2020 was a whack year, but 2021 has blessed us with countless anime adaptation announcements, new movies, and some truly unexpected sequels. And of course, some fantastic yuri news as well. Let’s see what the first half of 2021 has announced for us so far. (Warning: Mild spoilers below)
The Sequels
Made in Abyss Season 2
4 years since season 1 and a year since the Dawn of the Deep Soul movie, this absolutely fantastic and grimdark series is making its return next year in 2022. The poster already gives away major spoilers on where our brave Delvers are headed next…even deeper into the Abyss. Our heroes are at a point of no return, there’s no direction to go but down. And the further down the Abyss you go, the worse the unspeakable horrors and creatures one face get. Season 2 will follow immediately from the third movie, Dawn of the Deep Soul.
I highly recommend watching this anime, the definition of looks can be deceiving. It comes across as a cutesy anime about exploring an unknown world, but it becomes apparent that adventuring in a foreign world with monstrous creatures is not as fun as one may think. There are lot of traumatic moments, where you will feel and cry for our characters. There is a saying, the deeper you go, the more the setting turns into Berserk (lol). Besides the grimdark setting, there are also a lot of wondrous moments as well. The world may be scary and terrible, but is also beautiful, I like to think, is the message.
The Devil is a Part Timer Season 2
Nearly 8 years after the first season came out…the memes are finally dead. This wonderful, reverse isekai, comedy slice of life series makes its return. Not sure why the art style looks different, but it still looks clean and cute. And the poster has a mild spoiler in that the second season may be going down the storyline of Maou and Emi raising an adopted kid (shipping wars intensity).
If you haven’t watched season 1, it’s a real gem. Despite it releasing a while ago, the comedy holds up strongly even today and the characters are very likable. The basic setting is that of a demon lord who fled from the hero, to escape losing a war, only to find himself powerless in modern day Japan. To survive, he becomes a part timer at Mcdonalds to scrape by. Unfortunately, his enemies have begun following him into modern day Earth, and hijinks ensue…not forgetting that he’s trying to make ends meet with the grocery sale.
Love Live Nijigasaki School Idol Club Season 2
Season 1 aired in Fall 2020, and made all of us Love Live fans cry when an anime was announced. Personally speaking, I have followed the Nijigasaki Idol girls since their inception and first album, and was ecstatic upon finding they were getting an anime. They were the unofficial Love Live generation, and nobody expected them to get this far. But they surpassed all expectations, and are now getting a season 2. A real underdog story, and they truly deserve it.
Go watch season 1. It’s a good anime, regardless of the idol stuff. A story about girls who discover themselves as solo idol performers who come together to celebrate their common love for school idols and music, with a lot of character development and slice of life cute moments. You don’t need to watch the other Love Live seasons either, as it is its own self contained plot.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean
3 years since the release of Part 5, fans kept wondering: Part 6 when? Well, the announcement is finally here. And the hype is off the charts. The next chapter in the grand masterpiece of a saga that is called Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean. The manga is absolutely chef’s kiss and what a mind f*** it was without spoiling it. You thought Jojo was crazy already, but this Part raises the crazy levels even higher, if that was even possible.
The basic premise, is Jotaro Kujo’s (huge character in previous parts) daughter, named Jolyne Kujoh has been wrongfully imprisoned covering for someone’s crime. She is now serving time in a prison, except fate has it that supernatural forces and her father’s history has now caught up to her. She must now fight for her life, and possibly in a battle to end her family’s legacy once and for all. (Probably the worst way to describe a Jojo part, but hey it ain’t wrong.)
I don’t even need to recommend this. Just watch Jojo. All of it. It’s worth it.
Anime Adaptation Announcements
Sono Bisque Doll (My Dress-up Darling)
There is a picture celebrating this manga getting an adaptation but it is a bit….spicy NSFW heh. Anyway, hearing news about its anime adaptation was a surprise but certainly a welcome one. The manga is very enjoyable, and I liked it way more than I thought I would. It is a (subtle) romance story about a guy who likes making dolls and is scared of others judging him for his hobby who meets a girl that wishes to do cosplay. The two work together, the guy being the costume maker, and the girl as the cosplayer, and the two become fast friends and learn they can pursue their passions and maybe fall in love a little along the way. It is a great wholesome story about costume making and cosplay, with some fan service, and really likable characters. There’s no bad guy to fight or stuff like that. It’s just two people pursuing their passion and seeing them grow as people, and funny interactions with each other as they fluster each other. (JUST KISS ALREADY). Can’t wait to see this be animated, definitely on my to watch list.
Couple of Cuckoos
Ever watched the show Switched at Birth? Where the two babies were accidentally switched at birth, and raised by the opposite respective family? Because that’s what this plot is. The boy is raised by the girl’s family, and the girl raised by the boy’s family, and surprise, their personalities and appearance are just the opposite of the family that raised them. They are loved all the same, but there is just one problem; they are now engaged to each other. And they only just now discovered they were switched at birth. What craziness will ensue, as your fiancee was the person you were switched at birth with?!?
The manga is pretty interesting, yet another welcome surprise. It’s the usual romantic comedy, but come on, who doesn’t love those?
