We're still a month out from leaving this cursed year behind, but with today's thrilling premiere of Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season, we're already thinking about all the exciting sequels that'll come blowing in when January rolls around. I myself just got through all of Non Non Biyori, and I can't wait for the third season starting next month!
Whether you're just behind a season, you're finally thinking of picking up that anime in your backlog, or you have that fear of missing out, here's our guide to how many episodes to watch, how long it will take you, and some places you can watch so you're sequel-ready for the Winter 2021 anime season!
Ordered by most Plan to Watch members as of December 6th, 2020.
Upcoming Sequel: Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season
Necessary: Yakusoku no Neverland
Synopsis (Yakusoku no Neverland): Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage—a rule they are expected to follow no matter what. However, all good times must come to an end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family... never to be heard from again.
However, the three oldest siblings have their suspicions about what is actually happening at the orphanage, and they are about to discover the cruel fate that awaits the children living at Grace Field, including the twisted nature of their beloved Mama.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd Season
Necessary: Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
Optional: Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken OVA, Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken: Kanwa - Veldora Nikki
Synopsis (Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken): Thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is a typical corporate worker, who is perfectly content with his monotonous lifestyle in Tokyo, other than failing to nail down a girlfriend even once throughout his life. In the midst of a casual encounter with his colleague, he falls victim to a random assailant on the streets and is stabbed. However, while succumbing to his injuries, a peculiar voice echoes in his mind, and recites a bunch of commands which the dying man cannot make sense of.
When Satoru regains consciousness, he discovers that he has reincarnated as a goop of slime in an unfamiliar realm. In doing so, he acquires newfound skills—notably, the power to devour anything and mimic its appearance and abilities. He then stumbles upon the sealed Catastrophe-level monster "Storm Dragon" Veldora who had been sealed away for the past 300 years for devastating a town to ashes. Sympathetic to his predicament, Satoru befriends him, promising to assist in destroying the seal. In return, Veldora bestows upon him the name Rimuru Tempest to grant him divine protection.
Now, liberated from the mundanities of his past life, Rimuru embarks on a fresh journey with a distinct goal in mind. As he grows accustomed to his new physique, his gooey antics ripple throughout the world, gradually altering his fate.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Dr. Stone: Stone Wars
Necessary: Dr. Stone
Optional: Dr. Stone: Stone Wars - Kaisen Zenya Special Eizou
Synopsis (Dr. Stone): After five years of harboring unspoken feelings, high-schooler Taiju Ooki is finally ready to confess his love to Yuzuriha Ogawa. Just when Taiju begins his confession however, a blinding green light strikes the Earth and petrifies mankind around the world—turning every single human into stone.
Several millennia later, Taiju awakens to find the modern world completely nonexistent, as nature has flourished in the years humanity stood still. Among a stone world of statues, Taiju encounters one other living human: his science-loving friend Senkuu, who has been active for a few months. Taiju learns that Senkuu has developed a grand scheme—to launch the complete revival of civilization with science. Taiju's brawn and Senkuu's brains combine to forge a formidable partnership, and they soon uncover a method to revive those petrified.
However, Senkuu's master plan is threatened when his ideologies are challenged by those who awaken. All the while, the reason for mankind's petrification remains unknown.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2
Necessary: Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Optional: Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu - Hyouketsu no Kizuna
Synopsis (Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu): When Subaru Natsuki leaves the convenience store, the last thing he expects is to be wrenched from his everyday life and dropped into a fantasy world. Things aren't looking good for the bewildered teenager; however, not long after his arrival, he is attacked by some thugs. Armed with only a bag of groceries and a now useless cell phone, he is quickly beaten to a pulp. Fortunately, a mysterious beauty named Satella, in hot pursuit after the one who stole her insignia, happens upon Subaru and saves him. In order to thank the honest and kindhearted girl, Subaru offers to help in her search, and later that night, he even finds the whereabouts of that which she seeks. But unbeknownst to them, a much darker force stalks the pair from the shadows, and just minutes after locating the insignia, Subaru and Satella are brutally murdered.
