Hey there! It’s time for the first Rising Sun of 2016, and we’re kicking off the year with a preview of five upcoming anime shows that have caught my attention. Let’s get started.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Movie 4

If my previous reviews were any indication, I’m a big sucker for Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Its modern take on the magical girl genre was very alluring and exciting, and more personally, it’s the first anime series my mother really enjoyed. So we were both excited when Studio Shaft announced that a new Madoka anime was in production and that viewers in Tokyo and Osaka would be getting a preview of the new movie, with a new score and character designs done by Yuki Kajiura and Ume Aoki respectively.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Movie 4 is in production with no release date or final title confirmed, but it looks pretty sweet, and should give some closure to The Rebellion Story‘s vague ending.

Kyoukai no Rinne – Season 2

Rumiko Takahashi truly is one of the most beloved female graphic writers of all time, having penned much loved romantic comedies and dramas such as Maison Ikoku, Ranma 1/2 and InuYasha. What all of her works have in common that they were very playful, taking a common genre and poking fun at it and doing something unique with the idea. While I haven’t finished it yet, I adore Kyoukai no Rinne for what it is, a comedy about a girl and a impoverished half-shinigami.

Season 2 of Kyoukai no Rinne will debut some time this spring, with 25 more episodes to follow up the first set of very enjoyable episodes, bringing the series as a whole to 50 episodes.

Nurse Witch Komugi R

Excuse me for sounding like a weirdo (as the Fruits Basket manga would put it), but I happen to enjoy magical girl anime a lot. I was also thinking about dipping my toes into idol shows (like The Idolmaster on Crunchyroll), so Nurse Witch Komugi R seemed interesting to me since it combines elements from both genres. The basic plot is that a struggling trio of idols meet a creature named Usa-P that turns them into “Legendary Girls” and battle masked enemies.

Nurse Witch Komugi R will premiere on January 10th on Crunchyroll. Subscribers will get each episode a week before everyone else.

Only Yesterday

As any anime fan will tell you, the best place to get started is a Studio Ghibli film, like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or Howl’s Moving Castle. (Maybe I should review those someday…) Believe it or not, they have a lost movie, at least as far as America is concerned. This “lost movie”, Only Yesterday, looks to be a visually impressive and moving drama film about a young woman who moves to the country and reflects on her childhood in 1960’s Japan.

Only Yesterday will be released in American theaters for the first time on February 26, with a English voice cast lead by Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley.

Super Mario Bros. Z Reboot

It might not be anime in the strictest sense, but Mario and Sonic fans have been pumped for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Z Reboot animated by original creator Mark Haynes. The new series looks to be very impressive, with re-written scripts, re-choreographed battles and a redesign for the villain that makes him more imposing than ever.

The first episode of Super Mario Bros. Z Reboot will be available for public viewing on Youtube starting January 8th. All future episodes will be uploaded as they are completed, with Pateron backers who donate a certain amount being allowed to see the new episodes three days early.

And that concludes the previews of the new year. I intend to be doing reviews for each of these works as they premiere, so please look forward to them.