Alright, so we’re pretty much on the eve of the start of the Spring 2011 season, which means it’s time for our previews. Below, you’ll read what each of the 4 of us think of the many many shows that are coming up. It seems that noitaminA is creating great anticipation again with its financial thriller [C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control, and the much hyped urban fantasy/scifi thriller Steins;Gate has caught our attention. We fork in our interests quite a bit from there, which is expected given the huge number of shows next season, but studio Shaft’s works seem to be on all our radars, a sign of the respect it’s earned over the past 2 years.

Rakuen

I would like to start by saying there is entirely too much anime airing this season. This is both good and bad. On the positive side, with at least 48 series listed on the latest guide I found, there’s a little something for everyone. If you can’t find a show you’re remotely interested in here, anime might not be your thing. On the negative side, it also makes it very difficult for me to watch everything I want to see. Right now, I have 15 series on my list. I am a little enthusiastic about 7 of them, while I’m definitely ready to try out the remaining 8. I expect to see this number dwindle rapidly. 7.5 hours of anime viewing per week is almost impossible to keep up to date, let alone remembering all the characters, plots and so on. Enough of my kvetching. I should get into the meat of my little segment.

I decided to order my lists by airing date, starting with the series I have a little interest in watching. Dog Days occupies the earliest spot on the list. I expect this to quickly devolve into harem territory, but I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for the summoned hero bit. Next up is the new season of Kaiji. The titular character participates in a gambling event where the stakes are his life. Joojoobees piqued my interest in his post about the first season, but I haven’t gotten to it. So, this go on the Want to Watch list by default. Then, we have Hidan no Aria, which gets a first episode watch based solely on adorable girls with lethal weapons.

A Channel seems to be going with a typical four-girl band for a school comedy, but it is a school comedy, so I’ll give it a shot. The little one, Tooru, also has a baseball bat that shows up all over the promo art… so it could be interesting. Next, we have Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, or in shorter terms, a new Shaft show. I loved Soredemo, but didn’t like Arakawa. This seems to lean more towards the latter, what with the main girl insisting she’s an alien. Ao no Exorcist continues the “son of Satan will fight his fate” trend. I wonder if this theme comes up because many people have a desire to fight their own fates. What better example is there than the son of evil trying to do good? Finally, The World God Only Knows rounds out this portion of the list. I went back to finish the first season, which means the series did hold some interest for me. I just don’t know if it can do it for another 12 episodes.

The rest of my list comprises of shows I have stronger interest in, and Moshidora has the “earliest” airdate. Giant Killing got me into sports anime, and Big Windup has continued to strengthen my view of the genre. Like Big Windup, we have a female manager trying to lead a baseball club to victory. However, its airdate has been postponed, so it might have to wait for a later season. KyoAni’s Nichijou also airs this season, but I didn’t even realize they animated it until I started writing this. The synopsis itself got me hooked. A principal might wrestle a deer? This is a school comedy I’ve got to see! Hana-Saku Iroha kind of reminds me of Love Hina with the hot springs centric plot, but that’s where the similarities end. It looks like it completely lacks the male lead, meaning no harem, and the plot sounds more focused on drama. I think both of those aspects are Good Things. Showa Monogatari adds another drama to my list with its family orientation and historical setting. This is a more tentative entry on my list, but the Olympic setting piqued my interest.

Now we’re to two of my most anticipated shows. First, STEINS;GATE, which just looks phenomenally awesome in both the artwork and the synopsis. It has the whole time-travel thing, as well as the struggle for survival with the SERN organization on their tails. I get a little Persona vibe from it too, but it might only be me. Sket Dance is yet another school series, but this one stood out from the pack. The premise reminds me of Haruhi, except with less aliens, time travelers, and espers. Unlike the rest, this has the best chance of a strong overarching plot, which I’m really hoping happens. If someone who’s read the manga could confirm it, it’d be much appreciated. Returning to the outlier series on my list, there’s C, plus its long title. It’s got an economically crapsack Japan and a main character who gets sucked into the shuffle. Sounds interesting, and with its noitaminA slot, I’ve got hopes for it. Last, but not least, is Deadman Wonderland. The fight for survival premise fittingly relates to the old Coliseum. It could have a bit too much violence for my tastes, but want to give it a good shot.

Looking back at my list, there’s plenty of comedy, action, and drama with a variety of premises. This could very well be my most anticipated season since I first got into currently airing shows. I hope school and work don’t kick my ass too hard, so I can have the time to watch all these shows.

Top 3: Steins;Gate, Sket Dance, C

lvlln

There sure are a lot of shows coming out next season, but somehow the only ones I’m looking forward to are the sequels: The World God Only Knows, Maria+Holic Alive, and the Kampfer specials.

Just kidding; besides those 3, We Still Don’t Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day (AnoHana) on noitaminA’s block sounds like it has potential, simply for being a real-life drama on noitaminA. Oh, and it also contains a character type that’s near and dear to the hearts of everyone here on this site, a hikikomori. Then again, noitaminA has been really hit or miss lately, with the trainwreck that is Fractale and the hugely disappointing Kuragehime, even if AIC’s Wandering Son is absolutely knocking it out of the park this season. AnoHana is being made by A-1 Pictures, which is responsible for some pretty poor shows such as Kannagi and last year’s Anime no Chikara duo Sora no Woto and Occult Academy, so I’m very prepared to be disappointed. Still, the director has A Certain Scientific Railgun on his resume, and that didn’t suck too much, and I’ve heard his Toradora! did drama well.

Besides that, only 2 other non-sequels have caught my eye: Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko and Steins;Gate. Denpa Onna because it’s Shaft, even if it sounds just like another version of Arakawa Under the Bridge, which turned out… alright. Steins;Gate because I’ve read some other people really excited about it. Plus, I like modern-day scifi stories.

But really, the sequels are what I’m looking forward to.

The World God Only Knows was a surprisingly entertaining show for which didn’t have a bit of faith in going in. But Keima’s cynical, almost nihilistic personality combined with his occasional outbursts made for good comedy. A show that was as meta as that could have been a lot more meaningful, sure, but it was a fine source of dumb laughs. The 1st season ended on a planned cliffhanger, and though I doubt the pickle Keima got into will last more than an episode, I look forward to seeing how he will continue to add to his transient harem.

What I liked about Maria+Holic was Asami Sanada‘s Kanako, the perverted lesbian man hating protagonist. Her smooth, soft voice is unique, and seeing her character constantly abused somehow didn’t get old. Didn’t hurt that it was Yuu Kobayashi as Maria doing the abusing. She plays male characters well, and she does crazy well, too. Then there’s Marina Inoue as Matsurika. I like to think of it as a gay Stalker-tan being forced to live with an abusive Kaere and her snarky maid Symmetrical-tan. What more whacky antics will these 3 and the rest of the cast get into?

And bottom of the sequel list is Kampfer. Now here’s a show that was pure guilty pleasure. Looking for things like action, plot, character development, or meaningful relationships was a fruitless endeavor. I just loved seeing Natsuru and his/her thick head be dragged around by his psychotic harem. And this show’s cast is pretty much a who’s who list of female voice actors right now. I wish they’d do a 2nd season instead of just a couple episodes, but I suppose they’ll do.

Top 3: The World God Only Knows, Maria+Holic Alive, We Still Don’t Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day

Raphael

Pleasantly, there’s a good bit of original anime in this crop. Tiger & Bunny is among them and has received more press for the large amount of product placement it’ll employ than for the fact that Sunrise is doing a superhero show. I’m hoping it will be fun and won’t drag. Another of these original shows is Dog Days by the team behind Nanoha. The setting and premise don’t appeal to me, but I may well give it a whirl; it’ll probably at least look nice. The most promising of this lot in my eyes is C. Strong staff, very interesting premise, noitaminA. Unfortunately, the trailer didn’t meet my expectations, with the wonderful character designs not translating as well as I’d hoped and the animation looking a tad under par. It’s still the season’s series I’m most eagerly awaiting. The last two original anime, Hana-saku Iroha (which, judging by trailers, will look stunning) and AnoHana seem to fall squarely into the slice of life/drama genre zone. They also have the same head writer in Mari Okada. Both could be enjoyable if done well, but I feel like both could also try my patience, especially given that Hana-saku Iroha is reportedly 26 episodes. I’ll give them a go.

Moving onto the adaptations, we have manga-based slice-of-life comedies in A Channel and Nichijou. I’ve read the source of the former, and I was expecting to discard it quickly… but I found myself really enjoying it. It’s nothing new, but the humor has a slightly mean bent and I got several good laughs out of it. I’m curious to see how it translates to anime, as there’s a fairly new studio on board but also the director and series composition guy who did Saki. The latter is Kyoto Animation’s spring offering and, like Hana-saku Iroha, is supposedly two-cour. I found the prequel OVA nowhere near as funny as I do A Channel’s manga, but I definitely felt it had charm to it. I’ll give both of these series a try. Other comedies include Xebec’s entries Hen Zemi and Softenni. I’ll be watching Hen Zemi because I liked its OVA for its disgusting humor, but I do wonder if things will get cleaned up for TV. In addition, the OVA’s director will not be returning for the series; instead he’s been replaced by the director who did Rio – Rainbow Gate! and To Love-Ru. Meanwhile, the man behind the OVA will be working on Softenni, which I get big Saki vibes from. I’m also a massive tennis fan, so – though I’m sure I’ll feel silly for thinking there might be actual tennis-playing involved – while I really, really doubt I’ll enjoy it anywhere near as much as Saki, I’ll give it a shot. Hopefully I won’t want to be shot because of it/need several shots of something to get through it. (Punning is hard, give me a break (ha!).) Shaft will also have two comedies airing: the sequel to Maria+Holic, and the bizarre enough for me to check out Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko.

To the action/adventure side of things, Steins;Gate stands out as having potential to be very entertaining and entertainingly technobabble-filled. Premise sounds great, art looks great, and Jukki Hanada is at the writing helm. Really looking forward to this. We also have Ao no Exorcist, Deadman Wonderland, and Hidan no Aria. The first has good buzz and the director of Darker than Black going for it, and it could be interesting. As for the latter two, I’m up to date with what’s been translated of the manga of both. Deadman Wonderland is packed full of gore, action, good characters, and plot twists, and I love it. I’m unsure whether it’ll get the treatment it deserves, though, as Manglobe will be dividing its efforts between it and the second season of The World God Only Knows. But I’m hoping for the best. Hidan no Aria has been less fun for me to get through. I would’ve dropped it very quickly (for its mix of mostly-loli fanservice, poor art, and storm of cliches) if I hadn’t found the concept of a school for armed detectives so enticing. I plan to be watching the anime too, even though Rie Kugimiya as yet another flat-chested tsundere should’ve deterred me, and – despite my grumbling – I’m sure I’ll have some fun. Interestingly, this (along with Gosick) will make two shows airing simultaneously that focus on a foreign-loli-Holmes/Japanese-high-school-boy-Watson duo.

