Crunchyroll to simulcast Heaven’s Design Team, Laid-Back Camp 2, Quintessential Quintuplets 2, Umamusume: Pretty Derby 2, Yamishibai 8 this Winter 2021

With Funimation covering more than 30 anime shows for their line-up, Crunchyroll revealed a couple titles months prior and as of today, has announced their latest batch of new additions joining their own line-up this Winter 2021 season.

Among the line-up are two new anime shows that do not specify availability in Europe (which includes UK & Ireland), both of whom belong to Toei Animation – those being Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure and World Trigger Season 2. The latter’s first season was available in Europe so the region availability may change in the coming weeks, but in the meantime as of this post, it is currently only accessible to North America, Latin America including the Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Middle East North Africa and Commonwealth of Independent States.

Attack on Titan: The Final Season, which started simulcasting a few weeks ago, will also continue into the Winter 2021 season as a simulcast.

This post will first cover titles that were previously announced months ago as a recap! Starting with returning sequels including Dr. STONE: Stone Wars from studio TMS Entertainment. Japan’s broadcast is currently set to Thursday 14th January, and Crunchyroll will simulcast the series in subtitled format while the simuldub will be available on Funimation. In the meantime, you can also watch the first season dubbed on Funimation and subtitled on Crunchyroll.

“Several thousand years after a mysterious phenomenon that turns all of humanity to stone, the extraordinarily intelligent, science-driven boy, Senku Ishigami, awakens. Facing a world of stone and the total collapse of civilization, Senku makes up his mind to use science to rebuild the world. Starting with his super strong childhood friend Taiju Oki, who awakened at the same time, they will begin to rebuild civilization from nothing… Depicting two million years of scientific history from the Stone Age to present day, the unprecedented crafting adventure story is about to begin!”

The second half of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu) Season 2 from studio White Fox will also continue this Winter. The series will simulcast every Wednesday at 3:30pm GMT starting 6th January, with the English dub expected to make its return as well. In the meantime, you can also watch the first season and its OVAs on Crunchyroll.

“Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is on his way home from the convenience store when he finds himself transported to another world. As he’s lost and confused in a new world where he doesn’t even know left from right, the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her somehow for saving him from his own despair, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she’s looking for…”

Another series making a return is That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken) Season 2 from studio 8-bit. The series will simulcast every Tuesday at 4:00pm GMT starting 5th January, while the simuldub will be available on Funimation. In the meantime, you can also watch the first season and its OVAs dubbed on Funimation and subtitled on Crunchyroll.

“Corporate worker Mikami Satoru is stabbed by a random killer, and is reborn to an alternate world. But he turns out to be reborn a slime! Thrown into this new world with the name Rimuru, he begins his quest to create a world that’s welcoming to all races.”

The next few titles were also previously announced but are non-sequels so they will begin airing this season. First is Dr. Ramune -Mysterious Disease Specialist- (Kai Byoui Ramune) from studio Platinum Vision. Japan’s broadcast is currently not yet specified, and Crunchyroll will simulcast the series in subtitled format.

“As long as hearts exist inside people, there will always be those who suffer. And then something “strange” enters their mind and causes a strange disease to manifest itself in the body. The illness, which is called a “mystery disease” is unknown to most, but certainly exists. There is a doctor and apprentice who fights the disease, which modern medicine cannot cure.

His name is Ramune. He acts freely all the time, is foul-mouthed, and doesn’t even look like a doctor! However, once he is confronted with the mysterious disease, he is able to quickly uncover the root cause of his patients’ deep-seated distress and cure them. And beyond that…”

Next is EX-ARM from studio Visual Flight. Japan’s broadcast is currently not yet specified, and Crunchyroll will simulcast the series in subtitled format.

“In the year 2014, a high school student who hates machines, Akira Natsume, wants to change himself for the better and tries to take the first step in doing that… But then he gets run over by a truck. Fast forward to 2030. A police officer named Minami Uezono and her partner, the android Alma, infiltrate the scene of a trade going on at Tokyo Harbor for an unknown weapon named “EX-ARM.” They are then attacked by an enemy armed with the “EX-ARM” No.08. Put in this life or death situation, they decide to activate the “EX-ARM” No.00 that they stole from the enemy, and…”

The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter (Ore dake Haireru Kakushi Dungeon) from studio Okuruto Noboru. Japan’s broadcast is currently set to Friday 8th January, and Crunchyroll will simulcast the series in subtitled format.

“The Hidden Dungeon is a place of legend where rare treasures and items are hidden. Nor, the third son of an impoverished noble family who’s lost the one job offer he had, was lucky enough to hear about this dungeon. He then acquires a skill that allows him to create, bestow, and edit skills… and in order to use it, he needs to accumulate points by carrying out such tasks as eating delicious meals and doing sexual things with alluring members of the opposite sex.”

