By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

This upcoming season is ramping up to be one of the most stacked I’ve seen in years. Sure, the list of new and returning titles always feels long—but usually, I can narrow things down to about ten “must-watch” shows without too much trouble. This time I wasn’t even close to that.

As I started pulling titles, I saw so many major sequels of shows I love (like Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 4 and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4) with new adaptations like Witch Hat Atelier and Jishou Akuyaku Reijou na Konyakusha no Kansatsu Kiroku, that I quickly realized I was staring at nearly double or triple my usual watchlist.

Cutting this list down wasn’t easy, so I’ve added some honorable mentions at the end that I do plan to watch, but that I’m not going to write about. Instead, I’ll like their MyAnimeList page and let you check them out if interested! With that said, what you’ll find below isn’t a complete list of everything I’d like to recommend, but it is a curated selection of the titles that I feel are the most interesting or most fun to follow this season!

Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 4th Season / That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4

Rimuru’s journey has always been a favorite of mine! So much so that I’ve been waiting on the edge of my seat for the new movie, Tears of the Azure Sea, to release state-side and discussed the series more than once here at TAV. If you like action isekai that doesn’t take itself too seriously and leans into the comedy, I definitely recommend catching up on this series now to enjoy Season 4 or continuing to watch it with this new release!

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun 4th Season / Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 4

This comedic isekai has been another favorite of mine for years and I am so excited to see it develop further! If you have been follow us for a while, you might remember my theory of the demon king and Iruma’s continuous rise in the demon world ranks. This season is set to cover, mostly, the Music Festival Arc and I plan to binge this as soon as the season concludes!

Higeki no Genkyou to Naru Saikyou Gedou Last Boss Joou wa Tami no Tame ni Tsukushimasu. Season 2 / The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior Season 2

I got to preview the first few episodes of Season 1 a few years ago at AX, and I ended up gushing about this title back in 2023. Pride is such an interesting character, and I loved watching her growth in Season 1 of the show and the manga. I hope that the next season is as engaging as the first!

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 4th Season: 2-nensei-hen 1 Gakki / Classroom of the Elite IV

A few years ago, I had a student recommend this series to me and again, more recently, it was brought up by another student as a recommendation. I finally caught up on the three seasons that have been released and it was a really entertaining show! I am looking forward to what mind games come up next and, hopefully, learning a bit more about the White Room and the main character’s history.

Tongari Boushi no Atelier / Witch Hat Atelier

With the returning titles out of the way, I’m looking forward most to watching Witch Hat Atelier. This is not a series I have read myself yet, but Krow, @coffeewithkrow, loves this series and I’m looking forward to watching the adaptation with them in the coming season! It is, arguably, one of the most artistically beloved manga of recent years based on what I’ve heard in online forums, and based on what I have seen in artist alleys and on books so I’m hoping the anime is just as artistically beautiful!

Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!! / Go For It, Nakamura!

This is supposed to be heartfelt rom-com about a shy boy with a crush on his classmate. It’s a comic I read a long time ago when I was research for comics that depict the coming out process and I’m excited to see the adaptation. I’ve not caught up on the manga in a while, so this should be interesting as well!

Yomi no Tsugai / Daemons of the Shadow Realm

From the same creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, expectations are naturally high for this new series. The story revolves around twins connected to mysterious supernatural entities. It mixes a lot of things I tend to find really interesting, including folklore, action, and historical-themed dramas, with a strong focus on sibling bonds and hidden truths that we recognize as major themes from FMA. I expect this will be either a huge hit or a concerning flop based on community intrigue (fingers crossed for the former!).

Jishou Akuyaku Reijou na Konyakusha no Kansatsu Kiroku. / An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess

This series is one I read a long while ago and am very excited to see adapted into an anime. The story follows another “reincarnated as a villainess” heroine’s, only—this time—from the perspective of her very clever fiancé looking at his air-headed leading love interest. I’m sure it will be a fun watch!

MAO

This is another famous work from Rumiko Takahashi that explores some time travel with the supernatural. I’ve been told that it’s less fast-paced and more about unraveling secrets. While I’m not sure I’ll be watching it this season, I do plan to put in on my list for later!

Megami “Isekai Tensei Nani ni Naritai desu ka” Ore “Yuusha no Rokkotsu de”

This one just looks really fun. The trailer for it shows a montage of different things the main character decides to reincarnate as just so that he doesn’t have to wait. It’s very much a parody, appears pretty self-aware and leans hard into absurdity. Looking forward to this one as a nice little break week-to-week!

Honorable mentions:

• Himekishi wa Barbaroi no Yome / The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King
• Saikyou no Ousama, Nidome no Jinsei wa Nani wo Suru? Season 2 /
  The Beginning After the End Season 2
• Niwatori Fighter / Rooster Fighter
• Kuroneko to Majo no Kyoushitsu / The Classroom of a Black Cat and a Witch
• Mata Korosarete Shimatta no desu ne, Tantei-samaKilled Again, Mr. Detective.
• Meitantei Conan Movie 29: Highway no Datenshi
• Nigashita Sakana wa Ookikatta ga Tsuriageta Sakana ga Ookisugita Ken
• Koori no Jouheki / The Ramparts of Ice
• Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai: Omoi wo Hasemashita
• Marriagetoxin

That’s it for this round! More to come for the Summer 2026 season!