Now that Anime Detour is in my rear-view, I can get back to doing what I love to do – writing about anime instead of just talking about it in public for hours on end (though I do enjoy that also!). The Spring season is already starting, and there are a few intriguing titles that I’ve been looking forward to for a while. As usual, I have to mention that it’s nearly impossible to know enough about an anime series before its broadcast to pass definitive judgment; what I’m working off of is manga knowledge, buzz, staff familiarity, and sheer hope. I do, however, think it’s served me well to go into each new season with a plan, even if that plan is blown to shreds right away.
In addition to the series outlined here, I’m also glad to have the opportunity to continue watching Dororo, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and Attack on Titan.
Carole and Tuesday
Episodes: 24
Streaming: Netflix
I’m by no means an expert on the encyclopedic details of every anime production, but I think many of us who’ve been in the anime fandom for a while get a sense of which anime directors are worth following. Shinichiro Watanabe’s body of work is familiar to many of us; Cowboy Bebop was one of anime’s entry-level series when I was growing into the anime fandom, and his contributions as music director on several other productions have helped solidify him as one of anime’s greats. So when there’s an announcement for a new anime series directed by someone with such a strong career history, one learns to take notice.
Carole and Tuesday not only has an interesting premise – a sci-fi story set after the colonization of Mars, revolving around two young women musicians – it also features some diverse (for anime) character designs and what sounds to be a great soundtrack. I really enjoy when science fiction is focused less on technological achievements and more on the sociological effects of that progression, so I have some definite hopes about this series. It’s also anime-original, which can often help to
The one bummer is that, despite this being a “Spring 2019” series, it’s also a Netflix release – meaning we likely won’t get our hands on it right away, at least in the United States. Hopefully the high-profile nature of the production itself will help to light a fire under Netflix’s butt and lead to a quicker binge-worthy release.
Fairy Gone
Streaming: Funimation
Episodes: 12
I’m a big fan of stories about the dark and dangerous sides of magic, and Fairy Gone‘s aesthetic seems to tap directly into that sentiment. Set in a world where the essences of magical beings are transferred to humans through some surgical means, this dark concept seems bolstered by its similarly dark, gritty aesthetic. I’m intrigued by its apparent early 20th century (or other-world equivalent) setting. At the very least, the “cool” quotient of this series looks to be robust.
My misgivings, though minor, revolve a bit around how anime has historically handled difficult subjects – namely war (which seems to be where a lot of the plot gets its substance). There’s always the risk that the series will spend too much time dealing in generalized tragedy porn or worse. Unfortunately I feel it’s not unintentional that the focal character in the PV is a young woman with a tragic past. Still, as an anime with no source material, my predictions could be way off. I’m still very interested to catch my first glimpses of the series when it starts.
Fruits Basket
Episodes: TBA
Streaming: Crunchyroll and Funimation
The original Fruits Basket series was one of the first series I watched in full at my college anime club. I purchased the series on DVD when the Sam Goody entertainment retailer was going out of business, and I have that copy in my collection even now. I would have a difficult time deciding whether or not I thought the original anime adaptation was actually good; it’s so tied-up in anime nostalgia for me that, good or bad, its position as part of my personal anime history is nigh-untouchable.
2019 is definitely a different year, and looking back I can kind of see the cracks in the original’s narrative – namely its unsatisfying non-ending (does anyone else feel like that used to happen much more often in anime adaptations?). Now that this re-make is on deck, one which promises to adapt the manga source material more faithfully and fully, my curiosity has started to burn. While I can take or leave most supernatural shoujo romances, I’m almost excited about this one; I suppose one should never underestimate the power of nostalgia – I just hope this version can capture the essence of the story rather than slavishly adapting it.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Episodes: TBA
Streaming: Crunchyroll, Hulu and Funimation
I’ll admit that sometimes my interest in anime is purely aesthetic. That’s mostly true when it comes to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. While I’m all onboard for Japanese demons and historical settings, I’m lukewarm when it comes to stories about male revenge and man-pain. There’s definitely a reason why I’m not typically drawn to shounen demographic entertainment – when families and women are sacrificed upon the altar of male character development (in this case, the protagonist’s family is killed and his sister is turned into a demon), it’s difficult not to feel slighted in some ways. Not all male-focused stories make these mistakes, but enough do that I’ve gotten wary.
It’s Ufotable’s incredible aesthetic track record that interests me the most in this case. It’s clear from the trailer that this series has a very unique design sense and visual style, right down to the line quality – which appears to be cut straight out of blocks of wood. Beautiful, cinematic animation can go a long way toward turning a frustrating slog into something watchable, and something watchable into destination entertainment. I will fully admit to my weakness in this case.