As for the rest? Moshidora‘s unusual premise has piqued my interest, and I plan to check it out; Hyouge Mono, Toriko, Sket Dance, and Showa Monogatari don’t appeal to me; OreTsuba (We Don’t Have Wings) and HoshiKaka (A Bridge to the Starry Skies) look very similar and similarly uninteresting; and Astarotte no Omocha! does not exist. And finally, though I’m almost certain I’ll be unable to get through an episode, I feel obligated to check out Sekaiichi Hatsukoi because BL anime adaptations are just so rare.

Top 3: C, Steins;Gate, Deadman Wonderland

CPAnime

Despite the overwhelming amount of new anime coming out, it feels like most of the stuff out there is either for teens or a generic (adult) drama. Thankfully, there are enough shows out there that choosing which anime I will be watching will still be a difficult task. The following are a few of the anime that I have the most interest in for varying reasons.

It has been about two years since I started watching anime on a season by season basis, and one of the first shows I watched in this way was Maria+Holic. So, with the benefit of two years of full time anime watching experience, it will be interesting for me to see if I find Alive anywhere as interesting as the original was in 2009. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason I tuned in on a week to week basis was to see the OP and ED, so it will be interesting to see if my tastes have changed, or if this show is actually as awesome as I remembered.

I am also pretty interested in the other Shaft show, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, but mainly because I don’t know anything about it. Shaft has built up some serious street cred over the past few months with Madoka Magica, but there is also the possibility that this could turn into an Arakawa under the Bridge 2 situation, especially given the synopsis. Another thing that worries me is that Shaft is doing two shows this season, and seeing as how they can barely manage one most of the time, I think the quality is inevitably going to suffer. Still, girls with mysterious pasts are kind of one my things, so I’ll be checking this one out for sure.

C is another interesting show for me, but for some different reasons. It reminds me a lot of Madoka in that there is a contract being made, though I doubt that the main character will be naive as some of the characters in Madoka, as the show doesn’t seem to be hiding its cards. From the previews I’ve read up to this point, it seems like the show might have a difficult time with its first few episodes as there looks to be a lot going on. Hopefully, a deeper understanding of economics or business won’t be needed for this show, as that could turn off some viewers. Personally, I have confidence that this shouldn’t be a problem as it is part of the noitaminA time slot, but even that is no longer a guarantee.

Staying on the business end of things, the one show I am looking forward to the most this season is Moshidora. While its broadcast schedule kind of seems up in the air, I’m looking forward to watching this during the baseball season. Since I’m a business student and a baseball fan, this show is kind of a no brainer for me, and I can potentially see myself blogging this. Still, I do have my doubts as to whether this will work, despite its popularity in Japan. Mainly, I am concerned that the translation of the material into an anime will fail to jump off the page, if you will, and just become another boring class lesson, though I doubt it.

Finally, the one show that will undoubtedly be my guilty pleasure is Hen Zemi. I recently watched the first episode of the OVA and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The only real criticism I could levy against it, besides the obvious, was that it took too long to get to its punch lines. I am a bit concerned that the TV broadcast will be impeded by those god forsaken censors (Kiss X Sis‘s OVAs, for example, were and are infinitely better than the censored TV broadcast), but as long as the staff is witty enough, it can probably work around this. Though, it is XEBEC. So… that could be good or bad, depending on your preferences (btw, where is my LxB sequel?).

Top 3: C, Moshidora, A Channel

And that about wraps it up. Which of the dozens and dozens of shows are you looking forward to this spring?

So the final TV anime season of 2010 is beginning to come to a close, which means we’re all looking forward to what’s ahead next year. Have a look at what we here at Borderline Hikikomori are (and aren’t) looking forward to for the coming winter season.

Based on these early looks, it looks like we have high expectations for the Noitamina shows – Fractale and Wandering Son. They are following up some amazing shows from this year in that time slot, after all, including my personal pick of 2010, The Tatami Galaxy. We’ve also caught on to the hype for Shaft’s original work Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, as well as Gosick and Freezing which were adapted from a light novel series and a manga series respectively. For those who liked the first series, there are also sequels Kimi ni Todoke and Mitsudomoe to look forward to.

Fractale

Preview
So new I can’t find anything on it beyond the synopsis. Anyway, it looks like it’ll be an interesting adventure style series. It’s also in the Noitamina block, which means it at least warrants a look. I’ll be checking it out when it airs.
As Rakuen said, a mystery, but after this year’s The Tatami Galaxy and Jellyfish Princess, I’m paying more attention to Noitamina shows. That Ordet, the same studio behind the horrible Black Rock Shooter certainly doesn’t breed confidence.
Obviously this show’s animation looks awesome, and the concept isn’t that bad either. I am a bit worried that the whole rescue a girl storyline isn’t going to come off too well, and that the possibility for a whole lot of Meta posts exists for this show, but those are really minor concerns at this point. Plus, the Noitamina slots rarely let me down.
I have extremely high hopes for this. The staff are all top-notch, the concept sounds both fresh and interesting, the character designs are great, and the art in what little footage was shown in the preview was stunning. I’m heavily anticipating this, and I’m sure many others are as well.

Gosick

Preview
I’d say this is the series I’m looking forward to the most. Milky Holmes really didn’t do it for me as far as detective mysteries go. So now we’ve got the mysterious gothic lolita girl… who has a Holmes pipe? It’s got a nice setting too, taking place in 1920’s Europe. It looks like a take on Holmes and Watson, and I’m hoping this one goes places.
The setting is what draws me most to this show. I like that classical, rosy colored vision of rural 20s Europe. The plot sounds like pretty standard fare, but execution is always the key, of course. I’ll probably check out the first couple episodes, at least.
Nothing about this show really seems that bad. The animation looks nice, and it seems like there could be a good story ever week. But, they made that really bad pun, joke, or whatever you call it with the title, so for that reason alone, I’ve decided not to watch this. Plus, I’ll need the extra time next semester to study for my professional license.
I was extremely excited when I heard the news earlier this year that this was being animated. I then heard Bones was going to be animating, and I was practically jumping for joy. I’m a big fan of mystery series, and I’ve enjoyed what bits I’ve read of both the light novel of Gosick and the manga spun off from it. The cases involved are pretty classic whodunits, and the characters are interesting and have good potential for development. I know a few were disappointed with the trailer – the main criticism levied at it was that it felt “boring” – but I was anything but let down. The character designs have translated very well, I feel, to animation, and things look quite beautiful. The staff, too, is good. The director hasn’t done much aside from Heroman, which had a mixed reception, but the series composition, art director and animation director are strong. I’m really looking forward to this.

Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son)

Preview
Wow, the art style is quite something. It gives everything a very innocent, nostalgic feel. I’m drawn to this show based on the looks alone, but the promise of a mature take on the controversial subject matter of 5th grade transsexuals and that it’s in a Noitamina show makes this pretty much a must watch for me.
I really like the whole questioning your gender concept of this show and the preview made it seem like things were going to get pretty real. The only thing that really worries me is that having 5th graders dealing with these types of issues is going to seem a bit unrealistic. I watch this for sure, but there is no way I would try to blog this.
I’ve heard wonderful things about the manga, and I think Noitamina is the perfect time slot for this to air in. Even better, the very well-regarded Mari Okada is doing both series comp and the scripts. The director, Ei Aoki, is more of a mixed bag, helming Ga-Rei: Zero and the first Kara no Kyoukai movie, but also Girls Bravo. All three have very different feels to Hourou Musuko, too. In any case, I’m cautiously optimistic and very much looking forward to this. It will be wonderful to see gender identity presented as a main theme in an anime series, especially in one created by a manga-ka noted for her sensitivity and intelligence. As a side note, this is definitely a departure for AIC – the only series they produced this year that didn’t rely heavily on fanservice or moe was Ookami Kakushi.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

Official Site
We’ve got Shaft and we’ve got Yuki Kajiura working together on an original anime project about a magical girl. What could possibly go wrong? Well, we’ve got bows and swords in the character artwork, so I imagine there’ll be action involved. I’ve just never been into magical girl anime though. I’ll see what other people think.
This has been getting a lot of hype recently. Given who’s working on it, I can see why. As a fan of Shaft and Shinbo, and as someone who loves the Hidamari Sketch series, I’m also pretty excited, but I’ve also never seen a magical girl anime I’ve liked. Just because of my skepticism of it despite my liking most of the big names associated with this show, I think this would be a fun show to blog. Plus, I’ve blogged some Shaft show for every season possible since I’ve been writing for Borderline Hikikomori.
Shaft has really been letting me down lately. Since it’s Shaft, I’d imagine that there would be some sort of special twist to this show, and that it won’t end up being some trumped up magic version of Hidamari Sketch, but you never know. How long now until the Bakemonogatari prequel?
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this, and understandably so: Akiyuki Shinbo is directing a Shaft-produced original magical girl anime. Yuki Kajiura is doing the music, Ume Aoki is behind the original character designs, and the cast – Aoi Yuuki, Chiwa Saito, Eri Kitamura and Kaori Mizuhashi are the leads, and the mascot character is being played by Emiri Kato – is positively star studded. Promo material has been released at a steady rate, but we’ve yet to see a trailer with any actual footage. And given that this is original (and that Shinbo is directing), this could go absolutely anywhere. I’m not a big fan of Shaft, but this has certainly piqued my interest and Shinbo can be fantastic. Mostly, though, I’m immensely curious as to what this will be like, so I’ll jump in and give the series a go.

Freezing

Preview (Official Site)
The bleedin’ promotional materials give you panty shots and wrecked clothing. Watching the trailer really didn’t dissuade me from this position. If you want to watch buxom women beat the tar out of each other, this is the series for you this season. At least Infinite Stratos has really cool mecha…
Seems like yet another fairly generic scifi/fantasy show. The fanservice in the previews certainly doesn’t impress. I’ll pass.
While this show seems really similar to Infinite Stratos in concept and the amount of fan service, I’m going to give this one a shot for two reasons. First, the concept reminds me of Simoun, minus the yuri-ness, in that it is using the two people must work together to be successful theme. But more importantly, I want to see the pink haired, pig tailed girl with almost no clothes on.
I’m kind of a fan of the source material, but I’ll be the first to admit this is not for everyone: the fanservice is heavy and a large part of the series is busty girls beating each other up. (I think it says a lot that the series’ website features a series of minigames in which the aim is to knock clothes off various heroines) Nonetheless, I am a fan, and I am awaiting this with glee.
A couple of points to note about this adaptation. Firstly, the director is Takashi Watanabe, of Boogiepop Phantom, Slayers, and Full Metal Panic! fame, and Shana, Ikki Tousen, and Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou infamy. The screen composition guy is behind Ikki Tousen and both seasons of Index, while the screenplay guy did Queen’s Blade, Daimaou and Sekirei. Make of this what you will. Secondly, a plot in the manga only eventuates about thirty chapters in, and this is when things become really enjoyable and the early character development stuff becomes important. Anyway, a certain character is important in the turns the plot takes; she is not listed in the cast or character lists. Further, there seem to be some anime original characters (either that or they’re background characters who’ve been given names). I don’t know if this means a) we won’t get to the meat of the story, b) that this’ll be two cours long (and that said character will appear then), or c) that it means things will go in a completely different direction to manga. I don’t know what any of this means for the series, but I’m hoping for the best.

