It’s always difficult to predict what shows you will enjoy before the season begins. You can watch all the preview videos, read all the summaries and blogs, but it’s still pretty tough. I won’t try to say something about every single show that will air in the Spring Season, but I will try to comment on the ones that have caught my interest. Hopefully this will be useful for people to get an idea of what kinds of shows are out there in the coming season and what I might end up blogging this season. It’s all my subjective opinions based on my personal interests. Shows not listed here aren’t being accused of going to flop, but just didn’t fit enough for me.

Credit where deserved to Live Chart or AniChart where I got a lot of the summaries for these shows and found PVs to watch for them. I fully recommend giving that site and similar sites a look. It will give you the whole picture of what is a pretty big season. Spring and Fall are usually the biggest anime seasons in terms of pure numbers and this looks to be another packed one. Hopefully everyone enjoys taking a look through my personal picks.

Most Anticipated Series:
Boku no Hero Academia
“Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not going to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies. Now, the only thing standing between him and his first class is the academy’s formidable entrance exam—nothing a little private tutoring from the world’s mightiest hero can’t solve.”

It’s always easier to discuss a show that you have some knowledge of the source material. Anime and heroes has been a kind of mixed bag over the years. A lot of parodys or straight up critiques of heroes and tropes, but not a lot of straight forward super hero stories. This is a lot straighter forward although filled with some interesting twists on the standard tropes. The summary really does cover it. Izuku living a life in a world with powers, but he has nothing. Despite dreaming of being a hero and doing good things, he’s one of the 20% that is left feeling powerless. Certainly the kind of guy that makes an impact once he could gain some powers.

It’s a fun story, very much a shounen series with battles, struggles, and overcoming challenges. It does actually have some interesting characters and abilities. The main character being one of the more interesting types in there. I fully expect it will be a fun show. Even though it looks to be one cour, Bones should do a great job.

Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
“Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, encounters a beautiful silver-haired girl from another world. Subaru wants to stay by her side and help her, but the burden she carries is far beyond anything Subaru imagined. They’re faced with one attacking monster after another, betrayal, irrational violence… and finally death. Subaru doesn’t want to see her get hurt, so he vows to take down any enemy, any fate that comes his way, to protect her. And so this powerless boy obtains “Return by Death,” a unique ability that allows him to turn back time by dying. It becomes the potential to guide all people to a world where everyone can always be smiling, dependent on Subaru’s life and loneliness. By using his power, the past can be lost, and memories can be rewritten. Subaru must now fight the fate that dooms him to keep all those forgotten memories hidden within, to be perpetually beaten, to see his own heart wearing down, to wager his life… all to protect the people he cares about. To get back the precious times that he’s sure must have happened.
“Even if you forget me, I will never forget you.””

This is one where I’m basing a lot from the PV and the summary. It does have an interesting premise. A main character who has one special ability…dying. Look back at last season with ERASED. A similar kind of power set in terms of rewinding time, but this one has a much more painful requirement. Subaru dying in order to rewind time. Talk about a horrible ability and burden for someone to carry. Being the only person to know what is happening and carrying on the memories of dying over and over again. Reminds me in some ways of Higurashi in that respect, especially in how this series seems to have a dark and messy side.

But yeah, I liked the PV and the potential for this show. A MC who is going to keep struggling like hell against terrible things in order to protect the people he cares about and see them through to a happy future. If Subaru can be a lead you want to see persevere then this could be an interesting show. Looks pretty good and now just the question of whether it will be good will have to wait to be answered.

Kuromukuro
“An ancient artifact was discovered during the construction of the Kurobe dam, leading to the establishment of the United Nations Kurobe Research Institute. Intellectuals from all over the world gathered to study the object, and the children of those researchers attend Mt. Tate International Senior High School, including the institute head’s daughter, Yukina Shirahane.
The story begins in the summer of 2016, when a lone samurai once again awakens.”

This wasn’t a show I thought much about until I saw a few PVs for it. It certainly has a weird setup and premise. You have mechs, you have ancient artifacts, a seemingly alien threat, an a samurai! I mean this is looking pretty darn fun if nothing else for the crazy mix of things involved here. The main cast seems potentially interesting since the main character looks to be the daughter of the institute’s head, though one would presume this samurai is a pretty key character. Regardless, I think this will be pretty fun. It seems to have all the parts needed for some over the top action and entertainment.

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri
“The “steampunk survival action” story takes place on the island country Hinomoto, where humans hide themselves in fortresses called stations against the threat of zombie-like beings with steel hearts known as “Kabane.” Only armored locomotives known as “Hayajiro” go between the stations.”

The animation from the PVs looks pretty darn good. The setup as well isn’t a bad one. The world having gone straight to hell and people having to live in fortresses hiding away from the monsters outside. It certainly has an “Attack on Titan” feel to it, but the interesting spin is that there are these armored trains that travel between those stations. So people can still get around, it’s just pretty limited. Looks to be a show with a lot of action, excitement, and some energetic characters. I think it’s a show that could be pretty entertaining to watch.