However, Subaru immediately reawakens to a familiar scene—confronted by the same group of thugs, meeting Satella all over again—the enigma deepens as history inexplicably repeats itself.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: 5-toubun no Hanayome ∬
Necessary: 5-toubun no Hanayome
Synopsis (5-toubun no Hanayome): Fuutarou Uesugi is an ace high school student, but leads an otherwise tough life. His standoffish personality and reclusive nature have left him friendless, and his father is debt-ridden, forcing his family to scrape by.
One day during his lunch break, Uesugi argues with a female transfer student who has claimed "his seat," leading both of them to dislike each other. That same day, he is presented with a golden opportunity to clear his family's debt: a private tutoring gig for a wealthy family's daughter, with a wage of five times the market price. He accepts the proposal, but is horrified to discover that the client, Itsuki Nakano, is the girl he confronted earlier!
After unsuccessfully trying to get back on Itsuki's good side, Uesugi finds out that his problems don't end there: Itsuki is actually a quintuplet, so in addition to her, he must also tutor her sisters—Miku, Yotsuba, Nino, and Ichika—who, despite the very real threat of flunking, want nothing to do with a tutor. However, his family's livelihood is on the line so Uesugi pushes on, adamant in his resolve to rid the sisters of their detest for studying and successfully lead them to graduation.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Beastars 2nd Season
Necessary: Beastars
Synopsis (Beastars): In a civilized society of anthropomorphic animals, an uneasy tension exists between carnivores and herbivores. At Cherryton Academy, this mutual distrust peaks after a predation incident results in the death of Tem, an alpaca in the school's drama club. Tem's friend Legoshi, a grey wolf in the stage crew, has been an object of fear and suspicion for his whole life. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, he continues to lay low and hide his menacing traits, much to the disapproval of Louis, a red deer and the domineering star actor of the drama club.
When Louis sneaks into the auditorium to train Tem's replacement for an upcoming play, he assigns Legoshi to lookout duty. That very night, Legoshi has a fateful encounter with Haru, a white dwarf rabbit scorned by her peers. His growing feelings for Haru, complicated by his predatory instincts, force him to confront his own true nature, the circumstances surrounding the death of his friend, and the undercurrent of violence plaguing the world around him.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Log Horizon: Entaku Houkai
Necessary: Log Horizon, Log Horizon 2nd Season
Synopsis (Log Horizon): In the blink of an eye, thirty thousand bewildered Japanese gamers are whisked from their everyday lives into the world of the popular MMORPG, Elder Tale, after the game's latest update—unable to log out. Among them is the socially awkward college student Shiroe, whose confusion and shock lasts only a moment as, a veteran of the game, he immediately sets out to explore the limits of his new reality.
Shiroe must learn to live in this new world, leading others and negotiating with the NPC "natives" in order to bring stability to the virtual city of Akihabara. He is joined by his unfortunate friend Naotsugu, having logged in for the first time in years only to find himself trapped, and Akatsuki, a petite but fierce assassin who labels Shiroe as her master. A tale of fantasy, adventure, and politics, Log Horizon explores the elements of gaming through the eyes of a master strategist who attempts to make the best of a puzzling situation.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Hataraku Saibou!!
Necessary: Hataraku Saibou (TV)
Optional: Hataraku Saibou: Kaze Shoukougun
Synopsis (Hataraku Saibou (TV)): Inside the human body, roughly 37.2 trillion cells work energetically 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Fresh out of training, the cheerful and somewhat airheaded Red Blood Cell AE3803 is ready to take on the ever-so-important task of transporting oxygen. As usual, White Blood Cell U-1146 is hard at work patrolling and eliminating foreign bacteria seeking to make the body their new lair. Elsewhere, little platelets are lining up for a new construction project.
Dealing with wounds and allergies, getting lost on the way to the lungs, and bickering with similar cell types, the daily lives of cells are always hectic as they work together to keep the body healthy!
