4 Winter 2018 Anime To Look Forward To
With so many new anime coming out every season, it can be hard to know where to start. While everyone has their own tastes and preferences, it’s sometimes helpful to hear what other people are getting hyped for. With that in mind, here are the Winter 2018 anime that are on my personal radar.
1. Mob Psycho 100: Reigen - The Miracle Psychic that Nobody Knows
Mob Psycho 100 was one of best anime of 2016. It focuses on a psychic middle schooler named Shigeo Kageyama - also known as Mob - whose main concern is becoming popular and impressing his crush. He also works for Reigen Arataka, a con artist who exploits Mob’s talents for less than minimum wage.
Mob Psycho 100: Reigen - The Miracle Psychic that Nobody Knows is a recap episode, not a full anime. That said - it’s a recap episode with commentary from Reigen, and as everyone who watched the original show knows, Reigen is the best part.
He might be lying about being psychic, but he’s a source of real emotional and moral support for Mob, which is more that can be said for most of the people in the poor kid’s life. Yeah, you’ll see him leaning backward in his chair chomping on a hamburger while lying through his teeth to an exorcism customer over the phone, but you’ll also see him step up and protect a bunch of very powerful children from a very powerful enemy because he’s the adult, even if he’s the only one with no powers.
I never watch recap episodes, but I’m definitely going to watch this one. I want to hear what Reigen has to say.
2. Love is Like after the Rain
Love is Like after the Rain is an unexpected choice for Wit Studio, who are best known for the gory, action-packed Attack on Titan. Love is Like after the Rain is a completely different story. It's about a former high school track star named Akira Tachibana whose athletic dreams are derailed by an injury. After starting a part-time job to fill the time, Akira finds herself falling in love with her 45-year-old manager.
The animation, art, and music are all gorgeous, and it’s obvious that the creators are putting their best foot forward. Age gaps can be uncomfortable at best, and dangerous at worst. That said, Love is Like after the Rain appears prepared to take on a controversial subject with nuance and grace. Akira appears to be a complex character in charge of the narrative, as opposed to being masturbation material for older men. We’ll see how the series turns out, but so far, it looks promising.
3. Darling in the FranXX
Darling in the FranXX is the latest offering by Studio Trigger, a studio best known for the wildly popular Kill la Kill. In the new show, which is a futuristic tale of an isolated world called Mistilteinn, also known as the “birdcage” which keeps its people locked in to protect it from massive, mysterious beings called Kyōryū. Children pilot machines called Franxx to help defeat them.
The story focuses on a boy named Hiro, a former prodigy who was expected to become an exceptional Franxx pilot. He’s fallen behind, and he is no longer respected by his community, which only values those who can manage the Franxx. One day, he meets a mysterious girl with horns.
We’ll have to wait until the anime debuts to find out what happens next, but it looks intriguing. The premise sounds like a cross between Attack on Titan and Soukyuu no Fafner, and with Studio Trigger at the helm, it's bound to get creative. Remember, this is the studio that brought us a talking school uniform from outer space.
4 Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line
If you haven’t been keeping up with Yowamushi Pedal, Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line isn’t going to be your first choice. That said, Yowamushi Pedal is one of the best sports anime out there. It focuses on Onoda Sakamichi, a nerdy high school student who joins the school bike team because he can’t get enough members to keep the anime club in business. It’s a simple premise, but the characters will get you hooked.
You get Makishima, an awkwardly beautiful rich boy with social anxiety. You get Shinkai, the most chill dude in the world, until you find out that he has actual, honest-to-god PTSD. You get Teshima and Aoyagi, whose personal growth over the course of the series will leave you in tears. You get Izumida, who named his biceps after famous athletes and hero-worships Shinkai. Every character is a unique mixture of strange and heartfelt, and you find yourself genuinely caring about all of them.
In Glory Line, we can expect to see how the second Inter-High, the biking competition that the show revolves around, ends. For fans, this is long-awaited. For those who haven’t seen the show yet, there’s no time like the present.
Which Winter 2018 anime are you looking forward to, and why? Let us know in the comments!