Spring Season 2024 Preview
Suffering from déjà vu when you scan the list of Spring Season anime? So many third seasons! And, what’s this: Spice and Wolf returns – but it’s a different animation of the original series? Kaiju No. 8 is streaming (with much fanfare) on Crunchyroll – but other potential Spring Season big-hitters have been snaffled by Disney+: Mission: Yozakura Family and Go! Go! Loser Ranger!.
Thank goodness there are some intriguing new series Out There – but which ones have caught the attention of our reviewers?
Ian Wolf
Hotly Anticipated
One anime series I’ve been looking forward to is The Grimm Variations, which debuted on Netflix with all six episodes now available.
The Grimm Variations has been in the works since 2020, when the streaming service announced they were working with six different mangaka on a range of shows. One was the all-women manga collective CLAMP, and in 2021 we finally found out they were working on a series connected to the work of the Brothers Grimm, providing the character design.
The series features Charlotte, the younger sister of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who decides to tell their stories in a different way from her brothers. The series thus features retellings of six classic tales. There is a manipulative Cinderella who treats people like doll, a dystopian Little Red Riding Hood whose Big Bad Wolf is a human serial killer, Hansel and Gretel are students at a boarding school whose encounter with the witch leads them to question reality, The Elves and the Shoemaker follows a struggling writer who finds his books are being written by someone unknown, the Town Musicians of Bremen are a gang in a sci-fi western, and the Pied Piper of Hamelin is a visitor to distant town which shuns the outside world.
Having watched the series in the Japanese dub so far (I intend to listen to the English dub too), there is plenty to commend the series already, with its range of storytelling, mix of animation styles, its remixed classic music, and despite only providing character design some CLAMP motifs appearing. Yes, some of their characters from other series make cameos, and someone does indeed lose an eye.
Returning Champion
A show making a long-awaited return, Black Butler has its first-time new anime outing since the 2017 film Book of the Atlantic.
This series, dubbed the Public School Arc, sees the 13-year-old “Aristocrat of Evil” Earl Ciel Phantomhive being tasked by Queen Victoria to investigate the disappearance of a student from Weston College, an elite public school on the banks of the Thames. Ciel goes undercover by becoming a student there, while his demonic butler Sebastian Michaelis joins him, working as a housemaster.
Black Butler is certainly an enduring series, and the fact it is set in Britain will appeal to many AUKN readers, although one cannot help but feel that most people will be watching because there are so many bishonen boys in this anime. There were a fair number already in earlier series, but the fact that this season is set in an all-boys school ups the number considerably. One of the features of the school is the four student houses, with Ciel being placed in the one for the academically gifted (the others being for the sporty students, the artistic students, and the poshest students), so the head boys/prefects of these four houses are likely to become fan favourites, while characters from past arcs also make welcome returns.
One element of this arc that I am personally looking forward to is that there will be a sports tournament between the four houses. The sport in question is cricket, and this will be the most high-profile depiction of cricket ever in anime, as it is one of the few major world sports not to be the subject of one (Japan’s love of baseball presumably means it never gets a look-in).
Black Butler: Public School Arc is streaming on Crunchyroll; The Grimm Variations is streaming on Netflix.
Demelza
Hotly Anticipated
There are several shows I have been eagerly awaiting in the Spring season (both new and sequels!), but perhaps none so much as Wind Breaker. Since the manga started back in early 2021 I have been a massive fan, so of course when it was announced that CloverWorks would be bringing it to our TV screens I was excited about the idea. And now we’re two episodes in and so far it’s everything I hoped for and so much more.
Our story follows Haruka Sakura who has just transferred to Furin High School in Makochi Town, an area known for being home to delinquents and which has long been the site of gangs fighting one another. Haruka has always been an outcast wherever he goes due to his two-tone hair and different colour eyes and he often finds himself solving problems with his fists and believes that he’s better off on his own. So for someone used to fighting, he’s eager to join Furin where he can let loose and fight his way to the top of the school. What Haruka doesn’t know before joining is that the students of Furin stand together to protect the town, fighting off the other gangs who are looking to cause problems. During his first day there Haruka protects Kotoha Tachibana who runs Café Pothos and that wins him the favour of both Furin students and residents of Makochi. Shortly after, he begins to realise that he might actually make friends here and that his desire to fight to the top of the school could be misplaced, maybe.
