I must admit that around half of the series I’m watching at the moment are rather forgettable- if I’d know in advance how poor they would be, I would never have even started them in the first place. Of course, once you make headway into a series, it becomes very difficult to drop it, but in a few weeks’ time I should be released from the chaff in time to sample the best (and most likely the worst) of the autumn season.

Lucky Star OVA

Ah, I can hear the fanboys stirring over this one- as you know, personally I wasn’t too impressed by Lucky Star (Hidamari Sketch was far superior in presenting an amusing tale of everyday life), but I may watch this for completion.

Hakushaku to Yousei

Also known as “Count and Fairy”, this is actually the tale of a 19^th century count and fairy knight and doctor on a quest for a legendary sword. Despite the generic premise, I’m torn between expecting this to be a solid historical fantasy in the vein of Chevalier and fearing that it will actually be the next Allison to Lillia.

Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka

Another eroge adaptation with nice character designs, this time about a new transfer student who happens to be the arranged husband of the girl he manages to piss off by kissing her (apparently to save her from danger, however that works). I can’t help thinking of Full Metal Panic, and to be honest, unless this can make itself into the next True Tears, it may as well be left alone.

Shikabane Hime: Aka

We’ve had Murder Princess, Sister Princess and so forth, but now the Corpse Princess has joined in the fun. Our undead heroine must hunt down 108 corpses if she wishes to go to heaven, seemingly a recipe for a near endless series. With Gainax at the helm, there’s bound to be some degree of hype, but even if you subscribe to the Eva and Gurren-Lagann fanclubs, please remember that they did bring us Koni Mini and Mahoromatic as well.

Toradora!

A kind-hearted guy with the looks of a delinquent becomes the personal servant of the ultimate tsundere and the two become allies in an attempt to share their respective crushes. I can’t help thinking of Midori no Hibi with a splash of Nogizaka Haruka, and if, like those series, this is only 12-13 episodes, I might indulge- but I don’t have the time or inclination to tackle anything longer.

Rosario to Vampire Capu2

As always, a second season I only mention for completeness, since I didn’t watch the first season and have no intention of doing so.

Hyakko

A series about four schoolgirls and the people they interact with, this series isn’t handled by SHAFT, but it sounds so much like Hidamari Sketch meets Pani Poni Dash that it really should be. This kind of series is usually good fun, so I may take a punt on this one.

Clannad After Story

The hyped KyoAni series of the season, the long awaited After Story begins with Tomoya X Nagisa getting together, and depending on which game path it follows, can either be miserable or utterly depressing. Still, as it’s focusing on the Clannad relationship that I like the best, I’m willing to follow it through (although I have a good idea of what could happen thanks to some of Hinano’s game spoilers).

Tales of the Abyss

Let’s not bother with the plot (something about a destined hero) and focus on just one thing here- this is an RPG adaptation, and I think I may have finally learned my lesson about their generally poor quality. With that in mind, and with Sunrise’s involvement not inspiring much in the way of confidence, I’m going to leave this well alone.

Hokuto no Ken Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh

You might have thought that Hokuto no Ken had had its day, but from out of nowhere this spin-off manga about Kenshiro’s brother Raoh has appeared. Bringing this sort of ultra-retro series into the 21^st century probably isn’t the best of ideas, and even if I felt tempted to watch this any time soon, I’d leave it until I’d watched the rest of the earlier series.

Kuro Shitsuji

The butler genre gets a new entry in the form of “Dark Butler”, the tale of a perfect servant and his twelve year old master. I’m not sure what to make of this, as it could either be amusing or entirely dull- perhaps it’s best to watch it based on the blogworld’s reaction to the first couple of episodes (go forth, my fellow bloggers, and sacrifice yourselves for my sake!).

Casshern Sins

My sole experience of this franchise comes from watching and reviewing the OVA “Casshan: Robot Hunter”, which I will always remember for having a DVD menu that loaded with the epic battlecry “I am- Casshan!” As a remake of a 70s series about a robot hunter fighting an evil empire of artificial lifeforms, surely even Studio Madhouse can’t elevate this beyond the level of retro cheese.

Yozakura Quartet

After acquiring some artwork from the original material, I became rather interested in watching this for shallow reasons, but in true Terry Pratchett fashion, my Second Thoughts told me that looking forward to it on such a flimsy basis could only be a recipe for disaster. The fact that the eponymous quartet consist of one normal boy and three girls with superpowers also has those alarm bells ringing- isn’t this just the dull Telepathy Shoujo Ran all over again? And yet, even with all that in mind, I feel that I must at least try it.

Kannagi

The tale of a sacred tree that turns into a girl and a guardian deity who wants to be an idol, this sounds like another light entertainment shrine maiden series in the vein of Shrine of the Morning Mist. I’m keeping my expectations grounded, but I’ll certainly give it a try.

Kurogane no Linebarrels

A typical shounen story about an underachiever who finds a giant robot and then has his life changed, this sounds like the kind of thing I can easily live without.

Tentai Senshi Sunred

At first glance, I would have passed over this as an out of place sentai series, but apparently it’s actually a spoof of all those retro Japanese clichés, and with that in mind, it could be quite amusing. Then again, I can spoof things quite happily on my own.

Jigoku Shoujo: Mitsuganae

Will the hellish trip through the excruciatingly dull world of Jigoku Shoujo ever end? One season was too much for me, but somehow they came up with a second, and now a third is on its way. Good luck to anyone still following this.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 2nd Season

Gundam 00 continues after a time skip of some four years, but since I gave up on the first season after three episodes, I’ll need to catch up if I ever want to be ready for this- and right now I don’t have the time or inclination for that.

Kemeko Deluxe!

How many times can a high school student meet a mysterious alien who claims to be his destined bride? Apparently, there’s still room for more, with Sanpeita meeting a mecha musume fiancée in her own mobile suit. It may be light entertainment and amusing, but it sounds like the sort of thing that should be watched after it has aired rather than be worried about catching it every week.

To Aru Majutsu no Index

Another light novel adaptation, this one takes place in a world where supherhuman powers and magic are just par for the course. Our protagonists are a boy with a hand that can negate magic and a nun with forbidden magical texts in her head- think Chrono Crusade meets Getbackers, Johnny Mnemonic, Rental Magica, Polyphonica and god only knows what else. In other words, whilst it may look appealing, I’m also concerned that it will be a generic, cookie-cutter experience.

Noramimi 2

Apparently the original Noramimi was very underrated, but until I have the opportunity to watch it, I won’t be indulging in this second season.

Inazuma Eleven

An RPG adaptation with childish character designs- strike this one off the list immediately.

Macademi Wasshoi!