Series of Moderate Interest:
Ushio to Tora 2nd Season
“Third and final cour. The Ushio to Tora website announced that the 39-episode anime will be split into two seasons. The series will premiere on July 3 and run for 26 episodes until December. Then, 13 more episodes will air from April to June of 2016. The anime’s final episode will coincide with the manga’s final battle.”

This is one of the easier shows to be looking forward to. Ushio to Tora was a solid show during the first season and I’m sure the second will be equally solid. It is a nice series where you feel the age of the manga a bit. It feels like an older shounen series being brought to anime now. It’s a good show really. The determined Ushio and the almost tsundere youkai Tora make for a great team. I can’t wait to see them finish up the story and take on the big threat of the series. Not unbelievably hyped, but moderately looking forward to it.

Gakusen Toshi Asterisk 2nd Season
“Invertia (meteor storm)… an unprecedented disaster that struck the world during the 20th century.

Because of this disaster, numerous cities around the world were destroyed. However, within the meteor, an unknown element called mana (the all-encompassing element), was discovered, which allowed human technology to make rapid strides.

This also gave rise to a new species of human born with unique skills – the Star Pulse Generation (Genestella).

The setting for the world’s greatest comprehensive battle spectacle, the Festas (Star Warrior Festivals), is an academy city above the water surrounded by six academies called Rikka also commonly known as Asterisk. Having transferred into Seidoukan Academy in order to fulfill his own wish, scholarship student Ayato Amagiri swears he too will fight in this city.

Burning souls race…

The curtain rises on this school battle spectacle!”

Another show that had a solid first season. Certainly Asterisk is a harem show with a lot of the staples in them. Still, it is a show I mostly enjoyed. Ayato is a solid MC that does have to tackle a pretty frustrating condition placed on him that limits his abilities. The main heroine of the show Julis is a pretty likable character. A princess, but one that has her own troubles and a pretty selfless reason to be fighting in the competition that season 2 will be continuing with. Regardless it was a pretty decent show and I had fun with it. The action is ok and I’m curious to see how the tournament will work out.

Kiznaiver
“The story takes place in a fictional Japanese city named Sugomori City. One day, Sonosaki tells her classmate Katsuhira: “You have been selected to be a Kiznaiver.” The Kizuna System, which allows Katsuhira to share his wounds, connects him to the classmates whose lives and personalities completely differ from his.

The Kizuna System is an incomplete system for the implementation of world peace that connects people through wounds. All those who are connected to this system are called Kiznaivers. When one Kiznaiver is wounded, the system divides and transmits the wound among the other Kiznaivers.

Sugomori City is built on reclaimed land. But as the years go by, the city’s population is decreasing. The story is set in this town where Katsuhira and the others live.”

There isn’t a lot I know about this show, but the concept does seem interesting. A system being put in place that allows people to share wounds. A kind of attempt to make world peace. I suppose it’s not a totally crazy idea. People might be less willing to hurt each other if they share in the pain for it. Although I’m not sure it’s a great idea since there are masochists out there so….people could be in for a rough time. But the setup seems limited so maybe they just screen those people out. The visuals looked good and Trigger seems to be on their game on that front. The concept stands out enough and seems worth checking out when it airs.

Sousei no Onmyouji
“Grotesque monsters known as Impurities reside in Magano, a realm parallel to the present day. Exorcists purify these evil apparitions to protect the people. Rokuro Enmadou is opposed to becoming an exorcist, even though he has the talent to be one, but an oracle gives him the title of “Twin Star Exorcist,” the name bestowed upon married exorcists. Benio Adashino, the girl who receives the title along with Rokuro, is determined to exorcise all the Impurities in the world. The two find themselves wrapped up in more and more battles together as the Twin Star Exorcists, and as Rokuro watches Benio fight with the wish to become stronger, he’s forced to face the weakness he’s lived with ever since the Hiinatsuki Tragedy. Now that his eyes are turned toward the battle again, thanks to Benio, Rokuro makes up his mind to fight as an exorcist once more, and the Twin Star Exorcists take on the most powerful of Impurities together!”

This is a setup that seems good for an enjoyable watch. The main character who despite having great talent just isn’t interested in a career of fighting evil creatures. I can’t exactly blame the guy. Having talent isn’t everything, having the will for it helps. Plus having a very bad experience in the past wouldn’t help anything either. I do like the concept of this dual protagonist situation with Benio being someone who can pull Rokuro forward and through her actions get him to face his own flaws and weakness. Plus I just like the idea of a male and female protagonist taking on threats like these as a duo. Who knows if the team will be really balanced or not, but at least it seems set for a potentially entertaining run.

Series of Mild Interest:
Mayoiga
“30 young men and women who have come together on a shady bus tour. The tour’s destination: an illusive, possibly nonexistent village called Nanakimura. In Nanakimura, one can lead a utopian existence, free of the world’s obstacles … or so it is rumored, like an urban legend.
“In despair over the real world … wanting to escape the tedious daily life … wanting to restart your life from scratch …”
The bus heads deep into the mountains, carrying 30 people each with their own expectations and wounds in their hearts…
And so, the place these 30 arrived at, was an uninhabited village with the lingering faint scents of life, even though it is falling apart.
What is the truth of Nanakimura facing the 30? You can’t miss even one episode!”