Ultimately Haruka is a fairly tsundere main character who, when shown affection or the beginnings of friendships, pretends he doesn’t care. He’s been hurt so much in the past that it’s no surprise he’s not willing to trust his fellow classmates, but ultimately we viewers are well aware that he’s finally found a place to belong and we’re happy to watch over him as he works through his feelings. And I am so glad CloverWorks are working on this because not only have they nailed the action scenes (Episode 1 had some incredible scenes, but #2 was by no means a downgrade) but they’re a team that’s good at handling more emotionally charged scenes.
It’s clear director Toshifumi Akai and series composition Hiroshi Seko (who has worked on fan favourites like Attack on Titan, Mob Psycho 100 and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) understand why the manga is so popular and what aspects to emphasise for this adaptation. Having delivered two fantastic episodes, I’m certainly eager to see what the rest of the season has in store for us. This is definitely one to keep an eye on and if you’re a shonen fan, pick it up, no questions asked.
Returning Champion
This season is packed with returning series that I am incredibly fond of. We have The Duke of Death and His Maid, Sound! Euphonium, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation and Black Butler just to name a few (yes that is an abridged rundown!). But perhaps what I’ve been looking forward to the most is KonoSuba – God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! which is back for its third season! With the light novel long finished and the previous season having aired in 2017, it feels like a lifetime since we last saw Kazuma, Darkness, Aqua and Megumin. Even the film Legend of Crimson was released in Japan in 2019, although it only made its way to home video in the UK late last year. And if you haven’t watched the movie yet I would advise doing so since it was a canon part of the story and Season 3 picks up immediately after it.
As we reunite with the cast for Episode 1 it feels like we never left. Kazuma is haunted by his experience in the Crimson Magic village and looking for a way to escape his bad luck with romance. So, Kazuma decides to become a monk and join a religious order but on the way there his party come across a monster in disguise, find a magic mallet and get into all kinds of trouble before returning home to Axel. The episode ends with the new opening, showcasing the party on a quest and capturing what makes this series so much fun. No matter how much time goes by KonoSuba never really changes and that’s fine, since we’re all here to watch over these characters as they stumble through life accidentally defeating the Demon Lord’s army. It’s hilarious, ridiculous, sometimes charming and I am so glad it’s back.
Unexpected Diamond (1)
Without question when Oblivion Battery’s anime was announced and confirmed to be under Mappa with Mamoru Miyano voicing one of the two leads, I knew I was watching it no matter what and so far it has rewarded that enthusiasm! Our story follows Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname who throughout middle school were known as an unrivaled battery duo for their baseball team. Unfortunately, before starting high school, Kei was involved in an accident which has led to him developing amnesia. Now he has no interest in baseball at all, so both he and Haruka have enrolled at their local school: Kotesashi High School which doesn’t have a big-name baseball team to speak of. Still, Haruka intends to join the school club to continue playing and refuses to let Kei permanently quit, so along with new friend Taro Yamada, Haruka does everything he can to encourage Kei to reform their battery partnership. And, as it turns out, they aren’t the only baseball players to have joined the school who were hoping to put the sport behind them, especially having suffered losses when facing Haruka and Kei…
This series has made waves across anime fandom as being one of the worst new debuts, but frankly, I disagree with all of that. Kei’s character is certainly a mixed bag as he quibbles about anything to do with baseball while enthusiastically going on about wanting a girlfriend and borrowing porn off Haruka’s (so far unseen) older brother. It’s hard to know if his personality has changed due to the amnesia or if he was always like this. When he played with Haruka he was known as the “general” and flashbacks show him being serious, but on the other hand, the ending video for the series paints the picture that he may have always been like this to some degree. And honestly, I am okay with that because underneath it all it’s clear he cares about Haruka and when he gets into trouble, Kei steps up as his temporary catcher in Episode 1. Later, in #2 he starts batting and shows some enthusiasm for playing the game – even while later returning to complaining about the catcher role. Even if he doesn’t remember playing baseball before, he still has all the muscle memory which offers an easier return to the sport than starting completely from scratch.
