Lenlo: Hello all, welcome to our first Season Preview since my retirement from consistent content! I told you things would still happen, just not on a weekly schedule. Well this is the first of that! And as if in celebration, both Amun and Wooper are here to help me out. So go ahead and take a look at what you can expect from the Summer 2024 season!
Wooper: Poll’s at the bottom this time, folks – it’s cleaner that way! Once you’ve voted, don’t miss Lenlo’s post on what else you can expect from the blog in the coming weeks and months.
Middling Expectations
Quality Assurance in Another World
Studios: 100studio, Palette
Director: Kei Umabiki
Series composition: Shougo Yasukawa
Source: Manga
The Premise: A debugger attempts to fix a poorly programmed JRPG from inside the game, even after all his co-workers have given up.
Wooper: I am a board-certified isekai hater, but something about this show caught my eye as I was combing through the upcoming seasonal chart. At first it was the poster, with its stocky red-haired protagonist and nightmarish blob monster, both of which are nice departures from the genre’s myriad Kirito lookalikes and Dragon Quest-aping slimes. Then it was curiosity about the director, whose experience working on comedies like Gintama and Iruma-kun may serve him well on a series that, based on the PV, understands just how silly it is. Unfortunately, the same PV reveals Quality Assurance to be a visually modest affair, so if the writing fails to elevate its “stuck in a video game” premise, this thing will swiftly be forgotten. I’m hoping, though, that the conceit of someone trying to debug a crappy MMO from within will allow for some amusing metacommentary. Usually I’m punished for my optimism when it comes to this subgenre, but maybe this time will be different?
Lenlo: Like Wooper, this being an Isekai has caused it to immediately lose most of my interest. And unlike Wooper, I’m actually not a fan of Gintama and Iruma-kun, so the director didn’t catch my interest much either. But watching the PV… That “dragon” design, and the world at large, did. It doesn’t feel like Quality Assurance is taking itself too seriously, is willing to have some fun with it and not have all the usual isekai tropes, which is probably for the best. I’m not expecting much, but like Wooper, it’s at least earned me checking it out.
Amun: Iruma-kun catching strays (I still love you). I’ll be watching this.
The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies
Studio: Bones
Director: Akiyo Oohashi
Series composition: Yuniko Ayana
Source: Manga
The Premise: The leader of an organization seeking world domination falls in love with the magical girl who opposes them.
Wooper: Both Anilist and anidb have this series listed with short episodes (the latter specifies that they’re “half length”), which is bad news for most folks but good news for me, Star Crossed’s resident short anime enjoyer. With a concept as thin as this one, MahoAku (the show’s Japanese portmanteau) may work better with shorter run times, since it apparently falls on the cutesier end of the romantic spectrum. The main driver of my admittedly mild interest here is studio Bones, whose name always catches my attention (even after putting out a flop like Metallic Rouge to celebrate their 25th anniversary). I’m not expecting anything close to their peak for a series like this, but its combination of comedy, romance, and fantasy could be fun in conjunction with a few animated flourishes here and there. Some fans may also be drawn to this one due to source author Cocoa Fujiwara, whose untimely passing in 2015 left MahoAku without a conclusion. Bones has a mixed track record when it comes to anime original endings, but director Oohashi doesn’t have any of that baggage, being new to the studio, so perhaps she’ll be able to give this one a proper finale.
Suicide Squad Isekai
Studio: Wit
Director: Eri Osada
Series composition: Tappei Nagatsuki, Eiji Umehara
Source: Original
The Premise: The DC Comics supervillain team are sent to – you guessed it – a JRPG-inspired fantasy world.
Amun: Well, looks like any idea with known IP is getting greenlit these days. Okay, considering the rest of summer’s slate, “Suicide Squad Isekai” really isn’t the worst idea – known universe, known characters, an interesting twist that plays into standard anime tropes. It’s just so crazy it might work! Boy, this staff lineup is weird. Industry veteran Erio Osada is making his directorial debut, the author of Re: Zero is co-series composer, and Eiji Umehara’s most notable work is Vivy (which he did alongside Tappei Nagatsuki). It’s not a stretch to expect writing similar to Vivy – which I’d give a barely passing grade to – but this is an original work, so I expect there to be a bit more freedom. Character designer Naoto Hosoda most notably did the characters for Seiren, which were…completely forgettable. However, the PVs look good (though the action doesn’t look extremely fluid), there seem to be some interesting stories taking place, and the world looks very fun. I’m intrigued, but I don’t have the highest of hopes. Although given the barren wasteland of a season (second one in a row, absolute tragedy), I’ll probably watch all of it.
