Armitage: Allow me the opportunity to be the resident hype-monger this time around and say that, in terms of the quality on offer, Spring 2021 is looking to be the biggest season of anime in almost a decade. Which I know sounds like a clickbait-y exaggeration and a notion that gets thrown around every other season just so fans can feel better about the sheer number of shows we end up watching each year and justify it by saying that “s’all good man!”.

But I have personally never subscribed to that notion. I have always held my head up high and never fallen so low as to put an anime season on the pedestal occupied only by the mythical spring seasons of 2007 and 2011. But you know, what?! This time, I’m doing it. And you couldn’t stop me even if you tried! Because this is my intro paragraph! Hmph!!! [composes herself]  Sorry about that. Fell into a tangent there. But yeah, the rest of the writers here on Star-Crossed and I are hella hyped for the upcoming season of anime. And if you’re not, then maybe reading about some of the shows we are looking forward to would help change your mind. Come get a taste of the good stuff!

Middling Expectations

Zombieland Saga: Revenge

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Munehisa Sakai
Series composition: Shigeru Miyakoshi
Source: Original

Mario: Zombieland Saga’s first few episodes got off to a quick start by satirizing both the idol and zombie genres, but then it lost its footing just as quickly by becoming the very thing it poked fun at (and then there’s Koutarou). I certainly don’t think it has enough meat on its bones for a second outing, and while some plots remain open you could just as easily leave them as they are. From the look of the trailer, this second season promises to offer more of the same: shenanigans from the group with some interactions between the idol girls and some character-focused episodes. I’m actually waiting for more backstory for Tae (the one idol who still hasn’t awakened yet). If you’re a fan of the first season then there’s nothing that should stop you here, but others might want to approach it with caution.

Eden

Studios: Qubic Pictures, CGCG Studio
Director: Yasuhiro Irie
Series composition: Kimiko Ueno
Source: Original

Wooper: “Human child is raised by robots, then ventures into the larger world” is an age-old science fiction concept, so I don’t expect Eden to break any thematic or narrative ground when it premieres on Netflix this May. Its paltry four episode length doesn’t leave a lot of room for innovation to begin with (though it does create a picture of a bright and breezy afternoon watch). No, what interests me about Eden is its divergence from anime’s tradition of slashing its CG series’ framerates. Most shows in this style try to mimic the tempo of a hand-drawn product by limiting the number of in-betweens, rather than including a full 24 “drawings” per second. Based on its PV, Eden seems to be doing away with that practice, opting for a much fuller range of motion on average. It looks pretty good, at least from the 90-ish seconds we’ve seen so far, especially in conjunction with the rich-looking fields and forests that serve as backdrops for its characters. I’ll always be a 2D-first kind of guy, but CG is impossible to avoid if you keep up with anime seasonally, and Eden seems to be pushing it in an interesting direction.

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord: Omega

Studio: Okuruto-Noboru and Tezuka Productions
Director: Satoshi Kuwahara
Series composition: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Source: Light Novel

Amun: Forgiveness will be granted if you’ve forgotten the unappreciated masterpiece of “How Not to Summon A Demon Lord.” In short, an isekai comedy about some people who botch summoning a demon lord and end up as his servants. What stood out about the first season was how authentically trashy it was – other isekai (looking at you Shield Hero) try to make grand statements about the world’s fairness or something like that. This isn’t that kind of show. It was, however, a good ole time. That brings us to Season 2. New director who hasn’t done much to speak of aside from Adachi to Shimamura (I’ll have to ask Armi about that – I think it was fairly well received?) He also did Dagashi Kashi 2, which I did not like, so I feel mixed. Black Jack was decently directed, I guess?

