First Look at the New Titles for Summer of 2026

Here is the quick look at all of the new and returning anime that are on the watch list for the Summer of 2025! 

 

Sparks of Tomorrow

    Four years after his brother left for war, Kihachi still holds out hope for the vision of electrifying Japan at the turn of the century, moving away from team power.  The key to that effort, the 20th Century Electricity Catalog, has been missing since his brother left.   Through a chance encounter with a clumsy girl, that catalog has suddenly returned to him.  Unfortunately the heir to a powerful steam zaibatsu is after it as well.

    This is KyoAni's latest series and they have pulled out all of the stops.  Immense color palette, fluid animation and larger than life characters.  This steam age comedy action story has a lot of potential.  Regardless of its quality, I have to keep watching it since it was Davids pick for this season of the Podcast!

Daemon's of the Shadow Realm cour 2

    After a week break we dive right back into the world of twin daemons and their wielders.  The story picks up right were cour 1 ended with another attack on Higashi Village.  The stakes are rising as Yuru and Asa struggle to learn the fate of their parents.

    I ended season 1 disappointing. The pacing was terrible and the world building not good enough for the type of story it wanted to tell.  We decided to stick with it for the next season of the podcast in hopes that it would redeem its self.  The first episode of the new cour was good...but so was the first episode of cour 1.  Time will tell if this will end up being worth the time.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

Please Excuse My Younger Brothers

    Ito's mother has married a new man and the two of them are moving in with him.  She is excited to have a complete family and the new life that awaits her.  What she didn't anticipate, given her mom should have told her before hand...the new marriage brings four younger brothers with it.  She goes from a largely solitary existence to a house full of differing personalities and a whole new set of challenges ahead of her. 

    It's hard to say at this point how much this story will lean into a romance angle, cus step siblings, but reverse harems aren't entirely a bad thing.  A weak point is how by the book the story and characters seem so far and I am not sure if this one will really be able to tell something new enough to keep my interest.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Draw This, Then Die

    Ai has always struggled to interact with her peers.  The socially awkward girl eventually finds solace in the world of manga.  After years of reading as much manga she could, she would always return to the first one she read, a single volume of an unpopular series that was cancelled quickly.  When she learns that making manga is something anyone can do and the author of her favorite one is one her teachers, a whole new world opens up to her.

     The biggest take away is that Ai probably needs some mental health support.  If you approach the series from a realistic perception, she absolutely needs to be on some sort of medication to work on her chemical imbalance in her brain.  The hallucinations alone are concerning!  But, instead this is a cute slice of life about an awkward girl who is falling in love with the world of imagination and self expression...even if her incredibly strict teacher/secret failed manga creator tries (at first) to push her away from the medium.  So far this one is going to stick around.  Its predictable but fun at the same time.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky

    Kakeru is a university student who doesn't like engaging with those around him and has spent most of his life being unobtrusive.  After being forced to attend a mixer he becomes entangled with a fellow student, Koharu, who is visually impaired.  Another co-ed, who is a member of the service committee, coerces Kakeru to look out for Koharu and help her in the classes they attend together.  Kakeru is reluctant, due to his personality and due to not wanting to be in a situation where his kindness for the young woman comes from a place of pity.

    I won't lie, the major draw for this is due to Hayami Kaori voicing Kakeru.  With this roll she has now done two special needs characters that I am aware of...the other being Shoko from A Silent Voice.  This series is a slow burning low energy drama so far.  I see potential but there is so far too much emphasis on Kakeru's internal dialogue, a realm that is filled with self pity and discontent with his surroundings.  SO far Kakeru is presented as an eternally optimistic character, but I suspect there will be a point where the mask falls and real drama kicks in.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Oh Boy, Was I Wrong About Her

    Hayato has transferred to Tokyo from the country side for high school.  During his childhood, due to the scarcity of kids his age, he only had one friend, Haruki.  Their bond of friendship was incredibly strong and he has missed him ever since he moved away.  At the first day of class he learns that a girl shares his best friends name.  Quickly...he learns that they are one and the same, he has just assumed the tom boyish girl that spent all of her time with him was a boy.  Both are more then excited to be in each others company again, even if things are a little different.

    There isn't anything bad I can say about this.  It flows rather nicely and the secret of Haruhi's gender is not a concept that becomes the focus point.  Hayato quickly accepts the reality, understanding how things can be misunderstood when a young child.  They have kept their past hidden from their peers for now, but eventually that will come out and its only a matter of time for the romantic emotions to develop.  Unless it gives me a reason to stop watching it I will keep going, but I don't anticipate anything mind blowing with the story.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia

    Sitar is a young girl how has been forced into slavery in 13th century Persia.  In a stroke of luck she becomes part of a scholarly household and is given an education.  Ten years later, after the young master of the house has been touring the land to become as great a scholar as his father, the town is attacked by Mongol invaders.  The city if destroyed and most inhabitants are murdered, Sitar finds herself alone and in a strange new life, unsure if she has the will to continue.

