Gaming Reviews, News, Tips and More.
We may earn a commission from links on this page

Your Complete Spring 2016 Anime Guide

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

You can feel it. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and spring is in the air. Oh, and there’s a new season of anime. Here’s a look at what to watch and where to watch it.

As we do year after year and season after season, here is Kotaku’s latest anime guide, the Spring 2016 edition. Have a look at the shows below, which are in alphabetical order, and suss out which ones strike your interest.

In case you missed it, here is our guide from the past winter.

Advertisement

Ace Attorney

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Genre: Legal, Mystery

Premier Date: April 2

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: The massively popular Capcom franchise makes the leap to anime, with a series based on the Phoenix Wright games.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Age 12: A Little Heart-Pounding (12-sai: Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki)

Studio: Oriental Light and Magic

Genre: Coming of Age, School, Romance, Shojo

Premier Date: April 4

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: A young girl makes the transition from child to adult.

Advertisement

Aikatsu Stars

Studio: Bandai Namco Pictures

Genre: Idol, Music, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What’s It About in One Sentence: Girls at an idol academy work to make their idol dreams reality.

Advertisement

And you thought there is never a girl online? (Netoge no Yome wa Onna no Ko Janai to Omotta?)

Studio: Project No.9

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Ecchi

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: Funimation

What’s It About in One Sentence: After being burned once by a guy online pretending to be a woman, the anime’s protagonist meets a new lady in an online game and tries to help her overcome her real world issues.

Advertisement

Anne Happy

Studio: Silver Link

Genre: School, Comedy, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: A group of unhappy students try to find happiness at school.

Advertisement

The Asterisk War (Gakusen Toshi Asterisk) Season 2

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Ecchi

Premier Date: April 2

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Daisuki, Funimation, AnimeLab (AU)

What It’s About in One Sentence: The second season of an anime set against the aftermath of a meteor storm colliding with the Earth during which new technologies emerge that give rise to superpowered humans.

Advertisement

Battle Spirits: Double Drive

Genre: Card Battle

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What’s It About in One Sentence: The eighth season of the Battle Spirits anime follows an all-new cast of characters in a world where card game duels rule.

Advertisement

Bakuon!!

Studio: TMS Entertainment

Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Motorsports, Racing

Premier Date: April 4

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: A schoolgirl develops an interest in motorcycles and joins her school’s motorcycle club.

Advertisement

Beyblade: Burst

Studio: OLM

Genre: Shonen

Premier Date: April 4

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What’s It About in One Sentence: Kids battle each other with spinning tops.


Big Order

Studio: Asread

Genre: Action, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 15

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A boy uses his superpowers to take over Japan and save his sister.

Advertisement

Bishoujo Yuugi Unit Crane Game

Studio: Kyotoma

Genre: Comedy, Idol

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: In this short form anime, three girls, working at an arcade, dream of becoming idols, but find that their destiny is to protect the Earth.

Advertisement

Bonobono

Studio: Eiken

Genre: Comedy

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: The adorable adventures of forest critters.


Bungo Stray Dogs

Studio: Bones

Genre: Mystery, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: An orphan’s life is changed forever after he stops a man from committing suicide, only to find out the man runs a supernatural detective agency, which he then joins.

Advertisement

CoCO & NiCO

Studio: Kachidoki Studio

Genre: Comedy

Premier Date: April 9

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: Two cats train daily to be princesses in this short-form anime.

Advertisement

Concrete Revolutio (Chojin Genso) The Last Song

Studio: Bones

Genre: Superhero

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Daisuki, Funimation, AnimeLab (AUS)

What’s It About in One Sentence: The second season of an anime set in a world full of superpowered people, where it is up to the Superhuman Bureau to find and protect them.

Advertisement

Duel Masters VSRF (Duel Masters Versus Revolution Final)

Studio: Studio Hibari

Genre: Shonen, Card Battle, Comedy, Action

Premier Date: April 5

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: It’s Duel Masters, but with a talking hamster.


Endride

Studio: Brain’s Base

Genre: Fantasy, Action

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Funimation, AnimeLab (AUS)

What’s It About in One Sentence: A 15-year-old boy finds a mysterious crystal at his father’s company and is transported to another world underneath the Earth’s surface.

Advertisement

Flying Witch

Studio: J.C. Staff

Genre: Slice of Life, Supernatural, Comedy, Drama

Premier Date: April 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A 15-year-old witch moves to rural Aomori Prefecture to live with relatives.

Advertisement

Future Card Buddyfight DDD

Studio: LM, Inc., Xebec

Genre: Card Battle, Shonen, Action

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: The last entry in the Buddyfight series, an anime in which kids battle with monster pals.

Advertisement

Hai-Furi

Studio: Production IMS

Genre: School, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Daisuki, Funimation

What It’s About in One Sentence: Schoolgirls dream of joining the Blue Mermaids, a task force that keeps Japan’s seas safe.

