Spring—and Anime—Is in the Air. Here Are 15 Titles I’m Adding to My Queue
Romance, fake families, ballet, and so much more!
With several winter anime series hitting their season finale, the spring lineup is ready to deliver us from the cold weather and snow that, frankly, still exists depending on where you live. The spring anime season is packed full of titles that range from cute and quirky romance to games with uncomfortable mascots that’ll test your friendship worse than Mario Kart. Below I have 15 shows and movies that I’m curious about along with their trailers, airdates, summaries, and where to watch them.
Crunchyroll anime I’m curious about
Extra note: Remember that Crunchyroll and Funimation are now one service, so no new series will be premiering on Funimation and everything will be on Crunchyroll. Previously, I’d written that Crunchyroll would still have the free, ad-supported version of their service, but that’s changed as of a couple of days ago. According to Anime News Network, Crunchyroll is halting the free version of their streaming service that used to air episodes a week after paid subscribers got to watch. Here’s what they told Anime News Network:
Crunchyroll reached out to ANN with a comment stating that episodes of anime prior to this spring season will still be available to watch for free with ads. The company added that it will continue to “make new content available for free with ads” and that it is “only stopping the automatic free availability of all simulcast content.”
The first three episodes of a couple of simulcast titles will be available for free (with ads) a week after they premiere up until May 31st. I’ll mark which ones on this list will have those three free episodes.
Fanfare of Adolescence
Summary: At the all-boys Horse Racing School, entrance is incredibly difficult, with only one of every 10 to 20 applicants being accepted. Here students need to not only be book smart, but athletic and in peak physique. Three new students—a popular idol, another from a remote island, and one from England unsure of his path—come to this elite school to pursue their dreams of becoming a jockey.
Release date: April 2nd
Fangirl Response: I’m just here to watch boys who dream of becoming jockeys and inevitably get sucked into a sport I never put that much thought into. Also, the theme song slaps.
LOVE ALL PLAY
Summary: Ryo Mizushima dreams of being the best badminton player in the world. But despite his natural athleticism and skill—he’s only been able to get so far without a reliable coach. However, everything changes when his talent gets him scouted by one of the most prestigious high school badminton teams. Now, with a pro coach and an elite team to back him up—it’s finally time for Ryo’s journey to soar.
Release date: April 2nd
Fangirl Response: Considering my sudden appreciation of badminton thanks to Salaryman’s Club, I clearly need to watch any and all badminton anime.
Tomodachi Game
Summary: High school student Katagiri Yuichi, who values friendship above all else, enjoys a fulfilling life with his close friends Sawaragi Shiho, Mikasa Tenji, Shibe Makoto, and Kokorogi Yutori. However, after a particular incident, they’re dragged into a debt repayment game.
Release date: April 5th [will have 3 free episodes]
Fangirl Response: I have no idea what’s happening, but I suspect that the mascot character is going to make sure that these kids are NOT friends forever in some rather horrific ways. What wonderful springtime vibes!
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War -Ultra Romantic-
Summary: Shuchiin Academy—an elite school where the most gifted students flock to. It is also where its Student Council brought together Vice President Kaguya Shinomiya and President Miyuki Shirogane. While everyone expected a speedy courtship and agreed that the two geniuses would make the perfect couple, the pair, it seems, has too much pride to confess their true feelings for one another! The two remain fully committed to devising a highly cerebral strategy in this cunning war of love … Will they take their relationship to the next level by the final day of Shuchiin Academy’s culture festival!?
Release date: April 8th
Fangirl Response: I still need to get caught up on this series, but if you’re looking for an anime romance that’ll make you laugh so hard that you’re crying, this is it. Forget love being a battlefield, love is an all-out WAR that could easily be solved if these dorks would confess their feelings, but they’re too proud to give in.
Dance Dance Danseur
Summary: Second-year junior high school student Junpei was fascinated by ballet as a boy but gave up on dancing after his father’s death, thinking that he had to act more manly. However, one day, a beautiful transfer student named Miyako appears before him.
Release date: April 8th
Fangirl Response: From the studio that keeps teasing us about Yuri!! on Ice comes a series that’ll potentially make us feel a whole lot of things, this time, through ballet. With a summary that includes deceased parents and boys who think they have to act more manly, I’m preparing for my heart to get shattered.
Love After World Domination
Summary: One spring day, a young, innocent couple sits side by side in a field. Their names are Fudo Aikawa and Desumi Magahara … but they are actually “Red Gelato,” the leader of the heroic fighting force Gelato 5, and “Reaper Princess,” a combat force member of the secret evil organization Gekko! These two are supposed to be enemies, so the public can’t know that they’re dating no matter what. All they can do is see each other secretly between fights. This spring day is just another day of them happily enjoying their time together while the fierce flames of a violent battle blaze right next to them!! This is a story of a hero of justice and an evil warrior trying to be lovey-dovey without being seen!
Release date: April 8th
Fangirl Response: Secret enemies to lovers with Power Rangers? Sold.
SPY x FAMILY
Summary: World peace is at stake and secret agent Twilight must undergo his most difficult mission yet—pretend to be a family man. Posing as a loving husband and father, he’ll infiltrate an elite school to get close to a high-profile politician. He has the perfect cover, except his wife’s a deadly assassin, and neither knows each other’s identity. But someone does, his adopted daughter who’s a telepath!