    I have been waiting for this one since it was announced.  I am a huge simp for Science Saru and stories that break from the norm are rare gems in the landscape of TV anime.  As I was watching it, I felt some similarity in tone and theme with Orb: On the Movements of the Earth.  I can't wait to watch more of this beautiful tale.  I fear however this will go largely unnoticed by the anime community, due to the subject matter and the unique artwork.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

 You and I are Polar Opposites season 2

    We return to the fluffy love life of gyaru Miyu and silently bookish Yusuke...and their close circle of friends.  We jump back in with their lives as they approach the most romantic time of the year, Christmas Eve, and the couplings work are solidifying.

    We are so lucky to have the second half of the fantastic and loving romance so quickly after the first season.  The story hasn't lost its charm or its footing as we continue to get more amusement and sweetness.  Sadly, when this run is over that will be the end of the story!!!!

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Let's Go Kaikigumi

    A sturdy high school student, who hates scary stories and the concept of ghosts, ends up convincing himself to assist a weird, possibly ghost, girl named Mechako to rebuild her family business, the Kaikigumi.  The business is responsible to setting up and maintaining haunting in the neighborhood and has fallen off since she inherited it from her late father.  Due to his sense of responsibility over powering his sheer terror, the boy agrees to help out the strange girl and now has to live his life interacting with all manner of ridiculous apparitions.

    The plot set, the main characters introduced, now all that's left is to introduce as many odd ghost ideas as possible.  This is a rather amusing series with very Japanese humor.  I am not sure if I can categories this as a gag anime but its close enough.  This could be fun if the jokes stay strong and fresh.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll.

Grow Up Show 

    Mizuka, who grew up in an intense family circus environment, has been estranged from her father due to her refusal to carry on the familly business.  At the end of her rope and desperate, she finds herself as a small circus troupe, via trickery from her father.  The troupe is run by a petite woman named Maria and is staffed by orphans girls and women.  Mizuka want's nothing to do with it but eventually is encouraged to join when Maria reveals that Mizuka is responsible for a sizable debt incurred by her father.  Maria hopes that the reluctant prodigy will add the talent needed to shape up her troupe.

    A new twist in the standard cute girl iyashiki, this time its a 1950's traveling circus of moe types.  Not sure how long I will watch it.  I am not particularly enamored by the theme and everything else feels very familiar and boring.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

One Piece Heroines

    Based on the light novel series of the same name, this series focuses on the women of One Piece and  tells stand alone stories of their exploits.

    What first drew me in was the artwork and character design.  The biggest problem I have with One Piece is the objectification of its female characters in regards to their design and clothing.  Heroines instead turns their figures and fashion into empowerment and grace.  The first episode was a story of Nami getting revenge on a shoddy fashion shoe maker who contracts pirates to steal jewels for him to use.  I absolutely loved this new portrayal of both Nami and Robin and can't wait for more!!

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll.

100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You season 3

     We kick off the season with Rintaro still working towards his goal of finding the 100 women/girls who are his true loves.  But before we do that we have to back track on the few that were snuck in, in-between the season.

    If you have ever doubted the legitimacy of this series to exist, just remember it is equal parts satire/comedy and fan service.  It is creatively schizophrenic. The opening sequence sets the tone and does it in a solid manner well established at this point.  Some of the best parts of this story are the flagrant 4th wall breaks.  How many more tropes can he add to his harem?!?!

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Chainsmoker Cat

    Yaniko is a young adult who also happens to be a cat-girl, in a world were some people are animal hybrids.  Yaniko lives in a dilapidated apartment in barren squalor, spending all of her meager earnings on cigarettes and beer.  Her addiction to nicotine is debilitating, leading her to extremes to get her fix.

    I wasn't sure if this would be worth the time, fearing it would be a weird exploitative off color series.  It still is!   But its also way too real for what it is.  It reminds me way too much of some aspects of my young adult life spent in poverty.  While I haven't gone as far as saving cigarettes from fresh poop...I have done some less than savory things for nicotine.  I also lived in a run down, shitty apartment because the rent was cheap and work didn't pay well.  On top of everything, this has some of the best artwork so far of any other series this season!  I think I'm going to enjoy this more than anticipated.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll and OceanVeil. 

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc season 2

    Without skipping a beat, the story picks up after the fall out from the arc at the end of season 1.  The boss man of Magilumiere wants to implement the new low magic system they are developing to fight the Kaii infestation.  Other more powerful organizations are opposed to this, desiring greater unleashing of magical powers and fattening their bottom end in the process.

    I was a little lost at first, given how long its been since season one ended, but by about the halfway point of the episode I remembered the things that mattered with this world.  Its great to have a fresh take on the magical girl genre and this season looks to be cracking heavily into the business intrigue side of things!

The series is being simulcast on Amazon Prime. 

Ghost in the Shell

    If you have never seen Ghost in the Shell in any of its prior incarnations then this is a brand new fresh and unadulterated start.  It is a story of a public security force that specializes in counter terrorism in a future marked by advanced technologies.  Section 9 is a really a small paramilitary force that has a theoretically unlimited budget to do what is usually necessary to maintain the governments best interest, even if that doesn't fit any sort of social interest.

