This season has way more to talk about than just sequels.
Spring 2024 is an interesting season for anime. The most talked about things are the sequels, as well as a bunch of new anime like Kaiju No. 8 and Wind Breaker. That said, there are a couple of anime that went under the radar of most fans, but are absolutely worth at least trying out.
Bartender: Glass of God
MyAnimeList score: 7.51
A remake of a niche anime from the mid-00s, Bartender probably doesn’t initially make many watching lists with its unusual subject matter.
Still, the anime is great for those who love dialogue-focused psychological series, as well as those who just want to unwind after a long day. Its protagonist, Ryuu Sasakura, is able to pinpoint the customers’ worries and mix a perfect drink for them — and that’s way more entertaining than it initially sounds.
Mission: Yozakura Family
MyAnimeList score: 7.30
With Mission: Yozakura Family (Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen) adapting one of the most popular shounen manga of the past few years, you’d imagine more people would be talking about it. Despite a common theme, it’s not that similar to Spy x Family, focusing more on the slow development of the relationship between the two mains.
Why is it so unpopular, then? Well, because it’s licensed by Hulu and Disney+ in the West, which are not platforms famous for their selection of anime. Due to how slowly Disney+ releases the episodes, too, it’s also called “Disney jail” by many.
Oblivion Battery
MyAnimeList score: 7.01
Oblivion Battery (Boukyaku Battery) might look like a generic baseball anime at first, but it’s not like that. It’s a story of people rediscovering their passion for the sport itself, and the protagonist’s amnesia actually plays into it very well — a rare good example where that plot actually works.
Besides, you don’t really need to know the rules of the game to enjoy this one: the anime gives some explanations.
Sand Land: The Series
MyAnimeList score: 7.65
An adaptation of the late Akira Toriyama’s manga, Sand Land actually expands upon the initial story, which was pretty short. The content in it is canon, too, as Toriyama was responsible for the scenario of the anime.
Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see it, and now, most people are unaware it even exists — even the most hardcore fans of Toriyama’s other works like Dragon Ball. The reason for that is the same as the one why no one is talking about Yozakura Family: Sand Land is in Disney jail, and they never bothered to promote it.
Girls Band Cry
MyAnimeList score: 7.95
This one isn’t even licensed in the US, which many viewers (who watch fansubs) consider a major loss. The anime is a very tense drama featuring a group of girls who play in a band — yes, that premise is quite common recently, but Girls Band Cry manages to give it a new spin.
It also features surprisingly decent CGI, which is somewhat unexpected for an anime-original series.