As the spring season draws to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the summer and plan your anime watch list. There are plenty of upcoming second seasons, such as Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and Higurashi, as well as some new upcoming series like RE-MAIN and Girlfriend, Girlfriend. Here’s an overview of the most anticipated series arriving in summer 2021.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 2, Part 2)

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime Season 2 Promo art

The adventures of Rimuru Tempest and his comrades continue with the second half of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. The first half of Season 2 ended with Rimuru receiving new powers and fulfilling his promise to Veldora by breaking his seal. The second half continues where its predecessor left off.

However, in the next part, Rimuru and his comrades must battle Clayman, which from the trailer looks like one of the most epic battles yet. The next part of Season 2 will premiere July 6 on Tokyo MX and will also air on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

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Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S

After many setbacks, Miss Kobayashi is back with a new season and title, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S. One drunken night, Miss Kobayashi removes a sword from a dragon’s back, resulting in her being rewarded with the dragon named Tohru as a maid. The series will continue where the first season left off, focusing on the everyday antics of Kobayashi, Tohru, and their fellow dragon friends -- but will also feature a new dragon planning to wreak havoc on them.

The series will premiere on July 7 on ABC, Tokyo MX, and other Japanese channels. It will be simulcasted on Crunchyroll.

RELATED: Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Season 2 Gets a Trailer and Premier Date

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (Season 2)

My Next Life As A Villainess Anime Season 2 Promo Art With Stuart Brothers And Katarina Claes

The second season, titled My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X, continues where the first season left off. Catarina Claes must continue to be a likable person among the people she encounters so she doesn’t end up being exiled or killed in her new otome game world.

However, in Season 2 Catarina also encounters a few new characters and must earn their trust. My Next Life as a Villainess is a beloved series among fans as it deconstructs both the otome and isekai genres. Season 2 is set to premiere on July 2 on the Super Animeism programming block. Crunchyroll has confirmed it will simulcast Season 2.

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The Honor Student at Magic High School

The Honor Student At Magic High School

The Honor Student at Magic High School is a spin-off series to the original The Irregular at Magic High School. The Honor Student centers on the life of Tatsuya Shiba’s sister, Miyuki Shiba as a student at First High School, a school that separates students based on magic abilities. This story retells the events of the Irregular series, but from Miyuki's perspective.

In addition, this series has more of a slice-of-life tone as opposed to the original. The Honor Student is scheduled to premiere on July 3 on Tokyo MX -- however, there is currently no official news regarding an English release date or confirmed streaming platform.

RELATED: How The Honor Student at Magic High School Differs From the Core Series

The Detective Is Already Dead

The Detective Is Already Dead

The Detective Is Already Dead is a fantasy romance light novel series written by Nigoju and illustrated by Umibozu. Four years ago, during a plane hijacking incident, Kimizuka Kimihiko became the assistant of a beautiful detective named Siesta and helped her solve crimes committed by top-notch criminal organizations, and continued to help Siesta until her untimely death.

After she died, Kimizuka thought he’d return to a normal life, but life has other plans when he encounters a girl who resembles Siesta. The Detective Is Already Dead is set to air on July 4 with a special one-hour episode on Tokyo MX. There has yet to be any word of an official English release, but Yen Press is currently working on an official English release of the light novel series.

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How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom

How A Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom Anime Promo Image With Kazuya Souma And Liscia

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is a light novel series written by Dojyomaru and illustrated by Fuyuyuki. The story centers on a humanities student named Kazuya Souma who gets summoned to another world to resolve a conflict with the Demon Lord’s Domain. Getting more than he bargained for, Kazuya ends up becoming the king of Elfrieden and is engaged to Liscia Elfrieden.

As king, he starts making radical reforms to improve the standard of living in his kingdom, and along the way, he gets into wars with other kingdoms. The isekai anime series is set to air on July 3 in Japan on Tokyo MX and BS11 and will be simulcasted by Funimation.

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Girlfriend, Girlfriend

Girlfriend, Girlfriend

Girlfriend, Girlfriend is a romantic comedy manga series by Hiroyuki. The story focuses on Naoya Mukai’s relationship with two other girls: his childhood friend Saki Saki and his classmate Nagisa Minase. Naoya decides to date both girls at the same time, and their relationship gets more complicated when both decide to live with him.

This new anime follows the difficulties and challenges of having a “love-triangle” relationship. Girlfriend, Girlfriend is set to air on July 7 on JNN and Crunchyroll has licensed the series too.

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I’m Standing on a Million Lives (Season 2)

This is the visual poster for I'm Standing on a Million Lives.

