2020 has been yet another amazing year for anime, especially when it comes to debuting series. From light-hearted, slice of life to gritty horror and action, this year has had it all in its freshman shows.
Anime has been so good this year, that one may even argue that a lot of them are the building block of the future of the genre. We’ve compiled a list of six of those series, explaining why we think that they have bright futures down below.
Tower of God
Of all of the new anime to come out in 2020, Tower of God’s concept is simultaneously the most simple but also the most brilliant: “At the top of the Tower exists everything in this world, and it can all be yours.” Right off the bat, the show puts forth a perfect formula to pace and level its plot and give its characters motivation.
Like everyone else, our main character, Bam, intends to reach the top of the Tower to fulfill his one desire. Unlike everyone else, Bam isn’t driven by greed but instead just wants his friend back.
Bam’s character is so pure and innocent that characters and viewers can’t help but love him. Combine this with his amnesia, and you also have the perfect device for explaining the world without merely info-dumping.
The craziest thing is that everything we’ve seen so far has merely been the prologue. Now that the world-building has its foundation, Tower of God can spread its wings and dive into progressing its plot and power system.
Beastars
Even though he looks like a big bad wolf, Legosi is just a drama club stagehand trying to figure out his lot in life like everyone else in Beastars. When a classmate is murdered, though, all of society is turned upside-down at the school, as carnivores and herbivores clash out of fear, leaving it up to Legoshi to figure out what is happening.
What follows is a story of intrigue and mystery, as Legosi breaks out of his shell to further the investigation. His inquiry leads to plenty of interesting interactions and dynamics, as he explores relationships with people he usually wouldn’t talk to to find out the truth.
Despite being about anthropomorphic animals, Beastars is surprisingly relatable. Its characters go through similar struggles to what many experience in the real world, as they deal with issues like class divide, crisis of identity, and social stigmas.
It’s that relatability that keeps viewers drawn into the story for the long haul. The whole murder mystery angle that it has going on is also an excellent carrot on a stick to keep people invested in the characters and outcome.
Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro’s premise sounds like a fever dream J.K. Rowling developed while writing Harry Potter. This new anime follows Kaiman, a man with a lizard head, as he looks for the Sorcerer who cursed him in order to get them to change his head changed back to normal.
To do so, he’ll need the help of the other degenerates that make up the Hole, a dank and hellish place where the lowest of society live. Together they investigate the magic-wielding Sorcerers that rule over the Sorcerer’s world, getting into all sorts of wacky hijinks, like fighting a guy that turns people into mushrooms.
In the long run, Dorohedoro’s biggest strength is that it doesn’t just focus on the good guys. Instead, En and his family get just as much spotlight, even getting whole episodes about them, allowing fans to understand the antagonist as well as they do the protagonists.
More than anything, Dorohedoro’s world is so unique and weird that you can help but want to see more of it. We can only imagine what is next when a large man-eating talking cockroach named Jonson is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to characters in this show.
JuJutsu Kaisen
Of all of the anime on this list, JuJutsu Kaisen has the perfect recipe for success. It’s hilarious, features amazing action and animation, and has a magic system with limitless potential.
On top of all of that, it’s characters are a blast. From the eccentric and creepy cursed spirits to the lovable idiotic companions, everyone in the show is well-written and features a distinct personality.
Protagonist Yūji Itadori is the main reason JuJutsu Kaisen is bound for glory, though, as he might just be the best main character introduced in years. This unnaturally fit high school student is the perfect combination of brash, charming, stupid, and caring.
Every time Itadori is on screen, you’re either laughing or anticipating what is next to come as he trains to control the high-grade curse inside him that is bound to kill him.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
If you’re trying to appeal to the anime community, there is no better way to do so than by creating a show that is all about the process of creating anime. That is exactly what you get with Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is about three high school students, Midori Asakusa, Sayaka Kanamori, and Tsubame Mizusaki, working together to make their own anime. Their talents –creating backgrounds (Asakusa), character art (Mizusaki), and simply being relatable (Kanamori)– blend amazingly, resulting in a perfect group dynamic filled to the brim with chemistry and charm.
While it may not seem like it has a lot going on, the idea of a show that explains the intricate process of creating shows is sure to hook loyal anime watchers well beyond 2020.
God of High School
While God of High School may not be the deepest anime to debut in 2020, there is no denying that it’s one of the coolest. The show is based on the South Korean manhwa of the same name, following Jin Mo-Ri, a young martial artist with unbelievable abilities.
Wanting to test his mettle, Jin enters a tournament known as “The God of High School.” It isn’t long before he realizes that he isn’t the only one around with fantastic abilities, as competitors in the tournament show off insane supernatural powers that may even rival his own.
The resulting clash of putting all of these gifted individuals in the same place is spectacular, as God of High School features arguably the best action of any anime this year. Here is to hoping it can build a future upon those badass brawls.
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