While only one of these made my best of the year list, there were still some damned good anime that you should watch from the fall 2021 season.
*Note: Entries are listed in alphabetical order.
Image source: TVアニメ『86―エイティシックス―』【公式】 on Twitter
86 (Season 2)
Genre: Sci-fi, War, Social Commentary
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Release date: October 3, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: After being forced to send her squad off to be ethnically cleansed via a suicide mission into enemy territory, Lena has become a different person. No longer caring about status or rank, she does everything she can to keep those under her command alive—even knowing the brass will soon send them off to die as well. Worse yet, she alone knows that the war of attrition they are fighting is anything but—and that one day an attack will come that they can’t hope to stand against.
Why you should watch it: While the first season was largely about racism and ethnic cleansing, the second focuses more on the child soldier aspect of our heroes. It asks who they are without war and why they are still fighting. It also goes deep into the idea of survivors’ guilt—and the utter exhaustion that comes from always being the last one alive.
Watch it if you like: Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, Aldnoah.Zero, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Image source: TVアニメ「最果てのパラディン」 on Twitter
The Faraway Paladin
Genre: Transported to Another World Fantasy
Studio: Children’s Playground Entertainment
Release date: October 9, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: After his death in our world, Will finds himself reincarnated as a baby in a fantasy one. However, in lieu of a mother and father, he is raised by a trio of undead—a mummy, a ghost, and a skeleton—in the ruins of a city completely devoid of human life. Who the three are, what their mission is, and why they are raising a human child are all mysteries to Will but one thing is for certain: He loves them and they love him in return.
Why you should watch it: On one hand, The Faraway Paladin is a tale of mystery. At first, it is centered around the relationship between Will and his undead family—along with their current goal and circumstances. Even when all that is resolved, the world itself serves as a mystery as Will has no idea what is awaiting him nor of his own place in it.
On the other hand, this anime is a tale of choosing your own family—about how even those not related to us by blood can heal our hearts and souls. In the end, the anime is the total package: it’s got action, adventure, and the kind of heart that is so rarely released in similar fantasy anime.
Watch it if you like: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime, The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Image source: アニメ「ルパン三世」公式★【PART6】10月放送 on Twitter
Lupin the 3rd Part 6
Genre: Crime Comedy
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Release date: October 17, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: Sherlock Holmes is not the man he used to be. While once he was solving mysteries and choosing cases whenever they piqued his interest, he now finds himself doing only the most lucrative—and boring—of cases. However, he finds all this worth it as it gives him the money and time he needs to care for Lily, the daughter of his deceased best friend. However, all this changes the day Lily encounters the man who killed her father: the world-renowned thief known as Lupin III.
Why you should watch it: There are two kinds of episodes in Lupin the 3rd Part 6. The first are serialized adventures that revolve around Lily, Sherlock, and Lupin—exploring the murder of John Watson and how it ties into a much greater conspiracy. The second are stand-alone episodes that are penned by famous Japanese mystery writers—including Ghost in the Shell and Beautiful Dreamer director Mamoru Oshii.
While the serialized story is full of mystery and action, the one-offs tend to have much more freedom. One is time travel story. Another is a 20-minute conversation and homage to Ernest Hemingway’s The Killers. Yet, another is a surreal take on time and religion. All in all, both sides of the anime are fantastic and make for a great addition to the 50-year long franchise.
Watch it if you like: Lupin III, Ghost in the Shell
Where You Can Watch It: HIDIVE
Image source: アニプレックス YouTube チャンネル on YouTube
Ranking of Kings
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Wit Studio
Release date: October 15, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: Bojji is the prince of a prosperous country—the son of the strongest King in all the lands. However, Bojji is nothing like his literal giant of a father. He is small, weak, and unable to hear or speak. Yeah, despite it all, Bojji has a kind heart and an unbreakable spirit. Even as those around him discount him in favor of his younger brother, Bojji continues to strive to follow in his father’s footsteps and become the greatest King in the world.
Why you should watch it: You might think that Ranking of Kings is aimed at children based on its animation style alone—yet, this is part of the moral that the anime is trying to teach you: don’t judge things by appearances. Of course, the most obvious way of teaching this is Bojji himself—by showing just how much he has to offer the world. However, this is just the start of it. There are no “bad guys” in Ranking of Kings, despite all the blood, death, and betrayals. Every character is multifaceted and is doing what they truly think is right. Each is somehow broken and is just trying to live life in the best possible way. This is a story where empathy is the true hero—putting yourself in the shoes of others and others in your own.
Just one word of warning before you watch this one: you’ll likely be a sobbing mess throughout.
Watch it if you like: Made in Abyss, Mob Psycho 100, To Your Eternity
Where You Can Watch It: Funimation, Wakanim (EU)
Image source: 『世界最高の暗殺者、異世界貴族に転生する』公式 on Twitter
The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
Genre: Transported to Another World Fantasy
Studio: SILVER LINK., Studio Palette
Release date: October 6, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: After Earth’s greatest assassin is murdered by his own organization, he stands before a goddess who is willing to grant him a second chance at life on a fantasy world—but only if he agrees to kill the overpowered hero who lives there.
Why you should watch it: The thing that sets this anime apart from so many other isekai anime is its focus on the characters. While obsessively about a man training to kill the strongest existence in the entire world, it’s more about his growth as a person. In his first life he was more of a tool than anything else—a weapon sent to kill whomever his bosses told him to. This is the story of him regaining his autonomy and deciding for himself who lives and who dies—and who he chooses to protect. Better still, the assassin is not the only character to get tons of development—all three of his female companions do as well. In the end, this isn’t a plot-driven narrative, it’s a character driven one. And this is what makes it such a good watch.
Watch it if you like: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime, The Faraway Paladin
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll
Top image source: アニメ「ルパン三世」公式★【PART6】10月放送 on Twitter.
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