Each new season brings a new batch of animes. Whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or autumn, every three months we have a new set of animes. Not all of them are good, but there are always interesting animes to watch. And this season there are many interesting animes to see. Because this year’s spring season has come in so strong that the selection has been really difficult and laborious. But here are the six animes you shouldn’t miss for anything in the world.
Akane-banashi
Where to watch it: Prime Video
Probably the most anticipated series of the year has not disappointed its fans. Animated with all the detail one would expect, with all the care and unimaginable attention, it has done everything possible to create a strong impression from the very beginning. And it has succeeded.
Because Akane-banashi is a story of rakugo, of telling stories while sitting on the floor for an audience, that is built like a shonen fighting series: there is a story of loss and revenge, rivals to defeat, and training to undergo. All of this in the context of the arts and learning to tell stories, doing it better, in a way that feels fresh and fascinating for a formula that sometimes seems exhausted, but always finds a way to refresh it.
Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!
Where to watch it: Prime Video
If what you’re looking for is an anime with a retro touch, a charming romance, and plenty of humor, you need to look no further. Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! has a simple premise, but you’ll know right away if it interests you: a high school boy has a huge crush on another boy in his class, but he’s too shy to approach him normally. This doesn’t stop him from having some absolutely wild ideas on how to make love blossom between them.
With a 90s artistic style, yet feeling completely contemporary, a hilarious humor, and charming characters, it’s one of those series that warms your heart and makes you feel good, while keeping you laughing at all times. A very well-crafted series that treats LGBT themes with great care (no one is in the closet here) and will delight fans of romantic comedies.
MARRIAGETOXIN
Where to watch it: Crunchyroll
Speaking of romantic comedies, Marriagetoxin is the perfect blend of two worlds: that of shonen and romantic comedy. Why? Because it is both. Its premise is that the heir of a clan of professional assassins specialized in the use of poisons must find a woman to marry in order to inherit the throne. To achieve this, he will team up with a con artist specialized in marriage scams.
With a perfect blend of romance and action, featuring characters that are easy to empathize with and relate to, it is a very unique and fun anime. The manga has already shown that it knows how to balance both aspects very well throughout its chapters, and it doesn’t seem like the anime will have any issues in this regard. So we are in for a tremendous journey ahead.
Spirits of the Underworld
Where to watch it: Crunchyroll
Hiromu Arakawa is the author of Fullmetal Alchemist and is the creator of this Yomi no Tsugai, Spirits of the Underworld in Spain, a unique work that offers a singular take on fantasy and action, heavily inspired by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. If all of this hasn’t made you run to see it, we don’t know what else to say to make you do so, because it seems impossible that there is a series this season with more potential to become a cult classic.
In fact, everything so far shows that it has everything to succeed. The script is impeccable, the animation is understated but knows how to shine in the moments that matter, and the action is spectacular. It is a series that seems unlikely not to be seen beyond the borders of anime fans. Because, again, we are talking about the author of Fullmetal Alchemist creating a work similar to Fullmetal Alchemist: you can’t ask for more.
LIAR GAME
Where to watch it: Crunchyroll
Probably the most unique anime of the season. Adapting a manga that ended in 2015, which has been adapted four times into live action, and which received a continuation earlier this year, it is one of the most fascinating and unknown thrillers in manga, even if it is a cult title. Something that could and should change with the anime.
Liar Game is the original Squid Game, but much darker, more complex, and psychologically intense. It may not have the flashiest animation, but its direction and script are excellent, and what will happen in subsequent episodes is a journey that the Korean series can’t even begin to dream of. If you liked Squid Game, you need to watch Liar Game. And if you didn’t, you should still watch it, because if Liar Game is a cult classic that receives sequels and adaptations ten years after its release, it’s because it’s that good.
Nippon Sangoku: The three nations of the crimson sun
Where to watch it: Prime Video
If there is an anime that can go unnoticed and shouldn’t, it is Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun. Because it is an anime with excellent animation, amazing direction, and it has a fascinating premise: after a nuclear apocalypse, humanity has rebuilt society and Japan has been divided into three nations. A man, after a personal grievance, decides to reunify Japan.
With a lot of heart, politically in an ambiguous place, visually fascinating, Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun is a complex series, but it is worth giving it a chance. Especially because we don’t often see animes with this finish, much less with this care in their narrative.
Witch Hat Atelier
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
In this house, we love Witch Hat Atelier. It’s the good Harry Potter. A series about young witches who are learning the craft of magic in a world where there is a great evil lurking in the shadows that they will have to face, whether they want to or not, in the near future, while trying to understand its complex bureaucracy. Only with a much better built world, characters that are easier to empathize with, and a closer approach to fantasy, in addition to being aimed at a more adult audience.
Also, we won’t hide it: we didn’t bet on the possibility of making a good anime out of this manga. Its artwork is incredibly intricate, its designs are complex, and adapting that to anime seems impossible. But not only have they succeeded, they have done so with one of the most spectacular animes we have seen in years. If there is an anime you must watch, at least give it a chance, it is this one. Especially if you are or were a fan of Harry Potter and want to see what possibilities exist beyond J.K. Rowling.
