The Summer 2023 AniTAY Sequel Guide
Summer has, as I’ve grown into an adult, transitioned from a time in my life where I had no real obligations but a burning desire to stay inside, into a time in my life where I have many obligations and a burning desire to stay inside. That’s currently being influenced by the air outside my window being literally toxic, but hey…at least it’ll give me time to catch up on four seasons of Bungou Stray Dogs, right?
As a reminder, the Sequel Guide only covers what we as contributors decided to write about. Some entries may have both a “for” and “against”, written by different authors, and anything that is not present here is missing only because nobody signed up for it. If you were hoping to see something here that’s missing, maybe you should come join our crazy club and sign up for the next one! (Contact us here!)
Without further ado…
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War — Part Two
Presented by: Alistair Hyde
Studio: Pierrot
Genre(s): Supernatural, Adventure
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: A historic blood feud between two factions, the Soul Society and the Quincy reignites after the Quincy’s leader, Yhwach, comes back to life. He sets his sights on erasing both the human world and the soul reapers for good. However, Substitute Soul Reaper and Bleach protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki enters the conflict alongside his closest allies and friends.Once again, Ichigo needs to protect the people he cares about and his hometown against these supernatural threats. To prevent Yhwach from fulfilling his plans, Ichigo now has to defend against invasions into both the Soul Society spirit world and the Hollow land between realms, Hueco Mundo.
Why You Should Catch Up: The first cour of this long-awaited series return delivered everything it promised and even more. To put it simply, the show is awesome.
This new anime adaptation succeeds in translating Kubo’s ability to communicate the intent of a scene through his artwork. His manga shows rather than tells, and this anime gets the attention of the viewer without derailing the message.
The pacing of the anime’s scenes lets emotions linger, particularly in the silent ones. Kubo’s hands-on approach provides a faithful recreation of the manga, to the point that we get to read his poems in between scene transitions. Unlike the first anime run, the filler has a purpose to improve crucial aspects like the tone of the story. The color palette creates palpable contrasts between bleak and colorful moments to emphasize the details of the animation and even the mood of the scenes. The coloring and animation combine to create very convincing visual storytelling, enhanced by the beautiful music and sound effect cues. Particularly, the soundtrack feels like a remaster or recreation of the original pieces with more fluid and refined recording techniques for a polished sound. Bleach is also bolstered by compelling performances from the voice actors.
I love the way the radicalized antagonist group of Quincies feels like a real threat to the Soul Society through their actions; it is as if they were inspired by the vampires in Hellsing to destroy their enemies.
Conversely, I do not like flashbacks because they feel like info dumps, the kind that disrupt the continuity of the plot. However, this provides context and character development to see the importance of the circumstances surrounding the main cast as well as justifying their reactions.
Finally, this is an example of how great execution leads to a delicious dish called “revenge” for one of the big three of shonen anime and manga after its cancellation due to poor ratings and following a decade where it practically disappeared. This genocidal bloodbath is packaged as a love letter for fans. It has enough elements to take them back and reel in newcomers that would like to know what all the fuss is about.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
Excluding all the filler seasons and (almost) every filler episode, and going by individual episode numbering since various streaming services disagree on which seasons are which:
-Episodes 1 through 63: 63 episodes
-110 through 128: 19 episodes
-134 through 167: 34 episodes
-190 through 203: 14 episodes
-206 through 212, and 215 through 226: 20 episodes
-266 through 297: 32 episodes
-300 through 302 and 306 through 310: 8 episodes
-342 through 366: 25 episodes
Total of 215 episodes, with an average episode length of 23 minutes — (approximately 82.5 hours)
Where to Catch Up: Disney+ Star+
Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5
Presented by: DJNiipah
Studio: Bones
Genres: Action, Mystery, Supernatural
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: With the Armed Detective Agency framed as public enemies and scattered about, Atsushi and friends race against the clock to clear their names. Locked in a deadly game with outside forces, the supernatural crime solvers have seen their options dwindle rapidly. Rivals become allies, and several members of the team find their resolve tested. Will they clear their names in time, or will the ruthless Hunting Dogs and others put an end to the Armed Detective Agency?
