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# A guide to ten new anime that are worth your time
- URL: https://www.421.news/en/new-animes-to-watch/
- Published: 2026-11-12T11:01:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-12T11:23:02.000Z
- Description: Enough with the nostalgia: a guide to 10 modern anime from the Reiwa era that prove the present of animation is very much alive.
- Author: Belu Liendo
- Tags: culture, #en

With the deepest respect to our beloved sensei [Akira Toriyama](https://www.421.news/en/dragon-ball-icon-pop-en/), I want to state categorically that I hate [nostalgia](https://www.421.news/en/masters-of-the-universe-action-figures-nostalgia-en/). It's unbearable. Living with your eyes on the past is suffocating. We're not Walter Benjamin gazing at the *Angelus Novus*, we're sad dumbasses. Our inability to recognize what shines in the present is maybe one more symptom of the collective alienation we're going through, where innocent wonder gets buried under a thousand layers of resignation. This spirit spills over into a lot of areas, from politics to [art](https://www.421.news/en/mark-fisher-simon-reynolds-music-en/). And since cartoons are an art form too, here's a short guide to anime from the last few years that's worth your time. Because the present can be pretty good too.

In Japan, years are counted and divided into eras, because their calendar is tied to the reigns of their emperors, a tradition inherited from China. They use this system alongside the Gregorian calendar. So you can frame the country's historical, sociopolitical and cultural events within each era, as a set of things that share a similar spirit. Kind of like when we say: "oh, look, this is so 2018," or "this family has a real Menem-era aesthetic."

> Here's a short guide to anime from the last few years that's worth your time. Because the present can be pretty good too.

One of the main milestones of the Heisei Era (1989-2019) is the global expansion of Japanese animation. In other words, those are the decades when anime left Japan and started invading homes all over the world. The big titles come precisely from that period, but we're not talking about them now. Enough with the nostalgia, I said. We're now in year 8 of the *Reiwa Era*, which began on May 1, 2019, after Emperor Akihito abdicated and his son Naruhito took the throne. Anime from this era, while pretty prolific, has some defining traits that, speaking in very broad strokes, we can group into these three:

• Today's anime subverts classic tropes, meaning it breaks with traditional narrative formulas. Maybe not on purpose. In anime from this era we see women as active subjects rather than passive ones, the heroes are a bit more complex, and antiheroes are everywhere.

• Long-running weekly serialization (the way Dragon Ball aired in the nineties) is gone; instead, shows get adapted in seasonal blocks of around 8 to 24 episodes.Current anime has a faster narrative rhythm (this is called *pacing*) than its predecessors, but since the bar for animation keeps getting higher, that means longer stretches of dead time between seasons. This way of working has become standard across every animation studio.

• Several hugely successful current anime originated as [webcomics ](https://www.421.news/en/homestuck-webcomic/)(like the ones distributed by the Korean platform Webtoon), unlike earlier eras when almost every series started out as a print [manga](https://www.421.news/en/manga-comic-messi-pulga-argentina-en/). One example is One Punch Man.

So that's why I'm bringing you a guide to the best anime of the Reiwa Era. First disclaimer: this is *my* take, because someone's definitely going to read this and say: "ugh, I like Mushoku and I think isekai needs more blah blah blah, bitch, quit writing." Okay, dude, make your own list and leave me alone. Second disclaimer: this list only considers anime releases and serializations, not manga, purely for organizational reasons. Anyway, without further ado...

