After a fairly rip-roaring start to our year in anime, with bangers like Frieren, Delicious in Dungeon, The Apothecary Diaries, and more, things seem to be slowing down quite a bit this summer. It’s not that there are fewer shows than usual, as there are still over 40 series, it’s just there aren’t as many that probably justify eating up your fleeting, precious hours on this Earth. Luckily, I have little regard for my own ephemeral existence, and as such, I spent ample time digging through the crud to find this season’s gems.
Thankfully, even with a comparatively lighter load, there are still plenty of shows worth seeking out, especially if you’re caught up on specific returning favorites. If there’s a central theme across the standouts, it’s that, despite the dire state of the industry, there was a buffet of stunning animation showcases that made me wonder, “Wow, imagine what these folks could accomplish if they were all supported properly?” I was impressed by the level of craft found in many of these premieres, and let’s hope that at least a couple of these productions can maintain that momentum. Now, let’s jump into what shows made the biggest impact from this summer slate.
Honorable Mentions:
My Deer Friend Nokotan is an absurdist comedy about a seemingly perfect girl named Torako, who has an increasingly difficult time concealing her delinquent past after meeting Noko, a girl who happens to be part deer. Somehow, that description dramatically undersells a premiere that makes it feel like you accidentally ingested hallucinogens. I’m not sure this series will be able to maintain its ridiculous energy for an entire season, but at least so far, its over-the-top animation sells its gags, such as when Noko enters the classroom for the first time, her antlers bursting through the door frame as a menacing vocal track accompanies an extremely long slow-mo shot where shrapnel collides with an oblivious student body. Unfortunately, Crunchyroll’s subtitles are currently dampening things a bit due to spelling mistakes and confusing translations, but hopefully, this will be addressed. Overall, you’ll probably know pretty quickly if this one works for you or makes it feel like your head is going to implode, but My Deer Friend Nokotan’s premiere executes its deeply dumb premise quite well.
Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools is another reincarnation isekai (specifically one about dying from overwork), but its delightful protagonist and upbeat tone help differentiate it from the pack. We follow Dahlia, a young inventor who draws on dim memories from her old life while forging magical machines with her old man. The father-daughter relationship between these two is absurdly cute, and while I’m not sure where this one’s overarching plot is going, this introduction did a great job of making me excited to see Dahlia become an acclaimed inventor.
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is a fun and only slightly trashy rom-com that benefits mightily from the endearing rapport between its two leads. Masachika is a once-promising student-turned-burnout who sits next to Alya, the most popular girl in class. The big gimmick is that Alya hides her true romantic feelings about Masachika in Russian quips she assumes no one else understands. But of course, due to a vaguely explained childhood experience, Masachika secretly understands everything she’s saying and blushily gulps the comments while trying to keep a poker face. Despite the somewhat silly setup, this one is working at the moment because it feels like these two have a surprisingly plausible relationship that isn’t pure wish fulfillment, trading barbs to entertaining effect. Throw in some great animation from Doga Kobo, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a capable will-they-won’t-they.
As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of Suicide Squad or isekai, I was surprised to find that the aptly named Suicide Squad Isekai has been an entertaining ride thus far, in large part because WIT Studio has brought Harley and company’s hijinks to life with verve. While this one hits familiar isekai fantasy plot points, some creative bursts of animation ensure that the moment-to-moment chaos is worth watching.
Code Geass, the legendary mecha anime that combined delightfully cheesy revenge romp tendencies with anti-imperialist sentiment, is sort of back with a sequel series (technically, it’s set in an alternate universe from the original), Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture. While it lacks the audacity and pep of its predecessor thus far, it’s still a mostly passable follow-up with a few fun twists that will satisfy many series diehards.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword elevates its blasé premise with top-notch execution, delivering excellent action and character animation that makes me mostly forgive that this is another power fantasy about a seemingly weak main character who is secretly the strongest and coolest guy ever. So far, the direction has elevated its archetypical beats, including its wizard school setting, and made me buy into this journey much more than I would have otherwise.