The champ here is the composer – whew, anyone who can do Black Clover and not die has my vote. He also did the scripts for the first two episodes of Wandering Witch, which I consider the only two good episodes….and we’re not going to talk about his work on Interspecies Reviewers. I’m worried about the studio situation – we have two studios, which I don’t fully understand. Tezuka has done well on some of their projects and fallen apart on others. Okuruto-Noboru has not done well on this season’s Hidden Dungeon – the quality is a mess. That’s the biggest concern for me, since I think the source is going to be fine (worst part will be some character creep). Still going to watch at least a few out of respect for the original.

Super Cub

Studio: Studio Kai
Director: Toshirou Fujii
Series composition: Toshizou Nemoto
Source: Light Novel

Mario: Super Cub is your typical CGDCT show, this time with riding a Honda Cub as a hobby. I would skip it if not for this sole reason: my sister drove a Super Cub when she was in middle school and that vehicle played a part in my childhood. So for this nostalgia factor I am willing to at least give this a try. The visuals look above average from the trailer, but both the director and series composer don’t bring me much confidence. Super Cub is for CGDCT die-hard fans and even then you might find other better options out there to enjoy.

Mars Red

Studio: Signal.MD
Director: Kouhei Hatano
Series composition: Junichi Fujisaku
Source: Manga

Lenlo: It’s been awhile since we’ve had a vampire anime. The last one of any merit I remember is Sirius the Jaeger from Summer 2018. And you know what? Maybe it should stay that way. Because as far as vampire series go Mars Red does absolutely nothing to impress. About the only thing to stand out to me when reading the series was the heavily shaded art-style and the PV by Signal.MD robbed the series of that. The story, the characters, the setting, all of it’s been done better before. If you want over the top vampire action then you need look no further than Hellsing Ultimate. Want something set in in the Taisho or Meiji period? Kimetsu no Yaiba, Golden Kamuy and Rurouni Kenshin all seem like better bets. How about exploring what it means to be human and that thin line of humanity vs monster? Well here Mars Red might actually have a chance. If it can pull off the emotional core of the series, really nail the characters feelings about losing the life they had before, then it might be worth a watch. Seeing how this is Kouhei Hatano’s first shot as a Director though I’m not holding my breath.

The World Ends With You

Studios: Shin-Ei Animation, Domerica
Director: Kazuya Ichikawa
Series composition: Midori Gotou
Source: Video game

Wooper: Despite having owned a copy of the Nintendo DS game for over 10 years, I have never played The World Ends With You, but now I can pretend that I was waiting for the anime all along! I’m not sure how good this adaptation will be, frankly – its core team is the same one that worked on underwhelming series like Clean Freak Aoyama-kun and Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy. That team includes a director who is somehow overseeing three different TV anime this season, so it’s hard to say how involved he’ll be in the minute details of the production. This seems like a project meant to drum up interest in the franchise’s upcoming sequel rather than a labor of love, but if there’s anything to be optimistic about, it’d be how well the show’s designs gel with its CG animation. The characters have maintained their ultra-bold, fashionably angular appearance from the games, and the thick linework masks a lot of the issues that arise when dainty anime designs are puppeteered via digital strings. If studio Domerica can marry this striking style with good effects work, we might have a weekly visual treat on our hands, regardless of how well TWEWY’s survival game story works in anime form.

Slime Taoshite 300-nen

Studio: Revroot
Director: Nobukage Kimura
Series composition: Tatsuya Takahashi
Source: Light Novel

Amun: One thing I do enjoy as an anime fan is watching particular genres develop over the years. If I read more manga, I would probably know sooner, but that’s beside the point. One particular enhancement to the isekai genre that I’ve enjoyed recently is the overpowered protagonist who either doesn’t know or is trying to avoid being overpowered. While Tatoeba fizzled out this season, I still think it had a great premise. Enter Slime Taoshite 300-nen…rest of the very long name. Let’s start with the studio: Revroot. They’ve only done one notable work to date and it’s…divisive to say the least: Babylon. I don’t know how to pass judgement, only that the quality was passable, just the story was an absolute mess. I think the narrative bar will be substantially lower with Slime, so hopefully the quality remains high. Composer Tatsuya Takahashi has worked on quite a few shows in this genre: Beatless, Kenja no Mago, and…Eromanga-sensei? Director Nobukage Kimura is a huge question mark for me – I love that he directed episodes of Yumekui Merry and Arakawa Under the Bridge, but it doesn’t look like he’s helmed a full show yet. Hopefully, this is his breakout. The ceiling here is a cute comedy – as long as they keep it light, funny, and action that doesn’t detract, it’ll be a win.

