I must confess, when I started looking at this upcoming season my initial reaction was that it looked pretty awful.  Admittedly, part of it was that I’d forgotten about Pluto, but it goes beyond that.  I could only find two or three series that were of obvious interest to me, and there didn’t even seem to be much in the sequel department that really caught my eye.  Despite it being a pretty large schedule (as is usual these days, especially in spring and fall) the cupboard looked barren.

We’ll see how things turn out – as always – but purely in speculative terms there does seem more here than initially met the eye.  It’s not a deep schedule for my interests, but there are quite a few prospects which might at least be pretty good.  It’s also the deepest schedule I’ve seen in a long time in terms of OVA/ONAs and theatrical movies (which usually peak in summer).  You can call Pluto an ONA too, though for preview purposes I’m treating it as a series which happens to be streaming on Netflx.  Netflix is a prominent presence this season in fact, as I’ll get to shortly.

As I write this the schedule currently has 61 series on tap, plus another half-dozen or so ONA/OVAs.   I don’t remember the last time we topped the 60 mark – it’s been a good while at the very least.  I think we can objectively say that’s too many in an industry that pays starvation wages and struggles regularly with production delays, but I don’t see that dynamic changing any time soon.  I’m covering 18 shows here, including Pluto, which is in absolute terms a pretty big number but in context still below the one-third hit rate that has traditionally been the norm for these previews.  There are very few series I have great confidence in (either through the staff or source material), so the number of them I actually wind up covering is likely to be pretty small.

One reason this season might be a little harder to get a grip on is that it strikes me as just a bit more eclectic than usual.  We have our expected sequels, our isekai, CGDCT , game adaptations – but thematically it’s probably got above-average diversity.  That doesn’t guarantee it’ll be any good but it does make it a bit harder to predict.  LN adaptation numbers aren’t over the top as they often are these days,  but the tradeoff is the continued unabated rise of game and “mixed media” adaptations – which experience is teaching me have almost as low a hit rate.

Genre-wise, one oddity is that this season sees not one but two auto racing anime (sadly neither being a completion of the Capeta adaptation).  Even allowing for the general paucity of sports anime these days motorsports shows are pretty rare, so two of them (one, MF Ghost, is as much a sci-fi as a sports series) in one season is unusual.   It’s a light season for romcom, though knowing that the one romcom to rule them all is coming in Winter 2024 does soften the blow not inconsiderably.

 

Let’s move on to Fall 2023.  As usual, the poll is in the sidebar – please go vote!

 

Highest Expectations:

Pluto – Studio M2: (PV) It’s a bit tough to know how to categorize Pluto.  Is it a series anime or an OVA?  I’ve included Netflx anime in this category many times, but they’re more traditional in length and episode count.  Pluto is going to be eight one-hour episodes (or movies, or whatever you want to call them).  To be honest I just didn’t want to start the preview with anything else, since Pluto is by far my most anticipated series of the fall.  It’s one of my most anticipated series of the decade.

Whatever you choose to call it, Pluto is a big deal.  Anime colossus Maruyama Masao has basically spent the latter part of his career trying to get it made.  Maruyama founded three anime studios – Madhouse, Mappa, and M2 – the latter two basically as vehicles to try and adapt Pluto.   He was also an assistant to Tezuka Osamu himself.  After two decades of frustration and stagnation, Netflix finally ponied up the dough, and Maruyama – now 82 – saw his passion project come to fruition.  If it means that much to a guy like that, it’s something any fan of good anime should take seriously.

Pluto, for the uninitiated, is based on a manga reimagining of Tezuka’s seminal work, Tetsuwan Atom.  The reimagining was done by Urasawa Naoki, himself one of the most legendary figures in manga.  He recast the story as a murder mystery thriller, with the murder of a beloved robot named Montblanc the event that sets the story in motion.  As  you would imagine with Urasawa and Tezuka behind it, Pluto touches on themes of racism, hate crime, and the biases which color our view of events in our world.  It is, in brief, a masterpiece.

With this trio at its core, Pluto’s stature is unquestioned.  But in order to finally make this happen, Maruyama had to make some concessions.  We don’t know what the budget was like (though Netflix anime are not typically ultra-cheap).  Most importantly, for years Maruyama insisted the series needed 39 episodes for a proper adaptation.  He got 8 hours – one for each manga volume – which equates roughly to 22 episodes of traditional series anime.  Is that enough?  I’m worried, and Maruyama’s presence as producer doesn’t totally allay those worries.  He did what he had to do to make this happen at long last, and I completely support that – he deserves to see his dream come true.  But he’s not a miracle worker.

