On March 26 a post over at Crunchyroll.com referred to what the Japanese fans answered when asked what show they were looking forward to in the upcoming spring season. As the winter season is closing it’s only fitting to highlight some shows I think is worth seeing (and my list does mirror what everyone else are hyped about).
One Punch Man
One Punch Man returns for a second season on April 2, a fact I already mentioned in the winter season preview. The comedy-action show with it’s overly powerful superhero protagonist returns after a long wait (season 1 premiered back in 2015). It’s one of these shows that so big and commercial you’ll find it on Netflix and also ranked as high as no. 3 on the list Japanese fans were hyped about. A great take on the whole superhero-genre, the only thing I’m a bit worried about before the return is the change of director and production company, going from Madhouse to J.C. Staff. I’m not saying J.C. Staff can’t deliver, they have an impressive track record of big anime shows, but changing the animation is always a bit risky and I’m sure it will take a few episodes before I’ll get used to the change.
Yeah, and JAM Project are back as composers for the opening song.
Dia no Ace: Act II
Another popular franchise that will return for a new season in early April is the baseball show Dia no Ace. Premiering on April 2 and slated for 52 new episodes, the show was last seen as their second season wrapped up in March 2016 (51 episodes) but began airing as anime all the way back in 2013 with season 1 which comprised of 75 episodes. The original Dia no Ace began as manga in 2006 (it’s know as Ace of Diamond or Ace of the Diamond in English) and ended its run in 2015 after 47 volumes, all written and illustrated by Yuji Terajima. Terajima continued his story with Dia no Ace: Act II which began in 2015 (it’s still running) and have reached 13 volumes, and it the continued storylines in this manga which now gets an anime adaptation .
Konoyo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo Yu-no
Konoyo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo Yu-no (or Yu-No: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World as it will be known in the English speaking market) will also begin airing on April 2. It’s an anime adaptation of an old video game franchise from 1996, YU-NO. It has previously been adapted as a four part hentai back in 1998-99. The game was a sci-fi story concerning parallel universes with sexual content (it was ported to other consoles with the sex stuff removed). The anime director Hirakawa has said it will feature all the same characters and storylines from the original game, and that it will “outdo the game in dirty jokes” so expect mostly mature content and a strictly seinen target audience.
Fruits Basket
This list is dominated by sequels and remakes of old anime, and this is part a trend of the anime industry (nostalgia is a big seller) but also the simple fact that shows I have seen and know automatically gets bonus points when deciding what to watch or not. The 2019 version of Fruits Basket (starts on April 6) is a new take on Fruits Basket from 2001. As I remembered it, Fruits Basket was one of the better rom-coms of the early 00’s, and had enough fans and story to warrant a 2019 remake. Looking at the promotion stills the animation has changed quite a bit from the 2001 anime (which was adapted from a manga that ran from 1998-2006).
Kimetsu no Yaiba
Another show that starts on April 6 is Kimetsu no Yaiba, a fresh anime adaptation of a dark fantasy manga series by Koyoharu Gotōge that began in 2016. (known as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba). I think it’s my fondness for RPG that make me seek out fantasy anime, and Kimetsu no Yaiba can just turn out to be this season’s best new fantasy show.
Fairy Gone
It’s always refreshing to watch an original anime. Fairy Gone is set in a chaotic postwar world where former fairy soldiers have the ability to summon and do battle with magical fairies, while some turn to terrorism or organized crime others work as governmental officers trying to keep law and order. A big plus is the show is directed by Suzuki Kenichi (who has also done worked on Hellsing, Jojo and most recently directed Hataraku Saibou). The show is set to begin airing on April 8.
Bungou Stray Dogs
The third season of Bungou Stray Dogs will begin on April 12. This is perhaps a bit odd inclusion on my list as I havent gotten around to watch the previous two season (both aired in 2016, 12 episodes each). But the premise, characters based on historical authors, but with various special powers and solving mysteries, is just too good to miss. Where else can you see anime versions of Edgar Allan Poe, Dazai Osamu and Fyodor Dostoyevsky?
Shingeki no Kyojin season 3
Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan), will have its second part of season 3 (first half aired last autumn) continue on April 28. As expected it tops the list of most anticipated shows of the spring season (at least among Japanese fans) and for me it’s a toss up between this or One Punch Man as the biggest thing of the spring season.
Tabletop Cave 