Lenlo: Spring 2021 had a lot of hopes riding on it, from sequels like My Hero Academia S5, Zombieland Saga and the final season of Fruits Basket to new adaptations like Super Cub, To Your Eternity and Shadows House. Even originals got a chance to shine with works like Odd Taxi taking everyone by surprise! Sadly Summer 2021 has none of that and might in fact be one of the emptiest seasons we’ve seen in awhile. Sequels like Higurashi are going unnoticed as the remake appears to have fallen flat, though some might be excited for another season of Slime Isekai. Meanwhile adaptations feel like they are scraping the bottom of the barrel with works like Bokutachi no Remake – the lone hope there perhaps being The Detective is Already Dead. And originals? Well originals are my sole hope for the season as Sonny Boy has me all kinds of excited.

Think I’m being pessimistic? Well read on, take a look and let us know down below what you think is worth keeping an eye out for this summer! You have no idea how much I want you to prove me wrong and point out some good anime to me. Please, I can’t have Throwback Thursday be the only good thing I watch this season.

Middling Expectations

Peach Boy Riverside

Studio: Asahi Production
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Series composition: Keiichirou Oochi
Source: Manga

Mario: The Peach Boy Riverside manga is written by Cool-kyou Shinja, a creator involved in two other adaptations this season: Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon and Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi (though they only did character designs for the latter). Now, if you’re expecting Peach Boy to be in the same domestic comedy style as Maid Dragon or I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying, you couldn’t be more off the mark. From the little I’ve read of the manga, this is going to be a straightforward fantasy shounen show with slightly darker and more twisted characters. Asahi Production is not a big studio name, and the same goes for the director, whose first series in the big chair aired just three years ago. Series composer Oochi is more prolific, having written for comedies like Hinamatsuri and dramas like Oregairu’s recent third season. Will he be able to pull from his experience in both of those genres to elevate Peach Boy’s middle of the road source material? The odds aren’t great, but only time will tell.

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

Studio: J. C. Staff
Director: Takashi Watanabe
Series composition: Gō Zappa, Hiroshi Ōnogi
Source: Light Novel

Amun: Wait a second, this is just Amagi Brilliant Park: Isekai Edition. The main girl has the same uniform! Having read the first couple of chapters…yeah it’s definitely that. Which isn’t a bad thing, but what’s cute in an amusement park isn’t so cute in a country with actual people. Also, the source material seems…quite wordy. Like my goodness, the poor translators. J.C. Staff needs no introduction, and Director Watanabe has a huge amount of experience – most notably Slayers and Ikkitousen. The series composers (odd that there are two) are a mixed bag. Zappa has worked on mostly comedy, although he’s done the recent Moriarty the Patriot. Ōnogi did FMA: Brotherhood, but is also doing D_Cide this season. Not entirely sure how that situation will pan out, but the talent should be there. I’m just worried the source material isn’t great – plus there doesn’t seem to be that much of it (around 30 chapters that I can find). Some red flags on this one, but I really liked Amagi Brilliant Park, so I’ll probably watch a few of these at least.

Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Seimei Kidokoro
Series composition: Hiroshi Seko
Source: Manga

Wooper: If you ever need to read the Idaten-tachi manga, say, to sample it before writing a blurb for an anime season preview, make sure you don’t do it in public. Not going to elaborate – just don’t do it. Honestly, I was minorly disappointed to discover how crude this thing is (as opposed to merely irreverent), because the first teaser video really impressed me. Both the character and background art were far from the norm, showcasing a blend of neon and pastel colors that created some truly striking images. The animation in the second PV seemed to compliment the attitudes of the cast, as well – limited movement with strong impact frames, emphasizing both the laziness and the overwhelming strength of the gods who populate the series. My excitement faded when I took the source material out for a spin, though. In addition to being sexually violent, there’s a lot of uninvolving dialogue about special abilities, which veteran shounen writer Hiroshi Seko (Attack on Titan, Mob Psycho) will have to punch up for the series to succeed. I’m still willing to gamble on this one, since a major studio like MAPPA is unlikely to smuggle anything past the censors, but if it gets too smutty I’m liable to walk away.

