Your Complete Summer 2016 Anime Guide

It’s summer. It’s hot outside. That is, unless you are in cold country or in the Northern Hemisphere. Whatever, let’s stay inside and watch anime.

That’s right, it’s that time of the year again. Time for Kotaku’s annual Summer Anime Guide — namely, the 2016 edition. Have a look at the shows below, which are in alphabetical order, and find the ones that strike your fancy.

Active Raid: Special Public Security Fifth Division Third Mobile Assault Eighth Unit

Studio: Production IMS

Genre: Mecha, Sci-Fi

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A police unit that uses special exoskeletons to fight crime in Tokyo.

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Ajin: Demi-Human

Studio: Polygon Pictures

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Horror

Premiere Date: January 16

Where to Watch: Netflix (mid-2016, outside Japan)

What It’s About in One Sentence: After being hit and killed by a truck, a student discovers he’s an immortal “Ajin,” a rare demi-human form, and must live his life on the run to evade those who hunt down Ajin to use them for experimentation. [You can read the Ajin movie review here and the manga review here.]

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Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue

Studio: Gonzo

Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance

Premiere Date: January 11

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: At her new school, a transfer student discovers the popularity of a new aerial sport that uses anti-gravity shoes.

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Assassination Classroom Season 2

Studio: Lerche

Genre: Action, Comedy, Supernatural

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Class is back in session for more trying to kill the tentacled teacher before graduation and, thus, saving the world from annihilation.

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BBK/BRNK (Bubuki Buranki)

Studio: Sanzigen

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Premiere Date: January 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Arriving back in Japan after a decade away, Azuma is kidnapped by a group of armed dudes, but is saved by his childhood friend and the weapon with its own mind on her right hand.

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Dagashi Kashi

Studio: Feel

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 7 (on Japanese TV)

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: A young man dreams of becoming a manga artist, but his dad enlists the help of a beautiful young woman to get him to take over the family sweets shop.

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Dimension W

Studio: Orange, Studio 3Hz

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Set in the year 2071, when the world’s energy problem has been solved by tapping another dimension, a repo man and an android stop the illegal energy harnessing that the cops can’t.

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Divine Gate

Studio: Pierrot

Genre: Fantasy

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Youth with special powers race to reach the legendary Divine Gate — and remake the world.

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Durarara!!x2 Ketsu Season 2, Part 3

Studio: Shuka

Genre: Action, Mystery, Supernatural

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Daisuki, Animax Asia

What It’s About in One Sentence: Durarara!! is back, once again following the adventures of several supernatural people living in Tokyo.

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Erased (aka Boku Dake ga Inai Machi)

Studio: Aniplex

Genre: Mystery, Supernatural

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Satoru Fujinuma might seem like a normal slacker, but he has the special ability to travel back in time a few seconds, allowing him to save others and “erase” catastrophes.

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Fairy Tail Zero

Studio: A-1 Pictures, Bridge

Genre: Action, Fantasy

Premiere Date: January 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Seven years after a war, a female mage meets those who go on to found the Mage Guild known as Fairy Tail.

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Gate (second part)

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Military

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Anime Network, Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: The fantasy-meets-modern-Japanese-military series returns, with an otaku-led recon team sent through a portal that appeared in Tokyo and leads to a fantasy world. [In case you missed it, here is Kotaku‘s review of the first season.]

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Girls Beyond The Wasteland (Shojotachi wa Koya o Mezasu)

Studio: Project No.9

Genre: Drama, Romance

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Anime Network, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: A student’s life changes when a beautiful classmate asks him to help her make a gal game.

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Genre: Action, Fantasy

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Awaking in a mysterious place with no idea how they got there, a group enters the world of Grimgar, where, like a RPG, they have to pick their special abilities, class, and guild.

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Haruchika – Haruta & Chika

Studio: P.A.Works

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Friends Haruta and Chika are out to not only save their school’s Wind Instrument Club, but also solve mysteries that have shaken up the campus.

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Ketsuekigata-kun! Season 4 (short-form anime)

Studio: Assez Finaund Fabric, Feel, Zexcs

Genre: Comedy, Gag

Premiere Date: January 11

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: This is the fourth season of a short-form anime starring faceless people that each represent the stereotypical personality traits for each blood type.

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KonoSuba: God’s blessing on this wonderful world!! (aka Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!)

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

Premiere Date: January 13

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, AnimeLab (AUS/NZ)

What It’s About in One Sentence: A gamer gets in a traffic accident, but after he comes to, he ends up in an RPG-style fantasy world.

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Koyomimonogatari (short-form anime)

Studio: Shaft

Genre: Comedy, Supernatural

Premiere Date: January 9

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: A series of short anime centring around Monogatari protagonist Koyomi, a high schooler with supernatural powers.

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Luck & Logic

Studio: Doga Kobo

Genre: Sci-Fi, Magical Girl

Premiere Date: January 9

Where to Watch: Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: To keep the peace, the government rolls out a new special police force called the Logicalists, made up of folks with the ability to enter trances with Goddesses.