    It is at this point I regret never really diving into the original GITS manga.  Like anyone my age I have pretty much watched everything that has been made before.  I knew going into this brand new take at it by Science Saru that we were in for a different type of story, one closer to the manga.  A weird and confusing espionage tale that has a very healthy amount of comedy and weirdness to it.  Forget most of what you know about this world if you have only ever watched the other anime adaptations...its a whole new ball game and I am here for this.

The series is being simulcast on Amazon Prime.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You

    Sasaki is a middle aged, single office worker, who frequents a local super market to take in the beaming friendliness of a cashier named  Yamada as his only source of happiness.  One night, while his object of affection isn't on the clock, another employee invites him to join her for a cigarette in the back of the building.  The woman names Tayama presses him about his noticeable obsession with Yamada.  She seems satisfied with his innocent confession of her putting a ray of happiness on his otherwise dreary daily life.

    Tayama is Yamada...shes good at putting on the customer service act and changes her appearance enough to convince at least Sasaki...for now.  She appears to have an affection for the solemn Sasaki and for now is playing with him for her own amusement.  Its a matter of how long until she comes clean or he figures it out then the story can move onto more honest conversations with these two that seem to be destined for each other.  The first episode didn't offer a lot outside of the initial premise.  Hopefully over time more meat becomes available because I am not sure how long I can handle these two having awkward conversations sitting on crates.

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life

    Narukami is a listless NEET, wasting his days watching TV and playing video games.  His pathetic but uneventful life comes to an abrupt halt when a crazed girl names Hanaori burst into his room to challenge him.  Narukami is the reincarnation of an evil demon lord.  Hanaori was the hero who defeated him.  Even though they live in the relative peace of the real world, she still has a strong desire to defeat him.  To make her victory meaningful she convinces him to do something with his life.  He decides to begin working as a teacher and ironically finds himself teaching Hanaori's class.  The new age of adventure has begun!

    The entire premise on its own was quite amusing to me...then I looked into who made the original manga.  Hikawaa Hekiru, the author of Pani Poni.  I was already entertained enough by the hectic pacing of the first episode but given its by the man genius behind Pani Poni Dash...I am in the the long run!

The series is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Rooster Fighter

 Rooster Fighter (ニワトリ・ファイター) is a 12 episode shonen action anime based on the manga of the same name by Sakuratani Shu.  The series originally aired during the Spring of 2026.

    Keiji is a rooster out for revenge.  After his home was destroyed and his sister captured by a powerful demon something unlocked within him, giving hm a fearsome power.  He has now taken to wandering Japan in search of this demon, fighting any of them that he comes across.  Demon's have been occurring randomly, reeking havoc on civilian populations, causing mayhem and destruction.  No one knows where they come from but they seem to be manifested from humans who find themselves in great anguish or peril.  While Keiji destroys every demon he comes across he is not beholden to any sense of justice.  They just happen to be in his way as he searches for his sister and her captor.

     Along the way he gains two chicken companions, a baby chick named Piyoko and a hen he encountered earlier named Elizabeth.   The three of them continue their journey, fighting off any demon they encounter.  But they being to notice that some demons are not agents of destruction.  This gives them hope tha not all is dire.  Unfortunately their positivity is soon dashed as they learn there exists a more powerful and dangerous element, Devils, who appear to be manipulating some of the demon population to an unknown goal.  Keiji's half brother arrives to fill in some of the details and the hero rooster learns that he comes from a long line of chickens who have great ability and power...a thing the devils are trying to eradicate.

 

 

    If it wasn't for David picking this as his choice for the 2026 Spring edition of the podcast I would never have watched this.  By the end of the series David regretted his choice.  Rooster Fighter is the first anime that was given a failing grade by both of us at the end of the show.  It started out promising as a satire of the standard shonen battle story, akin to what One Punch Man started out as.  It was amusing and irreverent at first so we over looked its rote story and terribly enacted animation.  By the it became the thing it was making fun of and did it in a unoriginal and banal manner.  The last few episodes were little more than a low budget remake of Dragon Ball Z with chicken actors.

     To highlight the uselessness of this anime, by the end it became quite clear this was nothing short of a marking venture for the manga.  The final episode ends as the actual plot becomes clear with no apparent effort to continue the anime.  This was a massive waste of time and effort and puts a highlight on avoiding anything co-developed by Cartoon Network.  Do not watch this anime...probably don't even read the manga, its a waste of time.  Go back and redo DBZ instead.

The series was simulcast on Hulu.

Rent-A-Girlfriend - season 5

   Rent-A-Girlfriend (彼女、お借りします) is a slice of life romance comedy based on the manga of the same name by Miyajima Reiji.  The fifth season was comprised again of 12 episodes and aired during the Spring of 2026.