Advertisement

Hakuouki: Otogi Soushi

Studio: DLE Inc.

Genre: Otome, Reverse Harem, Historical, Fantasy, Tragedy

Premier Date: April 5

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What’s It About in One Sentence: A young woman comes to Kyoto to look for her father and befriends a group of guys who aid her search.

Advertisement

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Comedy, School, Otome, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, The Anime Network

What It’s About in One Sentence: Loved and loathed by classmates, Sakamoto is the coolest guy at school and able to get out of any jam he finds himself in.

Advertisement

Hundred

Studio: Production IMS

Genre: Sci-Fi, Battle, Mecha, Action, Harem, Ecchi, School

Premier Date: April 4

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: While a “Hundred” is a weapon that can be used to fight a menacing alien lifeform, this anime is set in a school where students train to do battle.

Advertisement

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable

Studio: David Production

Genre: Battle, Adventure, Action

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Viz Media

What It’s About in One Sentence: Josuke Higashikata and his group are tracking down Stand Users in 1999 in a town called Morioh.

Advertisement

Joker Game

Studio: Production I.G

Genre: Historical, Military, Mystery, Espionage

Premier Date: April 5

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: Set before the outbreak of World War II, Joker Game follows an agent who must navigate the tricky world of a covert Japanese agency as he tries to uncover secret documents.

Advertisement

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri)

Studio: Wit Studio

Genre: Survival Horror, Steampunk, Action, Zombie, Historical Fantasy

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Instant Video

What It’s About in One Sentence: As monster-like zombies called “kabane” encroach, a young boy has created a weapon he thinks can defeat them.

Advertisement

Kagewani: Shou

Studio: Tomovies

Genre: Horror, Suspense, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Panic starts in this short-form anime when creepy stuff starts happening on an airplane and continues throughout the rest of the episodes.

Advertisement

Kamiwaza Wanda

Studio: TMS Entertainment

Genre: Shounen, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Card Game

Premier Date: April 16

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: A boy and his robot dog try to stop foes with cards and gizmos.

Advertisement

Kiznaiver

Studio: Trigger

Genre: School, Slice of Life, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Kiznaivers are connected through the Kizuna System, which allows them to share each other’s wounds as well as the pain.

Advertisement

Kuma Miko

Studios: Kinema Citrus, EMT Squared

Genre: Comedy

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Funimation, AnimeLab (AUS)

What’s It About in One Sentence: A young Shinto shrine maiden’s best friend is a talking bear.

Advertisement

Kuromukuro

Studio: P.A. Works

Genre: Mecha, Action, Historical Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Military

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: Netflix

What’s It About in One Sentence: A samurai awakes in the modern day, when mecha duke it out with swords.

Advertisement

Macross Delta

Studio: Studio Nue, Satelight

Genre: Mecha, Sci-Fi, Space Opera, Magical Girl, Military, Romance, Idol

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What’s It About in One Sentence: A young man joins a group of skilled Valkyrie pilots who fight to save the galaxy, paired with an idol group whose way of dealing with a strange, new virus is belting out some killer pop tunes.

Advertisement

Magi: Sinbad no Bouken (The Adventure of Sinbad)

Studio: Lay-duce

Genre: Sword and Sandal, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Magic

Premier Date: April 15

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: Set in the world of Magi, this anime follows Sinbad’s origins.

Advertisement

Mayoiga (The Lost Village)

Studio: Diomedea

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 8

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: Thirty young people ready to throw away their old lives and start anew immigrate on a bus tour to a mysterious, life-changing town.

Advertisement

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096

Studio: Sunrise

Genre: Mecha, Sci-Fi, Space Opera

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Daisuki

What’s It About in One Sentence: In this recut of the Gundam Unicorn film series, a boy’s life changes from a regular kid going to school in a space colony after a chance encounter with a girl and a new Gundam.

Advertisement

My Hero Academia

Studio: Bones

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Superhero

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Funimation, AnimeLab (AUS)

What’s It About in One Sentence: In a world where superpowers are the norm, one middle schooler is bullied for not having them until one day, when the greatest hero of them all gives a superpower to the boy, who then enrolls in a superhero academy.

Advertisement

Mysterious Joker (Kaito Joker) Season 3

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation

Genre: Comedy, Mystery

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: The third season of this anime continues to follow a thief who can steal anything in the world, almost like magic.

Advertisement

Neko Neko Nihonshi

Studio: Joker Films

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Parody

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: Japanese historical figures get re-imagined as cats.

Advertisement

Onigiri

Studio: Pierrot+

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: The Anime Network

What’s It About in One Sentence: Set in ancient Japan, Onigiri, a pun on “rice ball” that means “demon decapitator,” follows the fight against the evil wrought by the malevolent Kamikui.

Advertisement

Pan de Peace!

