With the new fall anime season on the horizon, you may be wondering what to watch. I have a few I’d recommend checking out.
Image source: TVアニメ『86―エイティシックス―』【公式】 on Twitter
86 -Eighty-Six- (Season 2)
Genre: Sci-fi, War, Social Commentary
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Premiere date: October 3, 2021
What it’s about: The Republic of San Magnolia is in a war of attrition with the robotic legions of an empire long since destroyed by their creations—leaving both the army and general populous believing it’s only a matter of time until the robots run out of units. However, Major Lena Milizé knows the truth. The war, used as a tool for ethnic cleansing, has not only depleted their side’s best pilots but strengthened the enemy as well. The war is far from over and she’ll do anything it takes to keep her men alive and fighting.
Why I’m excited: The first season of 86 was an emotional roller coaster. On one hand, it was a war story full of bravery in the face of utter despair—filled with nuanced and interesting characters trying their best to survive. On the other, it was a deep exploration of racism—showing that even those who want to help the oppressed can only do so by exploiting the very privilege they get through oppression. It will be fascinating to see how the events of the first season have molded Lena as a person—as she is not only the only hope for her people but the few remaining eighty-sixes as well.
Watch it if you like: Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, Aldnoah.Zero, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Image source: TVアニメ「真の仲間」公式 on Twitter
Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Studio Flad, Wolfsbane
Premiere date: October 6, 2021
What it’s about: Red was born destined to be the teacher of the hero, his sister, Ruty—to pass on to her all the skills she would need to defeat the Demon Lord and his minions. But now the time has come and Ruty has stepped into her own as a hero. Both her and her party members greatly outclass Red when it comes to combat. Told that he is dragging the party down by the wise sage of the group, Red is not too subtly kicked out of the hero’s party. With his part in saving the world done, he moves to the frontier and opts to retire in obscurity as a simple herbalist.
Why I’m excited: Beneath the “slow life” façade, Banished from the Hero’s Party features a magic system that deconstructs the tropes of an archetypical western fantasy tale in interesting ways. Each person in the fantasy world is granted a role by the gods. Mid-childhood, people find they are destined to be everything from a farmer to a brawler, a guard to an assassin. But a person’s role is more than just a destiny, it alters their’s personality—molding them into the kind of person needed to fit the role. If one fights against their role, they become unhappy with life—almost like an addiction that is only satiated when they do what their roles command. Moreover, the rarer the role, the more powerful the compulsion—to the point where someone such as Ruty is almost a prisoner within her own mind. More than anything else, it is this very structure of how the world works that is the villain of this tale.
Watch it if you like: I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear
Where to watch: Funimation
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 Dramedy
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Premiere date: October 10, 2021
What it’s about: Lupin III is the world’s greatest thief. He and his crew travel the world stealing the unstealable. However, when the longtime partner of the famed detective Sherlock Holmes is murdered, Lupin finds himself framed for the crime. Now on the run, he works to outwit the world’s greatest detective while hunting for a mysterious treasure hidden by a secret society that controls the British government from the shadows.
Why I’m excited: The big selling point for this 50th anniversary Lupin III series is that it features scripts penned by famous Japanese writers and auteurs. This includes one Mamoru Oshii: the man behind classic anime films Beautiful Dreamer, Patlabor, and Ghost in the Shell. What few people know is that, after the success of Hayao Miyazaki’s Lupin III film, The Castle of Cagliostro, Oshii was handpicked to write the next movie in the series. However, that film was never to see the light of day. Perhaps now, over 35 years later, we will finally get to see what Oshii had in mind for his canceled Lupin III film.
Watch it if you like: Lupin III, Ghost in the Shell
Where to watch: TBA
Image source: TVアニメ「プラチナエンド」公式 on Twitter
Platinum End
Genre: Death Game
Studio: Signal.MD
Premiere date: October 8, 2021
What it’s about: Driven to suicidal despair by his abusive family, young student Mirai attempts to kill himself—only to be saved by his very own guardian angel. But he is not the only one to gain an angelic partner. 13 other people have one as well. From their respective angels, each learns that in 999 days, god will retire, choosing his successor from among the 13 people with angel partners. Of course, such knowledge belies a terrible truth: if one were to want to become the next god at all costs, the simplest way would be to just kill off the other 12 candidates…
Why I’m excited: This one is a pedigree pick, pure and simple. Platinum End is written by Tsugumi Ohba, the creator of Death Note. That alone is enough to get me to watch this anime. The series itself looks to be another cat and mouse game with supernatural elements. I couldn’t ask for more.
Watch it if you like: Death Note, Future Diary
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Image source: 『サクガン』TVアニメ公式 on Twitter
Sakugan
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Mecha
Studio: Satelight
Premiere date: October 7, 2021
What it’s about: In the far future, mankind lives beneath the earth in a largely unmapped tunnel system called The Labyrinth. While humans have used their technology to erect cities in the caverns, the tunnels are still dangerous—filled with monsters that can kill even an experienced mecha suit pilot. Yet, even still, there are those who are drawn to explore the yet unknown areas of the labyrinth.
Why I’m excited: While the outer trappings of this anime make it appear to be a mecha action show, it is really a story about a father and daughter who don’t see eye-to-eye. Gaganba is a man that was in no way prepared to be a father—much less a single father. He works hard all day, gets drunk, and then passes out at home. Perhaps this support would be enough if his daughter, Memenpu, weren’t a genius craving for adventure. But despite his best efforts to dissuade her, to teach her about the real danger in the tunnels beyond their settlement, it’s clear that one day, she will leave. All too soon, Gaganba will have to make his big decision: does he let his daughter go off alone or does he throw it all away and go with her.
Watch it if you like: Made in Abyss
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Top image source: TVアニメ「真の仲間」公式 on Twitter.
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