Gokushufudou

Studio: J.C.Staff
Director: Chiaki Kon
Series composition: Susumu Yamakawa
Source: Manga

Mario: Gokushufudou has all the right ingredients to be a crossover hit: it’s based on a popular manga, it’s backed by Netflix and Chiaki Kon is a respectable director with projects like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Junjou Romantica, and Nodame Cantabile Paris-hen under her belt. The story is in the same vein as classics like GTO or Hinamatsuri which is all I could ask for. But sadly when the trailer hit, my sky-high expectations immediately shrank after looking at the PowerPoint level of animation and the unattractive character designs. Word on the street says that it was the producers’ choice to adapt this sliding style and I’m lost for words. With Netflix’s backing it’ll certainly reach a wider audience but if the show displays the same style as the trailer then I’ll drop it fast.

Shadows House

Studio: CloverWorks
Director: Kazuteru Oohashi
Series composition: Toshiya Oono
Source: Manga

Wooper: Shadows House is set in a mysterious mansion where servants attend to their faceless masters by cleaning the soot that emanates from their bodies. Pretty weird stuff, even as anime premises go. I’ve read the first ten chapters of the manga, which were bright and cheerful – totally at odds with the anime’s “Promised Neverland 2.0” PV. I can only assume that the source material tumbles down the mystery-slash-horror rabbit hole at some point, which wouldn’t be a stretch, since its isolated setting means the servants are essentially prisoners. The question, then, is how that shift will come across in the anime, which presumably has only 12 episodes to work with. A first-time director like Oohashi isn’t likely to find the perfect tipping point, but I’d rather see a newbie handle this sort of material than a veteran whose experience doesn’t fit the bill. Sometimes a weird story like Shadow’s House needs an amateur’s touch to become both weird and wonderful.

Cestvs: The Roman Fighter

Studio: Bandai Namco Pictures
Director: Toshifumi Kawase
Series composition: Toshifumi Kawase
Source: Manga

Mario: While the premise of an underdog fighter in a Roman setting immediately grabs me (who doesn’t like a good underdog story?), the full 3DCG treatment gives me big Berserk-nausea and that isn’t a good sign. In my opinion the CG is gonna be a make-or-break factor for this show and it frankly doesn’t look good even in the trailer. The director, Toshifumi Kawase, is an anime vetaran in both the direction and series composition roles and it seems like he’s had some experience with 3DCG before – but I’ll reserve further judgment until the first episode plays out.

Ijiranaide Nagatoro-san

Studio: Telecom Animation Film
Director: Hanai Hirokazu
Series composition: Kishimoto Taku
Source: Manga

Amun: You might say – “Amun, you’re a man of exquisite anime taste – why are you reviewing such obvious ecchi bait?” Now hold on there, gentle reader; I definitely am not previewing it because it’s the second highest anticipated show on anichart and I want those fat clicks. No, I’m doing it because Telecom Animation has actually made some decent shows: Tower of God, Lupin III, and Orange. Now, sure, the director hasn’t done much, but he did well on his episodes of Mirai Nikki. He also served as assistant director to ToG, so I can’t complain there. The bright spot in the staff is the composer, Kishimoto Taku: 91 days and Fruits Basket. If you can do those two, you can pace any show. Now, let’s be honest – the real problem comes in the source material and the original author (774). Anyone can spot the genre he comes from and where he got his start – no mysteries there. However, as with the recent success of Uzaki-chan, I think these sorts of adaptations can be decent comedy. Having read a bit of the manga, I think the key to this show will be if it can be funny without being overly cruel – something Uzaki-chan did a pretty good job of. With some likable characters, good humour, and restraint on the service – this can be a very watchable, B-tier comedy.

Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.

Studio: Project No.9
Director: Manabu Kamikita
Series composition: Hitomi Mieno
Source: Light Novel

Mario: Is it just me who’s scratching his head after reading the synopsis for this one? I mean, REALLY? This guy just literally grabs a cute girl on the street and invites her to his apartment and treats her like a housewife? It’s wish-fulfillment to the max. With this tricky premise it’s 1) how the show approaches the romance and 2) the characters themselves that will carry most of the weight, but the trailer gives me “Domestic Girlfriend” vibes which is not a good sign. The director is a total newbie so it’s hard to feel enthusiastic about this project. I will give the premiere a shot, at least, but with limited expectations.

Godzilla Singular Point

Studios: Bones, Orange
Director: Atsushi Takahashi
Series composition: Tou Enjou
Source: Original

Wooper: Gotta be honest here: I have no experience with the kaiju genre, much less the Godzilla franchise in specific. Even if you’re a dirty casual like me, though, the combination of studios Bones and Orange ought to generate some interest in this project. It’s being brought to life by what are arguably the strongest 2D and 3D animation houses in Japan (at least where TV stuff is concerned), which means it ought to look cool, at the very least. That said, a few red flags are already visible in Godzilla SP’s promo material. Bones’ sci-fi series tend to mix science with the supernatural in less than satisfying ways, and early dialogue like “Has the prophecy been fulfilled?” doesn’t inspire confidence on that front. The math equations scattered across the show’s poster remind me of 2018’s B the Beginning, with its “genius detective scribbles on a whiteboard and outsmarts everyone” method of storytelling. The CG doesn’t look terribly impressive either, at least based on what glimpses the PV offers (though that’s admittedly a shallow judgment). The more I think about Godzilla Singular Point, the less interested I become, so let’s all just stare at those studio names and hope for the best.

Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou Desu

Studio: Diomedéa
Director: Shouta Ibata
Series composition: Wataru Watari
Source: Light Novel

Mario: This looks like a reverse harem isekai and based on the synopsis and trailers I’m of two minds about it. On the one hand, it’s another show where the MC gets transported to another world even before we know who she is in real life. In addition, already from the trailer the show already uses tons of established tropes. On the other hand, the art looks quite decent and there appears to be some sort of twist: the appearance of another “Goddess” character, which could add another flavor to the mix. Shouta Ibata is known for Domestic Girlfriend and Girl(a)lish Number before so yeah he’s a mixed bag. The involvement of Wataru Watari is interesting to note, but I doubt he was involved much in making this so I won’t hold my breath here.

 

Shows We’re Anticipating

Odd Taxi

Studio: OLM / P.I.C.S.
Director: Baku Kinoshita
Series composition: Kazuya Konomoto
Source: Original

Mario: The furry trend is running strong – after Beastars and BNA, Odd Taxi is the next series posed to scratch that itch. All around though Odd Taxi remains the biggest question mark in this season. The premise is both vague and interesting in equal measure (a lone taxi driver encounters weird customers) and the teaser looks intriguing enough. The staff are complete newbies to this medium, and that could mean either they will bring something fresh to the table, or they could make a total wreck of a show. Either way, one thing I am certain of is that Odd Taxi won’t be boring, and sometimes that’s enough.

Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui

Studio: Nomad
Director: Naomi Nakayama
Series composition: Yuuko Kakihara
Source: Web Manga

Mario: Talking about another uncomfortable romance huh? It says right there in the title “It’s too sick to call this love” about an age-gap love story where a high spec businessman falls madly in love with a high school girl. This show has something else going for it though: it’s a comedy and according to some sources the manga is amusing. The art reminds me a good deal of Wotakoi and the director has done Orange before so I believe she’s capable of bringing this to light. Again, it all depends on how they approach the romance, but if you’re already disturbed by the synopsis then it’s best to steer clear.