Lenlo: Alright I’ll do it, I’ll be “that guy”, everything about Suicide Squad Isekai screams “Funded by committee” IP-based cash grab. From the use of Harley and Joker to the Vtuber Mori Calliope performing what I believe is the ED, it feels like it was bought by DC/Warner Bros to cash in on the anime market. While this might be fun, Yuuichirou Umehara and Anna Nagase should bring good performances to Joker and Harley and Wit will probably give us some fun animation, as a comic book fan I just… I’m very hesitant, I don’t think anyone in charge has actually read the comics or knows who these characters are. I get that’s a really gate-keepy way to look at it, “Only people who have read the source should adapt it”, but I really love Harley in the comics and I want to see her treated well. Anyways, I’ll definitely be checking this out but I’m not expecting much.
My Deer Friend Nokotan
Studio: Wit
Director: Masahika Oota
Series composition: Takashi Aoshima
Source: Manga
The Premise: A transfer student with antlers growing from her head wreaks havoc in the life of her new classmate, a former delinquent.
Wooper: Once every few years, an off-the-wall anime comedy like Teekyuu or Pop Team Epic will premiere, perplexing thousands of anime fans and generating questions such as, “Who is the target audience for this?” and, “Does anyone actually find this funny?” My Deer Friend Nokotan (whose Japanese title is prohibitively long, but a lot of fun to say) will likely have people asking those same questions again in just a couple weeks, so if you’ll permit me, I’ll answer them both in advance with a single word: “Me.” You can glean everything you need to know about this kitchen sink comedy by watching the PV, which features a character with a detachable scalp, an exploding gym roof, an army of humorously integrated 3DCG deer. There’s no way to tell whether Nokotan will have cultural staying power or go down as a short-lived meme, but I hope to enjoy its hyperactive antlers antics for as long as it amuses me.
Lenlo: I don’t understand the hype around this. Every community I’m in is foaming at the mouth over this fever dream of a show, as if a poorly composited CG deer and in your face absurdist comedy is going to stay interesting beyond a single episode. Wooper’s above comparison to Teekyuu is apt, because this looks like the very same brain rot, only it isn’t directed by the hack Shin Itagaki and instead of being a short it’s full length. Hopefully someone can find some interest in this, because to me it’s just throwing comedy at a wall and praying something sticks.
Tokidoki Bosotto Russiago de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san
Studio: Doga Kobo
Director: Ryouta Itou
Series composition: Ryouta Itou
Source: Light novel
The Premise: Russian hottie flirts with unsuspecting protagonist in her native language…which he also speaks!
Amun: Alright, listen. I know, this ain’t going to be high art. But for some reason, I love this premise. It’s a double reverse of dramatic irony – it’s a cute gimmick, alright?! I’m sure there’s some contrived reason he speaks Russian, and I’m sure the harem will get old, but I’m hoping to get a few funny episodes out of this one. Doga Kobo has put out plenty of perfectly serviceable seasonals, such as “Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence”, “Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie”, and of course “Oshi no Ko”. Ryouta Itou helmed “Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie”, which was an overachiever for its season. Ryou Kobayashi is producing, and he’s worked on some of the aforementioned projects. About 40 chapters have been translated so far, so I took a look and I’m guessing this will be skit based (think Kaguya-sama), with several sketches per episodes. In short, if you’re looking for a gentle, low-stakes rom-com this season – check this one out.
Lenlo: Look ignore the show, ignore the harem, ignore that one clip in the PV of the MC grabbing the female lead by her vagina, I only want to know one thing: Russian speakers, is the Russian any good? Or is this the Russian equivalent to Engrish? Inquisitive minds demand to know!
Mayonaka Punch
Studio: P.A. Works
Director: Shuu Honma
Series composition: Hideaki Shirasaka
Source: Original
The Premise: A YouTuber teams up with a vampire in the hopes of hitting one million subscribers on her new channel.