D_CIDE Traumerei

Studio: Sanzigen
Director: Yoshikazu Kon
Series composition: Hiroshi Oonogi
Source: Original

Mario: I tend to swim against the stream sometimes where my anime taste is concerned, so when I say I’m looking forward to Sanzigen’s new work, that’s definitely going to raise a lot of eyebrows. Yes, Sanzigen is infamous for their fully 3DCG works, but those series have successfully held my interest in the past. I haven’t checked out their most popular show (BanG Dream!), and don’t intend to do so anytime soon, but I consider things like Bubuki Buranki and ID-0 to be highly under-appreciated. The PV for D_CIDE, on the other hand, looks bare-bones with some off-putting character designs (something I didn’t have any issues with in their past works). The Director is a complete novice, backed by the Series Composer of something called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, plus other classics such as Noein and Tetsuwan Birdy Decode. I am certain to check this one out, but I’m merely curious about the project rather than expecting great things from it.

Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru

Studio: ENGI
Director: Manabu Kurihara
Series composition: Hitomi Mieno
Source: Light Novel

Amun: I have been told by several people, in no uncertain terms, that The Detective is Already Dead is trash. But joke’s on you – I’m isekai trash, through and through, so I’m right at home in this garbage bin! Three chapters in….okay, I’m ready to get out now, this is not good. So. Much. Talking. So. Little. Doing. My goodness – although I like the Spanish shout-outs (which will make it so much more confusing for me, since I get my foreign languages of Spanish and Japanese mixed up all the time). Quick thoughts on the studio and staff: ENGI has done 3 shows of note, Uzaki-chan was good, Isekai Wrestler was meh, and I didn’t watch the 3rd. Director Kurihara has not directed a full show before, but did some work on Bleach and Hellsing Ultimate. It’s the composer who I actually want to talk about – Hitomi Mieno. She has done some amazing work – Arakawa Under the Bridge. Some okay work – Assassin’s Pride. And some truly awful work – Tatoeba Last Dungeon. So no idea how this will turn out, but I’m feeling a suspicious lean towards the latter. Man, this season is looking really awful.

Re-Main

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Masafumi Nishida
Series composition: Masafumi Nishida
Source: Original

Mario: MAPPA’s sports-themed originals have become a consistent thing, huh? Yuri on Ice is no brainer, and last year they introduced another non-typical competitive sport in gymnastics with Taiso Samurai. Now we’ve got water polo, the novelty of which is interesting in and of itself. I know very little about the sport except for the “Blood in the Water” Olympic match from 1956, which has been described as the most violent water polo contest in history. Re-Main won’t be nearly that exciting; the high school setting and generic synopsis have tempered my expectations a fair bit, and a one cour run is hardly an ideal length for a sports show. To make the matter even trickier, its PVs remind me strongly of Free, with their shameless focus on the boys’ muscles. Re-Main is written and directed by the creator of Tiger & Bunny, so he’s a proven hitmaker, but his upcoming series “Tesla Note” sounds more like his thing than Re-Main, so I’d put my faith in that future project instead.

Uramichi Oniisan

Studio: Blanc
Director: Nobuyoshi Nagayama
Series composition: Touko Machida
Source: Manga

Wooper: I’m expecting very little from the staff involved in Uramichi Oniisan’s production, but I took a look at the first few chapters of the manga and felt an immediate connection with its main character. He and I are the same age, have the same general outlook on life, and we both work with kids for a living. I may not be the host of an exercise program like him, but Uramichi’s ability to hide his obvious despair with a big smile and a cheerful voice was immediately familiar to me. There’s something inherently funny about the contrast between his cynical language and the wide-eyed kids who eat it up due to his engaging tone. Even people who work soul-draining desk jobs will be able to relate to Uramichi – if you’ve ever maintained a pleasant facade while wishing misfortune on a client or a coworker, you’ll see a part of yourself reflected in this series. Is there enough here to sustain a 12 episode TV anime? Probably not, and even if there were, Studio Blanc wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice to handle the material. Still, I’ll give it a shot; the protagonist is, as the kids say, my spirit animal.

