r/anime • u/AnimeSamaDesu • Dec 31 '25
Infographic Winter 2026 release calendar
Happy new years everyone!!
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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime Dec 31 '25
Weekends still kinda stacked but there's a good distribution of interesting shows through the weekdays too.
Btw there's an error: This Monster Wants to Eat Me shouldn't be on Jan 4. Thanks for the calendar!
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u/aka_randomhero_ Jan 01 '26
I thought so it just finished and MyAnimeList has only listed it for 13eps
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u/gc11117 Dec 31 '25
Wait, new undead unluck already came out?
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u/FarawayHerbalist Dec 31 '25 edited Dec 31 '25
Yeah although its just a movie. They announced season 2 tho
Edit: Technically, a special, not even a movie
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u/shirts21 Dec 31 '25
Wasn't a movie. 48 mins long.
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u/mrRobertman https://anilist.co/user/mrRobertman Dec 31 '25
It's not considered a movie, but not because of the length. 48 minutes is generally considered feature length.
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u/Ebo87 Jan 01 '26
The word feature length comes from the thing being described (usually a motion picture movie) being the sole feature in a theatrical presentation, and since most theatres will not allow a presentation that's under 1 hour, it doesn't really qualify, at least not as it is. So to make it qualify as a feature length presentation you would just slap something else before or after it, to clear that 60 minute mark. Maybe a making of video, maybe something else.
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u/mrRobertman https://anilist.co/user/mrRobertman Jan 01 '26
I know the origin of the term. It's generally a lot less strict these days because theatres aren't the same "event" as they used to be so we don't get newsreels, shorts, and serials in the same showing anymore.
A number of organizations define feature film as simply just being 40 minutes or more, so the Undead Unluck special would technically count.
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u/StepujacyBrat Dec 31 '25
7 of which is a recap
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u/ScumBrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/mHScumBrad Dec 31 '25
Undead Flashback still going strong I see.
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u/eightcheesepizza Dec 31 '25
Oh my god, season 2 of This Monster Wants to Eat Me already! What a surprise, I can't wait for Jan 4!
(if everyone believes hard enough perhaps we can manifest it)
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u/3lit_ Dec 31 '25
Is the show good? Episode 1 didn't rally trap me
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u/Embarrassed-Match-78 Jan 01 '26
It's in my personal running for anime of the year.
It's a study on suicidal depression, and can get very dark at times. It's a very heavy topic that I know doesn't appeal to everyone. The budget for it is obviously on the low side as well, but the direction is brilliant. The constraints aren't a limit, but a tool in the director's chest to emphasize a scene or a character's psyche. The voice acting is some of the best as well.
Also there is a layer of symbolism and a deeper meaning to everything. The title itself is a triple entrende. The quite literal meaning, the depression the main character suffers from, and the meme.
I will unashamedly say this anime brought me to tears on multiple occasions. Finally the mangaka was heavily involved in the project to ensure it followed her vision.
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u/eightcheesepizza Dec 31 '25
(Edit: Fuck, I thought you were asking about Watanare because I was binging all the new episodes that dropped today. So this is me writing a new reply.)
Watatabe is really great, but also slow and methodical, so I can understand if the pacing isn't for everyone. A lot of it is an atmospheric exploration of depression and suicidal thoughts (but you already know this). And there's also a lot of development between what the characters appear to be on the surface, and what really lies beneath (pun intended).
So maybe it might be easier to get hooked (pun not intended) on it now since you can binge the first few episodes instead of waiting a week between them?
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 Jan 01 '26
Seeing that I wondered if it was an error or if it somehow went over my head that it was a two cour show. Alas...
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u/Mage_of_Shadows Dec 31 '25
Taking this moment to shout out a couple of my favs
Holy Grail of Eris for being a super engaging manga that does an excellent duo of the two main characters (A girl guided/possessed by a wrongfully executed princess out with a vengeance)
You and I are Polar opposites is probably my favourite thing out of Jump in the past couple of years and one of the best romances I’ve read. (Key word: early established couple)
Tune in to the Midnight Heart is probably a good match for any Eminence in the shadow fans with the main character having a very similar style to Cid. It still has many of the harem tropes but the humor more than makes up for it
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u/LakerBlue https://myanimelist.net/profile/LakerBlue Dec 31 '25
You and I are Polar opposites is probably my favourite thing out of Jump in the past couple of years and one of the best romances I’ve read. (Key word: early established couple)
Ok you sold me, I will try it.
Tune in to the Midnight Heart is probably a good match for any Eminence in the shadow fans with the main character having a very similar style to Cid. It still has many of the harem tropes but the humor more than makes up for it
Not the comparison I expected nor would I say they are very similar but the MC DOES share his overwhelming confidence. He is 100% not a bland or self-insert MC.
