Summer 2021 Anime Worth Watching!
Itโs time once again to see what new shows the anime gods are gracing us with this season. This is the part where I tell you whatโs out there if youโre looking for something to watch this summer, but this season is likeโฆ90% isekai anime that I usually skip over. So if youโre looking for something thatโs NOT an isekai (wellโฆokay maybe just a couple) hereโs just some of the shows that look interesting so far.
Iโll put a * by the shows that are on Crunchyrollโฆbut spoiler alert, they literally only have one of the new shows that Iโm listing. My trust has been betrayed.
Here are my lists for the 2021 seasons so far
2020 Anime Worth Watching
2019 anime Worth Watching
*The Aquatope On White Sand (Shiroi Suna no Aquatope): Grab your box of tissues, because PA Works is at it again with an original anime thatโs going to tug at your heartstrings from episode one. When former idol Fuuka Miyazawa has a quarter life crisis after losing her job, she ends up working at an aquarium in Okinawa (which is apparently run by an 18 year old). Together, the two of them must keep the dwindling business afloat and help each other on their journeys of self discovery. Like most things from PA Works, itโs bursting with color and full of life, with characters you feel instantly attached to. Their shows are always worth looking into no matter how many tears you shed.
And speaking of ex-idolsโฆ
Opera Girl!! (Kageki Shoujo!!): A school comedy/drama about an ex-idol named Ai Narada who is accepted into an extremely elite performance school famous for its top tier acting and musical productions. But rooming with the cool, indifferent Ai is the boisterous, 178 cm tall Sarasa Watanabe. The style is great, and all the girls have such distinct, dynamic personalities (which, for some reason, is a rarity in any piece of media). It bothers me a bit that this all girls school seems to have a majority of male teachers. But Iโm curious about each characterโs background, and I want to see more of their dynamics together. Also there is no way any of these girls are straight.
Sonny Boy: An original sci-fi mystery from Madhouse that follows a group of 36 students whose school is suddenly swept into another dimension in order to awaken their hidden superpowers. It basically feels like what would happen if Satoshi Kon made Wonder Egg Priority. I love the power dynamics between the students and the mystery behind everything, but I have so many questions! Where did their food come from? Why are there cats everywhere? What causes their powers to awaken? This seems like the kind of show that may answer everythingโฆor just say โdonโt worry about it, itโs just part of the atmosphere.โ Itโs definitely the anime with the creepiest vibe of the season.
Vanitas No Carte (The Case Study Of Vanitas): Have you ever wondered what would happen if a vampire hunter decided to cure vampires instead of kill them? Well, I hadnโt before, but Iโm into it now. I donโt want to reveal too much of the plot, so just trust that itโs one of the standouts of the season for me. Itโs set in a slightly steampunk 19th century Paris, with one main character whose style is reminiscent of early Welcome To Night Vale fanart of Cecil Palmer and another who is constantly roasted by everyone around him. Itโs gripping and has unique takes on vampires, without taking itself too seriously. Thereโs a good balance of comedy and drama, and Bones rarely lets me down when it comes to story, characters, and great animation.
The Detective Is Already Dead (Tantei Wa Mou Shindeiru): A hot mess of a teen mystery anime that follows Kimizuka Kimihiko, a middle schooler with a habit of attracting trouble who gets roped into working as an assistant to an ace detective named Siesta. While it starts out as a run of the mill detective anime, it starts to delve into the supernatural, with more going on behind the scenes that meets the eye. It gets a little too caught up in trying to add rom-com elements when they donโt really need to be there, but lots of people will probably enjoy it for that. Itโs stupid, very stupid, but in an enjoyable, laugh at it not with it kind of way (at least so far). It feels like In:Spectreโs weird cousin that has the exact opposite kind of pacing issues.
Re-Main: The only show this season in which the main character is involved in a car accident and DOESNโT end up in a fantasy world. No, itโs actually an original sports anime from MAPPA (so Iโm already on board), about a boy named Minato who ended up in a coma and losing his memory due to a car crash in his last year of junior high. After he wakes up, he realizes he was apparently an ace at water polo, and he finds himself surrounded by people in his new high school pressuring him to join their team, despite the fact that he wants nothing to do with the sport and doesnโt remember the rules anyway. Itโs certainly the most unique set up for a sports anime Iโve seen lately. Itโs goofy with a fun family dynamic, so Iโm already hooked.
