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The more things change, the more they stay the same?

2024 continues to look like a pretty average anime year, charitably. But at least it’s consistent in some ways. Spring had 54 shows, last summer the same, and as I begin writing this preview Summer 2024 has 53 52. Of course, it used to be that summer (and winter) were considerably smaller seasons than (especially) spring or fall. But that distinction seems to be falling away these days, perhaps due to the rising influence of international streaming as a commercial factor for the industry.

It doesn’t stop there. I previewed 17/54 shows last summer (my average is right around one-third, so that’s in the ballpark) and I’m at 17 16/53 52 this year. We had 14 LN adaptations among 2023’s 54 summer series, this time it’s 16 out of 52 (which is enough of an uptick to be mildly significant). I don’t disqualify those by any means but my hit rate with LN adaptations is so much lower that the more prevalent they are, the smaller the pool of realistic options in a season is going to be. It’s not encouraging but it is what it is – it’s not like the industry is going to change any time soon in this respect.

Still, with this many series on the docket there are almost bound to be a few which are of interest – that’s one of the benefits (there are more detriments than benefits to be sure) of these larger schedules. But half of this season’s 16 previewed series are in the lowest “Modestly Interested” category, and only two the “Highest Expectations” bucket. That’s the problem with relying on quantity over quality, and reflects the generally bland (or worse) tenor of new anime announcements in late 2023. That proportion is not the worst I’ve seen (this spring was worse in fact) so hopefully a couple of those mid-table shows will surprise on the upside.

We do at least have several multi-cour series carrying over from spring – Karasu wa Eraji o Erabanai, The Fable, Boku no Hero Academia (presumably), Ooi! Tonbo, maybe even Dungeon Meshi (that one remains a huge wild card – what does Trigger have planned?). Looking at genre and demographic as I like to do, this looks on paper like a pretty narrow band. Lots of shounen, lots of school/romance/SoL, not a lot in terms of fantasy or (especially) science fiction. Or sports for that matter, though that’s hardly unusual these days. I’d be lying if I said it was a schedule that gave me a lot of confidence, but with the number of carryovers there might be enough here to add up to a decent season.

 

Let’s move on to Summer 2024.  As usual, the poll is in the sidebar – please go vote!

 

Highest Expectations:

Sengoku Youko: Senma Konton-hen – White Fox: (PV) Mizukami Satoshi’s first real anime adaptation continues – and concludes – with Senma Konton-hen. As it turns out the split here was one cour for the first season, two for the second. And if you’re not going to air the whole thing in one block, I guess that was the logical way to do it.

I won’t go into too much plot detail here for obvious reasons. But the first cour was effectively the prologue of Sengoku Youko, and Senma Konton-hen the main story. I like the “World Reform Siblings” arc, but in every possible way, the rest of the series is better. I would say much better in fact, with the next arc (the middle one) the best of the three that will comprise the series as a whole.

It was pretty clear by the end of the first season that we were headed for a shift in protagonist so I don’t think it’s a spoiler to discuss that here. Senya steps into the breach, and his arc is one of the best in the Mizukami catalogue (and that’s a high bar). Many of the characters I would consider among the best in the cast haven’t even been introduced yet, but Senya is the best of the bunch. I’m heartily looking forward to seeing elite Mizukami material brought to the screen in a manner befitting it’s singular excellence.

Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi – CloverWorks: (PV) It would be fair to say that The Elusive Samurai is not a universally beloved manga. Matsui Yuusei’s previous work Assassination Classroom was a monster hit. That set the expectations for what Matsui would follow it up with, and in Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi he chose a pretty radical departure in almost every way. And when a mangaka – especially a Weekly Jump manga – does that, he’s going to piss off a lot of readers.