Thanks to the success of one Harry Potter, magical academies will probably never go out of fashion, with this series showcasing yet another one. Our hero manages to summon up a girl who has the power to destroy an entire country- now only her loyalty to him can avert disaster. I can’t help thinking of Zero no Tsukaima added to Hibiki’s Magic, and to be honest I’m not terribly interested.

Ga-Rei: Zero

A boy, a girl and a ‘Ga-Rei’ team together to destroy evil spirits in something that looks and sounds pretty generic. I may watch it, but it depends on the rest of my viewing schedule.

Skip Beat!

Although I haven’t read it myself, this is one those manga series that is so all-pervasive that you expect it to have had an anime adaptation already. The series focuses on a girl who follows her singer boyfriend to Tokyo, only to discover that he thinks of her as little more than a convenient housekeeper. In an attempt at revenge, she decides to become more famous than him, but without the ability to love, she doesn’t quite have that ‘x-factor’ needed to succeed. This sounds like it could be a painful example of generic shoujo, but there’s always the chance that it might actually be worthy.

Kyou no Go no Ni

Although fifth graders indulging in sexual innuendo always sounded rather disturbing to me, I now have the OVA in my possession, and so I can sample that before the series begins to see if it’s my thing. Should it prove to be amusing, then I’ll take a chance on the TV series.

Vampire Knight Guilty

The bishies return for a second season of shallow shoujo antics; if you liked the first season you’ll no doubt go in for more of the same.

ef – a tale of melodies

Whilst my fellow bloggers may have waxed lyrical on the perceived complexity of ef’s first season, I put it on hold after three episodes and still haven’t felt like getting back to it. If the backburner has a backburner, then that’s where this one is going.

Mouryou no Hako

Apparently this series starts with a private investigator looking into a case involving dismembered schoolgirls- to be honest, from that alone, it sounds like it could be the next Kara no Kyoukai movie. I’m not sure whether the series will be about that one case or whether it has more tricks up its sleeve; either way, if it can pull off a decent horror story, it might be worth looking into, but if not, it’ll just be another Ryoko’s Case File.

Stitch!

I’m not sure how a minor Disney character got his own anime series, but here it is, although as I wasn’t a particular fan of the original movie and imagine this will be rather childish, it’s not going on my to-watch list.

One Outs

On first glance, an anime about baseball and gambling doesn’t sound terribly appealing, but you factor in the obvious MANLINESS and the fact that the same team who worked on Akagi and Kaiji will be handling this, it suddenly sounds like it might have a chance of being oddly compulsive. With that in mind, I must at least sample this- or get someone else to sample it for me.

Tytania

A space opera from the brains behind Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Tytania promises to be a complex epic that should please everyone who loved both the aforementioned and the ever popular Seikai series. This time around, count me in from the start!

Chaos;Head

A visual novel adaptation starring a boy who cannot tell reality from delusion yet believes he is being pursued by a murderer, this sounds a lot like this season’s answer to Higurashi. I must admit I’m tempted, but I’m also wary.

Nodame Cantabile: Paris-Hen

Nodame Cantabile may not be one of my favourites, but I did generally enjoy the manga and the first season of the anime, and so even though I’ve read the material that will be turned into this season, it’s been long enough that I can enjoy it again in animated form. A decent silver level series.

Kurozuka

A story of love and obsession that spans the generations, Kurozuka sounds somewhat reminiscent of Otogi Zoshi, although it’s hard to tell just where it’s going to fall in the quality spectrum. At only 12 episodes in length, however, it’s tempting to give it a try.

Junjou Romantica 2

Another second season of a series I haven’t seen- first season viewers only need apply.

Michiko to Hatchin

Move over all other anime partnerships, Michiko and Hatchin are here- a sexy diva and a little kid on the run from her foster parents. Exactly where their story will take them is a matter for debate, but I assume it will be some sort of Sisters of Wellber type affair. At any rate, I can live without seeing this one.

Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Zetsubou shita! The fact that this is only a two episode OVA has left me in despair! Still, I’ll take what I can of Sensei’s bleak antics, and hopefully they will be as hilarious as ever.

Switch

A typical detective odd couple take to the streets as drug busters, up against a new super-addictive substance that has taken hold of the life of a popular actor. I’m not sure what to make of this one- it certainly sounds like something more suited to primetime TV, but can it work in animated form?

Zettai Shougeki: Platonic Heart

An OVA about eleven women chosen to search for a jewel that can grant any wish, this sounds highly generic. AniDB has also tagged it as ‘paper clothes’, which suggests that this will be Ikki Tousen’s spiritual successor.

Ikkitousen: Great Guardians

It’s already started airing, I know, but I won’t be watching even the first episode- the senselessness and gratuity of Ikki Tousen put me off long, long ago. One for the fanservice fans only.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran

A series about a girl with telepathic powers, Telepathy Shoujo Ran sounds like the coming season’s answer to the episodic supernatural genre. Bearing in mind that the last series of this type I watched was Mokke, I’m not expecting this to go above mediocre, but I may give it a try.

Sekirei

We’ve seen harem and battle royale series aplenty, but like Fate/Stay Night, this anime combines the two, introducing the typically useless male lead into a world where bishounen and beautiful girls battle each other with special powers. I suppose if it’s well animated it could make for a staple of the light entertainment category, but can it really offer us anything we haven’t seen before?

Koihime Musou

An eroge adaptation which promises to remake ROTK with cute girls, Koihime Musou seems destined to be the bastard child of Koutetsu Sangokushi and Ikki Tousen, but even so I adore the character designs. I know I should resist as I’ve been burned before under almost exactly the same circumstances, but I may not be able to help myself.

Ultraviolet: Code044

A series about a genetically engineered warrior who ends up fighting both modern day vampires and the government who created her, Ultraviolet does have Studio Madhouse’s involvement to boast about, but even so it hardly smacks of originality. I’m on the fence as to whether to try it.

Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora

For those of you who are unfamiliar with its Japanese name, this is the latest Someday’s Dreamers spin-off series, based on new main character Sora. Although I wanted to see the Spellbound manga animated, this new series will serve just as well- I’ve always enjoyed the tranquillity and beautiful artwork of the franchise, and the first chapter of the manga was worthy enough to make me want to know what happens next.

Slayers Revolution

Slayers has always been good fun, and even though it’s not based on the novels, this new series should deliver us some more tongue-in-cheek fantasy action from our favourite characters (although I hear it’s hinted that Xellos will be taking over from Lina as the main character). Whatever the case, this should be the perfect series to kick back with over the summer months.

Hidamari Sketch x 365

Like the Xbox 360, the second season of Hidamari Sketch jumps ahead a bit numerically, and whilst I’m ashamed to say that I’m only just about to begin watching the first season, I hope to have it complete in time to jump on the bandwagon for this second outing.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

A light novel adaptation, this series has echoes of Kare Kano about it, with our male lead discovering that the school’s perfect princess is actually a closet otaku. Fair enough, but where does the story go after that? I may watch it, but it’s not a must-see.

