Wooper: It’s far too early to make this call, but fall feels like a backlog season to me. Spring and summer had a lot going for them from the jump, but several of this autumn’s most promising shows are getting web-only releases, either before or after the traditional TV premiere period has ended. One is based on a video game (and it’s not the Sekiro anime, which was announced as a January series just hours before I published this). Another is a seinen work that marks a first-time collaboration between two major studios. And then there’s Steel Ball Run, which will finally adopt a weekly schedule beginning tomorrow – I figured I’d mention it by name in the intro, since it’s not included below. JoJo is listed in the poll at the end of this post, however, as are several other series without their own blurbs, so you can vote once you’ve scrubbed through the preview. Let me know what I’ve missed, because from what I can see, 2026’s final quarter is looking a little thin.
Middling Expectations
Choujun! Choujou-senpai
Studio: Arvo Animation
Director: Junichi Yamamoto
Series composition: Hayashi Mori
Source: Manga
The Premise: A self-absorbed police officer with psychic powers takes a rookie cop under his wing.
This year hasn’t been a fruitful one for gag manga adaptations, and given that Super Psychic Policeman Chojo’s source material lasted barely over a year in Shonen Jump, I don’t expect this anime to reverse the subgenre’s fortunes. You have to fill out a season preview somehow, though, so this show gets the privilege of kicking things off. I do like the thicker outlines used for the character art, as they’ll help the cast gel with what I assume will be a lot of impact lines and screentone backgrounds; this isn’t exactly going to be an animation showcase. Neither anime about cops nor espers hold a particular attraction for me, but Choujou-senpai does appear to have a secret weapon in Robo-kun the rosy-cheeked police droid. If Cromartie High School taught me anything, it’s that robot characters can improve any comedy anime (and that TV ratings are irrelevant). Robo-kun may not be the next Mechazawa, I’ll give him a chance to make me laugh this fall.
Hotaru no Yomeiri
Studio: David Production
Director: Takahiro Kamei
Series composition: Yuuko Kakihara
Source: Manga
The Premise: A terminally ill woman bargains for her life by proposing marriage to her would-be assassin.
Does anybody else remember the era when nearly every show on the late night anime block noitaminA felt like mandatory viewing? I’m no prisoner to nostalgia, but I do miss discovering shows like Tatami Galaxy and Princess Jellyfish based on their positions in that once-prestigious time slot. By contrast, the show that will occupy that spot beginning this October is Hotaru no Yomeiri (“Firefly Wedding”), which has a synopsis so far-fetched that I doubt it could birth any convincing drama. Its bad boy assassin is covered in blood in much of the series’ promotional material, yet he’s apparently going to play the doting husband here – to a woman with a secret heart condition, no less. The main reason I’m willing to spend half an hour of my time watching this is that it’s set in the Meiji era, which could add a dimension to the story that I can’t predict. Plus, the writing may be unhinged enough to transform Yomeiri into an unintentional comedy – that’s always a fun possibility when it comes to “I can fix him” anime plots.
Magic Knight Rayearth
Studio: E&H Production
Director: Yui Miura
Series composition: Shigeru Murakoshi
Source: Manga
The Premise: Three high school girls are called upon to save a parallel world from the clutches of a scheming priest.
Magic Knight Rayearth isn’t the first 90s shoujo isekai manga to receive a TV anime this year. In fact, it’s not even the second – both Red River and From Far Away will have aired first (the latter by just two days). Rayearth is the only one to have been adapted before, however, and fairly successfully at that. I gave the original show a couple tries and never got very far, but it’s beloved enough to be celebrating its 30th anniversary, so what the hell do I know? Not much, other than that this reboot shares no staff with the 90s anime. It’s happening at Seong-Hu Park’s animation studio and he’s listed as a “creative producer,” so you’d think it might bear the influence of his modern works (Ninja Kamui, Bullet/Bullet), but the trailer looks pretty old school. Digital effects and (presumably) CG mechs will give Rayearth a new coat of paint, yet the biggest change may be Yuki Kajiura’s involvement with the soundtrack. The second song in the PV gave me undeniable Madoka vibes, and though I’m not knowledgeable enough about Rayearth to say whether she’ll be a good fit, her music will likely improve my personal experience with the first episode. Maybe I’ll even watch the second if it’s a match made in heaven!
Psyren
Studio: Satelight
Director: Katsumi Ono
Series composition: Shin Yoshida
Source: Manga
The Premise: A teenage boy is transported to an extradimensional wasteland where he uses psychic powers to do battle with others like him.
