After cosplaying as post-accident Alex Mack all summer-long, I’m finding it hard to pry myself off the couch. And considering how outrageously hot it was here in Los Angeles last fall—and probably will be this coming one, too—I don’t see myself leaving the house anytime soon. So in order to properly enjoy the Great Indoors this autumn, I’ve prepared a guide to all the best new upcoming anime series that you need to put into your eyeballs. So feast on this veritable cornucopia of awesome anime for The Dan Cave’s annual Fall Anime Guide.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Monster
Gregor Samsa doesn’t have squat on this guy. Satoru Mikami is a lonely 37-year-old man working a dead-end job until he is finally put out of his misery by a robber. But rather than waking up in the afterlife, he wakes up in a strange fantasy realm as a slime monster. Armed with two powerful abilities—one that lets him steal an opponent’s powers and another that gives him near-infinite knowledge of this new universe—ol’ Slimeboy soon finds himself on track to become king of the monsters. All in all, it makes a pretty bleak case for reincarnation and a pretty awesome idea for an anime.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
One of the most bonkers television series in human history, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is back for another glorious installment. The fifth manga arc, Golden Wind, is the next to receive an anime adaptation and tells the story of Giorno Giovanna, a.k.a. Giogio, the Italian equivalent of Jojo, as he attempts to overthrow the local mafia boss to turn the organized crime family into a Robin Hood-like band of thieves that steal from the rich to give to the poor of Italy. If you ask me, this is the Giorno for me, because unlike that frozen pizza, this one delivers on every possible level.
Hinomaruzumou
Ever since bingeing Megalo Box on a transatlantic flight, I have been craving an epic new sports anime on a cellular level. My body has a biological imperative to be inspired by burning spirits, epic competition, and overwrought inner monologues set against the backdrop of a competitive sport. And it seems that I might need a dose of Vitamin H if I’m to live. Specifically Hinomaruzumo, a series about a small student named Ushio Hinmaru who makes it his mission to ascend to the highest echelon of sumo wrestling. The best part? For a true 4DX experience, you can watch this while eating your body weight in sweet, delicious rice gruel!
The Space Between the Sky and the Sea
Set in the far-flung future, Sora to Umi no Aida takes place in a world where all of Earth’s fish have seemingly disappeared, leaving only whales to roam the ocean depths. To combat this mass extinction-level event, the Ministry of Fishery sets up massive Universe Fish Tanks in space, giving rise to a new industry of space fishermen. At the center of our story are a group of six young women who are training to become space fishermen who set out to capture not just space salmon, but “god-eating monsters that leave fish vulnerable, as well as enemies which they encounter.†I have no idea what that means, but it sounds like the deadliest catch yet, and I am here for it. Especially if it involves space crabs.
FLCL Alternative
Do I really need to tell you to watch new FLCL? I shouldn’t. Honestly, if Jessica Chobot knew I had to tell you this, she would be extremely disappointed. Despite what the trailer might have you believe, it’s so much more than “24/7 lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to: the anime.†A six-episode sequel to both FLCL and FLCL Progressive, Alternative centers on 17-year-old Kana, a high school junior who would prefer to wile away the days with her best friends. But all of that changes when a giant mecha and a pink-haired weirdo named Haruko fall from the sky. To make matters worse for Kana and her pals, Haruko has BIG plans for them which involve them taking on a force known as Atomsk, a massive being whose energy Haruko wants to drain like me at an all-you-can-sip Capri Sun buffet.
As Miss Beelzebub Likes
Have you ever busted your hump to get the job of your dreams only to find out that it isn’t exactly what you’d been hoping for? That’s exactly the case for Murin, a young man who finally lands a job working for the legendary demon king Beelzebub, the righthand of Satan himself. Except this demon king isn’t what he expected. For starters, she’s a demon queen, and she is less concerned with torturing the damned for all eternity than her all consuming passion for cute, fluffy things… which, depending on who you are, could be its own unique kind of hell.
Ulysses: Jeanne d’Arc and the Alchemy Knights
It’s going to be a long time until we get more Game of Thrones in our lives, so why not scratch that fantasy itch in the meantime with a wild-looking show about group of alchemist knights in 15th century France? Set smack dab in the middle of the Hundred Years War, Ulysses tells the story of Montmorency, the son of a French nobleman studying magic and alchemy at a school for knights, who finds himself on the run after the school is shuttered in the wake of France’s defeat at Agincourt. During his travels he meets a mysterious girl named Jeanne, and some of the most impractical armor ever illustrated. Seriously, what could the AC on this possibly be?
Goblin Slayer
If you like your coffee like you like your fantasy—full of dead goblins—then you’re in luck! Goblin Slayer tells the story of a young priestess setting out on her first adventure. However, she and her friends quickly find themselves in over their heads. Who should come to their rescue but a mysterious man known as the Goblin Slayer who—you guessed it—has dedicated his life to murdering every last goblin in the land! Of course, after killing a certain amount of goblins, one begins to develop a reputation…and who’s to say what types of people or monsters could come calling? Hopefully not Knott from Critical Role because I’m pretty sure she’s about five levels too low to take this dude as is.
But tell me: which upcoming anime are you most excited for? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.