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Maho Girls PreCure!

Studio: Toei Animation

Genre: Magical Girl

Premiere Date: February 7

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: This is the 13th entry in the highly influential and long-running magical girl franchise, Pretty Cure.

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Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara. (short-form anime)

Studio: Pine Jam

Genre: Comedy, Magical Girl

Premiere Date: January 12

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Yuzuka doesn’t want to be a magical girl, especially because when she transforms into her magical girl form, she ends up in a bathing suit.

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Myriad Colours Phantom World

Studio: Kyoto Animation

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Set in the near future, students at Hosea Academy fight phantoms and deal with school life.

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Norn9: Norn + Nonette

Studio: Kinema Citrus, Orange

Genre: Drama, Otome, Romance, Sci-Fi

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Anime Network, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Time travel and alternate universes factor into this anime that follows the loves and lives of 12 characters aboard a giant spherical airship called the Norn.

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Nurse Witch Komugi R

Studio: Tatsunoko Production

Genre: Comedy, Magical Girl, Parody

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Middle school student Komugi develops the ability to morph into Nurse Witch Komugi and battle evil.

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Ojisan and Marshmallow (short-form anime)

Studio: Creators in Pack

Genre: Comedy

Premiere Date: January 6

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: An office romance between a woman and a man who adores marshmallows.

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Oya-san wa Shishunki! (short-form anime)

Studio: Seven Arcs Pictures

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A guy moves into a new apartment and discovers that his landlord is a schoolgirl.

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Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn

Studio: AXsiZ, Studio Gokumi

Genre: Sci-Fi

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: From a manga conceived by Ghost in the Shell creator Masamune Shirow, this follows two cybernetic girls that fight an evil terrorist that has threatened their home.

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Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation

Studio: Telecom Animation Film

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Here’s another opportunity for you to wonder why Sega hasn’t yet localised the Phantasy Star Online 2 game.

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Please Tell Me! Galko Chan (short-form anime)

Studio: Feel

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: These three friends — an otaku, a gyaru and a prim young lady — might all seem very different, but they do share something in common: their friendship.

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Prince of Stride: Alternative

Studio: Madhouse

Genre: Sports, Otome

Premiere Date: January 5

Where to Watch: Daisuki, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: An anime about competitive urban relay races and handsome dudes.

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Rainbow Days (Niji-iro Days) (short-form anime)

Studio: Production Reed

Genre: Romance, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast available in Australia

What It’s About in One Sentence: After getting dumped, a male student named Natsuki crosses path with a girl named Anna and, with the help of his friends, sets out to win her over.

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Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Fantasy, Gag

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: Based on an Chinese internet novel, Reikenzan features a protagonist with a one-in-a-1000-year soul who decides to enter a clan of sages.

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Rilu Rilu Fairilu ~ Yousei no Door ~

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Fantasy

Premiere Date: February 6

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: Young Nozomi believes that fairies are real, and one day, she finds out that they are.

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Schwarzes Marken

Studio: Ixtl, LidenFilms

Genre: Mecha, Military, Romance

Premiere Date: January 10

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Set in a mecha-filled early 1980s, this is a Muv-Luv Alternative spin-off anime.

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Sekko Boys (short-form anime)

Studio: LidenFilms

Genre: Comedy, Gag, Parody

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Forget boy bands, this anime follows a stone statue idol group.

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Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Drama, Historical

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: An ex-con tries to make it in the world of rakugo, a traditional style of Japanese storytelling.

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Snow White with the Red Hair Season 2

Studio: Bones

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Premiere Date: January 11

Where to Watch: Anime Lab

What It’s About in One Sentence: Shirayuki, and her hair, once again return for a new season of Snow White with the Red Hair as she tries to escape the prince who wants her to become his concubine.

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Sushi Police (short-form anime)

Studio: KOO-KI

Genre: Comedy, Police,

Premiere Date: January 7

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What’s It’s About in One Sentence: The Sushi Police is doing its part to rid the world of bad sushi.

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Tabi Machi Late Show (short-form anime)

Studio: CoMix Wave Films with Ultra Super Pictures

Genre: Drama, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 8

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A series of short anime in which characters set off in turning points in their lives that deal with themes centred around saying goodbye or going on a journey.

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Teekyu Season 7 (short-form anime)

Studio: Millepensee

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life

Premiere Date: January 11

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: This is the seventh season of a short-form anime about the crazy lives of the girls in a high school tennis club.

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Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

Studio: Lerche

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Harem, Mecha

Premiere Date: January 11

Where to Watch: Anime Network, AnimeLab

What It’s About in One Sentence: A former prince whose empire was overthrown by a coup ends up in a training academy for blue blood women to learn how to pilot large mechanical weapons.

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Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories III (short-form anime)

Studio: ILCA, Anima

Genre: Supernatural

Premiere Date: January 11

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: The third season of a short-form anime that uses traditional Japanese cut-out animation to act out traditional folktales and urban legends surrounding the supernatural in Japan.