Looking over my scores this week; I realized something, we’re already halfway through the winter season. It won’t be long before spring is upon us, both in anime and in weather. In my neck of the woods, spring is getting ready to start: a few of our crocuses have already broken dormancy, I killed two spiders in the basement today, and my mom spotted a returning robin a couple of days ago.

The scores:

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 7 – 12+/12

Hetalia Axis Powers, episode 4 – 10/12 A

Michiko to Hatchin, episode 16 – 12/12
Michiko to Hatchin, episode 17 – 12+/12
Michiko to Hatchin, episode 18 – 12+/12

Rideback, episode 6 – 12+/12

Minami-Ke: Okaeri, episode 7 – 11/12 A+

Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 7 – 9/12 A-

Toradora!, episode 20 – 12+/12

Clannad S.2, episode 19 – 12++/12

Munto TV, episode 5 – 10/12 A

Maria+Holic, episode 7 – 9/12 A-

Asu no Yoichi, episode 7 – 9/12 A-

To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 20 – 12/12

Chrome Shelled Regios, episode 6 – 10/12 A

Shikabane Hime: Kuro, episode 4 – 11/12 A+
Shikabane Hime: Kuro, episode 5 – 10/12 A

Which shows have momentum this week

Up – Michiko to Hatchin – The plot’s heating up now that we’re reaching the final episodes

Down – none

Thoughts and Highlights

There’s been many reasons to like Michiko to Hatchin so far but watching this batch of episodes made me realize that character development is yet another reason. It’s been slow and somewhat hidden by the action of the series but it’s been there and it’s felt natural. For example, when Hatchin goes to great lengths to cheer up Michiko in episode 18, it feels like something she’d do at this point for Michiko but as little as 5 or 6 episodes ago, I don’t think she’d do it. There’s still a bunch of things that still need to be revealed about the show included exactly why the guy keeps running away from Michiko and Hatchin and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

Best episode of the week was episode 19 of Clannad. Once again there were many tear inducing scenes, though most of these were happy scenes this time, as well as happy scenes as Ushio and Tomoya settle into their new life together. I thought the baseball scene, at the beginning, was Akki’s way to symbolically hand over the responsibility of raising Ushio back to Tomoya. Also, thinking back to the last time we saw them play baseball together, I took the ease in which Tomoya hit Akki’s pitch as a statement of how mature Tomoya has gotten.

Speaking of Akki, he often is shown acting immature but the scene where he tells Sanae that it’s finally okay to cry over Nagisa showed that can he’s a good husband. I was of the opinion that Tomoya was a bad father for making Sanae and Akki raise Ushio for 5 years but thinking about it now, maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. Tomoya lost his wife but Sanae and Akki lost their daughter and raising Ushio did help them get through the worst of the pain. I’m really anxious to see how the rest of the series will play out; I’m pretty sure that Tomoya gets a wish from the glowing orb and I wonder if Kyou’s return in the next episode will play into the wish.

What is it about reformed villains that I love so much? The last time I watched a show that had a villain become good was Gurren Lagann and the character Viral became my favorite of the show. This short arc in To Aru Majutsu no Index featured a villain from just a few episodes ago that became the hero and this was, by far and away, the best arc of the series so far. I hope he can come back soon. Looking at the preview and how it appears several new characters will be introduced seems to point to a second season in the future and thus no sort of plot resolution for this season.

Another good episode of Rideback. I was partially right with my guess several weeks ago that Rin’s rowdy brother will be the reason that gets her involved with the terrorists; he wasn’t the first reason but his actions will be the confirming reason that will get her involved. This episode is a good display of why it’s important to follow current events. The GGP run government needed some pretext to bring in Ridebacks for the purposes of security and a rampage by a group of Ridebacks would be the perfect thing. The idiot that was the leader should have realized no one would just give him 4 Ridebacks without a reason and the consequences of his group’s actions will be just what the GGP wanted him to do. I thought for a moment that Rin might be able to defy the military again and get her and her brother to safety but the GGP simply had too much at their disposal. I’m assuming some sort of prison break will happen next episode because I can’t imagine the government allowing either Rin or her brother to go free again.