Why You Should Catch Up:
For better and for worse, Bungo Stray Dogs leaves nothing up for imagination. Characters deliver page-long responses to even the smallest of prompts, and the anime bludgeons you with every detail it wants you to see regarding its character and story development. Indeed, the writing certainly presents as if the word “subtlety” is nonexistent. That said, the overstated nature of the writing is, quite frankly, one of the only flaws this anime has to it.
The greatest strength Bungo has is its armada of bright and colorful cast. For all that was said regarding the writing, every character is well-developed and provides considerable depth to a world that remains as fascinating deep into its fourth season as when it was brand new. Couple this with fascinating supernatural powers these individuals have that make for some exciting action sequences, and there is an anime that is well worth enduring some long-winded lulls at times.
Where the anime is in its narrative currently also presents an interesting case for a viewer to consider — this is the first time in the series where audiences were left with a cliffhanger mid-arc. Lingering questions, as the discussion about the anime’s writing above might suggest, are not exactly something this series is known for. For three seasons, there was always a nice, well-constructed finale that wrapped things up. Maybe this is why I found myself confused why there was not another episode the week afterwards. No matter what is ahead, I am willing to bet that season five will have an incredible finish on the other end of it.
Finally, I would be remiss not to recommend this anime for its incredible English dub. The lineup here is all-time great, and the consistent introduction of new characters is matched by bringing on even more talented voice actors. What starts as a great duo of Max Mittelman and Kaji Tang evolves into chilling back-and-forth from Jamieson Price and Keith Silverstein or incredible moments from unexpected characters voiced by juggernauts such as Cristina Valenzuela or Matthew Mercer. One look at the cast and any fan of English dubs will be pointing at the screen going “oh, it’s them!” at least a handful of times.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
49 episodes + optional movie (19.6 hours + 1.5 hours)
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
The Devil is a Part-timer!! Season 3
Presented by: Doctorkev
Studio: Studio 3Hz
Genres: Slice-of-life, Comedy, Fantasy, Reverse-isekai
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: During a battle against his half-angel mortal enemy, the hero Emilia, Demon Lord Satan (apparently no direct relation to the Biblical character) of the parallel world Enta Isla escapes through a magical portal to modern Tokyo. In our world, the formerly mighty demon lord finds himself depowered and unable to return home. In order to survive, he finds employment at the suspiciously-named “MgRonalds” fast food restaurant, and rents a tiny apartment with his loyal subordinate and fellow demon Alciel. Unfortunately, Satan (now known as Sadao Maou), is soon joined by his archenemy Emilia (now known as Emi) and various other both friendly and antagonistic weirdos from Enta Isla who also find their way to Tokyo to disrupt his peaceful new life.
Why You Should Catch Up: The first season of this slice-of-life fantasy aired a whole decade ago, and was beloved amongst anime fans for its delightful mix of relatable characters and down-to-earth comedy interspersed with remarkably potent supernatural action. In 2022, following a nine-year-wait, fans were rewarded with a long-desired second season, and the subsequent announcement that a third season was only another year away.
Season one was animated by the almost-always reliable studio White Fox (Steins;Gate, Re:Zero, Girls’ Last Tour). Not only was it very funny, but the action sequences were fantastic. The second and upcoming third seasons, unfortunately, are handled by Studio 3Hz, who don’t have quite such a stellar backlog, and appear to be working on a much-reduced budget. Although it had its moments, season two was a huge step down in quality compared to the first.
It’s difficult to say if the source material (the 30-volume light novel by Satoshi Wagahara) was partly to blame for the significantly-less-interesting sophomore season, as the plot seemed less-engaging, especially in regards to small and annoying magical child Alas Ramus, whose constant, unwelcome presence bogged down the plot. She does not look likely to be going anywhere in future either.
Otherwise, the central characters and their relationships remain a strong source of both comedy and pathos. I particularly like plucky and brave human girl Chiho Sasaki who knows Maou’s true identity, yet loves him anyway. I disliked the second season’s attempts to bring Maou and his rival Emi together, and hope the third season drops this thread! Alciel and Lucifer, Maou’s generals, are both great ancillary characters that I’m hoping get plenty more opportunity to shine in future episodes.
