The Spring 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Petals of Reincarnation

Tōya Senji is a high school boy who, despite excelling academically, sees himself as average because he constantly compares himself to his overachieving older brother. He desires to excel in something and become special. He encounters a long-absent classmate named Haito La Buffet, whom he considers exceptionally talented. He learns from her that she used a "branch of reincarnation" to claim talent from her "past life," when she was the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, effectively becoming a "Returner," a person reincarnated with their past-life talent. Tōya also learns from Haito that there are other Returners who have more ambitious plans with their talents.

Petals of Reincarnation is based on the manga series by Mikihisa Konishi. The anime series is streaming on HIDIVE on Thursdays.

Content Warning: suicide

Petals of Reincarnation is a testament to the dangers of bad parenting. Toya's parents spent his entire life thus far comparing him to his ultra talented older brother Seiya, even going so far as to blame him for Seiya's death (assuming Seiya is dead, which I wouldn't put money on). The result? Toya is fully obsessed with having a unique “talent,” which quickly morphs into a burning desire to be the most talented person ever, all in an effort to stick it to his parents and his possibly dead brother. To say that this is unhealthy is an understatement.

Of course, that seems to be the point. This is a different strain of edgy than our typical isekai edgelord fare, but it still wallows in its own grittiness. Toya, along with the inevitable transfer student Haito, is a Returner, which in this case means that he's the reincarnation of someone, and able to access their skills. To do so? He just has to cut his throat – every single time he wants to use his powers. So, yes, content warning for repeated imagery of people slicing their own necks in what looks awfully like suicide, especially Toya's first essay, which results in quite a lot of blood. If you're wary of this sort of imagery, this show might not be worth your time.

It might not be worth anyone's time, actually, because it's so enamored of its own schtick that it isn't nearly as exciting as it wants to be. Points to going with reprehensible American serial killer/cannibal Albert Fish instead of the tired old Jack the Ripper, but we've still got Musashi Miyamoto and Vlad the Impaler floating around, along with whatever historical thief Toya manifests. Toya's true power is so very predictable that it takes away from the big reveal, as is the post-credits scene. It's just not quite as clever as it thinks it is.

I do like the way it looks, though. The use of reds on black backgrounds really works, and while some of the design elements are a bit cheesy, like the stained glass window motifs and the incessantly floating petals, but it's got style and a unique enough look to stand out. And as it settles into its plot, now that Toya's introduction is out of the way and we know at least one of Neumann's secrets, it might turn out to be a slick action show with a spot-the-historical-character aspect. I'm not entirely hopeful, but it does have at least a little potential to be fun.