Nige Jouzu is the story of Houjou Tokiyuki, who was a small child when the Houjou clan was ousted from their perch as regents of the Kamakura Shogunate. Be forewarned that history books are full of spoilers here as this is loosely based on a true story, but Matsui obviously takes a lot of liberties with the details. Tokiyuki is portrayed here as a kind and clever boy who’s better at things like running and hiding than anything (or anyone) else, which is the key to his survival. Matsui chronicles his efforts to stay alive, and to reclaim his family’s stolen legacy.

I like a great many things about TES, most prominently Tokiyuki himself as a protagonist. The series does have some of Matsui’s signature touches, like anachronistic absurdist humor and stunningly detailed artwork, but for me it’s a much more reflective and melancholy work than AssClass. He’s also great at drawing beautiful characters – male and female, especially children. Does this all work? No, there are some misses for sure, but I like that Matsui takes big swings with this series. It also chronicles a period in Japanese history that’s underrepresented in animanga. I doubt Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi will be a big hit – the manga isn’t – but I for one am a pretty big fan.

 

Mid-table:

Giji Harem – Nomad: (PV) Giji Harem definitely slides into the role of sleeper for me, although the manga is very well-liked by many. It’s a romcom about a high schooler in the drama club whose kouhai assists him in his quest to be popular by using her acting skills to portray a spread of girls supposedly interested in him. Naturally she has feelings for him herself, and just as naturally he has no idea about this.

Director Kikuchi Toshihiro is certainly experienced – mostly in other roles. But there’s nothing much in the staff list that stands out, and studio Nomad has a pretty broad quality spread across its long history. So I’m taking a lot on faith here, especially not having read the manga myself. Nevertheless my gut is telling me that Giji Harem is going to be one of 2024’s better romcoms. We’ll see.

Shoushimin Series – Lapin Track: (PV) The draw with How to Become Ordinary is very straightforward for me. The source is a novel series. And at that, one written by Yonezawa Honobu. If anime fans know that name it’s because he’s also the author of the Hyouka novels, the basis for quite probably the best series Kyoto Animation ever produced (though Kanon gives it a run for its money). I didn’t love everything about Hyouka but at its best it was a series of exceptional depth and subtlety, and those are not words I get to use with anime as often as I’d like.

I don’t know much about Shoushimin apart from what one reads  – it’s the story of two high schoolers trying to be ordinary citizens who keep having extraordinary things happen to them. But Yonezawa’s name carries a lot of weight with me. Of course this isn’t Kyoto Animation, but Lapin Track has done some Very good work (Undead Girl Murder Farce, Wotaku, Sarazanmai). They also seem to prefer working with big-name directors, and Kanbe Mamoru is certainly no exception. Vastly experienced, he’s a director whose success hinges on the quality of the material (as witness the humongous dropoff between Yakusoku no Neverland’s first and second seasons). But that being the case, you’d think we’re in pretty good shape here. My expectations are quite high with this one.

Kijin Gentoushou – Yokohaama Animation Lab: (PV) A total flyer, but not without some basis. Again. We’re talking about an anime based on a novel, and you just have to respect the impact that has on the odds. Kijin Gentoushou is the tale of a shrine maiden, her guardian, and a demon who travels through time wielding his katana.

I’m not totally relying on the novel connection here – that is an interesting premise. Yokohama Animation Lab is certainly no paragon of studio greatness, and there’s nothing in Airua Kazuya’s limited record as a director to instill confidence. I just get the feeling that this one could be a pretty good high fantasy anime. (Note: this one has been delayed until 2025).

Rising Impact – Lay-duce: (PV) Rising Impact is an early premiere (June 22nd) thanks to it being a Netflix Production. The golf boom in anime is officially on, and this one is an adaptation of a long-finished (2002) Weekly Shounen Jump manga by Suzuki Nakaba of Nanatsu no Taizai fame. The story follows a baseball-crazy country boy named Gawain who gets introduced to golf, falls in love with it, and winds up going to Tokyo to pursue the game seriously.

