I found the Spring 2021 anime line-up to be a bit too underwhelming. It feels like all the good stuff is being postponed because of the pandemic. But another anime season is here and here is a list of all the animes in the line-ups that have got me excited for this season.
1. Belle (Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime)
Medium: Movie
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Release Date: 16th July 2021
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is one of my favourite movies ever that I go back to watch repeatedly. So the release of another movie by Mamoru Hosoda has definitely got me excited.
Based on the trailer, it looks like Hosoda is going to use the theme of virtual worlds as he did in Summer Wars with the re-telling of Beauty and the Beast in the said virtual world. Hosoda never vilifies the virtual spaces in his movies but presents them as spaces where people can make connections across their realities and geographical locations.
The beast is very dragon-like in his looks. Considering how the Japanese title of the movie translates to The Princess of Dragons and Freckles, we can assume that he is definitely a dragon. Hosoda always follows either a sci-fi theme or a fantastical one to tell his stories, but at their core, his work is always about connections between people. This makes his work so beloved and this is my most anticipated watch for summer 2021.
2. Aquatope of White Sand (Shiroi Suna no Aquatope)
Medium: Series
Genre: Slice-of-life, Drama
Release Date: 9th July 2021
The trailer for this series felt a lot more like a movie trailer than a series but I am here for this. I love the visuals for this one. The fact that it’s based in Okinawa is making me hopeful that this will be a scenic watch.
Just by the trailer, it seems that the show will be exploring themes of fulfilling your dreams, what it means succeed/fail and friendships. The premise is also interesting as the two main characters meet and connect at a point where one has given up on her dream and the other has only started chasing hers.
3. Remake Our Life! (Bokutachi no Remake)
Medium: Series
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: 3rd July 2021
Straight up, I love how there is an exclamation point in the title. The protagonist of this anime is at a low point in his life where he is regretting his life decisions and finds himself ten years in the past right before he joins college. The plot, it looks like, will be his attempts to make things right this time around.
The premise of the anime sort of feels like wish-fulfillment that everyone has had at one time or another. So, animes like this one and Re:Life that are about a person at their lowest getting a second opportunity to make things right real makes it easier for us to be invested and to root for the character.
One thing I’m worried about is how this show might turn out to be a bit fanservice-y. The trailer looks fine, but the boob shadows in the visuals have me sort of worried. Let’s hope that I am wrong.
4. Cheat Pharmacist’s Slow Life: Making a Drugstore in Another World (Cheat Kusushi no Slow Life: Isekai ni Tsukurou Drugstore)
Medium: Series
Genre: Isekai, Fantasy
Release Date: 7th July 2021
I find the premise of this really interesting because it seems like a pleasant twist in the Isekai genre, where instead of having an adventure our protagonist gets to live a laid back and slow life in the alternate world that he enters. This looks like a good slice-of-life watch for this season but the trailer seems to hint at some loli characters so while I love the premise, I’m probably going to watch the first episode to make sure it will not creep me out.
5. The Dungeon of Black Company (Meikyuu Black Company)
Medium: Series
Genre: Isekai, Fantasy
Release Date: 9th July 2021
Sort of inversion to the Cheat Pharmacist’s Slow Life, this anime follows a work-averse protagonist who is supposed to be very lazy. He finds himself transported to another world where he has to work as a slave and learn some work ethic.
This has me sort of intrigued mainly because of the contrast it brings to the increasing feeling of anti-work that has been rising in the modern world. Considering the work culture of Japan, maybe this anime would try to idealize being an employee. But how will the viewers take it? See, I’m intrigued! So I’m just going to check it out to see what it’s even trying to do.
6. Words Bubble Up like Soda Pop(Cider no You ni Kotoba ga Wakiagaru)
Medium: Movie
Genre: Romance
Release Date: 22nd July 2021
Frankly, I am not really a fan of the name – just reading this is triggering my GERD symptoms. This seems like a sweet romance story between two young people. The trailer looks fantastic animation-wise and is somehow of Your Name.
Kyohei Ishiguro is the director which means we probably need to be prepared to cry and be sad at the end of the anime. So, to people planning to watch this, I suggest getting some tissues ready beforehand.
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