Wooper: I’m already several episodes behind on the best shows of the season, but I saw enough promising premieres over the last three weeks to feel good about spring as a whole. It may even go down as the best portion of the year in anime, though summer may have something to say about that. Lenlo and Mario may not feel the same, as they cast their votes for our quarterly awards with minimal enthusiasm, but we’ve each got at least three series we’re really feeling this spring, and at our age, that’s still a win. Hit the jump to see how our picks shook out, and I’ll see you in about ten days when our seasonal check-in posts recommence!
First Episode Awards
Best First Episode (The Death Note Award)
Nippon Sangoku
Spent All Their Efforts on the First Episode (The Kyoukai No Kanata Award)
Akane-banashi
Best Animation (The Samurai Champloo Award)
Witch Hat Atelier
Season Sleeper (The Gargantia Award)
Scenes from Awajima
Worst First Episode (The Bleach Award)
Kanan-sama wa Akumade Choroi
Exceeded Expectations (The Hyouka Award)
The Klutzy Class Monitor
Best Continuation (The Natsume Book of Friends Award)
Dorohedoro S2
Most Disappointing First Episode (The Berserk Award)
Dandelion
Best Background Art (Made in Abyss Award)
Nippon Sangoku
The post Spring 2026 First Episode Awards appeared first on Star Crossed Anime.
