Spring 2026 Anime: 7 Series You Should Be Watching

Every season we sit down, watch the first three episodes of basically everything, and tell you what to keep on your list.

This spring is stacked. We had to cut series that would normally make the cut just to keep this list under ten.

The must-watch tier

1. Frieren Season 2

The first season was the best fantasy anime in a decade. Season 2 picks up immediately after the first arc wrapped, and the animation budget somehow looks even higher.

Why it matters: This is the show non-anime fans will watch with you. Use it as a recruiting tool.

2. Solo Leveling Season 3

A-1 Pictures continues to absolutely cook with the action sequences. Season 3 covers the Jeju Island arc — manhwa readers know what that means.

Pacing note: they're slowing down to give the fights more room to breathe. Trust the process.

3. Dandadan Season 2

If you slept on season 1, fix that this weekend. Season 2 is leaning even harder into the supernatural-comedy-romance blend that made it a sleeper hit.

Strong contenders

4. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3

Maomao continues to be the best detective in any anime, period. The court intrigue gets darker, the mysteries get tighter, and Jinshi finally gets some character development.

5. Wind Breaker Season 3

Underrated delinquent series with genuinely great fight choreography. If you liked Tokyo Revengers before it went off the rails, this is for you.

The originals worth a shot

6. Project Astrolabe

A brand-new MAPPA original about a girl who can rewind time but only by 30 seconds. Sounds gimmicky on paper, executes brilliantly. Three episodes in and we're hooked.

7. Neon Garden

Slice-of-life set in a near-future Akihabara where AI gardeners maintain rooftop farms. Pure vibes, beautiful art direction. Watch it on a Sunday morning with coffee.

What to skip

We'll save you the time:

• The third isekai-with-a-shop of the season. You know the one.
• Any harem revival that promises it's different this time.
• A certain mecha reboot we won't name. The original was perfect. Move on.

Where to watch

Most of these are simulcasting on Crunchyroll. A couple — including Project Astrolabe — are on Netflix with weekly drops.

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Which series are you locked in on this season? We're putting together a viewing-party guide for the Frieren S2 finale — drop into our contact page if you want in.