Plus casting Mamoru as Kei is, I think, perfect. Mamoru is a very enthusiastic performer and it’s clear he’s putting his all into bringing out all the different sides of Kei’s personality and that works for me. I like Kei because it’s so obvious there’s more to his character than the eccentric ramblings we’ve seen at points so far. I’m not sure I would have been so endeared to him if another actor had taken the role, but really there is no better choice here in my opinion. Mamoru makes or breaks it and thankfully for me, he’s the lynchpin that pulls it together. I’m also very fond of Haruka (played by Toshiki Masuda), too, who is a more stereotypical prodigy character. He thinks of nothing but baseball partly because Kei promised to lead him to victory, so of course now he’s stuck having to plot a way of bringing Kei back to the sport, he’s at a loss. Luckily, that’s where Taro (voiced by Yuuki Kaji) comes in who never expected to find the genius duo at his school and happens to know a lot about the sport and key players. Much like Deku in My Hero Academia, Taro is very knowledgable which puts him in the perfect position to inform viewers (and Kei) about both the sport itself and the key players involved. I’m looking forward to seeing how he develops perhaps even more than Haruka and Kei.
Oblivion Battery seems like it’ll be the most overlooked series this season, so I encourage you to give it a few episodes to win your favour. This seems like it could be something special.
Unexpected Diamond (2)
My second Unexpected Diamond is Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, an original project from studio Doga Kobo with a script from Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki author Yuuki Yaku, music by Your Lie in April composer Masaru Yokoyama and directed by Ryohei Takeshita who directed Eromanga Sensei and handled storyboards for A Couple of Cuckoos and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku. With so many talented individuals involved, I was excited to find out what they were dreaming up and so far it hasn’t disappointed!
Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night follows the talented young artist Mahiru Kouzuki, who has been on hiatus for a while due to struggling under the pressure of being ‘special’. Now she’s put art behind her and is going through a normal high-school life, but she doesn’t want to end up a corporate worker and is unsure about her future. One day she meets Kano Yamanouchi who is a fan of her work and dreams of working with her on her music project JELEE. Mahiru is hesitant at first, but after learning more about Kano and why she quit her previous idol group over incorrect accusations of assault, Mahiru is inspired by her strength to continue chasing her dreams and decides to join the project.
Two episodes in Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night has already stolen my heart with a cast of lively characters who follow their dreams despite having faced numerous hardships. This isn’t just a story about their individual struggles, but also how they inspire one another and those around them in these creative industries. Judging by the poster we still have one more girl to join the group, whose been teased throughout these two episodes so far as a streamer. Yuuki Yaku has proven skilled at writing very compelling and emotionally driven stories, so coupled with the lively animation from Doga Kobo I’m looking forward to seeing how the story and characters develop going forward. I think fans of Bocchi the Rock will find a lot to like here with the focus on music and the mishmash of characters working through their problems.
Wind Breaker, Konosuba Season 3 and Oblivion Battery are all available on Crunchyroll while Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night is streaming on HIDIVE.
Sarah
Hotly Anticipated
Due to the gentle ‘family slice-of-life’ vibe of Tadaima, Okaeri, ‘hotly’ is probably too strong a word to use – but, having read and enjoyed Ichi Ichikawa’s original manga (available in French from HANA), I was very interested to see how the first omegaverse anime series is turning out. Initial responses (on ANN at least) seem to show some confusion as to what an omegaverse Boys’ Love even is and whether we really need such a strange and outlandish conceit. Okay, some of their verbiage was playful sending-up of the concept and its (confusing) lupine/werewolf fanfiction origins with three basic types: alpha, beta and omega – but this series is, at a very basic level, about bringing up children in a same-sex marriage. I have very few problems with omegaverse (cakeverse is much more puzzling to me atm) and – rightly or wrongly – often see it as a metaphorical way of expressing some of Western society’s wishes about relationships and child-rearing. We have a bundle of isekai shows again in which the main protagonist is reborn with an adult mind in the body of a small child – so why would omegaverse be any more weird than that?
The desire to find a ‘fated partner’ or soulmate and then stay with them for life is the very romantic concept underlying many omegaverse stories. It’s brought omega Masaki and alpha Hiromu together (their surname Fujiyoshi is something of a nudge from original mangaka Ichi Ichikawa to the intended audience). The tensions arise from the fact that Hiromu has fallen out with his stern alpha father over this marriage and they’re not talking (a metaphor, surely, for marrying into a different faith or nationality but those themes have been explored so often that omegaverse shows the issue in a different light).