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Nanatsu no Taizai: Fundo no Shinpan
Necessary: Nanatsu no Taizai, Nanatsu no Taizai: Seisen no Shirushi, Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu, Nanatsu no Taizai: Kamigami no Gekirin
Synopsis (Nanatsu no Taizai): In a world similar to the European Middle Ages, the feared yet revered Holy Knights of Britannia use immensely powerful magic to protect the region of Britannia and its kingdoms. However, a small subset of the Knights supposedly betrayed their homeland and turned their blades against their comrades in an attempt to overthrow the ruler of Liones. They were defeated by the Holy Knights, but rumors continued to persist that these legendary knights, called the "Seven Deadly Sins," were still alive. Ten years later, the Holy Knights themselves staged a coup d’état, and thus became the new, tyrannical rulers of the Kingdom of Liones.
Based on the best-selling manga series of the same name, Nanatsu no Taizai follows the adventures of Elizabeth, the third princess of the Kingdom of Liones, and her search for the Seven Deadly Sins. With their help, she endeavors to not only take back her kingdom from the Holy Knights, but to also seek justice in an unjust world.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Yuru Camp△ 2nd Season
Necessary: Yuru Camp△
Optional: Heya Camp△
Synopsis (Yuru Camp△): While the perfect getaway for most girls her age might be a fancy vacation with their loved ones, Rin Shima's ideal way of spending her days off is camping alone at the base of Mount Fuji. From pitching her tent to gathering firewood, she has always done everything by herself, and has no plans of leaving her little solitary world.
However, what starts off as one of Rin's usual camping sessions somehow ends up as a surprise get-together for two when the lost Nadeshiko Kagamihara is forced to take refuge at her campsite. Originally intending to see the picturesque view of Mount Fuji for herself, Nadeshiko's plans are disrupted when she ends up falling asleep partway to her destination. Alone and with no other choice, she seeks help from the only other person nearby. Despite their hasty introductions, the two girls nevertheless enjoy the chilly night together, eating ramen and conversing while the campfire keeps them warm. And even after Nadeshiko's sister finally picks her up later that night, both girls silently ponder the possibility of another camping trip together.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: World Trigger 2nd Season
Necessary: World Trigger
Synopsis (World Trigger): When a gate to another world suddenly opens on Earth, Mikado City is invaded by strange creatures known as "Neighbors," malicious beings impervious to traditional weaponry. In response to their arrival, an organization called the Border Defense Agency has been established to combat the Neighbor menace through special weapons called "Triggers." Even though several years have passed after the gate first opened, Neighbors are still a threat and members of Border remain on guard to ensure the safety of the planet.
Despite this delicate situation, members-in-training, such as Osamu Mikumo, are not permitted to use their Triggers outside of headquarters. But when the mysterious new student in his class is dragged into a forbidden area by bullies, they are attacked by Neighbors, and Osamu has no choice but to do what he believes is right. Much to his surprise, however, the transfer student Yuuma Kuga makes short work of the aliens, revealing that he is a humanoid Neighbor in disguise.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Upcoming Sequel: Non Non Biyori Nonstop
Necessary: Non Non Biyori, Non Non Biyori Repeat
Synopsis (Non Non Biyori): Asahigaoka might look like typical, boring countryside to most; however, no day in this village can ever be considered colorless thanks to five students of varying ages occupying the only class in the only school in town. The youngest student is first grader Renge Miyauchi, who brings an unadulterated wit, curiosity, and her characteristic catchphrase, "Nyanpasu!" Then there are the Koshigaya siblings consisting of the quiet ninth grader and elder brother Suguru, diminutive eighth grader Komari, and the mischievous seventh grader Natsumi. The recent arrival of Tokyo-raised fifth grader Hotaru Ichijou, who appears overdeveloped for her age and thus naturally holds an air of maturity, rounds out this lively and vibrant group of five classmates.
Based on the manga penned and illustrated by Atto, Non Non Biyori chronicles the not-so-normal daily lives of this group of friends as they engage in their own brand of fun and frolic, and playfully struggle with the realities of living in a rural area.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
