Well, it’s that time again… Winter is fading and Spring approaches. There’s shows I’m sad to see go, shows I’m glad to be rid of. And there’s also shows to look forward to!
Hit the jump and let’s see what’s coming up for the next season!
Winter 2021 was packed with potentially good stuff. So much that for the first time ever I had to split my anticipation post into two parts. That is… Not so much the case for the Spring 2021.
While there are several shows I’m looking forward to, there’s a dearth of hype from where I sit. Spring seems to be mostly shows that appear to be probably just mediocre. That makes it hard to anticipate much. Of course, appearances can be deceiving. Mediocre plot summaries and PV’s can hide outstanding shows.
Let’s hope that’s the case here.
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As is my usual habit here at the Lounge, these aren’t necessarily in any particular order. It’s pretty easy to sort by broad bands, but mostly pointless to sort in details.
The shows that I am anticipating are in bold, shows my wife and I are anticipating together are in bold italics.
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That being said… Let’s dive in!
My Hero Academia 5th Season
Boku no Hero Academia 5th Season
One of the few shows in this post which needs no introduction… and one would be sort of pointless since by the time you read this it will already have premiered.
Class 1B has some interesting personalities in it, so the theme of “1A vs. 1B” will bring out more of them.
Hopefully it can recover from the awful pacing of the 4th season.
Streaming on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, VRV
Fruits Basket: The Final
Fruits Basket The Final Season
I am looking forward to this season with… Trepidation? No, no, it’s certainly not going be awful or anything! I’m just anticipating having my heart broken. And then the shattered pieces being ground into dust by a 500lb feels gorilla.
Karandi has already reviewed the 1st episode of this season (which was aired early).
Streaming on: Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRV
Super Cub
Second year high school student Koguma doesn’t lead a very interesting life. She has no parents, and no friends nor hobbies to keep her daily life busy. One day, she acquires a second-hand Honda Super Cub motorcycle and rides it to school. As time goes by, not only does Koguma have a new adventurous life, but she also forges precious friendships thanks to her precious little motorcycle.
Source: LiveChart.me
If you know me, you know that quiet slice-of-life shows are right in my wheelhouse. I was looking forward to this even before the PV dropped two cherries on top with it’s music and animation styling.
Please don’t suck!
No announced stream.
Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
The story takes place in “Nearland,” a theme park where “dreams, hope, and science” exist together as an AI theme park. The theme park is where the first automated human-type AI is born. Vivy is an AI who sings on stage for park attendees every day, as it is her directive to “make everyone happy through song.” She performs wholeheartedly for the attendees in the park. One day, an AI named Matsumoto appears before her. He says he has come from 100 years in the future with the directive of “working with Vivy to correct history, and to stop the war between AI and humans that breaks out 100 years from now.” The 100-year journey of the AI songstress Vivy begins.
Source: Anime News Network
Anime original, which always carries some degree of risk…
But the writers, studio, and staff have some interesting credentials. Tappei Nagatsuki wrote Re:Zero (among other things). Studio Wit should need no introduction… Shinpei Ezaki directed the execrable Hanebado, but for all the flaws of the storyline the animation and action were well done.
And it’s closest thing to an idol anime this season. Which you know I can’t resist…
No announced stream
Mashiro no Oto
Those Snow White Notes
When Setsu’s grandfather died, so did Setsu’s “sound”—his unique creative spark. Grieving, he goes to Tokyo to find himself…but manages to become totally, literally lost on his first day. Only a chance meeting with Yuna—aka Yuka, the hostess—saves him from being robbed. At first glance their lives seem totally different, but they’re both striving for their dreams—hers, of being an actress, and his, of developing his talent with the shamisen—and it could just be that life in the raucous, unfeeling urban sprawl of Tokyo could just be what binds their fates together…
Source: Kodansha Comics
Shades of Koto Oto Tomare, but with shamisen?
That alone gives me reason to look forward to this. I enjoy stories where the protagonist has a very firm goal, even if the reason he struggles is a bit of a trope. And I guess I’m starting to be more attracted to shows with music at the heart of them. Idol adjacent maybe?
No announced stream.