In baseball we often talk about prospects’ “floor and ceiling”.  Floor doesn’t exist in anime as such – if an adaptation is bad enough (Hoshi no Samidare for example) even great source material can be terrible anime.  But if we view “floor” in terms of perfectly competent, the floor here is year-end top 5 or so.  And if “ceiling” is a great adaptation that maximizes the material (like Tengoku Daimakyou), we’re talking all-time anime top ten.  And that’s not hyperbole – Pluto really is that good.

There just aren’t enough boxes checked for me to be confident the Pluto anime can approach the ceiling.  22 episodes is probably not enough to do that, for starters.  The preview looked very good in some respects, and a bit awkward in others.  There any many very experienced and revered anime names on the staff, but director Kawaguchi Toshio has very little history in that role.  But this I know – Maruyama will do everything in his power to make this show a success, and he’s so revered that the staff will be desperate to do so for his sake.  That sets the floor pretty high for me, so I fully expect Pluto to be among 2023’s best anime, and worth the wait.

Sousou no Frieren – Madhouse: (PV) Sousou no Frieren is one of those manga that was on my “need to read” list for ages (though it only started in 2020), but once the anime was announced I decided to hold off and start fresh.  I go into this adaptation with extremely high expectations despite that, based on the seemingly near-universal acclaim the manga receives.  It scores heady numbers at review aggregator sites, has won awards, and even manages to sell very well.

Frieren at the Funeral’s premise reads like textbook high-fantasy, manga style.  An elven mage, part of a party of heroes that successfully vanquished a Sauron-type, lives with the pain of outliving everyone close to her.  Eventually she goes on a journey with a young apprentice foisted on her by one of her mortal comrades, and Freiren revisits old haunts, thinking back on the regrets of her long life and of her friends now gone.

We don’t often see Madhouse playing in this league these days, so it’ll be interesting to see how they do with a high-profile project like Frieren.  Director Saitou Keiichirou has worked on a laundry list of excellent series, but as a director is known mainly for Bocchi the Rock!, a series that didn’t work for me because of the writing but that was stylistically very accomplished.  Add to that the fact that the series has been reliably leaked to be two cours (possibly split), and all signs pretty much point to yes at this point.  I’d consider it a disappointment if Sousou no Frieren isn’t on 2024’s top 10 list.

 

Mid-table:

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto – OLM, TOHO Animation Studio: (PV) Here’s another one with which I have no first-hand experience, but have expectations for thanks to its reputation.  It loses a couple of points with me because the source material is a light novel (there’s also a popular manga adaptation which premiered in 2017, three years after the LN).  Still, occasionally LNs which eschew the medium’s usual formula do break through and interest me, and this one seems like a pretty decent bet.

The Apothecary Diaries is set in an imperial court in ancient China, and features a 17 year-old kidnapped and forced to work at the palace as a virtual slave.  Clever and blessed with some pharmaceutical experience from her home town, she winds up working as a court pharmacist (a bit of an Shirayukihime vibe there).  Eventually her talents her noticed, and she becomes embroiled in court affairs and a part of the emperor’s inner court.  That’s an interesting premise, and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto has a pretty solid staff (featuring an impressive lineup of composers, including Kevin Penkin).  Given the raves the manga gets, I’m pretty interested.

Houkago Shounen Hanako-kun – Lerche: (PV) Houkago Shounen Hanako-kun would be ranked higher if it weren’t a 10-minute short, and only 4 episodes at that.  Though  it hasn’t expressly been confirmed, the hope is that this is a precursor to the “reboot” of the main anime that the official website teased.  It would seriously suck if this were all we were getting, especially since Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun is a massively popular manga.

As for this one, it’s an adaptation of mangaka Aida Iro’s spinoff manga, which as I understand it is mostly comedy-driven.  Any Hanako-kun is certainly welcome, especially when it’s penned by the author, so I’m rather looking forward to a lighter side of this sometimes pretty dark series.

Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai. – Shuka: (PV) I remember reading a few chapters of Fujisawa Shizuki’s shoujo about four brothers living alone and rather liking it.  But I lost track of it for some reason (maybe the translations dried up) and hadn’t thought about it for some time until the anime was announced.  The eldest son works and supports the family, but as I recall it’s the middle-schooler third brother who mostly drives the plot by being impulsive and getting into sticky situations.

Shuka (which doesn’t seem to do all that much lead studio work) has an extremely experienced team in place here, including 63 year-old director Hongou Mitsuru.  Given how rare shoujo manga adaptations are these days I always feel as if I want to give them a bit of run, especially with one I have a positive recollection of.  The manga is ongoing, and given that it is a shoujo I expect the anime to basically be a commercial for the manga.  Still, my vibe is that this one will be pretty good.

Mahoutsukai no Yome Season 2 Part 2 – Studio Kafka: (PV) I would love it if this were ranked higher.  But the truth is that the first cour was a pretty big step down from the first season for me.  The school setting was a clumsy fit for the premise, and overall the sense of wonder and mystery attached to Mahoutsukai no Yome was significantly less in evidence.  I’ll certainly watch, hoping that this cour tracks closer to the best couple of episodes from the first.

Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo – Biburry Animation Studio: (PV) 100 Girlfriends is a bit of a wild card for me.  The premise – a kid who’s been rejected 100 times prays at a love shrine, and is told by the Kami that he’ll meet 100 soulmates in high school – sounds pretty dumb.  But a couple of folks whose opinions I trust have told me that there’s more to this series than meets the eye, and to keep an eye on it.  Nothing special here as regards studio or staff, but it is a seinen and in a vacuum that sparks my interest at least somewhat more than if it weren’t.

Overtake! – Troyca: (PV) Original anime are often wild cards (or crapshoots), but Overtake! really amps the level up on that.  The main reason it’s here is the interesting staff attached to it.  Aoki Ei is directing and Shimura Takako did the character designs.  Of course, on then other hand the writer (the most important staff member on an original) is Sekine Ayumi, who has no track record of producing anything really notable.

It’s also sort of interesting to get two auto racing series in one season, when that sub-genre has been largely ignored by anime for a decade.  This one is the story of a freelance photographer in a rut whose interest in the sport is rekindled when he meets a genius high school driver.  I have a soft spot for this sort of premise because I dearly love Capeta, though the flipside of that is that anything else in this vein gets held to Capeta’s very high standard.  Certainly Overtake! is an interesting oddball, one I’d even go so far as to call a sleeper.

 

Modestly Interested:

Spy x Family Season 2 – Wit/Cloverworks: (PV): I did think about ranking this in the mid-table, certainly.  One of the most popular animanga franchises in the world, coming off a truly excellent final episode.  But stepping back, what I see is a two-cour first season that had way too many mediocre episodes.  I like Spy x Family, maybe more than any of the other kaiju of the moment, but it’s still a pretty flawed entity on the whole IMHO.

SxF will get a complete adaptation in one form or another, that much isn’t in doubt, and some original cash grabs (there’s a theatrical movie coming this season too).  But unless it spends more time doing the stuff it’s best at (like the school comedy and the Damian subplot) and less time-wasting, it’s never going to rise above middling for me.  Maybe that’s the definition of mid-tier, but where my confidence level is at my interest is overall modest.

Migi to Dali – Geek Toys/CompTown: (PV)  Sadly, the mangaka behind Migi to Dali, Sano Nami (best known for Sakamoto desu ga?) passed away at the age of 35 last month.  That certainly casts an air of melancholy around this adaptation, the story of twin brothers hiding a frightening secret.  I liked but didn’t love Sakamoto and don’t know much about this series, which seems like a mix of mystery, horror, and comedy.  But given the circumstances behind the adaptation it would be nice to see it succeed.

Undead Unluck – David Production: (PV) Any Weekly Shounen Jump adaptation draws a lot of attention, though Undead Unluck is more in the mid-tier range in terms of both popularity and critical acclaim.  It’s the story of a cursed girl (she brings death and misfortune to those around her) about to end her life who crosses paths with an immortal who also longs to die, who eventually teams up with him to make his dreams come true.  Not a whole lot of optimism that this will work for me but I’ll give it a trial run.

MF Ghost – Felix Film: (PV) MF Ghost appears to be a sequel of sorts to Initial D, though that’s of limited relevance to me as I have no exposure to that series.  It is however that other auto racing series I referred to earlier, with the setting in a near-future where self-driving cars have virtually eliminated humans driving in Japan.  A racing circuit springs up in response, and MF Ghost follows a young Japanese driver who returns home after growing up in England to search for his father.  It’s different enough (like Overtake!, but less so) to at least make me curious.

Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – A-1 Pictures: (PV) Workplace comedy about a young refugee from workplace harassment who fears that his boss at his new company will repeat the cycle, only to discover that things are very different here.  Basically here because it’s a show about adults with jobs and because of director Abe Noriyuki, who’s vastly experienced and has done a lot of very good work.

Megumi no Daigo: Kyuukoku no Orange – Brain’s Base: (PV) Well, here’s an odd one – a sequel to a (well-regarded) 1995 manga gets an adaptation.  The original was adapted too, way back in the last century.  Megumi no Daigo is about firefighters, the conventional kind as far as I know – no fantasy elements here.  Good staff at Brain’s Base, which seems to be ramping back up after a very long quiet spell after the Shuka schism.

Ragna Crimson – Silver Link: (PV) Ragna Crimson looks like a pretty standard shounen battle fantasy, dragon hunters being the focus.  But a lot of folks seem to like the manga (which runs in Gangan Joker, generally a high-quality source), so I’ll check it out.

Kamierabi – Unend: (PV) Game adaptation Original, with Seshita Hiroyuki directing I’m going to assume full CGI.  Premise sounds a bit Mirai Nikki-y, which has me mildly interested.