5. Monogatari Series Off and Monster Season
Oh, Monogatari, you masterfully presented, messy, sprawling, problematic fave. After five years, it’s a little disorienting to be thrust back into the middle of this world full of “apparitions,” supernatural phenomena that also work as metaphors for these character’s longstanding issues, but the series’ ostentatious visual stylings remain on full display. Shaft is back, and while there seems to have been massive turnover at the studio in recent years, long-time Monogatari director Akiyuki Shinbou and the rest of the team have maintained the show’s iconic avant-garde presentation, including its constant cutaways, art style switches, ultra-detailed characters, head tilts, and visual gags which make it one of the most aesthetically arresting anime out there. It’s a look that nicely complements the mile-a-minute dialogue from author Nisio Isin’s wordy novels, and through this first episode, we’re immersed in these self-indulgent sensibilities yet again as Yotsugi Ononoki takes over for previous protagonist Koyomi in dealing with paranormal happenings. Although this latest season comes across as too much like a side adventure so far, as the main story wrapped up in the last arc, this episode still delivers the type of intriguing psychological circumstances that have made this series more than just eye candy.
However, despite its visual strengths and (mostly) interesting characters, Monogatari is still difficult to recommend to well-adjusted human beings for many reasons. First off, there’s a lot of it (close to a hundred episodes), and its seasons are named so confusingly that you’ll need to look up a watch order guide to proceed. And much more importantly, some of its content is, uh, highly questionable, to say the least. It hits just about every icky anime trope imaginable across its long fan-servicey run, and while some of this feels like it’s mocking otaku sensibilities in a tongue-in-cheek way, often it just unironically does the thing. Thankfully, these elements feel at least a little tamped down in this premiere, in large part because the series’ controversial protagonist is gone, but knowing this series, it’s probably just a temporary reprieve. There’s some really compelling stuff here, but as always with Monogatari, proceed at your own peril.
4. Senpai is an Otokonoko
At least through its premiere, Senpai is an Otokonoko seems to be balancing its delicate subject matter relatively well as it fleshes out the queer love triangle between its central trio. We follow Saki, a wrecking ball freshman who immediately confesses her love to Makoto Hanaoka, an elegant upperclassman who she believes is a girl. However, Makoto turns down Saki’s offer and reveals they currently describe themself as an “otokonoko,” a Japanese slang term sometimes used for people who are assigned male at birth and cross-dress (the phrase has a lot of baggage, but this article unpacks some of it). Considering that most anime’s track record with gender-nonconforming characters is quite bad, I was a little concerned with how this show would handle these sensitive topics, but, at least in its first episode, it mostly seems respectful thus far.
This relatively accepting atmosphere starts with our boisterous protagonist, whose feelings are entirely unchanged when they learn more about Makoto. Saki is a ball of energy, and while I’m sure some will find her a bit much, especially given how down bad she is for her crush, personally, I found her largely delightful. We’ve already seen flashes of how Makoto is ostracized by their peers and pushed into a gender confirming box by their parents, so when Saki goes out of her way to give them a femme-coded gift, this casual acceptance clearly hits deep.
And, of course, being a romance story, things need to be a bit more complicated, so there’s also Makoto’s childhood friend Ryuuji, an overprotective boy who is clearly in love with Makoto as well. Mercifully, unlike many romantic rivals, he’s also sympathetic once we understand why he’s initially so skeptical of Saki. As for its visuals, they’re solid, but I’m not entirely sold on the show’s frequent art style switches during its comedic scenes, which are disorienting even though these scenes are apparently accurate to the manga. Although the jury is still out if this story will do justice to its queer themes, particularly around Makoto and their messy feelings about gender, so far, this one is off to a largely empathetic start.
3. NieR: Automata Ver1.1a Part 2
As a self-admitted NieR-freak, I continue to be fascinated and mostly impressed with how A-1 Pictures has brought a seemingly unadaptable videogame to the small screen. While NieR: Automata is a game that leans so hard in its chosen medium that it’s impossible to fully capture its charms elsewhere, thankfully, Ver1.1a has its own strengths. On top of its striking imagery, this show smartly integrates story beats from outside the game, like the prequel manga YoRHa: Pearl Harbor Descent Record, which fills in some important gaps. As for the first episode back, we pick up as the androids 2B and 9S continue to serve the authoritarian organization YoRHa, who are locked in a forever war with alien robots (this series is wild, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg).