What makes the manga work – and this crosses over very successfully into the anime – is the couple’s two-year-old son Hikari. We rarely see toddlers portrayed realistically in anime (most recently The Yuzuki Family’s 4 Sons came closest) and huge credit goes to seiyuu Atsumi Tanezaki for making him sound so convincing. There’ll be more babies in later episodes, so I’m hoping this trend continues.
If you’re expecting an angsty melodrama omegaverse (like upcoming Hate Me, But Let me Stay by Hijiki from Seven Seas) you’ll be disappointed; I suspect the world of anime isn’t yet ready to bring series like that to a wider public. But if you are looking for a story about looking for love and the challenges and joys of bringing up children (with a dash of very real family strife thrown in) this could well appeal. It also utilizes the shojo-esque drifting flowers motif from Sasaki and Miyano (Shinji Ishihara is the director for both series, accompanied by art director Masaki Mayuzuki for Studio DEEN).
Unexpected Diamond (1)
YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master really was ‘unexpected’ and its first episodes are proving it to be a diamond (in the rough maybe) for viewers, like me, who love historical fantasy. Based on original novels by Chisato Abe (not currently available in English) the story is set in Yamauchi: a fantasy reimagining of Heian-era Japan in which all the protagonists are yatagarasu, three-legged ravens, who shape-shift into human form. They are ruled over by the kin’u, or golden raven, and a true kin-u is only born into the ruling family. (Those who can’t shapeshift into human form are fated to be ‘horses’.)
The story starts with four eligible daughters of the four most noble houses (North, South, East and West) being summoned to the Cherry Blossom Palace as potential brides for the crown prince. “This rite,” her lady-in-waiting sternly tells the sweet-natured and naïve Lady Asebi of the Eastern House, “is a proxy war by ladies on behalf of the Four Houses.” However, the crown prince seems to be utterly disinterested in the whole process! And, significantly, he’s not the eldest son; his older brother has become a priest and the potential for rival factions supporting the brothers in a bid for the throne has already been mentioned. The viewpoint character, however, is Yukiya the lively younger son of a noble house in the North who once had a fateful encounter with the kin’u. Sent to serve the crown prince, he soon discovers that no one in this role lasts long, given the unreasonable demands put on them by the prince. Fascinating world-building with a strong Heian look mingles with a fast-moving plot and a convincing mythological background to keep the viewer engaged. One for fans of Raven of the Inner Palace, Yona of the Dawn and Onmyoji (Netflix)! (The OP “poi” by Saucy Dog and ED “Tokoshie (Eternity)” by Akiko Shikata are memorable songs, well-suited to the series!)
Unexpected Diamond (2)
Buchio, the cat and beloved family pet of the Ooishi family has reached the grand old age of twenty – but instead of dying peacefully, to his surprise, he becomes a nekomata: a two-tailed cat yokai that can talk! But perhaps it’s not so surprising because the family reside in Fuchigamori, a rural town in which yokai live in harmony with humans. Mutsumi/Mu-chan, the young daughter of the Sugimoto family, is great friends with Jiro, their tengu neighbour, who is charged with protecting the town and it seems that Mutsumi is extra-sensitive to the supernatural forces at work within and beyond the town. Her father disappeared several years ago, swallowed up by a patch of shadows in the forest and no one knows why or how to get him back. Buchio has to learn how to shapeshift, a skill that will come in very useful and sooner than he imagines when he and Mu-chan’s friend Takumi are attacked by a fearsome nue. However, even after this great feat of bravery and deception, the gentle-natured nekomata (played to perfection by Yuki Kaji) remains charmingly shy and self-effacing. But a far greater threat to the town is lurking in the trees and Mu-chan learns that Jiro’s life is in danger as a malevolent spirit returns to avenge herself on the tengu.
Tonari no Yokai-San, based on the manga by noho, is my top pick of the season so far. It has an unmistakable flavour of Ghibli about it, while being absolutely its own thing at the same time. Mutsumi is a sympathetic protagonist (again echoes of Ghibli in this determined, brave, yet vulnerable young girl at the centre of the story and the community). Each episode is well told and the unique atmosphere of the community and a little town where humans and youkai co-exist is convincingly portrayed. A must-watch for lovers of Japanese folklore.
Tadaima, Okaeri, YATAGARASU and Tonari no Yokai-San are streaming on Crunchyroll.