Sayonara Watashi no Cramer
Farewell, My Dear Cramer
With no soccer accomplishments to speak of during the entirety of Sumire Suo’s junior high school years, the young wing gets an odd offer. Suo’s main rival, Midori Soshizaki, invites her to join up on the same team in high school, with a promise that she’ll never let Suo “play alone.” It’s an earnest offer, but the question is whether Suo will take her up on it. Thus the curtain opens on a story that collects an enormous cast of individual soccer-playing personalities!
Source: Kodansha Comics
Girls and sports, also catnip for Derek.
My big concern here is my usual one – it appears to have a large ensemble cast. Such shows live or die by how well they handle their cast, and it’s not at all easy.
Streaming on: Crunchyroll, VRV
I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level
Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita
After dying of overwork in the real world, I’m reincarnated as an immortal witch, and I spend 300 years enjoying a relaxing life. At some point, though, I end up at level 99! All those years spent killing slimes to make the money to pay the bills gave me a ton of experience points… Rumors of the level 99 witch spread, and soon I’m up to my ears in curious adventurers, duelist dragons, and even a monster girl calling me her mom! “This isn’t a dojo, so don’t come here to fight me…!” I’ve never been on an adventure, but I’m the strongest in the world…
Source: Crunchyroll
I have to be honest. Slime wasn’t even really on my radar and when I thought of it, it was just another isekai and I’m about burned out on those. And I know I’m hardly alone in that.
Then I happened to check out the PV a couple of weeks back because it popped up on my YouTube feed… And it’s just too darn cute looking to not at least check out.
C’mon, it’s not like I need a deep reason or urge to watch a show, too darn cute is more than enough.
Streaming on: Crunchyroll, VRV
Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru Churutto!
That I’m an unabashed fanboy for the Yuuki Yuuna franchise is well known to all. So why is this series so far down the list rather than being up at the top with My Hero Academia and Fruits Basket? My deep dark secret…
I absolutely loath these slice-of-life chibified takes on popular shows. The few I’ve checked out despite that have been universally horribly done.
But, fanboy and all that, I’ll do my level best to give this one a fair shake.
No announced stream.
HIGEHIRO: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway
Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.
Yoshida is an ordinary guy who was rejected hard by the woman he’d spent the last 5 years having a crush on. On his way home after getting drunk at a bar, he finds a teenage girl crouched on the side of the road… “If you let me stay at your place, you can sleep with me.” “You shouldn’t say that, even as a joke.” “Then let me stay over for free.” Before he knows it, the girl, Sayu, has moved in with him. This is the story of a runaway teen girl and an ordinary 26-year-old man.
Source: Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures
Higehiro was on my radar under “cautiously await the initial reports”… because the plot summary shows that there’s a huge chance of it being problematic and going horribly wrong.
Then I was talking about this preview and what shows we’re anticipating with my wife, and it turns out that she’d read the first few chapters of the manga. She’s say it’s not like that at all. More like Found Family.
Found. Family. Another of Derek’s catnip genres… And the PV doesn’t look too bad either.
So, on the anticipation list it goes.
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As usual there’s a whole bunch just below the anticipation level… And I do check out more than is listed here. A lot depends on what commenters recommend, the initial reviews on ANN, and blog and Twitter buzz as well.
So, that’s enough from me – check out the Spring 2021 season chart and drop a comment! Let’s hear what you’re anticipating!
Apprentice Mages Lounge. 
Fruits Basket is the only series I’m planning on watching live. Think I’ll catch up on MHA and Slime once the season is over. I think binge-watching MHA will help with the pacing.
I’ve got a bunch of shows from last season that I’m going to start working through in my new binge-watching routine.
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Depends… I don’t find that binging helps slow pacing, quite the reverse. Of course YMMV.
Watching Fruits live is a good choice though. It’s either that or go live in a cave somewhere for the next six months because it’s going to absolutely impossible to avoid spoilers. Plus, who can wait that long?
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True, although I think it might end up only being a 13 episode season. I heard a rumour back in season one that it would be 63 episodes long. Still, I don’t want to live in a cave or be subject to spoilers.
