime. Plus considering the manga has now concluded gives a huge advantage to Ufotable, it provides them a sense of security not only knowing this product will sell, but they can take their sweet time making the anime the best that it can possibly be.

Preview by Pancakes

In 2019, at the dawn of a new decade, Japan is thriving. Until it suddenly isn’t. After a dimensional rift appears over the islands, modern Japan finds itself at the mercy of Shinkoku Nippon, a parallel world Japan which never abandoned militarism. Conquering Japan through the aid of gas weapons nullifying all modern weaponry and giant humanoid walkers called Garann, Shinkoku Nippon reduces Japan to a beaten vassal state with all things Japanese harshly censored. Anime, manga, the whole doujin industry? Completely killed off, or at least to the occupying authorities. In truth, under the surface, otaku culture remains defiant thanks to the effort of Arahabaki, a secret society utilizing female-controlled Garanndolls to help keep modern Japan live and well. It’s a dangerous struggle with no clear end in sight, but the members of Arahabaki will do whatever they can to keep their passions alive.

Gyakuten is quite the surprising show on a few fronts. Besides being yet another anime original mecha (seriously, this season is ridiculous on that front) it’s also of the genre defying variety, dispensing with super serious takes on world ending doom or outright pulp popcorn premise for a more eclectic take. Code Geass for example will be the immediate comparison given the premise, but Gyakuten is arguably better served referencing the likes of Animegataris or Akiba’s Trip, as otaku culture, its value, and its importance as an outlet are the main themes at work under the surface. Couple this foundation with Konosuba’s Uezu Makoto writing the thing and Kanata no Astra’s Andou Masaomi overseeing as director and I dare say you’re looking at something very interesting. While unclear just how Gyakuten will play out in practice, without a doubt this will be one show for any anime fan to pay some close attention to this season.

Preview by FJ Freeman

This looks interesting! Initially, just by its premise, I was intrigued, then seeing the PV confirmed it. This has garnered my attention! And it’s no surprise since Square Enix is behind this, a multimedia project spanning an anime, a video game, and a manga! So what is Deep Insanity? An endless abyss has opened in Antarctica, called Asylum. Inside of it is a world that only God knows. Within Asylum a new illness is bred, one which slowly but steadily approaches humanity bringing madness, unawakening, delusion, and dreams. Now a young man named Shigure Daniel Kai (Shimono Hiro) front-lines against Asylum. What lies beyond it is a fact only those that have gone in and survived know, and it’s something Kai now faces himself.

Multimedia projects are always concerning given the number of moving parts, so my expectations are firmly in check, especially for those with little info out to dissect. Personally, I love Lovecraftian stories like this, where the creators take a shot in the dark and take a step towards imagining what something like this would mean for humanity. In this case, a giant chasm abyss opening up in Antarctica. There’s something about plundering deep into it and exploring its nooks and crannies, that sparks something almost primordial within us. The same idea permeates within Made in Abyss, and I hope Deep Insanity does something similar and explores these concepts while bringing new light to them.

Preview by Guardian Enzo

In the first place, I love the fact that Wit dropped Shingeki no Kyoujin for the opportunity to do stuff like this. They’re one of the most interesting studios in the game, and seem genuinely interested in trying to maintain a certain standard of production and in pursuing interesting and worthwhile projects. They’re resisted the urge to go the MAPPA route of quantity over quality, and I think they should be applauded for that. Of course, none of that means much if Ousama Ranking isn’t a good series on its own terms.

As far as Ousama Ranking is concerned this series is something of a leap for me, though I’ve been seeing the manga covers in bookshops for years and thinking it looked like an interesting and quirky series. Now with a few chapters translated I’ve read a bit, and found them thoroughly charming. The story of a deaf crown prince mocked and derided by most of his family and retainers, and his very strange friend, Ousama Ranking is not going to be for everybody. It’s decidedly weird, frankly, but there’s a bittersweet quality to it that I really like. I’m sure we’ll see some bitching from entitled fans about Wit “wasting their time” on this sort of material (especially if, as suspected, they’re off the second season of Vinland Saga), but who cares – anime needs more of these sorts of idiosyncratic shows desperately.

Preview by Gabie

Cross exchange between western productions and anime has become more common (this season we have not one, but two big time adaptations), but unfortunately these tend to be either a hit or a miss. In the case of BLADE RUNNER: BLACK LOTUS I’m afraid it falls on the latter. The story is set in the year 2032, in the city of Los Angeles–17 years prior to Blade Runner 2049 and 10 years after the Black Out animation. The main character is an older teen who carries a locked data device and has a black lotus tattoo, and she wakes up with no memories and a set of overpowered skills. To recover the truth about her mysterious past she must go on a vicious hunt for the people responsible for her predicament.

Back in October of 2016, when Hollywood announced a sequel to Ridley Scott’s cultural touchstone, fans all over the world anxiously feared and anticipated it’s release. What Denis Villeneuve delivered was a testament to its predecessor, an homage to the pace, cinematography, script, casting, lighting, soundtrack–how does one answer Vangelis? Well, hello there Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch. After watching the two minute preview and the opening sequence (sung by pop singer Alessia Cara), it was hard for me to remain non-judgemental, the project felt more like a statement of woke-gender-politics and commercial interest in the younger short attention-span generation. Regardless of whether or not I enjoy this particular animation style, I just couldn’t find any of the reasons why we fans fell in love with Blade Runner present in the BLACK LOTUS adaptation–well, except the cityscape, I’ll give them that, it looks good.