The Summer 2026 anime season is officially underway, and it's STACKED!
The first wave dropped over the holiday weekend, including the return of one of the genre's biggest isekai, and the next few weeks add a brand-new take on a cyberpunk legend and the final bow for a shonen giant.
If you're trying to figure out what actually deserves a spot in your rotation, I've got you covered. Here are the premieres I'm most excited about, roughly in the order I'd prioritize them.
1. MUSHOKU TENSEI: JOBLESS REINCARNATION Returns For Season 3
First up is the one a lot of us have been waiting on. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation came back for Season 3 on July 5th, with studio Bind continuing the adaptation, and the premiere is streaming on Crunchyroll right now.
This run digs into the Eris arc, picking the story up as Rudeus keeps rebuilding his second life. Love it or hate it, Mushoku Tensei basically set the modern bar for isekai worldbuilding, and the animation's been consistently gorgeous.
If you only add one new fantasy show this summer, this is the safe bet.
2. GHOST IN THE SHELL Gets A Bold New Adaptation
Tomorrow, July 7th, The Ghost in the Shell arrives on Prime Video as a fresh TV series, and this one's a genuine event.
It's a brand-new adaptation of Masamune Shirow's cyberpunk manga, and for the first time in three decades the studio isn't Production I.G. Instead it's Science SARU, the team behind Dandadan, which is a fascinating choice for such a legacy property.
It world-premiered at Annecy, and Major Motoko Kusanagi is back on the case. We already broke down the latest trailer if you want a closer look before it drops.
3. BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR Reaches Its Final Cour
This is the big one for longtime fans. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War returns July 25th for The Calamity, the fourth and final cour that brings the entire war, and the anime itself, to a close.
After a 13-episode send-off from studio Pierrot, a story that started two decades ago comes to an end. Viz even ran the first few episodes in U.S. theaters in late June to build up the hype.
We covered the finale's July date and theater run, and honestly, this might be the most emotional watch of the season.
4. BLACK TORCH Brings A New Shonen Action Hit
If you want something brand-new rather than a sequel, Black Torch is the new shonen to watch. It premiered July 4th on Crunchyroll from studio 100Studio, adapting Tsuyoshi Takaki's Jump Square manga.
The hook is Jiro Azuma, a young shinobi who can talk to animals and ends up bonded with a powerful mononoke cat named Rago.
It's a shorter source manga, so curiosity's high about how the team paces it, and the opening theme comes courtesy of SiM, who know their way around an anime banger.
5. SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL II Finally Arrives
Talk about a long wait. Saga of Tanya the Evil II lands this Wednesday, July 8th on Crunchyroll, roughly nine years after the first season won people over.
Studio NUT returns to the alt-history war story of Tanya Degurechaff, the salaryman reborn as a ruthless child-soldier mage, and Aoi Yuki is back in the lead. Sequels this far removed from their originals are always a gamble, but this fanbase never really cooled off.
If you missed it the first time, this is a great excuse to binge Season 1 now.
6. THE 100 GIRLFRIENDS WHO REALLY LOVE YOU Goes For Round Three
For something lighter, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You came back for Season 3 on July 5th via Crunchyroll. Studio Bibury keeps the chaos going as Rentaro works through his impossible fate of finding and loving one hundred soulmates.
It'd be easy to dismiss on the title alone, but this comedy earned its following by being explosively funny, and it's endlessly meme-able.
Sometimes you just need a show that makes you laugh, and this one delivers!
Still Not Enough?
That's not even the whole slate. A few more familiar faces come back too.
Skeleton Knight in Another World brought its comfort-watch isekai back on July 4th, the dark fantasy Clevatess gets a quick-turnaround Season 2 on July 8th, and Re:ZERO picks its fourth season back up with Part 2 in mid-August. So the season keeps going well past the July rush.
Now I want to hear from you! Which of these are you locking into your schedule, and did I leave off a summer premiere you're hyped for? Share what's on your summer watchlist below!
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