Onosume
Hotly Anticipated
This year’s Spring season is full of fantastic, long-awaited sequels, and the one that really tops the list for me is Season 3 of Sound! Euphonium. Since its debut in 2015, this has become one of my favourite Kyoto Animation series, so I’ve been looking forward to it returning after its two theatrical outings.
In this third season, we see Kumiko and her friends move up to their third year in high school, with Kumiko now being president of the concert band. While the core cast is still here, characters you may be familiar with have graduated, so it gives both the band and the show to start with a clean slate, and that produces some interesting challenges. Kumiko has to step into a role she’s not quite comfortable with, while the band has holes to fill in its ranks as they try to get some new members. While there are some promising new faces, none stands out more than Mayu, a skilled euphonium player that the show seems to be teeing up as a rival for Kumiko. This is just one stake in the long list of stakes it introduces early on though, as it’s also the main cast’s last chance at taking the crown in the national competition, while Reina knows it’s her last chance to impress their long-suffering teacher and advisor, Taki.
This is obviously a lot to set up early on, but even at this stage it’s pulling things together really well and I can see where it’s trying to go. At this point in this kind of show we often presume we’re heading towards an ending where victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat, so it’s often about the journey itself to get there, and I think Sound! Euphonium is setting up a lot of drama that has to be resolved beforehand, and that’s great. So, I am massively looking forward to seeing how everything plays out, and maybe, just maybe, this might go down as one of Kyoto Animation’s finest.
Returning Champions
As spring heralds the arrival of the bounties of nature, so does it herald the return of one of the comfiest anime around – Laid Back Camp is back for its third season! While the movie was a stand-alone affair that looked more at the girls’ adult lives, this third season follows directly on from Season 2, as it shows the girls getting to experience a range of all-new camping adventures.
What we have got so far from its early episodes is more of the same, as it delivers what we have come to expect from this series, with plenty of comfy camping moments to enjoy, and that isn’t a bad thing as it proves itself to be a consistently good time. We get to see some fun antics, such as Nadeshiko and the members of the Outdoor Activity Circle camping in a yard to try out alcohol burners, but also quite thoughtful moments, when it shows Rin reflecting on how her grandfather got her into camping.
If you want something that is easy to watch and relaxing, then Laid Back Camp continues to excel at being that weekly bundle of “aaah”, and remains well worth sitting down to!
And continuing the third season theme here, my other returning champion is The Duke of Death and His Maid, which continues where Season 2 left off as our cast leave the wizard’s school of magic and prepare for their trip to the past to stop Sade from cursing our young Duke. Things may not go according to plan however, as Alice’s mother awakens from her cursed slumber and descends upon the Duke’s household, brining some phantoms of Sade’s dark magic in tow.
I’ve loved the progression of this show so far, as what started off as a quaint but dark rom-com has become this quite deep and rewarding mystery about removing the Duke’s curse. As we hurtle down what is seemingly the latter half of the story, it feels like it is really doubling down on that with Sharon’s reappearance. She’s a fun addition and opens up a new dynamic between the Duke and Alice as they now have to deal with her mother and it’s very easy to see where Alice gets her outspoken flirty nature from. It’s the implications of her coming back that is more interesting though, as it makes you think about the timing of her re-appearance in relation to the rest of the story, and the nature of what else she brings with her which has some pretty big implications for the plot.
It’s as fascinating and gripping as it is funny or sweet, and I can’t wait to see what other revelations we get as the series moves forward. Definitely give this a watch if you’re after a different vibe of romantic comedy with a side of spicy supernatural mystery.
Sound! Euphonium Season 3, Laid-Back Camp Season 3, and The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 3 are all streaming on Crunchyroll.
Darkstorm
Hotly Anticipated
The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio was a series I didn’t hear about until a few months back, where several shojo and yuri accounts I follow on Twitter/X were excited for its premiere, so it’s one of the first I checked out this season. The series focuses on Yuhi and Yasumi, two girls who go to the same school and hate each other, but they funnily enough have a similar secret – they’re both secretly voice actresses with stage names and idol personas very different from their real personalities. Their newest job is to host a radio show, pretending to be set in their own school. It proves to be popular and brings in more work for both, but can their fake friendship turn into a real friendship over time?