My Hero Academia Season 5

Studio: BONES
Director: Masahiro Mukai
Script: Yousuke Kuroda
Source: Manga

Lenlo: As the resident My Hero Academia fan on this team it is my job to tell you that this season… is gonna be a lot like the last one. Just like Overhaul was met with a mixed reception I expect the same for the first half here. In case the PV’s haven’t given it away the opening arc is primarily a check-in one. Everyone gets to show off some powers, Class-B gets to exist, you know how it goes. Aside from seeing where characters are and how they have grown from recent events there really isn’t much going on in this arc and so it’s going to ride or die by its production quality. If the fights can get some good animation, and from the looks of things Nakamura has worked on a few cuts, then it should be at least a good time. Just like Season 4 though, the real meat is going to be coming in the 2nd cour. If they can pull it off even half as well as the manga did then it will be my favorite cour of My Hero Academia yet. It’s a great arc and I hope it gets the attention it needs to shine. Based on past seasons and covid delays though I am very hesitant to say it will work out. A man can pray, though.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song

Studio: Wit Studio
Director: Shinpei Ezaki
Series composition: Tappei Nagatsuki / Eiji Umehara
Source: Original

Mario: All eyes are on this project, and for good reason. It’s an original project by Studio Wit and penned by Tappei, author of Re:Zero. It’s a time travelling story about human vs. AI war and the trailer looks gorgeous. The involvement of Tappei is Vivy’s biggest draw but it doesn’t interest me much; his Senyoku no Sigrdrifa last season was okay but didn’t leave much of a bang. Even worse, Shinpei Ezaki wrote and directed Hanebado which was a total mess in terms of tone and character writing. Vivy is certainly promising and ambitious, though, so I’ll be there to see this thing through.

Thunderbolt Fantasy 3

Studio: Pili International Multimedia
Director: Qianghua Huang
Series composition: Gen Urobuchi
Source: Original

Mario: Who would’ve guessed that after creating such game-changing gems as Madoka, Fate/Zero and Psycho-Pass, Gen the Butcher would spend the rest of the decade making a puppet show influenced by Taiwanese puppetry – one of the few shows where there are constant debates whether it’s an anime or not? I welcome this shift, as for me this is the one work where he truly doesn’t take his story seriously and just enjoys himself. What we get as the outcome is a wuxia show that feels like a “Best Collection” of all over-the-top characters, who on a whim can destroy the world with ease – but no it’s way funnier to instead mess around with people. This season we have a healthy bag of both returning characters and new blood and I can’t wait to see how they bounce off each other. Production-wise, it was pushed back due to the pandemic, but I expect the same level of quality in this new season.

Shaman King

Studio: Bridge
Director: Jouji Furuta
Series composition: Shouji Yonemura
Source: Manga

Armitage: Talk about a blast from the past! Many anime fans from the early 2000s still bemoan one of their most beloved manga, Shaman King, getting the kind of botched-up anime adaptation that was common with high-profile shounen properties back then. Hell, even FMA wasn’t able to escape that fate. And now, in the same vein, Shaman King is finally getting its own Brotherhood. An ambitious adaptation covering all 35 published volumes of the manga, this anime by Studio Bridge seems to be attempting something last tried only by Madhouse in its adaptation of Hunter x Hunter and considering that HxH 2011 sits comfortably atop the list of my favorite anime of all-time, I have some substantial expectations from Shaman King.

Studio Bridge do seem to have the experience of handling long-running shounen properties in Fairy Tail, so there’s every chance that they would be able to do this story justice. But would they be able to maintain the production quality for the massive amount of episodes this adaptation would inevitably need? I don’t know. Though personally, I am rooting for them as if nothing else (in another parallel with FMA) they have given us another chance at hearing Romi Park voice the protagonist of a beloved shounen series and I am super excited for that! Now, can we have a complete adaptation of Psyren too? Pretty please?