Beelzebub

Preview
Okay, so this series is on my radar as well. I like the delinquent character archetype, because it leaves so much room for character development. That he’s a delinquent who has to raise a child just puts more icing on the cake. This screams action comedy, which is perfect for me.
Hmm, tough high school guy is forced to raise a kid. Haven’t I seen this before? To be fair, this is a very common trope in all media, not just anime. The promotional material makes it look like it’ll be a wacky comedy. Nothing too compelling as far as I can see.
Too many shows have focused on some sort of devil king recently. Too many shows have focused on delinquents recently. Too many shows have focused on maids recently. So no, I’m not watching this.
The latest Shounen Jump series to get a Pierrot anime adaptation. I’ve known about the manga for a while, but have never really felt the desire to get into it. It sounds vaguely interesting, so I may feel a yen to give it the anime a try, but a couple of things are stacked against it. Firstly, I have a pretty bad record with Shounen Jump series, in both manga and anime form. Secondly, the two previous works of director Nobuhiro Takamoto’s I’ve checked out in the past – Ookami Kakushi and 07-Ghost – completely and utterly failed to captivate me, much as I wanted to like them. A probable miss for me, I think.

Yumekui Merry (Merry Dream Eater)

Preview
I know the magical girl falls on top of the protagonist trope has been played to death. Shoot, I’ve complained about it in the past. This just looks fun though. Merry Nightmare looks like she’d be right at home in a Disgaea game. And really, how can I say no to a war with cats? I’ll give it a shot.
Another girl-falls-in-boy’s-lap fantasy show by JC Staff? You’ll have to excuse me if I’m skeptical. I feel like JC Staff has gotten very good at pumping out these types of shows over the years, but they’ve yet to produce a good one. And the massive success of the Index franchise has only encouraged them to keep going, methinks. I’ll stay away.
Bar the usual cliches, the premise is interesting and the director of Casshern Sins is at the helm of the project. I also thought the trailer was very impressive; the art and animation looked gorgeous. If there’s good action and characterization here, I’ll definitely be on board. Checking this out.

Level E

Preview
The synopsis… I have no idea where this is going. However, it looks like the people who have read the source material are pretty vocal about liking it. A comedy with an amusing asshole of a prince… maybe.
Preview and synopsis don’t capture me. Looks like a generic scifi thriller. I’ll pass.
The concept doesn’t sound like my thing at all, and the trailer was unimpressive. Not interested in this.

Infinite Stratos

Preview
In just the first few seconds of the trailer you can tell this is already going to become a harem anime. However, I really like the design of their mecha suits, and if they can offer me some entertaining battles, I’ll probably tune in just for that. I suppose the obligatory TnA is extra.
This just seems like a whole lot of fan service that won’t let its characters get into any sort of drama that can’t just be fixed by some sort of reset ending. I suppose I could be wrong, and in that case I would likely go back and watch this at some point in the future, but this show just doesn’t seem to be breaking any new ground.
The PVs showed off an interesting visual style – a mix of very flat, angular looking characters and polished, CG-heavy mechs/armour, which actually worked quite fantastically – and some sleek action scenes. The staff and studio here are really interesting, too. We have studio 8-Bit making their debut, the director who did Macross Frontier, and the series composer who worked on the Key/KyoAni trilogy of Kanon, Clannad and Air. The school life/mecha action combination can be really enjoyable when done well, too, so I’ll give this a go.

Haiyoru Nyaruani: Remember My Love(craft-Sensei)

Official Site
Holy long title Batman! So we have a Cthulu deity who happens to enjoy the form of a pretty girl who ends up with, you guessed it, an ordinary high school student. I wonder, is “Did You Just Kiss Cthulu” a trope?
Seems all the cool legendary or fantastical characters are getting little girl representations. There’s the obvious (and surprisingly excellent) Strike Witches series, this season’s Squid Girl, and wasn’t there a show about Lubu from the Three Kingdoms a few years back? I couldn’t get into Squid Girl, and I’ll pass on this.
I watched the first episode of this, even though I wasn’t planning to, because it was only four minutes long. Essentially, it’s entirely mediocre. There’s nothing particularly good here, but nothing terrible either. Anyway, this is a gag show. Nothing is going to change, the characters won’t develop, the plot will be non-existent, etc. The character dynamics are good enough, though, and I think that’s the single most important thing in a show like this. But I doubt I’ll follow along.

Houkago no Pleiades

Official Site
My first reaction was to once again yell, “What the hell, Gainax?” My second reaction, upon seeing the staff list, could be summed up as “…huh.” We’ve got an episode director from FLCL, a concept artist from TTGL, and the designer of Hanamaru Kindergarten. Who knows, this might actually pull through somehow.
Gainax making a promotional anime for Subaru, the car company… well, Gainax certainly is a company that knows how to monetize its products. I haven’t been able to find any details on this show, but given Gainax’s history, unless it involves mechs in some form, it’s probably not gonna be very good.

Wolverine

Official Site
Last time I checked, Iron Man wasn’t doing too well, so I’ll pretty much pass on all of these Marvel shows.
I was hugely underwhelmed by Iron Man, so much so that I’ll proceed with much caution if end up trying any of the other Madhouse/Marvel collaborations. Anyway, I found that most of the community tended to share my views on that first project so, while I don’t intend to check out Wolverine, there’s a small chance I might be tempted to change my mind if reviews of it are glowing.

Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? (Is this a Zombie?)

Preview
This looks like it’s trying to capitalize on the current zombie craze without actually using any of the things that makes zombies cool. Just another generic fantasy magical-girl-falls-into-boy’s-lap show from, as far as I can see. I’ll pass.
I can’t help but feel I’ve seen this “fight in my place against an evil organization” plot line before. Plus, do I want to watch something about zombies again? No?
The concept sounds like a lot of mindless fun to me, honestly. I mean, vampire ninjas, necromancers, zombies, magical girls and an “anti-magical girl system?” The art was displayed in the trailer was great, aside from the character art, which looked unpolished and strangely ugly. Staff-wise, the director has only previously helmed Macademi Wasshoi!, which I didn’t get into, while the series composition guy has done a truckload of ecchi series… but also Katanagatari, which was brilliant. Anyway, as I said before, this looks like it could be enjoyable, so I’ll check it out.

Rio -Rainbow Gate!-

Preview
This show really doesn’t have anything going for it, but I do like cards, so maybe?
Nothing in the promo material I’ve seen for this has really grabbed my attention, though series comp is good here. The tournament/quest-ish aspects that seem to be a part of the show could be interesting, but it looks as though this aspires to be more of a fanservice comedy. I doubt I’ll be watching.

Dragon Crisis

Official Site
The premise here is pretty cliche. The tweaks that have been made to the usual formula, however, were novel enough for me to consider checking this out. Then I heard Rie Kugimiya in the trailer, with her voice seemingly more irritating than ever before (I know! I didn’t think it was possible either!). I don’t know if there’s enough good here to counterbalance the cliches and Teh Rie, despite the fact that Hideyuki Kurata is doing series comp. I think he’s excellent, but, naturally, how good his adaptation work is depends on the source. I suppose he might be enough to get me to try to brave through a little of the series, though.

I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!

Official Site
Looks like it’s trying to cash in on the siscon fetish which, while very old, has seemingly exploded in popularity in mainstream anime in the past few years. Probably gonna be worthless.
The brocon trend continues. This really isn’t my thing. No thanks.

Starry Sky

Official Site
It seems as though all there is to this otome game adaptation is a reverse harem of bishies and a fantastic cast. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much beyond that. Perhaps with a good director I’d be more inclined to give the series a try, but Nobuhiro Takamoto is helming this (see Beelzebub). I don’t think I’ll be watching.

Kimi ni Todoke (Season 2)

Official Site
The first season started out as good, wholesome fun, but got frustrating toward the end as nothing kept happening. Maybe the 2nd season can provide more of that innocent entertainment while having the relationship actually advance. But the real question is, will Aya Hirano return to voice her character?
I loved the first season, except for five or six episodes that focused on Kurumi. Hopefully that doesn’t happen again. Aside from that, I am hoping for a little quicker pace this time around, but then again, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. A must watch for sure.

Mitsudomoe (Season 2)

Official Site
Despite the first season being really crude at some points and that it recycled a lot of jokes, I laughed harder at this show than anything I’ve watched recently. Since it’s only 8 episodes, I’ll probably wait until it’s finished and marathon it.

Well, it’s that time where our intrepid team of bloggers adds our voices to the cacophony of season preview posts.  I myself only followed six shows during the summer season, but this season seems to have a lot more bulk to it.  I honestly don’t know what I’ll do with myself between school, work, and other obligations, as well as the series I’d like to watch.  The Fall season finally sees Madhouse and Marvel’s collaboration come to its first fruition with the Ironman franchise.  We also have another work directed by the man behind Durarara!! et al.  Then there’s Shaft proving to us they can manage an incredibly short second season turn around time with another Arakawa.  There’s a bunch of other things going on, but why read me talking here?  You can just click past the break and read me talking with everyone else!

Star Driver Radiant Takuto

Rakuen: Hello, original project!  Mecha is for sure, and while that’s not really my forte, I’m cool with it.  All the girls with the main protagonist in the middle is kind of worrisome though.  On the other other hand, the staff behind this is crazy awesome.  Let’s see where this one goes.

Raph: I’m really not much of a mecha fan, but the staff here are pretty phenomenal and the art is fantastic too. And it’s Bones. I’m definitely going to check out the first episode of this; I’m not sure if the show will be my cup of tea, but I’m hopeful (and don’t want to miss out on a potential hit).

Nameless: As much as I love everything BONES animates, this show seems a little out there. The mecha designs seem interesting enough, so I’ll give this show a shot.

Ironman

Rakuen: Marvel is giving Madhouse the opportunity to animate Iron Man. Apparently, there’ll be more Marvel adaptations in the seasons to come. I would pay out the nose for Deadpool to be in there somewhere, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. For now, I think Iron Man is cool and I want to see where this project goes.

