So it’s fall already, and the new anime season has started.
There are four new series on my watchlist. I’ve started on the first one, and it’s great.
Babylon is set in an alternate Tokyo where a new ward, Shiniki, is holding its mayoral election.
Zen Seizaki, a public prosecutor, investigates the death of a scientist involved with a pharmaceutical company charged with fraudulent research. Although the death appears to be suicide, what Zen uncovers after that is a dark, ever unfolding and deepening mystery that reaches into Shiniki’s political structure and Zen’s own prosecutor’s office.
I’ve seen the first three episodes. This series is riveting. Something truly shocking happens at the end of each episode, and in the next episode, in a totally believable way, that event is revealed to be part of an even larger, more frightening conspiracy. If you’re into adult-themed mystery-thrillers with a touch of the paranormal, I really recommend Babylon.
Kabukicho Sherlock is set in Kabukicho, which is about all I need to know to put it on my list. ;-) Ever since I edited Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Yashakiden novel series for Digital Manga Inc., in which Shinjuku ward becomes a supernatural hellhole where anything can happen, I’ve been fond of stories set in Shinjuku and particularly its red-light district, Kabukicho.
I haven’t had the chance to watch any episodes yet, but I’m looking forward to trying this series out.
The last two series on my watchlist haven’t started streaming yet.
Pet, based on a manga series of the same name, is about people who have the power to infiltrate minds and manipulate memories. From the preview, it looks pretty dark. It’s supposedly going to air on Amazon Prime, but there’s no release date as of yet.
And finally—an old favorite, Psycho-Pass, is back with a third season. Although it appears the main characters from the first two seasons aren’t part of the story this time, it’s the same fascinating setting and universe, so I’m definitely on board.
Strangely, with the exception of Kabukicho Sherlock which airs on Funimation, the other three series on my watchlist are all streaming or set to stream on Amazon Prime. Amazon appears to be angling to become a major player in anime distribution, including streaming new series.
Fortunately, I do have Prime, though till now I haven’t made much use of Prime TV and Video. At this point, I have Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll and Funimation subscriptions and not enough time to watch most of what I want to on them (lol) – but if Amazon continues in this vein, I’ll be glad to keep paying for Prime membership.
