2026 Winter Premiere Digest

We’re up to our ears in joseimuke anime this season, and we couldn’t be happier!

Which shows do you review? 

We don’t review shows that are direct sequels, shorts, or (generally) for very young children. Anything not licensed and/or immediately available is off the table as well; series that are dropped in batches (the binge/Netflix model) won’t receive are a premiere review but are eligible for recommendations at end of season. Shows with late release dates will be reviewed separately from the digest.

While shows may change category as they continue to air, for ease of reference this is the order that will be used when discussing shows on our mid-season and wrap-up podcasts. Please note that any shows released in batches/by cour rather than weekly will not be discussed on the mid-season podcast.

How do you write the reviews?

Lizzie, Alex, Vrai, Cy and Tony split the majority of shows, with Chiaki and Dee stepping in to pinch-hit. The titles were divided by each reviewer’s preferred workload and choice. Caitlin is at ANN for seasonal work, so you can check out her reviews over there.

Once we have more funding, we’d like to change our current model to provide a wider range of perspectives on more episodes. We’re a long way from that goal, but it’s been a personal wish of ours since launch and we hope to make it happen someday.

What do your reviews focus on? 

This varies by writer to some extent (some of us are more focused on visuals, others on narrative, and so forth), but as a feminist site it’s of course essential that we raise any issues of intersectional feminist interest.

When you read an AniFem review, you’re likely to learn about female character designs, queer representation, analogies to real-world marginalization, and so on. If you think we missed something, please comment under the review and let us know!

Why do you categorize them?

The purpose of these reviews is to give you, our readers, information to help you decide if you want to try a show. There’s greater access to anime than ever before, and we want to help you find series you can truly love, without wasting your time on a show that contains an automatic deal-breaker, be that fan service, queerphobia, the sexualization of children, and so on.

Individuals can find value in any series, and we will never lead a boycott of a particular show, but we want to make it easier for you to get the most out of your limited time. In our digest, feminist-relevant themes and ideas take precedence, with overall narrative quality coming second and personal preference a distant(ish) third.

Premieres that seem to contain progressive themes are at the highest end and those featuring regressive ideas (or out-and-out hatefulness) are at the lowest. We expect some disagreement and welcome debate, so if you have any objections to our lists then by all means let us know in the comments!

I found a show I’m interested in! Where can I watch it?

This will vary depending on where you live, but you can browse Yatta-Tachi’s Premiere Chart for the legal streaming sites carrying each series. Check to see if a show is available in your region!

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Winter 2026 Premiere Digest

The following titles are organized by categories, then alphabetically. Note that, because of the way premiere dates are staggered, we’ve had the chance to watch multiple episodes of some series. To give you a fuller picture of how much information we were working with when creating these rankings, we’ve marked how many episodes of each show we’ve seen.

Feminist potential

Premieres that so far seem to be addressing progressive ideas or themes and executing them competently. Please check individual reviews for more detailed content warnings.

• Champignon Witch (Episode 1): A bittersweet fairytale that resonates with real-world exclusion and microaggressions without trying to make a 1:1 metaphor.
• Isekai Office Worker: The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter (Episodes 1-2): BL isekai about an inadvertent whistleblower accountant digging into foul play around the summoning and exploitation of a “holy maiden” (i.e. teenage girl). 
• Journal with Witch (episodes 1-2): A tour-de-force portrayal of mourning, isolation, and connection centering an introspective young woman and her reclusive novelist aunt
• The Holy Grail of Eris (episode 1): a villainess revenge story that seems intent on exploring the way women are condemned in a voyeuristic, violent society.
• The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife (episode 1-2): a sweet supernatural rom-com that portrays its disabled heroine with nuance.
• Tamon’s B-Side (Episode 1): A genuine romantic comedy with that demonstrates what masculinity is and isn’t (and the effects of the idol marketing machine) through the lens of a fan stanning her oshi.

It’s… complicated

Similar to the above category, but in addition to all those possible feminist themes, the show may be biting off more than it can chew or in danger of fumbling its chosen themes.

• The Darwin Incident (Episode 1): Wants to ask big questions about eugenics and animal rights but so far lacks the writing skill the topic probably needs. 
• Hana-Kimi (Episodes 1-2): A “disguised in drag” shojo classic that has hallmarks of its age, though the adaptation has so far made smart edits regarding its handling of queer characters.
• In the Clear Moonlit Dusk (episode 1): a potentially charming romance that taps into some frustrating media trends and ideas about gender presentation and gender roles.
• Roll Over and Die (Episodes 1-2): Wants to flip the misogynistic “kicked out of the party” genre on its head with a queer female protagonist, but it’s held back by weak writing and a desire to have its cake and eat it regarding the “enslaved companion” trope.
• SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table (Episode 1): Death game series that’s emphatically meta about its viewing audience, but teetering between commentary and shock value. 
• Wash It All Away (Episode 1): a peaceful slice-of-life premiere focused on a young woman washing away the troubles of her community through the pink collar skill of laundry; nudity and very light fan service

Neutral zone

Very little to warn folks about, but also not a ton of progressive ideas to chew on so far either.

• DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR (Episode 1): a perfectly neutral anime adapting a Korean webtoon with tones of urban fantasy but lackluster execution for the audacious premise.
• Dead Account (Episode 1): an unremarkable action shonen that feels like the superwholock of what’s hot in manga, especially when it comes to its supernatural meets sci-fi plot.
• A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation (Episode 1): Weak adaptation of a very fun iyashikei/isekai mash-up about a dude hanging out homoerotically with other dudes after being transported to a new world. 
• HELL MODE (Episode 1): Thinks about turning into a fun, silly action shonen after checking off rebirth power fantasy tropes in the first half.
• Jack of All Trades, Party of None (Episode 1): a revenge plot that deftly dodges the more sexist tropes of a young adventurer getting his comeuppance but also manages to offer very little to say at all.
• Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary (Episode 1): A kindergarten teacher tries to support the tiny psychic student in her care. 
• Kunon the Sorcerer Can See (Episode 1): Has a vision-impaired protagonist who uses magic to navigate the world, but discards this as a background detail quickly for more generic fantasy tropes. 
• Noble Reincarnation: Born Blessed, So I’ll Obtain Ultimate Power (Episode 1): A reincarnation fantasy about how you would totally fix the world if only you had all the money.
• Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix- (Episode 1): a historic fantasy-fiction premiere set in the time of samurai, skirmishes, and a whole lot of fires.
• Scum of the Brave (Episode 1): Urban fantasy where a plucky teenager recruits a washed-up crime fighter to find her missing classmate.
• Sentenced to be a Hero (Episode 1): A solid action fantasy with conspiracy thriller elements.
• Tune Into the Midnight Heart (Episode 1): another perfectly fine, potentially a high school harem anime that uses audio as its media lens to view its obnoxious male lead’s quest through.
• The Villainess is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom (Episode 1): A 100% straightforward, no frills version of the otome villainess reincarnation story.
• Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers (Episode 1): A generational sequel to the 80s series with gore and cynical politicians added in. 
• You and I Are Polar Opposites (Episode 1): a fantastic premiere that focuses on a girl’s girl who wants to fess up to her crush without changing him.

Yellow flags

Premieres that weren’t actively hateful at the premise level, but still raised some noteworthy caveats or concerns.

• The Demon King’s Daughter is Too Kind!! (Episodes 1-2): Mostly a cute fantasy series about a precious toddler, but throwing in actual heinous deeds on the demon king’s part (when the series leans much more sincere than black comedy) makes for some tonal weirdness. 
• High School! Kimengumi (Episode 1): a disappointing blast from the past that attempts to bring a slapstick comedy into 2026 but maintains all of the aspects that makes it feel uncomfortably dated.
• There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero’s Party, So I Tried Confessing to Her (Episode 1): The protagonist is clearly going to wear this girl down, but mostly the whole affair is powerfully dull.

Red Flags

The issues listed are intrinsic to the premise; or, even if the issue is isolated it potentially poisons the whole show.

• An Adventurer’s Daily Grind at 29 (Episode 1): all’s well until the young child rescued by the protagonist wakes up in the body of an adult woman who said protagonist gropes. Ew, ew, ew, why do we keep doing this?
• The Case Book of Arne: Poorly written mystery’s first episode features a villain that is a bunch of antisemitic tropes rolled into one.
• The Daily Life of a Part-time Torturer (Episode 1): Takes itself too seriously to work as dark comedy or satire but treats its subject matter too carelessly to be a drama.
• A Misanthrope Teaches a Class for Demi-Humans (Episode 1): An astonishingly boring not-quite harem anime about a teacher and his moe monster girl students; lots you could unpack about its attitudes toward teaching, but it hardly feels worth it.
• You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com With Your Childhood Friends (Episode 1): an absolute flop of a romantic comedy that feels out of touch, out of place in 2026, and downright icky for much of its runtime.

Pit of Shame

These shows need to go to their room and think about what they’ve done.

• Easygoing Territory Defense By the Optimistic Lord (Episode 1): A chill-out reincarnation isekai that checks all the boxes, including a reason why the protagonist definitely needs to own slaves.