The new releases this summer are a pretty poor selection, unless you absolutely love Isekai shows. (Isekai shows are based on the protagonist being transported to another world. This can happen though video games, books, death etc. Anime examples of this are Sword Art Online, No Game No Life and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.)
The only anime that I’m really looking forward to is Enn Enn no Shouboutai, otherwise known as Fire Force.
Fire Force is a series about special fire fighters that are tackling a phenomenon called spontaneous human combustion. In this world spontaneous combustion turns humans into fire demons. It is then up to the special fire force, who can manipulate flames, to put out the fire before the demon flames spreads to other humans and objects.
I have read a couple of chapters of the Fire Force manga which has been created by Atsushi Ōkubo (also the creator of Soul Eater), and am really looking forward to the anime. The trailer for Fire Force looks awesome and since it’s being produced by David Productions (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures) I’m sure the show, overall, will be fantastic. Release date 6th July.
The following anime are also being released in July 2019, some more appealing to me than others. I have done a little research into them and these are anime that I will probably watch, at least until episode 3 of the series! (Lexemon’s Golden Rule of Anime – try to stick it out until the third episode. If you haven’t fallen in love with it by then, it might be worth dropping it from your ‘must watch’ list and reserve it for another time. It took me about 3 attempts to watch Attack on Titan.)
BEM – Bem, Bela, and Belo are ugly humanoid youkai (demons) who fight for justice. They live among humans and protect them from evil youkai. BEM originally started life as a 26 episode anime named Yōkai Ningen Bem/ Humanoid Monster Bem, in 1968. A second series was then released in 2006 under the same name. This year an adaptation of the series will be released to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The more and more I watch the trailer for this anime, the more curious I become. BEM has got a film noir feel about it alongside a gritty detective style and since we know it’s about youkai, I’m hoping that the mysterious feel of the trailer will also lend itself to the story. Release date 8th July.
Vinland Saga – a historical anime set around Vikings, their wars and a tale of revenge. I don’t know much about Vikings or this series, to be honest the whole thing doesn’t really float my boat (pun intended). However, the animation looks good and there appears to be a lot of high-quality fight sequences and beautiful artwork. Some anime fans are really hyped up about this series, so it had to go on the watch list. Release date 8th July.
Cop Craft – this anime is a police action story. It’s set in a place where two worlds have accidently merged together. A detective and an apprentice knight team up together to rid the merged world from corruption and injustice. The stark design contrast between the two main characters makes me feel that their personalities will be completely different too, although this remains to be seen. I think that due to the characters being so different this may result in quite a ‘serious’ anime becoming very funny at times, which would be great. I think I will give this series a go and see where it takes me! Release date 9th July.
Kochouki: Wakaki Nobungaga, Gorgeous Butterfly: Young Nobunaga – which is a historical anime set in Japan. It follows the life of Oda Nobunaga, from his teens up until his time as a warlord fighting against his brother. The series actually looks quite interesting and the trailer suggests it could be aesthetically pleasing. I am also intrigued about the story, as there hasn’t been much information about it online. Release date 8th July.
Try Knights – a rugby-based anime. With the Rugby World Cup being held in Japan this September, it was predicted that this manga would be released as an anime this year. It’s about a former rugby player who, whilst watching an underclassman and seeing the errors in his game, gets inspired to coach and play again. I haven’t been able to find a trailer for this series, so I guess I will have to wait until it is released to see the animation. Release date unknown.
The truth of the matter is that this summer’s anime isn’t likely to make a huge impact on the anime community. We are all just waiting for one thing. Series four of My Hero Academia that will be released in October 2019. This is going to be an amazing season for MHA which is why it has been hyped relentlessly since the end of season three. There will be an article on MHA closer to the release date!
Plus Ultra!!!
Published: 2019.06.27