Jouran: The Princess of Snow and Blood

Studio: Bakken Record
Director: Susumu Kudou
Series composition: Rika Nezu
Source: Original

Mario: I did wonder after seeing the poster why it looked strangely familiar to me. It turned out that it resembles Lady Snowblood’s art and I soon found out that this anime takes direct inspiration from that cult classic manga. Just hearing that gets my heart racing but the trailer gives me a different vibe: it has a nice mix of historical and supernatural elements. The director was behind projects such as K, Mardock Scramble and Dies Irae, whereas the series composer has only done Saint☆Oniisan before this. Based on the synopsis it’s more action-oriented but the sharp character designs are the show’s biggest draw at the moment.

Sayonara Watashi no Cramer

Studio: LIDENFILMS
Director: Seiki Takuno
Series composition: Natsuko Takahashi
Source: Manga

Mario: You say a soccer show? Check. An all-female cast in a middle to high school setting? Check. With the premise alone it sounds like the show is tailor-made for my tastes. Then I learn that it is based on the manga by Naoshi Arakawa, the author behind “Your Lie in April”, and now it has my attention. No, I’m not looking for a melodrama dose and I assure you no one will die in this series – I just found it very interesting that he decided to focus on a light-hearted sports show after the heavy-hitting April. The trailer doesn’t give much away but I like the character designs, though I’m not so keen on the animation part. The director has done Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari and Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet so I believe he’s capable of bringing this material into the spotlight. At the same time with the series, they will also release a standalone movie that serves as a prequel when the main girl is still in her middle school. Every season I am looking for at least one entertaining sports show and this seems like it fits that bill very well.

 

Highest Expectations

Nomad: Megalo Box 2

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Director: You Moriyama
Series composition: TBA
Source: Original

Armitage: Did I ask for a continuation to arguably the biggest underdog success story in anime in the last few years? Well, no. But I didn’t ask for an Ashita no Joe reboot 50 years down the line as well, and that turned out pretty great. So, I’ll gladly take all the free goodies on offer, thank you, for one of them is bound to have a delicious box of chocolates!

As for this new season of Megalo Box, not gonna lie, I am pretty hyped. Most of the original staff and studio seems to be returning and the PV does give the impression of this being an even broodier iteration of the franchise. Personally, the one thing I love the most about Megalo Box is its atmosphere and the grittier take it provides on the cyberpunk dystopia genre. I know there is no deep commentary at play here. After all, this is basically anime Rocky spawning off its own Creed franchise. But what it offers in terms of aesthetics and Real Steel entertainment still puts it easily in the cream of the crop from the season. And if nothing else, we can at least look forward to a banger of a soundtrack!

Lenlo’s Note: I agree with everything Armi said, plus it looks like from the newest PV that Megalo Box is going to be breaking from the tracks Ashita no Joe set 50 years ago. Can’t wait to cover Season 2!

Edens Zero

Studio: JC Staff
Director: Yuuji Suzuki
Series composition: Mitsutaka Hirota
Source: Manga

Amun: Ever have a show come up that wasn’t even on your radar and you realize…this is what I’ve been missing?! That Preview…I’ll just link it right here for you in case you’ve missed it. It is unavoidable to discuss Fairy Tail, since this appears to be something of a space rendition. Is this a problem? Not even in the slightest. I watched Fairy Tail until the timeskip (which I heard afterwards got better), but I absolutely loved the early seasons. Looks like the main characters are back, just slightly cosmetically adjusted (in Happy’s case, he’s exactly the same). I just hope Hiro Mashima learned from his mistakes and keeps his focus on the main storyline (given the premise, I can see this becoming a bit One Piece like and dragging on). The staff is a bit inexperienced – the director hasn’t done a full series (he worked on Talentless Nana and Choujin though, which are pluses for me). Chief Director Shinji Ishihira will hopefully help overcome that, as he’s been a part of many great shounen projects. Composer did Rental Girlfriend, which I guess was paced well? You know what, all that doesn’t matter – this trailer (and OP) are hype as FRIENDSHIP, so sign me up for 10 seasons, sight unseen!

