Wooper: The arrival of this particular fall season is significant less for the cartoons it’s bringing to our screens, and more as a prelude to the end of this ruinous year. Even for creatures as cloistered as anime fans, pandemics, hurricanes and wildfires easily outrank the new crop of fall series in our general consciousness. Star Crossed hasn’t missed a season preview in years, however, and we’re not about to break our streak now. The all-star sequels like Attack on Titan, Beastars, and Re:Zero S2.5 might not be airing until 2021, but there are still a few shows to look forward to this September. (EDIT: Attack on Titan S4 is now set to premiere on December 7th of this year.) Among them are a nicely-staffed Shounen Jump adaptation, a reboot of an iconic horror anime from the 2000s, and another season of Volleyball Boys, which is always a good thing. You’ll also want to prepare yourself for the appearance of anime’s godliest MC when he returns to television early next month. I’m sure most of you have heard his gospel by now, but if you don’t know which stone-faced power fantasy protag I’m referring to, you’ll have to read on to find out!

MIDDLING EXPECTATIONS

Taiso Samurai

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Hisatoshi Shimizu
Series composition: Shigeru Murakoshi
Source: Original

Wooper: There’s not a lot of info available about this original gymnastics series, but as our resident sports anime guy, it’s high on my list of things to check out this fall. The synopsis actually makes it sound like MAPPA’s attempt to recreate Yuri on Ice, with a fateful encounter changing the course of a flagging athlete’s career. What makes Taiso Samurai stand out is its setting – the story takes place in 2002, and is set to depict a low point in Japanese gymnastics (presumably making the main character’s turnaround that much more impressive). The other reason I’m interested is the horizontal bar animation on display in the PV. It’s obviously rotoscoped, but that doesn’t disqualify it from looking awesome, much like Hanebado did a couple years back. Of course, Hanebado’s mess of a main character wrecked its chances at a gold medal finish, but Taiso Samurai might fare better with the writer of checks notes Zombie Land Saga on board? Ehh, we’ll see how this one shakes out.

Assault Lily: Bouquet

Studio: Shaft
Director: Shouji Saeki
Series composition: TBA
Source: Mixed media

Wooper: How did we reach the point where a Shaft-directed magical girl series fails to generate interest among audiences? The studio’s talent exodus is an open secret at this point, but I’d have thought the potential for a Madoka-esque comeback would have folks a bit more hyped. Not that Assault Lily stands a chance of approaching that show’s boldness – despite a couple noteworthy cuts of animation circulating online, this anime seems to be a prop for another mixed media project. There’s very little emphasis placed on the environments in the PV, with a lot of the weapon transformations happening against solid or screen tone backgrounds. The hints of yuri smell like otaku bait, since this thing will likely prioritize safety and accessibility above all else. That’s most clearly evident in the character designs, which seem to belong to an inoffensive mobile game rather than a full-length TV anime. In the words of Reviewbrah, my disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

Iwa Kakeru! Sports Climbing Girls

Studio: BLADE
Director: Tetsuro Amino
Series composition: Touko Machida
Source: Manga

Lenlo: On the surface, Iwa Kakeru looks like a decent enough seasonal anime. We have Studio Wit from Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga fame as producers and the director Tetsuro Amino has a long history on works like Shiki and even some Lupin. But the moment you look deeper, you watch the PV, it all starts to fall apart. The primary work on the series will be done by BLADE, who have only worked on 5 other series before now, none of them being any good whatsoever. Meanwhile the PV itself reveals a stunningly lackluster production that can’t even deliver on the promise of hot muscular women. Seriously, what’s the point of this show if I can’t even get waifus with abs out of it? And to top it all off, the source material is a 5 double-length chapter manga that has a sequel announced, but is not yet being released. The whole thing just screams mediocrity to me, as much as I wish it was more. I can only hope they pull out a surprise, because no one wants hot muscular women more than I do on this team.

