{"id":723925,"date":"2026-04-26T02:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T23:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/anibitez-spring-2026-anime-first-impressions\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T02:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T23:25:13","slug":"anibitez-spring-2026-anime-first-impressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/anibitez-spring-2026-anime-first-impressions\/","title":{"rendered":"AniBitez: Spring 2026 Anime First Impressions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Spring brings in April showers, fresh flowers, and a new wave of anime<\/a> to relish in. From twin siblings clashing across worlds in Daemons of the Shadow Realm <\/em>to the social<\/a> awkwardness of The Ramparts of Ice<\/em>, the Spring 2026 anime season brings in a variety of new shows. Writers Melvyn, Audrey, and Lyn express their thoughts on the first few episodes of what they\u2019re watching this season.<\/p>\n

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u00a9Hiromu Arakawa\/SQUARE ENIX, Project TSUGAI<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two twins, fated to rule over daemons. One of them is Yoru, who lives in a medieval village and practices hunting. His sister is the meek Asa, who lives secluded and locked up in a cage, and serves as his reason for remaining in the village. However, it turns out that this isn\u2019t actually Asa. The real Asa, eye-patched, swoon-inducing, and possessing a formidable power, has been living in the modern world and seeks to reclaim her brother.<\/p>\n

And so Asa descends on Yoru\u2019s home\/prison with a vengeance, accompanied by a retinue of troops and Gabby, who commands a set of shadowy, eye-riddled jaws that she sics on the village\u2019s adults with nonchalance and onomatopoeia. Daemons of the Shadow Realm<\/em> is a brutal show \u2014 even Yoru surprises with his bow and arrow \u2014 although it also maintains plenty of levity, like Asa casually using a messaging app<\/a> and sending stickers.<\/p>\n

Daemons of the Shadow Realm <\/em>is entertaining from the get-go, especially when it comes to its character interactions and robust production values (Episode 3 has a memorable cut of an onigiri being unwrapped<\/a>). However, since the village assault takes up the first two episodes, I only started to connect with the show\u2019s setting in the calmer third episode, where two human allies and Yoru\u2019s newly gained daemon companions, Left and Right, provide various explanations. The main narrative draw for me before then was Asa, as her clear goal of wanting to reunite with Yoru provides a nice hook, and Yume Miyamoto<\/strong>\u2019s voice work makes her shine even more. The whole cast is capable (Misaki Kuno<\/strong> as Gabby is another favorite of mine), but getting to see Asa\u2019s tough and emotionally vulnerable sides, as well as the moments where she\u2019s just a girl who adores her brother, allows Miyamoto and the character to stand out more. I can\u2019t wait to see more of her.<\/p>\n

By: Melvyn Tan<\/p>\n

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NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"NEEDY
\u00a9WSS playground \/ NEEDY GIRL PROJECT<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m not much of a game<\/a>r, so I had no idea at first that this anime was based on a video game, which makes it funny that my first thought when I saw OMGkawaiiAngel in the trailer was, \u201cIs this an alternate universe Junko Enoshima?\u201d Needy Girl Overdose<\/em>\u2019s OMGkawaiiAngel, or KAngel for short \u2014 or Ame when she\u2019s not in her streamer persona \u2014 is a different sort of beast. As the most popular streamer in a world where viewer count reaps social capital, KAngel has the public wrapped around her finger. But she\u2019s also visibly worn out from being the world\u2019s \u201cInternet Angel,\u201d and her troubling emotions continue to fester in the dark.<\/p>\n

Truly nothing could have prepared me for the hallucinogenic, kawaii-meets-vaporwave-meets-horror exhibit that is episode 1. The glitchy limb movements, the cuts between ominous screens of text and KAngel\u2019s unnerving monologues, the frenetic collage of animation styles that made me think my computer was breaking down \u2014 it scared me in a way so unique to the digital, like the sharp dread of a pop-up telling you your device has a virus. I love how KAngel takes on several visual forms in a way that mirrors her various personas, from common 2D and 3D anime styles to a pixelated icon to a real human<\/em>, shown through startling videocam footage. In contrast, her viewers are mainly depicted as a hoard of faceless jumping mannequins. The social distinction could not be clearer.<\/p>\n