I’m not a huge fan of Nanatsu no Taizai, but Nanba Hitoshi is a very solid director and with Netflix behind it Rising Impact figures to have a decent budget. Before Green Green Greens I don’t think there was another golf manga in WSJ after this one, and it’s probably only because golf wasn’t considered a commercially viable sub-genre that it didn’t get an anime a long time ago. Times have clearly changed in that respect, and I certainly welcome it.

Senpai wa Otokonoko – Project No. 9: (PV) School series about cross-dressing kids are always a minefield, given how prevalent tropism is in that sub-genre. But I’ve heard good things about Senpai wa Otokonoko. It’s the story of a boy who dresses as a girl and the girl who falls for him thinking he’s a girl – and is unmoved by learning the truth. From what I can see this leans more towards the drama than comedy side, but the manga seems quite well-regarded either way. Not much on the studio/staff front to go on.

Ramen Akaneko – E&H Production: (PV) I’d never head of E&H before this season (they did do the Ninja Kamui Cartoon Network series), but here they get a relatively high-profile manga adaptation. Red Cat Ramen is a Jump+ series about a ramen shop run by cats, and the reporter who gets hired to work there after proclaiming herself more of a dog person. The manga is pretty popular and from what I hear, pretty good.

Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai shiteita. – Bones: (PV) It’s got a title long enough to be a light novel and a vaguely LN-sounding premise, but this one is based on a manga. Leader of an evil organization bent on conquering Earth fails in love with the magical girl trying to stop him. It’s frankly not a series that checks many boxes for me, but it is Bones. And it’s an adaptation of a work by the late mangaka Fujiwara Cocoa, whose Inu X Boku SS ended up being a series I quite liked despite it similarly not seeming like a good fit. A studio trying to honor a mangaka in this way certainly worked out with Migi to Dali – maybe it will with Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai shiteita as well.

 

Modestly Interested:

Kami no Tou 2nd Season – The Answer Studio: (PV): While Tower of God does jump the shark pretty hard, the earlier portions are probably my favorite section of any manhwa. And this season should still be safely in the pre-jump part of the story. That said the first season was pretty bland and uninspired as an adaptation, and I see no obvious reason to think that will change.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 – Doga Kobo: (PV)  I found the Oshi no Ko 4-episode prequel “movie” quite compelling. And there were some very interesting moments after that too. But by the end I was pretty much checked-out. Akasaka Aka, like seemingly everyone who tread this path before him, seems more interested in being an apologist for the idol industry and Japanese celebrity culture than a real critic of it. That and the series’ addiction to genre tropes pretty much killed all appeal for me. But it’s a huge franchise, and as such I want to give it every chance to surprise me and win me back. So that’s what I’ll do, though how many episodes that amounts to I can’t say.

Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan – Wit: (PV) Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan looks like a somewhat atypical choice for Wit, but their niche has shifted quite a bit as I.G. Port has moved to make them more profitable. This series chronicles a former delinquent girl who’s befriended by a girl who used to be a deer (for some reason). I haven’t heard any glowing reviews of the manga, but with comedy legend Oota Masahiko (Minami-ke, Mitsudomoe) directing I’m paying attention, especially since Oota rarely seems to direct these days. The previews look like straight-up insanity, more or less. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Bye Bye Earth – Lidenfilms: (PV) A LN or two always sneaks into the preview, seems like. Bye Bye Earth is the tale of a girl born the only human in a world full of animals. For whatever reason the premise sounds half-interesting to me, and music by Kevin Penkin never hurts the cause.

Atri: My Dear Moments – TROYCA: (PV) My track record with visual novel adaptations isn’t great, but there have been exceptions. Atri looks pretty decent in the previews, and the staff looks solid enough. It’s set in a dystopian future where a one-legged boy who’s deeply in-debt leaves home to seek treasure and finds (inevitably) a mysterious girl in a coffin.

Koneko no Chi: Ponponraa Natsuyasumi – Marza Animation Planet: I’ve enjoyed all various Koneko no Chi iterations, though the original hand-drawn season by Madhouse was obviously head and shoulders above the others. It’s hard to know how to assess Ponponraa Natsuyasumi until we know how short a short it will be if it’s half-length like the most recent season, it could prove to be quite entertaining. As a cat person I’ve always found the franchise to be pretty on-point in depicting the experience of cat co-existence.

Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! – A-1 Pictures: (PV)  Make no mistake, Too Many Losing Heroines is only here because the artist on the LN and character designer is Imigi Muru. Anime fans these days are more likely to know him for Lycoris Recoil but I love his Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru, one of the funniest romcoms around (which got an excellent if too-brief anime adaptation). I fully expect the story here (sounds like a generic LN romcom) to lose me pretty quickly.

Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai – Tezuka Productions: (PV) Lastly we have this manga adaptation about a lonely salaryman who gets an android housekeeper, only to eventually start thinking about her as a potential wife. I’ve heard decent things about the manga but Tezuka Productions has become pretty synonymous with cheap and bland adaptations (which is sad in its own special way). Director Yoshimura Fumihiro has worked on some very good series, at least.

 

Will definitely blog: Just Sengoku Youko: Senma Konton-hen and Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi, though there’s enough in the mid-table that it would be a surprise if another couple of series didn’t make the cut. This partly reflects the notable lack of sequels in my strike zone this season.

Sleepers: Giji Harem for sure, probably Rising Impact. Maybe Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai shiteita. at a stretch.

 

OVA:

Another complete whiff, which I think is becoming the rule rather than the exception.

 

Theatrical:

Summer is typically the biggest season for theatrical anime, and this one has quite a few entries to be sure.

Bakeneko Anzu-chan – 07/19/2024: (PV) Ghost Cat Anzu has been receiving a fair bit of attention on the festival circuit. It’s a Japanese (Shin-Ei) and French (Miyu) co-production (the world’s two foremost countries in terms of animation) which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. It tells the tale of an orphaned 11 year-old girl who goes to live with her grandfather, a Buddhist monk in the countryside, who promptly puts her in the care of his bakeneko friend Anzu.

One’s mind immediately goes to Spirited Away, all the more so given the art style, and it seems that Bakeneko Anzu-chan doesn’t run away from that comparison. These sorts of co-productions have struck gold before (The Red Turtle comes to mind), and if nothing else it’s always interesting to see European and Japanese sensibilities meld on the animation canvas.

Mononoke Movie: Karakasa – 07/26/2024: (PV) It’s been a long time since the Medicine Seller graced our screens. And it seems like almost as long since Nakamura Kenji directed anything (much less anything really good). Sakurai Takahiro (effectively blacklisted for his marital infidelities) has been swapped out for Kamiya Hiroshi, which I consider a significant downgrade. I was not as big a fan of the TV seasons as some were, but even giving the casting change this certainly represents a notable release.

Boku no Hero Academia the Movie 4: You’re Next – 08/02/2024: (PV) It’s a busy time for Boku no Hero Academia. The anime is in the midst of its seventh season, the manga seems to be at the very final stages, and the franchise’s fourth big-screen film is about to be released. These have tended to create some production headaches for Bones, causing the TV product to suffer, though there’s no evidence of that yet with S7.

Original movies of WSJ giants are what they are. They’re rarely great, usually make good money, and at their best are at  least consistent with the feel of the canon material. I would say the BnHA films have largely met the third criteria (they’ve certainly met the first two). Not much has been revealed about the plot of You’re Next, but it seems to be playing the “evil All Might” card (though that could certainly be a misdirection).

Kimi no Iro – 08/30/2024: (PV) Kimi no Iro is set in Nagasaki, a beautiful city with an interesting history that’s generally been underepresented in anime. Part of that history is its long-standing and frequently tragic connection with Japanese Christianity, and the heroine here is a girl attending a missionary school. She can see emotions as colors, which causes her all sorts of problems in life. She winds up befriending two more isolated teens. Yamada Naoko is directing at Science Saru (she seeems to have become their top gun with Yuasa Masaaaki’s departure).