by Sarah Miles
The year turns. Spring is now in bloom and that means a new season of anime, but for many the sheer number of possible choices can be daunting and it can be easy to miss a smaller hidden gem. I have gathered 12 of the season's new shows to help you decide if they are worth checking out and where you can find them. Only new shows, so no Black Butler: Public School Arc, My Hero Academia season 7, Laid Back Camp season 3, etc. as if you're already a fan you'll be watching them anyway and if you're curious about any of them I would recommend you start at the very beginning, I hear it's a very good place to start.
Tonari no Yokai-san
Studio: LIDENFILMS
Director: Ami Yamauchi
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
In a version of modern-day Japan where humans live side by side with Yokai, mythical spirits and creatures of folklore, we follow the residents of a small country community navigating both the everyday and supernatural. This is quintessential “slice of life” at its best. You just feel comforted by the scenery and charming characters, including a recently reborn nekomata, a young kappa girl, and the local tengu who watches over the residents of the town. The show is sweet and wholesome but with just an edge of the darker things as after all not all Yokai are benevolent. It gives the show a richness that elevates it beyond being just happy lightness. Whether good times or bad, this is a delightful watch and it's great to share in these characters' lives.
Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf
Studio: Passione
Director: Takeo Takahashi
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
This is a remake of the 2008 series that sees travelling merchant Kraft Lawrence agree to take on wolf girl harvest goddess Holo and take her back to her homeland in the distant North. Together they traverse the world, striking business deals and encountering people who will either help or hinder them. Director Takahashi also made the 2008 show but instead of continuing where that left off, this is a readaptation of Isuna Hasekura's light novel series that is aiming to be more faithful. Also returning are the voice actors for both Holo and Lawrence in both Japanese and English, which is a nice touch. The animation is smooth and beautiful, and the simple but melodic score matches this perfectly. Holo and Lawrence are a great central pair of characters and the world, whilst maybe not rich on lore at this early stage, does feel fully realised and lived in. This is a must watch for those with a taste for more mature and quiet fantasy shows, and I think those who enjoyed last year's “Frieren: Beyond Journey's End” will find this to be a satisfying watch. For long-time fans though this is like greeting a beloved old friend and getting to know them all over again.
Kaiju No. 8
Studio: Production I.G
Director: Shigeyuki Miya, Tomomi Kamiya
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
The blockbuster option for this season. Japan has been frequently besieged by giant monsters and elite squads have been formed to take down the threats. Kafka Hibino is not on one of these teams despite lifelong dreams of joining one, and instead is part of the cleanup crew doing the dirty work. After an unusual encounter with a kaiju however, he gets a chance to fight the monsters by turning into one himself. Studio Production I.G are really nailing the epic and cinematic visuals necessary for the kaiju attacks and subsequent take-downs. Kafka is an oddly endearing character who clearly has a strong moral sense and desire to help even if life hasn't quite worked out the way he planned. This is one that it's going to be interesting to see develop and is definitely one for lovers of big sci-fi action.
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again
Studio: Gekko
Director: Masayoshi Nishida
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Due to the effects of a magic apple time has turned back for elderly couple Shozo and Ine, and the two start enjoying their new lease on life much to the confusion and bafflement of their family and neighbours. I went into this expecting something soft and reflective, about a couple being able to begin again in a time of life when things would naturally be coming to an end. Instead this is very much a silly comedy, relishing in throwing the two into situations and letting us enjoy the antics. Generally this works as Shozo and Ine are fun to watch, just in love as ever and despite their new youth still acting elderly. The chaotic nature of the show is very much reflected in the animation, which doesn't make for the smoothest visuals but it fits with the show. There is a bit of a weird element in that many people, including the couple's daughter in law and granddaughter, are crushing on now young grandpa, but overall this is a enjoyable if not particularly extraordinary watch.
A Condition Called Love
Studio: East Fish Studio
Director: Tomoe Makino
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Hopeless romantic Saki Hananoi falls for Hotaru who is unsure if she is even capable of falling in love. It's an intriguing premise, just not one that “A Condition Called Love” seems to make work. The style of the show is very classic shojo and looks good, but I can't manage to engage with these main characters. Hotaru is fine and a sweet girl but lacking in anything all that interesting, and Hananoi's attempts to get her affection and doing things including cut his hair because he thinks she'll like it more and spend all night in a snowy schoolyard to find something of hers that's lost are a little off-putting. More die-hard fans of romance anime may feel differently and those who have read the manga are probably calling me a fool because this behaviour will get explained and developed down the line. However, the first couple of episodes of an anime are meant to grab your attention and what we've seen so far simply isn't grabbing me.