SSSS.Dynazenon

Studio: Trigger
Director: Akira Anmemiya
Series composition: Keiichi Hasegawa
Source: Original

Mario: I wish I liked Studio Trigger more. It’s a studio that promised to carry the heart and soul of the old Gainax but somehow I always found their shows fell short to me. That being said, SSSS.Gridman is my favorite series of theirs for the way it honors its tokusatsu inspirations and still manages to squeeze something fresh and original from its premise. So it’s fair that I have considerable expectations for Dynazenon – a show set in the same universe, but with unrelated characters to Gridman, with the same core staff from the original series. If anything both Akira Amemiya (the director) and Keiichi Hasegawa (the writer) have proven that they are masters of visual storytelling and can write a script that holds your attention. The PVs have me a bit worried as the characters and the mecha feel like they belong to two different shows (the lighting especially looks like day and night when they switch between these parts), but I trust the staff well enough.

Tokyo Revengers

Studio: LIDENFILMS
Director: Kouichi Hatsumi
Series composition: Yasuyuki Mutou
Source: Manga

Lenlo: At first glance Tokyo Revengers really doesn’t look like much. A weird time travel gimmick ala Erased with some middle school gang violence, an interesting concept I suppose with questionable longevity. Yet when reading the manga for this preview it only took 5 chapters for Tokyo Revengers to suck me in and 10 to sell me. The way it presents the story, how it subverted my expectations for what kind of characters these delinquents would be, the way it time travel changes things, everything about it surprised me. I have no idea how Tokyo Revengers will hold up in the long run and it’s PV doesn’t wow me visually. But so long as the 26 year old in a 14 year old’s body with a middle school crush thing doesn’t get weird, I expect to enjoy Tokyo Revengers a lot this season.

To Your Eternity

Studio: Brain’s Base
Director: Murata Masahiko
Series composition: Shinzou Fujita
Source: Manga

Armitage: Based solely on the strengths of the source material for every anime Spring 2021 has on offer, it would be no exaggeration to say that To Your Eternity has the highest potential. This is arguably my favorite currently running manga, though Blue Period might just have it beat (more on that later in the year!!). And even in comparison to that, To Your Eternity might be the series that has a more universal appeal. It is uneven with its story arcs but boy, when it hits, it’s hands down one of the most emotionally devastating stories you can find in the medium. Though, it’s from Yoshitoki Ooima, the mangaka of A Silent Voice, so that should come as no surprise.

But yes, no anime can fully be carried along on the strength of its source material alone, however stellar that may be. And this is where things get a little tricky. We basically have the Vinland Saga conundrum all over again, as this is a series with art so phenomenal that it simply cannot be replicated through animation. But unlike Vinland, the staff working on To Your Eternity are less reputable. That is by no means a surefire bad thing. It’s just that when it comes to adaptations, Brain’s Base as a studio does not instill the same level of confidence that Wit does. Though, this is all purely coming from a place of goodwill as I just really really want this series to get the adaptation it deserves. Will it? Ask any fan of the manga and they’ll tell you the same thing: you’ll know by the premiere itself.

 

Anime Movie Previews

Mario: While on the TV front we see a resurgence of promising series and projects that were created during COVID, sadly on the theatrical front we don’t have that kind of luxury. The uncertainty of theatres reopening has delayed the releases of many animated movies, and unless you’re a giant like Netflix or Disney+, streaming these films online is not an option. As a result, like last season there are only four titles featured here: one already aired, one delayed from last year, one TV movie and one with no exact release date. Oh and EVANGELION too but at this point I have no expectations for that whatsoever.