    Everyone is still enjoying the mini vacation care of Kazuya's grandmother at the Hawaiian  themed resort, but the strain of the secret that Mizuhara is a rental girlfriend erupts into the public space.  Kazuya's ex, Mami, has decided enough is enough and pulls the trigger in her secret weapon.  As the group heads to eat Mami drops her cell to the ground with Mizuhara's rental profile.  The phone is found by Kazuya's grandmother, unlocked a series of events that cause all of his friends and family pain and confusion.  The secret is out, everything has been a lie.  The most striking thing is Chizuru lying to her dying grandmother, Kazuya's grandmothers dear friend.  quick thinking saves the situation and helps to eleviate some of the danger.  They admit to her being a rental girlfriend and Kazuya subscribing to the service.  The new lie that is spun to save some face is to say that it eventually transitioned into a real relationship and they have been dating since before Mizuhara's grandmother passed away.  Unhappy with the outcome, Mami pushes them to prove their love resulting in a public kiss to end the discussion.

    With the big lie out in the open and a new lie in its place, Kazuya and Mizuhara return home only a little wounded.  The person who is devastated by the outcome is Kazuya's girlfriend Ruka,  In order to respect Ruka and her place as his actual girlfriend, Mizuhara cuts off contact with him for months after the trip.  This leads Kazuya to a deep depression in which he sleeps away his days and barely interacts with the outside world.  Fearing for his health and safety, Mini, his obsessive steamer neighbor and self described student, thumbs the scale to reconnect the two.  Through her encouragement Kazuya reaches out to Mizuhara.  Feeling guilt for ghosting him and the guilt for what is happening to Ruka she tells him that she is uncertain of her feelings for him and needs to spend some time contemplating and understanding them.  Kazuya takes this as a sign that there is still hope but also becomes anxious over his chances.  As things begin to look up a sudden earthquake throws their lives into disarray.  Their apartment building is condemned and they suddenly find themselves living separate from each other.  This distance surely can't help Kazuya's chances can it?

    I have languished for a while know in this mire that is Rent-A-Girlfriend.  After the more enjoyable story beats at the end of season 3 I have decided to stick with it for its run, for better or worse...largely worse.  Season 4 was terrible and grueling.  Season 5 continued with that torture by extending the Hawaiian's arc a bit longer, leading to this crescendo of absurdity.  To make thinks worse Mimi is given a deeper development as a cruel and terrible person due to a pretty shitty upbringing.  She exists in a state or pure malice, if she cant be happy no one can be happy.  Ruka is a tragic character in the entire situation, but she also needs to realize that she has really lost.  Even if Kazuya doesn't get Mizuhara, he really doesn't have any interest in the younger girl.  Kazuya is a terrible character with every single bad trapping of a shonen romance lead.  Every correct idea or decision he has is utterly annihilated by his internal dialogue and over powered self doubt.  He can't even maintain composure in the presence of Mizuhara during a normal conversation, even after a year and a half of interacting with her.  No one can be that chronically awkward.

     Rent-A-Girlfriend doesn't hide the fact that part of its reason is to be a fan service vehicle, especially with the multi episode swim suite arc.  But, once again, at the very end of season 5, it dips into what can be a good story...Mizuhara.  Once again I am reminded that the story could be a really good story if the primary character was Mizuhara.  The last few episodes of season 5 deal with a normalizing relationship between the two of them and her efforts to prepare her grandparents home for sale.  We won't magically get a revision of this narrative to follow Mizuhara and her internal processes and that's a shame, but I will enjoy the moments we do get and hope that as we stare down season 6...we might get a conclusion to this ridiculous story.

The anime was simulcast on Crunchyroll.

Pardon the Intrusion, I'm Home!

 Pardon the Intrusion, I'm Home! (ただいま、おじゃまされます!) is a 12 episode slice of life romance based on the manga of the same name by Watomura.  The series originally aired during the Spring of 2026.

    Nakama Rinko is a 20-something office worker who keeps to herself and hides the fact that shes an anime otaku.   One of her favorite shows is the Bunny and Cat Club.  She has found recently that if she watched other anime than that one her next door neighbor pounds angrily on their adjoining wall.  Her other neighbor, the kindly man named Satsuki Akito comes to her aid one day when he notices the disturbance.  He brazenly calls out the unruly person, hoping to put an end to the trouble they give Rinko.  Instead the neighbor angrily busts a hole in the wall to have a face to face confrontation with the person pushing against his aggression.  The unruly neighbor...nothing less than the other of the Bunny and Cat Club manga, Usada Haruma.  Rinko professes her worship of him as the creator of one of her favorite media franchises.  He understands this adoration and explains that he doesn't appreciate her enjoying anything other than his creation.  Satsuki can't stand by and let the belligerent manga author dictate Rinko's life and decides to step in to try and protect her.

    One thing leads to another and another hole is broken in the wall separating Rinko and Satsuki's apartments leading to Usada demanding that she cook all of his meals for him, in order to maintain his creative focus.  Unhappy with the abuse of power Satsuki has Rinko pretend that they are dating, so he can more easily keep an eye on the tyrannical Usada.  Satsuki fears that the author will take further advantage of his worshiper and wants to protect the innocent woman.  Yet, Satsuki himself has an ulterior motive.  After their casual interactions over the time they have become neighbors, he has begun to develop feelings for Rinko and hopes that this will give him an opportunity to win her over.  Usada is skeptical of the situation but continues to coerce Rinko into becoming a sort of assistant to him...on top of her actual job.  As the trio spend more time together the men begin to realize that they are actually battling each other for the same thing, Rinko's love and attention.  But what does Rinko want?