Chainsaw Man
After the absolute success of Jujutsu Kaisen, it seems that more mature, gorey Shounens are the new trend now. And funnily enough, Mappa (same producer of JJK), will be producing Chainsawman as well. They will be dropping a PV next month, and it will definitely be exciting. From what I’ve heard, the manga is absolutely amazing, and Part 1 recently ended. Yes, Part 1 of Chainsawman. This might be a stellar manga in the making, for it to have an actual Part 1, and apparently the ending was absolutely crazy. I loved Jujutsu Kaisen and I went into that anime blind. I liked it so much, I caught up to the manga shortly after. I’m hoping the same thing happens with Chainsawman.
Mieruko Chan
So many of these new anime announcements are really, really nice surprises. I follow a lot of ongoing manga, and it’s heartwarming to see them get an anime adaptation, especially those I’ve been following for a while. I guess for popular manga, it’s really just a matter of time before an anime (fingers crossed).
Anyway, I recommend this for all you horror and scary genre lovers out there. Mieruko Chan, our protagonist, has been blessed (cursed?) to see all the paranormal freakazoids out there one day. The catch is, she can’t visibly react or the said monsters will possibly kill her or worse. So day in, day out, she has to keep seeing these monsters and go on about her day. It’s kinda funny seeing her ways of handling this, but the art for these creatures is enough to make your stomach churn. Eventually, there starts to be a cohesive plot, as there are other spirit mediums just like her. Maybe she was given these powers for a reason?
Komi San Can’t Communicate
Finally, an anime for this manga that’s been begged by the fans for years. It’s been a winner consistently on AnimeJapan’s Manga we want to see animated year after year, and the dogs have been given a bone. It’s a cute enough manga, where the protag Komi san is seen as a cool beauty, but is really an adorkable cutie who just wants to make friends but just has no idea how to make the first step. The story follows a boy trying to help her make friends with everyone in her class, and it’s a great slice of life, slight romantic comedy.
Movies
Jujutsu Kaisen Zero Movie
Another really welcome surprise, looks like they’re adapting a movie for the prequel of Jujutsu Kaisen. Slight background; this was the one (triple?) shot that was well received and spawned the main JJK we all know and love today. However, this ties HEAVILY into the main story and provides much needed extra plot to explain the next story arcs going into the future. It’s only a few chapters, but we are introduced to a quiet badass that is frankly overpowered. It will be exciting to see this adapted, especially now that we’ve seen what the JJK anime is capable of.
Madoka Magica 4th Movie
Not many anime I give a 10/10. Madoka Magica and the third movie, Rebellion are exceptions. The (in my opinion, true) protagonist Homura Akemi remains one of the greatest gray, conflicted and relatable characters ever and to see her go through so much to save the one she loves. Wow. A truly dark story of pain and hope and time travel and magical girls, it’s no wonder this anime is seen as the mother of all magical girl anime. Who would have thought that nearly a decade later, a fourth movie sequel would be announced?
I thought Rebellion wrapped it up nicely (although controversially to some), but it looks like our best girl Homura is in for some more pain for better or worse. From what it seems on the poster, Homura is the one with the black outstretched hand, reaching towards Madoka who has changed the fate of the universe again? Not quite sure, but either way it looks like a tear fiesta.
Yuri/Slight Yuri Anime news
GGWP: Young ladies don’t play fighting games!
Time for the yuri subtext anime news. A story about a girl who used to be one of the top ranking players in a fighting game (think Smash Bros), but decided to forgo her past and reputation to become a proper lady in a boarding school. However, another girl who loves the game but is a total noob, discovers her secret. She challenges her and gets beat down like the noob she is. But she doesn’t give up and reinstills a newfound passion in the top gamer. A ridiculously hilarious comedy about young ladies that DO play fighting games.
The Executioner and her Way of Life
A fantasy yuri light novel that’s getting an anime adaptation! This gives us a lot of hope for an adaptation of another fantasy yuri light novel series (looking at you I’m in Love with the Villainess). The premise looks interesting; people are summoned into a fantasy world (kinda like an Isekai) but bring with them calamity and destruction. Thus, executioners are assigned to kill these chaos bringers. One such Executioner is assigned to kill one summoned girl, except she won’t die due to having the superpower of time manipulation. Now, they seek to kill her and maybe fall in love along the way?
Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero Season 3
Ooh Yuuki Yuuna sequel for season 3, now this is pretty exciting. The prior two seasons were really great and are often acclaimed as a spiritual successor for Madoka Magica (well deserved in my opinion). Only difference is that in Yuuki Yuuna, they do get a sort of happy ending after suffering so much. As for the yuri department, the girl on the right of the poster has the big hots for the pink girl on the left. Season 2 was pretty conclusive, so definitely curious as to what direction this new story will go. Release is anticipated for later this year in Fall, so not too long of a wait.
Revue Starlight Sequel Movie
FINALLY some Revue Starlight content. The sequel movie was supposed to come out a year ago, but Corona is the bane of anime releases (sob). At long last, 3 years later, our beloved stage girls make their spectacular return. The trailer for the movie made no sense, but neither did the anime when I watched it the first time. It’s kinda a difficult anime to understand, with themes waist deep in theater motifs and all that jazz, but on the second time around I enjoyed the anime quite a lot. And besides, ALL of the songs and soundtracks are seriously popping. I listen to them nearly everyday, they’re just that good.
That wraps up the anime announcement news for the first half of 2021, at least for the ones I’m personally interested. Here’s to even more surprising announcements in the latter of 2021.
Anime Drabbles 