And now a few short thoughts:

• Shikabane Hime: Kuro has toned down the fan service but it feels like too much time is being spent on getting Oori and Makina ready to fight.
• Once again Maria+Holic shows why Mariya needs to be onscreen often – the show isn’t nearly as good when he’s not.
• I’m still waiting for Hetalia to get offensive. I did have a very good laugh when Japan made models of the U-boat and created 12 different color versions to sell – very stereotypical of what you see in Japan.
• I enjoyed the two part episode from Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou partially because it showed how much Nyanko-sensei and Natsume have changed so far. Nyanko actually had the Book of Friends in his possession and still endeavored to save Natsume and when Natsume temporarily lost his ability to see spirits, he was visibly depressed by this.

Posted in anime, weekly anime review

I’m sorry for the relatively short weekly review, I’m not really feeling up to writing right now. I’m not about to quit my blog or anything like that, I had a death in the family. Since my weekly anime review is weekly, I still wanted to write it but this will probably be the only thing I write for a few days.

The scores:

Birdy the Mighty Decode 2, episode 4 – 12+/12

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 5 – 12+/12
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 6 – 12+/12

Hetalia Axis Powers, episode 3 – 10/12 A

Michiko to Hatchin, episode 15 – 12/12

Rideback, episode 4 – 12++/12
Rideback, episode 5 – 12/12

Minami-Ke: Okaeri, episode 6 – 10/12 A

Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 6 – 10/12 A

Toradora!, episode 19 – 12+++/12

Clannad S.2, episode 18 – 12+++/12

Munto TV, episode 4 – 10/12 A

Maria+Holic, episode 6 – 12/12

Asu no Yoichi, episode 6 – 10/12 A

To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 19 – 11/12 A+

Kemono no Soja Erin, episode 2 – 8/12 B+

Which shows have momentum this week

Up – Rideback – Hello!! This show just got very interesting.

Down – Minami-Ke: Okaeri – I’ve noticed a slow downward spiral after the first couple of episodes, nothing major yet but it’s starting to get troublesome.

Thoughts and Highlights

I’ve been thinking about Rideback a bunch since watching episodes 4 and 5. Up to the start of episode 4, it felt like it could be a somewhat conventional sports anime. We would see the former ballerina learn through Rideback racing how to recapture what she lost from the injury that made her quit. Sure it took place in a world where a shadowy organization runs the world but that fact didn’t seem to really intrude much on normal society. What happens in episode 4 is sudden, jarring, and shatters what the show is and when we put the pieces back together – it’s a totally different show now. I think this was done on purpose by the creators; they wanted to show how a single event can change the entire direction of a person’s life. I’m really excited to see where the rest of the series goes now.

Once again, when I’m trying to decide what was the best episode of the week, I have to make a tough choice between Toradora and Clannad. Both where absolutely marvelous and the more I think about it, the harder it is to pick one so I’m going to call it a tie. With Toradora, I knew to expect disappointments for Ryuuji and Taiga because the teacher kept saying that they will be rewarded for all their effort in making the Christmas party a success and I was mostly right. Ryuuji obviously didn’t get the ending he was hoping for with Minorin but Taiga definitely got a better Christmas then she was hoping for. I wonder if Taiga is now going to pursue Ryuuji or will she realize her friendship with Minorin is the reason for Minorin’s rejection and feel guilty. On the flip side, the episode of Clannad was a much more positive one – though just as emotional. We learned that Tomoya’s hate for his Dad lead him to forget all the good things his father did for Tomoya while growing up and that Tomoya’s been a worse dad then his father. This realization by Tomoya, along with Ushio’s innate cuteness, allowed Tomoya’s heart to be mended and has given him the strength to forgive his father, act as Ushio’s father and allowed him to remember his relationship with Nagisa in a good way. The scene at the end where he’s talking to Ushio about Nagisa was so incredibly touching and heartfelt.