## 10 anime from this era worth watching

**1- Dungeon Meshi**: A treatise in praise of eating. Sounds super weird, I know, but hear me out: a seinen work in the dark [medieval fantasy](https://www.421.news/en/jrr-tolkien-visiting-an-old-friend/) genre whose driving plot element is none other than food. The classic party of dungeon adventurers who aren't after some great feat; they just go in to hunt monsters and make some cash, but they run into a dragon and one of their members gets eaten. The story unfolds as we're introduced to different dishes and how they're prepared, slowly revealing a plot that is anything but naive, even if it looks like a comedy. An incredible work by mangaka Ryōko Kui. The first season of the anime came out two years ago, and the second is coming in 2027\. Soon, friends.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/DUNGEON-MESHI.png)

**2- Ōsama Ranking / Ranking of Kings**: Incredible. The crown prince of a pretty messed-up nation is born weak, deaf and mute. Our prince, Bojji, has only one friend, and it's a shadow. Yes, a shadow. Through a series of events, the two of them get kicked out of the kingdom and, well, *they have to do stuff*. This anime, created by Sōsuke Tōka, has a super-cute design, but it's still a *seinen*. A story about power, the fight against [ableism ](https://www.421.news/en/neurodiversity-social-media-en/)and adventure, all handled in a very unusual way. One season has aired and we're waiting for the next ones.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/OSAMA-RANKING-1.jpg)

**3- Mob Psycho 100**: Mob Psycho is so lovely! A great work by mangaka One; we've talked about this awesome guy before here at [421](https://www.421.news/en/one-piece-chainsaw-man-the-power-of-the-scribble-in-manga/). A [shōnen ](https://www.421.news/en/anime-nekketsu-jujutsu-kaisen-en/)that flips traditional anime tropes, because instead of being a story about power scaling, it's a story about *growing up*. Shigeo Kageyama is an average middle schooler known as "Mob," a quiet kid who's pretty bad at everything except his powers: the dude is psychic. He has a mentor named Arataka Reigen, an unusual sensei who helps him grow as a person. It's one of those anime you can watch with your nephews and go: *Holy crap, that's me!* The story is finished, so you can watch the whole anime.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/MOB-PSYCHO-100.jpg)

**4- Sōsō no Frieren**: Joseph Campbell coined the concept of "the hero's journey," and we've all been repeating his formula ad infinitum. But in Frieren we get to see what happens after reaching the end of the adventure. I won't dwell too much on Frieren in particular, since there's a whole [article ](https://www.421.news/en/jujutsu-kaisen-frieren-anime-manga-en/)about our beloved elf. Just a warning: careful if you're grieving someone.

**5- Kusuriya no Hitorigoto / The Apothecary Diaries**: This one didn't start as a manga or a webcomic, but as a *light novel*, or *ranobe* (ラノベ). Set in a fictional country based on China, *Kusuriya no Hitorigoto* follows Maomao, a young woman working as an apothecary in a red-light district, until she's kidnapped and sold to the Imperial Palace as an indentured servant. She accepts her fate and plans to work there until her two years of service are up. After learning that the emperor's newborns and concubines are sick, she starts investigating the cause and, thanks to her knowledge, manages to solve the mystery of their illness. She meant to stay anonymous, but her actions catch the attention of the entire palace. Author Natsu Hyūga has triumphed as the creator of a story that's currently topping every popularity ranking.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/DIARIOS-DE-LA-BOTICARIA.png)

**6- Cyberpunk Edgerunners**: Nothing has ever left as many wounds exposed as the [cyberpunk](https://www.421.news/en/low-tech-high-life-a-response-to-cyberpunk/) universe. The first season of the Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime tells, in about 10 episodes, the story of David Martinez, a gifted teenager raised by his mother. Thanks to her enormous efforts at work, she manages to get David into Arasaka Academy, a prestigious school that guarantees a job at the most important corporation in this universe. A very important work of our time. Speculative science fiction, ruthless capitalism and [transhumanism](https://www.421.news/en/how-be-immortal/). The second season came out in October 2026: I haven't watched it yet, I'm still working up the courage. Proceed with caution, because "there are no happy endings in Night City"*.*

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/10/CYBERPUNK-EDGERUNNERS.png)

