Spring season was an extremely packed one, with great new series such as To Your Eternity and Tokyo Revengers as well as sequels to hugely popular franchises like My Hero Academia and Fruits Basket. So, what’s airing in the upcoming Summer season (beginning in July until October)? Here are my personal recommendations for the new series to look out for!
The Case Study of Vanitas
Vanitas no Carte is originally a manga created by Jun Mochizuki, the author of the Pandora Hearts series – one of my personal favourites of all time. I never got around to checking out much of this newer story but it looks to have the same complex fantasy and interesting characters as the latter series set in 18th century Paris. The anime is being animated by Studio Bones with Yuki Kajiura returning to do the music. The trailers don’t give away too much so far other than that vampires and a cursed book are central to the plot but there’s a lot to be excited about for this show.
The Duke of Death and His Maid
A romance show following a young noble who is cursed so that everything he touches dies is a bit of an odd premise but this one looks to be one of the more interesting and charming ones of the season. This looks to lean more heavily into the comedy tropes but there are definitely some hints of the loneliness and darker nature of the protagonist’s unusual condition. The animation looks to be mostly CG but didn’t look too odd in the trailers so far and I’m intrigued to see how the story will progress.
Sonny Boy
An original anime from Madhouse and former One Punch Man! director, this show looks to be an unusual sci-fi drama with an old-style animation which I think really suits it. Definitely, one to keep an eye on as it could be the surprise of the season like Wonder Egg Priority was at the beginning of the year.
Opera Girl!
Opera Girl! is pretty explanatory given the title – it’s about a bunch of girls in an opera school – the character designs look very interesting and whilst it gives us Love Live! vibes, I suspect it might be a bit more akin to Shoujo Kageki Scarlet Revue instead with an emphasis on character development and introspection. I’m a huge fan of the Japanese Takarazuka, an all-female theatre troupe where the actresses play both the male and female roles so I’m really excited to see anime finally tackle this in more than just a comedic way.
Aquatope of White Sand
An original anime from P.A. Works, this show looks to follow the cute slice-of-life antics of a group of people working at an aquarium. The anime looks beautifully animated with great character designs and a sweet friendship between the two main girls.
Other series to keep an eye on: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom Season 2, Magia Record Season 2, Peach Boy Riverside.