This week’s episode of Maria+holic was the best so far and little surprise – it happened to be the most air time that Maria has gotten so far. The addition of Maria’s sister adds a very interesting dynamic to the show. The main character has been wishing that Maria was an actual girl and now that possibility is a reality. It finally felt like the show was reaching it’s potential; I hope Maria+holic can continue at this leavel.

And finally, some thoughts in short:

• Birdy and Natsume continue to impress
• Index continues to talk to much, flub it’s potential, and remain mildly interesting
• Munto leaves me feeling good but wishing it would explain itself better
• Hetalia has it’s most coherent and best episode so far – I’m still waiting to see something that’s actually offensive.

Posted in anime, weekly anime review

There goes that New Year’s resolution for The Null Set – no more missing a week and having to do a biweekly anime review. On the plus side, I should have plenty to talk about.

As a total aside, as I’m typing this up I wonder if other people have specific music they listen to when they have to write. For myself, I’m listening to a 44 track playlist of my favorite Weird Al Yankovic songs right now – I found that I write faster and better when I’m listening to him.

The scores:
Munto TV, episode 2 – 10/12 A
Munto TV, episode 3 – 10/12 A

Soul Eater, episode 41 – 12/12
Soul Eater, episode 42 – 10/12 A
Soul Eater, episode 43 – 11/12 A+

To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 16 – 12/12
To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 17 – 10/12 A
To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 18 – 11/12 A+

Chrome Shelled Regios, episode 3 – 8/12 B+
Chrome Shelled Regios, episode 4 – 9/12 A-
Chrome Shelled Regios, episode 5 – 9/12 A-

Birdy the Mighty Decode 2, episode 2 – 12+/12
Birdy the Mighty Decode 2, episode 3 – 12+/12

Rideback, episode 3 – 11/12 A+

Xam’D: Lost Memories, episode 25 – 11/12 A+
Xam’D: Lost Memories, episode 26 – 12+/12 (end)

Minami-Ke: Okaeri, episode 4 – 11/12 A+
Minami-Ke: Okaeri, episode 5 – 11/12 A+

Maria+Holic, episode 4 – 9/12 A-
Maria+Holic, episode 5 – 11/12 A+

Asu no Yoichi, episode 4 – 11/12 A+
Asu no Yoichi, episode 5 – 10/12 A

Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 3 – 10/12 A
Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 4 – 10/12 A
Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 5 – 9/12 A-

Michiko to Hatchin, episode 14 – 12/12

Clannad S.2, episode 16 – 12+++/12
Clannad S.2, episode 17 – 12++/12

Toradora!, episode 17 – 12+/12
Toradora!, episode 18 – 12++/12

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 4 – 12+/12

Shikabane Hime: Kuro, episode 3 – 10/12 A

(previously reviewed)

Hetalia Axis Powers, episode 1 – 10/12 A
Hetalia Axis Powers, episode 2 – 10/12 A
A Tale of Genji, episode 1 – 10/12 A
Kemono no Soja Erin, episode 1 – 9/12 A-
Kemono no Soja Erin, episode 2 – 9/12 A-

Which shows have momentum this week
Up – Birdy the Mighty Decode 2 – The second season of Birdy received a big level-up
Down – none

Thoughts and Highlights

I just mentioned Birdy the Mighty Decode 2 in my winter impressions meta post but I didn’t really go into details because I knew I would talk about the show here as well. I complained in my review of the first season that the ending was a cop out because it allowed a complete reboot for the second season. Turns out I was wrong. The story logically picks up where the first season ends and even the new characters of the second season were impacted by the events of the first season. Also praiseworthy is how the show doesn’t reset the world, all the buildings that where destroyed in the first season are still destroyed. The characters, especially Birdy and Senekawa, come off as more realistic this season and much more likable. And speaking of realistic or maybe a better word is unflinching, the action scenes have been really good and haven’t shied away from showing blood. In episode 4, we watch one character rip the arms off an alien disguised as a human kid who was connected with the group that killed his father. All without any sort of censoring. It wasn’t gratuitous because it fit the circumstances but I can’t imagine seeing a similar scene done on American TV.