The series is based upon a light novel of the same name, and there’s apparently also a manga adaptation, but neither are available in English. This series is supposed to be yuri and comedy, but so far I’m not feeling the chemistry here. Admittedly I’m not a big fan of enemies-to-lovers trope, unless it’s written in a certain way (more like friendly rivals, rather than super antagonistic towards each other) so I wasn’t sold on the pair as a couple at this stage. However, I do think there’s something to work with. Yasumi is at a critical stage in her career where it seems to have stalled and if she doesn’t step up in terms of popularity, she’ll fall behind. Meanwhile Yuhi is less experienced than Yasumi and is more popular, but feels apathy towards her ‘idol’ persona, so struggles with this side of her career. There are seeds there for the pair to help and inspire each other, despite not liking each other, so I hope they grow together over the course of the series. Also, you have to give props to the voice actresses Miku Ito and Moe Toyota because they’re effectively providing at least two voices for each girl: their ‘real’ voices and the ‘idol’ voices they put on, on top of singing the theme songs and so on. It’s impressive and nice to get a look into the voice acting industry in Japan. So I look forward to see how it goes from here.
The animation is standard for its genre, using bright colours but lots of standard shots like panning whilst watching them record the show (for example) but I did appreciate the effort put into the dance sequence in Episode 2. In addition, I like the character designs; emphasizing the difference between the girls’ real and ‘idol’ persona works better with Yasumi than Yuhi, but they look cute either way.
Returning Champion
As Ian said; Black Butler is back, baby!!!!! It been over seven years since we saw the release of Book of Circus in the UK (and I’ll forever be mad that Book of Murder and Book of Atlantic have yet to see an official release here, despite every other season AND even the live action movie getting a release here). Black Butler is a series that I am always eager to see more of. I reviewed the manga’s first volume way back when but haven’t read past Volume 5, despite knowing how good it apparently gets, so having more anime adaptations of its well-received manga arcs is always appreciated. And I’ve also enjoyed all the anime seasons I’ve seen so far; despite the bumpy road they’ve had in terms of adaptation.
This anime covers the Public School Arc (which starts in Volume 14 of the manga). I think it’s important to note that this series is not really newcomer-friendly, unlike Book of Circus (Season 3) where the opening episode is like a secondary pilot re-introducing the cast, Ciel’s goals and his relationship to Sebastian. Public School Arc just drops you into the action, with Ciel already at the school and investigating. We get no reminder of Ciel’s contract or that his butler is a demon, so if you’ve yet to get acquainted with the series, you can check out the first three seasons of Black Butler on Crunchyroll right now (bear in mind that the latter half of Season 1 and Season 2 are completely non-canon/anime original story and therefore don’t lead into this arc as it’s adapted straight from the manga).
It’s also to be noted that the Public School Arc has a brand-new animation studio. All previous Black Butler anime outings have been done by A-1 Pictures, but Public School is by Cloverworks, who’ve done a fantastic job mimicking not only the previous style but also the manga’s unique visual flair. I especially love the opening and ending animations; with the opening having a ‘skull’ theme to the fabulous song by Otoha, and the ending with its stunning stained-glass windows and Ciel falling motif, backed by song from SID (who provided opening songs for Black Butler previously) is a really nice touch. Also, the Japanese voice actors from the previous series make their return, so it very much feels like everyone’s favourite ‘one hell of a butler’ in every shape and form.
Unexpected Diamond
I’m a simple person; I see the word ‘vampire’ and I’m immediately interested, because I’m of the belief that everything is better with vampires in, whether it’s books, TV shows, video games, or others – vampires are just cool. And Vampire Dormitory stars…well vampires but also Mito Yamamoto, who lost their parents at a young age and was passed around extended family for years. When Mito comes of age, the families chuck them to the streets and tell Mito to use their ‘pretty face’ to get by. Mito cannot secure a job and has been homeless, when suddenly vampire Ruka hears Mito cries for help and agrees to take Mito under his wing as his ‘thrall’, meaning a human male that Ruka will love, take care of, and teach Mito how to love so that Mito’s blood can become sweet enough to eat. Ruka also works at the local café, where handsome men from his boys’ school serve lovely ladies with sweets and cakes, and there’s an opening for Mito as well to earn his own money. Mito jumps at the chance but has one important secret – Mito is secretly a girl! Can she keep her gender undisclosed and preserve the first home she’s had in ages?
