Release Date: Oct. 4

Studio: Telecom Animation Film

While Blue Box isn’t a traditional sports anime like Haikyu!!, it incorporates elements of the genre into its romance and slice-of-life setting. The series returns with its second season, continuing the mundane adventures of Taiki Inomata, a member of the boys’ badminton team, who diligently works hard to surpass his average performance. His frequent trips to the gym lead Taiki to cross paths with Chinatsu Kano, the star of the girls’ basketball team. This romance blooms gradually, with matters of the heart intertwining with their respective desire to make it to the national championship. Blue Box is a comfort watch for those looking for something comparatively low-stakes, and season 2 is set to continue its wholesome approach to teenage pains and emotional growth.

Release Date: Oct. (TBA)

Studio: Satelight

If you’re looking for an anime that doesn’t require any catching up, Psyren might be right up your alley. In this story, teenager Ageha Yoshina heads home after beating up a bully for a sum of money, expecting his sister to reprimand him for the same. However, odd events occur on his way back home: A payphone rings, which echoes Ageha’s voice upon answering, and he discovers an odd-looking calling card with the word “Psyren” on it. This leads him to discover the titular urban legend and the promise of a hefty sum to whoever dares solve it. Psyren has great potential in appealing to anyone who loves supernatural sci-fi. It is an overlooked gem that might finally get the recognition it deserves, given how engrossing and compelling Toshiaki Iwashiro’s source material is.

Release Date: Oct. 4

Studio: MAPPA

One of the more overlooked MAPPA anime, Ranma ½ is a remake of Rumiko Takahashi’s manga and Studio Deen’s abruptly canceled 1989 anime series. This fresh reimagining is soon returning with its third season, continuing the tale of Ranma Saotome, a boy who falls into the cursed springs of Jusenkyo. This incident causes his body to change curiously — when exposed to cold water, Ranma takes on the appearance of a young girl, while hot water helps him revert to his original body. Amid this chaos, Ranma has to contend with his love-hate dynamic with Akane, as the two teenagers have been arranged to marry in the future by their parents. Ranma ½ is a brilliant story about gender identity and expectations, exploring how these aspects tie into a comedic setting that makes the best use of its focus on martial arts.

Release Date: Oct. 3

Studio: Liden Films

Tokyo Revengers follows Takemichi Hanagaki, who accidentally travels 12 years back in time right before he is about to be hit by a train on the subway platform. Before this accident, Takemichi had learned about the death of a loved one due to their involvement with the Tokyo Manji Gang, which now becomes his fixation. Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc is the fourth season of the series, in which you can expect a massive three-way gang war to unfold. Takemichi has come a long way since his first time leap, and this time, he wants to save his close friend Mikey from following a disastrous path. The stakes are higher than ever before, as the entirety of Tokyo gets involved in a brutal conflict that might have far-reaching consequences.

Release Date: Nov. 26

Studio: Sunrise/Shaft

This Studio Sunrise and Shaft collaboration is the definition of a game changer, as Fool Night is a mind-boggling sci-fi thriller designed to retain audience interest. The premise itself is intriguing: In a dystopian future, no sunlight has reached the Earth’s surface for 100 years after a thick layer of clouds has covered the planet. Rapid oxygen depletion necessitates cutting-edge technology to sustain our dependence on plants, which is why humans can permanently transform into plants on a volunteer basis. Toshiro Kamiya is one such world-weary volunteer, but he suddenly gains the ability to communicate with plants, which changes everything. Fool Night is a scathing critique of capitalism and environmental collapse, and how the two are more intricately linked than we think.

Release Date: Oct. (TBA)

Studio: Pierrot

Black Clover, the anime adaptation based on Yuki Tabata’s beloved manga, is finally getting a second season. The first season of Black Clover finished airing in March 2021, making this a highly anticipated title with dedicated fans clamoring for its return. Black Clover follows Asta, an orphan born without the ability to use mana (a form of magical power) in a world where everybody can do so. Left with no avenues to use magic, Asta focuses on strengthening non-magical skills, while fellow orphan Yuno goes on to fulfill his fate as a prodigy with tremendous magical abilities. It is worth noting that the already-aired 170 episodes are considered a single season due to their consecutive airing in Japan. This might be confusing, as the same 170 episodes were previously considered four seasons for global audiences.

Release Date: Oct. 2

Studio: Toho/OLM

Season 3, Part 1 of The Apothecary Diaries is obviously a welcome sight for long-time fans, but now is the best time for newcomers to binge-watch this refreshing mystery-romance. Combining intrigue and humor, The Apothecary Diaries revolves around Maomao, a young apothecary who gets kidnapped and sold to the Imperial Palace as an indentured servant. Although the implications are tragic, Maomao quickly establishes herself as an indispensable asset after she solves a critical mystery at the palace, which catches the eye of Jinshi. Season 3 is set to shift gears and expand the range of Maomao’s shenanigans beyond the palace walls, while introducing new faces and the consequences of major conflicts within the kingdom.

Release Date: Oct. 11

Studio: Toei Animation

Every sneak peek into Dragon Ball Super: Beerus looks spectacular. An enhanced, remastered, and recut version of early arcs from Dragon Ball Super, Beerus reiterates the beauty of the original series’ fight choreography and the sheer scale of the events that unfold. There’s an argument to be made in favor of entire franchise arcs that are yet to be animated — after all, wouldn’t it make more sense to work on what’s left untouched, instead of enhancing a tale that already boasts several iterations?

That said, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus might pleasantly surprise longtime fans by switching things up, just enough to make the stakes feel more fleshed-out and meaningful. A remaster only works if it understands the need to introduce new threats or tweak character expectations without disrupting canon. All things said and done, the animation does look great, which might be reason enough for some to revisit a familiar tale.

Release Date: Sept. 4 (Japan)/TBA (Worldwide)

Studio: Qzil.la

FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is about a shinobi on a mission to rescue his lord. Taking place during the Sengoku period in Japan, Sekiro tells a rich, grounded tale about revenge and redemption while navigating the tense sociopolitical backdrop of the time. The game’s anime adaptation, Sekiro: No Defeat, is bringing this vivid premise to life, dramatizing the reign of Sword Saint Isshin Ashina and the emerging threat of the Interior Ministry. The anime’s three-week theatrical run that started on Sept. 4 is exclusive to Japan, while its worldwide release date is yet to be announced. Although Sekiro: No Defeat’s theatrical release technically predates the fall anime season, it is a significant title that got lost in the shuffle due to the lack of steady updates when the year’s summer anime slate was announced.

Release Date: Oct. 20

Studio: Trigger

Studio Trigger is returning with yet another installment of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime spin-off prequel to CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. Little is known about the plot save for what we can glean from official trailers, but this is yet another look at the loss of innocence that comes with living in Night City. A young cinephile named Roman Carax is at the center of this new neon-tinted adventure, with street gang Talia Wang and nomad netrunner D joining in. There’s also Weak Kingsley, a veteran edgerunner who is well behind his youthful glory days. While the first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners mapped the tragic rise and fall of David Martinez, the upcoming series might very well be as emotionally devastating, if not more.