 The premise is fun but quickly it stalls and largely becomes devoid of development and progress.  For all of the primary characters being established adults and professionals, they sure act like teenagers in every aspect of their daily lives.  I quickly lost interest in the series a few episodes in and only completed it out of boredom, hoping that something would happen that would be interesting.  Unfortunately nothing really pans out and the minimal obstacles peppered in ended up posing no real threat to anything.  The only thing keeping Rinko from choosing her suitor or either guy being honest is their own unwillingness to change anything.  There were small windows into potentially deeper story, with the potential to create more development for the characters.  The most glaring is Rinko's childhood of what appears to be abandonment by the rest of her family.  Instead of this being used as a way to explore sadness in her, it is instead used as a way to really just explain her tendency to love being alone/otaku.  Though it does a little bit to show her sadness at being alone...but too little way too late.

    On top of the wasted space and time with the story just spinning its wheels for most of its run the artwork is a little bad.  Especially when it comes to Usada's parents.  Terrible terrible character design work.  The backgrounds and lived in space is also way to clean and devoid to deeper context.  In general, I was not really happy with this series.  It could have been a ridiculous comedy or a deeper story with some casual drama.  Instead it spun the same concepts again and again, refusing to push the characters into any sort of growth or progress.  Would not recommend honestly. 

The series was simulcast on Crunchyroll. 

Kirio Fan Club

 Kirio Fan Club (霧尾ファンクラブ) is a 12 episode romantic slice of life based on the manga of the same name by Ponchan Chikyū no Osakana.  The series originally aired during the Spring of 2026.

    Miyoshi Aimi and Sometani Nami are best friends who both have a deep infatuation with their classmate Kirio Ken.  His very existence fills their day with wonder and yearning.  They have decided to fight each other to see who will be the first to ask him out on a date.  Their game borders on problematic stalking as they do things like take selfies with his sport coat or write songs about loving his body parts.  Kirio doesn't really notice their existence, interacting minimally in class, largely with his friends Momose and Satsuki.  Realizing they need to up their game, to make Kirio notice them, the employee the expertise of their occult expert classmate, Manda.  Manda, uncomfortable with the sudden attention, begins to expose the pair to his arcane knowledge.

    Their supernatural approach appears to work as they begin to be brought into Kirio's small circle via Momose inviting them.  One thing leads to another and they gain access to Kirio via messenger, unlocking their chance to confront him with their feelings.  What they don't realize is that Kirio is living in a world of darkness and pain.  Prior to high school he watched his best friend die slowly from an unspecified ailment.  Since then Kirio has existed in a state of ennui as he struggles with his loss.  He has convinced himself that he has no right to be happy when his friend can no longer be happy with him.  The interactions he has with people are school are instigated by them, as he does the minimum to exist, contemplating whether he should continue doing so.  As the girls work at getting closer to him their blindingly loving friendship begins to work against their efforts as Kirio begins to resent them.

    This was my pick for the Spring Season of the podcast and I chose it based on the apparent insanity of the trailer.  I was anticipating something as unhinged as Asobi Asobasi.  What we got instead was a story about believable teenagers, focusing largely on their awkwardly flawed nature, as they exist in their own insular realities.  While Aimi and Nami's behavior and fascinations feel exaggerated, lets be honest, we all said similar dumb stuff while teenagers.  The characters being largely blinded by their own self interests is something that usually doesn't become a major factor in similar shows.  Until the very last minute, no one really knew that something was gravely wrong, something that is far to real.

    While I was disappointed the show was not insane and off tilt, what we got was a surprisingly real story about love, friendship and grief.   It was just masked under a thick layer of antics and comedy.  The artwork is probably the weakest portion.  I was not a fan of the character designs over all and there was a lot of simplicity to the detail work.  The series did the thing I greatly enjoy, facial features were over the top to enhance certain emotions.  One other negative aspect is that out main characters don't really see any growth through the story.  How we are introduced to them in the beginning is largely how we see them at the end, which is a bit of a shame, but it only has so much room I guess.  Honestly well worth the watch if you're a fan of slice of life romantic comedies and want something a little outside of the norm.

The series is available on HiDive. 

Ranma 1/2 Remake - Season 2

 Ranma 1/2 (らんま⁠1/2) season 2 of the remake is continuing with the manga by Takahashi Rumiko.  Season 2 initially aired during the Fall of 2025.

      The second season kicks off with the introduction of a character who barely made an appearance in the original anime adaptation, Gosunkugi Hikaru.  Gosunkugi is a loner occult otaku who is obsessed with Akane.  He decides to use his dark arts knowledge to remove Ranma from the picture.  In the process he discovers Ranma's one weakness, cats, and attempts to use that to destroy him.  Instead he unleashes a secret power that is the result of Ranma's cat trauma, the cat fist technique.  Unfortunately for Ranma he struggles to stay away from the felines, especially one in particular that is revealed to be Shampoo.  The amazon has returned, with her grandmother, and reveals that she was forced to endure training at Jusenkyo.  She was unlucky enough to fall into the spring of drowned cat.

