The Winter anime season, which begins in the first quarter of 2024, is under pressure following last year’s noteworthy releases. 2023 has given us a ton of incredible anime, whether it’s new seasons or brand-new shows; 2024 will have very large shoes to fill. Still, the lineup is incredibly intriguing, including new series and a selection of well-liked sequels. This season’s show seems determined to keep you watching.
Ishura
Ishura tells the tale of several strong main characters, such as an all-powerful wizard who can turn thoughts into reality, a master fencer who can read opponents with a single glance, a quick lancer who breaks through sound barriers, a wyvern rogue who wields three legendary weapons, and an angelic assassin who strikes fast and kills quickly.
It appears that a good deal of CGI is also being used in this, which might incite animation purists. It is noteworthy that Isekai is listed as a contributing element in both the light novels and manga. For those who had trouble entering Frieren and were unable to board the Helck train, this anime is a great choice.
New episodes will air on Wednesdays at 11:00 p.m.
Gushing Over Magical Girls
Next up is Gushing Over Magical Girls; an adaptation of a web manga of the same name. Echoing Madoka Magica, the story steers away from conventional genre norms present in most magical girl anime. Ordinary Utena Hiiragi has a deep respect for magical girls, particularly the three that guard her town, Tres Magia. When a mascot by the name of Venalita approaches Utena one day and grants her magical abilities, she turns into an evil general of the Enormita organization instead of the magical girl of justice she had always desired to be. Even though it’s unfortunate that she has to battle the magical girls she looks up to, Utena quickly finds out that she has a secret sadistic side.
Beyond that, because it’s an intended ecchi parody of the magical girl genre, the source material relies on the lewd humor of putting its characters in outrageous situations to tell its story. Those expecting another Sailor Moon or Card Captor Sakura will most likely be disappointed. The manga is clearly aimed at a teenage male audience.
Hiragi’s disguise will turn off fans of traditional magical girls as a dominatrix-like magical girl and her covertly cruel attitude toward Tres Magica. Another thing to consider is that because of the source material, the anime is probably going to have Yuri undertones.
The anime airs at 11:30 p.m. during Japan’s late-night block.
Chained Soldier
Monsters known as Shuuki start attacking Earthlings when gates to a different dimension known as Mato start to open up all over Japan. The only known way to combat such creatures is to consume fruits known as Shuuki Fruits. Only women were able to use the abilities bestowed by the Shuuki Fruits, ushering in a matriarchal society. After graduating from high school, Yuuki Wakura meets Kyouka Uzen, the commander of the Demon Defense Force’s 7th squad, when he stumbles through a gate one day. Surrounded by an increasing number of Shuuki, Kyouka asks Yuuki if she can enslave him. Kyouka has the ability to ‘enslave’ Shuuki and mount them for combat. They defeat the Shuuki after he agrees and becomes her “slave.” If they are to live, Yuuki and the 7th Unit will need to learn to get along to face an environment very far from utopian.
Despite the fact Chained Soldier is supposed to have flipped relationship dynamics between the sexes, it’s not actually flipped that much; it’s what’s going on today. Women in Westernized societies seem to have all the power in relationships; they hold all the cards. Yet still, men are desperate or content enough to go through with it or play along, because it’s in a human’s nature to crave companionship.
It’s interesting that the strongest girl is also the one who can see the potential in male strength, which is something that the majority of the females in the room have overlooked. If her ability will change over time as a result of her altered perspective on bonds, Kyouka probably thinks of relationships as a chore or a trap. However, this is just conjecture, and it probably doesn’t clarify why she does. Given that the sexes’ relationship dynamic is flipped in the setting, it would make sense for men to hold that opinion more strongly than women.
Note that there will be harem elements in this anime, just like in the source material; with a target audience of teenage boys. If you can ignore the ecchi aftermath that follows, this has the potential to be a modern classic.
The first episode has already been broadcast on Japanese television at 11:00 p.m. Thursdays.
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Dungeon Meshi
An adventure group exploring the submerged Golden Kingdom is the central theme of Dungeon Meshi. The purpose of the party is to assist the king in his request. If someone can defeat the magician who sealed the Golden Kingdom underground, the King will grant them access to his enormous wealth. The legend of the Golden King is what draws adventurers to the Dungeon and the kidnapping of the the hero’s sister and dragons making her a meal is what drives it forward. Thankfully, dragons digest things slowly, so they’re on a time crunch to rescue her and have no funds to resupply. The adventurers must cook the monsters stranded underground with them to survive below ground; learning new techniques for satisfying their taste buds along the way.
The only drawback to this anime, if you enjoy Food Wars or Toriko, is that it is behind Netflix’s paywall. The animation is being produced by Studio Trigger, and thus far, it is stated that the source material is seinen; though there are elements in the trailer that will appeal to a wider audience.
New episodes are scheduled for Thursdays at 11:30 p.m.
Sasaki and Peeps
In the beginning of Sasaki and Peeps, Mr. Sasaki goes to a pet store to adopt a pet. He encounters Peeps there, who reveals herself to be a strong sage reincarnated into our reality. Sasaki receives his supernatural abilities from Peeps after being saved, and although he would like to live a quiet life with his newfound blessings, the people he meets along the way have different ideas. While there are Isekai elements in Sasaki and Peeps, Mr. Sasaki is free to go back home if he so chooses. It appears likely that there will be plenty of time spent in between worlds in the anime.
The light novels and their manga adaptations are classified as seinen, meaning that the show is intended for an older male audience. From the looks of things, though, it has a wholesome vibe that anyone can enjoy.