**7- Chainsaw Man**: I've lost count of how many times I've talked about Chainsaw Man, but it's never enough. Tatsuki Fujimoto, its author, is one of the best minds of his generation, maybe the most eccentric storyteller in manga and anime. The protagonist is Denji, an orphaned kid trapped in vulnerability and extreme poverty who owes the yakuza millions. His pet is a little devil named Pochita. In the first episode he goes up against the mob and dies, but Pochita offers him a deal: if he fuses with him he won't die, but in exchange he has to promise to fulfill his dreams and live a decent life. Chainsaw Man represents a major narrative renewal; it's maybe THE representative of modern shōnen. MAPPA is betting big on this story. The studio took on all the financial risk without relying on its usual production committee, because the story is a bit controversial and they wanted creative freedom. Its second season comes out in 2027, after a successful first season and a feature film. Tatsuki Fujimoto changed my life; every single one of his works is worth it: Chainsaw Man, Goodbye, Eri, Fire Punch, Look Back, his one-shots, etc., etc., etc.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/CHAINSAW-1.png)

**8- Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You / Super no Ura de Yani Sū Futari**: A ROMANCE FOR WORK-ING STIFFS. The story is about a *salaryman* who falls for the cashier at the supermarket. It's a slice of life, meaning an anime where not much happens, and these kinds of shows are pretty relaxing. Another one that started as a webcomic. I've been riding for this project for years (reading it pirated), and seeing it get a print serialization and an anime made me really happy. Is this what motherhood feels like? The author is Jinushi, a mangaka who's pretty active on social media, I don't know, a sweet weirdo.

**9- My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 / Yamada-kun to Reberu Kyū-hyaku Kyū-jū Kyū no Koi o Suru**: The Wotakoi of our era? A college girl plays an MMORPG and falls for a guy who's at a ridiculously high level in the game. That's never going to happen to you, buddy, don't get excited (kidding, maybe it will). This is another one that started out as a webcomic. The first season has aired, but there's no guarantee of a second, which tends to happen with the romance genre. It's probably purely about money: shōnen is what brings in the most profit for the big animation studios.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/MY-LOVE-STORY.jpg)

**10- My Dress-Up Darling / Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru**: This is where I need a lot of people to back me up. Nah, just kidding, I can handle it myself. I love its protagonist Marin Kitagawa and I don't much care what anyone else thinks about it. This is the classic story of the shy guy who falls for the popular girl, but with a few plot twists, because what's interesting about it is that it pulls you into the wonderful world of [*cosplay*](https://www.421.news/en/cosplay-in-argentina/). So why did I hedge so much at the start of this recommendation? Because the creator of this anime and manga, Shinichi Fukuda, gives this super sweet love story a *very slight* *ecchi* tone. *Ecchi* is a Japanese term (it comes from the letter H in hentai) used to describe content with light erotic elements, without showing explicit sex. Anyway, this is practically a tradition of the genre; if you watched Master Roshi harassing Bulma, this really shouldn't bother you, especially since the tone is completely different. Shameless.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/10/MY-DRESS-UP-DARLING.jpg)

**Honorable mentions:** Dan Da Dan, Vinland Saga, Spy x Family, Bocchi the Rock!, Sakamoto Days, Rooster Fighter, Yubisaki no Renren, Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu, Shangri-La Frontier, Lazarus. All worth watching.

## Upcoming anime

**Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta / The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All**: or, as we call it online, "the green lesbians anime." A hotly anticipated release, a gorgeous yuri that has won over thousands of fans around the world. Aya Osawa falls for the employee at the record store she frequents. But the employee is actually her classmate Mitsuki Koga.

**Fūru Naito / Fool Night**: this one is coming out or just came out (November 2026). A sci-fi, dystopian thriller seinen. A future where plants have withered and oxygen levels are dangerously low, so to fix the situation, the decision is made to turn people into plants.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/10/LESBIANAS-VERDES.jpg)

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All.

All the titles mentioned are available on streaming platforms or for free on sites like JkAnime. That's it for now. If you end up watching any anime because of these recommendations, I hope you enjoy these works as much as I did, or better yet: I hope you put together your own rankings and guides. Or, way better still: I hope we're able to create our own stories.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2b/7f/2b7f69fc-a243-4d2f-ae8e-db8312c6653a/content/images/2026/11/Rosario-posteo.jpg)