The best episode of the biweekly period came from Clannad Season 2, episode 16. The dastardly duo of Key and Kyoto Animation, bent on world domination, strike again with quite possibly the saddest episode of anime I’ve ever seen. I’ve been trying to prepare myself since early in the first season when I accidentally read some spoils but it didn’t help and probably made it worse. The scary thing that I realized as I watched this scene is that Kyoto Animation is still improving it’s ability to turn the viewers into weeping lumps of blubber. Of special note was Yuuichi Nakamura for his vocal work as Tomoya. He really sounded like someone very important to him was dying in front of him. The only consolation I took from this episode is that the show probably won’t get any sadder.

Not nearly as sad but still motoring along at it’s own epic pace is Toradora!. At some point this show should stop surprising me but even after 18 episodes, it still amazes me. For example, we had plenty of signs that pointed to an eventual Minorin emotional meltdown beforehand but it’s still unsettling to see Minorin fall apart like she is. Also a surprise was Taiga’s love of Christmas and how positively infectious it is. It gets me in the correct state of mind for my family’s “Christmas in February” celebration coming up. I also like how some of the bit characters are getting some air time finally; it probably only makes sense as Taiga and Ryuuji have become accepted by their classmates as normal people and not as scary monsters.

Going back to Clannad Season 2, episode 17. Kyoto Animation is really good at details and slipping stuff in the show without us realizing it. It’s pretty obvious that Tomoya hasn’t been feeling up to keeping the apartment clean but the most telling evidence of his long-term mental state is the 3 flower pots on the back porch. They where something that Nagisa added to the apartment when she moved in. In episode 17 I was surprised to see they were still there 5 years later but then I realized all they contained was long dead remnants of some type of flower, probably from the flowers that Nagisa planted. On a lighter note, Ushio is just about the cutest person I’ve seen in anime. I’m positive that she’ll fix Tomoya because he’s still not a bad person like his dad but needs to realize that he disrespects Nagisa and her wishes by thinking that he should never have met her. And the way KyoAni ended this episode revealed to us that we’ve been looking at Ushio at the beginning of the ending this whole time and not Nagisa like everyone thought.

And now for some shorter thoughts:

• When I try to objectively look at Munto TV, I can’t help but pick it apart. For example, to much stuff is being crammed into the show and it’s not making a lot of sense. This is being balanced so far by how the show makes me feel. I hope as the show gets further along, the storytelling aspect improves.
• I realized while watching this group of episodes from To Aru Majutsu no Index that there’s totally going to be a second season. And as the show gets further, I start asking myself even more, why is Index even in this show and why did he have to lose is memory. I don’t see the point one way or the other.
• On second seasons – so far with Rideback, it’s being paced awful slow for just a 13 episode show – I wonder if they’re planning on doing a second season.
• I have to thank Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 4. I watched it right after watching Clannad 16 and it’s combination of a super-cute spirit and happy ending made me feel better.
• The fanservice continues with Shikabane Hime: Kuro but at least the story is improving.
• And finally, I was a bit disappointed with the ending of Xam’D: Lost Memories; it was very good but I couldn’t help but think they could have done better. I hope I won’t be saying the same thing about Soul Eater. I know it’s tough to figure out an ending for a show that continues like Soul Eater without violating the continuity of the source material but it should be possible.

Posted in anime, weekly anime review

Since my winter anime impressions were spread out over the past few weeks I thought it would be a good idea to combine the scores all in on place (and sort by their score) and link back to the individual entries so in case you missed one you could find it easier. Plus give any final thoughts on the beginning of the winter season.

