#FEATURE: Our Top 7 Anime Picks from Netflix Festival Japan 2021
Written by: Nicole Castro
Published on: November 21, 2021 at 19:36 PHT (GMT+8)
Major streaming service Netflix has given fans many new anime titles to look forward to this end of 2021 to 2022 after the Netflix Festival Japan 2021 event which took place in Tokyo from Nov. 9-10, 2021.
The event was hosted by Japanese actress Marie Iitoyo (飯豊まりえ) and voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda (津田 健次郎). Tsuda, in particular, has voiced many famous roles for Netflix in recent years, most notably Tatsu in The Way of the Househusband. Since he will be starring in many more anime in the coming months, Netflix has released a promotional video featuring some of his roles.
For fans who want to watch the first day of the event (Anime Day) in detail, the full three-hour video is below.
Given the many titles to look forward to in the coming months, here are our top seven picks from Netflix's Anime Day.
1. Super Crooks (airs on Nov. 25, 2021)
Super Crooks will be the first to air among the new titles. It is an upcoming Japanese superhero anime based on the comic book series of the same name by writer Mark Millar and artist Leinil Francis Yu. The plot revolves around protagonist Johnny Bolt (CV: Kenjiro Tsuda) who recruits a team of eight supervillains to perform a super-powered heist in Spain.
Why are we excited for it? If you checked the trailer, then you know the animation is going to live up to our superpowered expectations. Studio Bones, the animators behind equally super series My Hero Academia, is producing it!
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (airs on Dec. 1, 2021)
Most people are not strangers to the JoJo fandom. This series has been serialized since 1987 in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump (after which it was transferred to the monthly seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump in 2005). It is Shueisha's largest ongoing manga series by volume count.
Whether or not you've been immersed in the fandom since the very beginning, you'll have the opportunity to dive into each story arc as they are relatively independent of each other. Each arc features a protagonist who is a member of the Joestar family and takes on the abbreviated title of "JoJo." This upcoming part six, Stone Ocean, focuses on Jolyne Cujoh (CV: Fairouz Ai), who is framed for a murder and consequently imprisoned in Green Dolphin Street Jail.
Why are we excited for it? We're ready for some fierce woman power to take the lead for part six! We finally get to see Jolyne use her Stand, Stone Free, animated!
3. Aggretsuko Season 4 (airs on Dec. 16, 2021)
The first three seasons of Aggretsuko are more than enough explanation for why this series is a favorite, especially among tired, 20-something adults who need an anime that resonates with their troubled working lives. But the season 4 trailer proves this series still has a lot to offer us in terms of plot, especially if you're all desperately waiting for Haida to finally do something about his romantic feelings for Retsuko.
Why are we excited for it? Haida does a major glow-up this season, and the other supporting characters go through significant life changes as well given the company is planning to do layoffs.
4. The Orbital Children (airs on Jan. 28, 2022)
This original sci-fi anime by Mitsuo Iso (Romaji: Chikyūgai Shōnen Shōjo; Alternative title: Extra-Terrestrial Boys & Girls) will be a six-episode series. The story takes place in the year 2045, in an era of AI. Children born on the moon and children from Earth are on a trip to space to meet at the Japanese-built space station, "Anshin" when an accident occurs.
Why are we excited for it? If the art from the trailer reminded you of Ghibli movies, well that's be