Antique Bakery

If I told you there was a manga about four gay guys running a bakery, would you laugh? If I told you that this anime is the adaptation of that manga, would you start believing me? Either way, I’m not making this up, and I have to admit that this does sound a little like the gay cake version of Bartender, but since it might be a nice little episodic slice-of-life piece, I feel compelled to give it a try- I at least want to see some tasty cakes.

Strike Witches TV

Gonzo doing a mecha series- isn’t that always a recipe for disaster- even if it is mecha-musume rather than the conventional mobile suit? And yet the character designs are so appealing that I’m going to have to take care, or I’ll end up watching this and falling into disappointment (and perhaps despair) once again.

Tetsuwan Birdy Decode

A remake of an OVA about a guy and a girl who end up in the same body, not only does the TV series lack Madhouse involvement (Il Teatrino, anyone?), but the visuals look far inferior to the original. Anyway, I need to watch the OVA first to decide if I like the franchise.

Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo

A light novel-based series about a beautiful detective who has to deal with a male rival and all sorts of supernatural phenomena, this is yet another one of those series that sounds like an amalgam of things we’ve all seen and heard before. One to perhaps watch only if the viewing schedule is light.

Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo

Yes, ZnT has a third season and no, I won’t be watching it. If you stuck it out for two seasons, I’m sure you’ll want another, but if not, there’s no point in bothering.

Neo Angelique Abyss: Second Age

Why oh why do they even keep making Angelique series? I must admit that at least this season has a cat in the promo artwork, but can that even be enough to overcome the deficiencies of bishounen-heavy, plot-light Neoromance series? Somehow, I doubt it.

Mission-E

Just as I was thinking to myself “hmm, this sounds like it could be a sequel to Code-E”, I looked it up and realised that yes, it is actually a sequel to Code-E. Since I didn’t watch the former series, there’s hardly any point my picking this up.

World Destruction

Do I hear the cries of “oh no, not another RPG based series” resounding across the land? Based on an upcoming DS title set in a world where humans are the slaves of beastmen, World Destruction focuses on a committee who want to do just that, using the power of a destined main character. Presumably by destroy they simply mean putting an end to the current beastmen regime rather than destroying the entire world, but either way I’m not particularly interested in this one.

Natsume Yuujinchou

In a sort of reverse Card Captor Sakura, this series sees a main character using his ability to see spirits to dissolve the contracts with spirits whose names are written in his magical book. Apart from the idea of returning things to where they belong instead of collecting them, this doesn’t sound particularly original, but because the main character has a spirit cat at his side, I’ll have to watch it.

Blade of the Immortal

Normally you might expect a series about a man who has to kill a thousand enemies to be packed with action and bloodshed, but the fact that Bee Train is animating it probably means that he’ll be killing them offscreen on a bus somewhere. I must not be sucked into watching this, unless it is for the great parody cause.

Mahou Sensei Negima!: Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba

Another Negima OVA; I may or may not watch depending on my mood at the time of release.

School Rumble: San Gakki

Once, I would have jumped for joy at a School Rumble OVA, but these days I barely care- as I understand it, this OVA covers the trip to England, which I’ve already read about in the manga, and which I don’t really need to relive. I may watch for completion, but School Rumble has long since lost its lustre for me.

Gag Manga Biyori 3
I’m still waiting for Gag Manga Biyori 2 to be subbed in its entirety, but this offbeat and random comedy series has always been a fun diversion, and hopefully it will continue to be so.

Chi’s Sweet Home
I just had to mention this one because it’s about a lost kitten who finds a new home- it will probably get totally ignored by the anime viewing world, but the artwork is cute. Should I watch it just because I’m a cat lover? Perhaps.

Nijuu-Mensou no Musume
Also known as Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief, this series is, unsurprisingly, about a girl who is the spiritual successor of a notorious phantom thief. I quite like her character design, but until someone reports otherwise, this seems like it will be a rather generic bronze-tier outing.

To Love-Ru
This is one those series that you automatically expect to have an anime adaptation already, but as it turns out, it’s only just about to get one. The series takes on the generic “alien girl lands in boy’s bathtub, leading to a series of events that ends up with him unwillingly getting engaged to her” story, presumably complete with the clichés that have been around since the days of Urusei Yatsura. Unless someone tells me that it’s good to parody, I don’t plan to waste my life on this one.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D
Yes, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for- a subpar spin-off of a card game anime, complete with new characters and a new way of playing cards- via motorcycle. I’m not sure I quite understand how that works, but this is going to be so splendidly awful that I almost feel like trying it- almost, but not quite. The insanely spiky haired character designs also remain oddly appealing in a perverse fashion.

Kyou Kara Maoh! season three
For better or worse, Kyou Kara Maoh seems to be one of those things that go on forever, and now it has thirty-nine more episodes to come. Presumably, if you’ve seen seasons one and two and still have an appetite for more, you’ll want to watch this, but for everyone else it’s just something else to ignore.

Allison to Lillia
What happens when you take two light novel series about girls named Allison and Lillia- and put them together to form one anime? The answer, of course, is Allison to Lillia, a series about both of their adventures. Although I know very little about it, it does give off a positive Last Exile vibe, and the fact that the original material was written by the author who brought us Kino’s Journey is a big plus point in its favour. I’ll be keeping my eye out for this one.

Kure-nai
On the surface, this sounds like another potentially interesting episodic light novel based series, this time about a mediator who negotiates squabbles between people. Unfortunately, there also seems to be a proliferation of seven year old characters, which makes me worried that it will either be a loli-fest or about as deep as Chokotto Sister.

xxxHOLiC: Kei
Much as I enjoy the xxxHOLiC manga (even though I haven’t bothered to read any new chapters in months), the anime was incredibly dull and poorly animated, leaving me unenthusiastic about a new season. Should I watch it for completeness? Perhaps, but then I remember the struggle of staying awake as season one progressed, and I think that I should just leave well alone.

Kanokon
Typical high school student meets a girl who is actually a fox goddess and builds up a harem with her and supporting characters- this sounds like Inukami for 2008, only probably inferior because it’s been done before. I may watch it once it’s finished airing, but it’s probably not something I’ll keep up with on a weekly basis.

Amatsuki
Boy who hates history gets caught in a historical simulation VR game- seems like a fairly standard setup that will produce a solid but not outstanding result. I may or may not watch, depending on early impressions and time available.

Druaga no To: the Aegis of Uruk
“Thus begins the story of a warrior named Gil who, finding companions along the way, embarks on a quest for the fabled Blue Crystal Rod”- is it me, or does this sound like yet another generic fantasy waiting to happen? And, given that it’s being animated by Gonzo, it seems unlikely to contain much originality or innovation.

