Spring 2016 – Season Preview

Spring is truly a time of renaissance, a season when the world awakens from its dormant slumber of winter to period of growth and maturity. It’s a time when sunlight becomes plentiful, flowers bloom, and animals happily frolic in the fields and forests. And what could be better than to celebrate the revival of the world than with an entirely new anime season! Yes, Spring 2016 is already upon us with a brilliant line-up of new and returning anime. Come, take a preview of Spring 2016 and see how I anticipate with what shows I’ll be spending the next 3 months of my life watching.

Before I dive into the Spring 2016 anime season, I have one important bit of news that is somewhat newsworthy. I am planning on stepping away from the Weekly Anime posts and attempting to try a new approach for writing. Given the difficulties and challenges I’ve had with weekly anime posts since Summer 2011, I feel as though I should try something that is more current and engaging, similar to the original style that I abandoned when I wrote about the finale of Magi S1 in 2013 or the final chapter of Needless later that year. I’m not sure exactly what my plans will be, but Spring is a season of revival and rebirth. I might as well try to do the very same for my blog that has struggled in recent years with something that matches my current lifestyle.

As always, the order of anime listed below is neither chronological nor alphabetic but are categorized into sequels and new shows, and then ranked in order of my personal anticipation and how likely I believe I will watch that anime this season. Every anime is evaluated and placed into one of five tiers ordered: Will watch, Likely watch, Maybe watch, Doubtful but it gets a shot, and No dice. Within each tier, the anime are listed alphabetically. Dates are not included because who knows when and where these shows will be subbed and available to watch… and really, that’s the most important date to know.

Spring 2016 is quite busy with a healthy number of returning franchises, a step up in count from Winter 2016 and on par with spring seasons in previous years. Furthermore, the list looks relatively manageable from my perspective given the small set of shows I’ve watched. Fortunately, the shows have been high-quality or feature other redeeming values, so I am genuinely interested in the sequels this season. And since the overall season is pretty light, I’m willing to gamble on a new franchise (new to me) given the recent success seen elsewhere with trying new franchises in the middle of their multi-year run.

The franchises returning as sequels, continuations, spinoffs, and other tangents in Spring 2016 are: Aikatsu Stars!, Battle Spirits: Double Drive, Beyblade Burst, Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou ~ The Last Song, Future Card Buddyfight Triple D, Gakusen Toshi Asterisk Second Season, JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable), Kagewani Shou, Kaitou Joker Third Season, Kidou Senshi Gundam Unicorn RE:0096, Kyoukai no Rinne Second Season, Macross Delta, Magi: Sinbad no Bokuen (TV), PriPara Third Season, Sailor Moon Death Bursters-hen, Terra Formars Revenge, Usakame, Ushio to Tora Second Season. Seeing as I haven’t watched some of the originals to these anime, I will obviously skip them and recommend you check out the originals if you’re interested in any of these franchises. Instead, this section is reserved for the anime that I will be continuing this spring, with PVs, thoughts, and assessments for each.

Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou ~ The Last Song (S2)

Opinion: Concrete Revolutio proved to be one of my favorite anime of 2015 and its second half begins again in April. The first season set the foundation for fantastic finish, by establishing a fascinating story in an even more mesmerizing setting, and completed with a gorgeous aesthetic style and charming characters. My one concern with the original season was with its storytelling, which jumped around between time periods and often made episodes seem clouded and fuzzy. I’m hoping the anime has a plan with how it will resolve everything, especially since it has been more than 3 months since the S1 finale, but nevertheless, this is one I will definitely be watching this spring.

Plans for this show: Will watch

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable)

Opinion: Part IV of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is debuting (or has already debuted) this spring with a new protagonist, Josuke, and a new style of story, this one concerning a string of mysterious homicides. JJBA has quickly grown into one of my favorite franchises with the advent of the new TV anime, and I am enthusiastic and eager about the start of Diamond is Unbreakable. Furthermore, I know virtually nothing about Part IV, so this is really the first ‘unknown’ JoJo’s for me. There is no way I’m missing the next saga in JJBA and will definitely be watching this in Spring 2016.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Usakame

Opinion: A spinoff of Teekyuu? As if I could resist. Usakame will offer a fresh take at the hyper-energetic comedy series with a rival tennis club that was introduced in season 7. The new set-up should allow for some new interactions and new jokes in the same engaging format that we’ve grown to be addicted to from previous seasons of Teekyuu. Usakame should be more enjoyable and successful than Takamiya Nasuno Desu!, but I am unsure how it will compare to other seasons of Teekyuu given the limited information about it at this point.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Magi: Sinbad no Bokuen (TV)

Opinion: The Sinbad OVA series offered another approach to the magnificent setting of Magi, but this time through the life of young Sinbad. What I enjoyed about the Sinbad spinoff is that it adhered closely to the original theme of Magi and the original idea of exploring dungeons and having adventures rather than the political showdown toward the end of the second season. Sinbad speaks more to me with its romance for adventure, and that is why I am excited to see it adapted into a TV series. However, I can’t say for sure whether I’ll keep it now given that this appears to be a loaded season, and I didn’t really enjoy the cast of characters compared to the original Magi series. I’m also unsure of whether these first few episodes will be a recap of the OVA of sorts or whether they expect everyone to have finished the 5-episode OVA first. That might play a role into when I decide to keep this anime or not.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Macross Delta

Opinion: The Macross franchise is gigantic, and the size and stretch of the series has intimidated me from really wanting to dive into the series. Given my recent string of success with starting anime franchises with their sequels (Yuru Yuri, Soukyuu no Fafner), I figure it might be worth a gamble and start the Macross franchise with this new expansion. The PV catches my eye and the premise sounds promising, but it’s hard to know whether I’ll be welcomed and eased into the setting and series or whether I’ll be challenged with obstacles given the assumption that others have watched other Macross anime before.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

The following two sections of the preview contains a list of all the new, original anime that will debut during the Winter 2016 anime season, with the first section on the anime I am planning on screening and the latter section the anime I have already rejected.

