Animehouse

Piro: My Deer Friend Nokotan

By the time this Summer 2024 anime rolls around, Asobi Asobase will be (exactly) six years old. Nichijou will be over 13. Even still, though, My Deer Friend Nokotan is hell bent on delivering that same absurd, excessive, mind melting brainrot inducing humor as those greats had- and making it popular, at that. Seriously, a one hour loop for a section of the opening has over 5 million views on YouTube currently.

There’s just no world where I exist that I wouldn’t be jumping out of my seat to see something as ridiculous and out there as this, plain and simple. Sure, my status in regards to reading the manga for Nokotan may be questionable- despite it arriving in English in 2022- but my excitement remains barely contained, having me jump around like Nokotan herself in the PV.

Folks, it’s summer, so it’s time to farm some rice! Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, based on the game of the same name, is a story about a deity who has been punished and forced to help a family survive on an island full of monsters while farming rice for food. I’m playing the game myself, and it has been a lot of fun. Its mix of side-scrolling action and the rather intricate rice farming system feels much more natural than you would expect. As a huge Story of Seasons buff (or just farming games in general), it wasn’t hard for me to fall in love with the game.

The anime is produced by P.A. Works, who are actually working on three animes this season, all of which they announced have completely concluded production. The art style is very true to the game, and it generally has a warm color scheme, so I have no real doubts about the production of the show at all. The main concern will be how the script adapts the story, as the game is quite long. So as long as the story is not rushed and they keep the unique quirks and charm of the game alive, like its intricate rice farming knowledge, I think it’ll be a fun time.

Piro: The Elusive Samurai

If I look you in the eye and say, “I don’t want to watch this anime because it has color designer Kazuko Nakashima“, I need you to know- that is not me. Seriously, their (modern) track record as a color design has been incredible, and the steps they’ve taken to evolve since Wonder Egg Priority has been incredible. Of course, I wouldn’t just watch an anime for them (….right?)

You’d be (mostly) correct. Though I’m not a massive fan of the source material, it’s hard to ignore this gathering of top-tier Cloverworks staff (and some personal favorites from the WEP team). Showing off incredible personality and creativity, The Elusive Samurai is a Summer 2024 Anime that’s seeing me do a complete 180 with my interest in the series, so obviously I’m really looking forward to experiencing it.

This anime adaptation is quite unique because unfortunately, the manga’s author, Cocoa Fujiwara, passed away early in its run, leading to the series being discontinued thereafter. The anime, based on previews so far, appears to be a complete homage and tribute to her work. The manga itself is a fun series that relies on gag humor and sometimes even fanservice humor, contrasting with its very pretty and shoujo-like visuals in a positive way.

The anime adaptation looks beautiful so far, with an atmosphere that feels even more ethereal than the manga. Haruko Iizuka‘s character designs are really pretty, as always; she has a way of bringing a unique flair to her designs that is always recognizable. Bones is my favorite studio, Haruko Iizuka is one of my favorite character designers, and since I enjoyed the manga, this adaptation is just a great mix for me. I’m curious to see if they’ll add any additional parts to the ending or keep it fairly accurate to the manga.

I can’t help it, okay? You put vampires in front of me and it’s just immediate neuron activation. Though, it certainly does help to have that signature punch (pun intended) of P.A. Works that’s been shown off for god knows how many seasonal anime in a row- alongside the other two of their works airing this season. Vampires and comedy just works, after all.

Though that’s really a fraction of the puzzle with my interest in Mayonaka Punch‘s spot in the Summer 2024 anime season. There’s really no TV anime that’s “caught up” to modern trends in a more dedicated fashion. You’ve got tons of parody series and whatnot, but Mayonaka Punch seem ready to take video production in stride with its excessive humor and nocturnal netizens. Color me impressed, for one, but also color me excited!

Have you ever seen something that you knew nothing about but just felt the need to watch? That’s Delico’s Nursery for me. Out of J.C. Staff’s extensive list of anime this year, this series has caught my eye the most. The uniquely dramatic color palette of the show is aesthetically pleasing to me, and from the trailer, it seems surprisingly well-animated. J.C. Staff is no stranger to such aesthetics; we can look back to last year’s Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, which was still a major highlight among my favorite anime… though it admittedly suffered from limited animation at times.

With Hiroshi Nishikiori on the helm, I have full trust in this project on the direction side. He has consistently been one of the strongest directors at J.C. Staff, even early in his career, as seen in his work on Alien 9, for example. He has a knack for intriguing camera angles and often employs recurring shot types as motifs throughout a show. I’m curious to see how it all comes together in this show, which already boasts a great style.

Sure, this may or may not be a discount Black Clover, but why else would series director Tatsuya Yoshihara be making an appearance for this Summer 2024 anime? And truthfully, this is the type of work where a story is preceded by its world and experience- both of which seem to be in top condition under Yoshihara, and other staff like character designer Sayaka Ono and color designer Naomi Nakano.

The most curious part of that being neither Actas nor Bandai Namco Pictures are… “outstanding” studios. Both have definitely had a lot of free time though, and it’s safe to say that Yoshihara has a world of connections at their fingertips. Because of that, Wistoria is in a far better position than it really should be. Not that I mind, though. Inject Yoshihara action into my veins for all I care.

A Makoto Katou-directed work? Sign me right up. I don’t particularly know much about the source material of Atri: My Dear Moments, but it seems to be the exact type of series that Katou would excel in. If you’ve seen any of his previous works, you know he has a very immersive and easily understandable way of displaying characters’ emotions that I’m quite fond of. His usage of lighting, space, and consistent motifs are always very clear in the meaning it’s meant to convey, but that is almost the allure of it.

The visuals he often exudes in his works are very raw and is a strong representation of the character’s emotions, often literally. He actually has a habit of using water as a theme to convey emotions, and since this entire show seems to revolve around a body of water in some way, we’ll likely see that both metaphorically and physically. I’m quite excited about this series, and expect it to be quite an emotional journey.

Having just hopped off the Onimai! train, making the transfer over to the Senpai Is An Otokonko train for a Summer 2024 anime already feels refreshing- enough so that I’m giving Project No. 9 the benefit of the doubt. Everything I’ve dug up about this series has me engaged and curious about how it might go (and without the worry that it will bastardize, fetishize, or mock any content within).

Even sporting a group of questionable (but not outright bad) staff, there’s just too much story and originality in an anime for me to ignore my curiosity and interest in the work. Project No. 9 has proven they can show up when they like a work (see: this anime), and the trailers do look more inspired, so I’m hopefully awaiting its first episode this Summer.

Lapin Track is just going to continue to be a studio to watch, huh? They came out with a banger mystery series last year in Undead Murder Farce, and here they are with another one. As soon as you hit the play button on the trailer, you’ll instantly notice just how great this looks. It has a strong cinematic feel, which Mamoru Kanbe is not exactly new to- many can point to his work on The Promised Neverland, but this series gives me vibes more similar to The Perfect Insider, which many of you might not have watched.

I’m expecting this to have a similar direction, but hopefully even better. Kanbe also has a somewhat naturalistic or voyeuristic approach to his work. It often feels like the shot you’re looking at puts you in the room with the character. I think this style will work well with a mystery show like this, and since it looks amazing so far, I’m very excited to see it- especially since it’s by Lapin Track.