With a huge number of light novel volumes yet to adapt, there’s the potential this anime could run for many more seasons yet. Perhaps Studio 3Hz will step up their game after the underwhelming second season. I live in hope that the show can recapture the heights of its excellent first season.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
- Season 1: 13 episodes — (approximately 5 hours)
- Season 2: 12 episodes — (approximately 5 hours)
Where to Catch Up: Crunchyroll
The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 2
Presented by: Marquan
Studio: J.C. Staff
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Drama
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: A young Duke lives burdened with a curse that results in everything that he touches dying. Despite this, he strives to find a way to break the curse so that he can enjoy life with his loved ones.
Why You Should Catch Up:
Just imagine if Teasing Master Takagi-san, or Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro had a supernatural element to it. That’s the Duke of Death and His Maid in a nutshell. It’s a show that caught me by surprise when it first aired. Bocchan is cursed, not by consequences of his own actions, but nonetheless has to navigate life unable to touch, embrace or hold any living thing. Seen as Death incarnate by his family, he’s exiled to a villa with nothing more than a butler and a maid tending to him. For most, this would be a depressing, solitary existence, but that’s not the case for our Bocchan. He’s blessed with a caring butler and maid who tends to his needs.
Alice, his flirty maid makes it her life’s mission to get as close to him as possible and his reactions are pure gold. I can honestly say, the relationship they share is one of the most bittersweet I’ve seen. It’s clear they care for one another, and yet the curse makes it nigh impossible for their relationship to reach the next level. Watching Bocchan and Alice do all they can to find the root and cure to the curse is a heartfelt viewing experience. We get to see how his curse impacts not only himself, but new friends who enter his life. And while the circumstances of his life are tragic, there are moments where you realize that love (be it romantic, familial or platonic) can truly conquer all. Wait, was that too sappy?
Duke of Death does a great job putting the emphasis on relationships, and even though Alice is a flirty tease and a lot of the jokes revolve around her shenanigans, it never gets stale. Every episode you get a moment that makes you stop and go, “Someone find this man a cure so they can live happily ever after!” And I, for one, am looking forward to that day when the small distance between them can close completely.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
- Season 1: 12 episodes — (approximately 4 hours)
Where to Catch Up: Crunchyroll
Horimiya: The Missing Pieces
Presented by: Nomad
Studio: Cloverworks
Genres: Romance, Comedy
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Kyouko Hori is a beautiful, intelligent, and popular student. Izumi Miyamura is perceived as a gloomy recluse. Yet both of them live utterly different lives beyond the classroom. Hori is occupied as a caretaker for her younger brother. Miyamura relaxes his demeanour and uncovers his tattoos and piercings that the school would not approve of. Each, in their own way, hides part of themselves from society. That is until they have a chance encounter outside of school and find themselves taking solace in each other’s company. So develops a bond that only grows more special with time.
Why You Should Catch Up:
Horimiya is a romance that flows from the coincidence of encountering a person you start sharing the secrets of your life with. It could have been anyone, but for Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura, it happened to be each other.
There are no contortions of fate that destine the pair to be intertwined; there is no excessive tension that forces either person to prove their affection by trial; there is not even a significant confession scene. Had Miyamura never encountered Hori’s little brother injured in the park, Hori would have graduated barely interacting with him at school, and eventually they probably would have found different partners. As it happens, Miyamura was conscientious enough to bring the child home, Hori was at the house, and they started talking properly. That circumstantial meeting is crucial, because the appeal of this series lies in the pair organically becoming closer. Horimiya luxuriates in the voyeuristic comfort of watching two people realising that they want to spend every mundane day together. In this way, Horimiya is one of the more emotionally honest and pleasant anime romances on offer. Watch it.
The understated Horimiya was about a decade ahead of its time. That might be an overzealous declaration, but Horimiya’s romantic stylings have rarely been replicated since its 2007 debut as a webcomic. Not even following the manga re-adaptation that began in 2011 (and is the basis for this anime). Yet there are still few series truly like Horimiya.
