Forum - View topicTop anime picks for Winter 2026.
|
|
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Edjwald
 Posts: 3510 |
|
||
|
Okay, so most of the trailers out there have English subtitles now. This season is going to be all about the sequels -Holy crap that Frieren trailer looked awesome – but here are the new shows I’m officially, eagerly anticipating, to the point where I’ll be disappointed if they crash and burn or taper out. Some minor changes from my initial picks.
#1 Sentenced to be A Hero. Animated by some of the folks who animated Mushoku Tensei. and the trailer looks great. Fresh premise – a party of “heroes” comprised of criminals sentenced to fight the demon war. It even took the concept of “players” who can resurrect endlessly video game style and turned it into a form of torture where these shmucks are resurrected over and over and over and tossed right back into the meat grinder, PTSD deluxe. #2 Wash it All Away. This season is light on slice of life and healing anime, so I’m pinning a lot of hopes on this one. Trailer looks great, sounds great, and the voice acting seems solid. #3 Playing Death Games To Put Food on the Table. Rather than the typical death game trash, this seems more like a series of puzzle rooms with deadly consequences. I didn’t see a whole lot of action in the trailer, but what I did see was some beautiful backgrounds and a cool, mysterious, vibe. #4 You and I are Polar Opposites. When I first read the description, I was all “Meh. Generic.” I had a bit of PTSD from watching the first episode of that Inexpressive Kashiwhatsis and the expressive Oota show. But this one has a distinct, fun, and energetic animation style. It looks like the couple hooks up early and the show is more about their relationship progressing, an approach I liked in Horimaya (although that relationship did have some weird moments later on). But the real draw is the supporting cast, who look to have fun, distinct personalities and their own agency in the plot instead of just being there to ooh and aah or disrupt the main relationship. #5 There was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, So I Tried Confessing to Her. I don’t think I’ve seen this isekai premise before. If I’m understanding matters correctly, some dude gets isekai’d, but instead of becoming a hero, he becomes a demon king stooge, and his IRL existence was so meh that he gets into his role. But then, he falls in love with a healer hottie in the hero’s party and things start to veer off of their predicted trajectory. What I like is that the matters seem to be being handled with a sense of humor and a talented voice cast. High hopes, High Hopes, it’s off to watch I go…. #6 Journal With Witch. I thought this was going to be some supernatural travel log or something, but it’s about an orphaned teenager going to live with her aunt, a loner writer. It looks like the focus will be on two intelligent, basically decent people with their own distinct personalities and issues negotiating around being forced to live together and maybe growing in the process. Trailer looks great. #7 The Holy Grail of Eris. It looks like this is going to be a mystery where a female MC is possessed by the vengeful spirit of a woman and/or witch who was framed and wrongfully executed in a fantasy kingdom that looks like Victorian England with magic. A mystery and a revenge story amid navigating court circles. I’m in. And that's it for my blue chip picks. That said, the following are also shows which seem to have their own identity without being too genre derivative. I’m interested in them with a few more reservations. In the Clear Moonlit Dusk: The anime looks good, and the MC seems likable enough . I’m up for a good romance, though the male lead seems kind of heavy on the cheese. Tamon’s B Side. Usually when I picture a scenario where I might watch an Idol anime, it involves me being strapped to a dentist’s chair, foaming at the mouth while I beg whoever’s torturing me for information to have some humanity. But the premise here- a fan discovering that her dreamy dreamerson is actually a wreck of an otaku, looks like it might have some comic potential. The Daily Life of a Part Time Torturer. Could be funny, but getting over that hurdle of making people who might strap me to a dentist's chair and make me watch idol anime seem likable or sympathetic long term is going to be tricky no matter how I look at it. I mean, a Monty Python scene about two torturers complaining about their car payments and kids while torturing someone could be hilarious because of the shock value and reversed expectations. But making an Office style show about those same two torturers over the course of an entire season is a different challenge. The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife. The invisible man in question runs a detection agency, but I didn’t see many signs of mystery or intrigue in the trailer. The show seems to be a straight up romance with a gentle vibe. My only reservation is that it looks so sentimental and unsubtle that it could get mawkish and predictable. Or it might not. The paranormal world might give the proceedings a little extra garnish. There are also shows that seem generic where I like the genres, so we'll see. There are shows with interesting concepts whose trailers made them look annoying in execution, so we'll see. And there are shows which just don't seem to be in my wheelhouse. I'll try almost all of them once. |
|||
|
|||
Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 10358 Location: Virginia |
|
||
|
Edjwald wrote:
Vengeful woman is a bit of an overstatement,spoiler[ more like a mean girl teenager cut off before she realizes what the hell is going on. Both girls are 16.] |
|||
|
|||
Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
|
||
|
I've sort of already identified my top picks for Winter 2026 in the relevant Schedule thread, but what the heck. Right now I've got 26 new shows teed up to try out and 7 sequels. Among the sequels, Frieren and Golden Kamuy are my most anticipated.
