The Spring 2021 anime season has graced us with many good series, both original and adaptations. Whilst the Summer season has just started, let’s take a quick look back at the season that was and see what the top 20 anime are; will your favourites be on the list? Japanese anime site Anikore has released its rankings on their users’ top and most popular anime of Spring 2021 The site uses its own special algorithm to calculate the popularity of seasonal anime, using both review scores and the number of reviews.
So, without further ado here are Japanese anime fans’ Top 20 anime of the Spring 2021 anime season:
20. Mairimashita! Iruma-kun Season 2
MAL Synopsis:
After many trials and tribulations, Iruma Suzuki is finally happily living among demons despite having to hide his true identity as a human. Even more so, he has now found his ambition in life: keep ranking up in this world!
However, that plan is halted when Iruma’s club is temporarily dismissed, and he is forced to be part of the student council, known for its strictness toward rowdy students. Its cold-hearted president is Amelie Azazel, Iruma’s friend. Although Iruma is not used to following their rigid schedule and many rules, he still wants to prove himself and help Amelie alongside all of the other members of the council.
But trouble arises when Amelie’s personality completely changes due to strange circumstances, putting the student council’s reputation in jeopardy. Will Iruma be able to save them and avoid having the whole school turn into pure chaos?
19. Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita
MAL Synopsis:
In role-playing games, slimes are usually the easiest monster to kill, and because of that, they yield few experience points. But what would happen if you live long enough to keep defeating them for 300 years?
After many years of being a corporate slave, Azusa Aizawa abruptly passes away due to severe exhaustion. Seemingly headed for the afterlife, she meets a goddess who bestows her with immortality alongside a peaceful life in another world. There, Azusa enjoys her days tending to her farm, protecting the nearby village, and killing about 25 slimes per day—a routine that continues for at least three centuries.
However, this rather monotonous cycle begins to change when Azusa suddenly finds out that she has reached level 99—the maximum possible level—from slimes alone. Despite desperately trying to hide this fact in fear of ending her slow life, rumors of her strength spread nevertheless. Soon enough, various people throughout the continent, like the dragon Laika and the elf Halkara, start to appear at her doorstep—some seeking a battle, others asking for her assistance. Meeting friends and acquaintances who soon become family, Azusa finds she can live a life far better with others than when she was alone.
18. Bakuten!!
MAL Synopsis:
Shoutarou Futaba has always loved sports, but he never became more than a benchwarmer on his middle school baseball team. After noticing a group of gymnasts practicing in the park, he decides to watch a rhythmic gymnastics tournament on a whim. Although displaying an exhilarating performance at the competition, the Shoushukan High School’s Rhythmic Gymnastics Club places second-to-last due to penalties acquired from not fielding a full six-man roster.
The demonstration of skill captivates Shoutarou, and he decides to enroll at Shoushukan in hopes of joining the team despite having no background in the sport. The club recruits him alongside Ryouya Misato, a prodigal gymnast who was the runner-up in a junior tournament.
Now with a full six-man roster, the team sets out to compete in the upcoming Inter-High tournament. As he strives to accomplish this ambitious endeavor, Shoutarou must learn and master the basics of rhythmic gymnastics all while working in tandem with his new teammates if Shoushukan wants to stand a chance at claiming the title.
17. Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san
MAL Synopsis:
Mayumi Doujima promises her parents that she will give up on her dreams of becoming an astronaut on her 14th birthday if she cannot find a star she once saw long ago. Overhearing her troubles, the eccentric Manabu Soutouin offers to help her search for the star alongside the rest of Yubiwa Academy’s mysterious Pretty Boy Detective Club, whose rules are as follows: “Be pretty, be a boy, and be a detective!”
However, Mayumi is unique—she can see many things that ordinary people cannot. Her eyesight allows her to see the tiniest of details, from people approaching her at a distance to hidden traps that would otherwise go undetected. When the search for the lost star begins to sour, the Pretty Boy Detective Club end up entangled in something far beyond what they ever imagined.
