There were dozens upon dozens of new anime that came out this summer. And as it can be hard to figure out where to start, here’s a little guide to help you out.
*Note: Entries are listed in alphabetical order.
Image source: 「現実主義勇者の王国再建記」作品公式 on Twitter
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Genre: Summoned-to-Another-World Fantasy
Studio: J.C.Staff
Number of episodes: 13
Non-spoiler plot summary: One day (not so) normal high school graduate Kazuya is summoned to a fantasy world to be its hero. However, instead of training up his martial skills or setting out with a party of stalwart companions to slay the invading demon king, Kazuya instead suggests sweeping economic reforms to solve the famine the kingdom that summoned him is suffering from. Soon, the king abdicates the throne to him and Kazuya, guided by the teachings of Machiavelli and Sun Tzu, sets out to save his new home.
Why you should watch it: When it comes down to it, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom asks a simple question: what if the worst problem facing your kingdom isn’t the impending demon invasion. Over focusing on cash crops, poor forest management, poor trade routes, lack of roads and infrastructure—these are the problems that Kazuya faces in his new role. At the same time, he has to deal with the political implications of being a person from a different world suddenly becoming a king in this one. Every change he makes faces at least some opposition and the lack of a centralized army means that a civil war is always only a step away. All this makes for tons of potential drama—and watching Kazuya navigate it with knowledge from our world (and a keen eye for propaganda) makes this show one heck of a fun watch.
Watch It If You Like: Maoyuu, Spice and Wolf
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, bilibili
Image source: 「マギアレコード公式 on Twitter
Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story (Season 2)
Genre: Magical Girl, Psychological Horror
Studio: Shaft
Number of episodes: 8
Non-spoiler plot summary: Magical girl Homura is driven by a singular goal: to save her friend Madoka. Time and again, she has relived the same events—changing what she can—yet she continues to fail. However, this time something new has happened. Homura and Madoka’s magical girl mentor, Mami, has run away to Kamihama city—a place where magical girls can supposedly be saved from their dark fate. Thus, the girls set off to find their missing friend—unaware they are heading into a situation far more complex (and dangerous) than they could possibly imagine.
Why you should watch it: Madoka and Homura bring a breath of much needed fresh air into Magia Record’s story. As the main characters of the original Madoka Magica, we are already deeply invested in their shared tragedy. Seeing a different way it could have gone (or perhaps a different way it did go in one of Homura’s endless loops), pulls you into the story in a whole new way.
Moreover, unlike the first season (which meandered a bit too much for its own good), this season doesn’t hesitate to answer its looming questions. But best of all, the characters in general are well-written to a standard far above and beyond most anime. Each one of them has their own goals and motivations. This means that, as each new revelation comes to light, friends become enemies and enemies, friends. This adds a dramatic uncertainty to the whole story, leaving you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
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, HIDIVE, Wakanim (EU)
Image source: Star Wars on Twitter
Star Wars: Visions
Genre: Science Fantasy, Anthology
Studio: Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, Science SARU
Number of episodes: 9
Non-spoiler plot summary: Seven acclaimed Japanese anime studios come together to each make their own original stories set a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
Why you should watch it: Among the nine stories in Star Wars: Visions we have episodes inspired by Atsro Boy and classic samurai films. We have tales from before the prequels to those set so long after the films that the art of making lightsabers has been lost. We even have an episode where two sith battle each other on the outside of a Star Destroyer—where things like the vacuum of space are ignored because everything is just so over-the-top awesome that you no longer care about little things like “reality.” Yet, as different in setting, tone, and animation as all these episodes are, they are all undeniably Star Wars. The sense of beauty, adventure, and wonder flows throughout. You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t give these a shot (especially The Village Bride—its score is amazing).
Watch It If You Like: Star Wars, Kill la Kill, Studio Ghibli Movies
Where You Can Watch It: Disney+
Image source: 【公式】アニメ『転生したらスライムだった件』 on Twitter
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 2 – Part 2)
Genre: Reincarnated-in-Another-World Fantasy
Studio: 8bit
Number of episodes: 12
Non-spoiler plot summary: To save his people Rimuru—once a human, now reincarnated as a slime—has become a true demon lord. In doing so, he has thrown the power balance of this world into chaos. However, the rest of the world doesn’t know that just yet. Gathering his allies, Rimuru prepares to take revenge on Clayman, the one who dared to orchestrate an attack on his country. Yet, at the same time, Clayman puts his own ultimate plan into motion: to become a true demon lord himself.
Why you should watch it: The first half of season two left us with a lot of loose ends—and even more implications for what was to come in the future. To its credit, this season of Tensura tackles all this baggage head on by spending the majority of its first half in one extended conversation, focusing on Rimuru sorting out things with his allies and then making plans for the immediate future.
The rest of the season is basically pure, unadulterated catharsis. We get to watch as the good guys do cool things and get revenge for all they suffered. But more than that, we learn that, even with all his newfound power, Rimuru is not the biggest fish in the sea. And while those who are more powerful than him may have no issues with him at the moment, there’s nothing to say that they won’t butt heads in the future—especially with others from our world getting involved with Rimuru’s business behind the scenes.
Watch It If You Like: Overlord, Maoyuu, Log Horizon
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, bilibili
Image source: 『 月が導く異世界道中 』TVアニメ公式 on Twitter
Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy-
Genre: Summoned-to-Another-World Fantasy
Studio: C2C
Number of episodes: 12
Non-spoiler plot summary: One day, average high schooler Makoto learns a startling secret: that his parents are travelers from another world. Worse yet, the price of their trip was that their child must return to their fantasy world one day. However, when he arrives, the goddess rejects him for being too ugly—banishing him to a wasteland at the edge of the world to die. Luckily, Earth’s god, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, gives Makoto a portion of his power so that the young boy can survive. Of course, even a small bit of a god’s power makes Makoto far more powerful than he realizes.
Why you should watch it: Overpowered characters are almost a given in the “isekai” genre of stories. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The trick is to make sure that, despite their prowess in marital conflict, they have some sort of weakness that can be exploited. In the case of Makoto, he has numerous ones. His allies are monsters with little regard for human life (or property damage). He is both so ugly he is considered disfigured by the human population and can only speak to other humans through a magic ring that makes text appear in the air. And more than that, his knowledge of the world he has found himself in is limited to an extreme degree—making for a terrible liability when it comes to interacting with its inhabitants.
All this makes for both great comedy—as most fish out of water tales are—and great drama. Applying real-world logic and values to a fantasy world can be funny or it can get people killed—and not always just among his enemies. The whole anime is a great mix of comedy and drama—and you never know when it’s going to be one or the other.
Watch It If You Like: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, How Not to Summon a Demon Lord, Demon Lord, Retry!
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, bilibili
Top image source: 【公式】アニメ『転生したらスライムだった件』 on Twitter.
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