ARIA the Crepuscolo

Studio: J.C.Staff
Director: Junichi Satou / Takahiro Natori
Script: Junichi Satou
Source: Manga
Release Date: March 05, 2021

Mario: Well, technically it aired a few weeks ago. But considering that it’s ARIA and I haven’t had a chance to talk about it, I might as well include it here. ARIA is one of the first anime I watched and still remains the vintage Iyashikei show to me. Its calming nature plus its “light sci-fi” world building highlight the mundane beauty in every corner of its world, in every activity the girls do and enjoy. Aria the Crepuscolo is the middle part of the ‘Ao no Curtain Call’ trilogy – an original series that started with Aria the Avvenire back in 2015 and concludes with Aria the Benedizione next year. I haven’t caught up with Avvenire but except for the updated character models (which I’m a tiny bit mixed about), everything else looks neat. It’s directed by both Satou and Natori, the former of whom directed the TV series, while the latter is responsible for this “Ao no Curtain Call” trilogy specifically. If you are into healing shows or even an alternative to shounen action shows, this is a perfect title for you.

CIDER NO YOU NI KOTOBA GA WAKIAGARU

Studio: Signal.MD
Director: Kyohei Ishiguro
Script: Dai Satou
Source: Original
Release Date: June 25, 2021

Mario: [originally published in Spring 2020] Well, this “boy-meets-girl” romance might not be too appealing at first, and information is scarce regarding its plot, but look closer and there are some pretty positive notes involving this project. First, the art style has a Tsuritama vibe, especially in regards to the colorful background art. The story depicts “how words and music bridge the gap between two main characters,” and if you are like me it sounds a lot like a mix between FLCL and Your Lie in April. It makes sense then that the director of this film IS the one who directed Your Life in April, Children of the Whales and Occultic;Nine. But it’s the writer, Dai Satou who is the biggest attention-grabbing name. In addition, the music is handled by Kensuke Ushio who is known for composing for Devilman Crybaby, Space Dandy and A Silent Voice. This looks to be quite promising indeed.

Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Movie

Studio: Kinema Citrus
Director: Tomohiro Furukawa
Script: TBA
Source: Multimedia
Release Date: May 21, 2021

Mario: Revue Starlight remains one of the most original anime to air in the last few years, thanks to its mixture of CGDCT, stage-playing, sword-fighting, a lot of Ikuhara-influenced symbolism and a talking giraffe. Some argue that the show falters a bit at the end and some question whether this sequel is necessary at all, but for me, returning to this world where the girls literally fight to be at the centre of the stage is a welcome prospect. The trailer and the synopsis are purposely vague, though, so it’s hard to tell what the story is going to be. The CGI desert in the PV is noticeable, but it’s not a setting that’s likely to be featured that prominently. The staff news remains quiet as well, but I suspect that the personnel from the original series will be attached to this. I based my expectation purely on the show’s quality for now, but if it can offer something fresh and inventive like the show does, then I’ll be in line for this.

Gyokou no Nikuko-chan

Studio: Studio 4°C
Director: Ayumu Watanabe
Script: Satomi Ooshima
Source: Novel
Release Date: Spring 2021

Mario: Damnit Japan, why is it so hard to find any useful information or even a decent PV on a movie that is supposed to come out in a month or two? The only PV of this one contains zero animated scenes, has just one piece of key art, and that’s it – it makes me wonder if they can release in this season at all. Apart from that though, all other signs look pretty positive. Fresh off Children of the Sea – which despite its storytelling issues, remains one of most visually spectacular anime that I’ve seen – Ayumu Watanable tackles another story that is set on the water. It’s based on the actual novel (not a light novel) about the everyday life of a mother and daughter who live on a boat. The subject matter itself is interesting for sure, but the lack of available information pretty much leaves me in the dark on glancing at the film’s actual quality.