2021 marks the beginning of a new year, especially for anime. To save you all some trouble looking them up, here’s a quick list of five anime you might want to look up this year.
Now admittedly, some of these anime choices are the result of personal bias on my part. But well, if it makes any of you anime fans consider watching a series that you weren’t even aware of before, I’d count myself satisfied. So with that said, here’s my top five choices for 2021:
5. HoriMiya
As a longtime fan of the HoriMiya manga, the news that it’s getting an anime excites me to no small degree. Despite what it looks like in the teaser trailer above, the series is actually much more a comedy than a drama. The basic premise is that a girl named Kyoko Hori discovers that there’s a lot more to her classmate, Izumi Miyamura, than meets the eyes. Especially when she meets him on the street, covered in piercings and dressed more like a punk than in his usual school uniform.
HoriMiya premiered on Funimation and Hulu on January 9, 2021. The first episode is currently only available for Funimation Premium subscribers, but it should be free to watch on January 16. Unfortunately, you need a Hulu account to watch it there, but they do offer a one-week free trial, so there’s that option to consider.
4. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 2)
The second season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime continues the story of Rimuru Tempest and his nation, also named Tempest. This time, it seems that some very powerful people want to eliminate said nation before it gets to be a threat. Can Rimuru stop them before they commit genocide against his people? We’ll just have to see when it comes out.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 2 premiers today on January 12, 2021 on Crunchyroll. Funimation will also stream the series, but it’s unclear when they’ll do so.
3. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S is the second season to this fantasy yuri comedy anime. It will continue the story of Koabayashi and Tohru as they continue to develop their relationship, all the while raising a young dragon named Kana. Judging from where we left off in the last season, the family will get to meet Kobayashi’s parents for the first time.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S is scheduled to air sometime in 2021. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything more specific at this time. Tune in later for more.
2. Luminous Witches
Have to admit, Luminous Witches is entirely the result of bias on my part as a fan of Strike Witches. For those of you unfamiliar with this anime: Strike Witches is the story of magical girls fighting against an alien invasion using WWII equipment and their own brand of magitech. Luminous Witches is basically about an idol group formed from such witch veterans. Probably not as military science fantasy as the series proper, but it appears to be good for a laugh.
Luminous Witches will air sometime in 2021. Unfortunately, we also don’t have an exact date for you. Tune in later to find out more.
1. The Promised Neverland (Season 2)
The second season of The Promised Neverland picks up where the anime left off in the story. Now that the kids have managed to pull off an escape from their orphanage/prison, they have to figure out how to survive in a new and terrifying world. Oh, and those demons haven’t given up on hunting them. Good luck, kids. You’ll need it.
The Promised Neverland season 2 premiered on Funimation and Hulu on January 8, 2021. The first episode is currently locked behind a paywall on Funimation, but it would unlock on January 15. Hulu needs a paid subscription, but if you have a Disney+ account, you can opt in for a Hulu addition as well there. Trust me, this anime is well worth your time and money.
