First off, I have good news pertaining to the blog. I’ve been pretty infrequent the past month and a half but I can safely say that the slump is over. I’m done work and my summer vacation has begun which means I can blog to my heart’s content. There’s a lot of catching up to do in the coming days, Fruits Basket and School-Live! being my top priorities, but that should be easier to do with so much more free time now. I sure hope I can pull it off because Summer 2019 is fast approaching.
Yep, it’s that time of the year again and given this post’s title, it’s obvious what I’m actually here to talk about it. I’ll be blunt: I’m pretty underwhelmed by the line-up so far. That seems to be 2019 in a nutshell but still, I was hoping things would turn around by now.
For once, I do have a pretty specific reason as to why I’m not impressed. There’s two genres at the forefront this upcoming Summer, ecchi and isekai, and big surprise, I’m not fond of either genre. If there happens to be an ecchi or an isekai show that wins me over, I’ll gladly admit it. The more good shows, the merrier. But for now, I’m dealing with two genres I’m not a fan of and that really sours my anticipation for the upcoming season.
Regardless, there’s anime on the horizon so let’s take at look, shall we?
Hype Level Breakdown:
| Excited | Anime that I really want to watch right now but alas, I must wait for it to air on TV. |
| Optimistic | Reserved for anime that probably aren’t going to blow my mind but will still make for solid entertainment. |
| Mild | The show just looks so-so to me for one reason or another though I’m nevertheless still interested in it. |
| Surprise Me | The show frankly looks bad to me or I’m just very skeptical about it. It’s still sticking out in some way so it merits a mention here. |
Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru
(How heavy are dumbbells you lift?)
| Premieres: July 3 at 22:30 JST | Genre: Comedy, Ecchi | ||
| Studio: Doga Kobo | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Funimation | Hype Level: Mild | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
You see a lot of anime characters, typically female, worry about their weight but generally, the most effort performed is putting snacking on hold or the plot pulling a miracle on them. So naturally, How heavy are the dumbbells you lift? interests me because it’s all about exercise. That’s right, a whole cour about anime girls lifting weights…in tight gym clothes…sweating…and panting…
Okay, so this is going to be one of Summer 2019’s ecchi anime. I guess if you’re going base your story around exercise, you might as well lewd it up while you’re at it. While I suspect there’ll be some very choice shots, I’m hoping the story will take center stage, offering a likable cast of characters while legitimately promoting the importance of exercise to viewers. If it can do that, I’ll call it a win-win.
Maou-sama, Retry!
| Premieres: July 4 at 0:00 JST | Genre: Action, Fantasy, Isekai | ||
| Studio: Ekachi Eplika | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: TBD | Hype Level: Surprise Me | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Stop me if you’ve heard of this before: a young man plays an online game as a demon lord and then one day, he is suddenly whisked into the game’s world as his character and must now live up to the role he created for himself. I imagine Maou-sama, Retry! will be compared to Overlord and that will undoubtedly make it a harder sell for some viewers (or maybe an easier sell depending on how much they love isekai). I’m feeling more inclined to just resume Overlord (I liked what I saw of it) but as literally stated in the Hype Level, surprise me.
Uchi no Musume no Tame naraba, Ore wa Moshikashitara Maou mo Taoseru kamo Shirenai.
(If It’s For My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord)
| Premieres: July 4 at 23:30 JST | Genre: Fantasy, Slice of Life | ||
| Studio: Maho Film | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: TBD | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
I’ve heard of UchiMusume (I’m not typing that whole title again) and before the anime got announced, I actually thought about picking up the light novel because of the premise alone. Dale is a young adventurer who stumbles upon a dying demon girl during a job. Unable to leave her to die, he decides to take her home and adopt her as his daughter. If that doesn’t spell “Aww”, I don’t know what willD. Chances are, the show will favor innocuous moe over actually exploring Dale’s decision and his daughter’s demonic nature. That said, if the show can still endear, I’m all for it.
Dr. Stone
| Premieres: July 5 at 22:00 JST | Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Shounen | ||
| Studio: TMS Entertainment | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Yet another Weekly Shounen Jump adaptation in 2019. Unlike Demon Slayer though, Dr. Stone has a premise that’s super out there. All of humanity has mysteriously petrified and thousands of years into the future, two boys reawaken and vow to rebuild civilization. If nothing else, this show looks pretty unique. My only real concern are the director and series composer both being new with Dr. Stone being their debut in their respective roles even). Then again, adapting an established story can leave less room for error.
