2016 Winter Anime, Now Airing!　12 films to watch this week!

It's been about a week since the start of 2016. Finally, the first episodes of the 2016 winter anime are starting this week, and I wonder if you have already watched them?　Moreover, tomorrow is a three-day weekend, including Coming of Age Day!　It will be the perfect holiday to watch all the new anime you have recorded on your recorder. However, it is quite a difficult task to check out all the new anime that have been released this season. Therefore, we have picked up 12 new anime that we think you should watch from among those that have started (or are about to start) this week, based on our own prejudices and opinions. We hope you will find them useful.

The Phantom World
January 6 (Wed.) 24:00 - TOKYO MX, etc.

K-ON! K-ON!", "Hyouka", "Free!", etc. This is a new anime produced by "Kyoto Animation", a.k.a. "Kyo-ani", a company that specializes in school works. It is a school xenophobic fantasy depicting a battle against "Phantom," and while one might expect it to be similar to "Beyond the Boundary" among KyoAni's works, it is in fact quite comedic. Will a new KyoAni charm burst forth in this work?

Haruchika - Haruta and Chika are coming of age.
January 6 (Wed.) 25:35- TOKYO MX, etc.

The theme of this work is a high school brass band, which is reminiscent of Kyo-ani's "Hibike, Euphonium," the first season of which ended with great popularity! Euphonium" by Kyoani, but it is actually a school mystery in which the students solve crimes that occur within the school. It will be interesting to see how the elements of a brass band club and a mystery will intertwine. The series is composed by Reiko Yoshida of "K-ON! is also a point of interest.

Activ Raid - Mobile Assault Room Section 8
January 7 (Thu) 22:00 - TOKYO MX, etc.

Surprisingly, there are not many so-called "robot anime" in this winter season's anime. Among them, this work is likely to win the hearts of robot action lovers. This original work depicts the struggles of a special unit of the National Police Agency that uses the high-powered reinforced exoskeleton "Will Wear" to fight crimes. The concept itself is similar to that of "Patlabor. The general director is Goro Taniguchi of "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" fame.

Girls Go to the Wilderness
January 7 (Thu) 22:30- TOKYO MX, etc.

A media mix work that is an anime adaptation of the PC game of the same title scheduled for release in March 2016 from Minato Sotofuto. The theme is "making bishojo games. The theme is similar to that of "How to Raise a Saerenai Kanojo" and "SHIROBAKO," which was a big hit and brilliantly depicted the behind-the-scenes of anime production, so expectations are high for this work as well. The director is Takuya Sato of "STEINS;GATE" fame.

Boku dake ga inai machi
January 7 (Thu) 25:50- Fuji Television Network, etc.

A new work for Fuji Television's "Noitamina" slot. It is a suspense mystery in which the characters use a special ability called "revival" to travel back in time to the past to find out the truth behind a certain incident. The original comics have been ranked in the "This Manga is Amazing! and "Manga Grand Prize". The concept itself is reminiscent in some ways of the hit "STEINS;GATE," making this a work that science fiction fans should not miss.

But...
Thursday, January 7, 26:41- TBS, etc.

Based on a popular comic serialized in "Weekly Shōnen Sunday. As can be seen from the title, which is a pun on the words "dagashi" and "confectionery," it is a comedy about old-fashioned dagashi. Many real-life dagashi sweets appear in the series, and the unexpected ways of eating them and recipes are introduced, making it a fun and educational experience.

Oshiete! Gyaruko-chan
January 8 (Fri.) 23:00- TOKYO MX, etc.

This much-talked-about work presents an unabashed depiction of the ecology of today's gyaru (gal). Basically, it is an everyday school anime that revolves around the girl talk of three girls, Galko, Otako, and Ojousama, but it will be interesting to see how much of the original comic's slightly grim world will be reproduced in the anime.

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
January 8 (Fri.) 26:35- TBS, etc.

This is a new work for the TBS "Anime-ism" slot. This is a human drama about the world of Showa-era rakugo, which in itself is quite unusual, but the anime version is a highlight in that the stories of the characters are brought to life by the voice actors. The voice cast includes Tomokazu Seki, Akira Ishida, Koichi Yamadera, Yu Kobayashi, and many others. The OP song by Ringo Shiina and Megumi Hayashibara (who also participates as a voice actor) is also highly anticipated.

Bubuki Blanke
January 9 (Sat) 22:00- TOKYO MX, etc.

This is the 10th anniversary work of Sanzigen, a hot animation studio that has produced "Arpeggio Ars Nova" and "Arslan Senki". This battle fantasy depicts the battles of boys and girls who have acquired different powers through "Bubuki," a weapon with a will. The beautiful full CG of the acclaimed Sanzigen studio will be a must-see to see how the battles in the future world will be portrayed.

Nijiiro Days
January 10 (Sun) 22:00- TOKYO MX, etc.

The most popular anime for girls this season. The original comic is serialized in "Bessatsu Margaret". It is a coming-of-age school story depicting the daily lives and love lives of four high school boys of different types: dreamy, flirtatious, dominant, and otaku. Expect a thrilling coming-of-age story woven by these four high school boys!

Dimension W
January 10 (Sun) 22:30- TOKYO MX, etc.

This "progressive science fiction" work is an authentic hard-boiled science fiction action story set in a future world, in which the main character Mabuchi Kyoma, who is somewhat reminiscent of a samurai, plays an active role. It is a rare work among the few of this type that have been produced in recent years. The series is composed by Shotaro Suga of "Rinne no Lagrange" fame.

Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion
January 10 (Sun.) 24:30- TOKYO MX, etc.

The main character, who has lost his memory, fights his way through the fantasy world of "Grimgaru," where he suddenly wanders into an adventure story. The theme is similar to the hit "Sword Art Online," but the animation production is handled by A-1 Pictures, which also produced the same work. The beauty of the artwork of Grimgaru, which has already been shown to the public, is also impressive.

For more information on these works and other new anime, please check the "2016 Winter Anime and New Anime List" on "Anipota".