I’m even less informed about Psyren than Magic Knight Rayearth. I know it’s about people with psychic abilities, that it was one of the most popular Shonen Jump manga never to receive an adaptation (before this October, anyway), and that it’s nearly 20 years old. Unfortunately, the show’s production committee accounted for the source material’s age before its popularity, as the PV forecasts below average animation – way below average. Fans shouldn’t expect Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer levels of disappointment, but things are going to be rough all the same. On the plus side, Psyren is rumored to be scheduled for three cours, so it may have the opportunity to adapt the full story, abrupt though its ending may have been. It probably speaks to the bleakness of this project, though, that a mere rumor is forced to serve as its silver lining.
Seitokai ni mo Ana wa Aru!
Studio: Passione
Director: Naoyuki Tatsuwa
Series composition: Masahiro Yokotani
Source: Manga
The Premise: A private school freshman gets more than he bargained for when he joins the (predominantly female) student council.
At last, a fall series with some visual promise. Seitokai ni mo Ana wa Aru (“Even the Student Council Has Its Holes”) is far from the first anime themed around a high school student council, but it ought to be one of the best-looking thus far. Its staff list combines veterans from studio Shaft with some fresher faces from Bind productions like Mushoku Tensei and Onimai. This team was probably assembled in part due to their experience with ecchi material, since Seitokai’s humor is apparently more than a bit raunchy. Still, I’m not expecting it to be on the level of the aforementioned shows, and purposeful shot selection combined with lively animation can certainly enhance lowbrow comedy. And speaking of humor enhancers, how about music? Composer Tomoki Kikuya first came to my attention after balancing Bocchi the Rock’s sweet victories and anxious freakouts, but truthfully, he’s been operating at a high level ever since his work on Hidamari Sketch. His playful ear might be just what Seitokai needs to succeed – or maybe the show will be so stupid that the music won’t make a dent. Guess we’ll find out in a couple weeks!
Sgt. Frog
Studio: BN Pictures
Directors: Nobuhiro Kondou, Toshihiko Sano
Series composition: Toshimitsu Takeuchi
Source: Manga
The Premise: A platoon of amphibian aliens suffer constant distractions in their mission to conquer planet Earth.
Sgt. Frog (“Keroro Gunsou”) isn’t on the level of Crayon Shin-chan or Detective Conan, but it’s still a major property in Japan, with 350+ episodes, half a dozen films, and a quarter century’s worth of manga chapters to its name. This reboot, which comes 15 years after the conclusion of the first TV anime, will bring Sarge and his fellow Keronians into the modern era, where I assume it will adopt a seasonal schedule (though that’s not yet confirmed, so it may end up being a long runner). I’ve seen around a dozen episodes of the original show, and I liked it pretty well – it’s silly without being stupid and irreverent without being crude, and the voice performances are great. This new version has an entirely new cast, which will take some getting used to, but on the bright side, one of the primary directors from the first series (Nobuhiro Kondou) is returning for the reboot. Were I to watch any more Sgt. Frog, it’d probably be the original, but I am a little curious about what tone the new one will strike, so I’ll give it a shot.
Zombie Sagashitemasu
Studio: Comet
Director: Shinya Une
Series composition: Aki Itami, Kenichi Yamashita
Source: Manga
The Premise: Thirteen years after the zombie apocalypse, a teenage girl and her friends leave their village in search of her father.
Only two full-length zombie anime have emerged so far this decade: Zom 100 and the second season of Zombie Land Saga (which also got an original film last year). That means Sagashitemasu doesn’t have much competition, especially since many people remember Zom 100 for its declining production values rather than its exceptional premiere. Even without an abundance of competitors, though, I don’t know whether this new series will generate much noise. This is only the director’s second work, coming not-so-hot on the heels of Rent-a-Girlfriend’s third season, and Studio Comet hasn’t taken point on many memorable projects in their 40 year history. As far as the story goes, there’s at least the detail of the traveling party members being too young to remember the zombie uprising, but I doubt that concept is wholly original. Not that I’m an expert on zombie fiction – the reason I’m mentioning Sagashitemasu at all is my guilt at avoiding live action zombie fiction. As a matter of fact, I probably ought to go on a George A. Romero binge rather than spend any time on this anime.
Sequel Showcase
Top left: Ranma ½ (2024)
Top right: The Ramparts of Ice
Bottom left: Blue Box
Bottom right: Black Clover
There are more popular sequels than these airing this season (Steel Ball Run, Apothecary Diaries), but those receive so much attention already that I thought I’d mention some others. Of course, Black Clover is plenty popular itself – so much so that Lenlo watched and reviewed the lengthy first season to see what all the fuss was about. I don’t know the first thing about Black Clover, but the horror-tinged PV looked impressive, so I assume devotees are excited for the anime’s five year break to end. The Ramparts of Ice underwent a much smaller hiatus – it’s a show I’m considering catching up on, since I really like Polar Opposites by the same author, but the teariness of the key visual makes me wonder how heavy this new season will be. Another romance anime getting the sequel treatment is Blue Box, which I’m content to miss out on, though I appreciate that it’s garnered a wide fanbase while integrating multiple sports into its story. Lastly, the Ranma reboot is back for a third cour of genderbending martial artistry, which is good news, since it’s been providing a more manga-accurate pathway for old and new viewers alike. It’s nice when remakes have creative reasons to exist in addition to financial ones, y’know?