16. Bishounen Tanteidan
MAL Synopsis:
Mayumi Doujima promises her parents that she will give up on her dreams of becoming an astronaut on her 14th birthday if she cannot find a star she once saw long ago. Overhearing her troubles, the eccentric Manabu Soutouin offers to help her search for the star alongside the rest of Yubiwa Academy’s mysterious Pretty Boy Detective Club, whose rules are as follows: “Be pretty, be a boy, and be a detective!”
However, Mayumi is unique—she can see many things that ordinary people cannot. Her eyesight allows her to see the tiniest of details, from people approaching her at a distance to hidden traps that would otherwise go undetected. When the search for the lost star begins to sour, the Pretty Boy Detective Club end up entangled in something far beyond what they ever imagined.
15. Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 3
Synopsis:
Set in an Eastern fantasy setting, Dān Fěi and her brother, guardians of a sword known as the Tiān Xíng Jiàn, are pursued by the evil Xuán Guǐ Zōng clan, who seek to obtain the sword for their master, Miè Tiān Hái. While her brother is defeated, Fěi, who possesses the sword’s crossguard, escapes and finds herself in the care of the wandering swordsman, Shāng Bù Huàn, and a mysterious man named Lǐn Xuě Yā, who become her protectors from the pursuing Xuán Guǐ Zōng clan.
14. Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou Desu
MAL Synopsis:
Since ancient times, the citizens of Salutania have lived within a shroud of miasma, a force that brings forth monsters creating havoc around the world. When the kingdom’s Order of Knights becomes incapable of containing the monsters, the Grand Magus summons a holy maiden—the legendary “Saint”—to obliterate the horrid creatures and restore peace.
One evening, as Sei Takanashi returns home from a long day at work, a magical force pulls her into a foreign world. Upon her arrival to the kingdom of Salutania, she overhears that the Grand Magus inadvertently summoned two Saints—Sei and a brown-haired girl. Needing only one holy maiden, the prince declares the other girl as the Saint, leaving Sei to her own devices.
Sei sets her sight on the Medicinal Flora Research Institute, an establishment known for its studies regarding herbs and potions. While indulging in her latest passion, Sei has a fateful encounter with the commander of the Third Order of Knights. But little does she know, her aptitude as a Saint will continue to exert its influence over her new life.
13. Mashiro no Oto
MAL Synopsis:
Setsu Sawamura runs away from his small home village following the death of his grandfather, the legendary shamisen master Matsugorou Sawamura. On his deathbed, Matsugorou told Setsu to give up the shamisen if he was only going to imitate others instead of playing in his own way. Grieving, Setsu heads for Tokyo, hoping that the big city can inspire him to discover his own unique playing style. But Tokyo defies his expectations by drowning out all other sounds with the deafening noise of its city life.
Concerned about her son, Setsu’s rich and successful mother, Umeko, waltzes back into his life and forces him to enroll in Umezono Academy. At the school, he meets Shuri Maeda, a girl who is fascinated by the Tsugaru shamisen and wishes to perform a song her grandmother once heard a long time ago. Shuri starts up a shamisen appreciation club and convinces Setsu to teach the members how to play the instrument. As he becomes more involved with the club, will Setsu be able to recover his love for the shamisen and discover the unique sound he lacks?
12. Nomad: Megalo Box 2
MAL Synopsis:
Megalo Box is an advanced form of boxing where competitors wear metal frames called Gear. When the first ever Megalonia tournament took place, “Gearless” Joe became its champion and known to all as a legendary fighter. However, soon after, he lost an exhibition match against the second champion and vanished from the public eye.
Seven years later, Joe now goes by “Nomad” and keeps a low profile, occasionally fighting in a few underground matches to get by. He is haunted by hallucinations and relies on a set of painkillers to numb his mind.
During a match, Joe wins against an opponent, Chief, who purposefully loses for some extra cash from gamblers. Subsequently, Joe discovers that Chief is from a community of immigrants called the Casa. Chief is gradually trying to make enough money to purchase the land where they live illegally. At first, Joe hesitates to get involved, but eventually decides to lend the Casa a helping hand.