Itazura na Kiss
Another romance series; this time about an ice-cold model student and the girl who relentlessly pursues him; it would sound like an immediate throwaway, except for apparently the story continues after they get married. For that reason, I may give it a go, in the hopes that it will at least be reminiscent of the greatness of Kare Kano.

Blassreiter: genetic
When I was reading the synopsis for this series, I thought like it sounded like the worthy successor to Persona and Mushi-Uta, containing as it does zombies and people with special powers. Then I saw that not only is it a Gonzo production, but that said people are meant to participate in a battle royale, and somehow all the potential just melted away.

Zettai Karen Children
Although the title draws me to this series (simply because it reminds me of Zettai Shounen), I feel I must resist, since it seems to centre on three young girls with ESP who are hired by the Japanese government. I sense magical girl, and whilst that doesn’t necessarily make it bad, I can’t say this particular setup is very appealing.

Kamen no Maid Guy
A masked burly maid guy- I don’t know whether to laugh or run away in fear. It will probably be amusing in a “light on the brain” fashion, but it hardly seems like something to clear a space in a packed schedule for.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
Forget Kamisama Kazoku and its family of gods, this series has a makeshift ‘family’ of beings with the potential power to destroy the world, including, for some reason, a lion and a jellyfish. It could be fun, but it could also be juvenile, so I’m remaining on the fence until it actually airs.

Da Capo II Second Season
Another one I’m just reporting in case anyone doesn’t know of its existence- as I haven’t watched season one, I won’t be seeing this any time soon.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
I can feel the Code Geass fanboys gathering around already (Hanners, are you reading this?), but since I didn’t complete season one, I won’t be picking up this one either. And what’s this I hear about Lelouch’s previously unmentioned brother showing up?

Neo Angelique Abyss
Didn’t we already have two Angelique TV series? Weren’t they more than enough? Somehow, however, another series with a new set of bishies has made it into existence, although if it’s as lacking in plot as its predecessors, it can be happily forgotten.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama
With Spice and Wolf having concluded, I need another worthy series with a furry lead, and so what better than one with an unsealed fox god who can take the form of either a man or a beautiful woman? As it’s light novel based, I’m getting good vibes already.

Special A
No, this isn’t a new type of cereal or vitamin supplement; instead, the Special A is an elite group of students who get such good grades that they don’t even have to attend classes. Nonetheless, our main character does go to classes, because her goal is, unsurprisingly, to beat the male lead. It sounds like a bit of a mishmash of other shoujo series, with little merit to watching it.

Soul Eater
Shinigami are always a popular subject, but here we have a slightly different spin on the topic, as weapon technicians try to turn their zanpakuto human weapons into proper Death Scythes by collecting the souls of evil people. Will it be an interesting take on a tried-and-true concept, or is it just the latest shounen series to star shinigami? Only time will tell.

Nabari no Ou
I almost wish that this was a spin-off of Shion no Ou, but instead it’s about a boy with destined powers and the two ninja clans who end up fighting over him. The latter sounds disturbingly similar to Basilisk (especially as the Iga clan shows up in both series), but I’m still undecided as to whether to try this.

Vampire Knight
I’ve long thought about reading the manga for this bishie vampire series, but all signs pointed to it being generally shallow and more about looks than story. I’m still oddly drawn to the series, but I can’t help feeling I should start with the manga rather than going to the anime- simply because it reminds me a little of the underwhelming Zombie-Loan.

Monochrome Factor
Having ruled out one possible Mushi-Uta/Persona successor, could this series be the destined heir instead? This time around, we have a high school student who is told he must acquire destined powers and use them to restore the balance between the human and shadow worlds- to be honest, it sounds pretty generic, but there could be a smidgen of potential hidden in there somewhere.

Crystal Blaze
A city with secrets, an ex-policeman turned detective, a woman with no memories- do they get these setups from a standard book of storylines? Nonetheless, this could be the Heat Guy J of 2008, so if it isn’t too unbearably MANLY and cyberpunk, it might actually be a solid outing.

Real Drive
I’m a sucker for series that promise to blend reality with the virtual world, especially when this one is very similar to a story idea I had several years ago (I must write that story!). Having been instantly drawn to the promo artwork, I know I must pursue this series, so my only hope is that it delivers on its potential instead of turning out to be unbearably cryptic and pretentious.

Kaiba
It may have ‘cutesy’ artwork and sound like another Yu-Gi-Oh spin-off, but again the idea of digitising memories draws me to this series like a moth to a flame. It may well be an offbeat classic, but of course there is always the chance that it’s the one that everyone wants to be an offbeat classic but isn’t actually very good. Still, I’m staying optimistic for now.

Toshokan Sensou
When the government starts getting heavy-handed with the regulation of information, who can you count on to save the day? As it turns out, the answer is the book soldiers of the local library, which is an original premise if not one that seems to hold much long-term story appeal. It could be the spiritual successor to Read or Die, but I’m going to keep my expectations reined in.

Golgo 13
Didn’t this series already have an OVA or something? Anyway, it now moves into TV series territory, with the titular Golgo 13 apparently being a womanising top assassin, who is most likely a less suave James Bond. It looks a bit too MANLY for me, although I’m not ruling it out entirely.

