The Best Anime to Watch this Fall, from ‘Ranma 1/2’ to ‘Uzumaki’

With October marking the start of spooky season, it’s only fitting that the Fall anime season has kicked off with an adaptation of arguably the scariest manga of all time. On September 28, Adult Swim premiered the first episode of “Uzumaki,” an adaptation of Juni Ito’s 1998 horror manga about a town struggling under a curse that twists the populace and the landscapes into bizarre spiral shapes. Infamous for its disturbing imagery and frequently referenced on the internet, “Uzumaki” has never been adapted for animation until now. But its release makes it arguably the most highly anticipated anime show of the fall, which is a season populated by plenty of buzzy and big projects.

“Uzumaki” isn’t the only old school manga that’s receiving a new anime adaptation this fall season, which is unusually packed with revivals and new takes on popular old franchises. “Dragon Ball” is celebrating its 40th-anniversary with “Dragon Ball Daima,” a chibi-take on the adventures of Goku, Vegeta, and friends that also marks the final project franchise creator Akira Toriyama worked on prior to his death earlier this year. And “Ranma 1/2,” a new adaptation of the beloved gender-bending romantic comedy manga by Rumiko Takahashi, is getting a revival on Netflix with a new adaptation that will introduce viewers to one of the most notoriously convoluted romantic comedy casts in history.

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As with every season, there’s also big hyped Shonen series, from the third season of “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War,” which inches that franchise to its final conclusion. Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll is “Dandadan,” an adaptation of a newer manga about two teens who unlock extraterrestrial and spiritual powers and use them to fight chaos plaguing their town. Sports anime are well represented with shows like “Blue Box” and “Blue Lock” (no relation), and new series like “Mechanical Arms” are launching with major hype already. And, along with many, many other shows in the Isekai genre, the popular “Re:Zeo” is set to premiere its third season this October.

With October here, and the Fall 2024 anime season in full swing, IndieWire is taking a look at the most promising shows premiering to keep an eye out for, from originals to adaptations and new shows to returning favorites. Read on for the 10 best anime series to watch this fall.

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