    In addition to the two women, a man from their village, Mousse, has come to Japan as well.  He believes he is the true suitor for Shampoo and decides to use Akane as a foil in his efforts to defeat Ranma, hoping to use that victory to win Shampoos hand.  Too compound matters more, a friend from childhood shows up as another fiance, the feisty okinomiyaki chef, Ukyo.  She realizes how much Ryoga likes Akane and uses this as a way to get her out of the way so she can take Ranma for her self.  With all this insanity and scheming how will Ranma ever get the training in to return to being a full boy...especially when the master of anything goes martial arts begins to cause a problem in the city.

     The second season of the remake is a welcome continuation of MAPPA's fantastic vision for Ranma.  This season is packed with introducing all of the characters that will become permanent players for the rest of the story...however long they decide to keep it going.  But...from here on out things can tend to take on a repetitive position.  From the knowledge of the original anime adaptation, there is really no more important characters introduced and it becomes a series of similar plot lines revolving around martial arts competitions and schemes.  This season however, we are eating good!

     MAPPA continues to do fantastic work in breathing new life into this story, with high quality animation and well placed comedy.  Its great that almost all of the original cast has returned to do this series, some of who got their start with the original.  The third season was announced after season two ended and they chose an interesting way of promoting it.  It looks like we will be kicking off with the breaking point technique.  The trailer goes hard to present Ranma as a serious and dramatic story...but we all know its slap stick comedy, so it will be fun to see how they actually translate this story and how far the next season brings us into the manga.

This season and the first are available on Netflix. 

First Look at the New Titles for Spring of 2026

 Once again it's time for a slew of new anime titles!  Here is whats on my watch list, at list for the first episode or so, for the 2026 Spring season.

 

Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!

    Nakamura Okuto is an average high school student who struggles with getting closer to a classmate he's fallen in love with, Hirose Aiki.  Every time he tries to get closer to Hirose, in order to incrementally build a connection, his nervousness steps in and causes issue.  Can he ever let Hirose-kun know his true feelings?

    This is a by the numbers romantic comedy that overflows with nostalgia.  The characters remind me of older Takahashi designs.  The ending theme song is even reminiscent of credit songs from the 80's.  Very nostalgia.  Whats really remarkable about this story is that its boys love and it doesn't behave any different than a romantic comedy about a guy and a girl.  Nakamura doesn't question his feelings, proudly identifies as gay, at least internally, and at this point doesn't put any social awkwardness into consideration.  The only thing keeping him from opening up to the boy he likes is anxiety about being liked back.  This is going to be a fun series to fill in the gap left by Polar Opposites while we await its second cour.

The series is available on Crunchyroll. 

Kirio Fan Club

    Nami and Aimi are friends and rivals in love.  They both pine for their stoic classmate, Kirio, and are ready the battle for his attention.  The problem...they're not sure he even knows they exist.

    I might be expecting too much for this one but the first episode was a bit tepid.  I was hoping it would be quite a bit more manic and unhinged.  The previews made me think if Asobi Asobase but so far it hasn't gotten to that level or insanity.  Here's hoping it does as this was my solo pick for the Spring season of the podcast! 

The series is available on Hidive. 

The Ramparts of Ice

    Hikawa has had a hard childhood, continually being teased by her peers due to her short stature.  This has lead her to develop and icy personality where she makes herself unapproachable and avoidable.  Her only friend is the goddess of her class, Azmui, who struggles with the attention.  But things may be turning around when she begins to interact with two boys from different classes who aren't bothered by her walls.

     Anti social main characters being forced to gradually warm up to social interactions is a tired trope in slice of life anime.  This one doesn't really seem to present us with anything new in that regard.  However the 4 main-ish characters are enjoyable in their own regard so this one sticks around for now.  Given this is by the same author as You and I are Polar Opposites, I will give it some time to cook....as that show was an amazing addition to the romance genre.

The series is available on Netflix. 

 

Snowball Earth

     Tetsuo is a genius who struggles to connect with others, social anxiety over powers his ability to talk with people, regardless of their age.  He ends up piloting a robot designed to fight kaiju and becomes the hero of Earth.  Ten years later, the earth forces face the kaiju in one final battle, only to loose.  In a last resort effort the intelligent robot he pilots self destructs, ejecting him out into space.  He awakes from cryo sleep 8 years later to find the Earth covered in ice and snow, still fighting the kaiju.  How is he going to make friends now?

    I thought I understood what this series was based on the previews, but the first episode serves up a classic giant robot story that I'm pretty sure does not pan out for the rest of the series.  Tetsuo is an interesting introvert social misfit.  I am not sure how well this series will do personally if it doesn't step up the comedy that I expect to come. 

The series is available on Crunchyroll. 

Daemons of the Shadow Realm

   Yuru's idyllic and anachronistic life is shattered when the outside world invades his hidden village, murdering most of its inhabitants.  Through the skill of a wandering trader he escapes with his life, unlocked hidden powers of his people.  The life he has known all of his 16 years might just be a lie.