It’ll be debuting on Friday, January 5th, at 9:00 p.m.
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The Demon Prince of Momochi House
The old Momochi family estate is unexpectedly left to the orphan Momochi Himari as an inheritance when she turns sixteen. She moves into the house despite the warnings she received about it being haunted because she has nowhere else to go. Three attractive young men—Aoi, Yukari, and Ise—are living in the house illegally, she finds out when she arrives. Himari is unaware that the three are using the story of the ghosts and curses to warn her to leave the house as soon as possible, but she refuses to listen. Her home seems to be on the boundary between the spirit and human worlds, and she soon learns that everything she has been told is true. A resident of the manor, Aoi, has taken upon the curse in Himari’s place, but Himari vows to help him break it despite his wishes.
The anime will air on Saturday, January 6th, at 12:00 a.m.
Stick It on Around! Koinu
For those of you familiar with Crayon Shin-Chan and Doraemon, Koinu is another anime you should familiarize yourself with. Koinu is a salary dog who ends up jobless after his employers go bankrupt. He manages to find a new job placing cartoon dog stickers around his city. The anime follows Koinu’s journey throughout the day.
This anime is perfect for anyone looking for something family-friendly that younger children can enjoy.
It starts airing on Saturday, January 6th, at 7:00 a.m.
Tales of Wedding Rings
For as long as he can remember, Sato has been with Hime, his best friend. He immediately wants to follow her and ruin her wedding when she tells him she’s returning to her hometown to get married. Everything goes as planned, and Sato is crowned the new groom after receiving a kiss from Hime! Sato is unaware that the man who marries Hime will go on to become a powerful hero and save the world. Is Sato up to the task, or is this simply too much for one student in high school to bear?
The source material contains harem elements and is aimed at an older male audience, but, in the anime, Saitou has his heart set on only one girl, Hime. This has resulted in fans complaining about the harem itself being unsatisfactory. It’s pretty clear that monogamy is the end goal, and it can’t be more spelled out than having wedding rings mentioned in the title.
The anime’s first episode is set to drop on Saturday, January 6th, at 9:30 p.m.
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A Sign of Affection
Yuki has always been deaf and uses her phone and sign language to communicate. However, because she is not accustomed to speaking English, she almost panics when a foreign visitor asks for directions—that is until a dapper stranger offers to help. It turns out that he is Itsuomi, a friend of a friend. Itsuomi is a charming traveler who is trilingual, but he has never had a friend who is deaf. The two decide to go on a romantic winter’s night date after feeling attracted to one another. However, Yuki’s friend worries that Yuki might be setting herself up for harm. Is this something that exists? Or will the snow cause these emotions to vanish?
Like its predecessor ‘A Silent Voice’, A Sign of Affection is a romance anime, but it’s intended for a teenage female audience. There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be a reasonable audience crossover anime-wise given ‘A Silent Voice’ was a successful show.
The first episode is set to release on Saturday, January 6th, at 10:30 p.m.
Solo Leveling
In a world where humans with supernatural abilities known as hunters must fight deadly monsters to save humanity from certain extinction, Sung Jinwoo, a notoriously weak hunter, finds himself in an apparently never-ending battle for survival. A mysterious program known as the System selects him as its lone player one day after he barely survives an incredibly strong double dungeon that almost wipes out his entire party. In exchange, the System grants him the incredibly rare ability to level up in strength and turn anyone he kills into a devoted minion known as a shadow. Jinwoo then embarks on a quest to learn the truth about the origins of his powers and the mysteries of the dungeons, facing off against a variety of human and monster foes.
The Korean story was altered in ways that caused controversy in the Japanese anime translations. The plot’s significant adversaries were Korean, but Sung Jin-woo was Japanese. There haven’t been any issues with the anime, based on the trailers that were released, despite some worries expressed online. Although the “pandemic” caused delays, this anime was still highly anticipated. Fans of anime soundtracks should rejoice, as Hiroyuki Sawano will be composing the music for the show, which will be animated by A-1 Pictures.
The first episode is airing on Sunday, January 7th, at 12:00 p.m.
Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga
After Father Shiro Fujimoto, Rin Okumura’s mentor, is killed by Satan, the anime and manga focus on Rin Okumura. Rin learns during the fight that he and his twin brother Yukio are descended from a human mother and are therefore sons of Satan. Father Fujimoto nevertheless made the unachievable decision to raise them and keep them from being used as pawns by Satan. Following Fujimoto’s passing, Rin makes a vow to avenge the man who raised him.
Even though Blue Exorcist isn’t exactly a recent release, it is still worth mentioning because, based on what I can tell, its manga is still being adapted into anime. Although it’s not as well-known in Western anime circles these days, it appears to have a sizable fan base in Japan.
Many biblical allusions that may not be seen in the anime are woven throughout the manga itself. In an interview with Anime News Network, mangaka Kazue Kato was asked about the biblical allusions in her work; with her response, “I should not run away from these references if I’m working in the Exorcist genre.” Seven years have passed since the show’s last season aired in 2017. For those unfamiliar with this franchise, it is advised that they begin with the first season, or even better, the first volume of the manga.
The first episode of this new season airs Sunday, January 7th, at 12:30 a.m.
Let us know what anime you plan on watching this season! Leave a comment below!
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Dungeon Meshi is really good. I’m digging it a lot.
I’m only expecting more cheap and atrocious dubbing from both Crunchyroll and Sentai Filmworks.
I read Dungeon Meshi years ago and forgot most of it .. fun watching it after all these years, now that it’s finally got an adaption.