It’s summertime! And you know what that means? A new season of anime! Lately, it feels like the world of anime has been changing. We now have multiple streaming services where we can watch anime legally in the U.S., and websites like Netflix are starting to produce their own shows, many of which are excellent. What is the future of anime streaming outside of Japan? Who can say, but as much as I’ve complained about not having enough shows centered around adults to watch in the past, it seems that this has been changing lately.

Attack on Titan (Season 3, Part 1)

“Eren Jaeger swore to wipe out every last Titan, but in a battle for his life he wound up becoming the thing he hates most. With his new powers, he fights for humanity’s freedom facing the monsters that threaten his home. After a bittersweet victory against the Female Titan, Eren finds no time to rest–a horde of Titans is approaching Wall Rose and the battle for humanity continues” (Plot Summary from Anime News Network).

It’s been over a year now since the last season of Attack on Titan, and what more could I possibly say about this show? Taking the typical zombie-dystopia story and flipping it on its head, Attack on Titan is about a group of giant monsters who attack human cities, eating the human occupants for no apparent reason, as well as about the humans who work to fight them. Even with rumblings of disappointment from within the anime community last season, Attack on Titan season two still ended up with an 82% “liked it” score on Rotten Tomatoes. I don’t know about you, but I for one am really looking forward to the possibility of getting some answers regarding the origin of the Titans in this upcoming season.

Attack on Titan season three will be available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

Banana Fish

“Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of “Papa” Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash’s older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa’s insatiably ambitious hands—and it’s exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx’s acquaintance” (Plot Summary from Anime News Network).

I know very little about the manga Banana Fish. All I know is what you can find on Wikipedia: the manga follows Ash Lynx, a teenage gang leader in New York City, and ran in Shōjo Comic from 1985 to 1994. That being said, the anime is being produced by MAPPA, as well as directed by Hiroko Utsumi who brought us Free! Not to mention that the show will be aired in the noitaminA slot in Japan. All that, paired with the fact that the original manga sold over 11 million copies back in the day, and my interest is piqued.

The simulcast for Banana Fish has not yet been announced.

Flavors of Youth -International Version- (Film)

“The three shorts in the anthology are titled ‘Hidamari no Chōshoku’ (Sunny Breakfast), ‘Chiisana Fashion Show’ (A Small Fashion Show), and ‘Shanghai Koi’ (Shanghai Love), and all three will be set in three different Chinese cities. The theme of the three stories are food, clothing, and shelter. Writer and live-action director Jiaoshou Yi Xiaoxing (Surprise) is making his animation directorial debut with ‘Hidamari no Chōshoku,’ which is about a youth working in Beijing and a grandmother in his hometown. Yoshitaka Takeuchi, the 3DCG chief in many of Makoto Shinkai’s films, is directing ‘Chiisana Fashion Show,’ which is about sisters living in Guangzhou. Haoliners president Li Haoling (Spiritpact) is directing ‘Shanghai Koi,’ which is set in 1990s Shanghai as an homage to 5 Centimeters Per Second” (Information from ANN).

As much as I love going to the movies to see anime films, the prospect of watching the upcoming film Flavors of Youth in the comfort of my own home on Netflix is really appealing. This film in three parts, directed by Yoshitaka Takeuchi who worked on the amazing, must-see Your Name., doesn’t really need my commentary. Just go watch the trailer!

Flavors of Youth -International Version- will be available to watch on Netflix on August 4, 2018.

FLCL Alternative

“The series centers on the misadventures of 17-year-old Kana, a high school junior who spends her days hanging out with her besties, Mossan, Hijiri, and Pets. They live unremarkable lives, until the day a Mecha falls out of the sky, along with a strange woman named ‘Haruko.’ Her plans for Kana and her friends involve the force known as ‘ATOMSK.’ Kana will have to risk everything to decide whether or not to help…like she really has a choice” (Plot from Toonami Wiki).

The original FLCL was one of the first anime I watched in college that got me back into anime. Frustrating, confusing, and strange, I ended up watching it multiple times on Adult Swim before I even understood it. Now, FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative are bringing FLCL and the zany character Haruko Haruhara back for another two seasons. Best of all, the rock band The Pillows have returned to play the soundtracks, and the American voice actor Kari Wahlgren will reprise her role as Haruko.

You can already watch FLCL Progressive on Toonami. FLCL Alternative will be available to watch on Adult Swim’s Toonami block in September 2018.

Free! Dive to the Future

“Haruka, who is attending college in Tokyo, meets Asahi again and reawakens his memories from his middle school years, including those of Ikuya. Makoto is working toward a new dream while he is in Tokyo together with Haruka. Rin has an unexpected meeting in Sydney” (Plot Summary from Anime News Network).

I don’t think I can voice enough how much I enjoyed Free! After Yuri on Ice!!! it is probably my favorite sports anime. And yes, it’s partially because of the guys. Still, it’s not just about the abs, as much as Rin’s sister Gou likes to talk about them. It’s also about the power of friendship and how important it is to follow your dreams.

Free! Dive to the Future will be available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

Tsukumogami Kashimasu

“Fukagawa ward of old Edo (present-day Tokyo) is prone to fire and flooding, so residents rent everyday items like pots, futons, and clothing from shops instead of purchasing them, so as not to impede them when they flee. Okō and Seiji, an older sister and younger brother, run one such rental shop called Izumoya. However, mixed in with their inventory are tsukumogami, objects that have turned into spirits after a hundred years of existence. The siblings sometimes lend these sentient items to customers. Both Okō and Seiji can see and talk to these spirits, and other tsukumogami often come to the store after hearing of the famed siblings” (Plot Summary from Anime News Network).

Last but not least, I’d like to recommend Tsukumogami Kashimasu or I’ll Lend You a Tsukumogami. Based on a novel by Megumi Hatakenaka, Tsukumogami Kashimasu appears to have everything a great summer anime should have: spirits, samurai, and probably sake. It reminds me a bit of ×××Holic, except Tsukumogami Kashimasu is set in the Edo period rather than modern times. It has an Hozuki no Reitetsu feel or perhaps it’s similar to Elegant Yokai Apartment Life. Also, The Eccentric Family or Natsume’s Book of Friends also come to mind.

The simulcast for Tsukumogami Kashimasu has not yet been announced.

[blocktext align=”center”]What simulcasts will you be watching this summer?[/blocktext]

[coffee]