Oh, what a wonderful world indeed – the winter 2017 anime season is right around the corner, just in time to lift your spirits after all the eggnog and gingerbread are gone. So, slip into your favorite pair of fuzzy socks because the halls are decked with the sweet return of old anime favorites (along with a few hot new releases to spice things up as well).
Here are 8 anime to make your next snow day the Best. Day. Ever.
Gintama (2017)
OK, let’s get this one out of the way early. This is, by far, the most anticipated anime of the winter 2017 season. The 5th iteration of the beloved series (yes, you read that right), picks up where Gintama° left off, at episode 317. If you haven’t heard of Gintama before (there may be 10 of you in the world), here’s what you need to know: Aliens have taken over late Edo period Japan, and Gintoki Sakata is a rogue samurai who doesn’t give a flying saucer what his alien overlords think. Hijinks ensue. In case your snow day turns into a snow month, give the first four Gintama series (Gintama, Gintama’, Gintama’:Enchousen, and Gintama°) a try.
Lupin III: Ishikawa Goemon’s Spray of Blood
In terms of length, Gintama has nothing on Lupin III. The legacy of this wacky caper comedy cannot be overstated. The manga, first written and illustrated by Monkey Punch in 1967, is responsible for two pilot films, five animated television series, six feature-length animated films, two live-action films, a two-part animated theatrical short film, five OVAs, 26 television specials and two musicals, along with countless manga adaptations and video games. There’s enough Lupin III material to make even an anime veteran’s head spin. But the fun doesn’t end 49 years later! A seventh feature-length animated film, Lupin III: Ishikawa Goemon’s Spray of Blood is on its way to theaters February 4th, 2017! Not much is known about the premise of this film, but I’m hyped anyway to see the return of master thief Arsène Lupin III and his gang.
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga
Rin and Yukio Okumura are literally the spawns of Satan. Talk about Daddy Issues. When Satan goes too far one day, Rin, who inherited his demonic dad’s powers, decides to become an exorcist (identity crisis much?) to defeat him. His younger brother Yukio? Well, he lucked out and is fully human. And a prodigy exorcist much to the shock (and vexation) of Rin. The first season was a critical and commercial smash hit, and, as testament to the series’ enduring popularity, a second season is coming our way a whopping six years later! Hopes are high for the follow up season which will see Rin’s friendships with his fellow exorcists put through the wringer after his true parentage is revealed.
Little Witch Academia
Little Witch Academia is the little show that could. Starting out as a 26-minute original animated short streaming on YouTube, Little Witch Academia was so well-received by viewers it received a short film treatment titled Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade two years later after a successfully Kickstarter campaign. Now, the series has been adapted for the small screen as a full television series by its original creators. The series follows Akko Kagari and her friends Lotte Yanson and Sucy Manbavaran at Luna Nova Magical Academy as they learn how to be proper witches. This adorable series will stream on Netflix, so be sure to pick this one up during your next night in.
The Dragon Dentist
This one is a mouthful. Based on an 8-minute short from Japan’s 2014 Animator Expo, The Dragon Dentist is a two-part, 90-minute special about a girl named Nonoko who is assigned to protect her country’s guardian dragon from tooth decay. Oral hygiene has never been so life or death. The inner workings of the gums become even more high stakes when Nonoko discovers an enemy greater than plaque lurking between the molars. But don’t brush aside this special as simply a gag comedy just yet — the striking visuals command your attention from first glance. The project is backed by some notable figures in the anime industry, including the director-producer team of Kazuya Tsurumaki and Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion and Rebuild of Evangelion), character designer Shuichi Iseki (ME!ME!ME), and screen writer Yoji Enokido (Ouran High School Host Club, Sailor Moon, FLCL).
ACCA 13-Ku Kansatsu-Ka
The feel and look of this new series has director Shingo Natsume's (Space Dandy, One Punch Man) signature mix of quirky melancholy stamped all over it. The bright, cartoonish character and set designs feel very much at odds with the neo-noir moodiness of the writing and characters, and that odd juxtaposition is precisely what Natsume specializes in. ACCA, a giant government agency which controls all state-run affairs of the Kingdom of Dowa, is a bureaucratic headache for Jean Otis, the second-in-command of ACCA’s internal inspection agency, and his team. I’m not sure what to expect from this anime adaptation of Jean Otis’ misadventures, but as a fan of Space Dandy, I’m willing to give this espionage thriller a fair shake.
Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen
A little backstory first. The Kizumonogatari film trilogy acts as a prequel to Bakemonogatari and is part of the Monogatari franchise, all of which revolve somehow around the moment second-year high school student Koyomi Araragi saved the life of vampiress Kiss-shot-Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade (I kid you not with that name) from certain death and became a vampire himself. What ensues is an avant-garde occult nightmare. Explaining the chronology of the Monogatari franchise is ridiculously complicated, and fans argue about which order makes for the best experience (order of release versus chronological order). If you want to start from the chronological beginning, watch the Kizumonogatari film trilogy first. Two have already been released, Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen and Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsuhen, and the third film, Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen, is set to air January 6.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Miss Kobayashi just wants to live out her average life as a no-nonsense office worker in peace. As fate would have it, her life is about to get a lot more adventurous than she’d like after she saves the life of a female dragon named Tohru. In a show of gratitude, Tohru insists on serving Miss Kobayashi as a maid, whether Miss Kobayashi likes it or not. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is the wacky, supernatural slice-of-life comedy for when your body and soul needs a genuine, light-hearted laugh.
See what else made it into our Top 8 by visiting its official page.
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