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2023 was a phenomenal year for anime. It saw the release of some of the best shows in years, as well as the end of juggernaut shows like "Attack on Titan." And while 2024 didn't see a constant stream of massive blockbuster anime series, the worthwhile shows we did get tended to be monumentally good, complete with something to say and a unique vision.

Big shonen like "Demon Slayer" and "My Hero Academia" got us closer to their respective ends with their penultimate seasons, while the summer gave us the season of romances. Meanwhile, "One Piece" followed up the reveal of Gear 5 with possibly its best season in 25 years, and we got not one but two Akira Toriyama shows this year in the forms of a "Sand Land" adaptation and a new "Dragon Ball" anime. There was also isekai dominating the medium somehow even more than before, with everything from "Dragon Ball...

In 2024, anime more than ever has felt like a place to escape to. The medium, ever a canvas for the fantastical and the weirds, was defined in 2024 by high-fantasy adventures like “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” or “Delicious in Dungeon,” shows that created lavish worlds of fantasy and adventure that nonetheless felt real and intimate in how vigorously they were constructed and depicted. It’s hard not to read a bit into it how, in a year where the collective international mood was one of deep fatigue, anime seemed more interested in exploring other worlds than studying our own.

Of course, there were plenty of great anime from varying shades of genres that released across 2024. There were glitzy show business psychological dramas like “Oshi No Ko,” intimate sports romances like “Blue Box,” and occult horror sci-fi action romantic comedies like “Dan Da Dan.” What set the good shows from the great shows this year,...

Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master , an ongoing TV anime based on the novels by Chisato Abe, is entering a new story arc beginning with episode 13 on July 20, 2024, and a new trailer (below) hints at events to come in the “Golden Raven Arc”. Additionally, the series has also announced a new cast member: voice actor Yume Miyamoto plays Koume (pictured above). Yoshiaki Kyogoku directs Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master at animation studio Pierrot. Yukiko Yamamuro provides the series composition, Takumo Norita provides the character designs, Eishi Segawa provides the music and Yuji Tange provides the sound direction. Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master key art Related: Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master Anime Releases Creditless Opening Theme Video Crunchyroll describes Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master : Welcome to Yamauchi, a world inhabited by the Yatagarasu, a race of...

The list is highlighted by old favorites like ‘My Hero Academia’ and new releases like ‘Twilight Out of Focus,’ but there’s a ton more to see on Crunchyroll this summer.

Is it time to dub 2024 The Summer of Streaming? Data recently published by Nielsen shows that in May 2024, streaming services accounted for a bigger percentage of total TV viewing than they had in any previous month. Streamers could see viewership reach even greater heights during the summer months, and the anime-focused service Crunchyroll is taking advantage. This week, Crunchyroll announced its summer lineup of new, returning and continuing shows, a schedule that runs more than 40 titles deep.

Key Details: New series releases start on June 26, and continue until August. Continuing shows on Crunchyroll include mega-hits like “My Hero Academia” and “One Piece.” Most new arrivals will have subtitle options only, but a few will also offer English dubs.

Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho , an upcoming TV anime based on the series of supernatural historical fantasy novels, has revealed a new key visual (below) and two new cast members. The series begins broadcasting in Japan with an hour-long special episode on Tokyo Mx, Mainichi Broadcasting System and Bs Fuji on June 27, 2024. The new cast members include: Douka no Oni (“Assimilation Demon”) voiced by Hiroshi Shirokuma (Rokon in Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master ) Douka no Oni character visual Tohmi no Kijo (“Demoness of the Distant View”) voiced by Yui Kondo (Karen Shinomiya in The Idolm@Ster Million Live! ) Tohmi no Kijo character visual The original Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho novels are written by Motoo Nakanishi, illustrated by Tamaki, and published in Japan by Futabasha. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes an English language version of the novels as well as the manga adaptation with artwork by Yu Satomi.

This month marks the 45th anniversary of when anime studio powerhouse Pierrot opened its doors. Since May 1979, Pierrot has had a long history of producing some of the most popular anime around the world, including Naruto , the classic Urusei Yatsura , Yu Yu Hakusho , Bleach and many, many more. To celebrate the occasion, the studio released an anniversary video set to sasanomaly’s “Egaite (Draw).” Related: WcDonald's Becomes Real with First Anime Short by Studio Pierrot Pierrot noted in the description of the video that they “hope to keep bringing exciting shows to generations of anime fans around the world” and asked fans to name their favorite anime produced by the company in the comments. You can catch the latest Pierrot produced series, Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master , right here on Crunchyroll, which describes the anime as such: Welcome to Yamauchi, a world inhabited by the Yatagarasu, a...