Release date: April 9th [will have 3 free episodes]
Fangirl Response: This series is one of my most anticipated anime of 2022. I’m so excited to watch the fake family trope unfold, complete with over-the-top comedy and brilliant facial expressions from a little girl who’s surely going to be turned into a million anime gifs.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
Summary: The ultimate “heartthrob girlfriend” appears! Naturally unlucky high school student Izumi’s girlfriend is his classmate Shikimori. She’s a pretty, cute, and loving girlfriend, but when Izumi’s in trouble … she transforms into a super cool “heartthrob girlfriend!”
Release date: April 9th [will have 3 free episodes]
Fangirl Response: Yes. Please. Give me a cool, protective girlfriend and her adorable, wholesome short king.
Aoashi
Summary: Ashito Aoi is a middle schooler who lives in Ehime, and the ace of an unremarkable soccer club. The day that they lost the final tournament of middle school, Ashito runs along the ocean in frustration, before running into a man who had been watching his game. That man is Tatsuya Fukuda, the coach of the high-school-aged Youth team of a leading J-League team, “Tokyo City Esperion FC.”
Release date: April 9th
Fangirl Response: It’s a sports anime, this time with soccer. I’m contractually obligated to watch at least one episode.
Netflix anime I’m curious about
Kotaro Lives Alone
Summary: Due to some circumstances, four-year-old Kotaro Sato comes to live by himself in Shimizu Apartments. He makes his daily shopping trips alone with a toy sword strapped to his side. Both grown-up and childish at the same time, Kotaro starts to affect the people around him with his wise ways. This is the story of a four-year-old boy who is determined to live strong until the day he can live with his parents.
Release date: Already available
Fangirl Response: While this series has been out for a couple of weeks (March 10th was the release date), I just heard about it, and apparently, it’s fantastically heartbreaking. Considering the premise, it definitely sounds like an anime that’ll require Kleenex. Binge with caution.
Thermae Romae Novae
Summary: Why did Lucius want to become a bathhouse architect? Join him as he travels through time not only to modern-day Japan but to the Edo period as well! This new bath-time-travel comedy serves as a continuation of the story that couldn’t fit in the original manga.
Release date: Already available
Fangirl Response: I can appreciate a series that respects the value of a good bath. They are, indeed, inspiring, life-changing spaces to exist in for a couple of hours where the rest of the world can’t reach you. Will Lucius become inspired through his aquatic, time-traveling adventures?
Bubble
Summary: The story is set in Tokyo after bubbles that broke the laws of gravity rained down upon the world. Cut off from the outside world, Tokyo has become a playground for a group of young people who have lost their families, acting as a battlefield for parkour team battles as they leap from building to building. Hibiki, a young ace known for his dangerous playstyle, makes a reckless move one day and plummets into the gravity-bending sea. His life is saved by Uta, a girl with mysterious powers. The pair then hear a unique sound audible only to them. Why did Uta appear before Hibiki? Their encounter leads to a revelation that will change the world.
Release date: April 28th
Fangirl Response: I fully admit to being interested in this because the animation looks gorgeous, the concept is odd (bubbles, what?), and I like the creative team behind it. Tetsurō Araki is known for Death Note, Guilty Crown, and Attack on Titan while Gen Urobuchi is known for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, and Psycho-Pass.
Vampire in the Garden
Summary: One cold winter, humanity lost its battle with the vampires, and with it, most of where they called home. A small population of survivors created a wall of light in a small town to protect them and give them a place to live in peace. The protagonist, Momo, lives a repressed life but still wishes to coexist with the enemy, the vampires. Fine, the vampire queen, once loved humans and disappeared from the battlefield. As war rages through the humans’ town, the two have a fateful encounter. Once upon a time, humans and vampires lived in harmony in a place called Paradise. This is the story of a young girl and a vampire on a journey to find Paradise.
Release date: May 16th
Fangirl Response: I’m really just hoping that the lady vampire and the lady human fall in love while searching for Paradise (preferably while staying alive, but it looks kinda tragic so … )
Drifting Home
Summary: One summer day, Kosuke and his friends visit an apartment building that is set to be demolished, and suddenly find themselves caught in a strange phenomenon. All they can see around them is a vast sea.
Release date: Spring 2022 (no official release date yet)
Fangirl Response: Much like Bubble, my interest is based on the odd, probably heartbreaking concept. When you read the description it doesn’t quite occur to you that these kids are literally left adrift at sea INSIDE the apartment complex. Yeah, I’m ready to cry about this one.
Here’s a HIDIVE one, as a treat
Ya Boy Kongming!
Summary: The music industry becomes a battlefield when ancient strategist Kongming is transported to modern Japan. He’ll use military tactics to turn his new friend Eiko into a music star, and together they’ll take the party hotspot of Shibuya by storm!
Release date: Already available
Fangirl response: I don’t watch too many isekai series, but something about an ancient military strategist using his skills for the sake of partying, music, and good vibes piques my interest.
And that’s it! What anime are you excited about this spring? More importantly, what are you trying to finish up from the winter lineup so you can dive into the new stuff? (Let’s be honest, some winter shows are gonna be left behind, I’m so sorry to my past loves).
(Image: Crunchyroll/Netflix)
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