Episode 2, unfortunately, was characterized less by edgy animating and more by dialogic meandering, if only because the show had to pack in some of the exposition that episode 1\u2019s creative direction withheld. This feeds my concern that it\u2019ll be difficult to keep up narrative suspense while maintaining the pilot\u2019s artistic originality. The buzz from video game fans definitely leans positive, though, with excitement about their cameo through the mentions of P-chan and about hearing key lines from Ame through her undisclosed voice actor\u2019s upbeat yet chilling delivery. From that perspective, the adaptation seems headed in the right direction.<\/p>\n

By: Audrey Im<\/p>\n

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The Ramparts of Ice<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a9\u963f\u8cc0\u6ca2\u7d05\u8336\uff0f\u96c6\u82f1\u793e\u30fbTV\u30a2\u30cb\u30e1\u300c\u6c37\u306e\u57ce\u58c1\u300d\u88fd\u4f5c\u59d4\u54e1\u4f1a<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After being ridiculed and not taken seriously by her peers in middle school, Koyuki Hikawa keeps to herself in high school, only fully opening up with her childhood friend Miki. But her school days get more eventful when she meets two fellow schoolmates: Yota, whose camaraderie melts down her walls, and Minato, whose unusually keen interest in her exacerbates her frigidity. Along with Miki, the four begin studying together after school, with varying degrees of comfort.<\/p>\n

The Ramparts of Ice<\/em> isn\u2019t a particularly original story as far as high school slice-of-life goes, but it still harnesses a unique edge with its main character. Hikawa isn\u2019t just a \u201clooks like she could kill you, is a cinnamon roll\u201d protagonist; while she is much more endearing than she outwardly shows, there\u2019s also weight behind her darker expressions after being teased relentlessly in middle school. Her frustration with her peers dismissing the teasing as flirting, without taking into account how she<\/em> feels about it, made me unexpectedly proud. That kind of veiled misogyny can be hard to recognize, and I like that she doesn\u2019t trivialize or doubt her pain, despite others\u2019 responses.<\/p>\n

The first two episodes also do a great job of capturing the laughable awkwardness of merging two friend groups. Hikawa\u2019s comically dichotomous attitudes toward Yota and Minato make every group interaction stilted, and Miki, the bridge between the other three, seems to be getting used to the new dynamic herself. Even between Yota and Minato, who at first look like best friends, there\u2019s a noticeable emotional distance. The show hints at some of this emotional disconnect being romance-related, but given Hikawa\u2019s backstory, I wonder if those \u201cvibes\u201d are red herrings for a more unique conflict.<\/p>\n

While the first two episodes strike a good balance between seriousness and comedy, I am a bit worried the two tones will become dissonant as the show continues, especially if it dives into each character\u2019s insecurities more. How long till one emotion feels out of place in the face of the other?<\/p>\n

By: Audrey Im<\/p>\n

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Akane-banashi<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a9Y\u016bki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue \/ SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Japan\u2019s traditional comedic storytelling takes the spotlight in the newest anime series<\/a>, Akane-banashi<\/em>. Directed by Ayumu Watanabe<\/strong> and animated by Zexcs<\/strong>, Akane-banashi<\/em> tells the story of a young girl named Akane, who aspires to carry on her father\u2019s rakugo performance style. After a devastating result from her father\u2019s test leads him to quit rakugo, Akane vows to prove to everyone that her father\u2019s performance style is the best.<\/p>\n

The first episode alone didn\u2019t completely catch my attention, though I was interested in rakugo already. Once I saw the second episode, however, I became fully hooked on the series. The first episode establishes the premise and Akane\u2019s backstory, introducing her as a child and how she began her rakugo journey. It gives the viewer an idea of what to expect for the series, so by the second episode, you\u2019ll appreciate knowing Akane\u2019s story and background. The rakugo itself was also interesting, and after seeing the first two episodes, it made me want to learn, watch, and experience a real rakugo performance.<\/p>\n

Aside from rakugo, Akane absolutely stood out to me. I know that she is the main focus as the main character of the series, but I love Akane\u2019s personality. I love how funny and dorky she is, and she gives off a strong female main character vibe that I rarely get to see in shonen manga. I can\u2019t wait to see more of what Akane can do in the future episodes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By: Lyn<\/p>\n

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Want more? Check out the full first impressions for these series:\u00a0Agents of the Four Seasons<\/em>, A Hundred Scenes of Awajima<\/em>, Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk<\/em>, and Witch Hat Atelier<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n