Enen no Shouboutai
(Fire Force)
| Premieres: July 6 at 1:25 JST | Genre: Action, School, Sci-Fi, Shounen | ||
| Studio: David Production | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Fire Force is based on a manga by Atsushi Oukubo, the same mind who created Soul Eater. That alone has my attention. Say what you will about Oukubo’s skills, the man has an incredible knack for creating fun, visually distinctive worlds and Fire Force is looking to be no different. Set in Tokyo, Fire Force stars the Special Fire Force Company 8, an elite team of firefighters tasked with combating Infernals, humans who have turned into fiery monsters are spontaneously combusting via unknown means.
Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo.
(O Maidens in Your Savage Season)
| Premieres: July 6 at 2:25 JST | Genre: Comedy, Drama, School, Slice of Life | ||
| Studio: Lay-duce | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: HIDIVE | Hype Level: Mild | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. involves five girls in a high school literature club who start to overthink about sex after one of them brings it up during an icebreaker. For a medium that really likes alluding to sex, you don’t see many anime exploring the awkwardness the subject has on teenagers. In that regard, I’m a little curious to check out Araburu.
There’s just one sign for concern: Mari Okada as the series composer. I personally find Okada a pretty inconsistent writer with some of her shows having really good writing and others not so much. And before anyone says she’ll just be adapting the manga, the joke’s on you. Okada is actually the writer of the Araburu manga! So really, this series is 100% her creation so it’s up to the final product to play to her strengths. I guess I could read the manga and find out…but where’s the fun in that?
Lord Il Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note
(The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II: Rail Zeppelin Grace note)
| Premieres: July 7 at 0:00 JST | Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural | ||
| Studio: TROYCA | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Yes, that is indeed a Fate spin-off I’m looking forward to and no, I haven’t gone insane. I still hate Fate but I do really like Fate/zero and anything tied to it I’ll try with open eyes.
While the title doesn’t give it away, The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II stars Fate/zero‘s Waver Velvet, now known as “Lord El-Melloi II” as he investigates several mysteries in London. If you ask me, this is the kind of spin-off Fate should get. Not alternative timelines involving of the same conflict or a freaking cooking show. Just a story set outside of the Holy Grail War and instead focuses on other aspects of the franchise’s mythology. Maybe this’ll suck; I sure hope not. It’s been so long since Fate last piqued my interest.
Naka no Hito Genome [Jikkyouchuu]
(The Ones Within)
| Premieres: July 7 at 22:00 JST | Genre: Drama, Game | ||
| Studio: Silver Link | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Funimation | Hype Level: Surprise Me | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
I hesitate to call Naka no Mito Genome an isekai since the other world aspect is virtual in nature. Whether or not it counts, I can’t say I have much interest either way. Naka no Mito Genome involves seven players of an online game getting transported into the game itself to compete in a variety of challenges livestreamed to the world. It’s not a terrible premise but I feel like this has been done already. I doubt this will really stay in the watch list.
Ensemble Stars!
| Premieres: July 7 at 22:30 JST | Genre: Idol, Music | ||
| Studio: David Production | Source: Game | ||
| Streaming: Funimation | Hype Level: Surprise Me | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Random shot in the dark. I got nothing. This is somehow one of MyAnimeList’s 15 most popular anime for Summer 2019 and I have no idea why. I generally find boy idol anime far less inspired than the more prevalent girl idol scene and it wouldn’t surprise me if Ensemble Stars follows suit.
Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2
| Premieres: July 7 at 23:30 | Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life | ||
| Studio: Shin-Ei Animation | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Can’t say I’m surprised to see Takagi-san again. Both the manga and the first season of the anime have sold pretty darn well. I’m just not jazzed for Season 2 because to be honest, I felt the anime would be better off as a short series and not a full half-hour anime. I also didn’t approve of the decision to include chapters from the spin-off series, Ashita wa Doyoubi which, let’s face it, isn’t as funny as its parent story. Still, of all the anime to come back, I’m glad this is one of them and it’s still great to see Takagi and her brilliant trolling animated.
Vinland Saga
| Premieres: July 8 at 0:10 JST | Genre: Action, Historical, Seinen | ||
| Studio: Wit Studio | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Amazon | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
This a little embarrassing to admit but I’ve never heard of Makoto Yukimura’s critically acclaimed Vinland Saga until now. Guess I have some reading to do.
Given the manga’s reputation, Vinland Saga would seem like a safe bet. So why the slight reservations? Well, two reasons. One, the trailer showed quite a bit of CGI and that hardly is Wit Studio’s forte (or any studio’s for that matter). Second, this anime is confirmed to be running for 24 episodes and with 21 volumes worth of material to adapt, I question how the pacing will fare. Either it’ll take its time with the early arcs or it’ll go the Altair: A Record of Battles or Banana Fish route where they bleed through material.
