The spring season of anime is coming to a close and boy, did we have some good anime this time! It really was one of the rare miracle seasons, one of a kind we haven’t seen in years. We had great sequels and equally great fresh anime. So let’s take a look at some of the standouts, shall we?
The Fresh Stuff
This was a great season for new anime, to the point that even if you had decided to abandon all the sequels, you’d have plenty to high-quality anime to watch anyway. And with that, let’s get right into it!
Megalo Box
Right off the bat, we have one of the single most unique anime this season, and in the last few years in general. Megalo Box is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the legendary boxing series Ashita no Joe. It immediately grips the viewer with its striking visuals, which is a downscaled (yes, you read that right) version of the original production. This means Megalo Box was intentionally aired in standard definition. While the community argues whether or not the decision was the right one, everyone can agree that the art is indeed excellent.
Without giving away too much, the story focuses on Junk Dog, an underground fighter, and his rise to fame as he battles the odds. The distinct visual style aids in giving it a gritty and old-school feel, while the hip-hop style soundtrack is stellar. Each new episode is better than the last, setting Megalo Box up to be a solid contender for the Anime of the Year. If you had to pick a show to watch from this list, make it this one.
Hinamatsuri
Anyone who watched this show will tell you they loved it, plain and simple. Hinamatsuri is a slice-of-life comedy with an interesting supernatural twist. It is truly an astounding example of how well you can develop characters in the short span of 12 episodes. There isn’t a single character that is unlikable, and every episode leaves you either in stitches or with an inexplicably warm, fuzzy feeling.
Hinamatsuri follows Nitta, a member of the Yakuza, who finds and is forced to take care of a young girl due to some, umm, strange circumstances. As it turns out Hina, the aforementioned girl is a powerful psychic, which leads to some of the best shenanigans seen in ages. There are some genuinely touching character moments which, unlike many anime have a sense of continuity in the story. This easily wins the crown of the best comedy anime this season.
Love is Hard for Otaku
This entry is probably the most grounded anime on this list. Love is Hard for Otaku, referred to commonly as Wotakoi by its fans is a slice-of-life anime about two childhood otaku friends reuniting when they discover that they work at the same company. The series follows their shenanigans after they begin to date, and is the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day at work or school. It’s bright, cheery, and most importantly, wholesome beyond imagination. It’s impossible to not feel good after an episode of this anime.
Golden Kamuy
So this anime had a slightly rough start, getting a little flak due to a couple visual choices. But this quickly fades away, as viewers are quickly thrown into the military period drama style of the show, with its endearing elements of slice of life mixed in. Golden Kamuy has interesting characters and an even more interesting story, revolving around Saichi Sugimoto, a survivor of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war, and his search for gold in order to save the widowed wife of his deceased friend. We get a lot of insight into the Ainu culture and makes this series worth a watch, if not for anything else.
Some honorable mentions include Comic Girls, Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan, Tada Never Falls in Love.
The Sequels
As stated earlier, this season had a metric ton of sequels, and most of them delivered. Some of the hottest anime sequels dropped this season, and without any further ado, let’s take a look!
My Hero Academia Season 3
This entry was inevitable, seeing as how the first two seasons were amazing, and how (so far), the third season has been topping them in every aspect. From the sound and visuals to the actual events and characters, this season of My Hero Academia is looking extremely strong and is looking to get even better.
Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory
In an almost unbelievable turn of events, Full Metal Panic got a sequel, giving the anime community hope, proving that all is not lost. The modern visuals and the fact that the story picks up right where we left off over a decade ago is a major reason for fans to wet themselves with excitement. If you’re a fan of Full Metal Panic you don’t need me to tell you to watch it, you probably already are.
Steins; Gate Zero
Ok, so this is technically not a sequel, but the extension of an alternate ending to the original Steins;Gate. It really isn’t possible to get into the details of this series without spoiling anything, and so I would recommend anyone who hasn’t seen the original Steins;Gate to go watch it if they’re interested in this one. To those worried if this installment is as good as the original, then my answer is a plain and simple “Yes, yes it is.”
Some honorable mentions are Food Wars Season 3, and Tokyo Ghoul: re.