Raph: I was very much impressed by the trailer, but I feel this could go either way in terms of plot development. Will we get an engaging, complex story or will things stick closer to a villain of the week format? I’m hoping for the former, and I’d like to think there’s a good chance we’ll get this, what with the creative license Madhouse have been given with the story. I’m definitely going to check out at least the first episode of this.

Nameless: Why Marvel feels the need to have all of their properties become anime is beyond me, but I’ll give this a shot.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Rakuen: Oh Gainax, you so crazy.  I’m sure this has been pointed out enough already, but these are the characters’ names.  I agree with Scamp, this seems a lot like the Powerpuff Girls to me.  However, since I like Gainax, it at least deserves a try from me.  I say this either works out crazy awesome, or so bad it’s good.  I’m banking on the latter.

Raph: This will either be spectacular or spectacularly awful, and with not much a lot of material to judge from at this stage, it’s hard to make a call. The premise sounds fun, though. I’m definitely going to see how this goes; I think I’ll end up deciding what I think about Panty and Stocking within five minutes of it beginning.

Lvlln: Well, it’s GAINAX, so I feel obliged to give it a shot. But it also looks a hell of a lot like Powerpuff Girls, and I don’t mean it in a good way. Who knows, I was highly skeptical of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann at the beginning, but it ended up as one of my all time favorites. Then there was Evangelion 2.22 that exceeded my expectations in every way. GAINAX has earned my faith.

Psychic Detective Yakumo

Rakuen: So Yakumo can see spirits and wants to release them.  Well that’s a pretty admirable goal.  Here’s the deal.  I like mysteries, but I don’t like horror mysteries, and that seems to be just about all Japan wants to turn out recently.  I’ll wait to see how this series pans out, perhaps watching it after the season has ended.

Raph: I’m a huge fan of both supernatural and mystery series, so this is yet another series I’m going to look out for. I’ve read a couple of chapters each of the two manga versions of this (one is complete at 9 chapters, one is ongoing); I quite liked both, and I think an anime version will do good things for this. I’ll check this out.

Nameless: While I’ll definitely watch this show, I can’t help but wonder why every super power these days manifests itself in the eyes. Where are the super smelling and hearing shows?

Kuragehime

Rakuen: Okay, so what we have here is a trap in the fujoshi world.  This premise sounds strangely intriguing to me.  Something about the art style reminds me of Tatami Galaxy.  It’s also on the Noitamina block.  You know what?  Let’s do this, why the hell not?

Raph: This is one of the series I’m most eagerly anticipating. Based on an award-winning josei manga with a genuinely interesting premise, animated by Brain’s Base, and airing in the noitaminA timeslot, this has so much potential to be brilliant. To top this all off, Takahiro Omori – who was behind Baccano!, Natsume Yuujinchou and Durarara!! – is directing. My expectations are high.

Nameless: While the cross dressing male in a female apartment complex certainly seems like an interesting premise, I’m not sure that it can carry a show for a whole season. Usually, shows seems to reserve these types of characters for supporting roles. I’ll watch it out of curiosity more than anything.

Bakuman

Rakuen: So this is the anime aiming to make writing AND art fun?  A series about drawing manga just sounds like it could be a lot of good fun.  Really, I feel like I need it right about now when school and work are beating the daylights out of me.  Then it has the school setting on top of it.  Definite watch for me.

Raph: I’ve read some of the manga and found it pretty absorbing – the storyline is good and the characters are strong. Kenichi Kasai, behind Honey and Clover and Kimikiss, is one of two directors and the very experienced Reiko Yoshida is doing series composition. With what seems to be a two-cour run, JC Staff will really have the opportunity to bring this to life. I’ll check this out.

Nameless: How a show about two guys trying to become manga artists is getting the most pre season buzz is beyond me. However, I have enjoyed other shows that have utilized this general premise as a part of its plot, so this seems like a good bet to me.

Togainu No Chi

Rakuen: Okay, so first of all this anime is based off an eroge, which in my opinion is a total crapshoot.  Then, it’s based off a yaoi eroge.  I’m not saying the series will suck, and the post-apocalyptic back drop might make a good setting for this series.  It’s just way out of my range.

Raph: The fact that this is based on an adult BL game will probably turn a lot of people off, but in all likelihood, the anime will stick much closer to the manga adaptation of the series (which has almost zero yaoi content, aside from some undertones). Expect Street Fighter but with bishies and – I hope – a plot. I read a couple of chapters of the manga and it didn’t really grab me, but hopefully this will do a better job of that. I’ll give this a shot.

Nameless: After reading the show’s description I have to admit I was at first pretty intrigued. But then, I found out it was shounen-ai, and my interest faded immediately.

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru

Rakuen: I tried watching a maid comedy before in Kaichou wa Maid-sama, but after a few weeks I ended up losing interest.  But you know what?  Clumsy is a pretty good tool for funny, so long as you don’t end up relying on the same jokes over and over again.  The love triangle makes it a little more interesting too.  I need humor, so I want to give this a shot.

Raph: This could go so many ways, but I’m excited about this series revolving around a wannabe-detective-maid-cafe-staffer (hooray!). It’s a slice of life comedy with none other than Shinbo at the helm, so I’m expecting something engaging and offbeat. I expect Shaft’s signature style to rear its head, and I’m also looking forward to seeing what they can do with a bigger budget after the success of Bakemonogatari. I’m certainly going to take a look at this.

Lvlln: I know very little about the source material, but being the Shinbo fanboy that I am, I’ll definitely be watching this. The whole cafe thing seems to be in vogue lately, with The President is a Maid! and Working!! from last season, and Shaft’s own excellent Natsu no Arashi!! series.

I’m happy to see Chiaki Omigawa get a starring role again, really her first since playing Maka in Soul Eater. Shinbo definitely seems to like her; up until this season’s Seitokai Yakuindomo, the only roles she had besides in Maka were in his works. I’m a fan, and I think her sweet, innocent voice will go well with the character Hotori Arishiyama. Opposite her will be Yuuki Aoi as Toshiko Tatsuno.  Also, @wah__ posted something about the OP and soundtrack being done by Round Table featuring Nino (why Shaft chose them for THIS show when their other one would have made so much more sense, I’ll never know), a band of which I’m a moderate fan. I definitely want to blog one of the Shaft shows, and I’m leaning towards this one just because I already did the first season of Arakawa Under the Bridge.

Nameless: As much as I love almost everything that SHAFT does, I’m not really a fan of maids. While that wasn’t really a deal breaker, the old cross-dressing guy from the preview completely turned me off to this series. One SHAFT show is enough for me.

Shinryaku! Ika Musume

Rakuen: Again, things are getting silly in this season preview.  This time, Squid Girl wants to punish humanity for polluting the ocean.  There’s just one problem.  She’s stuck working at a beach-house!  This doesn’t sound like an anime, this sounds like the setup of a feel-good ABC comedy.  Potentially adorable and funny.

Raph: I like the manga – it’s light, mildly quirky, and fun – so I was really pleased when I saw this was getting an anime adaptation. And then I saw the studio. Diomedea, previously known as Studio Barcelona, are most famous for Kodomo no Jikan and Nogizaka Haruka, and that worries me a little. On the other hand, the director – who has previously worked on xxxHolic, Ookiku Furikabutte and Genshiken - gives me hope that this will turn out alright. I’m going to proceed with cautious optimism.

Nameless: This reminds me of a cross between Excel Saga and Al Gore, and as much as I love Excel Saga this just looks too generic.

Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge

Rakuen: I’m sorry guys, I just fell off the Arakawa wagon about halfway into the series.  I appreciated social commentary embedded in the humor.  It just didn’t quite jive with me, especially with other series to watch.  However, if there’s any sequel which might get me to watch the original material, it’s this one.

Lvlln: I blogged the first season to this in the spring. The last episode had been followed immediately by a season 2 announcement, but who would have known that it would come this soon?

I am very much looking forward to this one, because the first season felt incomplete. Though many people seem to have liked the off-the-wall comedy of this show, I always felt that that was the weaker portion it. Rather, I was interested in and impressed by the story of the growing romance between Nino and Riku, and that was left hanging at the final episode. I want to find out more about their future together. And more about Nino’s past. The first season did a beautiful job exploring Riku’s painful past. I hope that the second season does an equally good job doing Nino’s.

Plus, the addition of the Amazonian, played by Yuu Kobayashi at the end of the first season, yet another big name to an already star studded cast: Hiroshi Kamiya as Riku, Keiji Fujwara as the Chief, Sugita Tomokazu as Star, Takehito Koyasu as Sister, Miyuki Sawashiro as Maria, Chiwa Saito as Stella, Chiaki Omigawa as P-ko, all headed by the amazing Maaya Sakamoto as Nino. Not to mention the cameos by Rie Tanaka and Yuko Goto.

Nameless: I love Nino. I love SHAFT. I will be watching this.

Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls

Rakuen: Take Sengoku Basara, but replace the cast with girls.  Now, add in D’Artagnan from the Three Musketeers.  Season with a school setting and mix thoroughly.  You’ve got this series.  I have a lot of interest in the Sengoku period after watching Basara, but I can guarantee this is going to be more of a fanservice fest than a cool fighting series.  This one is doubtful.

Raph: From the people who brought you Queen’s Blade comes… the exact same thing, but set in a world far closer to feudal Japan than Europe in the Middle Ages.  I couldn’t get through more than three minutes of Queen’s Blade - no, really, the pre-OP milk-acid-spraying breasts were enough to get me to stop watching – and I don’t anticipate having much more luck here.

Lvlln: The first episode looked promising. Appropriately ridiculous, as I often say. It’s just something that can’t be taken seriously, in the same vein as High School of the Dead, which, incidentally, will continue through next season. Like that show, this has quite the cast, with Rie Kugimiya and Yuu Kobayashi being featured in the first episode. And the entrance of Yuuki Aoi’s character at the end was quite something.

I like the art style as well. There was an emphasis on thick lines on the character outlines, which gave it a distinctive look, very different from other anime. The elaborate backgrounds were pleasing to the eyes, and the animation impressed, though the first episode is never a good indicator of this for the rest of the show.

As a bonus, there’s the lesbian S & M relationship with the maid played by Saori Gouto, i.e. Apology-tan. Hope to see more of that type of fanservice in coming episodes and seeing if the show can keep up the pace of its pleasant craziness.

Nameless: I’ve been fooled too many times with shows like these thinking that they will exclusively focus on the fan service aspect of the show, when they end up spending too much time on the other aspects that no one cares about.

The World God Only Knows

Rakuen: Basically, we have the dating sim master having to apply his talents in the real world.  Considering the disjoint in reality many of these games have, it will probably do a lot for the comedy.  I’m usually not interested in harem shows, but I think I’ll keep my eye on this one.  Because, you know, I actually liked Seitokai no Ichizon…

Raph: The manga version of this is loaded with fantastic art, and it’s both fun and pleasantly self-aware. Manglobe is at the helm of the anime, so I expect that all to translate to screen. On the other hand, though, I haven’t gotten far into the manga (I’ve stopped until I see the anime) and I worry that things could get repetitive quite quickly. Many of my friends in the community are big fans, though, so I have hope – I’ll probably check this out.