• Ayakashi: Hmm, another series named Ayakashi- when will they ever learn that this name brings nothing about bad fortune? Apparently this time around, the Ayakashi in question give special powers to their hosts in exchange for draining their life force- sounds a lot like Mushi-Uta. The series has already started, so it shouldn’t be too much effort to try episode one…eventually.
• Kimi ga Nozomu Eien- Next Season: The Haruka route for KgNE- I’m slightly scared to watch this in case I find that my feelings towards the franchise as a whole are soured.
• Sisters of Wellber 2: I still haven’t finished season one, but even though Wellber is more mildly entertaining than good, I’ll probably stick with it throughout season two- if nothing else, it should be good for some unintentional humour.
• Rosario+Vampire: A series about a human boy who ends up attending a school full of demons (including a pretty vampire girl), this one puts me in mind of a cross between Karin and Magical Pokan, and based on that, it will probably provide light entertainment and nice character designs without being anything too special. I’m wary of Gonzo’s ability to animate anything these days, but it may be worth a look.
• H₂O ~Footprints in the Sand~: It’s another eroge adaptation, and what have we learned about eroge adaptations over the last two years, children? Yes, that’s right- they’re often disappointing, and so I shall probably steer well clear of this one.
• Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de ~They Are My Noble Masters~: In a world where harem series are ten a penny, and butlers ever increasing in their numbers, a series about a young man who ends up as the butler to a wealthy heiress and various other women hardly seems to break the bounds of originality. Another one to pass over, although the designs are rather pleasant.
• Major season 4: This is still going on? I guess tj han will be pleased, at least.
• Hatenkou Yuugi: Rather cruelly, a girl gets kicked out by her father and told to see the world, although happily she gets a male companion to journey with her- and as a bonus, both have magical powers which they use to help people along the way. I’m getting vibes of Kino’s Journey, Someday’s Dreamers and Hibiki’s Magic, so this one must be tried.
• Persona- trinity soul: A sequel to the Persona 3 game, this supernatural story is said to have input from a Chevalier writer, but even though it looks a cut above the average RPG adaptation, the general lack of quality in that genre makes me cautious at best. And since I haven’t even played the game yet, there’s no real reason for me to jump straight in and watch it.
• Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Dainiki: Need I say anything about this? I enjoyed the first season, and since the manga goes on forever there must be plenty of good material for another thirteen episodes. Another anticipated series.
• True Tears: Another game-based series with a potential for harem- I’ll be leaving this one alone unless early reports from other viewers are positive.
• Porfy no Nagai Tabi: At 52 episodes, they weren’t kidding when they called this “Porfy’s Long Journey”. Apparently this one’s a family show about a Greek boy travelling around Europe to find his sister- I suppose it might have some nice locations but if locations are all I want to see, I may as well watch live action footage of it.
• Shigofumi: A series about a girl who delivers the last letters of the dying (the titular Shigofumi), this light novel-based series sounds like it could be this year’s Shinigami no Ballad. I’ll be giving it a look.
• Minami-ke Okawari: I enjoyed Minami-ke, but it does seem slightly odd to be getting not a sequel, but an alternative version just one season after the original aired. The character designs appear to be closer to the original manga, but hopefully the content is on a par with season one.
• Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-: Even though I already know what will happen from the manga, I was really looking forward to this one, but the fact that the voice cast and director have been changed makes me a little wary that it won’t live up to the reputation of the first season. Well, I guess it shouldn’t be possible to make something bad out of Gunslinger Girl, so I’ll stay optimistic.
• Aria the Origination: Yes, yay, hooray- what more can I say to the prospect of more Aria? The manga is finishing soon, and that means that this will probably be the last season of the anime- with that in mind, I’m going to savour every minute of it. And I may as well watch it both raw and subbed this time, for no one ever died of a surfeit of Aria. Bring it on, punyu!
• Wolf and Spice: Since I’m playing Okami at the moment, the idea of a series about a travelling wolf goddess seems perfectly timed, and the title is beautifully evocative of all kinds of quality (although the official website “spicy-wolf.com” sounds like some kind of dubious takeaway operation). I hope it can live up to expectations.
• Noramimi: To me, this looks like the Japanese equivalent of “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends”, a show which I suffered through when my brother and sister had access to Cartoon Network. With no desire to revisit such days in any way, shape or form, I must steer well clear of this one.
• Hakaba Kitarou: This seems to be related to GeGeGe no Kitarou (which itself is still airing), but even though it has scored a place in the hallowed noitaminA block, it doesn’t stir any interest for me.
• Yatterman: A remake of the original seventies Yatterman, this series seems less likely to drag the concept kicking and screaming into the twentieth-first century than it does to flood us with seventy episodes of retro cheese. One to avoid.

Moonlight Mile season 2

I did try to get on with the first season of Moonlight Mile, but after a barely comprehensible opening episode and warnings of extreme MANLINESS ahead, I never did continue with it. I’m not sure if anyone (other than Kryptfo?) actually watched to the end of season one, but if they did, they’ll probably be ready for more STRAIGHT adventures with the manly men of space.

Moyashimon

Also known as “Tales of Agriculture”, this may sound like some sort of Harvest Moon adaptation, but it’s actually about a boy who can see these rather cute looking bacteria and fungi with his naked eyes. It sounds quite quirky and interesting, although I’m not sure if I’m ready to believe the people who say it’s comparable to Mushishi (can it possibly duplicate Mushishi’s excellence?).

Kodomo no Jikan

So I previewed this for the summer and it got pushed back to autumn, but my comments from then still stand- it’s just not really my thing. I never did try the manga, so I’m not going to be trying this lolilicious anime.

Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun

Based on a light novel series, this series seems to be a mish-mash of elements from different harem and romance series; we’ve got the typical high school student lead, a girl whose been sent to live with him to get over her fear of men, both their sisters, and a student council head who becomes their maid for some reason. It sounds like the typical light fare I tend to steer clear of these days, but the promo picture does have a blue-haired girl (for Necromancer) and a pink/red-haired girl for manga.

BLUE DROP ~Tenshi Tachi no Gikyoku~

A series about the growing friendship between a human girl who was the lone survivor of a mysterious incident and an alien sent to infiltrate human society prior to an invasion, Blue Drop’s synopsis pushes all the right buttons in terms of sci-fi and character elements, and whilst I haven’t read the original manga, I hope this anime can deliver.

Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji

From the character designs alone, you can tell that this series was from the same creator as Akagi, although this time the focus is on gambling rather than mah-jongg. I know it will be ugly and MANLY, but if it’s at all like its brother series, it should also be very good. I just hope they have some CG gambling chips or something.

Macross Frontier

Yes, Macross is back, and I still have all those discs of the previous Macross series waiting to be watched. I’ll probably give this a go because of the “it’s a big-name franchise and everyone else will be watching it” factor, but it remains to be seen whether I’ll stick with it for the long haul. At least Yoko Kanno’s music should be worth tuning in for.

Bamboo Blade

A kendo instructor has to put together an all-female team and train them to beat his sempai’s team- surely a recipe for typical five-girl character combinations if ever there was one. Even so, I’m getting slight vibes of Shrine of the Morning Mist from it, so it may be given a chance to entertain.

Sketchbook: full color`s

Sketchbook is the coming season’s answer to 4-koma based series, this time focusing on what seems to be short vignettes into the lives of high school girls. It looks like it will tilt more towards slice-of-life than previous comedic 4-koma based series, so I’m planning to at least give this a look.

Myself; Yourself

I have to admit I like the character designs for this series, but when I read that it was about a high school student returning to his hometown after a five year absence, I couldn’t quite stifle a yawn at the thought of Kanon Mark 58. I know it’s only thirteen episodes, but I’ve been down the “only 12-13 episode” route before, and it always ends in pain. Consider this one far from my potential viewing list.

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

The latest SJ series to get an adaptation, this series features a “riddle eater” who comes to our world to eat the ultimate mystery, forcing a girl to tag along and become a detective on the way. I’m afraid I can’t think of this series without remembering how Randall Fitzgerald recommended it for people with weird dental fetishes, and I have the distinct feeling that it’s one of those series that sounds fairly interesting but turns out to be dull Ghost Hunt/Zombie Loan fare. Chances of watching it are low.