11. Yuukoku no Moriarty Season 2
MAL Synopsis:
Great Britain is ablaze with news of a so-called “Lord of Crime,” a criminal mastermind responsible for the downfall of several unruly nobles. In truth, the Lord of Crime is not an individual, but rather a group consisting of William James Moriarty and his two brothers, Louis and Albert. Together, they wish to destroy everything rotten about their current world and create a new, fair society for all. To accomplish their goal, they must commit criminal acts, which the great detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner, John H. Watson, cannot abide by. A dangerous cat and mouse game begins between the Lord of Crime and Sherlock, with each trying to outwit the other. Yet Sherlock, despite his skills, has no idea that his foe is right under his nose.
Involved with both parties is a woman named Irene Adler, who is as beautiful as she is cunning. No stranger to scandal, Irene has embroiled herself in one that may be too big even for her, as the classified documents she stole could shake the very foundations of the British Empire. Can Irene be saved, or does a deadly future await her?
10. Fumetsu no Anata e
MAL Synopsis:
An Orb, known only as It, is cast to Earth to be observed from afar. Capable of changing forms from beings whose reflections It captures, It first becomes a rock and then, due to the rising temperature, moss.
It is inept of movement until one snowy day, a wolf at death’s door barely crosses by. When It takes the animal’s form, It attains awareness of its consciousness and starts to wander with an unclear destination in mind. Soon, It comes across the wolf’s master—a young boy waiting for his tribe to return from a paradise abundant with fish and fruit in the south. Although the boy is lonely, he still hopes those whom he holds dear in his memories have not forgotten him and that he will reunite with them one day.
The boy wants to explore new surroundings and decides to abandon his home with It to find the paradise using the traces his tribe left behind. However, with a heavily injured body and no sight of his elder comrades, what will become of the boy?
9. Godzilla: Singular Point
MAL Synopsis:
This series features an original story, which depicts the young geniuses Mei Kamino, a female researcher, and Yun Arikawa, a male engineer, as they take on an unprecedented threat with their companions. When danger comes up from the depths, only young geniuses Mei, Yun, and their team can face the threat in Godzilla Singular Point!
8. Shadows House
MAL Synopsis:
The Shadows, characterized by their pitch-black appearance and tendency to emit soot when agitated, are a family of nobles who reside in a colossal manor deep within the mountains far from other humans. When a Shadow child is nearly of-age, they are assigned a Living Doll who acts not only as their attendant but also as their second half—the faces they could have had if not for their complexion.
Emilico is a cheerful, newly created Doll who serves a rather soft-spoken master named Kate. Despite their difference in personalities, Emilico does what she can to carry out the needs of her master. As she learns more about her role and duty, Emilico begins to meet her fellow Dolls and their respective masters and comes to know more about the purpose of her existence.
“Do not fret over trivial matters,” says one of the rules to which all Dolls must abide. But how could the ever-curious Emilico do so in the face of the deep secrets that the Shadows House holds?
7. Fruits Basket: The Final
MAL Synopsis:
Hundreds of years ago, the Chinese Zodiac spirits and their god swore to stay together eternally. United by this promise, the possessed members of the Souma family shall always return to each other under any circumstances. Yet, when these bonds shackle them from freedom, it becomes an undesirable burden—a curse. As head of the clan, Akito is convinced that he shares a special connection with the other Soumas. While he desperately clings to this fantasy, the rest of the family remains isolated and suppressed by the fear of punishment.
Tooru Honda, who has grown attached to the Soumas, is determined to break the chains that bind them. Her companionship with the family and her friends encourages her to move forward with lifting the curse. However, due to confounding revelations, she struggles to find the tenacity to continue her endeavors. With time slowly withering away, Tooru contends with an uncertain future in hopes of reaching the tranquility that may lie beyond all this commotion.
6. 86
MAL Synopsis:
According to the Republic of San Magnolia, their ongoing war against the Giadian Empire has no casualties—however, that is mere propaganda. While the silver-haired Alba of the Republic’s eighty-five sectors live safely behind protective walls, those of different appearances are interned in a secret eighty-sixth faction. Known within the military as the Eighty-Six, they are forced to fight against the Empire’s autonomous Legion under the command of the Republican “Handlers.”
