With each anime season that airs, some titles shine brighter than others. The Spring 2016 anime season has some interesting and promising titles, and there is a large variety of genre and style to appeal to a wide reach of anime viewers. I've only picked up three titles to watch this season, and I hope that my description of the series thus far may convince you to watch it as well if you aren't already. Descriptions are spoiler free! Each series listed is available via simulcast on Crunchyroll.
1. Kiznaiver
Kiznaiver is a Studio Trigger production, and it has built up quite a bit of hype simply because the name "Trigger" carries a lot of weight following the success of Kill La Kill. Fans of Studio Trigger have likely been following the group since their Gainax days and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, so seeing new work by the writers and artists is bound to create buzz among fans.
We're about mid-way through the season, and Kiznaiver and all of its characters are beginning to be thoroughly fleshed out. At first, a group of teens who each represent a certain character trope were forced together in a freak situation- some sort of experiment that makes them all feel each other's pain. Interesting concept, especially considering the fact that many of these character tropes don't play nice when interacting with one another. And while we do fully expect the teens to set aside their differences and become friends- or even closer than friends, the road leading there has been very genuine, well-written and emotionally powerful thus far. I've even shed a few tears.
Overall, I feel that Kiznaiver is a character study, and compared to something like Kill La Kill, it seems very slice-of-life and plain, and this may leave some viewers itching for action. We may get some high-energy Trigger-style action, or this series may remain a character study to the very end. Either way, Studio Trigger seems to be trying something new with this series and taking a more literary approach to a story in order to communicate bigger ideas through these characters and how they interact with each other and deal with this odd situation.
If you're a fan of Studio Trigger, I do recommend giving it a try, and if you're a fan of character-driven series, I recommend it as well.
2. Bungou Stray Dogs.
If you're a fan of mystery and Noire-esque detective anime, then Bungou Stray Dogs will likely appeal to you. In this world, there are people who have supernatural powers, and the series focuses on a detective agency comprised of such individuals and the crimes they fight and the mysteries they solve.
What makes these characters even more interesting is that each main character is named after a real-life Japanese author, and their supernatural ability is named after one of their works. For those who are actually aficionados of Japanese literature, the references will likely tickle them pink, but knowing the origins of every name and ability isn't necessary in order to enjoy the series. It's mainly just very, very cool to know that that is the origin of the character designs.
Bungou Stray Dogs is pretty straight-forward in what it aims to do, but it's executing it well. There is a good balance of light-hearted humor and high-energy action that's just downright fun to watch. Each character has their fair share of skeletons in the closet, and the tension between characters is beginning to crescendo while the dangers around them also ramp up. It'll be interesting to see where the story goes from here.
3. Sakamoto desu ga?
To round off this short recommendations list, I present: Sakamoto desu ga? (Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto). This anime is best described as absurdist comedy, and it is very off-the-wall. The star of the show is, of course, Sakamoto- a high school student who is stylish in everything he does. He's so cool and stylish that all the girls love him, and many of his male classmates and upperclassmen desperately want to out-do and one-up him. He's always one step ahead of everyone, and all of his absurd and breathtakingly stylish actions have a purpose- usually revealed at the end of a skit in a very Oh Henry manner.
Sakamoto is a great way to de-stress after a day of work or school simply because it's so damn funny. There really isn't much to say other than this series is hilarious and unpredictable. If you haven't given it a shot yet, I highly recommend it.
Each of these titles are available via simulcast on Crunchyroll.