Rideback, episode 1 – 12/12
Munto TV, episode 1 – 12/12
Minami-Ke: Okaeri, episode 1 – 12/12
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 1 – 12/12

Birdy the Mighty Decode 2, episode 1 – 11/12 A+

A Tale of Genji, episode 1 – 10/12 A
Maria+Holic, episode 1 – 10/12 A
Hetalia Axis Powers, episode 1 – 10/12 A

Kemono no Souja Erin, episode 1 – 9/12 A-

Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 1 – 8/12 B+

Chrome Shelled Regios, episode 1 – 7/12 B
Shikabane Hime: Kuro, episode 1 – 7/12 B

Asu no Yoichi, episode 1 – 6/12 B-

Akikan, episode 1 – 4/12 C

This is a pretty strong season of anime if you include the sequels and even if you don’t, there is still a few shows that could turn out to be real winners.

Of the sequels, Birdy the Mighty Decode 2 is showing the most improvement over it’s predecessor. I thought the first season was pretty good (gave it an 11/12 A+) but the first three episodes of this season are a great improvement on that. I’d even go so far to say that Birdy Season 2 is the most impressive show that started this season. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good show from this season to watch, even if that means going back to watch the first season.

Maria+Holic has been really hit-n-miss so far. My favorite parts have been when Maria and his maid have been onscreen but when they aren’t, the show loses much of it’s humor and interest. Also, the visual style of the show seems almost timid when compared to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. So far I’ve been giving the show a bit of slack because it’s been the beginning but my patience is starting to wane as the show continues to underperform.

Two shows that I’m kinda surprised that I’m still liking are Asu no Yoichi and Sora o Kakeru Shoujo. Asu no Yoichi has continued to be enjoyable even though it’s rather generic and clichéd. Now that I’m 5 episodes in, I find that I haven’t gotten tired of it yet so I’ll probably watch the whole thing. As for Sora o Kakeru Shoujo aka Sorakake Girl, I like the characters a lot as well as the show’s somewhat odd sense of humor. I still don’t know where the story is going but at this point, I don’t care.

The last thing I wanted to mention is that I know there are many anime fans out there that love hearing the Japanese butcher English. Chrome Shelled Regios has had whole scenes done in English (end of episode 3 and the beginning of episodes 4 & 5) by voice actors that obviously don’t know English. I hope they continue with these scenes because I get a good laugh from them. The show, as a whole, has only been decent so far - showing a bit of promise but not much.

Posted in anime, first impressions      

2008 was a very good year for Madhouse anime, no other studio could match the number of quality anime shows they had: think Kaiba, Maid Guy, Kurozuka, and Mouryou no Hako to name just four. Therefore, when I found out Rideback was being done by Madhouse I became really excited about this title.

Rating: 12/12 Perfect

Rideback is set in the near future after a group known as the GGP has overthrown the world’s governments and run the world, promising tranquility and peace. They are more then willing to use whatever means to ensure their continued power. Our protagonist is Rin, the daughter of a world renowned ballet dancer and she doesn’t believe the political situation of the world affects her. She is too busy enthusiastically following in her mom’s footsteps until she is injured during a recital. Rin’s injury heals but she is no longer satisfied with her abilities so she decides to quit ballet.

Fast forward and Rin is entering college with her best friend. While heading somewhere on campus, a freak thunderstorm forces Rin to take shelter in the building that houses the Rideback Club. A member of the Rideback Club sees her come in and decides that this is an opportunity to get a cute and clean girl to join the club. He first convinces Rin into sitting on the Rideback then when the shower passes, taking the Rideback for a small test drive. However, the Rideback malfunctions a bit, stops listening to the guy’s commands and refuses to stop so she ends up taking a very thrilling test drive. She quickly learns that the Rideback in standing form acts like an extension of her body and is agile enough that she can use her ballet training to make it literally dance.

The easiest thing to praise this show for is the stellar animation. The CG elements like the mech cycles look like they belong in the show and didn’t scream – Look at me!! I’m awesome, cost a bunch of money and stick out like a sore thumb. Scenes like the cherry blossoms falling at the beginning are breath-taking and look like they belong in the movie 5cm per Second. Even the character designs, which might look simple and out-of-place in static screenshots, work very well when in motion and fit the feel of the show.