    The premier episode of this latest anime adaptation of a manga by Arakawa Hiromu does not fail to impress and draw in the viewer.  Its not my style normally but I respect her ability to tell a good story and so far its been good.  Lots of unanswered questions to keep things interesting.

The series is available on Crunchyroll.  

Akane-banashi

    The person that most inspires young Osaki Akane is her father, an aspiring rakugo performer.  But a disastrous performance during an promotion test her father and his peers are all expelled from their rakugo school, crushing his dreams forever.  Now, a teenager, Akane is working to avenge her fathers disgrace and revive his way of performing.

     The first part of the premier episode was well paced and enjoyable.  It was presented as a heart warming tale of struggle and family bond.  But the episode ends as any other tournament shonen story does...with our primary character confidently approaching their challenges head on.  The artwork is fantastic but i dread the deep shonen tropes that will tarnish a story that could be really enjoyable.  I suspect I wont stick with this one for long...fearing a slew of single dimensional side characters and forced tension.

The series is available on YouTube in North America and Netflix elsewhere. 

Nippon Sangoku

    Japan as a modern society collapses following a century or neglect and knock-on effects from global irrelevance.  What takes its place is a fracturing into three spheres of influence that resemble the warring states period prior to the unification of the three great unifiers.  After his wife is killed by a callous official, Aoteru begins a journey to reunite the nation and bring back the prosperity of the past.

    The artwork is awkward but I enjoy most of the character work.  Japan has a strong link to the Three Kingdoms narratives of ancient China and a semi-unhealthy fascination with its own chivalrous era.  It will take a few more episodes to see if there is anything interesting in this story or if it will be a collection of misplaced hero worshiping and historical white washing.

The series is available on Amazon Prime. 

The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt

    Sakuradaimon is a school monitor who has a strong sense of duty and justice.  One girl brings trouble to the school code every day, with her dyed hair and too short skit.  Kohinata is trying to find her identity and refuses to bend to the strict rules of her school and ignores Sakuradaimon's harsh authority.  But something sparks in her when she realizes hes really just an idiot with a strong sense of duty and she begins to enjoy interacting with him.

    Sakuradaimon is pure and simple...a piece of wood.  His ridiculous sternness and sense of duty goes a long way to deliver the comedy.  The first episode established a lot of the ground work and built the two main characters relationship with a solid foundation.  It helps that the episode covered a handful of scenarios instead of trying to drag out a single plot line.  If it can continue to deliver a rapid pace of remotely connected scenarios this could be entertaining.

The series is available on Crunchyroll.

Pardon the Intrusion, I'm Home!

    Nakama is works a steady job and loves anime, setting up her apartment as a shrine.  Unfortunately the neighbor to her right pounds angrily on her wall when she watches anything other than Usaneko Club.  Her neighbor to the left learns of her troubles and offers to help her...but that help ends up being a confrontation leading to a large hole being created in her wall.  The angry neighbor is none other than the author of the Usaneko Cafe manga.  A surly petulant genius.  Blinded by her favorite creators sudden appearance she makes him dinner which leads to him demanding he prepare meals for her 3 times a day moving forward...

    The first episode sets up the characters personalities rather well, they all fit into recognizable archetypes.  Its funny to have a series about a girl who idolizes someone and now has to deal with them in a close basis, given last seasons Tamon's B-Side.  This is one of those stories you dont need or want a lot of depth too as the real meat will be the antics.  It will be interesting to see how creative it can get. 

The series is available on Crunchyroll.

I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in Class

    Maehara begins his high school career as he always does, comfortable in being alone.  He is not very good with social interactions and over time has resigned himself to being alone, enjoying his passions on his own.  That doesn't mean he doesn't yearn for companionship, he just isn't willing/able to put in the effort to accomplish it.  That changes when a girl named Asanagi befriends him over his love of campy horror movies.  Asanagi and her childhood friend Amami are the center of their class and wouldn't be the type of person that would connect with the gloomy weirdo.  However they share a lot more in common than anyone would guess.

     The entire premise of the series is nothing more than wishful thinking.  Its the fantasy that so many incels carry.  "I'm a special person, its just the other peoples responsibilities to figure that out".  Beyond the toxic roots of its premise, the friendship between these two unlikely kids is actually fun, Asanagi is a hyper weirdo and Maehara is largely comfortable around her.  Time will tell if this can keep up with this positivity or fall into the trap of generating awkward drama to change things up.  I suspect the later but time will tell.

 The series is available on Crunchyroll.

Eren the Southpaw

     Koichi wants to go to school for graphic design after high school.  When someone defaces a local art museum with graffiti he is fired up by its artists talent.  The artist is a co-ed named Eren who carries significant baggage about art and her dead father.

    Not sure what to take of this first episode, especially since its a prologue to the actual story.  Koichi is a it of an elitist, which might be an extension of the original manga's author.  It will be intersting to see how this preamble will tie into the larger story but will it be something compelling enough to make the viewer want to stick around for the conclusion?

The series is available on Crunchyroll. 

