With the end of the year comes the end of the fall anime season. While 2020 had some serious ups and downs on the anime side of things, this season was a bit weaker than the others. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few series that are totally worth a watch.
*Note: Entries are listed in alphabetical order.
Image source: TVアニメ『アクダマドライブ』公式 on Twitter
Akudama Drive
Genre: Dystopian Crime Drama
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Number of episodes: 12
Non-spoiler plot summary: Decades ago, the Kanzai region of Japan lost a civil war against the Kanto region–leaving them as a conquered people working only for the prosperity of the paradise-like Tokyo. This oppression has caused an odd phenomenon in Kanzai: the existence of nearly superhuman criminals known as Akudama.
One day, an ordinary girl on her way home from work finds herself caught up in an Akudama jailbreak. The only way for her to survive amongst this group of thieves and killers? Pretend she is one herself.
Why you should watch it: On one hand, this series is a mystery. Why has this group of criminals been gathered together? What is it they are truly supposed to do? Can any of them trust each other–or their mysterious employer? When the job is done, will they really be set free from the bomb collars around their necks?
On the other, it is the story of “Swindler” and how she goes from normal girl to full-fledged Akudama. While she and all the other law-abiding people in Kanzai think that there is a fundamental difference between themselves and the criminals, her story shows that the line between the two is a thin one–and one that may sometimes need to be crossed in order to do the moral thing.
Watch It If You Like: Danganronpa, Juni Taisen: Zodiac War
Where You Can Watch It: Funimation, Wakanim (EU), AnimeLab (AU/NZ)
Image source: ダンまちシリーズ アニメ公式@新OVA制作決定！ on Twitter
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III
Genre: High Fantasy
Studio: J.C.Staff
Number of episodes: 12
Non-spoiler plot summary: Young adventurer Bell has gone from being a newbie with the Goddess he serves as his only ally to the leader of a tight-knit group of friends challenging the dungeon together. However, one day, everything he thought he knew about the dungeon is turned upside down when he encounters a monster capable of both human emotion and speech. Now Bell has to decide whether to kill the young monster girl or battle his fellow adventurers to keep her safe–betraying everyone he has ever known in the process.
Why you should watch it: Bell has gone from zero to hero. But now, with his good-natured heart in direct opposition to one of humanity’s most deep-held beliefs–i.e., that all monsters are evil and should be killed–Bell faces a crisis unlike any he has before. While treated like a joke at first, Bell has become a well-known hero amongst adventurers. Those weaker than him look up to him, those stronger than him encourage him to grow stronger and join them. However, now all that is on the line–and not just for himself. His actions in regard to the monster child could destroy the family he worked so hard to create–leaving them exiled at best and dead at worst. Thus the question becomes does he have the will to do what’s right, even knowing the likely result?
Watch It If You Like: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Dungeons & Dragons
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Wakanim (EU), Aniplus (Asia)
Image source: TVアニメ「無能なナナ」公式 on Twitter
Talentless Nana
Genre: Secret Serial Killer
Studio: Bridge
Number of episodes: 13
Non-spoiler plot summary: In the near future, an unspeakable evil begins its attack on humanity. Luckily, humanity is able to fight back thanks to the emergence of super powered people. Now, all those children born with powers are taken to island academies to master them before going off to the battlefield to fight the encroaching evil forces. …Or at least that’s what everyone believes.
In reality, the superpowered are the unspeakable evil that’s attacking the world. Humanity’s only course of action? To eliminate them before they are inevitably corrupted by their powers and attack humanity. So as one class of superpowered teens laze about in their island paradise, cute and innocent schoolgirl Nana transfers in as their new classmate. Her secret job? To kill every last one of them on the island.
Why you should watch it: Nana, while incredibly intelligent and well-trained, has no superpowers. To kill each of her targets, she needs to know not only their powers but the limits of those powers. Thus, each kill is a mystery–an even more high stakes one as she has to do each murder in a way that she won’t be caught. But when surrounded by people who can do anything from time travel to teleport, can anyone really commit the perfect crime?
And while all that’s going on, there is the question of who the villain of the story really is. Are all superpowered people truly destined to become evil? Or are there exceptions? If there are, then Nana is the villain. But if not, she’s the grim hero doing what must be done. Either way, you can’t help but root for her even when her murderous plans inevitably go wrong.
Watch It If You Like: Death Note, My Hero Academia, Dexter
Where You Can Watch It: Funimation, AnimeLab (AU/NZ), Muse Asia (Asia), Wakanim (EU)
Image source: 「キミと僕の最後の戦場、あるいは世界が始まる聖戦」公式 on Twitter
Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World
Genre: Fantasy, Star-Crossed Love Story
Studio: Silver Link.
Number of episodes: 12
Non-spoiler plot summary: A kingdom of magic and an empire of technology have been at war for over 100 years. Alice is the princess of the country of magic, feared above all others on the battlefield. Iska is the successor to one of the empire’s most powerful warriors. The two of them seemed destined to fight to the death–so it’s more than a little odd they keep running into each other in neutral territory on their days off.
Why you should watch it: At its most basic, this is your classic Romeo and Juliet love story between two enemies who fall in love (though neither is exactly willing to admit it). However, what makes it fun is how fate keeps pushing them together. It seems that no matter where they go they will inevitably meet each other. Even Iska and Alice realize that something odd is going on–to the point that they can almost sense where the other will be. It makes for some cute comedy despite the war setting.
What’s interesting is that despite having very similar philosophies (namely that the war is destructive, useless, and should end) neither is willing to defect. They’d rather follow their own plans. However, this doesn’t stop them from working together against common enemies that neither could defeat alone–which seems to happen all too often.
Watch It If You Like: Maoyu, Romeo x Juliet, Boarding School Juliet
Where You Can Watch It: Funimation, Wakanim (EU), AnimeLab (AU/NZ), Aniplus (Asia)
Image source: 「魔女の旅々」公式 on Twitter
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
Genre: Fantasy, Travel
Studio: C2C
Number of episodes: 12
Non-spoiler plot summary: Ever since her mother read her tales as a child, Elaina has dreamt of becoming not just a magic user, but the pinnacle of the magic community: a witch. With a ton of hard work and more than a little talent, Elaina becomes one of the youngest witches ever. However, this is only the start of her journey. From the back of her broom she sets off to visit all the magical places she heard about as a child–and all the little places in between.
Why you should watch it: This series is a series of vignettes–a story about something that happens in each of the countries that Elaina travels to. Thus, each episode in general is a self-contained parable of sorts, exploring something about the human condition. Some are happy, some are strikingly dark, but all are stories you feel in your soul.
On the other side of things, the overall plot is how this series of largely unconnected tales affects Elaina as a person, how she grows and is shaped by the events she witnesses (or interferes in). It’s great to watch Elaina’s journey and see how it forms her–and those she encounters again and again–into better people.
Watch It If You Like: Kino’s Journey, Violet Evergarden, Mushi-Shi
Where You Can Watch It: Funimation, Muse Asia (Asia), AnimeLab (AU/NZ)
Top image source: TVアニメ『アクダマドライブ』公式 on Twitter.
I watched those 5 animes last season. Some of them surprised me greatly in a good way, but I can say that Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World turned out to be underwhelming. Even though it seemed to use a lot of tropes, the fact that it was an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet was catchy. The first episode was very nice, but as episodes went by, it turned out to be boring and predictable, not at all emotional. Besides the first episodes, I only really liked the second to last one, the rest of them were not interesting at all, some even boring. Not a bad anime per se, but a very mediocre one.