2020 is set to be another bumper year for anime, bringing with it many popular returning shows. Some of the upcoming slate of confirmed shows had their latest seasons fairly recently, while others have had new continuations years in the making.
Here's a rundown on some of the most popular series' we know will be coming back next year, as well as what they might be about, and where fans will be able to watch them at.
THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME (SEASON 2)
A quirky take on the isekai genre, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is about an average salaryman who, after being killed by a street criminal, is reincarnated as an amorphous slime in a fantasy world. From there, he gathers his own abilities, as well as a growing legion of monster races, to create his own kingdom.
Given the show's focus on methodical world-building, the second season will likely continue to develop protagonist Rimuru's fantasy race kingdom. The show is based on a manga, which itself was based on a light novel series. Since the first season adapted up to around the fourth light novel volume, the second season will deal with an invasion of Rimuru's kingdom, and the rise of a mysterious villain who has been following the protagonist from the shadows.
The second season, like the first, will be available through Crunchyroll.
HAIKYUU!! TO THE TOP
Haikyuu!! is one of the most popular sports anime in recent years; combining athletic focus with irreverent comedy. The series follows Shōyō Hinata, who, despite his short stature, dreams of being a volleyball champion after becoming obsessed with the sport. Together with his unlikely teammate, Tobio Kageyama, he pledges to combine their skill, tactics and raw talent to take the school volleyball team to the top.
Haikyuu!!'s upcoming fourth season, subtitled To the Top!, will be a soft reboot; likely to continue the friendly rival of its two protagonists. The show's cast seems older judging by the revealed characters redesigns, which fits, given that the third season aired in 2016. There are also confirmed new characters, such as Hoshiumi and Miya, students from rival high schools.
When it finally airs in January, fans can watch Season 4 on Crunchyroll.
THE PROMISED NEVERLAND
The Promised Neverland centers around Emma, Ray and Norman, a group of orphans who reside at a seemingly idyllic orphanage where all of their needs and wants were satisfied. When a new child mysteriously ends up dead, however, the hidden layers surrounding the orphanage quickly begin to unravel. From there, the three children become determined to find a way to escape their once paradisaical prison, along with all of the others.
The first season saw them possibly reaching their destination, but the future remains unsure. Season 2 will namely deal with whether or not Emma can keep a particular promise that she made to the group of children. There's also the question of what has been going on in the rest of the world outside of the orphanage.
Season 1 was available for streaming through Crunchyroll, Hulu, FunimationNow and Hidive, before being broadcast earlier this year on Adult Swim. Viewers will likely be able to stream Season 2 from the same sources.
A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN T
The third season of the ongoing property, A Certain Scientific Railgun T is the followup to the first sequel season, A Certain Scientific Railgun S. The show is based on a manga that itself is a spinoff of A Certain Magical Index, and follows Mikoto Misaka, a powerful esper who attends school with other similarly powered students at the futuristic, Academy City.
Not much has been revealed about the upcoming season's plot, though it's sure to continue adapting from the still-running manga.
Fans can watch it and the first two seasons on FunimationNow.
MAGIA RECORD PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA SIDE STORY
The deconstructionist Puella Magi Madoka Magica revolutionized the magical girl genre of anime, and eventually spawned the app-based spinoff game, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story. An anime adaptation of the game was announced in 2018, and intended to release in 2019 until it was delayed until January of 2020.
Likely following the game's story, the series will be centered around a magical girl named Tamaki, who comes to Kamihama City in search of her missing sister. The game's secondary storyline dealt with the city's other magical girls, who will probably play supporting characters in the central plot. These will include the first series' protagonist, Madoka Kaname.
Viewers can watch the series on Crunchyroll.
FRUITS BASKET (SEASON 2)
Fruits Basket was a highly beloved shojo manga but its first anime adaptation left many wanting, due to its scope and lack of adherence to its source material. The new series, however, hues much closer to the source material, which the second season will continue to adapt. The story is about an orphan named Tohru Honda, who discovers that her host family, the Soma clan, are cursed with becoming animals found on the zodiac when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex. From there, she becomes determined to aid them in lifting the curse, as well as learn more about herself.
Fans will finally be able to see the conclusion of Tohru's story, as Funimation intends to adapt the entirety of the manga. New characters for this season, namely ones missing from the original show, include Kakeru Manabe and Machi Kuraki.
Viewers can watch Fruits Basket on Crunchyroll, as well as catch up on the first season there.
IS IT WRONG TO TRY AND PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON? (SEASON 3)
Possibly the zaniest title on the list, Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? follows Bell Cranel, a teenage adventurer who serves under the goddess Hestia. The fantasy world has various clans/guilds led by rather impetuous deities, as the mortals live in a gigantic dungeon underground that's filled with monsters. The name references the harem trope as Bell is utterly oblivious to the various women who are head over heels in love with him.
Season 3 will introduce a new villain, Dix Perdix, who is the brother of Barca Perdix. The story will also see Bell attempting to stop a war between guilds.
Interested viewers can catch up on previous seasons, and watch the newest one, on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
GHOST IN THE SHELL_SAC 2045
The latest entry in the cyberpunk classic, Ghost in the Shell franchise is also the first to be completely animated using CGI. As the middle of its title suggests, it's a followup to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which was the television adaptation of the manga of the same name.
Not much is currently known about the story, aside from, as the name would also suggest, it taking place eight years after the last TV series in the franchise.
Viewers can reacquaint themselves with Major Motoko in 2020, exclusively on Netflix.
STRIKE WITCHES: ROAD TO BERLIN
A franchise that bleeds its anime nature, Strike Witches tells the story of an alternate version of World War II, one in which the world was invaded by aliens called Neuroi. Since these aliens have forms similar to aircraft, the militaries of the world come up with a similar idea: young magically powered "Witches" are chosen for their fighting ability to face off against the invaders. These Witches, who typically do not wear pants into battle, wield vehicle-esque Striker Units and wear animal tails/ears into battle.
Strike Witches: Road to Berlin is one of several upcoming entries in the multimedia franchise that will be coming down the pipeline. Announced in 2018, not much is known about the series beyond its 2020 release date.
Though an exact streaming platform hasn't been announced yet either, past series' in the franchise have been available on Crunchyroll.
YU-GI-OH! CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF YU-GI-OH!
Though the name sounds more like more of a retrospective of the popular monster card dueling series, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Celebrating 20 Years of Yu-Gi-Oh! is an all-new anime series that will commemorate the release of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters in 2000.
Not much is known of the show's story so far, though it is promised, cryptically, to change the history of the beloved Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. It will likely involve the characters from that original series and see where their lives are years later, but nothing concrete, including a streaming destination, has been revealed yet.