For anime fans, 2024 has started off on a high note with a slew of anime series, highly-anticipated sequels and films ranging from action to fantasy. Streaming platforms Crunchyroll, Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar have an exciting lineup for January. Here are seven to add to your watch list.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 2
When Mashle came out in 2023, it gained a huge fanbase for its satirical take on certain Shounen tropes in the same way series like One Punch Man and Gintama did. A parody of the wizarding world of Harry Potter, Mashle revolves around Mash Burnedead, a boy who lives deep in the forest with his father. While the world in the anime is one of magic, Mash does not have any magical abilities; instead, he has superhuman strength. He holds a cream puff in one hand and lifts weights with another.
Mash’s peace is disrupted when the higher authorities come to know about his powers. In a world where every magic user is identified by a distinct mark on their face, Mash is now issued with an ultimatum to compete to become a Divine Visionary by enrolling in a prestigious and elite magic institution. Season 2 of the anime will focus on the The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam arc, which will introduce more characters embarking on magical adventures with Mash who must try to surpass the others by relying only on his muscles.
Watch it on: Crunchyroll
High Card Season 2
Imagine a pickpocket’s life changing forever when he stumbles upon something that is being sought after by a secret organisation. High Card is a show where the possibilities are myriad and the odds are high. The plot revolves around Finn, a pickpocket who is hired by the secret organisation High Card after he comes across X-Playing Cards, which are powerful cards that can bestow supernatural powers on those who possess them. Finn becomes the fifth member of the group and sets out on a dangerous journey to find all the cards, battling their rival car maker Who’s Who and an infamous mafia family.
Watch it on: Crunchyroll
Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga
Rin Okumura discovers he is the son of Satan and becomes an exorcist to combat demons. After his guardian's death, Rin enrols in True Cross Academy along with his brother Yukio. In the upcoming saga, Rin and his fellow exorcists are drawn into a new conflict when mysterious events unfold in Shimane. The Illuminati, a secret organisation with evil intentions, seeks to exploit demonic forces for their own gain. As Rin and his friends dig deeper, they uncover a conspiracy that threatens both the human and demonic realms. The third season of Blue Exorcist is returning after seven years. Animated by Studio VOLN, Shimane Illuminati Saga will follow the events of the Kyoto Saga, which ended in 2017.
Watch it on: Crunchyroll
Solo Levelling
The story follows Sung Jin-Woo, the weakest supernatural E-rank Hunter, fighting monsters in a world where Gates — portals to dungeons filled with monsters — have opened. Since the Gates connect the human world with several other worlds, humans have been acquiring supernatural powers. These humans are known as ‘Hunters’ who use their newfound powers to combat the evil lurking in the Gates. Adapted from a South Korean web novel written by Chu-Gong, Solo Levelling is one of the most anticipated anime series of 2024.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Ishura
This anime is set in a world where the Demon King has died and demigods capable of replacing him have taken over. Ishura revolves around a bunch of champions, all quirky characters — a master fencer, a lancer, a powerful wizard and an assassin — who fight to acquire the title of ‘True Hero’. This show will appeal to anyone who enjoys characters fighting to become the mightiest of all.
Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar
Delicious in Dungeon
After a dungeon raid that resulted in his sister being devoured by a dragon, Laois and his team members, Marcille and Chilchuck, embark on a journey to save her from being digested. They face trouble on their way as they run out of food supplies. For survival, the group starts cooking monsters and plants they find in the dungeon after receiving guidance from Senshi, a strange dwarf who puts them on a fun culinary adventure.
Where to watch: Netflix
Maboroshi
If you are a fan of supernatural romance anime, then MAPPA Studio’s new film Maboroshi is just the right pick. It centres around 14-year-old Masamune, who lives in a town where time has frozen following a steel factory explosion. To avoid acknowledging the gravity of the situation, the town leaders make a rule that nothing must be changed. This pushes Masamune into acute depression as he tries to grapple with the harsh reality. One day when his mysterious classmate Mutsumi takes him into the steel factory, he comes across a girl who cannot speak and acts like a wolf. The film is directed by Mari Okada, the writer of the 2020 romance A Whisker Away and the 2011 anime series Anohana.
Watch it on: Netflix (from January 15)