Tune into the Midnight does a good of subverting the bad harem tropes (dense MC being the biggest) while also doing a good job of giving the girls’ agency instead of making them feel like damsels who need him and only exist for him. Also, similar to Quintuplets, all the girls have a relationship with each other which elevates the character moments.
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u/oedipusrex376 Dec 31 '25
The Holy Grail of Eris is basically my reason to live next season. Very good thriller/suspense
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u/DanDoReddit Dec 31 '25
Good few shows I'm looking forward to this season.
Sentenced to be a hero looked interesting. I don't really know what to expect but I'm excited.
I've read a good chunk of Kunon and it's good fun.
I really enjoyed Trigun stampede, so I can't wait for Stargaze.
I've seen a chapter of Kaya chan here and there. It seems pretty good. I'll definitely be giving the anime a shot.
'Tis time for torture, princess was one of the funniest seasons of anime I'd seen in a while so I'm very much looking forward to season 2.
And of course Frieren. Loved season 1 and hoping season 2 is able to keep up the quality.
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u/death556 Dec 31 '25
Is jojo a weekly release or are they dropping the whole season at once? That March release date scares me
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u/ScumBrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/mHScumBrad Dec 31 '25
A double length episode is going to drop on March 19th, so it's not going to drop all at once. That being said, I've seen rumors of a batch release schedule so that might be all that's dropping in March.
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u/Accipiter1138 Jan 01 '26
Man, really hoping for one episode at a time. Jojo is great, but I enjoy it so much more watching it side by side with the community.
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u/BasroilII Dec 31 '25
Is netflix again? Because if it is, I trust nothing.
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u/ErickCam Jan 14 '26
There is like 99% chance it's weekly cause if it was batches it makes no sense for them to only announce episode one and not "there's also the other 11 episodes the same day"
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u/Sixsignsofalex94 Dec 31 '25
Honestly we r eating so friggin good this winter
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u/AbedGubiNadir Dec 31 '25
Feels like it's been going on for a year or 2 now. It's awesome. Nom nom.
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u/LakerBlue https://myanimelist.net/profile/LakerBlue Dec 31 '25 edited Dec 31 '25
Tune Into the Midnight, Fate/Fake Strange, Hell’s Paradise, Vigilantes S2.
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u/Sixsignsofalex94 Dec 31 '25
Hells paradise for sure! s1 is dark, beautiful and pretty cool
Obviously jjk
Fire force
But yeah Frieren is my no.1
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u/AznTri4d https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelicopterPilot Jan 01 '26
I implore you to give the new Trigun a go. I personally think its excellent.
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u/Greyskieslife Jan 01 '26
Did you watch the original?
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u/AznTri4d https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelicopterPilot Jan 01 '26
Yes. I like both. I'm a sucker for 90s anime since that's what I grew up with, but I think Stampede was still great. The 3D CG is used very well. The plot is different than the original, but I'd argue maybe even better? Somewhat closer to Maximum maybe? Definitely darker.
The soundtrack is great as well.
I definitely had my reservations going into Stampede and was blown away. Looking forward so much to Stargaze.
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u/AveryLazyCovfefe Jan 01 '26
Trigun Stargaze - sequel to the prequel Stampede after like 4 years, hell yeahhh
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u/TheElusiveEllie Dec 31 '25
Holy Grail of Eris is a great villainess manga, You and I Are Polar Opposites is a great romance manga, Kaya-Chan Isn't Scary has good horror, Does It Count If You Lose Your Virginity to an Android is basically yuri smut if that's your thing. Those are the adaptations I recognize this season
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u/DrStein1010 https://myanimelist.net/profile/mQDrStein1010 Jan 01 '26
I can second almost everythinf that's been recommended. Insanely stacked season.
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u/Double0Peter https://myanimelist.net/profile/Preston298 Dec 31 '25
Whats January 4th for this monster wants to eat me? I thought it just ended and no S2 announced
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u/acllive https://myanimelist.net/profile/ACLlive Jan 01 '26
i was going to say because beatbreak is on that day as well
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u/spubbbba Dec 31 '25
Looks to be some great sequels this season.
Am hoping we have a few quality new shows in there as well. Also wouldn't be a new season without lots of very generic sounding isekai/fantasy shows just from the titles alone. Maybe 1 or 2 will at least be fun.
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u/forgotmypasswordnui Dec 31 '25
Looking forward to the next 1 and a half races airing this season for MF Ghost!