Shows We’re Anticipating
Pan Dorobou
Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
Director: Takahiko Kyougoku
Series composition: Mariko Mochizuki
Source: Children’s book
The Premise: A sneaky mouse disguises himself as a loaf of bread in order to infiltrate and steal from bakeries.
You may question how anyone could be more excited about a children’s show than dozens of seasonal anime airing in the same timeframe. My answer would be that after many years of fandom, most 12 episode series no longer pique my interest – Pan Dorobou, on the other hand, looks quite charming. Based on the handful of trailers we’ve gotten so far, the animation and color design look pleasant, and the soundtrack seems to be casting a wide net (waltz, samba, swing jazz) to go with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s bouncy ending theme. Ayaka Asai will star as the titular bread thief, which is perfect casting if her delightfully weird turn as Clara Valac (Mairimashita Iruma-kun) is anything to go by. Sure, Pan Dorobou won’t offer much food for thought, but it’s not likely to be subbed, so I’ll be watching for the food itself: cream pan, baguettes, choco cornets, soft pretzels, novelty cookies! I’m hungry already.
The Seven Knights of the
Marronnier Kingdom
Studio: J.C. Staff
Director: Kiyoko Sayama
Series composition: Shinzou Fujita
Source: Manga
The Premise: The seven carefree princes of a landlocked kingdom journey to seven surrounding nations as diplomats.
When I first read it, the synopsis for Seven Knights of Marronnier reminded me of ACCA, that globetrotting political series from nearly 10 years ago (where has the time gone?). Rather than one man visiting 13 territories himself, however, the Marronnier anime will send one son to each of its seven bordering countries. That will require either entire episodes dedicated to individual brothers or an unwieldy amount of cross-cutting; either way, the plot will be difficult to condense, as the manga has been serialized for a full decade. “Flowers” is the publication in question, a josei magazine that previously ran such works as Umimachi Diary and Kids on the Slope, so I’m hoping the storytelling will hold my attention. The shadowless character designs and striking red costumes should do the same, even if I don’t expect the animation to be top shelf. Marronnier has a unique aesthetic and an unconventional 20 episode order, so if the writing is strong, there’ll be enough of it to follow into 2027.
Highest Expectations
Cyberpunk Edgerunners S2
Studio: Trigger
Director: Kai Ikarashi
Series composition: Masahiko Ootsuka
Source: Video game
The Premise: A young filmmaker documents the corruption and carnage of Night City as several of its other residents fight for their piece of the pie.
Cyberpunk’s second season may not share any characters with the first, but its real life crew does. New showrunner Bartosz Sztybor was one of the writers on the original Edgerunners, and he picked Kai Ikarashi to direct the follow-up based on the strength of his contributions to season one. It’s been four years, but some of you probably still remember Ikarashi’s episode “Girl on Fire,” which visualized cyberpsychosis in such arresting fashion that he earned himself a promotion for the sequel. Along with China (the person, not the country), he’s one of the young-ish talents whose style most impresses me, so I’m counting on Edgerunners II to push the envelope artistically and psychologically. All the sneak peak footage that has made its way online seems to point in that direction, but there’s also a camera-toting character whose function will be to record the events of the story from a limited perspective. Press materials describe him as a cinephile who prefers manually captured footage rather than “braindances,” the in-universe term for sensory recordings of real world experiences. It sounds like we’re in for some commentary on the value of traditional media in an age of surging technology, which sounds good to me – I just hope it’s incorporated into the larger story with grace.
Fool Night
Studios: Shaft, Sunrise
Director: Atsushi Yukawa
Series composition: Jin Tanaka
Source: Manga
The Premise: In a future where sunlight no longer reaches Earth’s surface, people are transformed into plants to provide humanity with oxygen.
Fool Night’s plot is powered by the bizarre concept of transfloration, whereby humans slowly turn into plants over the course of two years, after which only fragments of their memories remain. Its main character somehow manifests the ability to communicate with these transflowered people-plants, and things progress from there – in what direction I’m not sure, but I’m certainly intrigued. It’s not only the narrative setup that has my interest, either, as Fool Night will be the first ever Sunrise x Shaft co-production. On paper, that sounds like an ideal marriage of animation muscle and storyboarding prowess, so while there’s no way to know how things will function behind the scenes, my expectations for the finished product are high. A polished trailer, a director who played a major role on Makoto Shinkai’s latest feature film, and heady themes of identity and consciousness? Fool Night doesn’t release until late November, but it feels like it’ll be worth the wait.
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