Adachi to Shimamura

Studio: Tezuka Productions
Director: Satoshi Kuwabara
Series composition: Keiichirou Oochi
Source: Light novel

Wooper: Adachi to Shimamura is a modest-looking yuri anime that I’m previewing mostly because Mario is interested in the show. That’s modest as in “unlikely to be a big hit,” not a synonym for chaste. I’m not sure why Tezuka Pro bid on this project, but based on the PV you can be sure their hearts aren’t in the production. The characters move awkwardly despite their simple designs, and their voices are similarly stiff. That last point is especially troubling, since romance/SoL series often live and die by the strength of their casts. Just two small things give me hope for Adashima, the first of which is the synopsis’ description of the main couple’s mellow friendship. It seems as though the show aims to steer clear of melodrama, which is a good sign in my book. The other one is a particular credit of writer Keiichirou Oochi’s: he handled the scripts for Hinamatsuri, which was an excellent adaptation. If he’s the man specifically responsible for Anzu’s adventures with the local homeless population, we might have a dark horse on our hands here.

Akudama Drive

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Director: Tomohisa Taguchi
Series composition: Norimitsu Kaihou
Source: Original

Wooper: Here’s your edgefest for the season. Akudama Drive looks to be a gritty, urban, over-the-top crimefest with a strong visual aesthetic. The PV is full of characters with ridiculous hair and even more ridiculous catchphrases, cast largely in shadows but illuminated in dim red and blue lights. It presents an alternate reality where two Japanese regions once battled in such epic fashion that “the world was torn,” which is apparently less important than whatever’s happening back home. To be fair, what’s happening back home is Murder with a capital “M,” which the main characters might do something about once they’re done killing their own enemies. If you like the stylized worlds of Danganronpa or Persona, then Akudama Drive might be up your alley, since it shares some staff with those franchises. As for me, the promotional footage is slick enough that I’ll check out an episode or two. It’s not as though there are any surefire anime successes to spend my time on instead (R.I.P. To Your Eternity).

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

Studio: EMT Squared
Director: Yuu Nobuta / Hisashi Ishii
Series composition: Takashi Aoshima
Source: Light Novel

Mario: Kuma Bear, you already had me at the second “Kuma” at the title!! Kidding aside, along with Kami-tachi, this is your usual isekai fix of the season. This time we go back to the old ages (goah, I feel old typing this) where the MC (a girl) is transported to the VRMMO game she plays in an unBEARably overpowered and cute bear outfit. And writing this whole sentence already makes me cringe. The directors have been involved in a lot of CGDCT shows before, and Nobuta also has another show airing this season (Maesetsu, from which I likewise don’t expect much). The PV is as typical as it gets, basically repeating the premise in (modest) visual form. But look, that bear outfit is incredibly cute, isn’t it?

Majo no Tabitabi

Studio: C2C
Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka
Series composition: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Source: Light novel

Wooper: “Kino’s Journey, but less androgynous” is what I’m getting from all the promo material for this magical slice of life series. I’ve enjoyed Kiki’s Delivery Service and Flying Witch in the past, so the concept appeals to me, but Majo no Tabitabi has something working against it: boilerplate light novel character designs. We’re unlikely to get bank-breaking animation on a title like this, so the settings will have to carry the whole production. Happily, the European-inspired backgrounds in the PV are charming, and art director Hiroshi Gouroku’s portfolio is stocked with titles like Dennou Coil, Poco’s Udon World, and FLCL. Even with that wealth of experience, though, making a road show like this feel unified despite its various locations is a tough job. Series composition by the man who adapted Girls’ Last Tour (which recently squeaked onto our Top 50 Anime of the Decade list) should provide a lot of help in that department, but whether the whole thing will come together remains to be seen.

Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken

Studio: Toei Animation
Director: Kazuya Karasawa
Series composition: Katsuhiko Chiba
Source: Manga

Mario: This is gonna be like a nostalgia trip for me watching this new version Dragon Quest. Back when I was a little kid, Dragon Quest was up there with the all-time classic manga and I would list it in the same breath as Dragon Ball (silly little boy). Although the 30-year-old me now knows the story isn’t that refreshing, or even good, there are bits and pieces of Dragon Quest that are still embedded in my mind. Now, Dragon Quest has been adapted before (didn’t check out that version) so it begs the question whether this new version breathes enough fresh air into this age-old material. The director was previously involved in all kinds of Dragon Ball so he is the one specifically for this job. They’d better adapt the whole thing (something which the previous version failed to do), but it would probably take 150 plus episodes. Not a small commitment at all.

