It can be hard deciding which shows to watch for the upcoming anime season, especially with a plethora of options sure to please everyone. With that in mind, here is a Winter 2020 anime preview guide to help start your watchlist, including the likes of In/Spectre, Darwin’s Game, and The Case Files of Jeweler Richard.
Plunderer
Funimation announced on Twitter that Plunderer will premiere in January 2020 with FunimationNow under director Hiroyuki Kanbe. Plunderer is an action sci-fi series based on the manga by Suu Minazuki, who also penned Heaven's Lost Property. The anime will be produced by Geek Toys with music from Junichi Matsumoto. The official trailer can be found on Funimation's YouTube.
"Counts" are of extreme importance in this universe, with every human being born with a certain amount. These numbers control their livelihood and determine social rank. Once a Count falls to zero, the individual is sent to the Abyss. Hina, the main female protagonist, recently lost her mother to the abyss, so she travels to find the legendary hero, "The Fabled Ace." She is also accompanied by Licht, who is a young man who fights to protect the weak. Together, both will reveal the mystery of Alcia.
In/Spectre
In/Spectre will be viewable on Crunchyroll, with Crunchyroll releasing two official trailers on YouTube. The show is based on the proclaimed romance, mystery, supernatural novel written by Kyo Shirodaira with illustrations by Chasiba Katase. A manga serialization was adapted by Katase with Kodansha comics. In/Spectre will be produced by Brain's Base and directed by Keiki Goto. The show will premiere on January 11, 2020.
The first trailer introduces Kotoko Iwanaga, the God of Wisdom and an immortal, Kuro Sakuragawa. Iwanaga became the God of Wisdom by sacrificing her right eye and left leg, and now yokai, or monsters, seek Iwanaga for consultation. Fate or destiny bring the two together, and Iwanaga and Sakuragawa work together to solve issues in the supernatural world.
The second trailer reveals more clips featuring other yokai interacting with Iwanaga and Sakuragawa. However, it hints more at the romantic interest between the two, with Iwanaga asking Sakuragawa, "Would you consider dating me with marriage in mind?"
Somali and the Forest Spirit
Somali and the Forest Spirit is a fantasy series based on the manga written by Yako Gureishi. The series will be directed by Kenji Yasuda with Satelight studios and HORNET and music by Ryo Yoshimata. The show will premiere on January 10, 2020 on Crunchyroll.
The first trailer introduces the Forest's Guardian, Golem, who encounters a small child named Somali while the second trailer delves more into the lore of the land. In this world, humans are on the brink of extinction and monsters rule. The series tells the story of a father and daughter embarking on a journey before Golem's inevitable "expiration date" of one year and 112 days. Other characters are introduced, such as Shizuno, Yabashira, Kikila, Uzoi, Praline, Hazel, Rosa, Murusika, and Haitora.
Darwin’s Game
Darwin's Game is a survival battle manga written by FLIPFLOPs. Its anime will premiere on January 4, 2020. The series will be directed by Yoshinobu Tokumoto, with music by Kenichiro Suehiro, and produced by Nexus.
The story follows Kaname Sudo, a regular high school student. He receives an invitation from an app called, "Darwin's Game," and after opening the app, he is forced to fight other participants with no way of quitting the game.
There is a trailer available on YouTube. However, there are no English subtitles.
A Destructive God Sits Next To Me
A Destructive God Sits Next To Me is a shojo manga written by Arata Aki. Its anime adaptation will be directed by Atsushi Nigorikawa, with music by Kanako Hara, and produced by EMT Squared. It is scheduled to air on January 11, 2020.
Koyuki Seri is a high school student attempting to have a normal life. However, he draws the attention of Hanatori Kabuto, who often in delusional fantasies, such as claiming his eye patch seals the dark god of destruction, Miguel. The first trailer shows Seri vowing not to give Kabuto the attention he craves while also introducing additional characters, such as Homeroom Teacher, Cerberus, Tsukimiya Utsugi, Kimiya Hibiki,
The trailers can be viewed on YouTube. The series will available to watch on Crunchyroll.
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard is originally a mystery detective light novel by Nanako Tsujimura with illustrations by Utako Yukihiro. The manga adaptation was illustrated by Mika Akatsuki. The anime release will be directed by Tarou Iwasaki, with music by Nobuko Toda, and produced by Shuka. It is scheduled to air in January 2020.
The series follows jewelry appraiser Richard Ranashinha Dvorpian and college student Seigi Nakata. They solve cases by investigating the gems to discover more about the person behind the jewel.
A trailer is available on YouTube. However, it does not have English subtitles.
Hands Off The Motion Pictures Club
Hands Off The Motion Pictures Club is a manga by Oowara Sumito. The anime adaptation will be directed by Masaaki Yausa and produced by Science SARU.
The series follows Asakusa Midori, who dreams of creating an anime. However, she is afraid to pursue this dream alone. Then, she meets Mizusaki Tsubame, who dreams of becoming an animator. Along with Kanamori Sayaki, Midori's best friend, the three work together to achieve their dream.
The series' unique trailer is available on YouTube. The series will premiere on January 6, 2020.
Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro is an adventure, dark fantasy, and science fiction manga written by Q Hayashida. The anime adaptation will be directed by Yuichiro Hayashi, with music by (K)NoW_NAME, and produced by MAPPA. The series follows Kaiman, an amnesiac with a reptilian head, who works with his friend Nikaidou in an attempt to survive and recover his lost memories.
A trailer is available on YouTube. However, there are no English subtitles. The show will premiere on January 13, 2020.
ID: Invaded
ID: Invaded will be produced by TROYCA with director Ei Aoki and screenplay writer Otaro Maijo. The original work is referenced as The Detectives United.Â
The story takes place in the virtual world with a detective, Sakaido, attempting to solve the murder of a young girl named Kaeru. However, Sakaido soon finds out that in the virtual world, the rules of physics are not the same.
There are no English subtitles, but a trailer is available for viewing on YouTube. The show will premiere in January 2020 for viewing on Funimation.
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga
Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga is a manga written and illustrated by Una Megurogawa. The anime adaptation will be directed by Hidetoshi Takahashi, with music by Takuro Iga, and produced by Pierrot. It is scheduled to premiere in January 2020.
It follows Nobunaga, who is reincarnated as a Shiba Inu in modern-day Japan named Shinamon. Other warlords are also reincarnated as dogs and join Nobunaga on his adventures.
While the trailer may not have English subtitles, it is certainly unique. The trailer is available on YouTube.
Pet
Pet is a manga series written and illustrated by Ranjo Miyake. The anime adaptation will be directed by Takahiro Ohmori and produced by Geno Studio. The series will premiere on January 6, 2020. The series will be streamed by Amazon Prime.Â
There are individuals with the ability to enter a person's mind and control their memories, which is sometimes used to kill. While this power is capable of destroying someone's mind, it can instead harm the perpetrator and "eat up their heart." As a safeguard, chains are used to protect the weak heart, and they're called "pet."
A trailer is available on Youtube. However, there are no English subtitles.