Kageki Shoujo!!

Studio: Pine Jam
Director: Kazuhiro Yoneda
Series composition: Tadashi Morishita
Source: Manga

Mario: On paper, with an all female cast and a stage performance theme, Kageki Shoujo might put you in mind of 2018’s Revue Starlight. This new project is much more straightforward, however, as it’s a josei series that focuses on the relationships of its female cast. The PV is packed with staple symbolism from the josei field: blooming roses in the background, cherry blossoms, highly feminine character designs. Pine Jam isn’t known for top quality productions – looking through their previous works, Gamers and Just Because both suffered from production issues halfway through their runs. Director Kazuhiro Yoneda is responsible for more than half of Pine Jam’s output, and his range covers both shoujo works like Yona of the Dawn and the outrageous (in the best possible sense) Gleipnir, so how well he can bring the sensibility of this material to anime remains a question mark. At best, Kageki Shoujo will resonate with a small, devoted group, but I just don’t see it making it big.

Vanitas no Carte

Studio: Bones
Director: Tomoyuki Itamura
Series composition: Deko Akao
Source: Manga

Wooper: Another action-driven vampire series set in Industrial Europe? Honestly, I wouldn’t even bother writing this up without Bones handling the animation – specifically Yoshiyuki Itou, whose Chief AD work on shows like Star Driver and Concrete Revolutio resulted in at least one eye-popping scene per week. Vanitas no Carte boasts a large cast of eclectic fighters, providing fertile ground for Itou and whatever team he assembles to flex their fingers, but I doubt there’s much more to the story than meets the eye. A valorous young vampire meets a crazy doctor and hopes to use his talents to save a friend. Enemies show up to capture or kill the doctor for a few episodes, it’s eventually revealed that the doc has a dark past (or present), the noble bloodsucker has to reevaluate his partnership with the mad scientist, etc. I’m just spitballing, so these aren’t spoilers or anything, but taking one look at the promotional material for Vanitas is enough to create these sorts of ground floor expectations. Still, the potential for dynamic action scenes and series direction from Itamura (AKA Mr. Monogatari Series, who knows a thing or two about vampires) are enough to make this a noteworthy title.

 

Shows We’re Anticipating

Hamefura 2

Studio: SILVER LINK.
Director: Keisuke Inoue
Series composition: Megumi Shimizu
Source: Light Novel

Mario: What’s a formerly villainous girl to do once she’s successfully tweaked her storyline? That’s essentially the premise of the second outing of this isekai hit. The first season for me was a total delight. Its sweet-hearted nature and Katalina’s total obliviousness to the affection of people around her worked way better in practice than it sounded on paper. The source material eventually follows Katarina after she graduates from school and carries on as a working adult (not sure if this season will get to this point though), with more suitors to come and a great chance to expand its world. The same personnel from the first season are coming back here so in terms of production values you know what to expect. For me, the mere presence of Bakarina is enough to sell me on this. It’ll be great to see our girl back in action.

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon S

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Director: Ishihara Tatsuya
Series composition: Yuka Yamada
Source: Manga

Wooper: This will be Kyoto Animation’s first full-length TV project since 2019’s arson attack, which tragically claimed the lives of 36 people. Among the victims were Yasuhiro Takemoto, director of Maid Dragon’s first season, and Mikiko Watanabe, art director for the same series. Without their guidance, this sequel won’t have precisely the same found-family charm or warm interior layouts as before, and although those were some of my favorite aspects of the 2017 version, I won’t begrudge 2021 any changes. The show will be different, but not inferior, especially since veteran KyoAni director Ishihara Tatsuya is stepping in for the follow-up; his experience on Nichijou in particular will serve him well in Kobayashi-san’s orderly yet colorful world. I haven’t a clue whether a larger story will emerge this season, as I’m unfamiliar with the manga, but this is the one studio I trust to improve on their source material, so we ought to be in for a treat. To be just weeks away from KyoAni’s televised rebirth is both sobering and exciting – I hope you’ll join me in welcoming them back to the space where they made their name.

Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid

Studio: J.C.Staff
Director: Yoshiki Yamakawa
Series composition: Hideki Shirane
Source: Manga

Mario: Watching the PV for Kuro Maid, I wasn’t entirely sure how well its “sexual harassment” gimmick would blend with its more emotional moments. Reading the first three (relatively short) chapters, though, I can see how the formula works – the male lead is cursed to kill every living thing he touches, adding an element of comedy to his sad predicament. Regarding the anime adaptation, one thing of note is that the show will be fully CGI, with the same staff from 2018’s Hi Score Girl. The 3D style doesn’t seem to fit the content here – unlike their previous series – but for now I’m remaining positive, as I quite liked Hi Score Girl. There’s a fair bit of charm to this love story about two lonely people – if the animation can work for it and not against it, Kuro Maid has a shot at brightening the summer season.

Ore, Tsushima

Studio: Fanworks, Space Neko Company
Director: Jun Aoki
Series composition: Jun Aoki
Source: Manga

Wooper: There are a handful of things that suck about the modern anime landscape, but Jun Aoki having the freedom to adapt whichever comedy manga he likes isn’t one of them. His version of Pop Team Epic was an absurdist exercise in audience fuckery, while last year’s Gal and Dino was a winning combination of strange and sweet. Even Aoki’s independent shorts are good – my favorite is Kotatsu Neko, which is definitely worth your time at just over a minute in length. So why am I talking about the guy’s past work and not Ore, Tsushima itself? Simple: I don’t know a thing about it. The manga hasn’t been translated outside of a three-page prologue, and the premise reads like an excuse to put a fat, selfish cat on screen and hit the “Hilarity Ensues” button. With a chameleon like Aoki on staff, though, the only sure things are 1) multiple art styles and 2) complete spontaneity. That’s enough to pique my interest, even if no one else knows the show exists.

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope

Studio: P.A. Works
Director: Toshiya Shinohara
Series composition: Yuuko Kakihara
Source: Original

Mario: I’ve always admired P.A. Works’ efforts to create one or two original shows each year, but while I appreciate their intention, they always fall short of sticking with me personally. Their originals can be categorized in two groups: action-packed fantasies that don’t care an iota for their characters (Sirius the Jaeger, Fairy Gone, Appare-Ranman), or magical-realism character dramas that treasure dramatic moments but forget to move the plot (Irozuku, Nagi no Asu Kara, last year’s Kamisama ni Natta hi). Sometimes you get Shirobako and Sakura Quest, but more often than not these shows are misfires; some are among my biggest disappointments in recent memory. I’m afraid Aquatope may fall into the second category. It holds a lot of potential based on the synopsis and the slick visuals from the PV, but based on the studio’s track record, there’s no guarantee that it will stick the landing. Director Toshiya Shinohara previously handled Irozuku, and this new series does look and feel like Irozuku, which looked pretty but concluded poorly. So I’m rather conflicted about this one – my heart is all for it but my rational mind screams that you need to temper your expectations.