Suteki Tantei Labyrinth

This one seems to be popular on a lot of Spanish blogs, but I couldn’t be bothered to either apply my rusty Spanish skills or use Google translator, so I’m not entirely sure what it’s about. Given the title, the blonde tea sipping boy is probably some kind of genius detective, but since both he and his supporting characters seem rather generic, I’m not terribly interested.

Night Wizard

This one’s an RPG adaptation, which immediately sets off alarm bells in my head despite the appealing character designs (minus the main guy, who looks too much like Kanon’s Yuuichi for my liking). I may have to try it anyway despite a generally pessimistic outlook, but I’m more interested in trying the PC game.

Dragonaut: The Resonance

I don’t really know much about this one other than it’s a Gonzo series with lots of rip-off character designs, but that seems enough to give it a middling to wide berth. Let us not forget the lessons of Kiddy Grade and its brethren when it comes to Gonzo.

You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle

I quite enjoyed the YUA OVAs, but as yet I haven’t got around to the earlier TV series- even so, I doubt the plot is complex enough for me not to be able to jump in here. The artwork certainly looks to have evolved beyond the old days, and so unless it’s another Ah! My Goddess season 2, it should be worth a look.

Shakugan no Shana II

It’s no secret that the first season of Shana disappointed me, but like a moth to our heroine’s burning flames, I shall no doubt end up at least starting the second season. Let’s hope that this time around the darker elements outweigh the harem ones, and that the villains aren’t so disappointing.

Clannad

I loved Air and hated Kanon, but where will Clannad fall in the spectrum? I did read Hinano’s lengthy post about the game, but have since forgotten most of the spoilers she mentioned- exactly how it will pan out on screen, however, is a different matter. It may be dramatic, heart-wrenching and all the rest, or it may be an excuse to post a new set of Harem Diaries.

Shugo Chara!

Another anime based on a Peach Pit series, this one sees a popular girl gains the aid of three magical Guardian Characters in her quest to unlock her true self. I can’t help feeling that Peach Pit have disappointed me too many times to take a chance on another of their series, and this one certainly has no great hook.

Gundam 00

Ah, Gundam, I never did jump on your bandwagon, and even if I had done so, Destiny would have made me jump right off again (come to think of it, I never did watch Stargazer). In any case, I must watch this in order to gauge how parody-worthy it may be, but if I get bored, it shall join Code Geass in the recycle bin.

ef – A Tale of Memories

There’s just something about this series- it sounds like a typical visual novel story and will most likely be one of those overhyped disappointments, but I can’t help really looking forward to it. There’s just something about the atmosphere that surrounds this series that makes me want to immerse myself in it as soon as possible.

Kimikiss Pure Rouge

The original game saw your character desperately trying to earn a smooch from one of six girls at school, and from this we can deduce that this will be yet another harem series. I have learned my lesson (?) about using this sort of series for light entertainment, so I will take care to avoid it.

Mokke

A seinen series about two sisters with spiritual powers, Mokke seems exactly like the series I quietly love, and so I hope it can take the place of Windy Tales and Someday’s Dreamers in providing me with charming, magical slice-of-life stories. A must-see for me.

Da Capo II

Well, this one is out as I have no familiarity with the games and I didn’t watch the first DC anime, but I feel oddly drawn to the character designs. Whether I’ll ever get around to even sampling the franchise remains to be seen.

Jyuushin Enbu: Hero Tales

I’ve already covered the run up to this anime with links to the character designs and so forth, and I have to admit that it looks pretty generic- yes, it does have the FMA mangaka behind it, but even so my hopes are distinctly low. I may try it anyway, but more to see how bad it is than out of any hope for something worthy.

Minami-ke

This one looks like another slice-of-life series, this time about three sisters and their everyday (or not so everyday) adventures. The character designs look good and I’m hoping it will be entertaining, but there’s also the fear that it could be dull Binbou style fare.

Genshiken 2

I loved Genshiken, and even though I haven’t watched the OVA yet, I’m looking forward to continuing with this enjoyable series. I should also invest in the manga at some point- you can never get enough of those otaku and their exploits.\

Prism Ark

As an eroge adaptation set in a fantasy world, it would be great if this series delivered what Utawarerumono couldn’t, but all signs seem to indicate that it will be light fluff rather than the worthy fantasy series I have been looking for. From a fanart perspective, however, I really love the character designs.

Shion no Ou

There’s a good chance this series could be to shogi what Hikaru no Go and Akagi were to Go and mah-jongg respectively, and for that reason alone, I shall certainly be giving this a try. Don’t let anyone tell you that board game anime is boring- there’s something oddly addictive about it, and the prospect of a female lead instead of the usual young man is just the icing on the cake.

Koharu Biyori

For this OVA, I just have to start by quoting AniDB:

“Set in a near future, a time where robots are common workers for their owners. Takaya Murase has just purchased a maid robot from a robotic doll distriubutor, MaidWorks. Ready to live a normal cleaning, cooking, and serving life to her owner, Yui is purchased, by Takaya but he has other plans for her…like dressing her up in dress-costumes of his fantasies and more.”

Yes, that’s right, this series goes beyond the tired old maid robot concept and introduces a robot maid whose master indulges in his fetishes. I almost have to laugh at this, but I certainly won’t be watching the actual OVA.

Ghost Hound

Based on a concept by Masamune Shirow, Ghost Hound follows three people who learn to separate their minds from their bodies and travel to an alternate world. Although I’ve never been the biggest fans of the likes of Ghost in the Shell, these sorts of ideas do intrigue me, although with Chiaki Konaka handling the script there are worries that the ending will be horribly disappointing and inconclusive.

Appleseed Saga Ex Machina

Again, I’m not the biggest Appleseed fan, but I did watch the first movie (that’s the recent film, not the twenty year old OVA), and so I may continue onwards to this one. Maybe I’ll understand it more this time.

Nasu: Suitcase no Wataridori

This one looks like a one-off OVA about cycling, which would normally put me off, but the prequel movie actually sounds somewhat interesting. I think I’ll give the original movie a go, and then perhaps sample this OVA.

Soukou Kihei Votoms: Pailsen FilesAnother one I previewed back in the summer- back then it looked too fugly and MANLY, and my feelings haven’t changed.

]]> http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2007/09/12/autumn-2007-preview/feed/ 11 http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2007/06/20/second-obligatory-preview/ http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2007/06/20/second-obligatory-preview/#comments Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:00:20 +0000 Karura http://azureflame.ikimashou.net/2007/06/20/second-obligatory-preview/ Yes, that Spring Preview (so important it has to be capitalised) wasn’t a one-off, because now I’m doing another one for summer, so that you can all read what you’ve read a hundred times before on other blogs.

