Anime Must To Watch Out For In Spring 2021

1. My Hero Academia Season 5

My Hero Academia Season 5 Trailer Still – credit Bones

Studio: Bones
Release Date: 27th March 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 5:30 pm JST, Saturdays
Website: Crunchyroll, Funimation

My Hero Academia Season 4 easily had some of the most emotional moments in the franchise. Death of Sir Nighteye, torment faced by Eri Chan and Mirio Togata’s loss of powers were more than enough to cause despair among fans. When we were brought close to yet another loss in the battle: Endeavor and Hawks against Nomu. Endeavor had just been named the number one hero, but even so, there were people who couldn’t accept him. But, in his fight against Nomu, everyone backed him up as the world might have lost yet another hero.

In the season finale, we saw Midoriya having a mysterious dream where he has a vision of all the deceased One for All predecessors. As he wakes up, he seems to be losing control over his powers. This season, we will get much into the One for All and All for One history.

As suggested from the trailer, My Hero Academia Season 5 will witness the Joint Training Arc with a full-on battle between U.A.’s Class 1-A and 1-B. A surprise element that is to appear is the appearance of Hitoshi Shinso. He was the boy with the brainwashing powers during the U.A. High Sports Festival. Assessing his quirk, he was sent to the General Department of U.A., but after training under Eraserhead, he has gained some excellent skills. During the training session, he is to fight for both classes, and if he does perform well, he will be transferred to the hero course. This training session will see the aspiring heroes use their new skills, during which Midoriya will yet again lose control over his power.

2. Ijiranaude, Nagatoro-san 

Don’t Mess with me, Miss Nagatoro Trailer Still – credit Telecom Animation Film

Studio: Telecom Animation Film
Release Date: 11th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 1:00 am JST, Sundays
Website: Amazon Prime Video

An introverted male student, Naoto Hachioji likes to stay away from social interaction and likes to draw. One fine day, in an encounter with some of his juniors, his life seems to have turned upside down; Hayase Nagatoro initially observes Naota’s reactions to the verbal abuse and bullying her friends do on him. Here she notices that this might just be what his Senpai needs. From then on, Nagatoro loves to spend her time teasing and bullying his Senpai, Naota. During her time with him, she stumbles upon his artistry. She uses this as well as many of Senpai’s quirks to continue her daily charade of teasing him. She visits him on a daily basis forcing him to do whatever she wants at the point. Better if he was uncomfortable or annoyed by it.

Slowly as Naota spends time with Nagatoro, he starts becoming much more self-confident. So, through constant bullying, Naoto has come to be slightly aroused by her presence and daily visits. She has the ability to rope him into different antics by making use of his interests, appearance, and personality. As time passes by, Senpai realizes that he doesn’t dislike her presence; in fact, Nagatoro has started to have a crush on him as well. So in “Don’t Mess with me, Miss Nagatoro“, we will witness an uneasy friendship develop into a romance between two very contrasting characters.

3. Fruits Basket: The Final

Tohru Honda and Akito – credit TMS Entertainment

Studio: TMS Entertainment
Release Date: 6th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 1:30 am JST, Tuesdays
Website: Funimation, Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu

Fruits Basket follows the story of an orphan named Tohru Honda. One day she encounters the Sohmas, after which her life starts entangling with them. In the first episode itself, she learns a secret about them. Certain members of the family are cursed with the ability to turn into animals from Chinese Zodiac signs. This occurred if they were to be hugged or embraced by someone from the opposite sex. All the 12 Zodiacs and the cat bowed down to the mysterious family head, Akito.

Initially believed to be part of the Zodiacs, we later find out that Akito was, in fact, God among the Zodiacs. While we even witness some other information trivial to Tohru and the Zodiacs. As Kureno receives the DVD from Tohru, he decides to reveal a big secret to her. When Kureno meets Tohru, he hugs her but does not turn into the rooster. This was a moment of shock as we realize that Kureno had broken the curse and no longer turned into a zodiac.

Tohru was adamant about finding the secret to cure the Zodiac curses. But unfortunately, Kureno had no clue how his curse was broken. The fact of the matter is, even after being freed from the curse, Kureno seems sad as he can longer take his rooster form and longs to take flight. In the third and final season of the anime, we will witness some more revelations and what would happen to the Zodiacs and the curses.

4. Edens Zero

Edens Zero Anime Announcement Poster – credit J.C. Staff

Studio: J.C. Staff
Release Date: 11th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 12:55 am JST, Sundays
Website: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Anime-Planet

Edens Zero by Hiro Mashima is often dubbed as the Fairy Tail in space. Considering it is from the same mangaka and even has a Happy as a part of the main cast in it, pointing out the resemblance is almost impossible. In this case, Happy is an adorable sci-fi cat robot that has the ability to convert into guns, thus becoming a weapon himself. So, considering the storytelling, this adaptation should garner a similar response to that of Fairy Tail.

The story takes place in the Granbell Kingdom, an amusement park in the Sakura Cosmos. The story follows one Shiki Granbell, who one day encounters two space travelers, Rebecca Blurgarden and her sci-fi cat robot, Happy.

They were there to take photos and videos for their online account on Aoneko Channel. As they were the first human contact Granbell had for hundreds of years, they are forced away, during which Shiki meets and befriends the two. When the situation starts becoming dire, Shiki, along with his new compatriots, joins them in their journey to explore the boundless cosmos. During this journey, they try to search for the fabled goddess of the cosmos, Mother. During which Shiki obtains an interstellar warship called Edens Zero, which was once owned by his grandfather figure, the mechanical Demon King Ziggy.