Hanyou no Yashahime

Studio: Sunrise
Director: Teruo Satou
Series composition: Katsuyuki Sumisawa
Source: Original

Wooper: Don’t let the “original” source listing fool you – this is essentially Inuyasha: The Next Generation. It doesn’t come directly from a Rumiko Takahashi manga, but when the first line of the synopsis is, “The daughters of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha set out on a journey transcending time!” you know exactly what you’re in for. My knowledge of Yashahime’s parent story is nonexistent, to the point that I couldn’t pick out Sesshoumaru in a lineup of three – but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating Takahashi’s character designs. They’re just so clean and expressive, and this new series has preserved them wonderfully. The PV looks really nice (as it should, since it’s working with Sunrise money), and the director did extensive E.D. work on the original Inuyasha anime, so longtime fans should be in safe hands. Some of you are surely fuming at the idea that I plan to sample this show without having seen all 193 episodes of Inuyasha, but don’t worry – dipping my foot into this franchise won’t topple your closet Sesshoumaru shrine (did I use his name right?).

Noblesse

Studio: Production I.G.
Director: Yasutaka Yamamoto
Series composition: Sayaka Harada
Source: Manhwa

Wooper: Having just watched Noblesse’s 2016 ONA in preparation for this paragraph, I can confidently say this series is dumb as hell, but also sort of awesome for it. The main character Raizel is a godlike vampire whose milky skin, lustrous raven hair and single dangling earring mark him as a Perfect Being. Imagine a man twice as strong as Alucard from Hellsing, but also five times as good-looking and ten times as dignified. Accompanying this flawless creature is his servant Frankenstein, who I assume is unrelated to the Mary Shelley character – he’s far too handsome to draw that comparison. Together they fight other vampires and werewolves and such, protecting the friends that Raizel made while attending high school, because of course he does. If you’re into super-powerful ikemen and silly anime tropes, this will be your jam. The PV puts a lot of action on display, but it all feels a bit stiff thanks to the inflexible lineart – the ONA had the opposite problem, being less visually disciplined but more dynamic. As long as the TV version nails Raizel’s hottest moments, though, I’m sure fans will be pleased.

 

SHOWS WE’RE ANTICIPATING

Jujutsu Kaisen

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Seong-Hu Park
Series composition: Hiroshi Seko
Source: Manga

Wooper: I usually check out the first few chapters of a manga before previewing its adaptation for the blog, but Jujutsu Kaisen’s synopsis is bog standard supernatural fare. An ancient evil is unsealed (Ushio and Tora), so the hero fuses with a demon to fight other demons (Devilman), and attends a magic school where he improves his exorcism skills (Blue Exorcist). If this series is going to make an impact, it’ll have to do so visually, and it looks like it’s got the staff to do just that. Both PVs lead me to believe that Seong-Hu Park has gathered just as talented a crew for this production as he did for God of High School. The animation looks Mob Psycho-esque in a few spots, with inkier lines used for close-up action and demon antagonists. We’ve got the often-imitated Tadashi Hiramatsu on character designs, as well, which should give the production a slightly more grown-up feel. If his solid, symmetrical style can be upheld throughout the show’s run, it’ll give a major boost to this Shounen Jump joint.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Studio: Passione
Director: Keiichirou Kawaguchi
Series composition: Naoki Hayashi
Source: Visual novel

Wooper: My experience with the Higurashi franchise amounts to half a dozen episodes of the first TV anime, most of which I spent laughing in the wrong places. I’m aware of how weird and ambitious the plot gets further down the line, but the show’s baseline of “What if cute girls, but also creepy girls?” didn’t move my personal needle. Fast forward 14 years and it’s got another chance to hook me with this reboot, produced by a C-tier studio and directed by the man in charge of the ongoing TV-length Shadowverse commercial. I’ll try to keep my hype to a minimum when I check out the premiere in a couple weeks. The PV will have to tide us over in the meantime, with its mix of cute smiles and soul-piercing stares (plus those unsettling strings arranged by Kenji Kawai, who’s returning to do the music for the new adaptation). Based on what I’ve seen so far, this will be a nostalgia trip rather than a conversion tool for new fans, but Higurashi isn’t exactly up my alley, so what do I know?