I want to praise the show most for creating a main character that’s likable, human, and believable as well as taking the time in this first episode to establish her character instead of using action sequences to entice us. I’m almost assured now to stick around so I can find out what happens to Rin. Also worthy of praise is the show’s attempt to give an actual reason for Rin’s nearly instantaneous mastery of the Rideback – she’s a master at ballet. It’s plausible and means that I can expect a certain level of realism to how the plot unfolds which is always a big plus.

The only thing that kinda surprised me about the first episode was Rin appears to be totally apolitical right now; and, unless the Rideback club is a hotbed of dissidents, then I wonder how she’s going to become a student protestor. … Actually, I just had a thought. I’m probably wrong but during the phone conversation between Rin and her grandma, the grandma mentions that Rin’s younger brother hasn’t been around the house lately – maybe the government black-bagged him. If that’s the case then I can definitely see Rin becoming a rebel.

And finally, another reason to like this show is the opening and closing are both very good.

Posted in anime, first impressions      

I figure it’s appropriate to start writing this on Turkey Day. Physically, I’m stuffed and yet I’m trying to figure out a way to have another piece of my Mom’s apple pie – it’s simply impossible to make a better pie crust then hers. Mentally, I’m stuffed from the huge number of great fall anime shows and yet I can’t help but get excited over the new season.

My criteria for picking shows is the same as last time. I’m looking for which animation house is doing it, if the summary/source material sound very enticing and if one of my favorite seiyuus will be involved.

The safest bets of the season are the sequels; so let’s start with them.

Zoku Natsume Yuujin-Chou

AKA: Natsume Season 2 or Natsume’s Book of Friends 2

Studio: Brains Base – Kamichu, Kurenai, Baccano
Official Site

The first season of this supernatural slice-of-life show aired during Summer 2008 and was the best show of the season. During that season we were introduced to Natsume who can see spirits, like his grandma. With his grandma’s passing, he receives her Book of Friends which contains the names of all the spirits she subjugated during her life. Having the names means that one can control that spirit so this book has great power. Invariably, he begins to meet spirits that want their names back, want the book, or just want his help because they can talk to him.

If you are looking for a show with great characters, a relaxing feel, and a story that can warm the heart and make you laugh a bit – there’s no surer bet then this show for this season.

Minami-ke: Okaeri

AKA: Minami-ke Season 3

Studio: Asread
Seiyuu: Marina Inoue, Minori Chihara, Rina Satou
Director: Kei Oikawa - appears to be his first time directing
Offical Website

The second surest bet for this season is the third season of the comedy Minami-ke. This show follows the lives of the three Minami sisters, who live together in one apartment, and their interactions with their friends. The oldest sister is in high school and acts as the mom, the middle sister is in middle school and acts like a typical middle child, and the youngest is in elementary school and hates dumb people. The first season was one of the funniest and well-done comedies I have ever seen. A different studio, Asread, was put in charge of the second season and while it was still a very funny show, it wasn’t as good.

I think the same conclusion was reached over in Japan because while Asread is animating the third season, Studio Doumu (behind the first season) is in charge of production. The thought of getting more of the traptastic Maka-chan, Hosaka and his fantasies, Fujioka and his quest to get Kana to like him, and the Minami sisters makes me almost giddy in anticipation.

Birdy the Mighty Decode:02

AKA: Birdy Season 2

Studio: A-1 Pictures Inc. – Kannagi
Official Website

Another sequel of a Summer 2008 show. In the first season we meet Senekawa, your typical high school student, who likes to explore abandoned buildings. This hobby brings him trouble when an intergalactic police agent, Birdy, accidentally kills him. Luckily for Senekawa, Birdy’s civilization has a means to regrow a copy of his body; so, while that’s being done Senekawa’s mind is placed along side Birdy’s. The body can morph to fit the form of the person that’s in charge of it and that allows Senekawa to be a high school student by day and Birdy to be a police agent by night.