One of the trickiest elements for this adaptation is that the game is told over several “playthroughs,” where similar events are reframed from different perspectives as you switch characters. Obviously, that format doesn’t really work outside of a videogame, and so the approach here is to play a little faster and looser with chronology. While this presentation is a little confusing up front, especially after the year-long gap since the last season, this episode eventually settles into some wonderfully melodramatic turns that play up the crushing systems of violence these androids are trapped in. Although the game is still the best way to experience this story for the first time, Ver1.1a continues to be a solid introduction to this world that’s even more rewarding for those familiar with the source material. As long as there isn’t another production meltdown like there was during the previous season, I’m expecting good things on the horizon.
2. Elusive Samurai
Elusive Samurai’s premiere is an absolute visual feast. From the jump, this depiction of early 14th-century Japan is anchored by vivid colors and smoothly animated movement that firmly places us in this historical setting as Tokiyuki, the heir to the figurehead shogunate, literally flees his duties. While there is a somewhat calming energy to these initial minutes, those familiar with the time-honored tradition of anime with brutal first episode twists (or those who have a working knowledge of Japanese history) will be able to sniff out that our protagonist’s cheery youth is a little too idyllic. However, even though I was expecting something to go wrong, I wasn’t prepared for how mesmerizing the butchery would be, as a truly demented match cut gives way to a montage of apocalyptic violence (I’m staying vague here to avoid completely spoiling the specifics).
CloverWorks studio has put out some of the most visually impressive series in recent memory (Bocchi the Rock, Spy x Family, My Dress Up Darling, etc.), and here, their talented staff crafts a festival of carnage so striking and off-puttingly colorful that it looks like an off-kilter rendition of hell. This all sets the stage for a showdown between our protagonist, whose main ability is that he’s really good at running away, and a bloodthirsty warlord, who is equally good at killing, as the two battle for the future of their country. So far, the series is doing some interesting things by criticizing tired cliches around “samurai honor,” as these belief systems are undercut by the previously mentioned scenes of mass murder and our protagonist’s focus on running away. While I’m not entirely sold on the extended cast or the show’s attempts at comedy so far, Elusive Samurai’s incredible visuals and intriguing ideas make it one to check out if you don’t mind all the bloodletting.
1. Oshi No Ko Season 2
I didn’t fully appreciate how much I missed Oshi No Ko until this excellent first episode back knocked the wind out of me. In its initial few minutes alone, it gracefully communicated the nuances of yet another creative field—in this case, stage plays—in an inspired performance sequence that capitalized on our investment in these characters. Giving the full plot setup for this series would be an exercise in futility and deception, but basically, we continue to follow Aqua and Ruby, the secret children of a famous idol who are working their way up the entertainment industry. Here, things pick back up after Aqua lands a gig in a theater adaptation of a mega-hit manga. From the jump, we dive into the type of inside baseball this show excels at; specifically, we get an extended explanation of the storytelling decisions that go into adapting a lengthy manga into a shortened stage play. While admittedly, I’m a little biased because I could listen to this specific kind of minutiae all day, the immaculate presentation ensures that even those less interested in these details will have plenty to enjoy.
Studio Doga Kobo and director Daisuke Hiramaki continue to do excellent work, best demonstrated in a stunning acting rehearsal brought to life with splashes of color as Kana wows her co-stars so thoroughly it appears like she literally transforms into her character. Not only is this moment visually inspired, but it reminds us how deeply we’ve come to care about the well-rendered performers at the center of this story. Although our protagonist, Aqua, continues to be this narrative’s weakest link, as his revenge quest feels played out next to the rest of the cast’s more compelling personal drama, the setup for this season means we will be seeing plenty of this excellent ensemble. Visually and dramatically, it’s clear Oshi No Ko hasn’t missed a beat since its impressive debut last year.
Elijah Gonzalez is an assistant Games and TV Editor for Paste Magazine. In addition to playing and watching the latest on the small screen, he also loves film, creating large lists of media he’ll probably never actually get to, and dreaming of the day he finally gets through all the Like a Dragon games. You can follow him on Twitter @eli_gonzalez11.
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