Crunchyroll unveils first batch of winter 2017 simulcasts

As we reach the cusp of a new year, it's time to start thinking about new simulcast announcements, and over recent days Crunchyroll has obliged by starting to reveal some of their plans for the forthcoming season.

Here's what they've unveiled so far:

Fate/Grand Order ‐First Order‐ - The year 2015 CE. The last era in which magecraft still thrived. The Chaldea Security Organization was founded to focus on preserving the continuation of human history. They observe a world which magecraft couldn’t observe and science couldn’t measure all to prevent the certain extinction of humanity. But one day, the future that Chaldea continued to observe disappears and humanity’s extinction in 2017 becomes clear. Rather, it had already happened.

The cause seems to be related to Fuyuki, a provincial town in Japan, in the year 2004 CE. There, an “unobservable region” that had not existed before appears. Based on the assumption that Fuyuki is the reason for humanity’s extinction, Chaldea issues an order to explore, investigate, and possibly destroy this singularity – a quest for the Holy Grail, the Grand Order.

This single episode special based on the Japanese mobile game arrives in the UK today, at 4PM our time.

Chain Chronicle - The Light of Haecceitas - This is the story of the Chain Chronicle, a book that describes everything that happens in the world. The citizens of the remote continent of Yggd once thought that there was nothing beyond their continent. The continent was divided into several regions, each with its own king. Though there were small skirmishes amongst them, a lord, chosen by the kings in conference, always maintained balance -- until the evil Black Army arrived.

"All will be engulfed in black." The Volunteer Army, led by Yuri, was no match for the Black Army. During the fighting, the Lord of Black captures half of the Chain Chronicle, as well as the capital. During their retreat, Yuri and the Volunteer Army encounter a boy fighting the Black Army all by himself. So begins the story of the Chain Chronicle, of the Volunteer Army's and Black Army's battles for the fate of the world, and of friendship.

The theatrical version of the show's first four episodes are available right now, with the TV version beginning on January 7th 2017. The series will also be given the simuldub treatment by Funimation Entertainment.

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga - Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons—the exorcists.

Rin Okumura kept the fact that he was Satan's offspring a secret from everyone and decided to become an exorcist. He began his training at True Cross Academy but following the incidents involving Amaimon's raid, his lineage became apparent. Fearing his true nature and the blue flames marking his connection to Gehenna, Rin's classmates all distanced themselves from him. Meanwhile, the academy was on high alert when they realized that the “Left Eye of the Impure King” had been stolen! What lies ahead for Rin and his classmates?”

The return of this popular series commences on Friday, 6th January, with episodes airing each week at 6:30PM UK time.

Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club - Maiharu Hiromi has moved from Nagasaki to Kamakura to attend high school. Her new residence means a new school and new friends, and all of her exciting new encounters from day to day happen when she's on her bicycle! Kamakura is the stage for these high school girls who have devoted their youth to cycling! Each episode of the anime will be concluded with a live-action segment starring Hirose Yuuki, the voice of Akitsuki Tomoe, and Fukuo Yui, the voice of Akitsuki Yuika.

This series begins on Friday, 6th January at 5PM UK time, with episodes arriving each week from that point forth.

Idol Incidents - The story is set in a parallel Japan very similar to the modern Japan we know today. Increasing income divide, creeping environmental pollution, unsolvable garbage problems, childcare waiting lists being disputed while those directly involved aren't present, repeated cases of corruption... Japan's government, entrenched in its own vested interests, can do nothing about the abundant problems and discontent throughout the land. Now, at long last, idols are taking a stand to rescue a nation with no way out! The Heroine Party, the Sunlight Party, the Starlight Party, the Bishoujo Party, the Wakaba Party, the Subculture New Party, and the SOS Party: idols from these seven idol political parties who have become Diet members representing each prefecture will crash through the sense of stagnation that surrounds Japan with their song and dance! They will bring back the people's smiles and envelop Japan in their shining aura!

The series kicks off Sunday, 8th January, with episodes airing every week at 4:30PM UK time.

Gabriel DropOut - An angel at the top of an angel school has descended to the human world! However, she has already acclimated to the life of the human world so much that she ends up leading a self-indulgent life, skipping school all the time and being absorbed in online games. Gabriel soon forgets about her original goal to make human beings happy and has turned into a lazy and hopeless angel, or a “sloppy angel” in short. Amazingly, she swears to continue to fully enjoy the pleasure of various entertainments of the human world. 

The show launches on Monday, 10th January, with episodes arriving every week at 4PM UK time.

Rewrite: Season 2 - Green City Kazamatsuri is a city built on the ideal of a harmonious relationship between civilization and environment.. However, the peaceful Kazamatsuri will soon be faced with its annual commotion, the Harvest Festa at the turn of the year. It's an event that is much like a massive school festival, and Tennoji Kotaro decides to head out to research topics for his articles. It's an easy decision for him, because the town is filled with rumors about unidentified creature sightings and various other occult occurrences. At the same time, strange things start happening to Kotaro himself. 

This second series kicks off on Saturday, January 14th, with episodes emerging weekly at 4PM UK time. 

Granblue Fantasy - This is a world of the skies, where many islands drift in the sky. A boy named Gran and a talking winged lizard named Vyrn lived in Zinkenstill, an island which yields mysteries. One day, they come across a girl named Lyria. Lyria had escaped from the Erste Empire, a military government that is trying to rule over this world using powerful military prowess. In order to escape from the Empire, Gran and Lyria head out into the vast skies, holding the letter Gran's father left behind - which said, "I will be waiting at Estalucia, Island of Stars". 

The series, based on a Japanese mobile game, doesn't begin until Saturday, 21st January, wherein episodes will arrive weekly at 12PM UK time.

Which of these shows are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!