As usual, the new anime season kind of crept up on me. In my defense, the holidays late in the year take up a lot of my mental energy, and my job lately has been a real test of my patience (transitioning to a new position, yet still performing many aspects of my old one in addition while trying to learn the new processes). So maybe you readers will forgive me for being kind of absent for the last few weeks. Now that I have a day off and fewer weekend plans for a while, maybe anime can take the top spot on my priority list for a while (at least until Anime Detour prep ramps into high gear in a couple months… sheesh).
As with all my other seasonal previews, some of the things that sound interesting to me on paper may not pan-out at all come broadcast time, while series that don’t sound that compelling might turn out to be instant classics. That’s really the fun of discovering anime series as they appear on the many streaming services to which I subscribe – finding the good stuff where you don’t expect it feels like uncovering buried treasure. Anyway, below are some things that I’m interested in.
Note: As usual I’m using the confirmed/probable English titles of the anime in order to make it easier for readers to locate legal streams of the anime in which they’re interested.
- The sources I used for this post are listed below:
- Livechart Winter 2020
- MAL Winter 2020
- ANN Upcoming Anime (note that this will be out-of-date as soon as stuff starts airing, and already-aired series will drop down into the “recent anime” section)
Haikyuu!! To the Top
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Airing: January 11th, 2020
Man, I do love me some Haikyuu!! although it may surprise my readers to know that, despite that, I’ve only really watched the first season and part of the second. My husband watched season 2 on his own and I never got around to finishing it. That said, it’s difficult not to get excited for a new season of a series that has been so incredibly well-crafted throughout its run so far. I am not a manga follower, especially when it comes to long-running stories, so anime adaptations are how I prefer to consume more extended narratives. It’s really nice to know that whenever I get the opportunity to catch up with the show, there will be a lot of it there waiting for me.
The trailer below not only shows off some of the characters (both the primary ones and ones from other teams), but also one of the other things about the series that I really enjoy – the animation. It’s a series that has some of the more expressive animation I’ve seen in a sports anime. I’m so happy that such a well-crafted series is also incredibly popular – it makes it a lot of fun to wander the artists’ alley aisles at big conventions, to be sure!
Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story
Streaming: Funimation, Crunchyroll, HIDIVE
Airs: January 4th, 2020
My husband and I were having a conversation about this show recently, and while I mentioned to him that this incarnation of the Madoka series is based on the mobile game, I’ve been secretly hoping that it might instead turn out to be a stealth sequel to the main series. There’s literally nothing that indicates that to be the case, but I feel like if Handshakers can drop a steaming dump of a stealth sequel in the form of W’z, then in order to maintain balance in the universe we deserve a nicer surprise in exchange. I think mostly I’ve just been wistful for the series itself since I’ve been planning out an AMV recently and re-watched large chunks of all three film versions as part of that process.
In all seriousness I don’t believe our friend Gen “The Butcher” Urobuchi is returning to pen this entry in the franchise, so my fantasies likely won’t come to pass. But that doesn’t mean I’m not low-key excited for another Shaft-animated, Gekidan Inucurry-embellished romp within the tragic world of Madoka Magica. If anything, it helps to maintain interest in the franchise, and while I loved Rebellion a lot more than most (and will argue that the events of the film make perfect sense in context of the story… but that’s another blog entry entirely) I still think there is more story to tell and would love to see it in the form of a TV anime (so I don’t have to wait around for a local film release).
Pet
Streaming: TBA
Airs: January 6th, 2020
What if you couldn’t trust your own memories? Something interesting I’ve learned over the years is that human memories are actually very malleable, which is why if you witness a crime the best advice is to write down what you’ve seen right away – attempting to recall the event later opens one up to outside influences, including when it comes to identifying suspects (don’t even get me started on how terrible most people are when choosing people from police line-ups). I think for most of us the idea that the memories seared into our own brains might not reflect reality is very unsettling. This is why abusive gaslighting is such a terrifying violation, after all.
That’s why the premise of this series seems so intriguing to me. When individuals have the ability to actively and purposefully manipulate the memories of other people, this opens up an entirely new world of malevolent actions. It also begs the question – can these sorts of powers be used toward constructive means? I find this fascinating. I don’t necessarily have a lot of confidence in Geno Studios to animate something that looks great, however; while I enjoyed Kokkoku more than I would have expected, it always looked kind of muddy and inconsistent in the visuals department. That said, a good story is worth several episodes of great animation to me.