Wooper: This is the first of three P.A. Works shows airing this summer; another is a few entries down on this preview, while the third (Nanare Hananare, a cheerleading anime) didn’t catch my interest. As for Mayonaka Punch, there are a couple points of reference that may help you in deciding whether to check it out. First, it shares a handful of core staff members with Paripi Koumei, including director, art designer, and editor, so if you enjoyed the musical adventures of Zhuge Liang two years ago, this will look and feel similar. Second, this is another show about YouTubers, hot on the heels of last season’s Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, as well as a show about vampires, not-so-hot on the heels of 2022’s Call of the Night. Personally, my interest in an anime wanes whenever I hear that it’s about teenagers spending their time on social media or getting their blood sucked, but based on the PV, Mayonaka Punch ought to be more lighthearted than either of the aforementioned series. Plus, it’s an anime original, so I’ll watch at least one episode to see how it fares.
Dungeon no Naka no Hito
Studio: OLM
Director: Sayaka Yamai
Series composition: Toshimitsu Takeuchi
Source: Web manga
The Premise: A thief changes professions and becomes part of a dungeon’s staff.
Amun: You know what – I’ve finally figured out that if the anime has the word “Dungeon” in the title, I’ll probably at least give it a try. And sometimes it works out brilliantly (see: last season’s Dungeon Meshi, and of course, one of my favorite series DanMachi). Coupled with the fact that this is OLM, home to many of my recent favorite series – this automatically has my attention. While the animation doesn’t look great and the character design isn’t compelling, I’m intrigued by the story. This feels a bit like Hozuki’s Coolheadedness – taking a behind the scenes look at a fantastic setting. Taking a look at the staff, it becomes pretty clear that this is a training anime – Director Sayaka Yamai has worked on several OLM projects in smaller capacities. Composer Toshimitsu Takeuchi has worked on some smaller projects too, so this seems like a low-stakes test run. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is OLM’s B-team – with expectations set to zero, perhaps they’ll overachieve and give us something great! In reality, probably not, but I’ll settle for a cute show with some heart.
Lenlo: OLM knew exactly what they were doing with this adaptation. They knew Dungeon Meshi was going to end and people were going to be hungry for more dungeon content. What better way to capitalize on that than to shove a Walmart Good-Value brand Dungeon Meshi into the very next season. Will I watch this? Probably not, its production looks mediocre and I’d rather not waste my time on it when I have… 6 posts I’m working on now that I’m free.
Rom-Com Rundown
Top left: 2.5 Dimensional Seduction
Top right: Giji Harem
Bottom left: My Wife Has No Emotion
Bottom Right: Too Many Losing Heroines!
The Premise: Cute anime girl(s) exist in the orbit of much less interesting male protagonists.
Wooper: Depending on how you look at it, this summer is either the season of romantic comedies, or the one that puts shame on the genre’s name, since none of them look like surefire winners. Amun already addressed Alya-san above, but here are another four. Here’s what they’re about, in order: 1) cosplay and fanservice, like 2022’s Sono Bisque Doll but not as well-animated, 2) a theater kid adopting different personas to pose as different members of her crush’s “harem”, 3) a salaryman falling in love with his robot maid, and 4) a high school guy befriending a trio of girls who’ve been unlucky in love. In terms of production, the fourth one looks the best by far, but its premise reads like an excuse to surround a generic male lead with pretty girls, so although I’ll give it a try, my guard is already up. At least it’s not quite as transparent about it as the cosplay show, I guess? As for the other two, I can’t imagine Giji Harem supporting full-length episodes (though the manga’s four-page chapters are cute), and the robot maid series is by Tezuka Pro, which likely means it’ll be boring to look at. Gun to my head, I’d bank on Too Many Losing Heroines, but if even that one tanks, rom-com fans will be the real losers this season.
Shows We’re Anticipating
The Elusive Samurai
Studio: CloverWorks
Director: Yuuta Yamazaki
Series composition: Yoriko Tomita
Source: Manga
The Premise: In 14th century Japan, the eight year old heir to the Kamakura shogunate must flee the seat of power when his family is betrayed from within.
Wooper: Historical fiction isn’t one of my favorite genres, but whenever an anime comes along that fits the bill, I’m sure to check it out, since they allow me to passively increase my knowledge of Japanese history. The Elusive Samurai is the latest entry in the genre, set immediately before the start of the Muromachi period, a timeframe not often covered by historical anime (which usually gravitate toward the Warring States era or the Meiji Restoration). That’s worth a few points on its own, but what really won me over here were the colors in the most recent PV, which look gorgeous. I didn’t sample the manga for this one, but apparently the plot will push the main character from location to location as he evades his pursuers, which should provide plenty of opportunities for the art department to flex their substantial muscles. Shouta Umehara is serving as animation producer for this title, as well, and you only need to glance at his resume (Wonder Egg Priority, Bocchi the Rock, Bisque Doll) to know this thing will be solidly drawn. Elusive Samurai is a Shonen Jump manga, so this adaptation may feature some dopey humor or shoehorned combat scenes from time to time, but it has a lot going for it on a fundamental level, and I’m thinking the strong staff may be able to deliver on that promise.