Lvlln: The PV was pretty cool, but every description of the show seems to peg it as generic harem. I’ll pass unless I start hearing really good things about it.

Nameless: The whole plot premise seems a bit too convoluted to me for it to actually work. I’ve heard good things though, so I’ll give it a chance.

Otome Youkai Zakuro

Rakuen: I have interest in the Sengoku Period.  I have interest in the Three Kingdoms period, though that’s China.  Strangely, I don’t have must interest in the Meiji Era beyond Rurouni Kenshin, which I haven’t even finished.  If it could realistically talk about racial themes, it might be an interesting watch.  I don’t have much hope for it happening.  I’ll probably pass.

Raph: While I don’t normally go for historical series, the supernatural bent here has me interested. The premise is interesting and inventive, and is coupled with some lovely art, but the director is a mixed bag and I’m not particularly wowed by anything I’ve seen in previews or on the website. I’ll probably give this a go, though.

Nameless: If you are into forbidden furry relationship shows during times of conflict than I guess this show is for you. Personally, I’m not.

Yosuga No Sora

Rakuen: So I think I’ve got this straight.  This is an anime based off a manga based off an eroge.  What could possibly go wrong here?  If this is your kind of thing, it looks like the solid series of the season for you.  For everyone else, you’re probably better off watching Panty & Stocking or something.

Raph: The promo material for this has largely failed to grab me, but the promised mystery elements have piqued my interest somewhat. I may give the first episode a try on a whim, but otherwise I plan to wait and see what others think about this after a few episodes – this is one of those series where I don’t think I’ll mind jumping in later.

To Aru Majutsu No Index S2

Rakuen: I did eventually finish the first season, and I still enjoyed the experience.  A protagonist fighting with a luck score of 0 is entertaining.  Since I’ve actually watched this sequel’s source, I will probably pick it up.  Besides, I want to see if anything else happens with all those Misaka clones.

Raph: I’ll spare you the crazed fanboying and get right down to it: I absolutely cannot wait for this. I loved both Index‘s first season, Railgun – and also love the manga incarnations of both – and the franchise is one of the few that can turn me into a blob of deliriously happy fanboy goop. Anyway, my hopes were already sky-high for this, and the trailer, which showed off gorgeous art and animation, (somehow) made me even more excited.

Lvlln: I watched the first season when I was about halfway done with A Certain Scientific Railgun (which I watched during airing), and I found both shows to be pretty mediocre. Mainly, I couldn’t find anything compelling about the story or the characters (except maybe Harumi Kiyama, the bad gal from the first half of Railgun). A crying shame, because when I was introduced to the unique universe in which these shows were set, I fell in love immediately. There was so much potential to explore interesting science fiction themes, but the stories themselves were just… ordinary.

The exception was the Accelerator/Last Order arc from Index. Accelerator, despite being an asshole, is a far more interesting and compelling protagonist than Touma. Thus it is for his story and just to see more stories take place in this fascinating world that I’ll be watching this second season. I’m not a masochist (not much of one, anyway), so I have no interest in blogging it, but I hope that if I shut my higher functions off, I’ll get some entertainment out of it. And I want more Accelerator. Seriously, I’m gay for him.

Nameless: This show bored me to no end when I recently got around to watching it. At least the graphics in the preview look good.

Motto To-Love-Ru

Rakuen: I have heard of this series before.  I hear about doujins for this hitting at Comiket, and don’t hear much else.  That pretty much tells me all I need to know.

Lvlln: I got a few episodes Into the first season before dropping it. I just can’t stand generic harem shows any more, which is exactly what it sounds like the rest of the first season was.

Still, my one regret is that I missed out on hearing Kana Hanazawa as Mikan. After initially hearing her with the exact same voice for every role – Nadeko from Bakemonogatari, Mato Kuroi from Black Rock Shooter, Anri from Durarara!! and Tenshi from Angel Beats! – then getting to hear a bit more variety in her acting in Seikimatsu Occult Academy, I’m genuinely curious as to how she played Mikan. At the very least, Mikan’s character design doesn’t seem fitting for her usual soft voice. So maybe I’ll download some episodes just to listen to some clips with Mikan talking.

I’ll probably listen for Satomi Arai is Lala’s sarcastic, cynical suit as well.

My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute

Rakuen: Because God knows this kind of little sister trope hasn’t been beaten to death, dragged around the square, and then lit into a massive bonfire.  I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one…

Raph - Whether I’ll enjoy this show or not depends largely on how the premise is handled. If it’s merely a springboard for brocon/siscon jokes and fanservice, I’ll avoid this. But if some genuinely good humour eventuates, I’m more than happy to give this a try. The trailer showed off nice character designs and art, so I’ll happily check this out if others enjoy it.

Lvlln: I’ll have some fun watching this one. It hits somewhat close to home, because I have a little sister myself who is a bit of a weeaboo. Not as much as myself, of course, but enough of one that I can take her to a screening of Evangelion 1.11 and we can talk about it later. Though she’s more into yaoi than lolicon…

So not exactly like Kyousuke Kousaka’s little sister. This show has received a lot of hype, most likely due to the fact that it sounds like an otaku’s dream situation. The PV even makes it look like a harem. So I get the feeling that this show will just be more run of the mill stuff. Regardless, I’ll be checking it out for the hype alone. I’m guessing that I’ll drop it rather quickly.

Nameless: While I first thought this show would focus on incestuous relationships between brothers and sisters, reading the first volume of the manga has allayed me of those fears for now. Instead, this seems like a show focused on otaku sub culture and fitting in. That, along with the cute female lead, make this a must watch in my opinion.

MM!

Rakuen: Masochism?  Well, I guess I have to give it credit for not being entirely derivative.

Raph: My response to this was going to be a solid no, but then I noticed this line in the MAL synopsis  “… he finds Isurugi Mio, a girl who thinks she is a god…”. This may or may not get me to watch an episode or two on impulse. If I do so, I’ll proceed with caution.

Nameless: A lot of shows have used sex based themes to some success in the recent pass. Does this seem like one of them? Not really, but I’m still interested.

Fortune Arterial Red Promise

Rakuen: Harem with Vampires.  Oh boy… It’s kind of funny they already have an OVA planned as well.

Raph: A remote island boarding school. A bishoujo vampire. A hapless male lead (in all likelihood). feel and ZEXCS working together. And the director behind such gems as kiss x sis and Nogizaka Haruka. Suffice to say, I really don’t expect much out of this, but I suppose I’m open to being surprised. If this is lauded, though I doubt it will be, I’ll give it a try.

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes

Rakuen: WHY?  Why does the mystery series have to be a romance game adaptation?  Do you hate me Japan?  I thought we were cool.  I mean, you do the anime thing, and then I watch your stuff for… oh, right.  Maybe this is my punishment.  *sigh*  Whatever, maybe I’ll give it a try.

Raph: I’m nervous about this, and not just because of the title. The character designs are ridiculously saccharin, and the franchise seems to be more Shukufuku no Campanella than Sherlock Holmes (the latter of which I adore). And yet, the bizarre but lulzy and strangely mesmerising PV, and my love for mystery/detective series will most likely lead me to give this series a go. Hooray? (Also, something to note: the main seiyuu cast here are all newbies, with three of the five stars in their first roles and one doing her second, so those who keep a close eye on voice talent might want to give this a look.)

Rakuen here, and it’s that time again.  Time to pretend we actually care about the new series for the Summer season.  Okay, the season really isn’t too bad, and all of us have found at least a few shows to watch.  Compared to the 34-show torrent introduced last season, we only have 18 new additions.  In some ways, I like a smaller season.  I felt overloaded during the Spring season with so many series I wanted to watch.   The horror genre has gotten some disproportionate representation, and we see the return of Digimon from a 3-year hiatus.  Three shows take place during the Sengoku period, including the titular Sengoku Basara.  In addition, AIC is going overboard this season with four new shows.  While we’re talking statistics, this post is 2635 words long!  So enough with the introduction, let’s get on with the series impressions!

High School of the Dead

Madhouse

If you noticed the zombies first, you are ready for the apocalypse!

Rakuen: As soon as I opened up the Summer chart, I was already looking forward to this.  I’ve seen posts on imageboards for years, but I never got around to looking at the manga.  We’ve got a zombie apocalypse, we’ve got a school setting, now just give me a plot and I’ll be all over it.  Madhouse is just the icing on the cake for this series.

Lvlln: My main interest in this comes from the fact that it’s about zombies and a few risqué looking images from the manga I saw posted on /a/. That said, it does star a few of my favorite voice actors: Miyuki Sawashiro, Marina Inoue, whom I haven’t seen in any of the shows I’ve watched recently, and FUCK YEAH Yukari Fukui! I absolutely adore her voice, since all the way back in FLCL when she played the teacher, Miyaji. There’s a voice actor who doesn’t do enough voices. Plus, it’s about zombies, and the trailer looks appropriately ridiculous. I’ll definitely be watching it, though my interest in blogging it is medium-low.

Raph: I’m not going to lie: this looks like it’ll be a ridiculous amount of mindless fun. There’s fighting, blood, melodrama and zombies, and Madhouse is at the helm, so gorgeous animation looks to be on the cards too. I don’t like fanservice (as I continually point out) and this series will certainly have a lot of it, but I’ll probably let that slide because I’ll be having too much fun to care. If I’m not, though, I expect to drop this faster than you can say ‘brains’.

Seikimatsu Occult Academy

A-1 Pictures

Sit, boy!

Rakuen: I liked Sora no Woto, even though it didn’t have the greatest ending in the world.  I managed to lose interest in Senkou no Night Raid before anyone had even subbed the first episode.  This time, the premise doesn’t really appeal to me, and the trailer failed to piqué my interest.

Lvlln: I watched the 1st of the Anime no Chikara shows, Sora no Woto, and was pretty disappointed. I haven’t heard good things about the 2nd one, Senkou no Night Raid. The premise sounds interesting enough, but the trailer isn’t inspiring. I might wait for people’s reactions to the 1st few episodes before I consider watching it.

Raph: Admittedly, I haven’t enjoyed either of Anime no Chikara’s offerings so far, even though I love the idea behind the timeslot and A-1 Pictures. I’m going to give this a shot, though, because I’m a sucker for occult/horror series, and this one also has school comedy thrown in (generally another plus). The show looks to be using Nostradamus’ prophecies as a theme, which should be a heap of fun, and I really liked the trailer too. I’m somewhat apprehensive, but I’ll definitely check this out.

Shi Ki

Daume

...I think I'll hide under my bed now.