Still, I really hope this series will be good. It’s not everyday you see anime produce a revenge plot set in the Viking era.
Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka?
(Hensuki)
| Premieres: July 8 at 20:00 JST | Genre: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance | ||
| Studio: Greek Toys, Seven | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: Funimation | Hype Level: Surprise Me | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
After Quintessential Quintuplets and We Never Learn, I have to the conclusion that I’ve grown to really like the harem genre. That said, I need to watch a harem anime that doesn’t involve tutoring to be absolutely sure of this.
That’s kind of where Hensuki comes in though I must say, this plot sure is something. Keiki Kiryu is a young boy and instead of getting the usual love letter in his locker, he instead finds a pair of white panties…Oh and every girl that could be the one happens to be a complete pervert…this is either going to be so stupid, it’s funny or so stupid, it’s obnoxious. Here’s hoping it’s the former.
Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou
(Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest)
| Premieres: July 8 at 23:30 JST | Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Isekai | ||
| Studio: Asread, White Fox | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: Funimation | Hype Level: Surprise Me | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Arifureta sounds like a way less controversial version of Rising of the Shield Hero. Average isekai protagonist gets whisked into a fantasy world with a bunch of people. Everyone becomes heroes with special abilities but isekai protagonist gets the short end of the stick and has to make due with said stick. It’s more or less sounds like the same plot, just without the clumsily written baggage that Shield Hero‘s set up tried to use. Much like Maou-sama, Retry! and Overlord, I think I’d rather resume Shield Hero but again, surprise me.
Cop Craft
| Premieres: July 9 at 0:00 JST | Genre: Action, Fantasy, Police, Sci-Fi | ||
| Studio: Millepensee | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: Funimation | Hype Level: Mild | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Heh, that title. I see what you did there.
Not much to say about Cop Craft. It’s a buddy cop show featuring a hard boiled detective and a mage from another world. That said, this series’s production is being led by the original creator, Shoji Gatoh, who also created Fullmetal Panic and help adapt Hyouka as a series composer so it’s got a pretty big name going for it. The only thing that scares me is the fact that you have Millepensee animating and boy have they become notorious after Berserk (2016). Here’s hoping whatever CGI is in Cop Craft doesn’t look as bad as that show.
Isekai Cheat Magician
| Premieres: July 10 at 22:00 JST | Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai | ||
| Studio: Encourage Films | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll | Hype Level: Surprise Me | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Finally, an anime where both a boy and a girl get isekai’d. Why make the act of isekaing a male only thing? That’s all I have to say.
In all seriousness, I actually think Isekai Cheat Magician could do something interesting with this gimmick. Establish some history between the two leads and have their relationship evolve accordingly in regards to the fantasy world and their newfound magical abilities. Get the two to talk amongst themselves about the fantasy world, thus allowing worldbuilding to happen more naturally. Have the boy and girl discuss how much they miss home. At very least, have the girl get jealous when the boy inevitably gets that isekai harem. Maybe this is just wishful thinking and the show is just simple, forgettable isekai once again. But darn it, I can dream.
Given
| Premieres: July 12 at 0:55 JST | Genre: Drama, Music, Romance, Shounen Ai | ||
| Studio: Lerche | Source: Manga | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Noitamina sure likes to air a shounen ai in summer. Last year, we got Banana Fish and this year, we’ll get Given. I’m sure this is purely coincidence but it still amuses me. Given will likely be the more modest of the two series. I mean, you can’t get any bigger and more influential than Banana Fish. Even the plot of Given sounds rather mundane, just two teenage boys forming a band and presumably more than that.
The manga doesn’t seem too popular but it appears to have its fans and one user review I found said it even provides a tactful depiction of male-male romance. If that is the case, I hope for the best with Given. We need more shounen ai anime like that.
Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de 2-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki desu ka?
(Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?)
| Premieres: July 13 at 0:00 JST | Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai | ||
| Studio: J.C. Staff | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: Crunchyroll, Funimation | Hype Level: Mild | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
Out of all the isekai anime premiering this season, this one I’m hoping will at least be decent. It absolutely is banking on a mere gimmick, it being the boy gets sent to a fantasy world but uh oh, his mom came along with him! But come on, that’s actually pretty funny. Isekai by definition is about living a completely new life in a different world. It’s a little hard to do that when your mother of all people is still around. Also, Ai Kayano as the mom? Perfect casting right there. If this show doesn’t stick the landing than all hope is lost between me and isekai.
Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru no Darou ka II
(Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II)
| Premieres: July 13 at 0:30 JST | Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance | ||
| Studio: J.C. Staff | Source: Light Novel | ||
| Streaming: HIDIVE | Hype Level: Optimistic | ||
| Official Website | Anime News Network | MyAnimeList | Wikipedia |
It sometimes feels a little weird to admit that I like DanMachi since these kind of light novel-based anime generally aren’t my cup of tea. But sure enough, I really did enjoy the first season. No crazy reason as to why. I just think it’s a solid fantasy adventure anime with a quirky world, likable cast, and cool action sequences. Maybe it’s not the most mind blowing or unique anime out there but the execution and the entertainment value is there and at the end of the day, those are the two qualities you have to get right.
Naturally, I was all for a second season of this show and given the commercial success and popularity, it was a matter of when it’ll happen, not if. Four years is admittedly a long wait, even with Sword Oratoria and a movie airing in the meantime. But no matter, it’s finally happening. I can’t wait to see Bell and his friends on more adventures and learn more about them as characters.
Short Series:
- Tejina-senpai (Magical Senpai)| 7/2 | Crunchyroll | Surprise Me – An aspiring magician tries to show off her magic tricks and things get lewd in the process. I can’t imagine this lasting more than one episode.
- Sounan desu ka? (Are You Lost?) | 7/2 | Crunchyroll | Mild – A bunch of girls get stranded on a desert island and things get lewd in the process…not sure how though (okay, I have some ideas).
- Shoujo Conte All Starlight | 7/5 | Mild – A comedy gag tie-in for the Revue Starlight Re LIVE mobile game. I would rather see an actual second season but whatever, I’m glad there’s more Revue Starlight at least.
That’s all, folks! Anything you’re looking for to? What shows did I not included that you think I should consider? Want to just say hi? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
Consider Supporting My Blog:
Follow Me On:
Xenodude's Scribbles 
Looking forward to Kanata no Astra. 😺 Check it out if you haven’t already.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have heard of “Kanata no Astra” and will get around to trying the first episode. It just didn’t interest me enough nor did it seem to be anticipated enough to put on the radar. Out of curiosity, what do you like about the manga?
LikeLike
Hmm, I’d say there’s three things I liked about the manga. First and most importantly, I found myself caring about the characters. Second, I enjoyed the world building (and rebuilding!). And third and finally, it was fun trying to figure out the mysteries before the series revealed them.
Is there plenty to criticize? Of course: It isn’t a perfect series like Promised Neverland. 😜 But I think there’s plenty to enjoy at least for folks like me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure how Arifureta will go as an anime. When I read the first volume of the light novel I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it given the story wasn’t that impressive and nor were the characters. It was the tone of the writing itself that drew me in and the second half of the first volume really got interesting but the early parts of the story are clumsy at best and I think that’s going to take a bit for the anime to overcome unless they take some real liberties with the source material. Still, I’d like it to go well because there’s some interesting ideas as the story progresses.
I’m really looking forward to DanMachi’s return. It’s been a long wait but I’m ready for a second season. Otherwise, I haven’t paid a lot of attention to what is coming yet. There’s a few titles I’ve seen on lots of blogs that look interesting but I’ll see what comes out on services I use and then try some first episodes before making up my mind.
LikeLike
I’ll be watching Naka Hito Genome too! I love survival game anime, I hope this one is better than Juuni Taisen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oof, I need to finish Juuni Taisen. It’s been On Hold ever since it aired. I really dig the Chinese Zodiac gimmick.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Don’t expect anything too great, lol. I wouldn’t call it bad overall, but it’s not exactly good either. The psychological last episode was enough to make up for some of it… but only some of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I mean, I thought it was trashy from what I saw but I was able to take it more seriously than other survival game anime. Then again, it aired alongside King’s Game so what do I know?
LikeLike
Oh well, lol, it’s practically a masterpiece when compared to King’s Game. It’s just that it gets predictable who’s going to die and when, and it takes forever to get around to defeating a certain very annoying character. Also, some action scenes later in the series switch parts of the animation to 3D, and it was really jarring for me. There was also one character who I reeeally wanted to win… but didn’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do recall it doing the flashback by death trope. Didn’t know about the use of 3D though. Oof.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is it that time already? Jeez…
The only one on your list that’s on my radar is Fire Force, for which I’m mildly hyped. Of course, I’m usually so immersed in the now that I forget to look ahead.
LikeLiked by 2 people