As the decade comes to a close—a statement I lead with primarily to annoy the pedants among us, who will insist that the decade actually ends on Dec 31, 2020 … Hi, Passerby! (proofreader’s note: I love you, boss)—it’s a time to reflect back on not only the year that has passed, but the entire decade. But not here! Here we focus on the marvellously shiny future, where the anime is fresh and all our problems go away. At least if those problems involve a lack of new anime. So what do we have in store? Several popular franchises are making their returns, including the hot-blooded volleyball action of Haikyuu!!: To the Top, the scientific(?) action of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T, the silliest isekai around in Isekai Quartet 2, and the five sisters love-melee of Go-toubun no Hanayome 2nd Season. There’s even a spin-off of the there’s-nothing-but-frills-and-despair Madoka franchise in Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Gaiden. There are a ton of excellent adaptations as well, including the uber-stylish anime-making adventure of Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na!, a beautiful stroll through a ruined world in Somali to Mori no Kamisama, a shounen fashion anime in Runway de Waratte, and a dark horse you should pay attention to in Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun. There are even a few originals, such as the anime world’s re-introduction to rugby in number24 and the fascinating sci-fi mystery of ID:INVADED. Let’s ring in the new year with a fresh batch of anime! This is Random Curiosity’s Winter 2020 Preview.

Summer has arrived! It’s that time of year when the skirts are shorter (disclaimer: the skirts are always short in anime), the temperature is hotter (disclaimer: not if you’re in the southern hemisphere), and the bloggers are outside enjoying the weather and don’t realize THE PREVIEW’S DUE AHH!! Luckily some fan-favorite franchises are exploding, phoenix-like, back into life this season, including the teasing comedy Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2, the dungeon crawling adventure Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru no Darou ka II, and fresh spin-offs of best-selling series in Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator and Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note. There are several new adaptations to be hyped about as well, especially the lost-in-space throwback Kanata no Astra, the larger-than-life shounen action Dr.STONE, and the viking epic Vinland Saga. There’s even an original here and there, like the 2D mecha Granbelm. Let’s all usher in the summer months by staying inside and watching anime! Or maybe watching on the porch? As long as anime is happening. This is Random Curiosity’s Summer 2019 Preview.

The weather outside is frightful, and—oh, enough with the lame lines, there’s seasonally appropriate beverages to consume and this post is overdue anyway. Winter is a time for renewal(?), which is why several venerated franchises are getting new iterations to start off 2019, including the spooky urban legend Boogiepop wa Warawanai and the Tezuka Osamu manga Dororo. Of course there are glorious sequels aplenty, including the inventive and nuanced Mob Psycho 100 II, another season of the gambling addict’s worst nightmare Kakegurui ××, and the kissing-girls-to-save-the-world antics of Date A Live III. Oh, and Kemono Friends 2, with all new staff. Among the adaptations a lot of us are looking at the isekai stylings of Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari, the love competition of Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Ren’ai Zunousen, and the dramatic orphan danger of Yakusoku no Neverland. There are even a few originals to round out the crew, such as the Netflix sci-fi series Revisions, the fluffy hero slice-of-life Endro~!, and the Girls und Panzer of the air in Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai. There’s something for everyone, or at least I hope. This is Random Curiosity’s Winter 2019 Preview.