Rakuen: This kind of falls into the same boat as Occult Gakuin.  I’m not really a fan of the horror genre except in really specific situations.  Zombies are cool, mysterious deaths by some other worldly power are right out.  With that in consideration, I would probably choose this series over Gakuin based on the trailers.  It knows what it wants to do, and it looks like it can do it might do it with a better atmosphere than the train wreck of Ookami Kakushi.

Lvlln: I’ll be honest: the 1st thing that caught me about this one was the title, which is the same as the name of the protagonist of Tsukihime, one of my favorite anime dramas ever. Of course, Type-Moon’s previous work, Kara no Kyoukai, also shares a protagonist with the same name. The premise brings to mind Ookami Kakushi, which I dropped after a couple episodes, but then again, it’s never about the premise, it’s all about the execution. The character designs don’t do much for me, but maybe it could pull off a good horror/suspense. Probably won’t be watching it unless I start hearing a lot of good things about it.

Raph: I have been looking forward to this series as soon as it was announced. Not only will it air in the Noitamina timeslot, it’s also based on an incredibly atmospheric manga (which, in turn, was based on a light novel by the author of Ghost Hunt and Twelve Kingdoms). The trailer was extremely impressive, showing off strong art and music, and horror/mystery is a combination I really adore. There are also vampires, which will be off-putting for some, but they’re portrayed differently to the norm. There ain’t no sparkly prettyboys (admittedly, there are bishies; I’m sorry, I’m sorry!) here, just a boatload of mysterious deaths. Suffice to say, it’s a definite watch for me and a possible blog as well. [/end shameless and unsubtle fanboying]

Nurarihyon no Mago

Studio DEEN

I see you sprayed your hair with anti-gravity.

Rakuen: My immediate reaction was Inuyasha 2.0, but the similarities seem to change when you get past the protagonist’s design.  Unlike the relatively sour Inuyasha, this Youkai hybrid wants to do good.  I like series that challenge the stereotypes in this manner.  In addition, it doesn’t look like it will be infinite episodes long.  I might consider a quick look.

Lvlln: Premise sounds kinda meh, and the trailer really didn’t show much. Has some big voice actors, though, in Jun Fukuyama, Yui Horie, and Aya Hirano. But interest level is low.

Raph: The director and studio behind this also did Simoun, which I haven’t seen but am certainly planning to. I don’t think I’ll be watching this series unless it gets fantastic reviews, though, because the premise and setting don’t appeal to me at all.

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes

ZEXCS

Well this looks like a delightful adventure cast.

Rakuen: Are thesauruses just too expensive in Japan?  The redundant title aside, this seems like a mixed bag to me.  It has a fantasy setting with magic and swordplay, but it also might move a little too slowly for my tastes.  Breaking swords to end a fight in five seconds looks impressive, but if you want to do it, you have to have something else to fill the cracks, like Katanagatari’s wordplay.  I’ll wait for some reviews.

Lvlln: OK, so the title is pretty awesome. I might watch it just for that. The trailer was pretty funny, and I do enjoy that classic fantasy setting, so I’ll probably give the first few episodes a go and see how it turns out.

Amagami SS

AIC

Can we go for the Harem End this time?

Rakuen: I don’t usually put a much stock into romance anime, but the premise at least looks interesting.  I like stories from multiple viewpoints.  On the other hand, this might suffer a little from Endless Eight syndrome.  After all, in many of these choose your path visual novels, the same events happen in multiple storylines, some in all of them.  Much of Amagami hinges on its ability to avoid repetition.

Lvlln: I’m really interested to see how this parallel story telling thing will turn out. I like how AIC decided to go in that direction in this adaptation, trying to tell several good romance stories instead of telling just one that is diluted and harem-style. I also really like the more realistic/muted character design. High school romance isn’t really my thing, but I’ll watch at least the 1st story just to see how it turns out.

Raph: I love stories in any medium with multiple plotlines, and this should also satisfy my romance-anime cravings. I’m inexplicably nervous about the show, however, and am meh on the character designs, but I’m going to check out the first episode regardless. If I like it, I may very well blog it too.

Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi

J.C. Staff

It's party time!

Rakuen: I’ve heard good things about Toradora.  Even my cousin Jnkolm has said it’s a pretty good series, well worth the time to watch, and he’s a guy who is generally impossible to impress.  With weight like that, I feel obliged to watch it.  Oh, wait.  This is Ookami-san?  Sorry, my bad.  Well, I’ll watch the series recommended to me first, then I might come back for this.

Lvlln: I haven’t watched Toradora, but even I was thinking that this is too similar to that show, especially after watching the trailer. Looking at the cast, it features a lot of the same voice actors as the RailDex series, like Kanae Itou (Saten), Shizuka Itou (Kaori Kanzaki, the girl with the katana from Index), Kimiko Koyama (Komoe, the loli teacher), Aki Toyosaki (Uiharu), and of course it’s easy to tell that Satomi Arai is narrating the trailer. In any case, this seems a bit too much of a run of the mill high school comedy for me, so I’ll pass.

Raph: While I’ll be the first to admit that one of the leads looks remarkably like a taller Taiga (from Toradora!), I actually love the character designs and the art style here. I also love J.C. Staff and the premise is great, so I’m hoping this will be a lot of fun. Definite watch for me and also a possible blog.

Mitsudomoe

Bridge

What the hell have you done to sixth grade?

Rakuen: Minami-ke had class.  Hanamaru Kindergarten had charm.  This… you know what?  Screw this.

Lvlln: Reading the description, I thought maybe this could be a cute show like Hanamaru Kindergarten ended up being. But looking at the trailer, no, this is just lolicon material. I’ll pass.

Raph: Despite the horrendous character designs, I was considering checking this out. That was until I saw the trailer, which I found unimpressive and unfunny. No thanks.

Asobi ni Ikuyo!

AIC Plus+

What a purrfect female lead!

Rakuen: Every series needs to have a catgirl stylized anime.  It looks like AIC Plus missed the memo on this one, because Strike Witches has already filled the bill.  It also uses the “mysterious girl” trope.  I’m not feeling it.

Lvlln: Sounds like another typical “girl falls out of the sky into a boy’s life” story. I’ll pass.

Raph: There’s a strong voice cast and surprisingly good character designs here, but the premise seems really cliché and it looks like there’s going to be a hell of a lot of fanservice. I may give this show the benefit of the doubt  and check out the first episode, though, if only so I can drop it because of too much T&A.

Seitokai Yakuindomo

GoHands

I want YOU to come up with an original premise!

Rakuen: I really liked Seitokai no Ichizon back in the winter season, and while the school setting is slightly different, the setup is roughly the same.  We have a guy, and he works with a bunch of girls.  Of course, Ichizon went the parody route, and this one might go for regular comedy instead.  Still, I’m trying not to flood myself with anime this season, so I’ll wait for a second opinion.

Raph: Ahh, the student council comedy. I’m of two minds about this: the set-up is pretty bad (in a newly co-ed school’s student council, there’s one boy among a bevy of gorgeous girls) and I don’t like the character designs. However, I do think there’s potential for humour and this could be funny. I plan to check out the first episode, but it probably won’t be a high priority on my watch list.

Shukufuku no Campanella

AIC

If you can't tell this is based off an eroge, get your eyes checked.

Rakuen: …no.

Lvlln: So this one apparently literally has a girl falling out of the sky and into a boy’s life. I do like the colorful backdrop in the trailer, but it also seems too sugary sweet for me. I’ll pass.

Raph: I found the trailer and character designs bland, and I don’t like the premise, but I at least liked the colour palette and backgrounds. I’m not going to watch this unless it gets heaps of praise from others in the aniblogosphere.

Black Rock Shooter

Ordet

This OVA will be an absolute blast.

Lvlln: OK, so this was in the Spring preview post, but like a certain other online streaming anime, it was delayed. And just like that one, it also stars Kana Hanazawa and Miyuki Sawashiro. In just the past year, those 2 have been in 3 shows together: Bakemonogatari, Durarara!, and Angel Beats! (ok, for like 1 episode in that one). I was excited about the show already, being a big fan of Supercell and also of Hatsune Miku, but the announcement of these voice actors puts my excitement level over the top. This is one I’ll be looking for torrents for the moment it’s released on July 24.

Sequel Blitzkrieg

I (Rakuen) know most people gloss over the sequel and franchise preview segments because you usually know exactly what to expect.  If you liked it last season, you’ll probably still like it, and if you didn’t, you won’t have interest.  However, I have interest in two of the series, so I figured I should throw in a little extra and cover all five.  No images, studios, or other extraneous information, this is just rapid-fire titles and impressions.

Sengoku Basara S2

Are you ready guys?  Put ya guns on!  I watched the first two episode of the first season for this post, specifically because of the meme.  It’s over the top action that’s just good fun.  I have to blitz the rest of the series to prepare for the next season.  This will probably be what I write about in addition to Giant Killing.

Kuroshitsuji 2

I read the first volume of the manga, and honestly, I kind of liked it.  I never watched the anime, which is both good and bad.  On the positive side, they wrote a completely different storyline.  On the negative side… they wrote a completely different storyline.  I’m trying to avoid overwatching series this season, so I’ll probably pass on it.

Strike Witches 2

Second verse, same as the first.  It’s got girls, sailor fuku, panty shots, and rocket booster legs.  I remember seeing the first episode of the original about a year ago, and it just felt like a fanservice fest.  You’d have to cut me a tremendous deal to get me to catch up.

Sekirei: Pure Engagement

Bishonen and shoujo characters beat the crap out of each other.  Okay, honestly, I’d rather watch Tenjou Tenge.  In fact, I might just do that instead.

Digimon Xros Wars

Say what you will about Digimon, but this is my childhood we’re talking about here.  I feel like watching this just for nostalgia reasons.  Also, it looks like it will parallel the Sengoku period.  I doubt I will seriously write about the series, but maybe there’ll be some conjunction to Sengoku Basara…

Springtime is supposed to be a time of rebirth… but will it be a healing time for the weary, scarred-for-life anime fans out there who are tired of being fed crap each season? Don’t get us wrong, there have been some really good series in the past 3 or so years, but there’s also been tons of legitly horrible shows.

The consensus at BH is that this season’s fairly lame again, but there are several shows we think might be decent or even good. And since we have more bloggers on board, we’ll get a broader look at the season than usual.

The usual disclaimers: We try not to hate on something too hard without watching it (except for the ecchi trash) and all of this is subject to change. Episode count information is scarce this season, and even definite air dates are unknown for some series, especially the ONAs.