So this series is sort of Ouran High School Host Club but with vampires…kinda…if you squint a bit. They both have a place to entertain girls as one of the main hubs in the series, with handsome lads that are fascinated by the main character, one of the leads look androgynous, and there’s even a side character who’s more immature with a soft toy for comfort. But that’s kind of it. Mito’s struggles are different from Haruhi’s, Mito has not known a home all her life, being passed back and forth between family members who didn’t want her, and for whatever reason (so far not explained) she presents as male to help pick up jobs to try and stay afloat. She is at rock bottom when Ruka comes along and sweeps her off her feet with the promise of food, hot water, and a bed that’s not the streets – all in exchange for her blood? Sounds like a sweet deal, so of course Mito takes Ruka up on it! Ruka starts off like your typical vampire, swooping in with his cape, and promises to help Mito elevate from her low existence, whilst also lusting after her blood, despite refraining from human blood for many years. But he’s got a comical side to him, being a fan of a particular magical girl anime, and is not afraid to be forward with Mito when she does take up on his offer. Why he needs a thrall and the nature of his relationship with his butler is a little unclear for now, but I think at this point we’re meant to be more invested in the characters rather than vampire politics.
I had fun with this one, probably more than I should have; the series has its entertaining, trashy side with its love triangle elements with several other boys already having eyes on Mito, and wishy-washy vampire lore to pepper the episodes with. But I do love my vampires, and this silly but romantic-comedy has the potential to be fun. My only major criticism is Mito herself; first of all, the voice actress makes no attempts to make the voice more gender neutral, so you can guess the big reveal of Episode 1 coming a mile away. Also, it’s a bit lame that the red hair we see is actually a wig, hiding the same shade of red but much longer underneath, why not just cut it? Just showing off the binding underneath her top would have been enough to tell the viewer about her true gender – and wouldn’t upkeeping a wig be harder when homeless? Oh well. It’s a show about a vampire who serves strawberry juice and cakes to customers whilst trying to not make heart eyes at his thrall; I think I can let the wig thing slide.
The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio and Vampire Dormitory are streaming on Crunchyroll.
Cold Cobra
Hotly Anticipated
To nobody’s surprise the newly debuting show I’m most interested in this season is Kaiju No. 8, the latest show based on a Shonen Jump! property, one that has already sold manga volumes in the millions. Due to this, the adaptation has attracted Production IG, so you’ll be unsurprised to hear that it visually impresses, but what’s the story like?
Well, the core premise is your classic “person has a dream, is considered too weak to achieve it, then he gains a power to achieve it” story as most shonen properties tend to but in this case our lead protagonist is in his 30s rather than a teen and as the show starts, he’s already all but given up on his dream. In this version of the world, attacks from Kaiju of all sizes are a pretty common occurrence, especially in Japan, and so an anti-Kaiju Defence Force was created to combat them. As children, Kafka Hibino and his friend Mino Ashiro lost their homes due to a Kaiju attack and both swore to join the Defence Force and fight Kaiju but while Mino made the cut and even became the youngest Captain in the Force, Kafka failed, and repeatedly failed for many years after that, settling for a job with a clean-up crew that chops up and disposes of Kaiju corpses after the actual Defence Force has done their job.
Many years later, the 32-year-old Kafka meets a young teenager called Reno who joins the clean-up crew to gain experience before applying for the main Defence Force and their relationship leads Kafka to give the Force one more go (the cut-off age for applicants is 33) but just as he makes the decision, a small flying Kaiju arrives and dives down his throat, turning him into a human-Kaiju hybrid. Reno helps Kafka hide from the approaching Defence Force agents but as they do that, they find a young girl being attacked by a Kaiju as she’s trying to help her trapped mother so Kafka uses his new-found ability to kill the beast and rescue the girl, even if she’s naturally afraid of his appearance while he tries to comfort her.
After this, Kafka and Reno arrive to take the Defence Force exams and we meet a few other applicants who will no doubt round out the cast. While the story has bits of other properties in it, I really must applaud the choice of an older protagonist; he’s got that goofy likeability and want to do right and be a hero that most leads in these stories have but his unique perspective as an adult being respectively addressed by Reno, who would be your typical lead character, really works. Solid voice work and background music (plus a very catchy opening) means that along with the aforementioned Production IG animation this might be another big hit from the (in this case originally digital) pages of Shonen Jump. I’ll certainly be continuing to watch, anyway.