So when Horimiya was finally rescued from languishing on the pile of un-adapted series as a promotion for the end of the manga, cuts had to be made to cover the bulk of the story. This is an adaptation clearly carefully considered by director Masahi Ishihama (From the New World) and scriptwriter Takao Yoshioka (Your Lie in April). The latter parts of the manga are slightly bloated with characters and detours that detract from the central couple compared to those initial, tauter chapters. Ishihama and Yoshioka have found ways to pare back even the earliest of chapters, reducing Horimiya to a series mainly revolving around Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura’s courtship.
While this approach removes some parts that might have been repetitive, and cleverly condenses others scenes for efficiency without losing their efficacy, it also sacrifices some of the entertaining moments related to Hori and Miyamura’s other relationships. The lost little interactions rounded out Hori and Miyamura as people apart from one another. As individuals. Although this series is about their growth together, the juxtaposition furthered the idea that meeting each other helps enrich their lives in totality. Thankfully, there are enough indicative moments so as to not make Hori and Miyamura feel too insular. Yet the anime series still feels occasionally truncated, because it literally is.
Fortunately then, Horimiya: The Missing Pieces seeks to remedy his issue, by supposedly adapting manga chapters the first season skipped. Although the original webcomic had hundreds of “bonus” stories, this is still a risk. Horimiya’s tone absolutely supports peering into Hori and Miyamura’s slice-of-life routines. It could also easily feel disjointed and have a compromised narrative structure. It may ultimately just exist as an oddity of unplanned success. However, it will at least stand as a testament to Horimiya’s appeal, validating the long journey to an anime adaption. Audiences care enough about this couple and series that Cloverworks are now animating the discarded scraps. Horimiya is so enrapturing, that even the merest morsels of this romance are worth consuming.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
- Season 1: 13 episodes — (approximately 5 hours)
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Presented by: Arcane
Studio: MAPPA
Genres: Shounen, Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Horror
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Local High-School Himbo Itadoori Yuuji and his friends in the Occult Club make an attempt to unseal the curse on a mysterious, disembodied finger, only to find that the magic bound to it is very real. The finger belongs to Sukuna, one of the most powerful cursed beings in the world, and though a Jujutsu Sorcerer comes to rescue the club, he too ends up in danger of falling victim to the curse energy of the finger — that is, until Yuuji decides to eat it, and is possessed by Sukuna, who demolishes the curse attacking the school and boldly declares that he’ll celebrate by destroying the whole city. All appears to be lost, except that before Sukuna is able to accomplish his task, Yuuji manages to reclaim his body and force the curse back into a cage within him, something no Sorcerer has ever been able to do before. Doing so forces him into the strange world of Jujutsu Sorcerers, who tell him that he now has a goal to accomplish — to acquire and eat the rest of Sukuna’s fingers, and then be executed to dispel the power of the curse. How will he accomplish this task? By going to school for Jujutsu Sorcery, of course!
Why You Should Catch Up: Because, not to bury the lede, Jujutsu Kaisen is probably the single best shounen action show since YuYu Hakusho.
The premise is dark, the imagery is frequently grotesque, and the story gets extremely sad in a lot of places…and yet, Jujutsu Kaisen feels alive in a way that many of its contemporaries haven’t accomplished. Taking the bones of Bleach and forming them into a story with more immediately memorable characters, a better-realized setting, and a sense of off-the-wall humor that clashes brilliantly with its brutality, it pulls the audience into its creepy-yet-intriguing world and then lets us sit back and watch everyone beat the shit out of each other.
Thankfully, this has been noticed by the greater anime-viewing population, who not only have already made the manga one of the best-selling of all time, but actually went to movie theaters in 2022 and made the film adaptation of the series prequel Jujutsu Kaisen 0 gross nearly $200 million, making it the sixth highest-grossing anime film of all time in the US.