One of the drawbacks of the first season, which became obvious over the course of the show, was that the show had a small budget. So, for example, the show had a number of good action scenes but they occurred almost exclusively at the beginning or the end. Hopefully, the fact that it got green-lighted for a second season will mean that more money will be spent on it and the show can reach it’s full potential.

Shikabane Hime: Kuro

AKA: Corpse Princess Season 2

Studio: Studio Feel – Da Capo 2
Official Site

The fourth sequel that I’m looking forward to is the sequel to the currently running Shikabane Hime: Aka. The second season sees a switch from being a Gainax production to being a Studio Feel production.

In this anime, if a person is greatly attached to this world when they die then instead of moving on that person can come back as a Corpse. Most times these Corpses become dangerous monsters that need stopped but sometimes these Corpses retain their human-form and agree to hunt the evil Corpses. These Corpse hunters can attain heaven after killing 108 evil Corpses.

Because the first season is still airing and the animation studio is changed, it is impossible to fully use the first season as a guide for this second season. However, I’m optimistic that this show will turn out good. Many people probably will not share a similar sentiment because they were disappointed over the first season. I think much of this disappointment stems from this show being the first series after Gainax’s masterpiece, Gurren Lagann. The characters have been solid, the animation has been top-notch, and the evil Corpses have been original and interesting – which has been more then enough to get me wanting more.

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That’s the final sequel that I’m interested in, all the other non-OVA sequels are to shows that I haven’t seen and thus I won’t attempt to watch. For a more complete listing, try here or here. Now it’s onto new shows. I’m going to combine how excited I am about the title with how sure I am it will turn out good and list the remaining from highest to lowest.

-

Maria+Holic

Studio: Shaft - Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Seiyuu: Asami Sanada, Marina Inoue, Yu Kobayashi
Official website

Shoot me – I can’t help but being excited about this show.

The story is about a second year high school student, Kanako, who has a phobia of men and so she transfers to an all-girl school to find her yuri love partner. She meets her ideal girl in the form of Maria, the most beautiful and popular girl in school. The twist is that Maria turns out to be a sadistic trap. And it gets even better. Maria+Holic is being animated by Shaft who did such a bang-up job on the twisted Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

If this show can exploit it’s crazy premise for laughs and make us like the characters then Maria+Holic might be one of the top shows of the season.

Genji Monogatari Sennenki

AKA: A Tale of Genji

Studio: Tezuka Productions
Official Site, More info here

From what I’ve read, the novel this is based on is 1000 years old and considered the world’s first novel. Even if I haven’t read many books that are considered “classics” I give them their due. For example, I might not have gotten Shakespeare in high school but the fact that we’re still talking about him 500 years later must mean there is something to his work. Likewise, the story this anime is based on wouldn’t have lasted a 1000 years if it was garbage. Therefore, I’m excited about watching this show.

If you want a little more help to decide, I was reading from the summary – “The story follows the happy but sorrowful tales of the glorious youth Hikaru Genji’s love, and the women in his life who strive to make their love towards Genji significantly differently from others.” – and it almost sounds like this show has what’s considered harem elements to it. I’m probably wrong but if you were going to pass on this show because it’s a classic, it might be worth your time to watch a couple of episodes.

Rideback

Studio: Madhouse – Death Note, Kaiba, Kurozuka
Official Website

This is another title I’m very interested in. The plot has the possibility to be interesting – A young woman is an anti-government protester in the year 2020 and has a robot that doubles as her motorcycle to help her. I always enjoy a good diasporan SF tale like “V for Vendetta” and this sounds like it could be something similar. Based on Madhouse’s current string of successes, I feel confident that this will turn out to be another.