Uramichi-oniisan (Life Lessons With Uramichi-Oniisan): A comedy slice of life about a childrenโs television program with the worldโs most unsettling host: an emotionally unstable millennial who happens to be a former gymnast (whose only hobby is keeping his gains and intimidating his co-workers). I had no idea what to expect going into this, but the characters are tons of fun. Uramichi is very relatable, and thereโs some important subtext woven into the comedy, like how not taking breaks affects oneโs mental health. This is the kind of show thatโs easy to pass over, but itโs definitely worth checking out if that kind of comedy is your thing.
*My Next Life As A Villainess-All Routes Lead To Doom! (season 2): Out of all the isekai anime airing this season, this is probably my favorite. Yes, even more so than Reincarnated as a Slime. In case you missed it last year, this lighthearted โharemโ comedy follows a girl who has been reincarnated into her favorite otome gameโฆas the rich, bitchy villainess Catarina, who only has terrible ends at the end of each route. In order to avoid being killed off or exiled, Catarina ends up befriending all the potential love interests, including the heroine of the game, and everyone gets up to fun shenanigans at their magical version of Ouran Academy. Itโs a super a sweet, relaxing, fun time, and it looks like the magic system is expanding to areas outside of the school, which Iโm into.
Also Catarina was the Best Girl of 2020 in my heart.
*To Your Eternity (Fumetsu no Anata e): Iโm just going to copy what I said last season, because I still donโt have a better way of explaining this masterpiece. This is the epic, atmospheric story of a magical orb that can turn into different things, from moss, to giant bears, to people. Just trust me. Itโs still best to go into this one knowing as little as possible. But with over 12 episodes under its belt now, itโs one of the best shows Iโve ever watched, and itโs something that will stick with you for a long time. Everything about it hits perfectly, from the music and animation to the voice acting, to the grounded world building, to the ever growing cast of characters we follow over the years. Itโs my contender for anime of the year if it nails the ending.
*Tokyo Revengers: An action/drama shounen anime where our main character Takemichi uses time travel to go back to his days as a middle school delinquent in order to prevent the death of his old girlfriend at the hands of a vicious gang. This show was such a stand out last season, which is really saying something when it had to compete with 86, Fruits Basket, To Your Eternity, and Shadows House. Itโs very difficult to make a wimpy character likable, but Takemichi is the picture of character development, and Iโm super excited to see where the show goes. This is definitely not one to skip, so catch up now!
*That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (season 2-part 2): Itโs exactly what it says in the title. Weโve all at least heard of it by now. This wholesome slice of life isekai is getting more stressful by the episode. Now that the groundwork has been laid after a full season of worldbuilding, the sense of conflict is becoming more urgent, making every episode more engaging. However, it doesnโt abandon its comedic roots, and Rimuru is still overpowered as fuck (sometimes in a terrifying way, sometimes in a funny way), but if the first part of season 2 was anything to go by, I can see things getting much darker as it goes along. So out of the ten million isekai shows floating around, this is one of the few thatโs worth getting into.
*Miss Kobayashiโs Dragon Maid S (โฆjust call it season 2): Pretty self explanatory: a slice of life comedy in which an ordinary salary worker named Kobayashiโฆhas a maid who is a dragon. Shenanigans ensue, and cute girls do cute things as is par for the course. And itโs KyoAni, so even when thereโs no big action sequences, they make everything look 100% God Tier. The fluid animation, the popping color palette, the performances, everything is styled to perfection (even if Iโm not into the fanservice of the character designs). If you want a chill, fun comedy thatโs slowly becoming a classic, this is the show for you.
Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid: The ecchi version of Pushing Daisies, where a boy is cursed with killing everything he touches, and his maid is constantly trying to get him to touch her. If you donโt mind 3D animation and incredibly weird love interests, the story is interesting enough to want to get into. Maybe this is a sign to just read the manga.
So thereโs some of the new anime that look promising so far. Thereโs also the second season of the Higurashi reboot/continuation, if you want more cute girls doing murdery things. And Peach Boy Riverside had a great concept, but the character design drove me up the wall, so thereโs that too if anyoneโs looking for a fun adventure show.