The second season of I’m Standing on a Million Lives will continue the journey of our fellow adventurers, Yuusuke Yotsuya, Iu Shindo, and Kusue Hakozaki, as they continue completing quests in order to go back home. Season 2 will focus on Yotsuya and his comrades' battle against the Orc Army and is set to premiere on July 2 on Tokyo MX. It will be simulcasted by Crunchyroll.

The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!

This is the visual poster for The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated.

The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! is a cute comedy series by Wakame Konbu. Jahy was once the aide of the Demon King and second-in-command of the Dark Realm, until she ran into a magical girl who literally destroyed the mana crystal that protected them all. As a result, the Dark Realm falls and Jahy ends up being transported into the human realm with no powers.

Now, Jahy must adjust to her new child-like body and her new life in the human world, all while trying to find mystic gems that can restore her power and allow her to return to the Dark Realm. The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! has a later air date, July 31 on ABC and TV Asahi. As yet, there is no news about an English release date.

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The Case Study of Vanitas

This is the visual poster of The Case Study of Vanitas.

The Case Study of Vanitas is a dark fantasy, steampunk adventure by Jun Mochizuki (Pandora Hearts). Noe Archiviste encounters Vanitas while on a blimp ride in Paris. Vanitas claims to be a doctor who can cure vampires with malnomen -- an illness that causes them to act predatorily against their will — by using the Book of Vanitas.

Noe and Vanitas join together to help cure other vampires, as well as stop Charlatan, who is said to be responsible for corrupting vampires with malnomen. The Case Study of Vanitas is set to premiere July 2 on Tokyo MX, but it will be divided into two parts with the second half premiering at a later date. The series is also licensed by Funimation.

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RE-MAIN

MAPPA’s RE-MAIN is the latest anime in the sports genre realm. Minato Kiyomizu was once a great water polo prodigy in middle school, but he forcefully gave up the sport after a traumatic incident. Yet with the encouragement of his friends, Minato decides to play water polo again in high school. Unfortunately, the high school team isn’t nearly ready to win a championship. RE-MAIN is a story of friendship and the journey to becoming a great team. It is set to premiere July 4 on TV Asahi and it also has a simulcast airing by Funimation.

Higurashi: When They Cry - Gou (Season 2)

higurashi-gou-epiosde-19-satoko

The second season of Higurashi, the beloved horror franchise, is set to air this summer with a new title, Higurashi: When They Cry - Sotsu. If you combine both seasons’ titles, you will get the word “sotsugou” which translates as “graduation” or “completion” in English. The second season continues where the previous season left off, but the events here will be told from the perspective of Satoko, one of Keiichi’s friends.

Higurashi is about a high school student named Keiichi Maebara who moved to a small rural town in Japan. He befriends many of his female classmates and soon learns the dark history behind this rural town that causes the demise of many locals who live there. Higurashi: When They Cry - Sotsu is set to air July 1 on Tokyo MX. The franchise is currently licensed by Funimation.

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Sonny Boy

Sonny Boy Nagara and Nozomi on the roof of the school

Madhouse’s Sonny Boy is an original anime series about a group of junior high school students who end up being transported into another dimension. In this alternate universe, they develop supernatural abilities and must use these gifts to survive. Sonny Boy is set to air on July 15 on Tokyo MX. The series is licensed by Funimation, which aired the first episode ahead of its Japanese debut on June 18 as part of their Summer Season Preview event on their YouTube channel.

RELATED: Higurashi: [SPOILER]'s Surprise Redemption Arc Seems Destined To Fail

Magia Record (Season 2)

Magia Record

Magia Record is a spin-off series to the critically acclaimed anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The series is set in the city of Kamihama. Iroha Tamaki enters the city in order to find her sister Ui. Season 2 is said to build off of Season 1, which concluded with the magical girls learning they are to become witches. However, Iroha learns to reverse the effects of the witch transformation, which causes great alarm to Kyubey who believes this reversal will have negative consequences.

Although Magia Record is yet to have an official release date, it is projected for a July 2021 premiere. Given that Funimation and Crunchyroll picked up Season 1, we hope they will do the same for Season 2.

Peach Boy Riverside

Peach Boy Riverside is a manga series by Coolkyousinnjya (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid). The series is about a princess named Salterine Aldarake who wishes to travel outside the city. She encounters a traveler who happens to be the Japanese folk hero, Momotaro. Salterine joins him on his travels as he vanquishes demons. The series is set to premiere on July 1 through Tokyo MX and is also licensed by Crunchyroll.

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