 

Highest Expectations

Sonny Boy

Studio: MADHOUSE
Director: Shingo Natsume
Series composition: Shingo Natsume
Source: Original

Lenlo: It’s hard not to get at least a little bit hyped when Shingo Natsume is in the driver’s seat. From storyboarding Night is Short, Walk on Girl to directing Space Dandy and One Punch Man Season 1, the man has a wide range of skills and makes some pretty incredible stuff. This new project is pairing him with veterans from all over the industry such as character designer Hisashi Eguchi, responsible for the designs of Perfect Blue, color design from Satoshi Hashimoto who worked on also worked on Perfect Blue as well as Beastars and Chihayafuru, and music advising from Shinichirou Watanabe of all people. It’s hard not to get excited just from seeing those names all in one place. About the only thing that concerns me is that this is Shingo’s first original project. Up until now he has only adapted other people’s stories, so we don’t know what he can do with a pen. My hope is something incredible. And judging from what I’ve heard about the first episode released for special viewing (which speaks to the producers’ confidence), it’s pretty good. Can’t wait to watch it once I finish writing this.

 

Anime Movie Previews

Mario: Contrary to the slim offerings from the TV world this summer season, the anime film industry’s mantra for the next three months seems to be “back to business.” There are arrivals of many exciting projects, from Mamoru Hosoda’s new outing Belle and the year-delayed Nahoko Uehashi adaptation The Deer King, to original content from established franchises such as Boku no Hero Academia and Mahoutsukai no Yume (in OVA form). On top of that, on the Netflix front, we will have a wide array of upcoming movies that will be released either later this year or in early 2022. While I am never that enthusiastic when it comes to Netflix anime originals, the mere fact that their streaming model creates an alternative to cinema, combined with their willingness to fund and expand this sort of anime content, are factors that might affect this industry as a whole. Time will tell on that, I’m sure. For now, though, enjoy perusing the theatrical line-up for this Summer 2021 season.

Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime

Studio: Chizu
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Script: Mamoru Hosoda
Source: Original
Release Date: July 17

Wooper: Mamoru Hosoda is the most consistent anime director of the digital era. Since 2006, he has released a new movie once every three summers, consistently drawing from a stable of familiar themes (family, technology, grappling with death), and each film has earned him a progressively larger audience. It’s unlikely that he’d stray from that formula at this stage of his career, and indeed, The Dragon and the Freckled Princess (shortened to “Belle” in the West) appears to be a hybridization of his past works. There’s a protagonist repressing the pain of her mother’s death, a misunderstood beast, and a virtual world with a population in the billions. A lot of people are calling this thing Summer Wars 2.0, but the trailer makes it look much more opulent than that film – and much more obviously computerized. Using 3DCG to illustrate a digital realm makes perfect sense, but some of the stark lighting on display here is totally at odds with the shadowless 2D character art. Will Belle turn out beautifully regardless of that contrast? The answer is almost certainly yes – I just hope the story is fresh enough to captivate those who have fallen off the Hosoda bandwagon.

Boku no Hero Academia the Movie 3: World Heroes’ Mission

Studio: Bones
Director: Kenji Nagasaki
Script: Yousuke Kuroda
Source: Manga
Release Date: August 6

Mario: Arguably the biggest anime franchise today, Boku no Hero Academia can’t escape the fact that its studio milks the hell out of it. The movies, based on original content rather than manga material, are more muted in popularity than the series, but here we go again: the third film installment in the last four years is just around the corner. This time, the plot expands to the whole world where an anti-Quirk cult, believing that humanity’s rapid evolution will end in their destruction, places bombs across the world. Kenji Nagasaki is back in the director’s chair, with the same staff from previous movies. While I’m not a fan of Boku no Hero Academia, I certainly don’t mind more of it. I just don’t think it will break the mould or convert new fans from the original series.

Misaki no Mayoiga

Studio: David Production
Director: Shinya Kawatsura
Script: Reiko Yoshida
Source: Novel
Release Date: August 27

Mario: Misaki no Mayoiga might have started as a humble tenth anniversary marker for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, but there’s more here than meets the eye upon closer inspection. First, David Production’s involvement is a positive sign, well-known as they are for spectacular action series such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Fire Force, and this is their first theatrical feature. While a female-driven drama about overcoming trauma is outside their wheelhouse, it’s the director involved that fits the source material neatly. Shinya Kawatsura is an ace with healing and lighthearted anime, including Non Non Biyori, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, and Kokoro Connect: Stella no Mahou. Furthermore, the source novel (which is a rarity in itself) won the 54th Noma Children’s Literature Award in 2016. While the trailers don’t give away much of the story, the art is pleasant and the themes of identity and grief are always wins in my book. Out of all the films I previewed for this season, Misaki no Mayoiga is the least buzzed about, and I suppose it will stay that way even after it screens, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth checking out.