Bartender: Glass of God
Studio: Liber
Director: Ryouchi Kuraya
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
This is another remake, following two hotel staff attempting to recruit a new bartender for their place of work. In their search they stumble on a small bar tucked away in Ginza where Ryuu Sasakura mixes the perfect drink for everyone who sits down that they didn't even know they needed. The attention to detail is emphasised by both the animation and the sound mixing, allowing you to relish in each part of the process. It's wonderful to watch even if you're not familiar with the world of bartending and drink mixing. Whilst the setup is simple, the storytelling potential with the various people who can come and go in a bar setting is almost limitless. Yet there's a really relaxed vibe to the show. It's looking set to be like the anime equivalent of, appropriately, a relaxing drink at the end of a long and hard day.
Train to the End of the World
Studio: EMT Squared
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima, Fumihiko Suganuma
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
After a bizarre accident occurs when a new 7G network is turned on, Japan has become twisted in time and space. In a small town where all adults turn into animals four girls commandeer a train to head to Ikebukuro to find their missing friend, but in this warped world journeys that should take hours instead last for days and the tracks run through strange lands and even stranger people. This looks like things are going to get chaotic in the best possible way. The animation moves from serene but apocalyptic country landscapes to creative surreal environments, giving everything something of a dream logic feel. It has the basis of the usual “cute girls doing cute things” setup, but there is much more of a sense of adventure and even danger facing the four.
The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio
Studio: Connect
Director: Hideki Tachibana
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Yumiko Sato and Chika Watanabe are two girls whose personalities are at odds with their voice actor idol alter egos. They are also at odds with each other having gotten off to a bad start after meeting at school. However, the pair must try to work together to make their radio show a success. This predominantly school-set character drama seems set to follow a very simple “enemies to friends” plotline, but what makes it interesting to me is it being set in the world of voice acting and idols, which isn't seen much outside of shows that particularly focus on the music aspect. Yumiko and Chika are interesting people to spend time with, and their bickering at this point being amusing rather than annoying. It's going to be interesting to see how their dynamic changes and grows over the series, so if you want an idol show with a bit of difference this could be for you.
Tadaima, Okaeri
Studio: Studio Deen
Director: Shinji Ishihira
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Masaki and Hiromu are a married couple living with their young son Hikari and get to know their new neighbours and navigate life. It's cute, there's not too much else to say. Okay, there is an element of societal intolerance which is interesting and is definitely going to set the basis for the show's drama. It's also great to see more soft and domestic same sex relationships in anime. Where this differs from the usual is that this anime is based on Omegaverse, a fandom creation which essentially means there's a social hierarchy based on your secondary gender; Alpha, Beta, and Omega, with Omega men being capable of becoming pregnant from Alpha men. The fact that it's Omegaverse feels unnecessary outside of making it possible for Hikari to be biologically both Masaki and Hiromu's. The story could have just been about a same-sex couple and still dealt with the same issues and themes. Still, cute couple, cute baby, sometimes that's all you need.
Astro Note
Studio: Telecom Animation Film
Director: Shinji Takamatsu
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
“Maison Ikkoku”: Space Girl Edition. Down on his luck chef Takumi Miyasaki takes a job cooking breakfast at a small boarding house filled with eccentrics and run by the beautiful Mira who Takumi instantly falls for. However Mira has a secret; she is actually the princess of another planet and is searching for an artifact that will help her claim the throne. This show feels like a fun throwback, aside from the more obvious inspiration the spaceships seen in at the beginning of episode one look like something straight out of an 80s or 90s space opera anime. A lot of the fun in the show comes from its cast of quirky characters designed by Eisaku Kubonuochi, as well as the mystery of how long Mira's secret will stay hidden. This is an enjoyable and silly romcom that has potential to be the dark horse. Maybe isn't making waves now, but we'll all be talking about by the end of the season.
Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master
Studio: Pierrot
Director: Yoshiaki Kyougoku
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
In the fantasy world of Yamauchi live the Yatagarasu, mythical three legged ravens who can turn into humans. The crown prince is at a centre of a web of lies, plots, and schemes by others who seek power for themselves, while allies also gather that may aid him. This is a series all about the courtly intrigue and alliances, set in a world heavily inspired by Japan's Heian period. At this early stage the players are still making themselves known, but of particular note are Yukiya who is set to become a retainer of the prince, and young noblewoman Aesbi who has been thrown into the social battlefield to potentially become the future consort to the prince. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue to this show and potential for a really rich narrative, not to mention beautiful visuals.
Sand Land
Studio: Sunrise, Anima, Kamikaze Douga
Director: Toshihisa Yokoshima
Where to watch: Disney +
In March we lost Akira Toriyama, and it feels like the landscape of manga and character design will never quite be the same again without him. Yet no greater monument to an artist exists than the works he left behind. “Sand Land” is an Original Net Animation adaptation of Toriyama's 2000 manga and was one of the last things he worked on before he died. Set in a post-apocalyptic desert world where water has become a rare commodity withheld from the common people by a tyrannical king, a grizzled sheriff along with the prince of the demons set out to find a new water source. This is already a fun and lively show with plenty of action and comedic antics. I'm not generally a fan of CGI anime, but the blending of it with more traditional 2D animation make for striking visuals that really feel like we're watching drawings come to life. Toriyama-san, thank you for the adventures.