Senyoku no Sigrdrifa

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Director: Hirotaka Tokuda
Series composition: Tappei Nagatsuki
Source: Original

Mario: Normally a premise like this (where cute girls fight the enemy with planes) doesn’t excite me much, but it’s the sheer reputation of the writers involved that puts it considerably high on this list. It’s an original concept by Tappei, who is behind Re:Zero’s conception. To add to that, while this is only the director’s first solo work, he has been involved in Grancrest Senki, Nanatsu no Taizai, and Sword Art Online among others, and Sigrdrifa falls into the same bucket as those series. The trailer reminds me a fair bit of Qualidea Code, a messy and ambitious project from a few years back with the writer of OreGairu (and a whole bunch of others). I kind of expect Sigrdrifa to go the same messy route as Qualidea Code. But because it’s written by Tappei, do we expect a lot of suffering here as well?

Ikebukuro West Gate Park

Studio: Doga Kobo
Director: Tomoaki Koshida
Series composition: Fumihiko Shimo
Source: Novel

Wooper: Most people will look at this show and dismiss it as yet another Durarara clone, but the first IWGP novel predates the first DRRR book by a good six years. That means we’re getting another late 90s adaptation from Doga Kobo, who’ve ported Junichirou Taniguchi’s character designs from Yesterday wo Utatte over to this series. I’m not sure if they’re the right fit for a more action-oriented story, nor am I overflowing with confidence in the animation – I expected a bit more polish since the show was delayed three months. Rather than the production, though, what’s most interesting about IWGP is the compromise it plans to strike between gang drama and bishounen showcase. Most modern anime that walk a similar line end up face planting on one side or the other, but since Ikebukuro West Gate Park is a fundamental work in the genre, it may have an easier time keeping its balance. A novice director and mid-tier visuals may hold this one back from greatness, but my gut tells me it’ll succeed on a conceptual level.

Kamisama ni Natta hi

Studio: P.A. Works
Director: Yoshiyuki Asai
Series composition: Jun Maeda
Source: Original

Wooper: We’ve got some Jun Maeda fans on staff here, so I’ll be nice and pretend I’m looking forward to his twentieth story about a normal guy whose life is forever changed by a supernatural encounter with a young girl. This time she claims to be a god and proclaims that the world will end in 30 days, and once the trivial matter of convincing him of those facts is accomplished, they set about living, laughing and loving their way toward the heat death of the universe. The director of Charlotte is back in the driver’s seat for this one, so your tolerance for his style of Key adaptation should inform your anticipation levels here. Personally, I think the glaring sun in the PV’s exterior shots makes the show look gaudy, but once we get some scenes strung together in the first episode things ought to balance out. And even if they don’t, the female lead is a pink-haired, squeaky-voiced schoolgirl wearing the kawaii version of a nun’s veil, so you know you’re in for a good time.

Tonikaku Kawaii

Studio: Seven Arcs
Director: Hiroshi Ikehata
Series composition: Kazuho Hyoudou
Source: Manga

Mario: Anime romantic comedies can be hit or miss, but after the success of Gotoubon I am willing to give rom-com shows a chance. Tonikaku Kawaii is the closest I could get in that regard, considering the staff involved. It is penned by mangaka Kenjrou Hata, who is most well-known for Hayate no Gotoku and its 2007 anime adaptation. The director has been behind many comedy-centric shows like Uchuu Senkan Tiramisu and the mahou-shoujo Kiratto Pri-chan, among others. This manga is just a few years old, but it’s popular so I think it’s safe to say that this one will be well-liked in this fall season. At the same time though, since it’s new there’s a high chance that it just stops midway and we’ll have to endure a long wait for the coming sequel.

