This spring anime season lineup is looking super strong this time around. Here are the anime I am most looking forward to watching.
Image source: マギアレコード公式
Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story Final Season
Genre: Magical Girl, Psychological Horror
Studio: Shaft
Release date: April 3, 2022
Non-spoiler plot summary: Iroha and her magical girl friends have stopped the Magius’ plans and saved Kamihama City in the process. However, their battle is not yet over. The ultimate witch, Walpurgisnacht is approaching the nearby Mitakihara City. If things don’t change, everyone there will die—even Iroha’s new friend Madoka.
Why I’m excited: While I am somewhat invested in Iroha’s story—i.e., the disappearance of her sister and how it all relates to Magius—I’m far more interested in how this will all connect to the original Madoka Magica crew. Homura remains the biggest threat to the entire story—not because she has any ill intent but because of her singular motivation. Although this is the best loop for her so far (as her whole team is alive and united despite knowing the secret behind magical girls), that doesn’t mean they have any real chance against Walpurgisnacht. Moreover, the events in Kamihama seem to be unique to this loop—nothing similar has happened in any other loop. This means that, regardless of what Iroha discovers, it could all be erased in an instant if Madoka falls in the battle against Walpurgisnacht. The stakes are super high—even if Iroha and friends don’t know it yet.
Watch It If You Like: Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magical Girl Raising Project, Yuki Yuna is a Hero
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, Funimation
Image source: アニメ『可愛いだけじゃない式守さん』公式
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Studio: Doga Kobo
Release date: April 10, 2022
Non-spoiler plot summary: Accident-prone high schooler Izumi is dating Shikimori—the cutest girl in school. Though she’s normally kind, jovial, and friendly to a fault, Izumi is one of the few people to see that behind Shikimori’s cute exterior is a cool, assertive badass capable of capturing the hearts of man and woman alike.
Why I’m excited: This story follows a set pattern: something dangerous happens to Izumi and Shikimori does something awesome to save him. But what I love is how this is shown visually. In these moments, Shikimori’s character design changes. Her cute, round face becomes more angular. Her innocent, oval eyes become sharp and narrow. She looks more like an assertive pretty-boy from a romance anime than the classic female lead stereotype she appears to be most of the time. Moreover, it’s a visual way of showing the clever swapping of gender roles—with her taking the more masculine role and Izumi the more feminine one. Yet, what’s interesting on a character level is that the true Shikimori isn’t one or the other. In reality, she is both the cute girl and the cool one—and it’s her relationship with Izumi that brings out the best of both sides in her.
Watch It If You Like: My Love Story!!, Kimi ni Todoke
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Image source: 「骸骨騎士様、只今異世界へお出掛け中」TVアニメ公式
Skeleton Knight in Another World
Genre: Transported-to-another-world fantasy
Studio: HORNETS, Studio Kai
Release date: April 7, 2022
Non-spoiler plot summary: Awakening in a fantasy world in the body of his MMORPG avatar, you’d think that Arc would be set for life—after all, he has powerful magic, end game gear, and a load of (in-game) experience fighting monsters and traversing dungeons. However, there is just one thing standing in his way: his appearance. Back in the game, he gave his character a skeleton skin as a joke—which seems to be permanent in this new world. Now, Arc must make a life for himself without anyone discovering the skeletal face hidden beneath his armor.
Why I’m excited: This one is “isekai” in its purest form. Arc is transported to a fantasy world and is 100% a stranger in a strange land. The twist is that he must keep himself hidden due to the “skeleton curse” which makes him look like an evil undead. This gives him both a set motivation to explore the world and a trial that must be overcome each time he makes a new friend. And while he is “overpowered” due to the abilities he has inherited from the game, there are more than a few people stronger than him—especially when it comes to non-magical fighting. In other words, this a tale of adventure in a magical world full of danger and mystery around every corner.
(And on a side note, I just love the character design. His armor makes him so massive that he’s two to three times the size of his companions. Sometimes they just ride on his shoulders!)
Watch It If You Like: Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Image source: 『魔法使い黎明期』TVアニメ公式
The Dawn of the Witch
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Tezuka Productions
Release date: April 8, 2022
Non-spoiler plot summary: After 500 years, the war between Witches and the Church is finally over and magic has once again become common place. Now an amnesic magic student and his companions head to the south where anti-magic forces still roam. But little do they know that their adventure may soon cause them to cross paths with a certain bestial mercenary and the wielder of the legendary Grimoire of Zero.
Why I’m excited: I really enjoyed the Grimoire of Zero back when it aired in 2017—though I never expected it to get a sequel. And to be fair, The Dawn of the Witch is only half of one. While it takes place in the same world and features some of the same characters, they’re now supporting roles in a new story with new characters. This is pretty much the perfect way to continue the story in my opinion. While I enjoyed my time with Zero and her fluffy companion, I’m excited to see the world fleshed out even more as a new group of heroes sets off on their own adventure.
Watch It If You Like: Grimoire of Zero, Chaika -The Coffin Princess-, Spice and Wolf
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Image source: TVアニメ「乙女ゲー世界はモブに厳しい世界です」公式
Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
Genre: Transported-to-another-world fantasy
Studio: ENGI
Release date: April 3, 2022
Non-spoiler plot summary: One day, a young office worker finds himself reincarnated as Leon Fou Bartfort, a minor background character in a fantasy dating sim aimed at girls. However, as luck would have it, his overbearing sister forced him to play this exact game shortly before his death. With his knowledge of the future, he sets out not to win the girl or save the world but simply become self-sufficient. If only things were that easy…
Why I’m excited: Being reincarnated as a background character in a dating sim is a funny concept all on its own. But what sets this one apart from similar stories is that our hero, Leon, is a self-serving asshole. While not an outright malicious person, he clearly hates that he is trapped in a world where the society is full of toxic misandry and will do anything to escape it. He also has no respect for the source material of the world he is in. He’s not afraid to take endgame items for himself or make the male leads look like a joke for his own ends. Of course, his karmic justice is that, for all his trying to remain in the background, it’s not long before his own self-centered nature puts him center stage—gaining the interest of not only the story’s heroine but the villainess as well.
Watch It If You Like: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Top image source: overlapinc on YouTube.
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