Isekai Shikkaku
Studio: AtelierPontdarc
Director: Shigeki Kawai
Series composition: Yasuhiro Nakanishi
Source: Web manga
The Premise: Osamu Dazai gets reincarnated in a new world and is very annoyed/suicidal about it.
Amun: Laugh all you want, but Isekai Shikkaku could be good. (It could also be a dumpster fire, but I have faith…well maybe just hope). This studio and director helmed Isekai Ojisan – interesting and original, albeit flawed. Series composer (and script writer) Yasuhiro Nakanishi, best known for his work on Kaguya-sama, has guided some other shows that I consider overachievers, including recently “Shy” and “Reincarnated as an Aristocrat [Appraisal]”. I must confess, I’m not familiar with Dazai’s actual works, but I am a fan of his representation from Bungou Stray Dogs. From reading the first translated chapter, this is definitely some light dark humor – perfect. The source material looks serviceable enough, and I think the visuals will be passable – good enough for me!
Lenlo: So unlike Amun, I have read a few (4) of Dazai’s works (They are good, go read them), and also unlike Amun, I really didn’t enjoy Bungou Stray Dogs’ depiction of him, or any of the authors really. So for me, whether or not I enjoy this show is going to come down entirely to their portrayal of Dazai and their understanding of his works. If they can get it right, if they can take what I felt while reading his novels and bring even a fraction of it into this anime, I could see it being a good time. Or well… an interesting time, Dazai brings out some interesting emotions. So yeah, there’s some hope here, but I’m not holding my breath. I’ve been hurt one too many times doing that.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
Studio: P.A. Works
Director: Masayuki Yoshihara
Series composition: Jukki Hanada
Source: Video game
The Premise: A spoiled harvest goddess must rediscover her true nature after being banished to a demon-infested island.
Wooper: Video games don’t typically make great source material for anime, especially with many modern examples being gacha adaptations, which have a pretty low ceiling. I’m hoping things will be different for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, though, because it looks quite promising. Get past the initial 3DCG rice stalks and you’ll be met with verdant landscapes, towering waves, a larger-than-life goddess, scene-appropriate lighting, and a handful of solid action cuts. Some Japanese producer must have really loved this game (or else found it highly bankable) for it to receive this sort of treatment. They even secured the Eccentric Family director to oversee the adaptation, which is perfect, since that show’s setting was overflowing with personality, and this one looks like it could be in a similar league (albeit much more naturalistic). I hardly know a thing about the half-action, half-farming game that will serve as the basis for Rice and Ruin, so maybe my hopefulness is ill-founded, but this looks like a shot at a decent fantasy anime – one with a decidedly more eastern tone than the recent Frieren and Dungeon Meshi.
Shoushimin Series
Studio: Lapintrack
Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Series composition: Toshiya Oono
Source: Novel
The Premise: Two high schoolers continually find themselves involved in local mysteries despite wishing to lead quiet lives.
Amun: Quick take: this is probably bargain bin Hyouka. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. I cannot find any translated manga of this – it’s an interesting situation, with the original work being five mystery novels that got adapted into a few runs of manga about 15 years ago. Studio Lapintrack recently did “Undead Girl Murder Farce”, which I really enjoyed. You’ll know director Mamoru Kanbe from “Elfen Lied” and more recently “Promised Neverland” (season 2 is NOT his fault). Series composer Toshiya Oono hasn’t done a ton of projects, but he has some good ones under his belt: “86” and the recent seasons of “Mushoku Tensei.” If this can reach even half the greatness of the genre giant Hyouka, it will be a smashing success. Given the studio’s last successful show and the staff’s experience – I’m very hopeful.
Sequel Showcase
Top left: Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season
Top right: Oshi no Ko S2
Bottom left: Kimi ni Todoke S3
Bottom Right: Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc
The Premise: Did you love these anime the first time around? If so, here’s more. If not, too bad!
