Oh baby, what a banger of a season. Even the mediocre shows were pretty good, and the best part? Only three isekai series. That is a number of same-y, light novel sale hyping, boring fantasy fulfillment shows I can get behind. It really was one of those seasons that sort of reinvigorates my deep love in anime, and I honestly needed it. So if you are looking for something to watch this long winter, here is what I’d recommend.
Best Fall 2021 Anime
Sakugan
The Labyrinth is an expansive space underground where humans live in colonies and many places remain unexplored. Due to the harsh conditions outside the colonies and the presence of large monsters, only brave individuals known as Markers explore the outside areas. Memenpu is a genius child who dreams of becoming a Marker in order to reach a place that constantly plagues her dreams. Unfortunately for her, her father Gagumber is pretty vehemently against it, at least until a giant monster attack inside the colony jump starts their adventure together.
Why It Is Worth Watching? – I like big energy mecha action series, I cannot lie. I also like anime series that focus on adventure and exploration. I guess Sakugan is for me, but not for everyone. If you aren’t put off by mecha, what has turned many away is the main character. She is a genius child who very much acts like one should expect a genius child to act – A person who thinks they know it all and rarely heeds the advice of others. She is the D&D character that puts every point into intelligence and nothing into wisdom. While that is actually pretty fun, because her father possesses the desire to not see her die horribly, she rarely gets humbled in the way degenerates want an anime loli to get humbled.
Ranking of Kings
In this world, kings are ranked based on their power, skill, and how they treat their subjects. Bojji is the first son and heir of powerful 7th ranking king Bosse. However, while he is good-natured, he is often mocked as a fool because he is deaf and cannot speak. While not physically strong either, Bojji has a strength of heart that earns the affection and loyalty of many he crosses path with, including his most recent friend, a jaded shadow creature who swears to always have his back as he tries to become the best king he can be.
Why It Is Worth Watching? – I watched the first episode and half way through wondered if this was one of those shows meant for a younger audience and not for me, bitter jaded adult-shaped person that I am. However, I glanced again at those high, high scores and continued on, determined to do my due diligence in anime I need to write recommendations for. I began to see why everyone was falling in love hard with this series. Ranking of Kings tells a simple story that never goes in the ways you are expecting it to go. It is like someone free styling an old familiar fairy tale, and at the end of each episode I ended up questing up the next simply because I really wanted to see what was going to happen. That is a very good place to be for an anime.
My Senpai is Annoying
At a trading company, junior salesperson Futaba Igarashi has flourished under the guidance of her senpai, Harumi Takeda. However, while he teases her about her short stature, Igarashi has come to admire Takeda for his reliability in the workplace as their relationship continues to develop.
Why It Is Worth Watching? – Some shows are like comforting blankets. You know what to expect, and like when you get it. Then sometimes you get what you expected, but it is delivered unexpectedly well. That was this show. It is a show about co-workers, and one being a small, prickly woman falling in love with her large, cheerful senpai. You know what to expect there – a series of skits and fun situations about them. You then get that cuteness delivered in a perfect little dopamine-punching packages.
Komi-san Can’t Communicate
It is the first day for incoming freshmen at the prestigious Itan Private High School. For Hitohito Tadano, he considers himself lucky to get in and angles to not make waves during his high school career. However, he finds himself sitting next to the beautiful, beloved, yet cold and silent Shouko Komi, immediately earning the ire of his classmates. After a series of events leads to him being left alone with her, he discovers that she is not cold, but suffers from extreme social anxiety that prevents her from speaking. After a long conversation through writing, he wants to help her reach her goal of making 100 friends.
Why It Is Worth Watching? – Yeah, yeah. Every degenerate on the internet was drooling over this before it even came out. I had no horse in this particular race, so you can trust my opinion when I say there is something to love here. Komi-san, because the titular character doesn’t talk, is visual comedy. That can be a challenge in anime sometimes, but the anime does some interesting new things to deliver and it works quite well. Komi is cute, I guess me and the Degens can agree on that, but the visuals really allow those gags to shine and I hope animators take a few things away from this show to tuck in their back pocket.
Blue Period
In his second year of high school, Yatora Yaguchi goofs off with his friends and studies hard enough to make good grades. However, neither makes him happy. Bound by normal activities, he wonders if there is something more. One day, he discovers the joy of drawing after becoming enchanted by a painting made by an art club member. Deciding he wants to do art as a living, Yatora faces a number challenges including his own hesitation on how far art can take him.
Why It Is Worth Watching? – To be perfectly candid. I do art. Not exceptionally well, professionally, or even publicly. However, perhaps that is why this anime series enthralled me so. It really shines a light on the particular struggle, and does so well with a series of characters that you can’t really hate. They do also highlight valid techniques to grow your skill as well since it follows an absolute beginner. It might be boring for those with no interest in art, however.
The Faraway Paladin
Born into a new world, Will awakens as a baby that has been taken in by three undead guardians of a long-dead city. As he is raised, he is taught magic and swordsmanship, but also learns of the world that surrounds him. A world that was once ravaged by a powerful warrior that the three undead guardians only just managed to seal away. As they are bound to that city, they can’t say for sure what became of the world or humanity after their death and undeath, but they prepare young Will for when he will eventually have to venture out into the world.
Why It Is Worth Watching? – An isekai? On this list of anime I’d personally recommend? It is a rarity, but part of what I enjoy about this series in particular is that it only mentions that it is actually an isekai a spare few times. If those times were cut out, you’d wouldn’t even know. It builds a more unique and interesting world than one is accustomed to in isekai series, shows the main character actually going through training to increase his assuredly immense skill, and, perhaps best of all, doesn’t give him a harem of drooling, big-titted idiots as a welcome gift or even at all, really. I like most fantasy shows, and this is indeed a good fantasy show.
So, what did you enjoy this fall season that you’d recommend? Let fans know in the comments section below.
