Anime is on the rise in 2024

Suffice it to say that 2024 has been a great year for animation, as next year we look forward to achieving the impossible by raising the bar to very new heights. As in any year, there are peaks and valleys and a healthy supply of stunning scenery to be enjoyed in between. With that frame of mind, here’s a progress report on highlights, highlights, and trends from anime shows and movies in 2024.

Highlight

Undoubtedly, the animation projects that seemed to spark the year (Affectionate) were the herculean efforts he put forth mysterious, Dan da danand Look back. The last season of mysteriousAnd Emmy Award-winning Riot Games and Fortiche league of legends The series highlighted Netflix’s exclusive anime output and proved once again that video game adaptations are far from being a creative project dead on arrival. Despite the chaos around her mysteriousbudget Being greatly exaggeratedthe fruits of the animators’ labor will spit in the face of any senior executive touting AI as the future of animation.

Likewise, the meteoric rise of Saru’s science Dan da dan It was pretty hard to deny that Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu simulcast anime throughout the fall season — a rare phenomenon that has only happened a handful of times before with anime like Chainsaw man and Zoom 100: The Dead’s Bucket List. Despite the orange streamer Reservations about promoting the showco-broadcasting the anime proved to be a big step, considering Dan da dan It was always the definite anime to watch this fall, adapting creator Yukinobu Tatsu’s ongoing manga with unprecedented levels of artistry.

Whether you’re a creator or not, the standout anime movie is produced by Studio Durian Chainsaw man One shot of creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, Look back, It served as a much-needed reminder of why art and the pursuit of it are as painful as they are inspiring. Furthermore, the film was in high demand, due to fears that it would never reach North American cinema, leading to its release On overperformanceit happens Extended versionand broadcasting Prime Video in quick succession. If that’s not proof of the power of animation in 2024, we don’t know what is.

Consistent sausage

Like the last stop in a relay race, continuous animation has been holding down the fort for anime fans all over the world. The key among them is a series such as one piece, Bleach: The Thousand Year Warand the latest series in The late Akira ToriyamaLong-running shounen anime series, Dragon Ball Dima.

While the above-mentioned shounen shows have a place in the anime community, new age anime are just like them Oshi no ko and Frerin: After the end of the journey It has become a staple in the zeitgeist as an exciting new direction for the genre. Their explorations of the dark side of the entertainment industry and how life goes on after a sprawling adventure are so fascinating that they continue into the year 2024; We will look for them to continue raising the bar in the years to come.

Likewise, directing in the West with Disney and Pixar films such as Moana 2 and Inside out 2 He has proven that even parts that may seem routine at first glance can still wow audiences. DreamWorks also came to play big with a surprise: an emotional rollercoaster, Wild robot.

The lights

Despite the hype, 2024 also had its fair share of stinkers. The most important of which was Adult Swim’s adaptation of Junji Ito’s wonderful works. Uzumakiand the ultra-competitive second season Blue lock Anime. While 2024 had its fair share of forgotten projects, it was its own Petard raised the noise For these titles above, to borrow a phrase from Belle Shakespeare.

While it’s easy for fans to blame shows for poor quality, it’s important to acknowledge that the real reason behind the shortcomings of highly anticipated shows is… Unrealistic timelines imposed on animators by higher-ups. These circumstances force animators to do this He completed the show under tremendous pressureWhich led to disappointing results for the fans Crisis for workers. We hope to see you next year More animators are receiving the respect they deserve And less Space monopolies without a ceiling.

It would also be remiss not to mention Huge anime leaks this fall Another bright light of the year. Fortunately, the online community has banded together to help stop the spread of the highly anticipated trailer, in an effort to prevent spoiling the fun for fellow fans and animators who have poured all their talent into their official release.

Big year for fantasy

In a refreshing change of pace, this year saw animation return to form, and put down Astral fantasy anime This isn’t the isekai and reborn derivative series that have over-saturated the space over the past decade. Madhouse studio pioneered the renaissance of fantasy anime Frerin And the trigger Delicious in the dungeon. Return of fantasy series like Mushoku Tensei: The reincarnation of the unemployed, Re: zeroand KonoSuba He closed out the year by reminding fans of the high quality the best of the genre still delivers.

Remakes galore

Hollywood isn’t the only industry that has discovered the novelty of making something that was old new again for a new generation of fans. Globally, anime has been riding this wave for some time. However, no collection of remakes has come close to the level of acclaim achieved by mangaka Rumiko Takahashi’s works. Urusei Yatsuura and Ranma 1/2 He owns. Aside from the long-held belief that female mangaka have the sauce, these new releases have showcased the diversity of anime studios such as JoJo’s Bizarre AdventureDavid Productions Jujutsu KaisenMappa when they’re not tasked with a shounen adaptation that takes itself seriously. It’s funny and cute, and I want to reproduce more of Takahashi’s work now.

The end is near

The elephant in the room 2024 was the reality of many popular shonen anime series such as My hero academy, Demon Slayerand Jujutsu Kaisenthe final curtain call is about to end. while JJK will be More time on the clock Before you reach the last page of the manga It concluded in September, My hero academy and Demon SlayerCloser ends in view. In typical Utotable fashion, Demon SlayerThe finale of the film will be a cinematic trilogy My hero academyThe final season of the series is scheduled to premiere sometime next year. Not only are these shows coming to an end marked by their undeniable impact on the anime community as a new wave of shounen, but their ending also comes with excitement for what the new shows will define the next generation of anime.

Water testing

As mentioned above, this year saw a new wave of animated projects that boldly enriched the medium with unique tales that broke ground beyond the clichés and trends of previous generations. To avoid doubling the length of an already long report card, here’s a short list of other shows that we felt brought something new and worthwhile to 2024:

• Go go loser goalkeeper
• Kaiju No. 8
• The elusive samurai
• Shangri-La Frontier
• Celestial Body: On Earth’s movements
• Yakuza fiancé
• Blue box
• Single settlement
• Pharmacy diary
• My happy marriage
• Yatagarasu: The crow does not choose its master
• Gentry Zhao vs. the Underworld
• Invincible fighting girl
• Ultraman Rise
• Mars Express
• Robot dreams
• Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

If you skipped any of these, be sure to tune in over the holiday break and nod your head in approval at our artistic flair and the exciting artistry on display from the media above.

All of this means that 2024 has been an exciting year for animation, and 2025 looks to raise the stakes even higher with exciting new TV shows and movies. If we’ve been remiss in not mentioning an anime show or movie that you think deserves recognition, we encourage you to sign up — so to speak — and point your fellow anime geeks to some goodies before we’re fed more anime in 2025.

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