Top 10 Anime of Spring 2020

Turns out there’s no mystery that can’t be solved just so long as you throw enough money at it. Despite having an enormous fortune to his name, Kanbe still finds himself reassigned to a new division when his bluntness and tendency to bribe his way to the truth starts to step on too many toes. Now partnered with the headstrong, easily aggravated, and far less wealthy Kato, it falls to Kanbe to use both his intuition and chequebook to uncover a slew of new crimes. As expensively as possible, of course.

Is it one of the edgest edges that you’ll see this year? Yes. And does it cram in more fanservice than your average ecchi? Somehow, also yes. And yet, thanks to the weird and wacky premise involving a student transforming into a giant, killer stuffed animal with a wicked right hook, along with Clair’s irresistible, sociopathic smile, this bizarre concoction still succeeds in scratching that itch. Not very often you see the best girl being the one to get inside the weak-willed male protagonist…wait that came out wrong.

From the mind of that not-so cheery fellow who brought us Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, we have this little slice of dark comedy that follows one father’s desperate struggle…to stop his impressionable young daughter from discovering the truth that he writes vulgar manga for a living. While the gags all land, you’re sure to be just as impressed with the distinctive visuals and inquisitive nature of Gota’s daughter, whose brand of cute is astoundingly refreshing. Could be worse, at least he’s not drawing stuff like Island of the Giant Insects. Don’t google that.

The isekai-apocalypse may be slowly coming to a close, but it saw fit to let loose another component series this season, one that loves nothing more than to twist conventions on their head, with an extra dollop of charm. After being reincarnated inside her favourite otome game, you’d think Catarina’s new life would be pretty solid…until she realises she’s taken the role of the canonical villain, with her narrative set to end with her death. So, what does she do? Tear up the script, that’s what! Breaking every character trait possible, it’s not long before the designated bad girl ends up turning into a full-on harem protagonist…

Well Trigger, you flipped the coin and it seems to have landed on the right side! Take the blinding pace and outlandish character designs as seen in Kill la Kill, sprinkle in some social commentary ala Beastars, as well as an ongoing mystery that hopefully won’t go the way of Darling in the Franxx, and it looks like this studio is back on form, though that could be due to Michiru’s unabashed cuteness in her tanuki form. Sign us up for another visit to Anima City.

There’s hitting too close to home…and then there’s this show. Focusing on four wayward souls who each find themselves at an impasse in their lives, this anime delves into the often uncomfortable and messy challenges that come with being human. Using self-deprecation as an excuse to let life pass by, forced into the shadow of a more accomplished sibling and the painful resentment that comes with it, refusing to let go of the memory of a loved one even if doing so is nothing but toxic. Yeah, its not pleasant, but it’s beautifully realised and layered with sad truths.

One of the tragic additions to the Season of Delays, while Soma’s journey has been cut short for now, what we’ve been given so far has given us high hopes that this finale has every intention of departing from the largely negatively received conclusion of the source material. They kicked things off with quite the feast for the eyes and stomachs courtesy of a long overdue beach episode, and while the follow up did bring back reused footage, the way it was handled as a means of further expanding the BLUE tournament was much appreciated. And hey, now we’ve got a love triangle!

Their whirlwind romance could not be contained with just one season, even if they’ve yet to actually express their feelings towards one another. Armed with dizzying intellect and a never-ending desire to make the other confess, our titular duo’s exploits this time around already have us doubling over with laughter and sending our hearts aflutter. From the looks of things, these two are on the border of breaking some major ground, especially with how physical they’ve been so far.

The age of the manhwa adaptations is upon us, and if this is their first outing, we can’t wait to see what follows in the wake of this oh so colourful explosion. After the only person he’s ever known vanishes inside of the mysterious tower that lurks above their home, the woefully naïve Bam finds himself embroiled in an all-levels battle royale, as he and numerous other creatures adept in the art of killing attempt to pass a series of challenges and make their way to the tower’s pinnacle. With it’s striking art, an endless host of intriguing characters, and the ongoing mystery surrounding the eponymous tower, this has the potential to open the webtoon floodgates.

Now THIS was an unexpected pleasure! Ask any fan what peak Digimon is and they will likely point at the 2000 movie “Our War Game” - well, Toei kept that in mind and created a new series that pretty much captures the same essence.
Taking the original cast and setting of the first instalment of the Digimon franchise, this reimagining not only propels the Digidestined right into the modern day, but adds a splash of excitement by ramping up the action and danger, with Digimon emerging from the network to cause chaos in the real world. Whether you’re new to the franchise or are looking for a little nostalgic kick, this one is a must-see.