There's been a lot of doom and gloom in the anime community over the past few years, with
many insiders suggesting that the industry is in a state of decline.
Even living legend Hayao Miyazaki has also complained about the state of the industry.
But that doesn't mean there aren't any talented up-and-coming creators out there right now.
Sure, there'll be a lot of anime you can pass on this coming year, but here are the ones
you can't afford to miss in 2018.
Angolmois
Studios aren't exactly tripping over themselves to put out period pieces, but we have at least
one samurai saga to look forward to in 2018.
In one of many interesting announcements made at LA's jam-packed Anime Expo 2017, producer
Kadokawa revealed an adaptation of the bloody historical manga Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki.
While we only have a trailer now, the manga is set in 13th century Japan at a time when
great portions of Asia were being conquered by the Mongol Empire.
In the end, the bickering samurai clans were able to put aside their differences and fend
off the invaders in a series of hard-fought battles, which will hopefully make for some
exciting animated viewing.
ISLAND
There have been a number of well-received anime based on visual novels, and Frontwing
is hoping that their latest adaptation will be one of the success stories of 2018.
According to Anime News Network, the developer is teaming with publishing partner Prototype
to bring the dystopian world of ISLAND to television screens, a world that is likely
to attract a wide-ranging audience with its deft mixture of genres.
In this story, the inhabitants of the island of Urashima have cut themselves off from the
mainland after the breakout of a deadly disease.
But when an outsider with amnesia washes up on their shores, a dark mystery begins to
unfold.
Expect everything you'd find in a visual novel: adventure, mystery, romance, and tragedy.
Attack on Titan: Season 3
If you know manga, you know that Attack on Titan is the second best-selling title of
2017, as well as a hugely popular anime series.
The story follows Eren Yeager, a high flying member of the Survey Corps.
He's hell bent on protecting mankind's last stronghold from the Titans, a race of monstrous
giants.
Over the course of the first two seasons, things got especially strange, and set up
an explosive third season.
Funimation released a 15-second teaser that gives us some clues as to where the story
is heading.
Those who read the manga know what happens in the final chapter of the 22nd volume, but
we'll get to see at just how much of that plays out onscreen in the third season, scheduled
to air in Spring 2018.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments
Premiering exclusively on Netflix in the US, The Seven Deadly Sins is a medieval fantasy
about the re-emergence of a disgraced order of magic-wielding knights who must reunite
to save the kingdom from its new tyrannical rulers.
The anime proved popular among Netflix viewers, receiving glowing reviews from newbies and
anime fanatics alike.
In February 2017, Netflix released a four-part special called Signs of Holy War as the second
season.
But the real second season, officially titled Revival of The Commandments, is scheduled
to premiere in all its glory in January 2018.
ReLIFE OVA
Based on the ongoing web manga of the same name, ReLIFE is a slice-of-life anime that
introduces us to a 27-year-old man working a dead-end job in a mini mart.
When he takes an experimental drug that makes him appear ten years younger and return to
high school, he struggles to adjust, but ultimately finds greater understanding of himself.
The 13-episode show was well received, but fans never got to see Arata's ReLIFE experiment
come to a close.
Rather than a second season, Arata's story will actually come to an end with four 23-minute
episodes, which should make for a short but sweet experience when it hits Blu-ray and
DVD in March 2018.
Devilman Crybaby
A brand new ten-episode anime coming to Netflix in 2018, Devilman Crybaby is the story of
a teenage boy who gets possessed by a demonic entity and starts going by the name Devilman.
In the original manga, protagonist Akira Fudo [uh-KEE-ruh FOO-doh] seeks out the demon's
power on purpose, hoping that his strong heart will allow him to remain himself.
Toei [TOE-ay] Animation took a slightly different angle when they first adapted the property
into an anime back in 1972, and the revival will follow a similarly divergent path.
A.I.C.O Incarnation
The people behind modern classic Fullmetal Alchemist and My Hero Academia are back with
a new, original anime in 2018.
The near-future set show, A.I.C.O Incarnation, is being described as a "bio science fiction"
by Netflix, whose team-up with studio Bones has created a terrifying premise: a substance
called "the Matter" is accidentally created during experiments, and begins to devour everything
in its path.
The story follows a 15-year-old girl named Aiko whose parents were lost during the initial
accident.
To learn the truth about the Matter and stop its spread, she must return to the spot her
parents were killed.
Oh, and she's also walking around in a replicant body...so things are going to get interesting.
Steins;Gate 0
The Steins;Gate world is constantly expanding: both a new manga and novel are on their way.
But the biggest news so far is that an adaptation of popular visual novel Steins;Gate 0 is coming
to television screens as soon as 2018.
PlayStation debuted the visual novel in 2015, and it was favorably reviewed by critics and
fans alike as one of the best visual novels ever made.
This mind-bending entry into the franchise definitely lived up to the standard set by
the original Steins;Gate.
That game was made into an anime back in spring 2011, again with overwhelmingly positive results,
so studio White Fox is under pressure to make Steins;Gate 0 another hit.
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