Most Buzzed-About Anime of Fall 2024
And Now for Something a Little Different
First of all, welcome to the new subscribers of It’s the Pictures. Whether you stopped by due to our Fall Festival preview, Netflix schedule, or Instagram campaigns, thank you for signing up. In addition to writing about movies and television, sometimes I discuss animation. Animation isn’t exclusive to Disney / Pixar or Japanese Anime, but rather the industry as a whole. Sometimes that might be in-depth reporting on the newest International animation like this year’s Flow, a beautifully animated feature film about a cat finding friends and a home in a dilapidated world. Although Disney / Pixar usually dominates the conversation of animated feature films, Dreamworks’ The Wild Robot is coming to theaters this week with universal acclaim. Based on the book series of the same name by author Peter Brown, the Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) directed film about a robot and a baby goose is high on my most anticipated list. I’ll be writing more about these two movies soon!
I also really love Japanese Anime. While I’ve previously written a primer on Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli,
I haven’t spent too much time on the newsletter talking about TV series. Most TV series these days can be watched on streaming services like Crunchyroll, Hi-dive, and Netflix. If you’re interested in some of my articles on anime that have appeared at Polygon, I’ve shared some of those below:
Discotek Media’s quest to rescue classic anime
Gunbuster, one of the most influential anime ever made, is now available
Now that I’ve shared my credentials, I’m going to be writing about three of my most anticipated anime of the Fall 2024 season. Fall is one of the big seasons in the anime TV calendar (the other being Spring, like the American TV schedule). While there are plenty of new shows, the three below are my most anticipated of the season. And don’t worry if Japanese Anime isn’t for you, I’ll be back with movie reviews and features soon.
Dan Da Dan
What happens when a boy who is obsessed with Aliens challenges a girl who believes in spirits? A new supernatural-tilted Shonen extravaganza of course. I had a feeling that DAN DA DAN was going to be big due to how GKIDS set up a theatrical engagement for the first three episodes. That usually means a company is particularly bullish on their acquisition— and they should be. Having picked up the manga due to the hype and previewing the first three episodes of DAN DA DAN, I’m all in on this series. Now the series isn’t without its tropes (don’t take my word for it, TV Tropes has a ton of them listed), but despite all that I find this to be an action-packed joy. If you like anime already this is a must-watch and for those curious about the medium this might be a good place to start.
Release date: Oct. 3
Where to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Uzumaki
Even if you don’t particularly like horror, the absolutely weird Uzumaki is well worth a try. Based on the manga from author Junji Ito, Uzumaki tells the story of a fictional town known as Kurouzu-cho. The problem is that everyone has become obsessed with spirals, often to their detriment. The beautiful four-part anime series has been a passion project for the crew, as the pandemic pushed the series from 2020 until now. If the trailers are anything to go on, the production crew has done a wonderful job of recreating the memorable images in animated form and I can’t wait to watch it.
Release date: Sept. 28
Where to watch: Adult Swim, streaming next day on Max
Ranma 1/2
Ranma 1/2 was one of the earliest anime I remember watching. My brother would buy dubbed VHS tapes of the series and eagerly await new episodes. Given how that series is still readily available, it’s hard to imagine that Ranma 1/2 needed to be remade, but I’m still happy to see it coming back. The trailer above gives a simple synopsis of the show— Ranma, a martial arts student preparing to inherit his family’s dojo, falls into a cursed pool. Now when he’s splashed with cold water, he becomes a she. The series is mostly a comedy with Ranma being the ideal romantic partner for both girls and boys while using his improving martial arts prowess. I wonder how this new adaptation will handle the material, even if I’m sure the nostalgia will cover most of the problems for me.
Release date: Oct. 5
Where to watch: Netflix
If you want more selections, I’ll recommend the writers at Anime News Network who’ve put together a good preview of their anticipated titles.
Another good list will be this one from Toussaint Egan for Polygon. Toussaint knows his anime and if it’s on his list, chances are it will be worth checking out.