Spring is officially in, and the Spring Anime season is around the corner. Literally, it starts tomorrow. There’s quite a few season 2’s and spin-offs this season but I’d like to narrow down the 5 anime I’m am most excited for. You never know which will be good though, even if they’re established from acclaimed manga, or had a stellar previous season. And there’s always the breakout hits like last fall season’s Yuri on Ice and last spring’s Bungo Stray Dogs. Regardless of what you’ll be watching, you don’t want to miss these 5.
1. Attack on Titan Season 2
Saying season 2 was long-awaited is a severe understatement. Fans new and old have been pining for a new season of Attack on Titan since it originally aired in 2013 – 4 years ago – and those who don’t faithfully follow the manga are anxiously wondering what will happen to Eren, Mikasa and their rag-tag group of angsty teens. After the revelation of Annie being the female Titan, who could possibly be the armored and colossal Titans? And now the trailer shows a beast titan… that talks? Titans attacking other Titans? As if we didn’t have enough questions that needed to be answered, this season seems like it’s going to toss even more questions out into the field. Along with it’s previously high Game of Thrones-style body count, anyone can bite the dust at any moment, so here’s to hoping all of our favorites make it to the end of this season. I’m looking at you, Connie. The new season premieres tomorrow, simulcasted by Funimation. No dub yet, but I expect Funimation to get working on it soon if they haven’t already.
2. My Hero Academia Season 2
Speaking of breakout hits, My Hero Academia’s first season was fun, thrilling, and packed with superb action. Funimation prioritized same-day dubbing this season, as evidenced by the trailer below. Izuku Midoriya has come a long way from being a non-quirk to being one of the potentially strongest entrants in UA High. While shows like this can feel awfully cluttered, MHA does a great job of giving every character equal air time only complimented by in-depth characterization. Crazy fun action helps as well. It makes you wonder why Marvel hasn’t gotten started on an Avengers Academy. It would be a great way to introduce the Young Avengers and Runaways to new fans before going head-first into film. That’s all I’m saying, Marvel, the blueprint’s there. My Hero Academia airs tomorrow, April 1st, in the afternoon on Funimation.
3. Little Witch Academia
Was it really so long ago that the legendary Studio Trigger released the first short film that eventually led the the realization of a full-fledged series, being bought out for exclusive airing rights in North America by streaming giant Netflix? 2013 was a pretty great year for anime. The series sets out to retell and expand on the films, following the exploits of young protagonist, Akko and her group of friends, as they set out to show the world the beauty of magic. Earlier this year, Netflix received it’s share of criticism for not simulcasting the series alongside its Japanese release, which started January 9th. To note, Netflix has never simulcasted anything, and it can be safely speculated that its later release could be attributed to taking time to dub the series as well as allowing fans to binge watch the show. For those that aren’t familiar with the series, I urge you to check out both short films – currently streaming on Netflix – ahead of the North American debut, slated for April 3rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=372SRI-tDJ8
4. Berserk Season 2
Hands down my favorite title out of the 5, the long-awaited series has finally arrived. And we didn’t even have to wait a year’s time to get a second season, unlike the decades-long crusade to get Guts and crew off that damn boat. While I was pretty critical of the first season (article to follow), I was still pleased with the end result. Many fans and critics don’t care for the animation style, and while I would have liked something more in line with the intro, the cg animation didn’t necessarily hold the action back. We can follow Guts on his quest for revenge against Griffith and his emerging army of human/demon hybrids April 7th, on Crunchyroll.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4gi8AKk1Hg
5. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Following in his father’s footsteps, Boruto sets out on the path his father laid before him. Not a whole lot of information about the plot has been released, but we can expect to see Boruto’s exploits as he navigates the perils of the ninja academy the same way Naruto did. Whether he follows the same path or strays into becoming his own kind of ninja remains to be seen. I expect to see Boruto share a close rivalry with Saruda, Sauske and Sakura’s daughter, but it’s going to be fun to see the Naruto gang leading the “King” into the future. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations airs April 5th, on Crunchyroll.