Somali and the Forest Spirit
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Airs: January 9th, 2020
Dark fantasy is one of my favorite genres, which is why I feel so drawn to the few anime series that are able to capture the feelings inherent in that type of fantasy story. The Ancient Magus’ Bride is a good example of an anime series that manages to capture the Western atmosphere and tropes that define what dark fantasy means to me while still incorporating anime’s specific strengths as a medium. Somali and the Forest Spirit takes place in a world where human survival is hanging by a thread and danger lurks behind every corner, and yet the anime combines this disturbing scenario with one of my other favorite anime tropes – unlikely surrogate parenthood.
I really like stories about fathers and their children, whether those fathers are blood-related or adoptive in some manner. And while some of these stories end up going the gross-out “Tale of Genji” route by twisting themselves into pseudo-incest, there are many others that are simply snapshots of the challenges of joys in parenting. Thrusting this dynamic into a dangerous fantasy setting obviously opens up the story to all kinds of stressful situations (I sometimes personally have issues with watching children in peril), but I’m still looking forward to this series and its aesthetics at the very least.
Dorohedoro
Streaming: TBA
Airs: January 12th, 2020
I bought the first volume of the Dorohedoro manga long ago, and it sits on my shelf still wrapped in its plastic. I think I’d heard how violent and grotesque the series was and grabbed a volume out of curiosity, but I tend to be deeply affected by violent material and need to be in the correct frame of mind to experience it. I suppose there just hasn’t been a big overlap between mental-preparedness and opportunity lately. Even so, I know that fans of the manga have been hungry for an anime adaptation for years, and it’s fun to experience the anticipation stage for a high-profile adaptation, however successful (or not) the end product turns out to be.
For me, it’s not necessarily the violence or the humor that have drawn my interest, but the possible discussions of race and class systems that seem embedded in the story. In our current reality we see every day how the rich and powerful abuse the powerless. In Dorohedoro, the protagonist’s “eat the rich” (or, really, “kill the magic-users”) M.O. feels especially timely to me. There’s a certain kind of catharsis in being able to watch a character take justifiable actions in service of his own personal justice, even if those same sorts of actions committed in real life would send us straight to prison.
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the questionable (and prolific) CG animation at play here, as it seems stiff, but I imagine the character details and the grit-and-grime of the setting are more easily replicated this way. CG animation in anime exists on a continuum for me of how distracting it is, and judging from the trailer this might fall somewhere in the middle.
Room Camp
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Airs: January 6th, 2020
I recently had the opportunity to re-watch Laid-Back Camp at the anime club I attend, and for what seems like such an unassuming series I feel like it’s become one of my favorites. I’ve never been camping and typically the idea of even doing so kind of rubs me the wrong way. I’m definitely more of an indoor sort of person who enjoys curling up under a blanket rather than braving the outdoors – especially when it’s cold outside. Yet watching an anime series about characters who go camping in the off-season makes part of me long for that experience, even though I’m unlikely to put in the actual effort and funding to make it a reality for myself. Maybe someday.
Part of me is a little bit bummed that this is “just” a series of short episodes; I would much rather see more of Japan’s campgrounds through the eyes of the various characters and experience the camping (and camp cooking!) process alongside them. But short visits with beloved characters are fun in their own way, and if that’s all that’s available right now, I’ll definitely enjoy it.
You can read my review of Laid-Back Camp Here.
Drifting Dragons
Streaming: TBA
Airs: January 8th, 2020
This is another series based on a manga that I’ve had sitting around for a little while. In this case, I got a couple of digital volumes as part of a Humble Bundle package a while back. I find that reading manga on my computer isn’t really my preferred method of consumption, which is probably why despite some genuine interest on my part I still haven’t gotten around to reading those volumes. In any case, the anime world has helped to solve my problem by presenting the story in a way that’s easier to experience for me.
Or has it? This is a Polygon Pictures anime production, so I assume much like Ajin, Knights of Sidonia, etc. this series will be a direct-to-Netflix late-cast that I’ll have to wait for (which gets harder and harder to deal with since I like to be on top of whatever anime-related discussions are happening within the fandom). Polygon itself hasn’t always produced the best-looking CG animation either (although the trailer for this series looks really good to me). Whatever happens, if the series can capture even a portion of the atmosphere and style of some of the key images, I think this will at least be an interesting steampunk-ish (and food-centric!) fantasy series.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizoken!
