As summer fades to fall, it’s a good chance to look back at the last anime season and all it has to offer. Or in other words, for all you binge-watchers out there, here are the anime from Summer 2019 that you should not miss out on.
Oh, before we get into it, a little disclaimer. If your pick didn’t make this list, that doesn’t mean it’s bad in any way. It means that I chose to highlight just five anime and the ones below are the ones that made my personal cut.
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Dr. Stone
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Survival
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Number of episodes: 24 (Currently at 15)
Premiere date: July 5, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: After 3700 years trapped in stone, modern-day scientific genius Senku awakens to find the remnants of civilization long gone. For months, it’s all he can do to stay alive–alone except for the stone statues of people like him. But when his friend Taiju also awakens, the two of them set out to do the impossible: not only free the population from their stone prisons but bring technology from the stone age to the modern age in just a single generation.
Why you should watch it: Dr. Stone is about two things: science and psychology. The science half is showing how incredibly complex technology can be made from the ground up starting with nothing but stone tools. It truly amazing what Senku is able to make–not to mention how his inventions drastically alter the balance of power in the stone world.
The psychology half of the anime deals with the effect Senku’s inventions–or even his knowledge–have upon the people he meets. Many are charmed by what he does. Others are afraid of it. Yet the most dangerous are the ones that want nothing more than his knowledge to be swept from the face of the Earth forever. Thus Senku finds himself in a complex dance where he must out-think friends and foes alike if he doesn’t want to end up dead.
Watch it if you like: The Martian, 7Seeds, Death Note
Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation (dub), AnimeLab (AU/NZ)
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Fire Force
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fire Monster Fighting
Studio: David Production
Number of episodes: 24 (Currently at 12)
Premiere date: July 6, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: In a world where much of the planet’s land mass has been destroyed, the Tokyo Empire is one of the last bastions of civilization. However, even it is plagued by problems. Seemingly at random, normal people turn into fire demons, burning everything around them in a chaotic rage. It’s up to the specially trained Fire Force to combat these demons with a mixture of technology, pyrokinesis, and good old fashioned muscle. Unfortunately, the Fire Force itself is far more fratured than it appears from the outside.
Why you should watch it: Despite being an action-oriented fighting anime, Fire Force shows its characters to be interesting and complex right out of the gate. From our main hero who breaks into a rictus grin when afriad to his rival who is so dumb he forgets which hand is his dominate one, each character has their own captivating backstory that makes their motivations clear and their personality quirks understandable.
Add to this excellently choreographed superpowered fight scenes and beautiful animation that works hard to capture both the beauty and danger of flames, and you have a show that’s a must-watch.
Watch it if you like: Promare, Blue Exorcist
Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation (dub), AnimeLab (AU/NZ)
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Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace Note
Genre: Modern Fantasy, Mystery
Studio: TROYCA
Number of episodes: 13
Premiere date: July 7, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: Young Waver Velvet once fought in the Holy Grail War where seven mages paired with seven heroes from myth and legend fought to the death to receive a wish from the holy grail. He lost.
Now, years later, Waver has becomes a teacher of mages–his classroom a haven for all the misfits in magical society. By his side is the enigmatic Gray–a girl who while not a mage herself nonetheless serves as his apprentice. But even with this new life, Waver is still fixated on his past–his loss in the war and the partner he failed. And whether he knows it or not, his past is not done with him yet either.
Why you should watch it: For anyone who watched Fate/Zero, Lord El-Melloi II’s Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace Note is a vital continuation of that story. It deals with the the lasting fallout and how it has forever shaped the life of one of those involved. In general terms, it’s all about coming to accept your past–even if that means taking responsibility for things beyond your control. Yet, at the same time, it shows the need to move forward and not let past events decide who you are forever.
All this is explored through a series of short, supernatural mysteries. But what makes these mysteries so interesting is that instead of focusing on the “howdunit” to find the perpetrator, it instead focuses on the “whydunit.” Because, afterall, when magic is involved, the “how” is basically unexplainable and only through identifying the correct motive can the case be solved.
Watch it if you like: Fate/Zero, Fate Apocrypha, The Garden of Sinners
Where to watch: Crunchyroll, AnimeLab (AU/NZ)
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O Maidens in Your Savage Season
Genre: Coming-of-Age
Studio: Lay-duce
Number of episodes: 12
Premiere date: July 6, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: The girls of the literature club have one thing on their minds–and it isn’t books. Rather its the one thing books can’t seem to prepare them for: sex and all that comes with it.
In fact, the more they read about sex, the less they feel they understand it–even as they notice it permiating the world around them. One girl has started to have feelings for her childhood friend. Another thinks anyone interested in sex is a slut–a sorry excuse for a human who can’t see what’s really important. Yet another is on the cusp of becoming a professional writer–only to find herself hampered by her lack of sexual experience. In the end, while these girls clearly need a guide as they cross the threshold into womanhood, they’ll just have to make do with each other instead.
Why you should watch it: Being a nerdy high school girl is tough–especially when society tells you that you’re supposed to be a pure, innocent flower yet you have these crazy hormones messing with your mind. Many of the problems these girls face come from the taboo nature of sex and that fiction never seems to capture the awkwardness of it (not to mention everything surrounding it). We see these young women struggle to explore their sexual curiosity–and romantic interest–in different (and sometimes conflicting) ways. What comes out of it all is a story full of high school romance drama that feels painfully real.
Watch it if you like: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea, Kiznaiver
Where to watch: HIDIVE, Muse Asia
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Vinland Saga
Genre: Historical Fiction
Studio: WIT Studio
Number of episodes: 24
Premiere date: July 8, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: The year is 1004 and the Vikings are beginning their conquest of England. But in Iceland, a young boy dreams of going to war, winning glory, and coming home with a buttload of treasure. But as that dream becomes both a nightmare and his reality, part of him remembers a second dream–the dream of a peaceful land, fertile and empty of snow: the land across the western sea known as “Vinland.”
Why you should watch it: On its most basic level, Vinland Saga is an ultraviolent revenge epic set against a war between Vikings and knights. There’s more than enough action and excitement alone to keep you coming back for more. But beneath this is a personal tragedy–the story of a boy forced to grow up far too soon and realize that the world is far more complex than his boyhood fantasies made it out to be.
It’s also, interestingly, an oddly American tale centered around about the American Dream–though in a time long before “America” as a concept existed. Our hero, even as he carves his way through countless men, is haunted by the idea that out there somewhere is a better place–a new land where a man can start a new life in peace. And that rumored new land, “Vinland” is just another name for North America.
Watch it if you like: Berserk, The Heroic Legend of Arslan
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
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