 

HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS

Haikyuu!! To The Top Part 2

Studio: Production I.G.
Director: Masako Satou
Series composition: Taku Kishimoto
Source: Manga

Lenlo: Ahem TOURNAAAAAAMENT AAAAAAAARC! It’s time babies, Haikyuu is back! I will freely admit, I wasn’t huge on Part 1 of this season, but that’s because it was all in preparation for this. Part 1 was the reintroduction, setting the stage for what’s going to be either two 6-episode matches or one 12-episode match, and I honestly think both could work. Having ended earlier this year, Haikyuu needs no introduction. It’s one of the most acclaimed sports manga of the past decade and in this writer’s opinion, handily earns that title. I could go on about the specific matches Haikyuu is adapting this season, Inarizaki and one other. But the fact is that Haikyuu only has fantastic matches remaining and we only have maybe four or five full matches left before the series is over. So without spoiling anything, sit back and enjoy the ride. So long as Production I.G. can pull off the visuals, I see absolutely no reason for this to be anything less than stellar.

Golden Kamuy 3

Studio: Geno Studio
Director: Hitoshi Nanba
Series composition: Noboru Takagi
Source: Manga

Mario: My experience with Golden Kamuy has gone through plenty of ups and downs. Widely anticipated when it first came out, the horrible CG bear turned a lot of anime viewers away. Then the main storyline was sidetracked by a love of food and Ainu culture, some campy humor, and a whole lot of focus on the side characters that seemed to be too big for its own good. But guess what? It’s precisely these qualities that make Golden Kamuy so deliciously crunchy and now when all roads finally lead to Rome, I can hardly wait to see how it wraps up. With the same staff returning for this third season, we can assume that the production values will be the same. One thing I can say for sure, Golden Kamuy is a fucking wild ride.

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen

Studio: 8bit Tatsuya Industries
Director: Yoshida, Risako Tatsuya
Series composition: Iwasaki Taku [Tatsuya]
Source: Light Tatsuya Novel

Amun Tatsuya: For those of you who have not been enlightened by One True Tatuya (also known as the one true Onii-sama, not to be confused by false onii-samas praised by the lost imouto), allow me to help. Tatsuya is a secret agent bodyguard who happens to be ridiculously overpowered and attends his little sister’s high school for some irrelevant reason. What matters here is that he is the best. Simply the best. This season, more harem fodder is arriving – this time from the USA as a transfer student (so cue Engrish and large…personality jokes). There’s also a vampire or something – but that’s unimportant as long as Tatsuya is there to Save the day. Which he will, with properly Understated pizzazz. That’s a contradiction? Not for Tatsuya-sama. It’s like if Chuck Norris were converted to the Japanese ideal man, slim stYlish edition, then made A genius, with nano-machine magic and top fits. So throw away your false onii-samas and your “overpowered” (hah!) demon kings – the One True Tatsuya cometh!

 

Anime Movie Previews

Mario: With cinemas slowly reopening now, we have a good amount of anime films that were meant to release earlier in the year, including “Happy-Go-Lucky Days” and “Majo Minarai wo Sagashite.” 2020 is certainly a strange and unfortunate year, and it’s the same with anime business. I’m still sad to see that two powerhouse films in “Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0” (seriously, how long Anno?) and “The Deer King” have been postponed until next year (amongst many others), but on the bright side my most anticipated anime films “Josee” and “Aya to Majo” will debut late in December, hopefully ending this year on high note. We have a good batch of films releasing this final quarter so scroll down and enjoy.

Burn the Witch

Studio: Studio Colorido
Director: Tatsurou Kawano
Script: Chika Suzumura
Source: Manga
Release Date: 2 October, 2020

Taking place in the same universe as Bleach (one of those popular shounen which I haven’t seen). Bleach was massive when it first came out, and sadly its reputation died down significantly as it reached the final arcs, but for those who want to get a lingering taste of Bleach’s expansive universe, Burn the Witch will surely scratch that itch. For those who are new to its flavour like myself, the attractive designs and its bright setting prove to be its best strengths – it looks attractive in all fronts. As only its third ever output (and second film released this year after A Whisker Away), Studio Colorido climbs its steady steps to become my favorite young anime studio. Its youth, or some might call its inexperience, can be seen through the director’s resume, as this is his first major project in that role. My gut says that this won’t be a breakout hit, but if you temper your expectations to the right level, you will find a lot of fun to its thrilling ride.