Among the new shows, Journal with Witch, The Case Book of Arne (which STILL hasn't been picked up in NA), The Darwin Incident, Wash it All Away, Champignon Witch and Dead Account all have me primed. My sampling doesn't start until this coming Saturday (Jan. 03) with Fate/strange Fake and Tamon's B-side. |
|||
|
|||
|
Edjwald
Posts: 3510 |
|
||
|
@Alan45 - that actually makes it a tiny bit more interesting, I think.
And Blood ol' buddy, unless you're setting Saturday aside as a special viewing day :::double checks anime calendar on computer to be sure :::: Tamon's B-side premieres on Crunchyroll on Dec 31 (tomorrow as I type this) not Jan 3. And Champignon Witch which looks like it could be cool also hasn't been picked up. I'm hoping that both it and The Darwin Incident will take up some of Crunchyroll's TBA slots as I'm not one for privateering. Incidentally, Jack of All Trades, Party to None is also supposed to premiere Dec 31, which looks like it might be one of those generic but watchable anime that I mentioned. |
|||
|
|||
|
Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 25599 |
|
||
|
Right you are, Edjwald. The ANN Encylopedia has the show premiering on Jan. 1, but that is probably because it will be Jan. 1 in Japan when it plays here on Dec. 31. Good... sooner is better than later. After an incredibly light Fall, I'm gagging to try some new stuff.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Princess_Irene
ANN Associate Editor
 Posts: 2808 Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City |
|
||
Amazon Prime has The Darwin Incident, I believe. |
|||
|
|||
|
Edjwald
Posts: 3510 |
|
||
|
Doh! I think I even wrote that down on the winter 2026 thread a week or so ago. Thanks for the reminder
|
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 4997 |
|
||
|
Not sure why but The Case Book of Arne has me very interested. Dead Account meanwhile sounds stupid but using social media terms as powers might be fun stupid.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Edjwald
Posts: 3510 |
|
||
|
I really like the idea of Dead Account; it's the trailer that's got me adopting a wait and see attitude. There are a whole lot of annoying characters getting their shounen on in a relatively short time frame. The fact that the anime is shoehorning the cool horror premise into an academy setting makes me a little uneasy too. There's a risk that the weird threat is just an excuse for the anime to march through the same old battle academy tropes, and that what makes the show potentially unique won't really be developed.
But a risk isn't the same as a reality. |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 4997 |
|
||
|
I fully expect Dead Account to contain more than a few cliches but if it can make the concept atleast somewhat unique then I am in. I just hope that it is not another Tougen Anki, that one started off somewhat interesting and becoming extremely bland.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 10358 Location: Virginia |
|
||
|
This is a heavy season for me. I have five series I'll be checking out.
Kunon the Sorcerer can see. The novel is an interesting read Wash it all away. Quietly enjoyable slice of life. The Holy Grail of Eris. Interesting mystery and the characters are engaging. Scarlett especially is a trip. Frieren Beyond the Journey's End. I enjoyed the first season. A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi Humans. Quiet slice of life with fantasy elements. I think this is as many series as I watched all last year. |
|||
|
|||
|
Edjwald
Posts: 3510 |
|
||
|
@Alan45. You're the second person to mention that Kunon the Sorceror Can See is based on interesting source material. The trailer and description looked pretty generic - young male, older maid, path to OPness opening up - but I'll definitely be casting a more interested eye in that direction
|
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 4997 |
|
||
|
The novels of Kunon do contain more than a few cliche elements. It is Kunon being such an oddball and magic obsessed that keeps it interesting. It is a joy to read about the stuff he does and how magicians in the series are all nutjobs in one way or another.
|
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group