Vladilena Milizé is assigned to the Spearhead squadron to replace their previous Handler. Shunned by her peers for being a fellow Eighty-Six supporter, she continues to fight against their inhumane discrimination. Shinei Nouzen is the captain of the Spearhead squadron. Infamous for being the sole survivor of every squadron he’s been in, he insists on shouldering the names and wishes of his fallen comrades. When the fates of these young souls from two different worlds collide, will it ignite the spark that lights their path to salvation, or will they burn themselves in the flames of despair?
5. Super Cub
MAL Synopsis:
Koguma, a reserved second-year high school student, has nothing—no parents, hobbies, friends, or goals. On her way home one afternoon, she visits a vehicle shop in hopes of acquiring a motor scooter. With only enough money to make ends meet, she is disheartened by the price tags and prepares to turn back. However, as she is about to leave, the shop’s owner offers her a pre-owned Honda Super Cub for ten thousand yen. Believing that the motorcycle will help brighten her monotonous world, she accepts the deal. As Koguma journeys through her town on small adventures with her Super Cub, she begins to build irreplaceable friendships and eagerly advances toward her new life.
4. SSSS.DYNAZENON
MAL Synopsis:
One day after school, first-year high school student Yomogi Asanaka comes across a starving man under a bridge. Introducing himself as Gauma, the strange drifter informs Yomogi that he is a “kaiju user,” a person who deals with the “kaiju”—monsters who bring harm to the city and its citizens.
The following evening, Yomogi runs into Gauma and his classmate Yume Minami. Simultaneously, a kaiju appears in a populated area of the city. Due to Gauma’s lack of experience controlling the kaiju, he brings out a mysterious object from a glowing pouch, summoning a giant robot known as Dynazenon. Requiring the cooperation of four people, the mecha drags Gauma, Yomogi, Minami, and Koyomi Yamanaka—an unemployed man who was wandering on the street—into its cockpit.
Their encounter with the kaiju marks the beginning of their entanglement with kaiju eugenicists—kaiju users who manipulate kaiju with ill intent—and their efforts toward bringing out the full potential of Dynazenon.
3. Zombieland Saga: Revenge
MAL Synopsis:
Sakura Minamoto dreams of becoming an idol. Unfortunately, reality hits her like a truck, and she dies in a sudden traffic accident. Ten years later, she wakes up in Saga Prefecture, only to find herself a zombie with no memory of her past. While still coming to terms with her demise, she meets a man named Koutarou Tatsumi, who explains that he has resurrected her and six other zombie girls from different eras for the purpose of economically revitalizing Saga by means of an idol group. Assuming the role of an abrasive manager, Koutarou begins scheduling events; the girls go along with it, eventually deciding to name their idol group Franchouchou.
An absurdly comedic take on the idol genre, Zombieland Saga tells the story of Franchouchou’s heartwarming struggle to save Saga Prefecture while hiding their zombie identities and rediscovering their past lives.
2. Odd Taxi
MAL Synopsis:
Eccentric and blunt, the walrus Odokawa lives a relatively normal life. He drives a taxi for a living, and there he meets several unique individuals: the jobless Kabasawa who is dead-set on going viral, the mysterious nurse Shirakawa, the struggling comedic duo “Homo Sapiens,” and Dobu, a well-known delinquent.
But Odokawa’s simple way of life is about to be turned upside-down. The case of a missing girl the police have been tracking leads back to him, and now both the yakuza and a duo of corrupt cops are on his tail. Set in a strangely familiar city filled with unusual individuals, Odd Taxi is a bizarre story about a humble taxi driver and the mystery of a lost high schooler.
1. Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
MAL Synopsis:
When highly evolved AIs set out to eradicate mankind, the carnage that ensues fills the air with the stench of fresh blood and burning bodies. In a desperate bid to prevent the calamity from ever occurring, a scientist bets everything on a remnant from the past.
Turning the clock back a hundred years, AIs are already an integral part of human society, programmed with specific missions meant to be carried out for their entire course of operation. Vivy, the first ever autonomous AI, is a songstress tasked with spreading happiness through her voice. In a theme park where she hardly ever gets a proper audience, she strives to pour her heart out into her performances, bound to repeat it day after day—that is, until an advanced AI from the future appears before her and enlists her help in stopping a devastating war a hundred years in the making. With no time to process the revelation that flips her world upside down, Vivy is catapulted into a century-long journey to avert the violent history yet to come.