Today, as a New Year treat, Crunchyroll have announced the second wave of their winter 2024 lineup!
The lineup includes Blue Exorcist season 3, and Kingdom Season 5 joining the likes of the previously announced One Piece, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, and High Card – for what remains of the winter’s Crunchyroll anime season.
But there’s a lot more where that came from! Check out all the latest titles added to the lineup below – complete with trailers, because we really do spoil you here at Geek Native. You can thank us later.
EDITOR’S NOTE: All dub date launches will be announced via Crunchyroll News when scheduled.
What’s coming on January 6th
Blue Exorcist – Shimane Illuminati Saga (Studio VOLN)
First up, we’ve got Blue Exorcist – Shimane Illuminati Saga, in its third season, where we continue following the story of Rin and his classmates at True Cross Academy. Wonder what’s in store for them now!
Rin and his friends successfully defeated the Impure King after his revival in Kyoto and have returned to their daily lives at True Cross Academy. However, the Knights of the True Cross begin receiving an increasing number of consultations about demons as a wave of strange events begins to spread across the world. Meanwhile, Rin and the other Exwires work to solve the mysterious phenomenon plaguing the school. But as the True Cross Academy Festival is in full swing, Lucifer, the King of Light and Commander-in- Chief of the Illuminati, suddenly appears. Lucifer declares war on the Knights of the True Cross – to resurrect the demon god Satan and rejoin the realm of humans, Assiah, and the realm of demons, Gehenna, as one. And to do so, he states that Izumo is necessary for a certain “plan.”
You can watch the trailer below:
Dubs will include: French, and German, and will be announced via Crunchyroll News when available.
Kingdom Season 5 (Pierrot and Studio Signpost)
If you like your anime tinged with war and historic China, Kingdom season 5 will do the trick (assuming you’ve watched Kingdom seasons 1 – 4 already).
This popular, award-winning anime is sure to have you on the edge of your seats – and, if you haven’t watched it yet, there’s plenty to binge!
Shin and Hyou are war-orphans in the kingdom of Qin. They dream of proving themselves on the battlefield until the day Hyou is captured by a minister. The boy manages to escape and return to his village, but he is badly injured. Shin then meets a mysterious youth who bears an eerie resemblance to Hyou—a boy who will one day become emperor!
You can watch the trailer for Kingdom season 5 below:
The Strongest Tank’s Labyrinth Raids (STUDIO POLON)
Next up, we have The Strongest Tank’s Labyrinth Raids, which, from the trailer, looks like one of the most anime of anime things I’ve seen in a while. Catchy music, too.
Rud, a shielder with a defence stat of 9999, the highest ever known, serves as a tank for the Hero’s Party as they carry out raids in labyrinths. His goal is to find a treasure hidden in one of the labyrinths that can grant any wish, and use it to cure his beloved younger sister’s illness… but the tyrannical hero suddenly kicks him out of the party, saying his skill is “useless.” So Rud makes his way back to his hometown. Along the way, he saves a young girl, and she reveals the true nature of his skill… which turns out to be incredibly powerful! This is the story of the adventures of Rud, a tank with both the highest defence stat in history and an unparalleled skill!
What’s coming on January 7th
Mr. Villain’s Day Off (Shin-Ei Animation and SynergySP)
I’m really loving the look of Mr. Villain’s Day Off – because we all deserve a day off sometimes, right? Well, this comedy features a General within an organisation of villains usually fighting and doing horrible, villain things… on his day off! He’s hugging pandas, stroking bunnies, gazing at the stars, wearing casual clothing… whatever he needs to do to feel better again. It seems like a very fun concept.
The man known as General within a villainous organisation that plans to take over the world is usually fighting to the death against the Rangers who protect the Earth… But today is his day off. To heal his tired soul from working so hard every day, he goes to the zoo to see pandas and to the convenience store to get some ice cream. We get to see how a certain villain gets to completely enjoy his days off to the fullest in this comedy that will heal your soul.
The trailer is below, and has a lot packed into it (quite a bit I didn’t quite follow, but don’t let that put you off).
‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess (Pine Jam)
Next, we’ve got ‘Tis Time for “Torture”, Princess, and I’ve got to say… well, I don’t know quite what to say about this one!
It looks a bit unhinged, but also incredibly fun. Here’s the official description:
As the war between the Imperial Army and Hellhorde rages on, the Princess, despite being armed with her mythical sword Excalibur, is captured and imprisoned. What kind of torture does she face at the hands of the chief demon interrogator? Fluffy fresh-baked toast! Hot, steaming ramen! Oh, the humanity! Can the Princess withstand these tormenting treats and keep her kingdom’s secrets safe?
You can also watch the trailer for ‘Tis Time for “Torture”, Princess below:
The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash (STUDIO MASSKET)
Last but not least, we have Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash – and this one looks super cute! It’s about a little girl born into a community who all get ‘stars’ – but like Mirabel from Encanto, she gets nothing. Unlike Mirabel, however, she’s cast out, and makes a dew drop (or ‘slime’) friend!
Sora is absolutely adorable, if physically impossible (clearly some magic involved and that’s perhaps Ivy’s hidden power?). Here’s the official description:
Stars are everything, granting abilities to Tamers. So when Ivy was born without one, her village took it as an ill omen! Now banished, she leads a lonely life of salvaging rubbish to survive. That is until she befriends Sora, a weak little slime, in the forest. Together, the delicate duo embarks on a heartwarming journey of survival and discovers there’s more to Ivy than being starless.
Dubs for this one include: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Here’s the trailer:
And that’s all we have for now, but it looks like a great lineup to kick off the New Year with! Remember, you can view all of these great titles on Crunchyroll from the 6th and 7th January! Love ya.
What do you think of the latest new lineup of releases from Crunchroll? What are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below!
