2023 was a banner year for anime. As was 2022. Can 2024 possibly hold up to the precedent set by the two years prior? The answer—easily—is yes.
There’s a lot to look forward to in 2024. So much so that this list drops some incredibly notable releases: the DC anime series Suicide Squad ISEKAI, more of the delightful Harry Potter parody MASHLE: Magic and Muscles, and a brand new Code Geass film. There is a lot to look forward to in the next year of anime. Let’s dig in.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
While we have a couple of 25th anniversaries on this list, Dragon Ball—the still-spry grandaddy of shounen anime—will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. To commemorate the hallmark event, Toei Animation announced a brand new series called Dragon Ball DAIMA, which features notable input from mangaka Akira Toriyama himself. The series’ plot still remains mysterious, but it involves the Z fighters turning into kids, and look how cute Goku is.
Uzumaki
It’s something of a meme that there are no solid anime adaptation of horror master Junji Ito’s work. Many have tried, too. However, Production I.G’s Adult Swim-produced Uzumaki miniseries seems primed to lift the losing streak. Brilliantly, Production I.G opted to produce the anime in black and white, which keeps the barren, unnerving feeling of Ito’s original intact. The two-minute excerpt was already enough to give me the creeps. High hopes seem warranted.
Metallic Rouge
If you’re not excited for Metallic Rouge yet—or simply don’t know what it is—get hype. It’s the 25th anniversary project of Studio Bones, the studio behind such tentpole series as Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Mob Psycho 100. And it was made with the mind to create a world rich enough to provide Bones with a story to tell for another 25 years. Seriously, the amount of care and thought that went into Metallic Rouge is staggering. It will be a fascinating watch.
My Hero Academia, season 7
Speaking of Bones, its biggest-name series, My Hero Academia, is continuing into the second arc of its Final Act saga. Season 6—especially its second cour—marked a decisive high point for the series, as multiple long-awaited breaking points and reconciliations paraded past our teary eyes. Now that the series’ dark undercurrents are being fully explored, expectations are high. Especially since the next arc is named after America’s number one hero, Star and Stripe, who will be voiced by the Romi Park (of Edward Elric fame).
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, Hashira Training arc
In an unprecedented move for ufotable’s deeply cherished anime, Demon Slayer will be airing new seasons in back-to-back years. On one hand, I’m rather worried about what this could mean for the health of the studio’s animators (though ufotable’s reputation is much better than others). Assuming everyone’s healthy, I’m thrilled at the prospect of more Demon Slayer, because the Swordsmith Village arc was the series’ best yet.
Solo Leveling
Solo Leveling is, almost inarguably, the most popular manhwa which currently exists—to the point that the explosive levels of hype around the anime adaptation, which was announced over a year and a half ago, is teaching people slower on the cultural learning curve what manhwa is. Replete with all the dressing of an incredible shounen anime, including a Hiroyuki Sawano score, the hopes that Solo Leveling will break the streak of less-than-excellent manhwa anime adaptations is high.
Haikyuu!! Movie: Battle of the Garbage Dump
Despite being one of the most popular manga/anime series in existence (if you don’t believe me, go to Japan), the Haikyuu!! anime has been plagued with four-year production gaps: first between its third season in 2016 and its fourth season in 2020, and then between its fourth season and now. While, yes, it might’ve been nice for Haikyuu!! to have the temporal luxury of a season of television, the hype at any new Haikyuu!! at all cannot be denied. And the trailers for the new movie—releasing in February in Japan and featuring a major climatic game with legions of popular characters—look incredible.
One Piece, Egghead Island arc
Truly, 2024 is the year that many mainstay series begin ending. Toei’s One Piece anime happens to be celebrating its 25th anniversary, right as One Piece comes out of one hell of a 2023. The Egghead arc is the first new One Piece arc since Wano’s four-and-a-half year run came to a close in December, and it’s the first arc in the manga’s final saga. Not to mention, it’s an incredible (and very fast-paced) arc.
The first episode astoundingly illustrated how Egghead will continue the playfulness and boldness of the varied animation styles One Piece played with during Wano. Plus, the guy picked to voice Vegapunk in Japan is the same guy who voices Rick Sanchez in Rick and Morty, which is absurd. Spirits are indeed high.
Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 is already a big deal. Naoya Matsumoto’s manga has scored some of the best-selling volumes of recent years, without an anime to further hype it up. All of the buzz around this series leads me to believe that Kaiju No. 8 will be to 2024 what Chainsaw Man was to 2022. Plus, after the excellence of Godzilla Minus One, who doesn’t want an anime where people’s superpowers are transforming into kaiju?
DanDaDan
With the absolutely phenomenal Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Science Saru showed once again that it is simply the best studio in the business. Shortly after Scott‘s premiere, the studio announced that its next major endeavor would be an adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s deeply bizarre, occult-tinged, and highly beloved series DanDaDan. It’s an obvious match, and borne out by the teasers released so far.
Furthermore, Saru cast Mayumi Tanaka and Kazuya Nakai—famous for voicing Luffy and Zoro, respectively, in One Piece—to play a pair of perverted, creepy old people. This series will be incredible.
(featured image: Studio Bones / Toei Animation / Production I.G / Science Saru / Illustration by The Mary Sue)