Kemono No Souja Erin

Studio: Production I.G. – Ghost in the Shell:SAC, Library War, Seirei no Moribito

Because Production I.G. is behind this and because the story comes from the same person that did Seirei no Moribito, I’m going to check this series out. However, the story to this one doesn’t grab me – After her mother, a veterinarian, is executed for allegedly killing a clutch of fighting snakes, the daughter Erin is adopted by a beekeeper and meets the king of the animals in the mountains. Erin follows in her mother’s footsteps to become a veterinarian and this decision will put the fate of the kingdom of the animals in her hands.

Just from the summary, I’m getting environmental vibes and that’s normally a big turnoff. If it wasn’t for shows like Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke and Pom Poko that had an environmental message without being over-the-top sickening like Captain Planet or Ferngully – I’d just skip this one. Instead, I’ll give this show a fair chance to like it.

Akikan!

Studio: Brain’s Base – Kamichu, Kurenai, Baccano, Natsume
Official Site

In another case of great studio, weak story comes Akikan!. In this one, Daichi just wanted to buy a can of melon juice pop from the vending machine but what he got was a can that magically transforms into a girl who needs carbon dioxide gained from kissing to stay alive. This has brain-dead written all over it but Brain’s Base has a track record of making great shows with interesting characters that you end up liking a lot. I don’t know if they can work their magic here but I am willing to watch a few episodes to see how this turns out.

Chrome Shelled Regios

Studio: Zexcs - Wagaya no Oinari-sama
Director: Itsuro Kawasaki
Official Site

Chrome Shelled Regios is set in a future where “Pollution Beasts” have forced people to live in mobile domed cities. The pollution has also given people powers which they can use against the pollution beasts. Our hero is a high school student in training to battle these monsters. To me the story has possibilities but it could easily devolve into a generic fantasyesque hack-n-slash series. The reason I was initially going to catch this was because of the studio behind it, Zexcs, did a very good job on Wagaya no Oinari-sama. However, I found the trailer and my opinion of this shows chance of being a good show has gone up in no small part to having nice looking animation - which was the weak point for Wagaya.

From here my interest in the shows drops enough that I’m only kinda interested in catching them.

Hetalia Axis Powers is a gag story where the major countries of the world are made into people that display the stereotypical view of the country. So, for instance, Italy is shown liking pasta and women and Japan is shown as an otaku. It’s supposed to retell history between WW1 and WW2 among other things. The concept is so out there that I want to see it but I wonder how the politics of the time will be shown. I can accept and expect some slanting when retelling history of this time from the Japanese point of view (like what I expect when I ask a southerner about the Civil War) but I will get very angry if they animators bring up their role in dragging us into WW2 and either use it for laughs or making it look like it was the American’s fault. Therefore, I think it’ll be best if I read a couple of reviews first – I really don’t want to get overly angry and feel like I need to rant about the historical inaccuracies of an anime show. Another reason to temper my enthusiasm is the studio behind it is Studio Deen which I still equate with their work on Higurashi.

Asu no Yoichi is a romantic comedy about a boy who’s a swordsmen, like his dad, and he decides to leave their mountain training facility to continue his training in the city. This being a romantic comedy, he ends up in a dojo with four females and presumable wacky hi-jinks ensue. This sounds really generic and I’d skip it totally if AIC wasn’t doing it. AIC was responsible for Seto no Hanayome which I found much funnier then it should have been. If they can do the same thing here, it might just be worth the time to watch it.

The last title is Kurokami. It’s appears to be about a computer programmer named Keita that tries to protect a Kuro (some sort of being with powers) from another Kuro and in the process he loses his left arm. The Kuro that he was trying to protect replaces his arm and in the process a contract is formed between the two. I’m feeling neutral about the story and I’m feeling less then neutral about Sunrise being behind this; however, the picture is particularly interesting and the last time a preview picture of a show made me feel that was Kaiba. On the strength of maybe my gut knowing something I don’t, I’ll catch a few episodes of this because it might turn out to be good.

A word of thanks for the people that created the above chart, and to THAT Animeblog for having pictures that I stole for my preview and also to MyAnimeList for the same reason.

Posted in anime, season preview