As we all know, during the summer we are expected to be outside enjoying the sunshine and the like, and so the selection of anime offered to us is rather limited compared to the lush bounty of the spring and autumn seasons. Good summer series tend to be few and far between, and even ones that are mildly entertaining can be hard to find. Can this year break the trend, or is it going to be more of the same?

I’m not bothering with movies this time, I never seem to actually watch them.

• Buzzer Beater 2007: I hardly ever watch sports series, and I certainly haven’t bothered to touch the 2005 Buzzer Beater anime (why is it getting a remake so soon?). These futuristic basketball adventures will be left well alone.
• Kodomo no Jikan: I think we’ve all heard of this series by now thanks to the Great Manga Cancellation Incident of 2007, and to be honest, a precocious third-grader going after her 23 year old teacher never appealed to me. I might check out the manga thanks to all the controversy about it, but the anime won’t be tried unless I like the original.
• Soukou Kihei Votoms Pailsen Files: I don’t much about this series other than the existence of secret documents in the postwar era, but a quick glance at the character art reveals some depressing MANLY and generic designs. It also seems to be related to Armoured Trooper Votoms, a series almost as old as I am that looks to be typical retro eighties MANLINESS.
• Nanatsuiro Drops: A middle school boy gets turned into a plush sheep and needs help from a magical girl to collect the star droplets needed to turn back. As with most eroge adaptations, the artwork and prospect of light entertainment appeals to me, but then I remember the animation and story quality of Yoake and now Polyphonica, and I become reluctant to make the same mistake yet again.
• Zombie-Loan: If Rozen Maiden is Peach-Pit’s attempt at X, and DearS their rip-off of Chobits, then Zombie Loan may be Tokyo Babylon and xxxHOLiC, featuring a trio of people hunting down zombies. After the whole getting disillusioned with Rozen Maiden debacle, I’m somewhat reluctant to get too optimistic about this, but I’ll probably give it a try.
• School Days: Somehow I once ended up watching a couple of clips from the raw OVA on “you toube”, and it was awful in an “I can’t believe it could be this bad” sense, with a still shot of one girl watching a couple have sex off screen “Makoto…no…”, and then some violence. I guess a TV series has a chance to do the story in more depth, but is that really going to help?
• Doujin Work: I included this in the spring preview because I thought this was coming out ages ago, and in the meantime the reputation of 4koma-based anime has been smashed by Lucky Star. Even so, it just might have some Genshiken-esque potential, if I can ever be bothered to risk it.
• Code-E: Its title might be an unpleasant reminder of Code Geass, but can Code-E’s tale of a girl who can disrupt electronics when she gets nervous turn out to be more Dennou Coil than mere throwaway entertainment? I’m sceptical, but you never know.
• Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho: Sasa already said this, but the artwork is reminiscent of YKK, even if the story is nothing like it- instead, this is the tale of a boy who joins a swimming club filled with weirdoes, including that one girl who might just be someone he met in his past. It doesn’t sound like it will be top quality, but it could be fun.
• Mushi-Uta: The title may make it sound like some sort of Mushishi/Utawarerumono crossover, but in fact Mushi-Uta is a light novel adaptation about a breed of mushi that eats dreams. If only in memory of its similarly named second cousin, I must watch it.
• Sky Girls: A follow-up to last year’s OVA, this series sees lolis in mecha fighting giant worms. It sounds a bit generic and Simoun-like for its own good, and it may well only appeal to rabid mecha musume fans.
• Happy Happy Clover: Looks like a cutesy kids show- if only it actually had adult humour and was going to be the next Damekko Doubutsu.
• Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai: I got highly disillusioned with Higurashi by the end, so even though I once longed for the next two arcs to be animated, I’m not too enthused about this. Even so, I will probably end up at least starting it.
• Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: So, Hopeless Sensei gets his own anime series…or not. A comedy series about a pessimistic teacher and an optimistic student, SHAFT’s involvement means this could be the next Pani Poni Dash, which I enjoyed, or Negima!?…which I didn’t.
• Moetan: Whose idea was it to turn an English vocabulary guide into an anime? I mean seriously, what the hell is this going to be about? I guess it may be amusing, but it could also get old quickly.
• Zero no Tsukaima 2nd Series: Based on the fact that I could only bear two episodes of the first series before getting tired of the paper thin plot and characters, I won’t be watching this.
• Potemayo: The story of a girl who lives in the fridge, Potemayo is another 4-koma based series which just might be as enchanting as Binchou-tan, but which will probably be as throwaway as Adventures of Mini-Goddess.
• Mononoke: Based on the medicine seller from the third and best arc of Ayakashi, Mononoke loses points for being related to that boring series, but then gains them back for the distinctive art style, period setting and possibility similarity to Requiem from the Darkness.
• Shigurui: The historical setting tempts me, but the ultra-violence makes me wary that it will be a gorefest reminiscent of some of the more forgettable eighties and early nineties material. I may give it a try, but it’s far from a must-see.
• Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpuchou Tou Kenbu Hen: Another second season, and this time I didn’t even touch the first, so I’m hardly going to be watching this.
• Baccano: I need my historical series fix in every season, and it looks like this time around we’ll be heading to Prohibition-era America (ah, the memories of GCSE History are just flooding back). I already have hopes that this is not only going to be enjoyable, but will also offer solid parody material, just as Chevalier and Iroha did before it.

Extra: Last Season’s “Results”, aka, are previews meaningless after all?

Shows classified as blue: 14- 5 still watching, 4 dropped, 5 unwatched

Shows classified as black: 16- 3 still watching, 1 dropped, 12 unwatched

Shows classified as red: 21- 2 still watching, 2 dropped, 1 unaired, 16 unwatched.

Anything in red probably won’t be touched, blue will be watched for at least a few weeks, and black is indifferent/undecided. Edit: the blue got messed up when I pasted from Word so it may not be entirely correct.