Mix
Episodes: 12
Streaming: Funimation
I’ll admit it; as much as I would like to be a good manga fan and sing the praises of Mitsuru Adachi, I have a difficult time connecting with his sort of old-fashioned sports drama storytelling. I know how well-regarded Touch is among long time fans, and I was excited to watch Cross Game back when that was adapted, but I find that I can only get a couple of episodes in before wandering away to something else. It’s possible that baseball just isn’t my thing; I’ve never been a fan in real life and I find that those kind of sentiments sometimes linger into the consumption of fiction. Perhaps I’m just more accustomed to the flash and intensity of series like Haikyuu!
I find that fandom can be about taking chances and going outside of one’s comfort zone, though, and for that I’m always thankful for these sorts of opportunities. Maybe this will be time I click with Adachi’s storytelling style and watch the entire series (if it’s actually only 12 episodes, the likelihood of that is a lot greater than it may be otherwise). Maybe I’ll learn a little bit about baseball, too. I’m just glad that I keep having opportunities to learn and grow in my fandom.
One Punch Man 2
ANN Encyclopedia
Episodes: TBA
Streaming: Hulu
*Sigh*
It’s always frustrating to realize that sometimes “more of the same” really isn’t possible. My primary attraction to One Punch Man season 1 was its unexpectedly character-focused storytelling. Saitama is an interesting character – not due to his overpowered abilities, but because those abilities leave him feeling dissatisfied and unchallenged. The fact that the series was ridiculously, almost gleefully animated was just the icing on the cake. It didn’t necessarily make or break the series, but it added an element of visual flair that attracted others to what is honestly a very adult story about struggling through life’s moments of frustration and purposelessness.
I think we all knew there was trouble when the story’s continuation gained not only a different director, but a different animation studio from its first incarnation. The coyly-cut PVs haven’t really masked the fact that the the emphatically-animated action of season 1 is probably a thing of the past, and this season will likely look pretty standard as far as action anime is concerned.
And yet, I can’t help but get a little bit excited, because I want to know more about Saitama’s life and his story. I’d love for him to achieve some sense of satisfaction and to gain the type of fame he deserves. There’s a big piece of me that actually doesn’t care that much about what the series looks like, but retains hope for the things it might accomplish. It might be foolish of me, but there’s still a place in my heart for this story of an adult – who just happens to have superhuman strength – living his best life.
Sarazanmai
ANN Encyclopedia
Episodes: 11
Streaming: TBA
Almost nothing has made me happier than the fact that Kunihiko Ikuhara is regularly directing anime again. After Revolutionary Girl Utena, it seemed as though he disappeared off the face of the earth. Sure, he did a little bit of storyboarding here and there, but in those cases he really didn’t have the opportunity to cultivate his own particular brand of storytelling, one which examines social issues through avant-garde symbolism and bizarre, almost ritualistic repetition.
All we really know about this series is that it involves boys who are turned into kappa, and to be honest I really don’t care about any further details at this time. What draws me toward this series is my complete, utter faith in Ikuhara as a director and storyteller of singular vision and immense talent. I know with utmost certainty that this series will be a wild ride, probably ridiculously funny and tear-jerking in alternating amounts, and unique among other offerings this season. I suspect it will dazzle many of my peers, confound and irritate other viewers, and provide endless fodder for discussion and analysis. It’s a great time to be an anime fan!
Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life
Episodes: 12
Streaming: Funimation
This series is a bit of a wild card for me. I’m sort of a sucker for anime that has a very narrow focus around some kind of cultural activity. Tsurune featured Kyudo as a backdrop. Barakamon built its story around calligraphy. And now this series incorporates a traditional Japanese musical instrument into its typical-sounding story of a school club that needs more members.
My hopes here are pretty simple with this one – I’d like there to be some endearing character interactions and I’d like the opportunity to listen to some cool music. I feel like that’s a fairly low hurdle to clear in the grand scheme of things. Beyond that, if the series overall turns out to be good, that would be awesome. While the visual quality seems a little sketchy based simply on what’s in the PV, ultimately I feel that’s secondary to however the project feels on the whole.
2 replies on “Spring 2019 Anime – What I’m Looking Forward To”
[…] This series was on my list of anticipated titles for this season. As I mentioned in that piece, I’m attracted to anime series that focus on […]
“Amazing Stranger” about a real-girl hating otaku and his living action figure, has a first episode that I found way too focused on T&A and otherwise sketchy. I literally had a nightmare this afternoon after watching it. And considering I also watched a horror movie that should have been much more disturbing, but had no effect….