Once January hits, life gets pretty slow. All the big holidays have passed, it’s cold and a little dreary, and you may or may not have a little time off of work that leaves you sitting at home bored and wishing for an escape. Well, lucky you, friend, because January starts the winter anime season, and there are plenty of great series coming out to fill your time and take you on a number of journeys right from the comfort of your couch.
While there is a lot of continuing series, such as The Vampire Dies in No Time and Tokyo Revengers getting a second season, there’s no shortage of new series to check out. Here are five upcoming anime series to keep an eye on during your winter watching!
5 Ooyukiumi no Kaina
In a world becoming increasingly ravaged by frost, people have been forced into finding homes near the bases of the few trees left on the earth’s surface or atop the canopy of the planet’s atmosphere. Kaina, a girl from the canopy, has a chance meeting with a surface-dwelling girl named Liliha when a balloon rises to the canopy with the girl inside. Their meeting seems insignificant, but it puts forth a world-changing series of events. While the mixed media art style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Oyukiumi no Kaina promises a riveting fantasy story of two girls fighting against the odds in a strange, winter not-so-wonderland. Fans of the fantasy genre, female leads, and action should check out this title when it airs on January 12.
4 Mononogatari
We all know the story about the boy who hates a certain thing. For Eren Yeager, it was Titans. For Rin Okumura, it was demons. And for Mononogatari’s Hyouma Kunato, it’s tsukumogami (or spirits.) Despite being a member of a clan that aims to use peaceful tactics to return the spirits to their world, Hyouma takes a much less benevolent approach after a tsukumogami killed his loved ones. To help him recover from his disdain, his grandfather sends him to Botan Nagatsuki, a girl that oversees a group of friendly spirits. Will he learn to coexist with these spirits in harmony, or will his anger get the best of him? Lovers of the supernatural and action-packed might enjoy this series; set a reminder for when it airs on January 10.
3 Revenger
A series of assassinations. Political unrest. Master assassin Usui Yuen wants answers; he begins looking into the murders to find a connection and a culprit. As he investigates, he meets Kurima Raizo, a survivor of the attack on the Satsuma. As they work together, a scheme is revealed, one far deeper than they could have imagined. Along the way, they meet quite a few unlikely allies and realize that this mystery is one they'll need plenty of help to solve. A historical action mystery, Revenger tells the story of an unlikely group trying to figure out the secrets of the grand samurai clan and their murderer. Perfect for fans of intrigue, cool swords, and maybe a little found family, this series will (hopefully) keep you on the edge of your seat when it premieres on January 5.
2 Mou Ippon!
Admittedly, there’s not a lot to tell about this series yet. It has a short teaser, and a short synopsis, but hey, we all love a good sports anime! Newly minted high schoolers Michi and Sanae are excited to be at a new school and join the judo club to continue competing in their favorite sport. However, when Michi arrives at the clubroom, she sees none other than her middle school rival standing there! There’s a more pressing issue, though; it seems the school’s judo club is floundering. Will Michi be able to turn a rivalry into a friendship to save the club and follow her dreams? It’s always exciting to see a female-led sports anime (especially when it doesn’t seem to have some separate gimmick) and who doesn’t want to see some characters crushing it at judo? Sports anime fans and enjoyers of school life and slice of life genres will want to keep Mou Ippon! in mind when it airs in January.
1 Buddy Daddies
The success of Spy x Family has shown that people love a good found family, especially when it's a very unusual family. Well, does it get any more unusual than a trained hitman, an information broker, and the daughter of a mafia boss? Buddy Daddies follows the story of two men named Rei and Kazuki, who each have a hand in the dark underworld of hitmen and black markets. During a shootout at a hotel, Kazuki ends up saving the daughter of a rather dangerous mafia boss. The two decide to take the girl in, and suddenly it’s a balancing act as they try to handle work and raise a little girl. Can these two buddies become world-class daddies? Though the series only has a short teaser trailer currently, it’s scheduled to air in January and promises a fun, action-packed, and heartfelt story of a strange but amusing found family.