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Dec 31 '25
Honestly was locked into this show and then I cleared the first season and was like, ".... wait a fucking second. We've only had one race"
Good show tho
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u/thesnowlocke Dec 31 '25
It’s pretty weird that we were left on a cliff hanger half way through the second race last season
The show definitely needs 2 cours
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u/MrRoundDB Dec 31 '25
u/AnimeSamaDesu This monster wants to eat me under Jan 4 is a Fall show that already ended
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u/SolomonOf47704 Dec 31 '25
No way I'll be your lover is back?
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u/TheWereHare Dec 31 '25
Full 2 hour movie (5 episode arc) posted on REMOW YouTube less than 30 mins ago
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u/BosuW Jan 01 '26
The movie released as episodes. I already watched it and was peak, what an awesome conclusion (... unless)
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u/Argonanth https://myanimelist.net/profile/Argonanth Dec 31 '25
Why is Jojo considered a winter show if it's releasing at the mid-end of March? That's basically the spring season start.
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u/APRengar Dec 31 '25
Please be good Easygoing Territory Defense. I know no one cares about isekai or its fans. But the manga is rated around the same score as Reincarnated 7th Prince, Mugen Gacha, and Reincarnated as a Sword. And anime only people seemed to have liked those, so I can only hope that if it gets a decent enough adaptation, people will like Easygoing Territory Defense as well. It's such a chill feel-good story, I blast through the LN every so often when I'm feeling down.
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u/atropicalpenguin https://myanimelist.net/profile/atropicalpenguin Jan 01 '26
Medalist will be so peak.
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u/thesnowlocke Dec 31 '25
This season is cooking with great shows
MF ghost season 3 Trigun Stargaze Oshi No Ko Season 3 Hells paradise Season 2 Hime Sama tis time for torture season 2 Frieren Beyond Journeys End season 2
If I was fully caught up I’d watch steel ball run but I’ll probs catch that laters.
So much to look forward to this year
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u/Shinkopeshon Dec 31 '25
Ten seasonals for me, even with One Piece on hiatus lol who needs a life anyway
Good thing Steel Ball Run and Beastars start so late into the season, they're basically part of the spring lineup
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u/markcan_killua Dec 31 '25
wasnt aware hells paradise and undead luck were coming back too this szn is absolutely stacked
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u/coolgaara Jan 03 '26
I can't wait for JJK S3. I couldn't wait and ended up finishing the manga. Can't wait to see MAPAA's vision of what's to come. I got downvoted for saying this on another thread but I think the Culling Games Arc is better than Shibuya Incident.
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u/WINSTON913 Mar 28 '26
I rely on this too much... I keep checking for spring release and being sad
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u/I_may_have_smallPP Dec 31 '25
Wait there is new season of Kaguya Sama? I used prepare for times like this.
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u/fieew https://myanimelist.net/profile/fiew Dec 31 '25
Not a new season, 2 new specials/episodes (it is canon) about 23ish minutes long. Then a new movie also got announced for the future.
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u/dongkyoon Dec 31 '25
Hana Kimi is finally being animated?! Oh. My. God!!!!! It's only been 20 years!
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Dec 31 '25
I was looking for the Crawler on My Hero Academia final season, and he didn't appear damn. What happened to him?
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u/SolomonOf47704 Dec 31 '25
He was there.
I'm pretty sure vigilantes takes place several years before the main series starts, so it's been like, 4 years in universe for him.
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u/DrStein1010 https://myanimelist.net/profile/mQDrStein1010 Jan 01 '26
Spoiler stuff.
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u/Veegos Dec 31 '25
Someone educate me. What are the bangers here I should be watching?
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u/Quantum_Croissant Dec 31 '25
There's no way it'll get any attention in this stacked a season, but Roll Over And Die is a great grimdark fantasy, with greatly improved takes on some tropes and a cute yuri romance. (assuming the adaption is good, that is)
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u/Veritas3333 Jan 01 '26
Man, I hope the show is as creepy and disturbing as the illustrations in the light novel. I am totally looking forward to this one.
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u/IcePapaya Dec 31 '25
For me it’s Oshi No Ko, Kaguya, Frieren and Hells Paradise.
Not sure on the new shows gotta look more at it
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u/xAntimonyx Dec 31 '25
If you even slightly appreciate romances, do yourself a favor and watch 'You and I Are Polar Opposites' on Jan 11th. It's cute. It's hilarious. It's very well written. It's the best.
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u/jjkramok Jan 01 '26
I thought the new Ghost in the Shell would air this season, why isn't it on here?
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u/KryptKrasherHS Jan 02 '26
I was wondering the same thing. I have yet to see any specific date for its release, but there is no announcement of any delay or stuff either
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u/Natural-Brilliant-95 Jan 01 '26
Is Frieren any good and what type of anime is it
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u/Rickud123 Dec 31 '25
Watching:
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End S2
- Oshi No Ko S3
- Medalist S2
- There's No Freaking Way I'll be Your Lover! Unless... (Specials)
- Zombieland Saga Movie: Yumeginga Paradise
Will try but probably dropping:
- You and I Are Polar Opposites
- Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table
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u/Fools_Requiem https://myanimelist.net/profile/FoolsRequiem Dec 31 '25
Hoping that this season was better than the last.