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I’ve got a couple of shows lined up to review with Irina for Spring and I’m going to cover the final of Fruits Basket and also dive into second season of Moriarty because I quite enjoyed season one. Otherwise I picked 15 shows that I plan to do a 3 episode watch of during the spring season that I may or may not watch once they are done airing. Then again, we’ll see what happens once the shows start.
I am taking a break from My Hero Academia. I still haven’t quite finished season four and realising how little motivation I have for watching it I kind of feel the series has been giving me diminishing returns for a while now. I might be feeling it more later in the year and come back to it.
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Looking forward to discussing Fruits Basket!
Yeah. The start of the season is the very definition of “no plan survives contact with reality”. There’s always a few surprises, good and bad.
If a show isn’t working for you, it isn’t working. Not much you can do. Of course, had I followed my own advice, I wouldn’t have stuck with Promised Neverland S2 as long as I did. I’m horrid at dropping stuff I really should drop.
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At least with Th e Promised Neverland it was a one season thing (s2) and then it was done. Long running series tend to give me viewing fatigue when watching them seasonally rather than a binge. Probably why I loved Bleach. I just watched as much as I could whenever I was free so the story never felt like ut was dragging.
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First, the sequels/franchise stuff:
Is it any surprise that Fruits Basket tops this category? It couldn’t get much clearer than that. It’s the final. I suppose I could have read the manga, but that’s more than a decade now for me to find out how it ends. That’s some serious momentum, I’d say. And you know I really like this adaption.
Next is Zombieland Saga. I really hope we’re getting Tae and Yugiri arcs this season. There’s nothing particularly plot-worthy in the show, so it can go on forever as long as it’s fun.
And Iruma-kun’s back, too. I had fun with this one and don’t expect the sequel to be any different.
Then there’s stuff where I liked the first season but am wary of the second: Megalo Box and Gridman are both getting second seasons, and I’d say neither needed one. So who knows. I’m neutral on them.
I’m still trying to figure out whether or not to watch Moriarty. I moderately liked the first season, but I’m not that motivated to start with it. I guess it’ll depend how much I’ll watch and when it’ll air, and with what.
Next, the remakes:
Shaman King is back, and it’ll get a full adaption. I watched a little of the first adaption. The entire show is basically one huge turnament arc, and I liked the characters in this one. I don’t really warm up to the character designs, though; I liked the original ones better. Well, that’s pretty much what I said about Fruits Basket, and look at me now. The thing is, even though I’m going to start the show, I’m unlikely to finish a full adaption.
And then something that comes totally out of left field: They’re remaking Battle Athletess Daiundoukai? The original was a really wacky girl’s sports show in a postapocalyptic setting. I watched it as long as they were competing in Antarctica, but sort of dropped out when they went to the moon (not because it was bad, just because I wasn’t in the mood anymore). It wasn’t anything special, and I felt it was quite obscure, too, so I really didn’t expect a remake. There’s nothing much to ruin here, so I’m going to watch just out of curiosity. Who knows, maybe they’ll make it better?
Now for the new shows:
Most curious: Fumetsu no Anata (To you, the Immortal): A fantasy road trip anime with a boy and a wolf by the author of A Silent Voice? How can I not be curious? I’m getting really weird vibes from the preview, as if they mixed Serei no Moribito with Scrapped Princess. I don’t know how much I’ll like it, but it’s definitely my most anticipated show.
What your wife told you about Higehiro is what I’ve heard independently from a few sources now. I’m cautiously optimistic. And Mashiro no Oto does indeed look like Kono Oto Tomare, Koto edition. Music’s sort of a hobby, so I’m hoping I’ll get some insights into the Koto apart from the show being entertaining. Kono Oto Tomare turned out well; I hope they won’t overdo the drama in this one, either.
The Killing Slimes anime looks cute; I’m hoping for a laid-back slice of life comedy. We’ll see. (I don’t mind Isekais.)
There are a lot of wild-cards this season, like Dragon Ie no Kau, 86, Shadows House, or Mars Red… Anything’s possible there, we’ll see.
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Not at all! :) I expected it to be at or near the top.
