During this winter, over 50 new anime were released. That is a TON of anime to go through. To save you time and to spare you from the anxiety and existential dread that is indecision, I have taken the liberty to collate the best anime to premiere this winter. Each of these anime will be the topic of later blog posts summarizing my reviews and thoughts. As a disclaimer, given the timing of Funimeshon’s launch, most if not all of these anime are already within their 5th or 6th week of premieres. Not to worry though, there is plenty of time to catch up to the simulcast before the end of season. In the meantime, stay tuned for in-depth analyses and thoughts on each of the series.
Also, if there is an anime you are following that did not make it to the list but would like me to address and review, feel free to send me a tweet at @KyoNinjaForHire, send an email to supernerdpals@gmail.com, or leave us a message at our official message box!
Active Raid
Synopsis: “Set in a futuristic Tokyo, Active Raid tells the story of “The Eighth,” a rash and careless unit of power-armored police called the “5th Special Public Security Section’s Mobile Assault Division.” After the Third Quicksand Disaster sinks Tokyo into a quagmire, the city’s reconstruction efforts are carried out using high-output, reinforced exoskeletons called Willwears. But they can also be misused, and to combat the crimes involving them, the National Police Agency establishes at its Kichioji Branch the Special Public Security Fifth Division Third Mobile Assault Eighth Unit, AKA Unit 8.” (Source: Crunchyroll).
First impressions: Active Raid is what happens when the cops from Brooklyn 999 fight crime with Iron Man suits to an excellent jazz soundtrack a la Cowboy Bebop.
Available on Crunchyroll. New simulcast episodes on Thursdays 7:30 AM Pacific.
Ajin: Demi-Human
Synopsis: “Ajin are humans that cannot die. Seventeen years ago, they first appeared on a battlefield in Africa. From then on, more of their kind are discovered within the human society. Their rarity in appearance means that, for experimental purposes, the government will generously reward anyone who captures one. In the present day, for what a certain high school student expects to be a typical summer holiday, his life is about to turn unexpected…” (Source: myanimelist.net)
First impressions: Sweet Christmas, this is like Tokyo Ghoul on steroids.
Assassination Classroom, Season 2
Synopsis: “Class 3E is about to begin their second semester! And while some things have changed, the class assignment is still the same: kill their teacher before the end of the year! Easier said than done since Koro Sensei’s made it clear he won’t go down without a fight. Will these students be able to take down the tentacled monster that moves at Mach 20 before he can destroy the world?” (Source: Funimation).
First impressions: KORO SENSEI HAS RETURNED!!!!! The wait was well worth it!
Available on Hulu and Funimation. New simulcast episodes on Fridays at 12:55 PM Eastern.
Dagashi Kashi
Synopsis: “Kokonotsu Shikada dreams of becoming a famous manga artist. Problem is, he’s terrible. His real talent is selling the delicious snacks in his father’s “dagashi” shop. He never thought much about the family business until the eccentric Hotaru showed up.” (Source: Funimation).
First impressions: A hilarious crash course into the world of Japanese candy. Also, the sheer amount of Easter Eggs in here would make Edgar Wright so happy.
Available on Hulu, Funimation and Crunchyroll. New simulcast episodes on Friday at 8:30 PM Eastern on Funimation. New simulcast on Sundays at 6:00 AM Pacific on Crunchyroll.
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