Eden's Zero | Animated Observations

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Surprisingly, the never-ending hell-scape that is 2020 is, in fact, ending pretty soon. While I personally have very little hope that the U.S. will be recovering from COVID-19 anytime soon, there is still plenty to look forward to, and one of those things is anime. While my attention largely drifted away from seasonal shows in 2020, what has been revealed for next year has me as excited as ever to be an anime fan. With that being said, here are the five anime I am most looking forward to, as of right now.

Megalo Box 2

Ok, so maybe most of the series on this list are sequels, but hey, there’s very little chance of them being bad, right? Bad might not be the right word for “Megalo Box,” however. The original “Megalo Box” was not only one of the best anime of 2018, it arguably competes with the best of the last decade. Despite its more traditional sports narrative, it still feels like a powerful story of man willing to bet everything in order to succeed in the thing he loves. Not to mention, his rivalry with Yuri gives the series a serious “Rocky” vibe.

All of this is to say that the second season has a lot to live up to. With the first season already being a complete and fulfilling narrative, it feels unlikely that the second season will be able to match its profound impact.

Eden’s Zero

My falling out of love with “Fairytail” in past years has left me wondering about whether or not Hiro Mashima actually has what it takes to write anything of quality. While I did consider reading the manga for “Edens Zero” a while back when it first came out, I decided against it only because there was other stuff I wanted to get to first at the time. While, at the end of the day, I still do not expect much out of the series, I am hoping at the very least that it is entertaining.

The Promised Neverland 2

“The Promised Neverland” has become one of my favorite series of the last few years, and much like “Megalo Box,” it has an ingrained legacy to live up to. However, unlike “Megalo Box,” the second season of “The Promised Neverland” is a true continuation, and given where the series left off relative to the manga, it is likely to be an exciting second season. Studio CloverWorks did an amazing job with the first season, so now its time to see if they can replicate what made it so great.

Dr. Stone: Stone Wars

“Dr. Stone” also left off on the beginning of a pretty important arc in its story, where Senku is preparing to go to war with Tsubasa after their ideological differences lead them to splitting up. While Senku is working to revive all of humanity, Tsubasa believes that it is the adults who have ruined society, and wishes to leave them in stone. Since it is likely that this ideological dispute will be at the center of the story, I am totally on board.

Log Horizon 3

Man, to think after so long its finally back… Log Horizon has been one of my favorite series since its release in 2013. While not being as highly regarded in the Isekai sub-genre as some other shows, its unique focus on the politics of running a society of people trapped in a video game, combined with its diverse cast of characters makes it a stimulating watch. Unfortunately, after the author got in trouble for Tax Evasion, the series got put on hold. But after getting out at the end of 2018, and continuing his work while under house arrest, he managed to continue the series. Now a new 12 episode 3rd season is coming and I am excited.

Honorable Mention: Beastars 2

This is only kind of a joke. While anyone who has read my final thoughts on the series knows that I do not like “Beastars,” its ending left me extremely confused about the direction of its story. Granted, the entire series left me confused about the direction of its story, but that is an argument for another post. If I hate watch anything next year, it will be this series without a doubt.

Thanks for reading! What shows are you most looking forward to for next year? Let me know in the comments below.

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