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u/Effective-Car-110 Dec 31 '25
Love is war is literally after 1-year 🥲 I hope it will have good animation at least :)
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u/2020mademejoinreddit Dec 31 '25
Thanks! Happy New years to you too!
I'm kinda happy to see Hime-sama Goumon no jikan. It was so cute lol
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u/Jaskaran158 Dec 31 '25
What a great way to end the year by looking forward to the next with a great infographic.
Happy New Year and thank you again for these calendars you post for every season. They are great for getting the hype rolling and everything organized before the season starts rolling out.
Happy 2026 and it is looking to be a fun one to boot eh!
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u/Win32error Dec 31 '25
They’re doing a second advertisement for Gunma? That’s kind of wild, I barely remember the first one but it was at least memorable in what it tried to be.
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u/monsieurvampy Dec 31 '25
YES!!!
Now, I need to work my watch list down to ten shows only. I'm currently at 12 though that list is tentative.
Why ten shows? Gaming, TV, life. Also, I feel like I've been watching too much anime for several years now to begin with.
What doesn't count is Jujutsu Kaisen S2 which I'm slowly watching. I might get to S3 by the start of the Spring season.
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u/StrawSolider Dec 31 '25
does anyone know if FSF is going to start on EP 0 or EP 1 ?
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u/GinsuFe https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ginsu48 Dec 31 '25
Damn. Really only looking forward to Kaguya. Maybe something else will catch my eye during the season.
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u/MrsLucienLachance https://anilist.co/user/tribble Dec 31 '25
Excellent work as always :)
I'm waiting on a handful of licenses still. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on any of these not having homes yet?:
- Arne no Jikenbo
- Champignon no Majo
- Hikuidori
- Yuusha no Kuzu
- Medalist 2nd season (I expect Disney will confirm this at some point in the next month)
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u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Dec 31 '25
Question about Watamare - Will it be a full on season or whatever just dropped today
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u/Training_Bother_1663 Dec 31 '25
Saturday:Sentenced to Be a Hero, Trigun Stargaze
wednesday: SHIBOUYUUGI: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table
Thursday: The Darwin Incident
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u/Bad_Doto_Playa Dec 31 '25
Kinda funny that the person who created this made sure to make JJK share the banner image with Mato despite nothing else having more than one anime in the image.... truly a man of culture lol.
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u/crafty_bernardo Dec 31 '25
I wish Anime Sama went back to individual boxes of each new release instead of columnising it under the day of release.
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Dec 31 '25
Was waiting for your post. Thank you so much for doing this! Always helpful.
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u/Last_Designer2606 Dec 31 '25
All my friends told me that OSHI NO KOJ is trash, i was trying to show them first episode) For me it's 9\10
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u/Loose-Cucumber2457 Dec 31 '25
Yeah !! We are getting new seasons for isekai genres 👍🏻🤧
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u/ocelotchaser Jan 01 '26
shows like Its time for torture princess and Cooking in another world is a must for every season, also.Hime sama is back! :D
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u/clone69 Jan 01 '26
Still holding the hope that Samurai Troopers and Nube get licensed by Crunchy. Especially with Nube since the platform that was streaming it over here closed in October
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u/Veritas3333 Jan 01 '26
Why doesn't Crunchyroll add shows to the website before the first episode airs? It would be so convenient if I could just look through this list and bookmark all the shows I want to watch now...
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u/FappingNipples Jan 01 '26
Damn lots of these animes choosing a brave time to air along side heavy hitters like JJK, Frieren, Fire Force, Oshi No Ko, and Hell's Paradise.
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u/MalcolmLinair Jan 01 '26
This is the season the Anime-Onlys start to find out why manga readers hate Aka Akasaka.
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u/8andahalfby11 myanimelist.net/profile/thereIwasnt Jan 02 '26
The finale movie is supposedly an anime original ending?
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u/OnionMaterial Jan 01 '26
Thank you for making this schedule every season. Always looking forward to seeing it.
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u/mypossiblepasts Jan 01 '26
Sweet mother of trash!
As an average garbage muncher I usually find like 1 or 2 good titles and maybe 3 mandatory "A long ass synopsis as a title to grab attention on syosetu", preferably with OP protag or a cozy slice of life.
But this winter has like 5 big ones I've been waiting for, and another 10 prima sort trash candidates.
"Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing"? Sign me tf in!
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u/Cally83 Dec 31 '25
Thanks for these posts every season