There are more and more anime coming back as remakes or through brand new series and they all look promising. Many will watch them for the nostalgia, while many will be new to the works. It may be quite difficult for new fans to know if they should start a series by watching the old works first or if it’s ok to just dive in. This article should help you make a decision for the most recent and upcoming series.
【Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato (Anime Movie) released ~39 years ago】
This is a sequel to anime series Space Battleship Yamato 2199 that re-imagined the classic Space Battleship Yamato. The fantastic story of the anime movie Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato (Arrivederci Yamato) is newly interpreted in this new work. The setting is different from 2199, so everybody will be able to enjoy it. It isn’t necessary to have any knowledge of the original work.
【Warau Salesman (TV Anime) aired ~25 years ago】
In this anime, Tessho Genda has taken over the role of salesman Moguro Fukuzo from Toru Ohira, who fills the gaps in humans’ souls. Every episode is made up of two parts, where the first one is a modern version of the original manga and the second one tells an original story. The new series reflects current times, where the characters use smartphones, social media, and more. New fans to the series can dive right into the 2017 anime!
【Pokémon (TV Anime, Kanto Arc) aired ~20 years ago】
The 20th Pokémon movie titled Kimi ni Kimeta! (I Choose You!) is set in a parallel world where Satoshi (Ash) and Pikachu slowly become partners through different adventures, originally the starting point of the TV series. The nostalgia hits heavily because not only the story but also the original songs are coming back. Rica Matsumoto’s theme has a new version, ‘Mezase Pokemon Master -20th Anniversary-‘! It is easy to just watch the movie without knowing much about Pokemon, but it would be a lot of fun to be able to compare the two versions, so you might want to take the time and watch the very first episode of Pokémon first if you haven’t seen it yet!
【Fireworks, Should We See It From the Side or the Bottom? (TV Anime) aired ~24 years ago】
The anime movie was written and directed by Shunji Iwai and is based on the sixteenth episode of the omnibus TV series if Moshimo. In the drama, a 6th grade elementary school student is being transferred to the first year of middle school and the ‘if-ball’ from the original setting plays a major role. In the first half of the movie, fans of the original will be happy watching the series. The second half of the movie then expands into a new interpretation of the story and makes the anime unique. For this work, the focus of both stories are different, so you should watch both in the end. However, we don’t feel that it matters which one you watch first.
【Saiyuki Reload Gunlock (TV Anime) aired ~13 years ago】
This anime celebrated the 20th anniversary of Saiyuki. The previous series interwove with the original manga. The current story also sticks to the manga on which it is based. Fans of the previous works will be happy to hear that the voice actors are back. Genjo Sanzo is voiced by Toshihiko Seki, Son Goku by Soichiro Hoshi, Sha Gojyo by Hiroaki Hirata, and Cho Hakkai by Akira Ishida. As the story is confusing, it is recommended to watch the previous series and then continue with the newest Saiyuki. Fans seem to recommend watching the previous anime series even more than reading the original manga.
【Dokidoki Densetsu Mahojin Guru Guru (TV Anime) aired ~17 years ago】
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the manga, the new 2017 anime re-tells the meeting of Nike and Kukuri in Jimina Village. Compared to the old series, this one seems more alive and develops faster. It brings in a lot of fun through the RPG-styled texts popping up throughout the series. While the first adaptation was a lot of fun as well, the second one can be watched and enjoyed very well on its own.
【Kino’s Journey -the Beautiful World- (TV Anime) aired ~14 years ago】
The cast and staff for the newest Kino’s Journey anime were chosen anew, and instead of continuing the previous series, the most popular chapters of the original light novel were chosen to make a new one. Aoi Yuki, who voices Kino in the new series, actually had her voice acting debut in the finale of the old Kino’s Journey anime as a character named Sakura. While some episodes are stories that were also animated in the old series, for example the ‘Kind Country’, many of the episodes are new stories. So it would be fun to watch the old series as well at some point to compare the stories that are the same and if you liked the new anime, you can enjoy more stories from the wonderful world of Kino through the old series.
Kino’s Journey was one of our weekly anime series reviews for the Fall 2017 season. If you would like to find out more, check out this spoiler-free review from the point-of-view of somebody new to the series:
Kino’s Journey -The Beautiful World- The Animation Series Review
【Osomatsu-kun (TV anime) aired ~27 years ago】
Fujio Akatsuka’s Matsuno sextuplets, who were fifth-grade elementary school boys in Osomatsu-kun, have grown up to be older (but not smarter) for Mr. Osomatsu (Osomatsu-san). They look the same to the naked eye but couldn’t be more different when it comes to their personalities. The popular voice cast members, such as Takahiro Sakurai who voices the eldest sextuplet Matsuno Osomatsu, has gained the series a lot of new fans. You can definitely enjoy the series without watching the old series, but if you like the characters, such as the infamous Iyami, you might want to go back and watch Osomatsu-kun as well!
【Mazinger Z (TV Anime) aired ~45 years ago】
Following the TV series, the movie is set 10 years after the final battle of the famous robot. Mazinger Z and the rest of the mecha are drawn with the latest 3D animation, nearly half a century after the TV anime. The newly recorded opening theme ‘Mazinger Z (Infinity version)’ by Ichirou Mizuki will get fans, both old and new, ready for the movie. Since the movie is set after the TV series, you can watch it without going to the TV series first, but we suggest you do watch the series to understand every last detail of it.
【Devilman (TV Anime) aired ~45 years ago】
In celebration of Go Nagai’s 50th anniversary as an artist, Devilman will come back with a new anime directed by Masaaki Yuasa (Lu Over the Wall). The script will be written by Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion) and the music will be provided by Kensuke Ushio (A Silent Voice). With staff like this, the expectations of new and old fans are high. On top of that, it has been promised to cover the original manga from beginning to end. If you haven’t watched the old version yet, you can save your time. The real deal starts here. There’s still time to watch the old series later.
You can read a very interesting interview with the director here:
‘The Night is Short, Walk on Girl’: Interview with Director Masaaki Yuasa
【Senkaiden Hoshin Engi (TV Anime) aired ~19 years ago】
When the first TV anime aired while the manga was still running, they tried to center on the main story of the manga. But this time the focus is on the Great Senkai War. The staff and cast have also been renewed, with Kensho Ono, Takahiro Sakurai, Makoto Furukawa, Yuichi Nakamura, Yoshimasa Hosoya, and more working on the series now. The thing to look forward to the most is how they will sum up the 204 chapters of the 23 manga volumes in this anime. The focus of this series seems to have shifted, so it seems there is no need to watch the original series first. However, you may as well go back and watch it if you enjoy the new version.
【Cardcaptor Sakura (TV Anime) aired ~18 years ago】
This is the anime adaptation of the new series of Cardcaptor Sakura titled ‘Clear Card Arc’, which was published in the magazine Nakayoshi as a part of the 20th anniversary of the series in 2016. Sakura Kinomoto is already in her first year in middle school and starts collecting cards again after meeting a ‘key’ in her dreams. Most of the previous cast and staff gathered again for this anime, like director Morio Asaka and Sakura Tange as the voice of Sakura Kinomoto. The opening will be performed by Maaya Sakamoto and the series composition and script will be done by Nanase Ohkawa, who is one of the members of CLAMP, the creators of the series. While CLAMP suggests that the series can be watched without knowing the previous series, we think it’s better to go back and watch the previous series first, since it will most likely make the experience of this new season more enjoyable.
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
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