Anime Column] Anime writers' picks for the five hottest winter 2016 anime!

More than 40 new winter animated films are scheduled to kick off 2016. The lineup is so impressive that it is hard to decide which one to watch. Here is a roundup of some of the most notable new anime for winter 2016!

Overlap Bunko's otherworldly light novel "Grimgaru of Ashes and Illusion," the school mystery "Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun suru," the original anime "Activraid: Mobile Assault Room Section 8," about a police special forces unit, the popular manga "Bokudake ga Iai Machi" which has already been made into a live-action movie, and the popular manga "Bokudake ga Iai na Machi" which has sold over 4 million copies. Ajin," a sci-fi action manga that has sold more than 4 million copies. Let's enjoy a wide variety of the latest works and run through to the final episode!

Grimgal of Ashes and Illusions

Haruhiro wanders into the game-like world of Grimgal. Having lost all memory except for his name, he joins a party with others in the same situation and throws himself into a battle to survive. ...... The main characters of "otherworldly reincarnation" stories usually relieve their sorrows in the other world, but "Ashes to Grimgal of Illusion" has a severe development that does not allow for such a promise. Haruhiro, who has no special skills, is forced to go on a harsh adventure in which he struggles against even the weakest monster, the goblin. Haruhiro's catchphrase, "Living is not easy. The catchphrase, "Living is not easy," also symbolizes the constant battle with death.

Directed by Ryosuke Nakamura and designed by Mieko Hosoi, the duo's "Nerawareta Gakuen" and "Aiura" surprised anime fans with their meticulous drawings that brought the characters to life. In "Grimgal of Ashes and Illusions," we can expect to see realistic depictions that convey the horror of battle. The fact that Fukutsugu Ochiai, aka "Fukushi-kun," son of former professional baseball player Hiromitsu Ochiai, won his first regular role in the series also attracted attention.

Haruchika - Haruta and Chika are coming of age

A coming-of-age mystery in which flutist Chinatsu Homura (Chika) and horn player Shunta Kamijo (Hartha) solve mysteries inside and outside of school. The original mystery novel series "Haruchika" has been highly acclaimed by non-mystery fans for its diverse motifs that go beyond mere mystery solving. The story of a brass band with only five members who increase their number of friends and aim for the national competition, Fumonkan; the slightly mysterious love triangle involving their advisor, Mr. Kusakabe; and the great commotion caused by the students, all of whom are full of oddballs, are full of surprises that will renew your view of mysteries.

The director is Masakazu Hashimoto, who created a coming-of-age ensemble drama about a chorus club in his original anime "TARI TARI. How will director Hashimoto, who has a deep passion for music and sometimes writes his own lyrics, express a brass band? He has stated that he will also depict a performance scene from a competition that was cut from the novel, making this a music anime that should not be missed.

Active Raid -Mobile Assault Room Section 8

In the near future, crimes involving the use of "Will Wear," a reinforced exoskeleton created for reconstruction work following the quicksand phenomenon, are on the rise. The National Police Agency's Security Bureau has established the 5th Special Public Safety Division's 3rd Mobile Assault Room Section 8 as an experimental unit to combat Willow Wear crimes. The members of the "Daihachi," as they are called, are bound by legal restrictions, but as police officers, they confront violent crimes.

General director Goro Taniguchi and director Noriaki Akitani, who previously worked together on "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" and "Gun X Sword," are no strangers to mecha action. In "Planetes," he depicted the activities of the Debris Division, the space corporation's liability department, so it is worth noting the police-themed work aspect of the film, and the PV features a scene in which Will Wear holds up a police notebook like the Inro of Mito Komon. The film, including its worldview, is sure to provide a nostalgic atmosphere.

Bokutoku Dake ga Missing Town

Manga artist Satoru Fujinuma has a special ability called "revival" that allows him to replay the same time until the cause of an incident or accident is resolved. As if guided by his mysterious power, Satoru prevents everyday accidents, but an incident leads him to confront once again the serial kidnapping and murder of elementary school students, in which his classmates were killed.

Tomohiko Ito of "Sword Art Online" fame takes on the challenge of this time-reversal suspense in which the present and the past intersect. His directorial debut, "Suicide Academy" was also set in the past, in 1999, and included elements of time travel and mystery. In "Boku dake ga inai machi" (Only I'm Not There), Tao Tsuchiya and Shinnosuke Mitsushima, who are making their first attempts as anime voice actors, are chosen to play the lead roles of 10-year-old and 29-year-old Satoru, respectively.

Ajin

Ajin is a science fiction suspense film about a new species of humans who never die under any circumstances, and the Japanese government's battle to track them down. High school boy Nagai Kei comes back to life shortly after being hit by a truck and killed in an accident, and turns out to be the third case of subhuman in Japan. He goes on the run to protect himself from the government. The highlight of the film is its relentless storyline as he is targeted by bounty hunters and killed repeatedly in human experimentation. The scenes are so painful that you can't help but turn your head away as they cut off his vocal cords so he can't scream, cut off his fingers one by one, and so on.

The film employs the prescreening method, in which lines are recorded ahead of time, and the cast's facial expressions and emotional movements were used as a guide to create the video. The passionate performances of the voice actors, including Mamoru Miyano as Kei, can also be directly felt. Production was handled by Polygon Pictures, creators of "Knights of Sidonia. A theater animation trilogy is also in production, but the TV series is not a compilation, but rather the same material composed by a different director. Expectations are high for the finished product to be tuned up for television.

(Text by Katsunori Takahashi)