Wooper: Once upon a time, anime fans received only a handful of sequels each season, and all eyes were on fresh adaptations, or better yet, original works. That era is long gone, meaning that these four follow-ups are far from the only ones on offer this summer (you’ll hear about another from Amun in just a second, in fact). Do all these titles fit the “Shows We’re Anticipating” bill? Not really, but I had to put them somewhere, and plenty of folks will be fans of at least one of these four franchises. As for what these sequels will be about, at least at first: 1) side stories, then Araragi’s first year of university, 2) the stage play in which Aqua was cast at the end of the first season, 3) Sawako and Shouta meeting each other’s families, and 4) a tournament arc with some truly strange participants, if the trailer is any indication. I won’t be watching any of these, but the Monogatari PV looks excellent, so if you’ve got the stomach for that series’ weirdness, bon appetit. And for Kimi ni Todoke fans, a final point of interest: Tomoko Kanparu is returning as the adaptation’s head writer after 13 years, so although it’ll have a new coat of paint, the show ought to be in good hands.
Tower of God Season 2
Studio: The Answer
Director: Kazuyoshi Takeuchi, Kei Suzuki
Series composition: Erika Yoshida
Source: Manhwa
The Premise: There is a tower that grants the participant’s deepest wish…if you can conquer it.
Amun: I know, I know – we don’t normally do sequels in the preview (or lump them all together like Wooper did above). But I feel that ToG Season 1 was unique enough to warrant a hard look at Season 2 before it airs. And there are definitely quite a few differences from season 1 here: let’s start with the studio change. The Answer – honestly, I had to look them up, since I had no idea what they’ve done as far as seasonals go. And the answer (hue hue) to that is…not much. They’re best known for “Garden of Words”, although they worked on that as a producer. Very minimal experience with seasonals (except for “Golgo 13”, I guess). The directors…haven’t done a lot. Basically just “City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust”. While this seems a bit bleak, I have a bit more faith in series composer Erika Yoshida, who is returning from the original Tower of God and also piloted “Bocchi” and “Tiger & Bunny”. Given Lenlo’s below assessment of the story, I’m proceeding with caution here – I think this is a big question mark, especially with all the staff changes. I was just so enamored with the world of the first season and the characters that I can’t help but give them a second chance.
Lenlo: As someone who has read Tower of God, almost all of it, I can warn you right here that the series goes full edge moving forward. Gone is the naivete, the powerlessness, the camaraderie. From here on out, it becomes pretty standard OP MC edge-lord fare. Now if that’s what you want, I do think this section is a pretty decent and self-contained arc for it. Just personally, the bits that I enjoyed the most about Tower of God are largely absent.
Highest Expectations
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction
Studio: Production +h
Director: Tomoyuki Kurokawa
Series composition: Reiko Yoshida
Source: Manga
The Premise: A pair of alien enthusiasts come of age as a foreign spacecraft hovers menacingly over Tokyo.
Wooper: Dead Dead Demon’s path to the small screen has been a bumpy one. At first it was announced as a pair of feature films, which was a massive deal on its own, since this was the first adaptation of a work by mangaka Inio Asano (of Oyasumi Punpun and Solanin fame). Then, just days before the release of the second film on May 24th, it was revealed that an 18 episode series would begin releasing weekly on the same day, sowing confusion as to which version would be the definitive one. Adding to this uncertainty was “episode 0,” the first installment of the weekly series, which adapted material from nearly 100 chapters into the manga, prompting source readers to flood forums and comments sections with warnings against treating it as a normal prologue. As if all of this wasn’t perplexing enough, the series’ English localization was apparently mishandled, with poorly timed dubtitles taking the place of a separate translation.
In an effort to clear up some of this muddiness for myself, I read the first volume of the manga, then watched both episode 0 and the proper premiere using a retimed script by sub group [4de]. Right off the bat, I can tell you that the source readers were correct – the events of the “prologue” are actually a years-ahead flashforward that you should probably skip, since it reveals critical information about a secondary character that I’d rather not have discovered at this stage. As for my general thoughts, I’m most impressed by the art direction and character design, as the backgrounds feel lived-in and Asano’s unconventional facial expressions successfully made the cross-media jump. The series thus far is a mix of supernatural intrigue, non sequitur humor, and unsettling character dynamics – if you enjoyed last year’s Tengoku Daimakyou (Heavenly Delusion), this one may be up your alley, even if you don’t know anything about Asano’s work. Assuming Dead Dead Demon is of a piece with his other stuff, it’ll test both your constitution and your patience, but it’s surely one of 2024’s most promising shows, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that [4de] sticks with it through the summer.
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