With summer ending and fall settling in, the Anime Corner News team (and dev) is here once again to passionately share their favorites from the Summer 2024 anime season! Please keep in mind that this list is not a ranking (of the anime or the writers) and does not represent hard facts – it is simply our own opinions written down for fun. So without any further ado, let’s see which shows the ACN team enjoyed.
Table of Contents
- Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest – Brett
- Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master – Eric
- My Deer Friend Nokotan – JP
- No Longer Allowed in Another World – Zee
- Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! – Ken
- My Deer Friend Nokotan – Tamara
- The Elusive Samurai – Carla
- Roshidere: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian – Dali
- The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to be Archenemies – Courtney
- Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! – Marko
Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest – Brett
Fairy Tail holds a special place in my heart—the equivalent of comfort food for anime with a colorful cast of characters, some old-school shonen tropes about friends and found family, and pushing past your own limits. Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest is more of that same well-refined Fairy Tail formula because it came out the gates strong with our beloved members of Fairy Tail’s guild on another grand adventure. It proves the adage of “don’t fix what ain’t broken,” and it was definitely my favorite of the Summer 2024 anime season.
Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master – Eric
Despite being one of the most overlooked anime of the past two seasons, Yatagarasu delivered great episodes on a consistent basis. The fantasy mystery anime kept me on the edge of my seat practically every week and the story developments are arguably the best of any anime from this season. I originally had no interest in Yatagarasu at the start of spring, but then I found myself excited for new episodes just to see what happened next. It’ll probably go down as one of my favorite projects from studio Pierrot. It may not get the votes, but Yatagarasu is definitely worthy of the “Anime of the Season” title.
My Deer Friend Nokotan – JP
I’m a sucker for nonsensical shows, anything random and odd instantly gets my attention. My Deer Friend Nokotan was my most awaited and most loved show of the season. The show had no rhyme or reason for anything that happened, always dumb situations and laughs. To some people, shows like that may be the height of mindless content but anything that lets me kick back, relax, and have a few laughs is always greatly appreciated in my book.
No Longer Allowed in Another World – Zee
No Longer Allowed in Another World began with what appeared to be a light-hearted, silly premise, but it quickly developed into something far more compelling. Each arc was surprisingly well-written and ended perfectly, with a mix of humor and depth. The main character’s depression, combined with his strange inspiration, added a refreshing complexity to the story, distinguishing him from the typical isekai protagonist. What appeared to be another genre entry quickly became a one-of-a-kind experience, with the show’s depth catching me off guard in the best way possible.
As the series progressed, it became my favorite anime to watch every week. The finale left me wanting more. Coming from someone who typically finds isekai shows boring due to their repetitive plots, No Longer Allowed in Another World is an exception. Its distinct storytelling style and engaging character development set it apart, and I sincerely hope that a second season will continue this unexpected gem.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! – Ken
Call it recency bias, but Makeine easily takes the cake as my favorite anime of Summer 2024. It was extremely hard for me to choose my favorite this season as I really enjoyed the fresh, grounded direction of Days With My Stepsister, while Shoshimin nailed its cinematic stills and how the mysteries of mundanity unraveled. But, Makeine just hits differently. What really sets it apart from the sea of romance shows this season is how it finally gives the spotlight to those who “lose” in love. Aside from the stellar direction and writing, the best part is how it beautifully captures love from the perspective of rejection and moving on.
My Deer Friend Nokotan – Tamara
I have a confession to make: I still haven’t finished My Deer Friend Nokotan anime but I am choosing it here because I haven’t finished anything else, and I quite enjoyed the 7-8 episodes I saw. I loved the catchy music, the non-sensical jokes, Bashame’s rice devotion, various deer moments, and everything in between. I debated between Nokotan and Tower of God: Return of the Prince, but Nokotan’s production quality won in the end.
The Elusive Samurai – Carla
I too have a confession to make: I have only watched the first few episodes of every anime I wanted to watch this season. That said, I’m still choosing The Elusive Samurai as my Summer 2024 Anime of the Season. I didn’t expect to enjoy the manga as much as I did, so I’m super duper appreciative of the anime’s creativity and its direction. It’s been incredible to watch so far, especially since the story’s tone is dark yet the colors are so bright and beautiful, and then there’s the wild wacky stuff in between that are so silly. It’s a happy feeling to see and hear it all come alive.
Roshidere: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian – Dali
The one show I looked forward to watching each week this season is Roshidere. I did not have any prior interest in this show; I went in with minimal information expecting a cutesy romcom with a bland plot that would fall off after episode 2, but was pleasantly surprised. Crisp animation, lovable characters, and a compelling story to boot — Roshidere has it all. The “speaking Russian” gimmick is only sparingly used to give the MC a window into Alya’s true feelings, but it is not really at the center of events. The story instead revolves more about Masachika and his complicated relationship with his family as he gets involved with Alya.
And while Alya is the main girl, Yuki (the MC’s little sister) steals the show with her extremely chaotic energy and her different shenanigans of messing up her brother and Alya. This brings some nostalgic vibes with the old-school waifu wars. “Yuki versus Alya” will surely go on for a long time in one of humanity’s oldest and most prominent questions: Who is “best girl?”
The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to be Archenemies – Courtney
I feel like a lot of anime with shorter episode runtimes tend to fly under the radar, and The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies is one of them. This sweet, punchy romance is full of heart. Whether because of Byakuya’s budding relationship with Miller, or Hibana’s angel trying to keep her swearing in check, this anime will absolutely bring a smile to your face. While I was watching this series, I kept catching myself giggling out loud because it’s just that cute. Although there are some more serious contenders this season, MahouAku is my pick of the season because it’s a pure recipe for romcom success.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! – Marko
While I enjoyed my usual favorite ONE PIECE along with this season’s Wistoria: Wand and Sword and OSHI NO KO Season 2 a lot, I have to give Too Many Losing Heroines! my pick for the Summer 2024 Anime of the Season. Coming into it, I expected a fun comedy parodying the romcom genre and focusing on the losing girls. What A-1 Pictures delivered was that and a lot more, with the strong production quality making every week’s episode something to look forward to.
The voice cast was exceptional, with my personal favorite performance being Chika Komari’s voice actress, Momoka Terasawa. It is clear that the staff enjoyed working on the adaptation, from counting Anna’s calories every episode to animating the horror-style scene in the anime-original finale, so it is definitely a show I would love to see return.
And that’s it for ACN’s top picks from the Summer 2024 anime season! What was your favorite? The new Fall 2024 anime season is starting so check our team’s seasonal reviews. Don’t forget to also vote for your favorites on our weekly polls!
Featured Image:
© Oshioshio, Kodansha / Hino Minami High School Deer Club
©Takibi Amamori/Shogakukan/Losing Heroine Cheering Committee
© Hiroshi Noda, Takahiro Wakamatsu, Shogakukan/ No Longer Allowed in Another World Partners
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