5. Tokyo Revengers

Tokyo Revengers Trailer Still – credit LIDENFILMS

Studio: LIDENFILMS
Release Date: 11th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 2:08 am JST, Sundays
Website: Anime-Planet

People who loved Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi should surely love Tokyo Revengers having a similar plotline. Takemichi Hanagaki is at an all-time low in his life when he receives yet another bad news. His ex-girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, was murdered by the gruesome Tokyo Manji Gang. This group was filled with the society’s lowest of scums who had disturbed the harmony for quite some time now. As Takemichi wonders where it all went wrong, something strange happens as he travels through time, ending up 12 years in the past. In this timeline, Takemichi was still in a relationship with Hinata; thus, he realized the opportunity he was granted. Takemichi infiltrates the Tokyo Manji Gang to get on their good side and climb the ranks. He resolved to do this to rewrite the future and change the ill fate faced by Hinata.

6. To Your Eternity

To Your Eternity Trailer Still – credit Brain’s Base

Studio: Brain’s Base
Release Date: 12th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 10:50 pm JST Mondays
Website: Crunchyroll, Anime-Planet

To Your Eternity follows an immortal being name Fushi. This being which was sent to Earth neither had emotions nor identity but had the ability to take the shape of things around him. Initially, he was a sphere, then a rock, moss, after which he encounters a dying wolf and takes the form of the animal. Now, having gained consciousness, he decides to travel through the lands to find new beings. As a wolf, Fushi meets a boy in the cold tundra region. He was living in a ghost town abandoned by the adults in search of a paradise that existed beyond the snowy region. Nevertheless, they are unsuccessful in their venture, leaving the boy in a critical state. Fushi acquires the boy’s form, after which he transverses the world visiting new places and people.

In his journey entailing hundreds of years, Fushi takes various forms while obtaining new powers, including that of creating objects out of nothing and resurrection. But, one day, Fushi meets a black-hooded figure who had greater powers than him. This figure claimed to be Fushi’s creator and was opposed by plant-like beings called Knockers. So, Fushi spends centuries fighting these Knockers, after which he spreads his body across the globe to prevent them from coming back.

7. Jouran: The Princess of Snow and Blood

Jouran The Princess of Snow and Blood Key Visual – credit Bakken Record

Studio: Bakken Record
Release Date: 7th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: Wednesdays
Website: Hulu

Jouran: The Princess of Snow and Blood is an original anime story set in an alternate history in 1931 Japan. During the 64th year of the Meiji era, the Tokugawa shogunate was never abolished, and Emperor Meiji was never restored to power. The story follows the activities of an organization called “Nue.” The members of which are shogunate executioners who enforce the government. The country has achieved unique developments in science as they have produced their own energy source called “dragon vein,” This glamorous city is being attempted to be overthrown by the dissident organization Kuchinawa. They are in conflict with the Nue of the Tokugawa regime. Sawa Yukimura, who fell victim to the actions of Janome, tries to find and avenge her family.

8. Shaman King

Shaman King Still – Bridge

Studio: Bridge
Release Date: 1st April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 5:55 pm JST Thursdays
Website: Netflix, Anime-Planet

Shaman King 2021 is the second adaptation of the 2001 iteration. This anime will include the canonical ending that the previous adaptation missed out on. Shamans are people who have the ability to communicate with ghosts, spirits, and gods. Once every 500 years, a competition takes place where Shamans from all around the world compete to become the Shaman King. The Shaman King can call upon the Great Spirit to shape the world according to their will. One day as a middle schooler, Manta Oyamada was getting back home, he encounters Yoh Asakura. After a series of events in which Asakura saves Manta from some thugs, it is revealed that Asakura was a Shaman-in-training. With his ability, he is able to team up with a six-hundred-year-old samurai ghost, Amidamaru. The two become friends as they set out to complete Yoh’s dream of becoming the next Shaman King.

9. Moriarty The Patriot: Season 2

Moriarty The Patriot Second Season Visual – credit Production I.G.

Studio: Production I.G.
Release Date: 4th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 10:30 pm JST, Sundays
Website: Netflix, Funimation

In the season finale of Moriarty The Patriot Season 1, we saw a blood-covered Watson who was caught by the Railway Police. His pleas went unheard while Moriarty and Holmes try and deduce the case. Holmes tried to work on the case with physical evidence while Moriarty tried to understand the culprit’s psyche. Elsewhere, Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft, met with Queen Victoria to get full power over the information on the case. In the second season, we might have a thrilling watch where Sherlock may find out about Moriarty’s true identity. Moriarty may continue to develop himself into an unknown figure during all this, having a vendetta against the noble class. We may even see Sherlock’s relationship with Watson develop as Mycroft brings the critical case to him.

10. 86 – Eighty – Six

86 Key Visual – credit A-1 Pictures

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Release Date: 11th April 2021
Episode Release Schedule: 12:00 am JST, Sundays
Website: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video

The Republic of San Magnolia has been in a 9-year war with its neighbors, the Giadian Empire. During this war, to face the unmanned drones called the Legion, The Republic of Magnolia developed their own Juggernauts. While people believe that the war is being fought between the robots, in reality, the Juggernauts are controlled by the citizens of 86 sectors of the nation. Shinei leads the Juggernauts on the battlefield, while Lena acts as a “handler” who commands the detachment with the help of special communication. As Lena works with Shinei, she becomes sympathetic to the people of the 86th as the two learn a dark secret regarding the war and their nation.