It’s not that I mind isekai, I’m just burned out on them. There’s been so many of late, and so many of those have been… well, not good to be charitable. I agree it looks cute, and that’s what attracted me.
Agreed on Mashiro no Oto. How they handle the inevitable drama is make-or-break.
Looks like not a lot of overlap between us, but I look forward to your thoughts on those I miss.
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Oh, I’ll at least try everything on your list that isn’t part of a franchise I’ve dropped, so who knows how much overlap there will be. You’re trying to choose what to watch; I’m clicking play on almost anything, so I’m mostly talking about what I’m most curious about, and that’s not even always what I expect to like the most.
As for isekais; they’re likely not going away for while. I’ll try to make a list of all of them this season. Let’s see if there are trends:
Slime Diaries (slice of life spin-off of Slime)
Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou Desue (office lady makes potions?)
How not to Summon a Demon Lord 2 (ecchi; gamer)
Killing Slimes (Slice-of-life comedy?)
Iruma-kun 2 (demon school)
Spider continues, and I’m not sure whether or not to count Full Dive as isekai, as it seems they’re not actually trapped in the game. It gives me similar vibes, though.
That’s around 6 or 7 isekais, depending on how you count (or whether I missed something). One’s continuing from last season, and 3 are sequels. Iruma-kun feels more like a boarding school fantasy á la Harry Potter. It’s interesting that both first runs (all three if you include Spider) have female protagonists. Female protagonists have made a come back recently, I feel. It’s been a while since the days of Escaflown and Twelve Kingdoms. Early isekais usually had more than one person transferred and usually included female characters (El Hazard, Those Who Hunt Elves…). Only Slime and How Not to Summon a Demon Lord seem to play with the harem power fanties (Spider, too, if you disregard the harem part).
And if go by this season I’m more likely to group Killing Slimes with the timid Dragon show than the other isekais (both main characters get pestered by fighters but want to lead a peaceful life). Of course, the shows themselves might teach me differently once they start.
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That’s true for me too… This is just the stuff I’m most interested in/hyped for. I try a bunch more (if they aren’t a genre I actively dislike or a sequel I never watched an earlier season of).
A lot of isekai are power fantasies of one kind or another… That’s one of the things that caught my eye with Killing Slimes, it breaks that mold.
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I’ll be watching Super Cub with interest to see how it compares with Bakuon!! from a few seasons ago. Bakuon!! was a pleasant enough near miss that centered around a school motor bike club.
BTW are you going to complete and review the final episodes of Idolly Pride?
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I wish I could remember the one I watched a few seasons back based on a bicycling club. It was fun because of the places the girls went (kind of anticipating Laid Back Camp)… But about 10-15 minutes of almost all episodes were either “as you know Bob” or lecturing the newbie about bikes and bicycles. I ended up dropping it..
Why was Bakuon!! a near miss? It sounds like it’s up my alley.
Yes, I’ve finished Idoly Pride. Coverage of those episodes and my thought on the season will be in my final Spring 2021 post… That would normally appear today, but it’s being delayed to next week so I can cover the Laid Back Camp and Horimya finales. (Rather than having an orphan 2 show post.)
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Baskuon!! was okay but it could never quite decide if it was a slice of life about a high school girl’s motor cycle club or a comedy about a high school girl’s motor cycle club. it’s slice of life was not quite interesting enough and it’s comedy not quite funny enough. When the two elements mixed there were times it just didn’t work. Still over all it was interesting to watch and its messages about motor bikes promoting girl’s independence was good.
Were you watching “Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club”? That ended each episode with a segment where two real life models learned about bicycles from some camera struck bike tech. The anime components went nowhere mostly and the show just felt pointless (though in a Japanese context I’m sure it wasn’t). A better show about girl’s bike riding aired a season or two before “Minami et etc” was “Long Riders”, a rare post-Girls Und Panzer offering from Studio Actas. “Long Riders” is a nice gentle slice of life about a group of girl’s getting into bike riding. Its worth a look.
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Also re Bakuon!!, I recall there were a couple of nasty clangers in the “Supposed to Be Funny Department” that were just cringe-worthy instead and dragged the whole series down a couple of pegs from where it could have been without them.
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