Top 5 Spring Anime Sequels

Winter has come to an end now its time to say goodbye to all of the great anime that came with it. Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujouou-hen, the continuation to the famed Ao no Exorcist series has definitely been a major focal point for this past season, opening my eyes to the surprising number of anime sequels that have been popping up lately. With that in mind, I thought it’d be fun to pick out the Top 5 anime sequels and/or continuations that will be rolling around this Spring. I even managed to rope in some of our Buttonsmashers Team for this one so, may I present our Top 5 Spring Anime Sequel Coundown

Top 5 Countdown

#5 – Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

 

Starting off our countdown at Number 5 is Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise has been one of the longest running, most successful game based anime releases, with the dedicated fan base and lucrative card game to prove it. VRAINS will be the sixth generation of the series and will be filling the gap left behind with the conclusion of Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V.

Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS will focus on high school hacker Yusaka Fujiki who does not like to stand out. When Yusaka decides to try out dueling for the first time ever he ends up being drawn into unexpected encounters which will no doubt lead to an epic yet dangerous adventure. As with every iteration of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, VRAINS will feature its own unique dueling style and special summons.

VRAINS will focus on virtual reality dueling and introduce Link Summoning which, if the patterns established by 5D’s and ZEXAL is to be followed, will play a major role in the overall story of the series.

Yusaka and his signature monster ‘Decode Talker’ will be coming to Japan when Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS airs in May 2017

#4 – BERSERK 2

Way back in 1997 we met Guts, a blood soaked mercenary who was just trying to find a way to get by. After encountering a strong troop of mercenaries known as the Band of Hawks and their leader Griffith, Guts is lead down a road he would have never expected and forced to re-evaluate his black and white view of the world and find his own path. This is the story of Berserk who’s 2017 revival adaptation takes Number 4 in our Anime Sequel Countdown.

Kentaro Miura’s Berserk series is a dark, gritty medieval tale of a world plagued with bloodshed, magic and demons. Beyond the 1997 anime, the series also boast a successful film trilogy Berserk: The Golden Age which was followed by last year’s revival of the franchise with the 12 episode tv anime Berserk (2016). Berserk is a relic of past days reminding us what anime used to be, back in the day of Kenshin and Cowboy Bebop. Berserk 2 (2017) is expected to be follow up on the 2016 anime with the 4th manga arc Falcon of the Millennium Empire.

Berserk 2 2017 will be released on April 7th 2017 and fans could not be more excited.

#3 – BORUTO: Naruto Next Generations

Most of us who hit our anime stride in the early 2000’s will remember the epic tale of an underdog outcast who strove to rise above the odds. Naruto Uzamaki had a single dream, to become Hokage and earn the respect of his village. After years of knocking down every obstacle in his path, rescuing his best friend from himself and saving the entire ninja world, Naruto persevered and became the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, and now, at Number 3 in our countdown, we wait with baited breath for the adventures of out concurring hero’s son in BORUTO: Naruto the Next Generations.

Fans have already been offered a glimpse at what this new ninja generation has to offer. In the Naruto Gaiden manga special, we were taken on an adventure with Sarada Uchiha as she herself found her dream of becoming the next Hokage. In Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Boruto Uzamaki took center stage, going from a slacker with no respect for hard work to a boy driven to become a great ninja in his own right.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations promises to pick up not too long after the movie. Though there is also the new Boruto manga, which in itself has only just begun to pull into its own, creator Ukyo Kodachi promises an original story for the series. Here’s hoping this new adventure can capture all the things we loved about Kishimoto’s original series and improve on where things may have lost their way.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations will be released on April 5th 2017

#2 – Boku no Hero Academia 2

Last year when Naruto manga officially came to and with the anime recently suffering the same faith, many fans felt the loss and the emptiness of a true underdog having been taken away. Enter, Boku no Hero Academia; My Hero Academy. The series follows Midoriya Izuku, a boy who dreams of one day becoming a Hero in a world where super powers are common place and being a Super Hero is a legitimate career goal. By some cruel twist of fate however, Midoriya is one of the vast minority who are not able to manifest a “Quirk” naturally. After a fated encounter with his #1 idol, the top hero All Might, Midoriya finds himself not only capable but willing to fight the odds which have been unequivocally stacked against him as he chooses to follow his dream of becoming a hero by applying to the world renowned UA Hero Academy.

When the series first dropped last spring, it was well very well met. Introducing a colorful world filled to the brim with powers of varying levels of wonder mixed with the host of equally colorful characters, Boku no Hero Academia was destined to be an instant hit. The first season brought with it 13 episodes of heart, humor and enthralling action culminating in Midoriya and his classmates epic encounter with real villains for the very first time.

When season 2 hits this April, Midoriya and friends will be thrown into the school life they’ve so been craving with the start of the UA Sports Festival Arc. With the manga’s weekly releases currently running strong, Boku no Hero Academia definitely has the fans enthralled with its unique brand of quirky action – pun totally intended – earning itself the Number 2 slot on our countdown.

Boku no Hero Academia 2 will be released on April 1st 2017

#1 – Shingeki no Kyojin 2

The unquestionable Number 1 anime sequel coming this spring is without a doubt Shingeki no Kyojin 2, the much anticipated anime return in quite some time.

After the attack of the Colossal Titan, Eren, Mikasa and Armin’s lives were forever changed. After having believed themselves to be safe within the walls for so long the savage attack by the Titan’s which cost them their home left its mark. Eren swore to wipe out every last Titan, but in a battle for his life he wound up becoming the thing he hates most. With his bittersweet victory against the Female Titan, Eren and company finds no time to rest as a horde of Titans approach Wall Rose and the battle for humanity continues.

Attack on Titan season 1 was released in April of 2013, setting the trend for many of the anime which followed. Attack on Titan garnered the support of fans world wide with its strong plot, epic action sequences and captivating visuals, leaving fans begging for more. Have many false starts and endless rumors, our prays have been answered with Shingeki no Kyojin 2 scheduled for release on April 1st 2017.

Special Mention

Spring is shaping up to be quite the season with no shortage of new and returning anime to sate our anime thirst. Before wrapping up however, I’d like to throw special mention to a few of the Anime Movies expected this season which coincidentally, fall into our returning anime theme

Fairy Tail: Dragons Cry


The 2nd Anime Film in the Fairy Tail series is expected to be released on May 6th 2017. The movie will feature an original story as our favorite mages guild comes face to face with a new enemy who will awaken a dangerous power within Natsu.

 

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Movie: Hoshi o Yobu Shoujo

Irregular at Magic High School was an unexpected hit when it was released in April of 2014. The series has a multitude of Visual Novels and Manga which details the exploits of Shiba Tatsuya and Miyuki in a world where magic exists and has been adapted to modern technology. The film scheduled for June 17th 2017 will feature an new story by series creator Tsutomu Satou, I am personally quite excited.

 

Adrian Moses

A massive biggest One Piece fan who just wants to spend his days on a world adventure.