When the temperature outside starts getting hotter than your Cory in the House fan fiction, what do you do? Do you accept your fate that soon you’ll be a melted candle of a person? Or do you draw the blinds, turn on the air conditioning, and take refuge from the sun’s deadly UV rays by binge-watching one of the amazing new anime series debuting this summer? I really hope you chose the second option because otherwise there’s no real reason for you to watch today’s episode of The Dan Cave, in which I break down the best new summer anime of 2017.
Katsugeki Touken Ranbu
Image: Aniplex
The year is 1863 and the samurai era is coming to an end as pro-shogunate and anti-shogunate forces prepare to square off against one another. But then an army of time-traveling “historical revisionists” from the future comes back in time to alter the course of history, and the only thing standing in their way are a pair of magical swords that are transformed into legendary warriors who must stand and fight these time-hopping toolbags. A perfect choice for anyone who’s into truly bonkers alt-history stories.
Ballroom e Youkoso
Image: Production I.G.
When middle-schooler Tatara Fujita is getting his ass kicked by a gang of bullies, a mysterious stranger intervenes and saves him. This unexpected savior isn’t just a motorcycle-riding badass, he’s also a ballroom dance teacher. Long story short, this poor bedraggled teen winds up getting into the hypercompetitive world of ballroom dance in an effort to step-ball-change his image. Ballroom e Youkoso, a.k.a. Welcome to the Ballroom, seems ideal for anyone who loves shows like Yuri!!! on Ice, Hajime no Ippo, and Free.
Sakurada Reset
Image: Sentai Filmworks
If anime is to be believed, basically every small town is teeming with superpowered teenagers who find themselves with the fate of the world resting in their hands. This is especially true for high schoolers Asai Kei and Haruki Misora. In their small town of Sakurada, nearly half the population has superpowers. The other half? I dunno, I guess they just suck. Misora has the ability to reset the world back three days in time, and Kei possesses a photographic memory, which includes anything that happens in that hypothetical three-day span. Think of it like a weirdo teen-centric version of Heroes meets Edge of Tomorrow.
Centaur no Nayami
Image: Haoliners Animation League
Finally, it looks like the President of Anime has been getting my concerned letters because we’re getting a TV show about the trials and travails of being a centaur in high school. Centaur no Nayami–or Centaur’s Worries–follows a centaur girl named Himeno who goes to a high school where every student has some sort of supernatural body part. It looks like it’ll be an incredibly sweet, offbeat slice-of-lime comedy with a supernatural, monster-filled twist.
Knight’s and Magic
Image: 8-Bit
This show is exactly like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air… except if instead of taking a cab to live with a rich auntie and uncle in a tony Los Angeles enclave, a Japanese mecha otaku died in a car crash, was reborn in another world where he retained his memories and interests from his past life, and became a pilot of giant robots to kick ass, take mechanized names, and avoid upsetting his Uncle Phil. Wait, that last one is wrong, but everything else is accurate. Geez, I guess this isn’t really like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air after all.
Nana Maru San Batsu
Image: TMS Entertainment
Nana Maru San Batsu, or 7O3X Fastest Finger First (what a title), is as close as I’ll come to that in anime form. The show’s all about a freshman who joins a competitive high school quiz bowl team, and gets caught up in the high stakes world of being competitively smart. They should have called it The Fast and the Curious if you ask me, but they didn’t so that’s why it’s titled like a bad sci-fi porno.
Refined Daily Life at the Monster Apartment
Image: Shin-Ei Animation
An orphaned high schooler winds up living in a small room in a nice, old building. Except unlike most nice, old buildings, this one is inhabited by all manner of monsters, ghosts, and vengeful spirits. There’s also a nice girl down the hall named Akine, who just so happens to be an exorcist. So you know, typical living situation. Real slice of life stuff.
Vatican Miracle Examiner
Image: WOWOW
Because The Young Pope wasn’t anime enough for us, Vatican Miracle Examiner is stepping up to the plate to tell the story of an organization of miracle investigators who travel around the world to determine whether or not alleged miracles are real or not. The unit, comprised of a cryptanalysis expert and a brilliant scientist, works together together to uncover the sinister truth behind these miracles and the conspiracies hidden beneath the surface. So, basically it’s Anime-ngels and Demons.
Princess Principal
Image: Studio 3hz
Is there a Gunslinger Girl-shaped hole in your heart? If so, you need to see a cardiologist stat. Then see Princess Principal, a show that takes pace in a version of 19th century London and follows a group of five high school girls who moonlight as spies, getting up to all manner of intrigue and skullduggery. Considering it is 19th century London though, being a superspy actually sounds way safer than literally anything else kids would be doing for work back then.And that, dear reader, is a selection of the best new anime you need to watch this summer. Which is your most anticipated title? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!Want to watch The Dan Cave before anyone else? Join Alpha and get early access.Don’t miss a single episode of The Dan Cave! Subscribe to this playlist.Tired of getting kicked out of restaurants for being topless? Buy a The Dan Cave t-shirt!Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter ( @Osteoferocious).