Ryouma! The Prince of Tennis Shinsei Movie: Tennis no Ouji-sama

Studio: Keica / The Monk Studios
Director: Hiroshi Koujina
Script: Takehiko Hata
Source: Manga
Release Date: September 3

Mario: As an anime fan, I knew this day would come. The day where all the popular franchises get dazzling, 3DCG makeovers to attract a new generation of fans. “Stand By Me Doraemon” and “Lupin III the First” kicked off the trend a few years back, and now The Prince of Tennis joins their ranks. Why producers think “updated visuals = full CGI” is beyond me as my poor eyes can’t still get used to it, and the trailer sure as heck doesn’t ease my concerns. I’m a fan of tennis myself, but I don’t really watch much tennis anime – I caught the first few episodes of The Prince of Tennis back in the day and didn’t find it interesting at all. The film is a collaboration between two brand new studios, and the director is a total unknown as he directed Kiba and… wait for it… Rainbow and Hunter x Hunter (2011). Okay, so his resume is solid, but he’s been borderline inactive for nearly a decade so my fears are not assuaged. I can safely say that I’m not the target audience of this new film.

Shika no Ou: Yuna to Yakusoku no Tabi

Studio: Production I.G
Director: Masashi Andou, Masayuki Miyaji
Script: Taku Kishimoto
Source: Novel
Release Date: September 10

Mario: Despite a slim season, the inclusion of Shika no Ou here will be enough to satisfy some anime fans. The source material comes from the mind of Uehashi Nahoko, author of just two other works: Seirei no Moribito and Kemono no Souja Erin. That aspect alone is already a big selling point for me, as both of those series are highly acclaimed. Veteran animator Masashi Andou (Dennou Coil, Pom Poko, and Paprika just to name a few) gets his first big directorial role with this one, pairing with series composer Taku Kishimoto who has scripted many hits like Haikyuu, Silver Spoon, 91 Days, and Usagi Drop – the personnel involved are too good to pass on this project. It debuted at the Annecy Animation Festival just days ago and will be released in Japan in September, and the trailer looks just as expansive as the fantasy premise demands. More than any other film coming out this season, Shika no Ou is the one that has my full attention.

Mahoutsukai no Yome: Nishi no Shounen to Seiran no Kishi

Studio: Studio Kafka
Director: Kazuaki Terasawa
Script: TBA
Source: Manga
Release Date: September 10 (OVA)

Mario: While this is a three-part OVA rather than a theatrical release, I decided to include it in this column as well. It’s been three years since Mahoutsukai no Yome ended, and I have such conflicting feelings towards Wit’s adaptation. On the one hand, the world is well-realized, the art is beautiful and it offers more than enough emotional punch. On the other hand, the story is built on a flawed foundation (the relationship between Chise and Elias) to which I have little attachment. The pacing was also rushed and not very well directed towards the end of its run. This new story is supposed to continue where we left off in the series, shortly before Cartaphilus took a nap and Chise became an auditor at the College. Believe it or not, I can’t even recall either of those things happening, even though I can still fondly remember the events from the prequel OVA. There are two big aspects that you need to know for this sequel. First, it’s the brand-new Studio Kafka who has taken charge of this project, but before you fret, the staff come straight from Studio Wit which makes total sense. Second, Studio Kafka has assured us that this three-parter is just a taste of more to come for the franchise, which also means that it might just be a teaser for the second season. Whatever the case, for now I’m excited for more.