The setup sounds somewhat interesting for the show. Maybe a bit worried about having such a large cast of 30 people though. Trying to handle a ton of characters can be a bit of a mess. Or just 5 of these people will really matter and the other 25 will just be minor side characters. Who knows. Still the setup sounds interesting. People wanting to escape their regular lives for whatever reason and end up in this uninhabited village. Having to solve a mystery? I’m ok with that. Mystery shows can be hit or miss to me, but I’ll check this out.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
“The fourth part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure focuses on Josuke Higashikata, a high school student living in the fictional town of Morioh. Jotaro Kujo arrives to warn him of a looming threat: an unknown person is using a mysterious tool called Bow and Arrow, which gifts those struck with Stands. As a result, new and dangerous Stand users have begun appearing in the area. Josuke agrees to help Jotaro find the user.”

Honestly if this was after the second arc for Jojo I’d be much more hyped. But honestly the third arc didn’t amaze me like it did others. The humor was just a disaster zone in that series. I know nothing will change in regards to the stands, though I do miss the ripple. I thought that was a power that really set the show apart instead of stands which just are basically super powers that do some specific type of action. Still, maybe a new show and a new main Jojo will get me onboard.

Endride
“The story is set on Endra, an unknown world beneath the surface of Earth itself. It is another world, where the giant Adamas shines above and seven-colored bands drift across the skies.
One day, Shun Asanaga — an ordinary yet positive and bright 15-year-old middle school boy who lived in the “Land Above” — lands in this place. He had discovered a mysterious crystal at his scientific businessman father’s company, and the moment he touched the crystal, he was transported to Endra. He meets Prince Emirio, who strongly despises the current King Deruzain and had just turned 16 at Endra’s castle. He became of age to ascend to the throne, and he wields a weapon to seek his vengeance at last, but the difference in strength proves to be insurmountable. Captured and imprisoned by Deruzain, Emirio is heartbroken. But then, the walls of the prison suddenly become distorted, and Shun appears within them.”

This seems like a show that will either keep me mostly interested or get me to give up on it after a few episodes. Thus the mildly interested section. A regular guy getting dropped into basically a fantasy world (just one at the core of the world) and having to find a way to survive with a ‘friend’ he meets pretty quickly. Kind of curious about this team up between an outsider and a Prince who has such a strong reason to basically try to assassinate the King. Could be interesting if Shun doesn’t get too frustrating. “Ordinary” teen dropped into a situation like this either quickly gets adapted to his situation or just whines about it the whole time. Will see what we get.

Hundred
“The “ultimate school battle action” science-fiction comedy begins with the Hundred, the only weapon that can counter the mysterious Savage life form attacking Earth. To become a Military Arts Master who wields this Hundred, the main character Hayato Kisaragi successfully enrolls in the marine academy city ship Little Garden. However …
“I wanted to meet you, Hayato!!”
“W–who are you…?”
Hayato feels a strange yet familiar sense of incongruity towards Emil Crossford, his roommate who somehow knows him from somewhere. On top of that, as soon as he enters the school, he is challenged to a duel by the “Queen” (the school’s most powerful Military Arts Master) Claire Harvey.”

It’s not a season without a school science-fiction/magical battle show XD. Still the setup has the potential for a decent show. You have a good reason for people to be training using these incredible weapons. A dangerous alien life form attacking the Earth. Can respect the main character Hayato actually going to this school and wanting to wield a Hundred to do some good. Hopefully the whole comedy portion is actually funny XD. Still, I like the idea of this girl showing up who is absolutely all over Hayato from the start. Emil seems like a cute character from the PV. Plus he probably saved her in the past so she’s all about supporting him now. Rough luck though getting challenged right from the start. Anyways, I hope this is a solid show and not just a weak harem comedy.

Final Thoughts
Can say on the positive side that this season doesn’t look too bad. There are a lot of shows I’m at least curious about and a fair amount that I’m actively looking forward to. I think it’s always hard to tell how good a season will be until the current season is just about over. At this point we have a fair number of PVs out there along with more detailed summaries for most shows. It is a hard to predict season though since honestly I don’t know the source material for most of these shows. Like everyone I’m just trying to figure it out from the summaries I can find and the videos that are currently out there. Luckily there are quite a lot of preview videos out there so it is possible to make educated guesses.

I wouldn’t say this is a total list of every show I might be interested in, but a list of the ones that have caught my interest the most so far. There’s a handful of honorable mentions like Macross Delta, Seisen Cerberus, and Flying Witch.

I do think this will be a good spring season. There are a lot of new shows starting up and not a lot of carry-over. This is one of those seasons where it feels like everything has ended the last season. Not entirely true…but pretty close. So regardless I’ll probably end up watching a lot of these shows. As much as I would love to give guarantees on what I’ll be blogging this season, I honestly don’t know. I’ll be doing my standard practice of doing a few first looks and then trying to decide based on those. So at the very least you can look forward to reading those in the near future.