Bokura no Ameiro Protocol – Quad: (PV) Original from a studio I’ve never heard of!l  Good director (Yamamoto Yasutaka), esports theme.

Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku-hen – LIDENFILMS: (PV) I’m pretty close to the end of the leash with TMR, kaiju or no.  I found the second season a pretty big step down from the first, which I didn’t exactly consider to be a masterpiece.  One or two eps to convince me it’s doing something compelling, otherwise I’m about done.

 

Will definitely blog: Pluto, Sousou no Frieren, Houkago Shounen Hanako-kun.  I’m sure it’ll end up being more, but it’s always a little alarming to see only two or three shows in this category (especially with one being a four-episode short).

Sleepers: Really only Overtake! stands out.  Maybe at a stretch the other motorsports series MF Ghost, or Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen.

 

 

OVA:

This category has pretty been “nothing to see here – lather, rinse, repeat” for a long time (I could have made a keyboard shortcut for it).  But even if you don’t include Pluto here (which technically one probably should – I just couldn’t not lead the preview with it) this season isn’t a whiff for a change.

Good Night World – 10/12/2023: (PV) The fact that this is Naz was almost enough to make me leave Good Night World out of the preview (what they did to Biscuit Hammer can never be forgiven).  But the manga here is pretty well-regarded, so I’ll check this sci-fi offering out.  The theme is a dysfunctional family interacting in an online game without realizing who the others are.

Akuma-kun – 11/09/2023: (PV) Any Mizuki Shigeru adaptation is notable.  Here Netflix tackles Akuma-kun, the darkly comic story of a boy genius who’s also a master of the dark arts (curses and such).  The only pass anime has made at this one was 33 years ago, so it was due for a refresh.  Satou Junichi directing is sort of interesting – seems like a strange fit for him.

Onmyouji – 11/28/23: Another Netflix series, this time an adaptation of a novel about the legendary Abe no Seimei.  I know very little about the source material but Seimei is an interesting subject, and the staff and cast here look rather good.

 

Theatrical:

As above, looks like a fairly packed season here, especially given that summer is typically when many anime films are released in Japan.

Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san – 10/20/2023: (PV) I’m intrigued by the premise here, which follows the life of a concierge who works at a department stores whose clients are all animals (including extinct ones, the VIPs).  It’s also Production I.G. (who don’t do theatrical movies all that often) so the visuals should be at least pretty good.

Hi no Tori: Eden no Hana – 11/03/2023: (PV) Interesting-looking adaptation of a 1967 Tezuka Osamu manga about a mythical phoenix which acts as a witness to the great moments of human history.  The previews here really catch my fancy.

Komada Jouryuusho e Youkoso – 11/10/2023: (PV) This one is a definite “worlds are colliding” moment as two of my great passions in life – anime and whisky – come together.  It’s the story of a craft whisky distillery (whisky is big business in Japan) trying to rediscover the lost recipe for their once-signature release.  It’s P.A. Works and the promo material looks pretty impressive.

Whisky-making is a really fascinating subject (at least for geeks like me) so I’m very curious indeed to see where this goes.  And with Uchouten Kazoku director Yoshihara Masayuki (the top gun at PAW for my tastes) in charge, my expectations are pretty high.  It’ll all come down to the writing, as is almost always the case with original anime.

Kitarou Tanjou: Gegege no Nazo – 11/17/2023: (PV) A big season for Mizuki Shigeru to be sure (this is all tied in to the 100th anniversary of his birth).  This theatrical film features the 2018 series canon, and as I’m a big fan of that version I’m quite interested to see where Toei goes with this one.  Plot details are thin on the ground, but the subtitle of “Why Was I Born?” certainly suggests it’s a Kitarou origin story (presumably an original one).

Yaneura no Rudger: The Imaginary – 12/15/2023: (PV) Kind of a shot in the dark here, but I find the look of the latest Studio Ponoc offering quite striking.  It’s the story of a little girl and her imaginary friend Rudger, and the imaginaries-hunter who shows up at their door.  Being as it’s Ponoc you can assume a Ghibli vibe, and sometimes that’s worked better than others.  70 year-old director Momose Yoshiyuki is a longtime Ghibli veteran (most of Ponoc’s staff are) but this is by far his highest-profile directorial effort.

Spy x Family Movie: Code: White – 12/22/2023: (PV) The Spy x Family hype train rolls on.  I’m more interested in the new season of the anime than the movie for a few reasons.  This looks to be original (writer Okouchi Ichiro is certainly experienced, though I’d adjudge his track record as uneven), it doesn’t have Furuhashi Kazuhiro directing, and it seems unlikely to have much if anything to do with the school setting generally and the Desmond family subplot specifically.  But I’ll check it out when it eventually streams.