So, once again, odds are you’ve already seen Jujutsu Kaisen and have been foaming at the mouth for its continuation just like me. But even if you have, there’s still enough time to rewatch the first season, and appreciate how lucky we are as anime fans when the cream truly does rise to the top.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
- Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, 24 episodes — (approximately 9.5 hours)
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0, film — (approximately 2 hours)
Where to Catch Up: Crunchyroll
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2
Presented by: TheMamaLuigi (for), Marquan (against)
Studio: Studio Bind
Genres: Isekai, Drama, Fantasy, Coming-of-Age
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: Rudeus Greyrat is a young, intelligent, and powerful mage — and the reincarnation of a worthless incel NEET struck down by Truck-kun. Armed with the mind of an adult in the body of a child, Rudy vows to make the most of his second chance at life by becoming the best version of himself. This second season follows Rudy’s adolescent and teenage years as he reckons with the fallout of the first season’s globetrotting adventure. Can Rudy find the resolve to move forward, or will he sink further into despair amidst the frigid north?
Why You Should Catch Up:
In an anime landscape dominated by isekai series of all kinds, Mushoku Tensei stands out amongst its ilk by embracing its status as isekai and hyper-focusing on the development, growth, and quirks of Rudy. It’s rare for a modern isekai series to have a protagonist that’s more than just a lifeless self-insert, but Rudy’s humanity and drive to better himself make him more than just a compelling protagonist: he’s up there with Re:Zero’s Subaru as the best in class.
Much criticism has been directed at Mushoku Tensei for its portrayal of Rudy. He’s perverted, he’s lecherous, and he worships a pair of panties from his magical teacher, Roxy. Some folks found these aspects of his character too much to handle or distracting from an otherwise great show. Rudy’s also driven, brutally honest with himself, and admirably self-reflective, and I think what consistently gets lost in the discourse around Mushoku Tensei is the nuance with which it treats Rudy as a person. He’s impossibly flawed and radically human — a person trying to become a better version of himself while taking missteps and backsliding along the way. In Rudy, Mushoku Tensei asserts that there are parts of who we are that remain concrete even as we chip away at our sharper edges. It’s a show about growth, about the connections we make that beget that growth, and how we stay true to ourselves even as we strive for better. There will always be some part of our protagonist that’s pervy, that gets aroused, that caves into his carnal desires — but perhaps it’s just a stark example of how we can never stop being human. I mean, if folks can latch onto Chainsaw Man’s Denji’s sole motivation being boobs, then Rudy’s far more nuanced character should receive the same quality of critical discussion.
Even though I’ve spent most of this piece defending Rudy as a character, Mushoku Tensei’s strongest aspect is undoubtedly its production. Studio Bind was formed to adapt Mushoku Tensei, and the love, care, and appreciation for the source material is evident in every frame. From its lack of a bespoke opening in favour of montages over the show’s main theme to the detailed, dynamic, and utterly transfixing animation, Mushoku Tensei is a labour of love and a testament to the power of animation to capture our hearts and eyes. Sprinkle in some stellar voice acting, top-notch writing, and a cast of loveable, rich characters, and Mushoku Tensei is not just worth a watch — it’s worth sticking with to the end.
Season 2 looks like it’s starting with a small arc that leads into the work’s next turning point. This arc is my favourite part of the narrative thus far and introduces the True Best Girl. Rudy’s about to have his work cut out for him, and nothing will be the same after.
Why You Shouldn’t Catch Up:
There’s a special feeling you get when you get to witness the show about the birth of a true hero, a person so suited to the task of saving the world you can’t help but want to root for them. This…is not that. Mushoku Tensei is a show that will undoubtedly wow you with its visuals, hook you with its wonderfully in-depth world-building, and dazzle you with its breathtaking action sequences. But most of that, if not all of it is marred by the existence of the main character. As TheMamaLuigi stated, there is character progression that occurs, and Rudy grows as time goes on, but his pervy, and outright creepy personality will be too much for most to look past.