The new franchises of Spring 2016 show quite a bit of promise and potential, and what I decide to keep will likely come down to time constraints rather than how much I enjoy a show. That’s often the case with spring seasons, especially with Spring 2016 containing over 50 new anime. I’m not quite sure how many anime I’ll be able to watch, or even which shows I’ll write about (more on that later), but I’m excited nonetheless. My plans for Spring 2016 are as follows:

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress)

Opinion: Koutetsujou no Kabaneri looks like the type of anime that I typically adore given its energy, its style, and its quality. That, and it’s about zombies and giant trains and has kickass action sequences as demonstrated in the PV. There are a number of reasons why this is the top new anime of the season for me, but the biggest reason might be that it has the most interesting setting of any anime. Now, granted, the anime draws a number of comparisons to Shingeki no Kyoujin given that it’s the same studio and director, but Iron Fortress is an original anime and this should allow some more creative freedom in their vision and their storytelling. The one worry I have with this, though, is that it’ll be a clone of Attack on Titan, though I don’t really expect that given that this is WIT’s opportunity to try something new and original with their best production team.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Anne Happy (Unhappy Go Lucky!)

Opinion: I remember a time, not too long ago, when all I cared about was super serious, dramatic, emotional anime and I’d ignore all those happy, cutsey, moe all-girl anime. Now, I feel as though I’m the opposite, and that these silly slice-of-life or simple comedy shows are the most appealing. The reason might be that these types of shows are consistent and a product you can depend on whereas the dramatic and serious shows can either be hit-or-miss depending on the execution. Anne Happy still might be awful, but it’s an easygoing, tranquil comedy series in which 5 girls all have bad luck. Also, it’s directed by Shin Oonuma, which is always a huge plus for me.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Bungou Stray Dogs

Opinion: Bungou Stray Dogs features numerous elements that entice me, including its art style, its detective/mystery and superpower elements, and that it’s supposedly intended for a seinen audience. It has that type of personality and style that I think I’ll enjoy, but what will determine whether I keep this or not are the characters and their setting. Part of it reminds me of Concrete Revolutio above, and if it’s anything like that, I’ll keep this for sure. Nevertheless, I don’t want to hype up an anime too much in case it lets me down, which is why I am being cautious with this until I see what Bungou Stray Dogs is really like and not just a PV.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Flying Witch

Opinion: Flying Witch appears to have quite a bit of potential given its characters, story, and setting, but the largest question will be how well it paces itself. The PV above gives it a slower, relaxed feel which matches well with the rural locale, but there’ll need to be some excitement, adventure, and imagination if witches or witchcraft or magic is involved. The backgrounds and scenery are certainly pleasant to look at, and it makes up for the somewhat bland, ordinary characters. I can honestly see this anime going either way, but I tend to think it’ll be better than most this season and probably one that I’ll keep if the first few episodes satisfy my strict standards.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Joker Game

Opinion: An espionage anime? I… I don’t think I’ve ever watched a spy anime like Joker Game before, which really bodes well for me considering that I often love Western spy movies and stories. Joker Game seems to have all the elements of a successful spy drama, considering the intensity and style of the PV, and the aesthetics and animation are certainly striking. I do wonder whether there’ll be over-the-top action or whether this will be more a suspenseful thriller, but either one would be wonderful to watch. Whatever it is, Joker Game looks to be one of the better anime this spring.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Sakamoto desu ga?

Opinion: I always base my anticipation of comedies based on the style and humor present in the PV and… and let’s just say I have high hopes that Sakamoto desu ga? will deliver what it promises. The real question will be what the other characters are like and how they play off this remarkable and flamboyant Sakamoto. Really, the characters and chemistry will dictate whether this show floats or sinks, but it’s off to a fabulous start based on the humor of the PV alone.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Uchuu Patrol Luluco (Space Patrol Luluco)

Opinion: Uchuu Patrol Luluco is an anime with personality and energy, evident from the PV above and from its renowned production staff. The main question with Luluco is whether it has any substance and, how the characters and story play out. Still, at this point, I almost feel as though style wins out given how well it matches my tastes and that any story or characters at this point are good enough. Still, I’ll get an idea of how it performs compared to everything else after an episode or two.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Bakuon!!

Opinion: Bakuon!! looks like a fun anime considering the amount of comedy and fanservice in the PV, but the anime’s success will depend on its motorbike aspect – its one unique element. Fortunately, there is an OVA out that aired a couple of weeks ago, and… it seems decent, but not really the kind of show I think I’ll keep around this season. However, I’ll give the TV version a try and see if it performs better given that it will start at the start and not in the middle (like the OVA does). Still, I don’t have high hopes for this show.