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Airs: January 5th, 2020
Unsurprisingly, this is the Winter 2020 series that’s at the top of my list. I think Masaaki Yuasa is one of the best anime directors working today (and he’s definitely my favorite), it sounds like the studio he runs (Science Saru) is great to its animators, and he seems to take on really interesting, creative projects when not creating them himself. So it’s great that he’s been so prolific the last couple of years. This is his first TV series in a while (although I kind of count Devilman Crybaby despite it technically being an ONA) and I for one am very excited. The subject matter of the series – a grop of girls on a quest to create anime – sounds like a lot of fun as well.
While anime has no shortage of female characters, girls and young women who are able to express a realistic amount of weirdness beyond typical moé archetypes are fewer and further between. The characters in Eizoken are going after their creative pursuits and their designs seem more focused on the quirkiness of their inner worlds rather than “kawaii” appeal, which I love. And the visual creativity doesn’t look like it stops there. While I’m waiting for more Shirobako (soon!) I’m sure I’ll definitely be satisfied with this other tale of girls seeking to make their anime-related dreams a reality.
Smile Down the Runway
Streaming: Funimation
Airs: January 10th, 2020
Many years ago, I listened to an interview with fashion icon Tim Gunn about the importance of fashion in our culture. While the fashion industry certainly has its share of issues, fashion – like other art forms – helps to comprise and define culture in its own specific way. While it tends to be disdained like other hobbies and art forms that are feminine-coded, I’m an advocate for it to be considered as important as other cultural products and as part of our overall cultural competency (I’m also a collector of a very specific style of Japanese fashion, so I certainly have some skin in the game, too). I definitely have a soft spot for fiction that attempts to delve into this interesting and unexplored world.
The premise for this series seems to touch on one of the fashion industry’s biggest issues – size discrimination. The protagonist of Smile Down the Runway sees her dreams of modeling slipping through her fingers because she’s too short; it’s plain to see from real-life that, aside from a few isolated examples, fashion runway shows tend to be pretty homogeneous in how the models look. Since I don’t have prior experience with the story I can’t say how deep it delves into this topic, but simply acknowledging it in the context of what looks to be a fairly emotional narrative definitely has potential.
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Airs: January 9th, 2020
All that glitters may not be gold, but precious stones are fine too. I’m often drawn to anime that are quirky and exceedingly specific, and this series about a jeweler and his new acquaintance definitely seems to scratch that itch for me. I think many of us look at decorative objects as simple “things” – they might be pleasant to look at, but their value exists mostly in their worth at appraisal. But objects have histories and sometimes lives of their own, and I enjoy stories that explore this – We Rent Tsukumogami was a series that took this idea extremely literally, but I think anyone who’s ever watched Antiques Roadshow on PBS has a sense that monetary value is occasionally secondary to a good story.
I can’t say that the attractive male-male character dynamic of this series has entirely escaped me, and that’s certainly part of the appeal. But really I also enjoy intimately-focused stories that are told in bits and pieces, like snapshots into the lives of people around whom the stories center, and I get a sense of that from watching the trailer for this series. Aside from that I really don’t have any prior knowledge or expectations, so this will definitely be a surprise either way.
Natsunagu
Streaming: TBA
Airs: January 6th, 2020
This is another short-form series, which isn’t always my jam, but I’ve found that travelogue and tourism-business series tend to interest me despite the fact that most of them are basically thinly-veiled commercials for whatever tourist area they’re featuring. This series, which focuses on Kumamoto prefecture, has the added angle of focusing on the area’s restoration following a series of earthquakes in 2016. Considering that anime-related pilgrimages have become kind of a big deal, creating anime specifically to advertise an area’s strengths seems like a natural progression of things, and even better for an area that could probably use an influx of travelers and revival of its previous vitality.
This series seems to focus on one young woman’s journey to Kumamoto to reconnect with friends she lost contact with after the earthquakes. A simple premise, and one which seems to promise low-key character interactions which I always enjoy. Beyond that, I just happen to enjoy slice-of-life scenery porn, and while there’s unfortunately no PV that I can find for the series, I imagine the portrayal of Kumamoto’s various iconic places will end up being a large part of the appeal.
Whew, there ended up being a lot more series this season to pique my interest than I would have expected prior to writing up this post! Like I said, there will most likely be several other surprises as well. At the very least, this looks to be an interesting season of anime (aren’t they all?). Let me know what anime you’re interested in down in the comments!
3 replies on “Winter 2020 Anime – What I’m Looking Forward To”
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