I’m always on the fence about how much should be excused when it comes to isekai stories, especially those where the protagonist retains their memories. I’m usually okay with it, as they don’t usually start off as literal babies with the mind of an adult man, but man does this show rub me the wrong way sometimes. And honestly, it’s not even due to the perverse nature of Rudy. For someone who lived for quite a while in his previous world, he remains immature in more ways than I expected. Sure, he’s mature for a kid in his new world, but I don’t understand how he makes some of the mistakes he makes when he has the mind of an older gentleman! Just doesn’t add up for me.
Could it be one of the best isekai to ever isekai? Yes, and honestly it is. I’m busting its chops, because how often do we get a protagonist that worships panties and all but grooms a future love interest? For a lot of people, Rudy’s personality early on will turn them off the show. I’m certain things will get better as we move through the story and Rudy gets older, but will people stick it out long enough to get there? Probably not. Looks pretty though.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
- Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Parts 1 and 2–23 episodes (approximately 9 hours)
- Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation — Eris the Goblin Slayer OVA — 1 episode (23 minutes)
Where to Catch Up: Crunchyroll, Hulu
Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 3
Presented by: Doctorkev
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Terminal Life-Wasting Wheel-Spinning Intelligence-Insulting Ennui
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: First-year college student Kazuya Kinoshita is a horny loser who spends most of his spare time masturbating to mental images of cute girls. After his (borderline sociopathic) girlfriend Mami dumps his ineffectual, pathetic ass, in a fit of self-pity he resorts to hiring a fake “rental girlfriend”, which is apparently a thing in Japan. Think female escort/sex worker but without the sex. For various contrived reasons, Kazuya and his fake girlfriend Chizuru end up trapped in a lie — they must pretend to continue “their relationship” to keep Kazuya’s manipulative grandmother happy. Yes, this is a stupid premise that would fall apart if either main character could stop compulsively lying for half a moment.
Why You Should NOT Catch Up: There are two types of anime romantic comedy trash. The first is “Good Trash”, like Domestic Girlfriend, which although morally and narratively bankrupt, still provides legitimate entertainment that is compulsive and at least vaguely rewarding to watch. Rent-A-Girlfriend is “Bad Trash”, in that it actively damages the viewer who unwisely chooses to invest their precious time suffering through its horrendously laboured narrative contortions, enduring its paper-thin and barely-developed characters as they make desperately poor decisions.
At least Domestic Girlfriend’s manga, even towards its end, as it hurtled chaotically to what one might charitably dub “the worst ending to anything, ever”, can be favourably compared to the proverbial dumpster fire. Rent-A-Girlfriend doesn’t even reach dumpster fire levels of morbid fascination. It doesn’t even ignite. It’s like that time your idiot cousin bent over, unwisely brandishing a cigarette lighter over his shamelessly exposed nether regions, attempting to set alight his own intestinal emissions, but succeeding only in producing a sad, wet fart.
Kazuya, even by harem anime standards, is a pathetic protagonist with zero redeeming features. An inveterate coward, he entangles “nice girl” Chizuru in his increasingly convoluted web of lies and contorts himself into ever more tortuous situations that strains and then breaks any goodwill the viewer might have inadvertently developed for him. By association, even the saintly Chizuru is tainted by his idiocy. There’s very little reason why any self-respecting adult woman should put up with his shit.
It’s even more confusing that three other women enter Kazuya’s orbit — what do they see in this barely-human wreckage? Unsettling blonde ex-girlfriend Mami keeps hanging around threatening to commit war crimes, but barely actually does anything. Perky but immature and be-ribboned dark-haired Ruka repeatedly invades Kazuya’s personal space, while shy, personality-bereft pink-haired wallflower Sumi barely even exists, so what the point of her presence is I have no idea.
I also have no idea why I suffered through two whole seasons of unbelievably frustrating garbage with zero character progression or meaningful plot development. I sure as hell won’t bother with the third, and I’d advise anyone else who values their time to follow suit.
What You Need to Watch + Time to Catch Up:
- Season 1: 12 episodes — (approximately 5 hours)
- Season 2: 12 episodes — (approximately 5 hours)
Where to Catch Up (But Should You Really?): Crunchyroll
Contributors in Alphabetical Order:
First time experiencing our seasonal sequel guide list? Check out last season’s here!