Returning Champions
Keeping in-theme of “properties that originate from Shonen Jump” the two returning series I’m looking forward to not only share that background but are also nearing their final story arcs and both sadly start airing in May, so I won’t be able to talk much about them, but let’s give it a go anyway, starting with My Hero Academia’s Seventh Season.
My Hero Academia is one of the bigger hitters in recent times and is slowly but surely approaching its big finale in the manga but the anime is a good few chapters behind (without the need for filler, thanks to the seasonal format!) The season is two cours long so it should actually reach a few chapters into the final story arc before ducking out for another year. After over-arching villain All For One escaped at the end of the previous season, a clear line in the sand is drawn between the heroes and villains, but a major hero from America is making her way to Japan to give the assist, though that might be exactly what our lead villain wants. The show is always fun and the adaptation is always paced just right with good animation, so no reason to believe this will be anything different.
As for Demon Slayer? Well, it’s in a similar situation in that what’s left to adapt should bring them to the start of the final arc, though in this case the final arc and the series as a whole has already finished, the “Hashira Training Arc” is actually quite short and, well, it’s a training arc, in other words, is about our main characters getting stronger in order to confront the villains in the big finale.
Do I think “Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc” will JUST be an adaptation of those nine or so manga chapters? No idea, obviously. There are rumours it will be a short season, hence why it’s starting so late, rumours that it will adapt side content from spin-off novels and short stories, rumours that it will go “old school” and be padded out by anime original filler. Of course, it might just go a few chapters into the final arc and find a good place to give us a cliffhanger and a bit more of an action-heavy finale. No choice but to wait and see, but all I know is that given it’s still animated by Ufotable, I’m sure it will be really nice to look at, if nothing else!
Kaiju No. 8, My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer are streaming on Crunchyroll.
HWR
As Spring 2024 proceeds and the weeks seem to all but fly by, I have found this season of anime to be generally solid, with the returning/continuing anime on offer including some long-awaited returns like Black Butler -Public School Arc- and some fresh retellings in Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, both of which have been very enjoyable so far, and duly covered in this feature. I am also pleased that TSUKIMICHI: Moonlit Fantasy Season 2 is two-cour as it provides a Monday highlight alongside the aforementioned Spice and Wolf.
Hotly Anticipated
When I heard that we’d be getting a new anime adaptation based on the manga series Bartender, I was very excited – the 2006 anime of the same name ranks highly for me and was even given a license rescue a few years ago by Anime Ltd, coasters and all.
Bartender: Glass of God appears to be set before the events of the original adaptation, with a younger Ryuu Sasakura (Takuma Terashima) working at a quiet bar named Eden Hall, and being scouted for his talents by workers of the Business Planning Division for an esteemed hotel desperate to find the ideal bartender. Much like the initial adaptation, the series is focused mainly on how Ryuu, through his perceptive bartending and people skills, manages to guide troubled visitors out of their respective ruts.
This makes for a quieter and more mature watch that reinforces just why I hold the original adaptation in high regard, as seinen adult-themed dramas don’t seem as common nowadays. I can’t wait to see who wanders into Eden Hall next as the series progresses.
Unexpected Diamond
Ooi! Tonbo as a series gets a bit of a raw deal as it’s only available to stream on Amazon Prime, and can easily be lost amongst the bigger titles on offer this season, but I like me some golfing anime, and though this is no Birdie Wing, it does have a nice charm so far.
Ooi! Tonbo tells the story of how after losing both her parents to a car accident and moving to the island of Kagoshima with her grandfather, Tonbo Ooi (Rika Hayashi) finds a passion and talent for golf, utilising the man-made courses built by the islanders. Her story truly begins, however, when she meets a former professional golfer, Kazuyoshi Igarashi (Hiroki Touchi) who has visited the island in search of work and finds something of a protégée instead.
Though the story isn’t the most original from a narrative perspective I’ve enjoyed the interactions and setting so far, as we get insights into the two leads and what motivates and holds them back as golfers, with Tonbo’s familiarity with catching fish and other ways of island life factoring into her footing and stance, whilst Igarashi’s strained relationship with his son is glimpsed as he teaches Tonbo to use a wedge once belonging to his son whose own dreams of being a golfer were dashed due to his anger and career frustrations at the time. I’m looking forward to seeing just where this series goes, and hope it gets a more attention despite its streaming situation.
Bartender: Glass of God is streaming on Crunchyroll, whilst Ooi! Tonbo is streaming on Amazon Prime.