Ai no Kusabi
13 episodes?, starts releases in March, animated by AIC

CJ: So this is a remake of an old yaoi OVA? Interesting that they should be bothered making a remake, but I’ll pass; yaoi’s not my thing.
Crisu: I’m not a yaoi fan, but based on the apparent track record of this show’s longevity, I perhaps ought to look into this if I were a fan.  A strict social system is in place that allows males to serve other males (insert teasing here), the highest-ranked ones are forbidden to have sex (oh the tension), and there are slums in a neighboring city where such rules don’t apply (conflict and suspense).  Looks like a lot of good elements to see boys yearn for one another.  I won’t be watching, but I’ll probably hear about it from a few people nonetheless.
Dave: I should start by saying that man love isn’t wholly my bag. (I did, however, see one of the OVAs a while back.) This is what you get when you mix yaoi and Ghost In The Shell. No, really. It’s hard to define just what sort of Orwellian overtones exist here, but if the critical reception of the manga is any indication this should be worth watching if it’s up your alley.

Angel Beats
starts in April, animated by PA Works

CJ: Angels are overdone. Girls with guns are overdone. Why do I get the feeling I’m going to watch this anyway?
Crisu: Yes, definitely. I am a Key fan, so it’s a must-watch. And PA Works will be a treat — gives me a break from KyoAni for a while.
Rakuen: An organization in the afterlife wants to war against God. They’re sure going to have hell to pay. Well, the trailer looks certainly looks interesting; though I have a feeling the fanservice stick will hit it a few times. That never killed anyone though, right?
Raphael: Wow, what a pedigree! Original story by Key, animation by PA Works and the trailer looks stunning. I’m also a sucker for supernatural battle-type shows and the afterlife theme seems really interesting. I can’t wait for this one.

Arakawa Under the Bridge
starts in April, animated by Shaft

CJ: Most of Shaft’s shows haven’t really caught my eye, lately, though I have been really meaning to watch Bakemonogatari… Maybe I’ll follow this, maybe not; I think it’ll come down to what the blogosphere says and how much free time I have.
Crisu: I see a star-head man and a green (frog?) man. And it’s by Shaft. Nevermind, this is TOTALLY normal.
Rakuen: A guy almost drowns, but a girl saves him. He becomes her boyfriend, but has to live under a bridge with her. I am very confused here, and the commercial doesn’t really help clear things up, though it prominently features a kappa. MAL lists the genre as comedy, which seems like a given, so I will try to give it a shot.
lvlln: I’ll definitely be watching this primarily for 2 reasons: it’s being produced by Shaft, and it stars Maaya Sakamoto as the female lead. I don’t know anything about the source material, but I have greatly enjoyed the unique spin Shaft puts on their adaptations, whether they be drama or comedy or both. And I could listen to Maaya’s voice all day (in fact, I sometimes do, putting her music on my playlist). This is one I would definitely like to blog.
Raphael: This is one of the shows I’m eagerly awaiting. It’s Shaft, it’s got a strong voice cast and it looks both fun and bizarre. I’m definitely going to check this out and I may blog this.
Dave: I’m not really sure what I can say about this. Plotwise, it just seems like an archetypal Love Story. Visually, though, I want to touch the Star Guy’s head. I bet it will make me invulnerable.

B Gata H Kei
starts April 1, animated by Hal Film Maker

CJ: Wow. I am a nun compared to this chick.
Crisu: o.O Hrm. The synopsis gives me a negative impression just based on the aspiration itself. But that could just be the lonesome single me taking out my frustrations on an anime character. Most likely a comedy or the plot wouldn’t really go too well on TV; my first impression of the artwork is good. I’ll wait on the reception.
Rakuen: If you heard a cracking sound, that was my soul breaking just a little bit more. A girl wants to become a promiscuous socialite but finds the boy of her dreams. I’m going with pure ecchi trash on this one.
Raphael: I quite like Hal Film Maker, but seriously. Yuck. Even if the humour is good, I don’t think I can get past the premise.

Black Rock Shooter
unknown start date, animated by Ordet
(Admin note: Most sources are saying this was originally announced as a Spring 2010 series, but there’s nothing indicating that on the website now. Draw your own conclusions…)

CJ: I really couldn’t care less about an anime based on a Hatsune Miku song… I mean, really, what is the plot of this thing going to be? Supposedly the creator of the character has a whole world fleshed out and everything, but… Eh…
Crisu: Am interested! The pilot was super short, but it gave a glimpse of what could be. It stirred some talk in ISML land, so I don’t know what will become of BRS come 2011. She definitely has the looks. And the ability to fight could rival Shana (although the Flame Haze has a lot more story behind her).
Rakuen: I honestly have no idea about this, but I already see a tremendous number of members logged on MAL for it, so I think I will take the plunge on it.
lvlln: I found out about this one by being a fan of Supercell. I liked how the PVs have stayed true to the art from the original video. The fact that the PV uses the original track as well leaves me wondering if they’ll actually have Hatsune Miku as the voice for songs in the show. I hope Supercell is involved in this in some way and that maybe we’ll get to hear Black Rock Shooter sung with Nagi’s wonderful voice. Definitely gonna be watching this.

D.C. ~Da Capo~ Ext
starts in April, animated by Feel

CJ: Do you really think I’m going to waste my time on generic moeblobs?
Crisu: A retelling? Since I hadn’t gotten to the original series yet, would this be a decent substitute to catch up on it all?
Rakuen: I never watched any of Da Capo, and looking at the series history, it just looks like a passable harem anime built over an eroge. If I understand what little information I can even find, this is like a reboot for the series, and so it’s possible to jump onto this boat if you want. Of course, I could be wrong, but I’m still not really going to care about this series.
lvlln: This fascinates me because way back around 2005/2006, I had watched both seasons of Da Capo back to back. I regret the hours I sunk into that greatly, but it fills me with wonder how I had managed to sit through over 18 hours of such a crappy series. So I’m pretty biased against the show, but I think I’ll watch at least a couple episodes, in a way similar to revisiting an old enemy from middle school. At the least, I wonder if they’ll bring back all the same voice actors.

Giant Killing
starts April 4, animated by DEEN

CJ: This looks cool, but I’m not really into soccer or underdog stories. Maybe I’ll give it a chance if the blogosphere starts saying it’s awesome, but I don’t really trust Studio DEEN anymore…
Rakuen: Here comes another sports anime this season. However, unlike the others, the total underdog story kind of appeals to me. The coach has to pull his team all the way out from rock bottom. I like the animation style as well. So, if I were to pick up a sports related series, I would pick this.
Dave: Couldn’t they just have called in Beckham? Joking aside, my biggest point of interest about this is how you can stretch something that has the same premise as Angels in the Outfield or Remember the Titans into a full-length series (though, since it’s a manga, I guess…). I think I’ll give this one a watch just to find out the answer.

Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
starts in April, animated by DEEN

CJ: Haven’t we had enough wanna-be Byronic heroes for one decade already?
Rakuen: This series tries to put a romance story into the history of the Shinsengumi. I’m not sure what to make of this one. It sounds like a little potential is there, but it screams bishonen and has the potential to devolve into reverse harem. Of course, romance with swordsmen fighting demons is hardly a unique concept either.
Raphael: This is potentially interesting, but I’m thrown by the setting and character designs. So once again, a probable “no”.
Dave: Game-based anime aren’t really doing much for me, but it’s certainly an interestingly-sounding premise, so who knows? I might be surprised by this. Also, it has swords. Can’t go wrong with swords.

Heroman
starts in April, animated by Bones

CJ: This one will either sink horribly or swim quite well… Probably the latter, since it’s Bones. But it’s worth watching the first episode, whether the outcome is win or twisted lulzyness.
Rakuen: I can’t find a video of this on Youtube, but the preview image just screams that it’s trying to be very American in a Japanese culture. You just don’t build a robot sporting the Star-Spangled Banner otherwise. I’d rather watch Iron Man.
Raphael: My thoughts towards this are pretty much the same as mine for Iron Man (switch “Madhouse” with “Bones”) except I think I’ll dive in and watch the first episode of this one, because the art looks strong.
Dave: I want this to be Stan Lee’s take on Giant Robo. I really, really do. I want to watch this.

Hetalia season 3
starts in April?, animated by DEEN

CJ: Maybe I’ll watch this just to get Jenni to stop nagging me…
Crisu: On my list … as well as the prior seasons. I know they’re short; it won’t take me long to catch up! But any bit of learning in anime, even if it’s silly, is praiseworthy for the attempt.
Rakuen: Completely missed Hetalia, and I have no stake in trying to catch up. I’m sorry if that makes me uncool.

House of Five Leaves
starts April 15, animated by Manglobe

CJ: I’ve been meaning to check out the manga via IKKI, but I might as well just try this. The concept doesn’t intrigue me that much, but it’s worth a shot, just for the sake of trying something different…
Rakuen: I am a sucker for samurais and swords as well. This time we have a shy and unconfident samurai. After everyone else throws him out, he ends up joining a gang though, and finds himself sucked into the work and motivation. It sounds like it’s trying to explore the concept that darkness isn’t necessarily evil, which again, is a mechanic I enjoy, so I might give it a shot.
Dave: Now, I didn’t really watch Secret Blacksmith, and it’s been a while since I dug out Michiko to Hatchin, so my relationship with Manglobe has become a bit stale. They’ve never failed to deliever visually, and given that this is yet another period piece (hi, Samurai Champloo) they’ve certainly got the experience to do it. Looking forward to this.

Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maou
starts in April, animated by Artland

CJ: This… looks dumb. Like, legit shounen-y trash. There could be potential in this, but I’m really not seeing it, especially with the lame promo art.
Rakuen: Just looking at the promotional image screams ecchi harem. What’s worse is that it sticks itself into the magical academy ground that many series have already treaded. Maybe if the spring season were less populated, I’d give it a look, like Omamori Himari from this season. There’s just too much going on already to justify watching it.
Raphael: Iffy on this one, but there’s a solid voice cast and I’ll definitely check out the first episode. This could be the show that I watch (and enjoy) but would never tell anyone in RL about, a la Saki and Kampfer.

Ikkitousen – Xtreme Xecutor
starts March 26, animated by TNK

CJ: You know, if I wanted to watch hot girls fighting, I’d go watch women’s wrestling or something.
Rakuen: This is one of those Three Kingdoms heroes as hot girls anime, and it’s the fourth season. I have actually looked at both the anime and manga in the past; you really aren’t missing much here. It’s not much more than your standard ecchi combat fare.
Dave: Lord, is this the Spring season or the Three Kingdoms season? I kid, I kid. Dragon Destiny did mildly interest me though, so I’m not writing this off yet. Not to mention that I’m a college-age male and thus am not immune to the charms (or lack thereof) of fanservice…

Iron Man
starts  in October?, animated by Madhouse and Marvel
(Admin note: Iron Man has allegedly been pushed back to October, but we’re leaving it in this preview just in case.)

