SPRING 2016 MEGAGUIDE: Anime You Should Watch
Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal as the harsh winter gives way to warmer temperatures and a new crop of anime. This spring, thirty-four new series have sprouted to replace this past winter’s offerings. And even though fickle Mother Nature seems to have forgotten when Spring is, the broadcasters have not. We are well into the spring anime season, and there is plenty of great new anime to indulge in. Make sure you let us know what you’re watching!
COMEDY & COMEDY ADJACENT
Netoge no Yome wa Onna no Ko Janai to Omotta? (And you thought there is never a girl online?)
What’s the Story: After being catfished, this anime’s protagonist meets a new lady in an online game. Together they try to overcome her real world issues.
What’s the Story: A group of unhappy students try to find happiness at school.
Bishoujo Yuugi Unit Crane Game
What’s the Story: Three arcade workers with dreams of becoming idols discover they are destined to protect Earth from being destroyed by asteroids.
Sakamoto Desu Ga? (Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto)
What’s the Story: It’s not easy being so damn good at everything. But somehow, Sakamoto makes it look so infuriatingly easy.
Bonobono
What’s the Story: Bonobono follows a young sea otter and his adventures with his friends from the nearby forest. As cute as this sounds, there isn’t a Western simulcast.
CoCO & NiCO
What’s the Story: Cats are training to be princess in this short-form anime…and there is no Western simulcast.
What’s the Story: A shrine maiden and a talking bear… That’s all this Deadly Diva will say.
What’s the Story: In a world where superpowers are the norm, a boy dreams of being a hero. Alas, he has no powers…until the world’s greatest hero bestows one upon him.
Kaito Joker (Mysterious Joker) Season 3
What’s the Story: The third season of this anime follows the thief with a nigh-magical ability to steal.
Shonen Ashibe Go! Go! Gomachan
What’s the Story: This anime follows the friendship of a first grade student and a baby seal named Goma-chan.
What’s the Story: After his mother dies, a young boy with a knack for household chores goes to live with his uncle who turns him into a maid, complete with uniform.
Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless)
What’s the Story: This series follows an exhausted high school boy who possesses the ability to doze off in any situation, even mid-sentence.
What’s the Story: Katsumata Agetarou discovers a similarity between pork cutlet stores and DJs in clubs and aims to become the master of both.
What’s the Story: If you are familiar with Teekyu, then you will enjoy this series since Usakame follows their rivals.
LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION.
Gakusen Toshi Asterisk (The Asterisk War) Season 2
What’s the Story: This is the second season of the anime set in the aftermath of rise of superpowered humans.
What’s the Story: In a world where people have the ability to grant wishes, a boy uses his powers to dominate the world and save his little sister.
Concrete Revolutio (Chojin Genso) The Last Song
What’s the Story: This is the second season of the anime set where the Superhuman Bureau finds and protects superpowered humans
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable
What’s the Story: Who would have thought that we’d be at Part Four of this series about Josuke Higashikata? This time around he is tracking Stand Users in 1999 in a town called Morioh.
Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress)
What’s the Story: During the Industrial Revolution, mankind is plagued by undead monsters called “Kabane.” In the midst of this desperate situation, there is one who may have found a way to defeat them. This is an Amazon Prime series so if you don’t have that membership, correct that error.
Magi: Sinbad no Bouken (The Adventure of Sinbad)
What’s the Story: Set in the world of Magi, this anime follows Sinbad’s origins…with no Western simulcast.
Sousei no Onmyouji (Twin Star Exorcists)
What’s the Story: Rokuro wants to do anything other than continuing in the family business of exorcisms. However, he manages to live up to his potential upon the arrival of a rival.
ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR
12-sai: Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki (Age 12: A Little Heart-Pounding)
What’s the Story: It’s a tale as old as time – a young girl making the transition from child to adult. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Western simulcast.
Hakuouki: Otogi Soushi
What’s the Story: Based on an otome game of the same name, this series is centered on a young woman searching for her father and the lovely young men who befriend her. With no Western simulcast, we will have to plot and scheme to watch this.
What’s the Story: What could possibly happen when your secret life as an erotic manga artist is discovered?
SWEET, SWEET FANTASY & SCI-FI BABY
What’s the Story: Life is normal for Luluco until a handsome transfer student shows up.
What’s the Story: A 15-year-old boy finds a mysterious crystal at his father’s company and is transported to another world underneath the Earth’s surface.
What’s the Story: Strange things start to happen on an airplane and panic ensues.
Neko Neko Nihonshi
What’s the Story: Japanese historical figures re-imagined as cats? This Deadly Diva is getting Nekotalia feels. Unfortunately, without a Western simulcast, we’ll have to wait to see how this plays out.