Even a Replica Can Fall in Love

    Nao is a replica of Sunao, a copy of the girl created initially out of desperation and emotional strain.  Over the years Sunao would conjure Nao into existence for companionship and eventually replacement.  Over the years, with reliance on her replica to participate in the things she did not want to, Sunao would grow more and more isolated and despondent.  Nao, being summoned more in the high school, begins to build her own separate life from the girl who controls her existence.

    At first I thought this was a sci-fi story that took place in a world were replica technology existed, like Blade Runner.  I was awaiting the explanation of the technology.  Instead we get a super natural origin for the replica, pushing aside all of the technological concerns.  This deftly clears that way for what could be a very profound story about self worth and the dangers of convenience.  I am quite excited to continue this story and see how deep its psychoanalysis goes. 

The series is available on Crunchyroll. 

 Rent A Girlfriend 5

    Picked up immediately after the end of the last season, we get a crash course on Mami's upbringing and what shaped her personality and intention aimed at destroying Kazuya.  At the last moment Chizuru backs off of Mami's plan to come clean to his grandmother...extending the conflict.

    I was dreading returning to this series, as the last season was such a terrible waste of time.  This first episode did well however, even if it tried to trick the audience into sympathizing with our villain....Mami.  But it ended with more delay in the resolution of the biggest problem, the lie about Chuzuru not being Kazuya's girlfriend.  How much longer can it go and how much more fanservice can be jammed in? 

The series is available on Crunchyroll.

Gal's Can't be Kind to Otaku?

    Seo is an introverted otaku who's main obsession is a girl aimed version of Pokemon.  The girl in front of him in class is one of two gyaru, Ijichi, is outgoing and bubbly.  She grabs a limited edition erasure from his desk and in the process of him trying to get it back, Ijichi's friend, a more stoic model type, Amane, inadvertently lets it slip that shes a fan of the show as well.  This minor slip up leads the two girls to continue interacting with the bewildered outcast who struggles to recognize their sincerity.

    While a cute and amusing comedy this is literally otaku fantasy.  Its the tired trope of the super hot girl finally recognizes the qualities of the dejected protagonist and instigates an unlikely relationship with them.  It is very by the books, not offering anything new and when compared to the other story of the same concept, Second Prettiest Girl, I'm not sure this one will last as long as that one.

The series is available on Crunchyroll. 

 

The Warrior Princess and the Barbariuc King

    Defeated in battle, Serafina finds herself a prisoner of war by the heir to the throne of the barbarian horde.  Her people have been battling them for years, attempting to expand their country.  In the clutches of the enemy she expects the worse to happen to her.  Instead she is the subject of a strange courtship ritual as the man who defeated her, Veor, wants her to be his bride, following a long tradition of his people to find brides in warrior women faced in combat.

    Its kind of hard to rationalize forced marriage, especially via intentional Stockholm syndrome.  However, the series is trying to present its self as easy going and playful as the 'antagonist' is kind and well meaning, just following his peoples ways.  That doesn't make the basis of the concept any less problematic, but I think the charisma of the characters might make it less troublesome...time will tell.

The series is available on Crunchyroll.

A Hundred Scenes from Awajima

     Set in a prestigious all girls high school, Awajima Revue, the story follows a number of different students as they try to find their way along the stressful path of academic success where the bar is set to extreme heights.  Friendship is fragile in a world filled with competition and success.

    This was a 100% include in my watch list as its the latest adaptation of one of my favorite manga artists,  Shimura Takako.  I have not had the chance to read this manga yet, so the story is fresh and new.  I am excited but anxious for the drama and heart break. .   Bring it on!

The series is available on Crunchyroll.

Kujima, Why Sing When You Can Warble

     On his way home from school one day, Arata encounters a strange being calling its self Kujima.  Kujima is a tall humanoid being that slightly resembles a bird?  It can use human speech and tells the bewildered middle school student about an unconventional life following the death of his parents.  He was raised by a kindly Russian man but eventually told that he needs to rejoin his own species and suggested him go to Japan to do so.  Kujima, unaccustomed to living as a wild thing asks Arata and his family if he can winter with them before looking for his own kind.

    Its hard to say where this weird and quaint series is going to go!  Kujima feels both benevolnt and malevolent.  Just what are this weird creatures intentions and will his time with the Koda family become a catalyst for them to become closer again?  Weird series so far that leaves way more questions than answers in the first episode...Kujima is a little unsettling.

The series is available on Crunchyroll.

Botan Kamina Fully Blossoms When Drunk

    Botan is a first year college student who is started to dip into the finer things of being an adult.  She discovers that the RA in her dorm likes to drink, but does it in private due to being embarrassed about her consistent hiccups.  Her RA feels comfortable enjoying alcohol with Botan, but Botan seems to switch personalities with alcohol.

    At first I was excited about this prospect, not knowing anything about the story. A story about adults with a side plate of yuri?  But what we got, at least in the first episode...and I'm rather disappointed.  The idea of the characters being adults only seems to exist in the premise that they are drinking.  Otherwise they act like an otaku's version of moe girls...and its rather annoying.  I don't know how many more episodes I will get through but its really gotta turn its self around from being....rather pointless.

The series is available on Crunchyroll.