Anime is not your average cartoon.
The term “anime” is actually the abbreviated pronunciation of “animation” in Japanese and it is used to refer specifically to animation from Japan. Unlike American cartoons, Japanese anime’s art style share some similar elements in terms of character design such as the characters’ facial features, expressions, and tone of speech.
Every season (starting from winter, spring, summer, and fall), at least 30 anime series will be aired on television and if you don’t know what to watch this season, fret not, ’cause we’ve got the right list for you :)
Check out our top 10 must-watch new anime to fill up your time slots:
1. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma: The 2nd Plate
- Studio: J.C.Staff
- Genre: Comedy, Shounen, School, Ecchi
Written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki, “Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma” tells the story of a boy named Soma Yukihira and his quest to be the greatest chef in an elite culinary school called Totsuki Academy. Fans of the anime will recall that at the end of season 1, 8 of the best students were chosen to compete in the semi-finals of the “Autumn Elections”. Picking up from where last season ended, season 2 will see Soma and his friends competing for first place in the competition.
For more information, visit the series’ official website and Twitter.
2. Berserk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weqvp2inoHo
- Studio: Millepensee / GEMBA
- Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Drama, Action
If you are a fan of horror, this anime is for you! Based on Kentaro Miura’s supernatural manga of the same name, “Berserk” revolves around Guts aka the Black Swordsman. Once a wandering mercenary, Guts and his lover Casca are branded with marks that attract evil spirits. To rid the marks, Guts sets off in a dangerous journey along with an elf named Puck. The 24-episode series is the 2nd television adaptation of the manga since 1997.
For more information, visit the anime’s official website.
3. Battery
- Studio: Zero-G
- Genre: Drama, School, Seinen, Baseball
“Battery”, which means a combination of a pitcher and catcher in Baseball, is a light novel series written by Noma Prize-winning Atsuko Asano and it’s about Harada Takumi and Go Nagakura, 2 boys who form a baseball team. Thanks to its rising popularity, the novel has been adapted into a film, an 8-volume manga, and now, an anime.
For more information, visit the show’s official website and Twitter.
4. D-Gray Man Hallow
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen, Supernatural
“D-Gray Man” is back and this time, the anime will feature a new cast, with Ayumu Murase voicing Allen Walker and Shinnosuke Tachibana voicing Howard Link. Titled “D-Gray Man Hallow”, the summer anime will continue from the last episode of season 2 (episode 103), which ended in 2008. Just in case you forgot, the “D. Gray-man” ended with Allen facing the Millennium Earl, saying “To end the Millennium Earl’s vision of the world’s end… It is the duty of the Exorcist”.
5. Orange
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7dgGpFJZ8Q
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi, School, Slice Of Life
In the 13-episode sci-fi/romance anime, “Orange”, Naho Takamiya, a timid 16-year-old girl, receives a letter from her future self detailing actions she must take to prevent Kakeru Naruse, the new transfer student, from sinking into depression and taking his own life. Based on Ichigo Takano’s best-selling mango of the same name, Naho Takamiya is voiced by rising seiyu (voice actor) Kana Hanazawa (from “Psycho Pass”).
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For more information, visit the show’s official website and Twitter.
6. Love Live! Sunshine!
- Studio: Sunrise
- Genre: Music, School, Comedy
“Love Live! Sunshine” is all about original music and it is a Japanese multimedia project co-developed by ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki G’s Magazine, music label Lantis, and animation studio Sunrise. Much like “Love Live!” (2013), the anime focuses on school idols made up of a group of high school girls. The show’s main protagonist of “Sunchine” is Chika Takami, a 2nd-year student at Uranohoshi Girls’ Academy who formed a 9-member school idol group called “Aqours”.
For more information, visit the series’ official website.
7. The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance
https://youtu.be/WPt_b1AZQmI
- Studio: Liden Films, Felix Film
- Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Voted as the most-anticipated anime of summer 2016 by Kadokawa Shoten, a well-known Japanese publisher, season 2 of “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” (pronounced as “Arslan Senki” in Japanese) follows Arslan and company on their journey back to the capital of Pars. The anime also features songs from Eir Aoi (from “Sword Art Online” and “Fate/Zero”) and Japanese vocal group Kalafina (from “Madoka Magica”).
8. Handa-kun
- Studio:Diomedea / TBS
- Genre: Comedy, Shounen, Slice of Life, School
Set 6 years prior to the events of “Barakamon”, “Handa-kun” details the life of Seishuu Handa’s “very interesting life” as a high school student. The handsome and talented calligraphy genius is worshipped by all his classmates but his neurotic personality makes him believe that the attention is considered “bullying”. The light-hearted 12-episode spin-off anime is based on Satsuki Yoshino’s manga of the same name.
For more information, visit the TBS’s official website.
9. Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School
- Studio: Lerche
- Genre: Action, Mystery, Psychological
“Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School” is actually adapted from a popular Japanese video game franchise created and developed by Spike Chunsoft. The series is split into 2 simultaneously airing parts: “Side: Future” and “Side: Despair”. The former serves as a conclusion to the “Hope’s Peak Academy” storyline while the latter is a prequel to “Danganronpa 2”.
For more information, visit the show’s official website.
10. Rewrite
- Studio: 8-bit
- Genre: Action, Fantasy, Romance
Last but not least, there’s Key’s, a brand of VisualArt, “Rewrite”. Directed by Tensho and produced by 8-Bit, “Rewrite” features character design by Masayuki Nonaka. The plot follows the life of Kotarou Tennouji, a high school student with superhuman abilities who investigates supernatural mysteries with 5 girls from his school in the fictional city of Kazamatsuri, Japan.
For more information, visit the anime’s official website.
Which of the above animes do you look forward to watching the most? Feel free to let us know about your favourite shows in the comments below :)
Sources: Crunchyroll, GoBoiano, Orzzzz, Wikipedia.
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