Spring brings in April showers, fresh flowers, and a new wave of anime to relish in. From twin siblings clashing across worlds in Daemons of the Shadow Realm to the social awkwardness of The Ramparts of Ice, the Spring 2026 anime season brings in a variety of new shows. Writers Melvyn, Audrey, and Lyn express their thoughts on the first few episodes of what they’re watching this season.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Two twins, fated to rule over daemons. One of them is Yoru, who lives in a medieval village and practices hunting. His sister is the meek Asa, who lives secluded and locked up in a cage, and serves as his reason for remaining in the village. However, it turns out that this isn’t actually Asa. The real Asa, eye-patched, swoon-inducing, and possessing a formidable power, has been living in the modern world and seeks to reclaim her brother.
And so Asa descends on Yoru’s home/prison with a vengeance, accompanied by a retinue of troops and Gabby, who commands a set of shadowy, eye-riddled jaws that she sics on the village’s adults with nonchalance and onomatopoeia. Daemons of the Shadow Realm is a brutal show — even Yoru surprises with his bow and arrow — although it also maintains plenty of levity, like Asa casually using a messaging app and sending stickers.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm is entertaining from the get-go, especially when it comes to its character interactions and robust production values (Episode 3 has a memorable cut of an onigiri being unwrapped). However, since the village assault takes up the first two episodes, I only started to connect with the show’s setting in the calmer third episode, where two human allies and Yoru’s newly gained daemon companions, Left and Right, provide various explanations. The main narrative draw for me before then was Asa, as her clear goal of wanting to reunite with Yoru provides a nice hook, and Yume Miyamoto’s voice work makes her shine even more. The whole cast is capable (Misaki Kuno as Gabby is another favorite of mine), but getting to see Asa’s tough and emotionally vulnerable sides, as well as the moments where she’s just a girl who adores her brother, allows Miyamoto and the character to stand out more. I can’t wait to see more of her.
By: Melvyn Tan
NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE
I’m not much of a gamer, so I had no idea at first that this anime was based on a video game, which makes it funny that my first thought when I saw OMGkawaiiAngel in the trailer was, “Is this an alternate universe Junko Enoshima?” Needy Girl Overdose’s OMGkawaiiAngel, or KAngel for short — or Ame when she’s not in her streamer persona — is a different sort of beast. As the most popular streamer in a world where viewer count reaps social capital, KAngel has the public wrapped around her finger. But she’s also visibly worn out from being the world’s “Internet Angel,” and her troubling emotions continue to fester in the dark.
Truly nothing could have prepared me for the hallucinogenic, kawaii-meets-vaporwave-meets-horror exhibit that is episode 1. The glitchy limb movements, the cuts between ominous screens of text and KAngel’s unnerving monologues, the frenetic collage of animation styles that made me think my computer was breaking down — it scared me in a way so unique to the digital, like the sharp dread of a pop-up telling you your device has a virus. I love how KAngel takes on several visual forms in a way that mirrors her various personas, from common 2D and 3D anime styles to a pixelated icon to a real human, shown through startling videocam footage. In contrast, her viewers are mainly depicted as a hoard of faceless jumping mannequins. The social distinction could not be clearer.
Episode 2, unfortunately, was characterized less by edgy animating and more by dialogic meandering, if only because the show had to pack in some of the exposition that episode 1’s creative direction withheld. This feeds my concern that it’ll be difficult to keep up narrative suspense while maintaining the pilot’s artistic originality. The buzz from video game fans definitely leans positive, though, with excitement about their cameo through the mentions of P-chan and about hearing key lines from Ame through her undisclosed voice actor’s upbeat yet chilling delivery. From that perspective, the adaptation seems headed in the right direction.
By: Audrey Im
The Ramparts of Ice
After being ridiculed and not taken seriously by her peers in middle school, Koyuki Hikawa keeps to herself in high school, only fully opening up with her childhood friend Miki. But her school days get more eventful when she meets two fellow schoolmates: Yota, whose camaraderie melts down her walls, and Minato, whose unusually keen interest in her exacerbates her frigidity. Along with Miki, the four begin studying together after school, with varying degrees of comfort.
The Ramparts of Ice isn’t a particularly original story as far as high school slice-of-life goes, but it still harnesses a unique edge with its main character. Hikawa isn’t just a “looks like she could kill you, is a cinnamon roll” protagonist; while she is much more endearing than she outwardly shows, there’s also weight behind her darker expressions after being teased relentlessly in middle school. Her frustration with her peers dismissing the teasing as flirting, without taking into account how she feels about it, made me unexpectedly proud. That kind of veiled misogyny can be hard to recognize, and I like that she doesn’t trivialize or doubt her pain, despite others’ responses.
The first two episodes also do a great job of capturing the laughable awkwardness of merging two friend groups. Hikawa’s comically dichotomous attitudes toward Yota and Minato make every group interaction stilted, and Miki, the bridge between the other three, seems to be getting used to the new dynamic herself. Even between Yota and Minato, who at first look like best friends, there’s a noticeable emotional distance. The show hints at some of this emotional disconnect being romance-related, but given Hikawa’s backstory, I wonder if those “vibes” are red herrings for a more unique conflict.
While the first two episodes strike a good balance between seriousness and comedy, I am a bit worried the two tones will become dissonant as the show continues, especially if it dives into each character’s insecurities more. How long till one emotion feels out of place in the face of the other?
By: Audrey Im
Akane-banashi
Japan’s traditional comedic storytelling takes the spotlight in the newest anime series, Akane-banashi. Directed by Ayumu Watanabe and animated by Zexcs, Akane-banashi tells the story of a young girl named Akane, who aspires to carry on her father’s rakugo performance style. After a devastating result from her father’s test leads him to quit rakugo, Akane vows to prove to everyone that her father’s performance style is the best.
The first episode alone didn’t completely catch my attention, though I was interested in rakugo already. Once I saw the second episode, however, I became fully hooked on the series. The first episode establishes the premise and Akane’s backstory, introducing her as a child and how she began her rakugo journey. It gives the viewer an idea of what to expect for the series, so by the second episode, you’ll appreciate knowing Akane’s story and background. The rakugo itself was also interesting, and after seeing the first two episodes, it made me want to learn, watch, and experience a real rakugo performance.
Aside from rakugo, Akane absolutely stood out to me. I know that she is the main focus as the main character of the series, but I love Akane’s personality. I love how funny and dorky she is, and she gives off a strong female main character vibe that I rarely get to see in shonen manga. I can’t wait to see more of what Akane can do in the future episodes.
By: Lyn
Want more? Check out the full first impressions for these series: Agents of the Four Seasons, A Hundred Scenes of Awajima, Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk, and Witch Hat Atelier.