Studio: Asahi Production

Genre: School, Slice of Life, Comedy

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Schoolgirls find happiness—and hopefully, peace—through love of bread.

Advertisement

Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Crystal

Studio: Toei Animation

Genre: Magical Girl, Super Sentai

Premier Date: April 4

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Viz Media, AnimeLab (AUS)

What’s It About in One Sentence: The third season of the latest iteration of the iconic anime, Sailor Moon, that follows the adventures of schoolgirls as they save the Earth and fight evil.

Advertisement

PriPara 3rd Season

Studio: Tatsunoko Production, DongWoo A&E

Genre: Idol, Shojo

Premier Date: April 5

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: The third season of an anime about an elementary school girl who grasps her chance to become an idol and enters a world of fashion, dance, and music.

Advertisement

Ragnastrike Angels

Studio: Satelight

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action

Premier Date: April 2

Where to Watch: No Western Simulcast Announced

What It’s About in One Sentence: Girls are turned jumbo-sized and battle it out in this short-form anime—and by “short” I mean thirty-second episodes.

Advertisement

Re: Life in a Different World from Zero (Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu)

Studio: White Fox

Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Action, Drama

Premier Date: April 3

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A high school student finds himself transported to a strange world after a late night trip to his local convenience store.

Advertisement

Rin-Ne (Kyoukai no Rinne) Second Season

Studio: Brain’s Base

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Modern Fantasy

Premier Date: April 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, The Anime Network, AnimeLab (AUS)

What It’s About in One Sentence: The second season of an anime that tells the story of a high school girl who can see spirits (though she’d rather not) and the boy in her class whose job it is to usher spirits to the other side for reincarnation.

Advertisement

Sansha Sanyou

Studio: Doga Kobo

Genre: School, Comedy, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 10

Where to Watch: Funimation, AnimeLab (AUS)

What It’s About in One Sentence: Three schoolgirls with very different personalities become unlikely friends.

Advertisement

Seisen Cerberus

Studio: Bridge

Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Adventure

Premier Date: April 4

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: A 16-year-old boy sets out to avenge his parents’ death.

Advertisement

Shonen Ashibe Go! Go! Gomachan

Studio: Bridge

Genre: Comedy

Premier Date: April 5

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: This anime follows the adventures of a little boy and his pet seal.

Advertisement

Shonen Maid

Studio: 8-Bit

Genre: Comedy, Shoujo, Maid

Premier Date: April 7

Where to Watch: Funimation, AnimeLab (AUS)

What It’s About in One Sentence: After his mother dies, a young boy is taken in by his uncle who turns him into a boy maid.

Advertisement

Sousei no Onmyouji (Twin Star Exorcists)

Studio: Studio Pierrot

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: Hailing from a family of exorcists, Rokuro would rather be anything else, but lives up to his potential after the appearance of a new rival.

Advertisement

Space Patrol Luluco

Studio: Trigger

Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Middle-school student Luluco’s normal life in the Milky Way changes with the arrival of a handsome transfer student from deep space.

Advertisement

Super Lovers

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Boys’ Love

Premier Date: April 6

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What’s It About in One Sentence: The relationship between Haru and his young adopted brother strengthens when the boy suddenly returns to Haru’s life five years later.

Advertisement

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless (Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge)

Genre: Comedy, School, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 9

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, The Anime Network, AnimeLab (AUS)

What It’s About in One Sentence: School boy Tanaka-kun doesn’t ever seem to try his hardest.

Advertisement

Terra Formars: Revenge Season 2

Studios: Liden Films, TYO Animations

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Viz Media

What It’s About in One Sentence: Humankind and the humanoid cockroaches continue to duke it out on Mars, with the explorers from Earth undergoing an experimental “bug procedure” to help them in their fight.

Advertisement

Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou

Studio: Studio Deen

Genre: Music, Comedy, Slice of Life, Coming of Age

Premier Date: April 10

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: Agetarou discovers he prefers being a D.J. to working at his family’s tonkatsu restaurant, but realizes that there’s not much difference between the two.

Advertisement

Usakame

Studio: Millepensee

Genre: Sports, Comedy, Slice of Life

Premier Date: April 11

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A short-form anime that follows the crazy lives of tennis-playing schoolgirls who are the official rivals of the tennis-playing schoolgirls in long-running short-form anime Teekyu.

Advertisement

Ushio to Tora 3rd Cour

Studio: MAPPA, Studio VOLN

Genre: Modern Fantasy, Comedy

Premier Date: April 1

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: The latest entry in the anime about a young boy who frees the monster that have been trapped in his basement for generations to fight spirits going bonkers.

Advertisement

Wagamama High Spec

Studio: AZsiZ

Genre: School, Ecchi, Romance, Harem

Premier Date: April 11

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

What It’s About in One Sentence: A schoolboy’s secret life as an erotic manga artist is discovered by a schoolgirl classmate, and he tries to keep his double life hidden at school.

Advertisement

Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.