All the anime series for the 2019 winter season have been rushing in! It’s difficult to decide which shows to watch as there are so many on air each season. Prior to the actual broadcasts, I checked out the new anime at Kadokawa Anime 2019 January New Release Screening. Let me introduce you to the new shows along with my first impressions. Prior to the screening, a producer for each show talked about the works and what to look out for. The line-up for the screening was as follows:

1. Mini Toji
2. Date A Live III
3. Boogiepop and Others
4. WATATEN: an Angel Flew Down to Me!
5. The Rising of the Shield Hero
6. Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka

There was also a preview screening with the main cast for WATATEN: an Angel Flew Down to Me! on 30 December. You can read my report on that here:

Wataten Preview Screening and Cast Talk Report

You can also check what the rest of the MT writers think about these anime and more in our seasonal preview article:

Winter 2019 Anime Preview: First Episode Impressions

Now, let’s check them out!

Mini Toji

Mini Toji is a cute chibi version of the TV anime series Katana Maidens: Toji no Miko which aired in the first half of 2018. The smartphone game Toji no Miko: Kizamishi Issen no Tomoshibi launched in March 2018 while the anime was still airing. The simultaneous development in both media became a hot topic. Mini Toji is a slice-of-life spin-off which depicts the girls in a cute chibi form.

Episode 0 and 1 were screened at this event. Episode 0 gives us the basic low-down on Katana Maidens: Toji no Miko, so that even those who haven’t seen the original series can understand what is going on. The new season is based on their regular lives in Episodes 12 and 13 of the original series, so I recommend you at least watch these episodes in order to enjoy Mini Toji a little more. It’s a short anime, so why not watch it to take a break between emotionally heavy or action-packed anime?

Date A Live III

Next up is Date A Live III which is the third anime adaptation of the popular Date a Live light novels. Joining the returning characters is a popular character from the light novels. Along with the very well-known names in the cast, we can also look forward to some new voices.

‘Kiss the girls, save the world.’ The mission of the protagonist is to get to know powerful ‘Spirits’ and make them fall in love with him. He can then kiss them in order to seal their power to save the world. Naturally, there are many cute Spirits in the season. You’ll be guaranteed to find a character that is your type. Enjoy lots of moe moments with this anime.

Boogiepop and Others

A new anime adaptation has started airing to mark the 20th anniversary of the hugely popular light novel series of Boogiepop. This long-awaited series was brought to us by the same staff members behind the popular anime series One-Punch Man, resulting in visually stunning scenes we’ve never seen in 2D anime before. Pay special attention to the action scenes using wires and to the battle scenes with cloned humans. The series begins with a special double-episode, so viewers will be able to submerge themselves in the world of Boogiepop. Don’t miss this impressive anime adaptation of the legendary novel.

WATATEN: an Angel Flew Down to Me!

This anime adaptation of the four-panel comedy manga by Doga Kobo specializes in cute anime and strives relentlessly to charm viewers with its cuteness. The internet in Japan is already buzzing from the cuteness of the anime’s characters.

The story begins when a reclusive female university student is introduced to her little sister’s friend, an angelic elementary school girl. She is instantly taken to the cute elementary-schooler. The anime can be categorized as ‘Onee/Loli’, a shortened term of ‘Onee-san’ (an elder sister) and ‘Lolicon’ in the yuri genre. The show depicts the feelings prior to any romantic love, so anime fans who usually steer clear of the yuri genre can still try this subtle yuri anime.

5 of the voice actresses who portray the main characters have formed the unit ‘WATATEN☆5’ for the anime’s opening and ending themes. You can watch part of the official music video on the anime’s official website. Japanese fans can’t stop talking on social media about how cute the little girls’ soft and bouncy cheeks are. How about you join them and spend a relaxing time with the cute girls?

The Rising of the Shield Hero

This is an anime adaptation of the popular web novel series of the same title from the Japanese user-generated novel publishing website Shosetsuka ni Narou. The original The Rising of the Shield Hero web novel boasts more than 300 million page views. The web novel has also been re-edited and collated into 20 volumes so far. The anime adaptation of this highly popular series is finally airing this winter.

The protagonist, Naofumi, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe. Yet this is not a regular isekai anime like you may be expecting. Naofumi is betrayed and loses everything, including his money and status in the other world. The story depicts his struggles in this hopeless situation. Everyone is against him. However, he rises from the depths of despair and turns things around. In fact, this is the story of a man who has lost everything but rises again.

The cast members’ passionate voice acting, including Kaito Ishikawa as Naofumi, is one of the strong points of the anime. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka who portrays Ren Amaki may surprise you with his dark acting, which totally differs from his role as a particular sword-wielding protagonist from another certain isekai anime. The series will air over two cours, from January to June. The first show is an hour-long special episode for viewers to savor this anime’s flavor thoroughly.

The Rising Of The Shield Hero Episode 1 Review: The Shield Hero

Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka

A magical military action (Magical girls x Military x Action) anime showcasing fierce battles with cute magical girls. Apart from the battle scenes, it depicts their cute sides and struggles in their daily lives. Viewers will be charmed by the main characters because of their detailed, in-depth depictions. The story begins 3 years after the magical girls brought peace to the world. The seeming peace is broken and their battle continues.

I hope this gave you an idea on what Kadokawa offers us this season. There is quite an interesting mix of genres here, so just try out whatever takes your fancy!