Expectation Level: Medium

Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie: Mugen Ressha-hen

Studio: ufotable
Director: Haruo Sotozaki
Script: TBA
Source: Manga
Release Date: 16 October, 2020

This will likely be the most discussed movie by the general audience in the fall season. The Kimetsu no Yaiba series is immensely popular and it made it to our site’s top 5 anime of last year. If you already watched the show you’d know what to expect here: the Mugen Train arc – also known as Infinity Train arc – is a completed story and I am digging the film’s singular setting. The PV certainly nails the dark, unsettling atmosphere inside the titular locomotive. All the staff will reprise their roles from the series, so I expect the same production quality, if not better, from the film. Personally I am neutral on Kimetsu no Yaiba – I found the characters grating for example, but I do recognize its technical achievement – but I am sure this film will be the talk of everyone’s lips once it comes out.

Expectation Level: Medium

Kimi wa Kanata

Studio: Digital Network Animation
Director: Yoshinobu Sena
Script: Yoshinobu Sena
Source: Original
Release Date: 27 November, 2020

This feels like a lesser, more indie Shinkai clone to me, from the melodramatic premise down to its focus on characters’ gestures and expressions from the little we see of its teaser. Interestingly though, the director is brand new to this medium, as prior to this he was known as the creator of Vampire Holmes, a mobile game app. The teaser is barebones so I don’t have a good grasp of its production value, but it feels like an one-man production as Sena writes and directs himself, and there’s no other staff announced at this stage. Personally I don’t think it pushes any boundaries, but independent projects like this tend to have more personality than the usual pack, so I’ll take what I get.

Expectation Level: Low

Josee to Tora to Sakana-tachi

Studio: Bones
Director: Kotaro Tamura
Script: Sayaka Kuwamura
Source: Novel
Release Date: 25 December, 2020

And after a slight delay due to the pandemic, finally my most anticipated anime of the year will screen in theatres on Christmas day. Animated by Studio Bones and adapted from respectable source material (that inspired a live-action film back in 2003), this for me is as much of a no-brainer pick as it can get. Bones is one of the best anime studios in recent years, and the PV already highlighted subtle character movements and it looks ridiculously gorgeous. It comes as no surprise that the director is a veteran key animator, but while he previously directed the Noragami series, his lack of an impressive resume is the only hindrance I can nitpick so far.

Expectation Level: High

Entotsu Machi no Poupelle

Studio: Studio 4°C
Director: Yuusuke Hirota
Script: TBA
Source: Children’s book
Release Date: December, 2020

This odd duck sounds a lot like MFKZ to me, in the sense that Studio 4°C again adopts a Western animated style and aesthetics over the usual anime designs. And I suppose that like MFKZ, Poupelle will appeal more to the Western audience than we ignorant anime junkies. Based on the children’s picture book by Nishino Akihiro, the art design and the world building is rather unique and appealing, especially those chimneys. Whether the plot has enough meat or not is another story. The director is a total newbie, but an entrance like this reminds you that anime is not simply about boys with crazy hair and a dumb sense of justice or high school girls trading their IQ for cuteness – it can be anything.

Expectation Level: Low-Medium

Aya to Majo

Studio: Studio Ghibli
Director: Gorou Miyazaki
Script: TBA
Source: Novel
Release Date: December, 2020 (NHK)

While information surrounding this latest Ghibli film is sacred (no trailer available at the time of this writing), it has been announced that it will be aired on NHK (and not theatres) in December, so I might as well include it. I’m pretty sure when you first hear about the film announcement, there are 2 things that come into mind: 1) Ghibli IS STILL ALIVE and 2) WUT, 3DCG???? IT SUCKSSSS. Well, based on the previewed images it doesn’t look encouraging. The character models look a bit off for me, but then again I need to point out the fact that Gorou Miyazaki has made a 3DCG anime before in Ronja the Robber’s Daughter and that show freaking charms me. That show’s CG style took some getting used to, but it captured the sense of adventure beautifully and remains one of the finest children’s shows in recent years. With Aya to Majo I’d expect the same: no straight out masterpiece (and I think it’s unfair if you come to this film expecting Howl’s Moving Castle levels of ambition) but a kid-friendly flick with fun and heart.

Expectation Level: High