CJ: Hmmm. Part of me wants to write this off because I pretty much hate the superhero genre. Part of me wants to embrace this because it’s a fusion of Japanese and American talents. And the last part of me just wants to watch this out of curiosity… Which means I will be trying the first episode.
Crisu: Introducing Tony Stark, the bishie! I watched an anime version of Batman once, and I swear I did not recognize Bruce Wayne until someone said his name, even though he had been on screen and speaking for several minutes. I was like “No way that could be him” … but it was. And so I expect the same in this anime. However— Iron Man gets to exploit the anime laws of energy blasts and flight a lot more than Batman can, so I expect this to be exciting.
Rakuen: Marvel is giving Madhouse the opportunity to animate Iron Man. Apparently, there’ll be a different Marvel character for the next three seasons as well. I would pay out the nose for Deadpool to be in there somewhere. For now, I think Iron Man is cool and I want to see where this project goes.
Raphael: Eh, I’m kinda iffy about this. It could be great, with Madhouse at the helm, but it could also crash and burn. I’ll probably wait to see what the consensus is in the blogosphere before giving this a shot.
Dave: Hey! Finally, I can watch an anime version of one of my favorite c-OH WAIT NO I CAN’T. I’m used to video games getting delays, but anime? Preposterous.

K-ON! season 2
13 episodes?, starts April 6, animated by KyoAni

CJ: Never watched season 1, and probably never will. The music was pretty good, though, so I’m glad a second season is being made. At the very least, I’ll check out the OSTs.
Crisu: Well I already went through the whole first season; might as well keep going. Mio is cute, sure, but she’s rather overdone. Azusa also doesn’t seem to have a very defining personality; she’s just the helpless target of moe-based attacks. I mean at least Mikuru is a time traveler and knows classified information. I kinda want them to play music more … and not just go on a picnic. Bring back a new Lucky Star season if you want simple stuff like that. Much better characters there.
Rakuen: I tried to watch the first season and didn’t get past the first episode. Then again, I’m sure you don’t need my recommendation here anyway. If KyoAni’s announcement didn’t get you pumped, you’re probably not interested.
lvlln: I feel similarly about this show as I do about D.C. ~Da Capo~ Ext. Except the first season of K-ON! was wildly more popular, and by the time it had come out, I had learned to stop watching a show if I hated it. Indeed, I only watched the first 4 episodes of season 1. In any case, given how popular this show was, and how I did mostly enjoy its music, I’ll be giving the second season a shot. Pretty sure I’ll be dropping it quickly, though.
Raphael: So I watched the first series. I enjoyed the first series. The first series made me laugh. But I can’t help but feel like I’m losing my patience with the girls of Hokugou Tea Time. A solid “maybe”.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
starts April 1, animated by JC Staff

Crisu: This sounds pretty interesting.  Reminds me briefly of the Railgun episode where the tough-as-nails dorm manager also has a soft romantic side.  Though I’m not sure if the heroine here does the maid cafe because she likes it or because she just needs the money.  It’s a nice contrast, though, and perhaps is a great excuse to slip in moe shots of a tough character — a forced tsundere appearance if you will.  But heck, she might actually be one.  With JC Staff behind the reins on this, I feel it has potential.
Rakuen: A girl tries to lead her school as the class president… but she works at a maid café. Amazingly, this lacks the ecchi tag on MAL, which in some ways gives me hope. I haven’t seen a good romantic comedy since, well, ever. I might try it if I have time.
CJ: This……… I……… This is just. No.

Kiss x Sis
starts in April, animated by Feel

CJ: Do I even NEED to provide caustic commentary for this one? No? Good.
Crisu: Ah, wow. I watched the OVA and admittingly enjoyed it. But an anime was not on my list of expectations. Oh goodness. But I guess I can’t help but check it out. It’ll probably be heavy on the censorship save for the DVD releases. I just find the situation so awkward — two step-sisters wanting to jump you at moment’s notice .. and your parents APPROVE — that I’m very curious as to what crazy situation the writers can come up with next.
Rakuen: It’s kind of refreshing to have a series that is exactly what it says on the tin. Of course, it’s still an ecchi comedy with pseudo-incest in it, but at least it’s honest!
lvlln: I tried to read the manga when it first came out a couple years ago, but I couldn’t. The premise is just too much of an ero-setup to take seriously. So it might have worked if it had actually been hentai, but as an actual anime or manga with no “payoff,” it just isn’t interesting. Not gonna be watching unless some shitstorm breaks out on the internet about this. I don’t think that’s likely.

Mayoi Neko Overrun!
starts in April, animated by AIC

CJ: Screw catgirls, I want more of the cats in Sketchbook ~full color’S~.
Rakuen: Yep, another ecchi comedy involves cats, and this one has a stepsister too! I believe this is the third season in a row with one of these, perhaps it’s become a niche trend again. While I did watch Himari this season, I’m don’t feel even remotely interested in this one.
Dave: For some strange reason I can’t comprehend, I get flashbacks of Bottle Fairy when I read about this. Though, I can’t quite tell which direction this series goes in. They take in catgirls, but then what? My money’s on Michael Vick making a cameo appearance here somewhere.

Ookiku Furikabatte ~Natsu no Taikai-hen~
starts April 1, animated by A-1 Pictures

CJ: OoFuri (released as Big Windup! in the US) has a bit of a following among girls, and it’s baseball, which I love… But I haven’t watched the first season. Still, maybe I’ll give this a shot if some of the other series I want to watch this season suck.
Rakuen: I don’t really get into sports anime, and as this is the second season, I doubt that I will get into this either. If that’s your thing, by all means go for it.
Dave: Again? All of my female, under-21, baseball-loving friends told me I’d love this (and oddly enough that’s a surprisingly large constituency), but, no. I make an enemy of Japan when I say that baseball is not my favorite sport, and by extension I’m not too thrilled about an anime based around it.

Rainbow – Nisha Rokubo no Shichinin
starts April 6, animated by Madhouse

Rakuen: Another Madhouse show, and I am definitely interested in this series as well. It focuses on delinquents who went through a rough time of reformation and their lives after release. From some of my previous posts, you might know that I love the delinquent characters because they have so much room for growth. I hope someone picks up this series.
CJ: Rakuen’s description makes it clear that this is one of the most original concepts this season. That said, I probably won’t end up watching this, just because I’ll be busy following other series. Doesn’t mean I won’t give it a try, though.
Dave: This one sounds good. Haven’t read the manga but there doesn’t seem to be any mystical overtones, so that’s a plus. It kind of gives me a vibe akin to The Outsiders, only probably much more violent.

Senko no Night Raid
13 episodes?, starts April 5, animated by A-1 Pictures

CJ: The art was what caught my eye first… And then the concept really got my attention. Since it’s A-1 Pictures, it could be really good, but it could also fall flat. Just because it’s about spies doesn’t automatically mean it’s awesome. I’ll give this a try, but if the lead ends up being an uberawesome James Bond-wannabe Gary Stu, we’re gonna have problems.
Rakuen: This is the original work to replace Sora no Woto in the Anime no Chikara timeslot. The short of it is… spies in China. Now, I am a fan of the TV show Burn Notice, so I have a definite interest in spies. Of course, I imagine this will be more dramatic and less witty, but that’s fine too. In addition, the trailer has a big explosion as an added bonus.
Raphael: I’m looking forward to this. I love spy dramas, and the setting is definitely different to the usual anime fare. It’s also being animated by A-1 Pictures, which I consider to be a leading studio, and is showing in TV Tokyo’s “Power of Anime” timeslot, so I’ll definitely give it a try and may even blog this.
Dave: Now this is something I really like the thought of. I watched the trailer and it really does look neat, plus it’s got that 1930’s espionage thing going for it.

Shin Koihime Musou – Otome Tairan
starts in April, animated by Dogakobo

CJ: Why are they making another one? Can we steal the funds from this and pour it into another season of Darker than Black please?
Crisu: I want to know more about the Three Kingdoms saga in general. And yes this anime is not the best source at all for it, so I totally expected it to go just one season and then disappear into the vault. But nooo~. Maybe I’ll just go play Dynasty Warriors again. Or, yeah yeah I know .. actually read the book. x.x
Rakuen: Speak of the bloody devil, it’s the other Three Kingdoms ecchi series. MAL rates this slightly higher, and it’s only season two, so if something possesses you to watch one or the other, you might want to go with this one.

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru
starts in April, animated by JC Staff

CJ: Are there gonna be joke subs for this one? I’d watch those. The Hanamaru Kindergarten ones were hysterical, this one could be even better!
Rakuen: I’m not interested in shounen ai. However, an empath as a main character at least sounds like a good framework for a story, so if you do like the genre, you might try it.
Dave: I read the description for this one and just kind of made my “wat” face. It seems like there’s some kind of veil of mystery surrounding the plot of this, but I’m just not interested.

Working!
starts April 4, animated by A-1 Pictures

CJ: This looks like fun, but comedy usually isn’t my thing. Still, the art looks pretty nice… I have a heavy bias towards shiny things… Maybe I’ll try this, especially since A-1 Pictures has been on a roll lately.
Rakuen: Okay, this looks somewhat interesting. Undoubtedly, someone has done slice-of-life in a restaurant before, but I missed the boat on that one. This might fulfill my desire for a second comedy this season. If you think about it, all kinds of shenanigans can happen in a kitchen…
Raphael: If it doesn’t rely on moe too much, this could be a lot of fun. One of the strongest voice casts this season + a good studio = potential blog for me. I’m definitely going to look at the first episode.

Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei
starts in April, animated by Madhouse

CJ: A series about a guy’s college life… I could glean some tips from this. Especially since I’ll be pretty young for a freshman. ;_; Anyway, this looks like it could be either really good or really boring, but I might as well try it.
Rakuen: Another Madhouse show! This one comes out of the brain that gave us Kaiba, but it doesn’t look like it will be a mindscrew. Instead, it’s about a guy looking back on his college life. Just from the animation style, I can tell this is not for everyone, but at least try to look past it and give it a chance.
Raphael: Great director, and it’s part of the noitaminA timeslot, but I really have no idea how this will turn out. I’ll probably watch the first episode and end up making a snap decision within the first 10 minutes.

Yutori-chan
starts March 16, animated by Actas

Crisu: Pastel colors! Too cute! Will it be enjoyable? ^_^
CJ: The feminist in me is puking violently at the sight of those pastels… and that hair… Well, moe in general makes her puke, but that’s not the point. Enjoy this one, Crisu; I’ll be over here rereading Fullmetal Alchemist to bleach my eyes…
Rakuen: A high school girl gets a job at a toy factory. The episodes are two minutes long and distributed by e-mail. It also looks like it actually started in the winter season, and no one noticed it. I hope you aren’t too heart-broken by the loss.
Raphael: I actually like the art of this. If it’s sweet and fanservice-free, I’ll check it out. But yeah, once again I am enlisting others to do the dirty work for me. :P