Even though they are not all born equal, every season contains dozens of anime that successfully manage to keep viewers coming back for roughly three months. The best Summer 2024 anime will not only inspire weekly discussions during their runs, but they are also likely to be remembered for years after their conclusions. The quarter is shaping up nicely and features plenty of new shows and sequels that are worth watching; however, a few series stand out from the crowd.
As Summer 2024 progresses, certain anime will naturally fall to the wayside as people begin to streamline their calendars. Simply put, keeping up with everything is rarely worthwhile. Therefore, let’s highlight the season’s greatest series to make picking what to watch as easy as possible.
Here are a few criteria and things to know:
- This selection of the best anime of Summer 2024 will be updated every week.
- Only anime that debuted this season will be considered, and that includes sequels. No continuations like
One Piece
or
My Hero Academia
. -
Netflix-type anime
that drop all their episodes in one go will not be considered. - MyAnimeList scores are included as a reference, but they do not determine the rankings.
5 Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian
MyAnimeList: 8.17
Arguably Summer 2024’s most highly anticipated new anime, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian has lived up to the hype so far. As far as school-based romcoms are concerned, Doga Kobo’s adaptation tells a familiar tale about a popular girl hiding her obvious interest in a somewhat “normal” male lead; in this case, Alisa’s cold demeanor is constantly undermined when she exposes her crush on Masachika in Russian, falsely believing that her classmate cannot speak the language. Not wanting to embarrass her, Masachika has kept this fact to himself, at least for the moment.
Although not built on the most original concept ever, Alya‘s executes its genre staples well. Alisa and Masachika’s playful banter is not only cute but also presents the characters as equals. Unlike the many cookie-cutter male protagonists who drag down their respective anime romcoms, Alya features a strong MC who is more than capable of standing his ground and does not come across like an audience stand-in. As fun as Alisa and Yuki are, Masachika is the glue that holds this story together.
4 Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
MyAnimeList: 8.07
Summer 2024’s comedy anime lineup is fantastic, arguably exceeding the previous few quarters’ offerings. Initially setting itself up as a “serious” drama about teen love, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! shifts to refined hilarity when Anna makes her proper debut and drags her friendless classmate, Kazuhiko, into her tragic love life. The classic childhood friend, she selflessly encourages her crush to pursue her best friend, a situation that leaves her unable to decide if she loves or hates them. Kazuhiko’s deadpan humor serves as a great counter to Anna’s emotional outbursts, and they are instantly a great pairing.
Elevated by great animation courtesy of A-1 Pictures, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! should be an entertaining dissection of harem and romcom conventions that also treats its characters as proper people rather than tools for mockery.
3 [Oshi No Ko] Season 2
MyAnimeList: 8.38
Undoubtedly the most hyped-up Summer 2024 anime, [Oshi no Ko] is building nicely on its predecessor’s foundation. Continuing his infiltrating of the entertainment industry in search of the person responsible for Ai’s murder, Aqua is part of a theater production that also features Kana and Akane, two girls who are the embodiment of charisma.
While always bubbling in the background, the investigation storyline is not usually the show’s focus, something that season 2 has so far made abundantly clear. Aqua’s drive serves as an entry point into various professions, be it idol culture, reality TV, or the current arc’s theater season. Despite some rather outlandish moments, [Oshi no Ko] tries to present a grounded look at its subjects, exposing some of the entertainment industry’s seedy underbelly while also highlighting the passion that runs throughout the business.
2 My Deer Friend Nokotan
MyAnimeList: 7.99
Exploding out of the gate thanks to a well-done trailer and a willingness to embrace silliness, My Deer Friend Nokotan is unabashedly stupid, and that is entirely meant as a compliment. Wishing to put her past as a delinquent behind her, Torako has gone to great lengths to play the part of the perfect high school girl; unfortunately, her ideal life suddenly comes under threat when a new student, Noko, bulldozes her way into it. Unpredictable, aggressive, and weirdly knowledgeable of her classmate’s secrets, Noko is unstoppable. She also has deer antlers.
While overshadowed by other characters, Torako brings just enough normalcy to balance Noko’s absurdity, and the latter is hardly the anime’s only outlandish character. Sistercons are overdone in anime, but Anko should be one of the trope’s more memorable examples. My Deer Friend Nokotan is beautifully bizarre and intelligently unhinged.
1 Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season
MyAnimeList: 8.99
A prequel/sequel/whatever in one of the more inaccessible anime properties, Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season will only attract people who are already die-hard fans of Araragi, Shinobu, and company. Consequently, a recommendation feels pointless since anybody interested is almost certainly already watching, while newcomers should not even slightly consider starting with Shaft’s 2024 entry.
Nevertheless, Off & Monster Season is unsurprisingly brilliant. Monogatari rarely sets a foot wrong, and any “bad” arcs are just relative. Due to the conclusion of Araragi’s story in Zoko Owarimonogatari, the current series focuses on the girls who define this universe, telling seemingly smaller-scale stories that explore these important characters’ continuing journeys.
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