So I’m a Spider, So What? (Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?) from studios Millepensee & Exsa. The series will simulcast every Friday at 2:30pm GMT starting 8th January.

“I, the protagonist, was just an ordinary high school girl, but suddenly I was reincarnated as a spider monster in a fantasy world. Not only that, but I awakened in a dungeon filled with vicious monsters. Armed with only my human knowledge and my overwhelming positivity, I’m forced to use spiderwebs and traps to defeat far stronger monsters just to stay alive… So begins the labyrinth survival story of a girl with incredible mental strength living as one of the lowest-ranked beasts!”

From here on, every title mentioned is brand new announcements revealed during Crunchyroll’s Winter 2021 news post. The first is Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! (Azur Lane: Bisoku Zenshin!) from studios Candy Box & Yostar Pictures. Currently has an unspecified timeframe but will simulcast in Japanese audio with English subtitles.

Next is Heaven’s Design Team (Tenchi Souzou Design-bu) from studio Asahi Production. Currently has an unspecified timeframe but will simulcast in Japanese audio with English subtitles.

“In Heaven’s Animal Design Department, designers create a variety of new animals daily while contending with the unreasonable requests of their client: God. Funny, interesting, and full of useful information, this series answers questions such as, “Why can’t unicorns exist?”, “What makes an animal taste delicious?”, “What’s the most powerful creature in the ocean?”, and, “Bird versus snake: who would win?” You won’t believe it’s a manga series when you read up on the featured animals in the included encyclopedia entries. Heaven’s Design Team will make your next trip to the zoo or aquarium 100 times more fun!”

Laid-Back Camp (Yuru Camp△) Season 2 from studio C-Station. The series will simulcast every Thursday at 4:00pm GMT starting 7th January.

“Nadeshiko, a high school student who had moved from Shizuoka to Yamanashi, decides to see the famous, 1000 yen-bill-featured Mount Fuji. Even though she manages to bike all the way to Motosu, she’s forced to turn back because of worsening weather. Unable to set her eyes on her goal, she faints partway to her destination. When she wakes up, it’s night, in a place she’s never been before, with no way of knowing how to get home. Nadeshiko is saved when she encounters Rin, a girl who is out camping by herself. This outdoorsy girls story begins with this first encounter between Nadeshiko and Rin.”

The Quintessential Quintuplets 2 (5-toubun no Hanayome ∬) from Bibury Animation Studio. The series will simulcast every Thursday at 9:00pm GMT starting 7th January.

“Uesugi Fuutarou, a high school second-year from a poor family, receives a highly appealing offer to work part-time as a tutor… but his students turn out to be girls from his own class! What’s more, they’re quintuplets… and all five are beautiful, but happen to be problem students who have borderline grades and hate studying! Looks like his first assignment will be to win all the sisters’ trust?! Every day is a wild party in this rom-com centering around the quintuplet sisters of the Nakano household!”

True Cooking Master Boy (Shin Chuuka Ichiban!) Season 2 from studio NAS. Currently has an unspecified timeframe but will simulcast in Japanese audio with English subtitles.

“During the 19th century China, the protagonist, Liu Maoxing, wins the title of Super Chef and is the youngest to do so in history. His master, Zhou Yu, suggests that he broaden his skills as a chef even more, so he goes on a journey around China with his friends Shirou and Meili. Mao’s mother, Bei, had wished for everyone’s happiness and fought against the Underground Cooking Society. In order to continue his mother’s wishes and protect the Legendary Cooking Utensils from the Underground Cooking Society, Mao and his friends go on a journey…”

Umamusume: Pretty Derby Season 2 from Studio KAI. The series will simulcast every Monday at 5:00pm GMT starting 4th January.

“This is a tale of a world where “horse girls”; with glorious names and incredible running abilities live alongside humanity. Horse girl Special Week has moved from the country to the city to attend Tracen Academy. There, she and her classmates compete to win the Twinkle Series and earn the title of “The County’s #1 Horse Girl.””

YamiShibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 8 from studio ILCA. Currently has an unspecified timeframe but will simulcast in Japanese audio with English subtitles.

“Yamishibai is a picture-story style of animation whose motif is surrounded and based off the rumors, and urban legends throughout the history of Japan.”

More titles will be announced for the streaming platform, so stay tuned for further news throughout the coming weeks.

Source: Crunchyroll Winter 2021 Anime Line-up Newspost
Plot Synopsis via Crunchyroll, Heaven’s Design Team’s synopsis via Kodansha Comics