Being held hostage by the pandemic hasn’t done much to dampen the zealous attitude of otakus. Great strides were made in the field of 3-D animation and show like Beastars and Dorohedoro serve to enliven that achievement. Studio MAPPA and Wit have also come a long way. Their eye for detail and need for perfection has put them on the map as one of the top studios there is. So given that the Spring 2021 Anime Release is just around the corner, what should you expect? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Despite having to come after Winter 2021, the Spring 2021 season still looks really promising. A lot of the newer series are bound to pique your interest and many will force you to try them out. Also with that many anime shows scheduled on Saturday, be assured that all Saturday shows are gonna stretch into all week shows.
This list is curated for the inner Otaku who’s taken the time to find out the hidden gems in anime. Read on and find out.
When does the Spring 2021 “Harvest” begin?
March 25 is when the avalanche of Anime Spring 2021 episodes begins. With several new releases on the line, a lot can be looked forward to in the coming weeks. We seem to have a reduced number of Isekai based anime, which, according to me is a relief. They seemed to be just altered clones of each other. This time it would seem that any attempt to return to anime’s roots is being made.
With gems like Shaman King (2001-05) and Fruits Basket on the line, a lot of expectations are soon to be fulfilled. If you prefer to keep a close track of the new releases, head over here. All you need to do is set the required timeline (or not, if you’re using a VPN) and find out which shows are being aired when and where.
Enough small talk, let’s move and see some of the much awaited anime for Spring 2021.
Much Awaited Spring 2021 Anime Releases
Shaman King
Shaman King is one of those diamonds in the rough that no one really talks about. It belonged to the Shonen genre and was aired in the Shonen boom period. But it’s chance at gaining popularity was eclipsed by the arrival of the Big Three. Nevertheless, seeing credit being given where its due is certainly pleasing.
With Boruto having lost much of its charm, a lot of people are looking forward to the SK reboot in the hope of reliving the nostalgia. Several Reddit forums are pretty hyped at the revival of a classic. While last season was a stacked season for primarily sequels and isekai. This season seems to be stacked for new series, and anime originals with SHAMAN KING being the most hyped one.
So if you’re a fan of the Shonen action genre or just the anime, in particular, Shaman King is bound to be a promising watch. Shaman King airs on 1st April in India; there isn’t a specific mention of the number of episodes or seasons yet.
Fumetsu no Anata
Remember the movie, A Silent Voice (2016), well, the author of that film (Yoshitoki Oima) and this one is the same. For many, it promises a tear-jerking ride filled with wholesome moments that make you go “Awww“. However, the general premise of the story promises something different.
It tells the tale of an immortal creature that takes the form of various objects, animals, or people. The journey that the creature undertakes is the crux of the film. It’s certainly rather different from the usual slice-of-life or shonen genres we’ve grown accustomed to. It’s to be aired on 12th of April with 20 episodes each with 25 mins of run time.
It is time to drink plenty of water. Fumetsu no Anata will make you dehydrated from crying.
Boku no Hero Academia 5th Season
Season 5 will hopefully address some of our questions from Season 4. With Shigaraki picking up his villainous pace, fans await to see what new scheme he has up his sleeve. Plenty of watchers are rooting for a better character development for some of the primary villains.
The enigmatic lives of Dabi and the others do raise curiosity and hopefully, season 5 will shed some light on the subject. Perhaps with a bunch of animation-budget-eating fight scenes, Season 5 might end up being Plus Ultra after all. Boku no Hero Academia Season 5 airs on Funimation on March 27.
86 Eighty-Six
Humans driving or perhaps riding a huge mech has been a long time fantasy that it warrants a genre of its own. While on the outside 86 Eighty-Six might seem like another Gundam-themed anime show. Regardless, the Light Novel of the same name has received plenty of positive acclaim. Hopefully studio A-1 Pictures does justice in bringing out the gritty tale to life.
The story is surrounded on the vision of a war without shedding blood. While, you might think its a paradox, it forms the base on which the tale of suppressing humanity is written. Maybe this anime might convince you that there’s still some life in the Mech/Gundam genre. 86 Eighty-Six starts airing on April 10, but will be featured only on Tokyo MX. Looks like that VPN might come in handy.
Fruits Basket: The Final
We’re back with more from the cursed lives of the Sohma family. Fruits Basket: The Final, will probably do justice to the story-line and give it the much deserved ending. Fans who spent their time shipping some of their favorite characters will finally get to see how it all ends. Nevertheless, my hope from the final season of this show is to see a better ending for Tohru Honda.
It’s set to premiere on April 6 2021, there isn’t any specific details about the platform its going to launch on. Instead take my advice and get yourselves a VPN. Unless of course you’d like to go the way I do.
Nomad: Megalo Box 2
There’s always a certain visceral quality to the fighting genre of anime especially one where the fans root for the underdog. Megalo Box earned its praise to be worthy of standing alongside classics like Hajime no Ippo. Our previous Megalo Box champion, “Gearless” Joe returns once again though now he goes by the name, Nomad.
Given the popularity of the first one and the rather old-fashioned art style that it has, I’m certainly rooting for it. A Rocky-themed anime might just be what everyone needs to shake off their Lockdown blues. Nomad: Megalo Box 2 airs on April 4th. Studio TMS Entertainment is at the helm while the show might be aired only on TV.
Godzilla S.P
One might think that Japan has a wacky sense of humor. But, here we are, two “Godzilla” shows coincidentally released at the same time. The first episode is already out on Netflix Japan. It was released without subs, hence a bit difficult to enjoy. However, wait for good Godzilla English subs on Netflix soon.
A word of advice if you’re watching it the first time. Everyone should at least watch the black and white kaiju, 1954 Godzilla movie before starting the anime series. It is easily available on YouTube. Almost every new iteration of the “era” of Godzilla goes by this rule, a new sequel or even a prequel to the original movie. Most of the Godzilla stories are technically sequels to the original 1954 movie, like the Showa, Heisei, and Millennium era movies.
Zombieland Saga Revenge
Spring’s here and so are the troupe of Zombie idols who fight to save the fading Saga prefecture. With plenty of acclaim from the fans, the show is one of the most sought after. The element of “Revenge”, is more of an attribute to the revival of the idol group Frachouchou and their pursuit towards becoming a legend.
Unfortunately, Truck-kun will be unable to make an appearance this time around. With undying expectations (get the pun?) from devoted viewers to make the show just as good as it was previously, a lot is riding on Zombieland Saga Revenge to make the cut.
Honorable Mentions
Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song on April 3rd by Studio Wit
Subarashiki Kono Sekai The Animation on April 10 by domerica and Shin-Ei Animation
Tensura Nikki: Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken on April 6 by Studio 8bit
Spring 2021 Anime calendar once again appears to be stacked as hell especially on the weekends. With the winter anime calendar, the 2021 season is pretty much over at this point, the seasons lined up will eat once again eat away your free time.
Though plenty would ask if the new shows will be sufficient to outlast the boredom of the lock-down.
If you liked our list of Anime to watch this Spring season or believe that we’ve missed out on something important do leave a comment below. For more similar content head over to our website here.