What’s the Story: In an ancient Japan where supernatural creatures roam freely, young girls rise to the occasion and defend the land.
Ragnastrike Angels
What’s the Story: In this short-form anime, we follow the adventures of girls who somehow turn jumbo-sized and fight. This sounds like a lot to capture in a 30 second episode that doesn’t have a Western simulcast.
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re: Life in a Different World from Zero)
What’s the Story: A late night trip to a convenience store leads a high school student to another world where he meets a beautiful stranger with silver hair.
Kyoukai no Rinne (Rin-Ne) Second Season
What’s the Story: In this season, we continue to follow Mamiya Sakura as she works with half shingami Rokudo Rinne to help lost spirits pass on to be reincarnated. If the characters designs look familiar, this Deadly Diva has two words for you – Takahashi Rumiko.
What’s the Story: A 16-year-old boy sets out to challenge a dragon to avenge his parents’ death.
Terra Formars: Revenge Season 2
What’s the Story: Humanity is still fighting with humanoid cockroaches.
What’s the Story: This is the latest season of the anime about a boy who freed a monster that was trapped in his family’s basement.
THIS IDOL HAS A SONG TO SING
Aikatsu Stars
What’s the Story: Without a Western simulcast, it may be a bit difficult to enjoy the story of group a girls at an idol academy working to make their dreams come true.
PriPara 3rd Season
What’s the Story: The third season of an anime about an elementary school girl who grasps her chance to become an idol and enters a world of fashion, dance, and music. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Western simulcast.
THESE SLICE(S) OF LIFE ARE SO DARN TASTY
What’s the Story: A fateful ride up a hill leads to schoolgirl’s fascination with motorcycles.
What’s the Story: Makoto, a 15- year-old witch, moves from Yokohama to Aomori to live with some relatives as part of her training.
What’s the Story: At Yokosuka Girls’ Marine High School, girls seek to join the Blue Mermaids, a task force that keeps Japan’s seas safe.
What’s the Story: The futuristic Japanese town of Sugomori City is the site of a large-scale experiment known as the Kizuna System, which allows them to share each other’s wounds as well as the pain.
What’s the Story: Schoolgirls find happiness in a Deadly Diva approved manner—through the love of bread…and peace. But who needs peace when you have bread?
What’s the Story: Three schoolgirls, with nothing in common aside from having the kanji for leaf in their names, become unlikely friends.
What’s the Story: After years apart and a memory erasing car crash, the relationship between Haru and his younger adopted brother strengthens.
OH, OOOH, OOOOOH, OOOOOOH…MAGICAL GIRLS
Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Crystal
What’s the Story: Don’t you dare act brand new! We all know who and what Sailor Moon is. This season is one of this Deadly Diva’s favorites because we finally we get Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. And no, they are not cousins.
SO…THIS IS THE MECHA SECTION
What’s the Story: So, here we are with another anime set in a school, where the students learn to use mechas to defend the world.
What’s the Story: A samurai kept in cryostasis awakes in the modern day, where mecha now wield the swords. Make sure you’ve paid that Netflix bill so you can watch this.
Macross Delta
What’s the Story: This is one of those times where a certain Deadly Diva will dispense with her disdain of the mecha genre for the love of this franchise. Macross is back. Ugghhh… Why is there no Western simulcast?
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096
What’s the Story: More darn Gundam…but I believe there is singing involved now.
HMMM… THERE ARE MYSTERIES AFOOT
What’s the Story: The Phoenix Wright games have finally been adapted into an anime series.
What’s the Story: After saving a man from killing himself, an orphan joins the supernatural detective agency.
What’s the Story: Espionage in the days preceding World War II – History & conspiracy buffs, this is for you.
What’s the Story: Seeking to restart their lives, thirty young people head to a mysterious village that promises utopia.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY A GAME?
Battle Spirits: Double Drive
What’s the Story: This is the eighth season of an anime inspired by the Bandai’s Battle Spirits trading card game. Since this series has not been licensed outside of Japan, there is no Western simulcast.
Beyblade: Burst
What’s the Story: Did you know there were eight seasons of Beyblade? Neither did this Deadly Diva. Apparently there is still a market for shows about kids battling with spinning tops, even if there isn’t a Western simulcast.
What’s the Story: The latest entry in the Buddyfight series where kids battle with monster pals.
Kamiwaza Wanda
What’s the Story: A boy and his space dog try to capture Bugmin, monsters that maintain a world where every event has been turned into a program. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Western simulcast.
Duel Masters VSRF (Duel Masters Versus Revolution Final)
What’s the Story: We’ve all seen Duel Masters, well some of us have seen Duel Masters. This time they added a talking hamster… and there’s not a Western simulcast.