• Keitai Shoujo: Five girls, one average 17 year old high school student, a mission to get a girlfriend…haven’t we been here before? It sounds like the most contrived harem ever.
• Doujin Work: It’s based on a 4-koma comedy about a girl who starts drawing doujins, so it could either be amusing in an Azumanga-esque way, or more likely, completely dull and random.
• Burst Angel OVA: I’d like to forget that I ever watched Burst Angel, but a small particle of curiosity suggests that I might like to watch this OVA. At least Meg isn’t exposing as much flesh this time, although her fashion sense is still questionable.
• Hitohira: A shy girl who gets so nervous that she can’t even speak gets recruited into the drama club- I get the feeling it’s going to be a painful procession of the main character messing up, angsting about it and occasionally getting it right when the plot allows. My ‘pain sense’ indicates that this will be about as enjoyable as a Tsuyokiss and Gokujou Seitokai marathon.
• Murder Princess: It’s a Bee Train OVA, and I should know better by now, but it won’t be the first time I’ve watched something just because I liked the promo artwork. Apparently a bounty hunter ends up in the body of a princess and takes over her role, which probably means the whole thing is just stills of her sitting in the castle.
• Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann: It has mecha, cheerfully generic looking characters, and since it’s from Gainax, there’ll probably be some blatant advertising references to Evangelion as well. I may watch the first episode out of curiosity, but I don’t see my relationship with this show being a lengthy one.
• Hayate the Combat Butler: A boy gets sold to the yakuza, and then becomes a butler; I can’t say it interests me in itself, but when a title gets mentioned a lot prior to its release I tend to end up checking it out just to see what all the fuss is about.
• Gegege no Kitaro: A remake/continuation of a series that started 14 years before I was born…I don’t think I’ll bother.
• Seto no Hanayome: Man is forced to marry mermaid, his family tries to break up the relationship whilst remaining unaware that she even is a mermaid…even if they aren’t really alike, I can’t help thinking of Urusei Yatsura, and even that vague hint of similarity is enough to keep me away.
• Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: The lolis are all grown up, but they’re back for another 26 episodes- if it’s anything like its predecessors or that dull manga that came out a while back, the story won’t be much to write home about, but somehow when the animation is this good, I don’t mind.
• Heroic Age: An age of heroes that look an awful lot like every other hero designed by Hisashi Hirai, with Eiji “KirAthruShinn” as the Destined Lead. It just sounds too generic too be worthy.
• Touka Gettan: It seems to be a spin-off of an adult OVA from 2001, and that’s about all I know. The artwork looks nice, though.
• El Cazador: It’s Bee Train’s latest girls with guns series, and even after getting burned with Madlax and to a lesser extent Avenger (not to mention the general dullness of Tsubasa season 2 and .hack//Roots), I know I’m going to end up watching it.
• Idol Master Xenoglossia: Take one game in which you turn one of ten girls into an idol, and change the story so that they are now mecha pilots. The fact that it’s produced by Sunrise makes me wary that it’s going to be another Otome/Destiny/Code Geass but I quite like the character designs, and may just be persuaded to watch the first episode.
• Saint Beast – Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Tan: When I first saw all the bishies I thought it was going to be something like Angelique, but it actually looks to be a prequel to a series about good angels fighting evil angels who escaped their seal. I’m guessing it will be all bishies and not much substance.
• Wellber no Monogatari- Sisters of Wellber: A princess stabs her groom in protest at an arranged marriage and goes off to have HARD YURI with her bodyguard. Just reading the synopsis of this made me fall asleep, so I don’t anticipate it being anything special.
• Ohedo Rocket: I’m not entirely sure, but this seems to be about fireworks makers in the Edo era; perhaps it should be applauded for originality, but the character designs look fairly childish and it generally lacks appeal.
• Sakura Taisen- New York: I know it isn’t great, but I have a certain fondness for what I’ve seen of the Sakura Taisen franchise, so I may as well give this OVA a go.
• Kiss Dum- Engage Planet: A destined hero fights against invading aliens and a female scientist finds a mysterious book- it’s like a cut and paste of ideas we’ve seen many times before. Even the character designs seem generic.
• Shining Tears X: I already said that no good can come of RPG adaptations, and apparently Shining Tears has been called the “worst RPG ever”. I must try to resist the lure of those character designs.
• Claymore: Last year I read a review of Claymore, and I have to admit it didn’t sound great- if it’s just going to be girls with swords having HARD YURI I’m not too interested, but if it turns out to be female Berserk, maybe it will be worthy.
• Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku wo: By the looks of it, this eroge adaptation is the season’s answer to YoakeNa, although hopefully not quite as awful as that. Still, I’ve learned my lesson about this kind of light entertainment (for the time being, anyway).
• Shinkyouku Soukai Polyphonica: Based on the title, I thought this was going to be about collecting polyphonic ringtones (gotta download ‘em all) but it actually seems to be a love story set in a world where fairies live on music. I may have to watch the beginning out of curiosity, but it sounds a little too sickly sweet for me.
• OverDrive: All I know is that it’s a sports anime and the lead looks like Kazuki from Busou Renkin, but since I’ve never been a fan of straight-up sports anime, I won’t be starting on this one.
• Romeo X Juliet: It may look like Romeo x Firiel from Good Witch on the promo image, but sheer curiosity drives me to try this anime adaptation of the one Shakespeare play everyone knows inside out. I have to admit that my expectations are not particularly high, however.
• Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula: Not, as you might imagine, one of New Wang’s signature products, but a series in which teenagers pilot giant robots in a post apocalyptic world in order to establish a new world order. Couldn’t they have found a less clichéd way to do it- even having chickens pecking each other would be more exciting.
• Kotetsushin Jeeg: This appears to be a spin-off of a retro robo series from 1975- shouldn’t the franchise have long been laid to rest by now?
• Nagasarete Airantou: A boy gets stranded on a tropical island with only girls- could this be the ultimate evolution of the harem genre? The character designs alone give an indication of just how many times we’ve seen this set of characters before, and there’s no real need to see them again.
• Koutetsu Sangokushi: I’m almost finished with ROTK, so maybe this should be my next stop for Three Kingdoms related material…only apart from the fact that it has Liu Bei et al in it (dammit ANN, give their Chinese names, I can’t work with the Japanese ones), I have no clue what it’s about.
• Kamichama Karin: I never did get around to reading the manga, but I have the feeling it may be almost unbearably sugary for my tastes- however the character designs look nice, and the cat may be a descendant of Mikoto. Since I periodically have to satisfy odd cravings for this kind of magical girl/romance series, I may have to give it a try.
• Darker than Black – Kuro no Keiyakusha: Hell’s Gate appears, and people gain evil powers- hopefully in the hands of Studio Bones this can be turned into something compelling instead of laughably brooding and angsty.
• Saiunkoku Monogatari series 2:Yes, this has already started airing, and yes, I haven’t even finished the first season yet, but more SaiMono can only be a good thing. If one of my favourites from 2006 can continue for even longer, all the better.
• Lovely Complex: Tall girl and short guy- are just good friends or will they develop into something more? Since I recently got my fix of generic shoujo with Tenshi Nanka Janai, I don’t think I really need to bother with this since it just looks like something along the same lines.
• Furusato Japan: A movie set in a Tokyo elementary school in 1956; I can’t say I’ll ever get round to watching it but it sounds like it might be quite charming in a Whisper of the Heart sort of way.
• Seirei no Moribito: A prince is chosen to guard a magical egg, an older woman becomes his bodyguard to protect him- nothing about the story really screams “watch me” so I’ll probably just let it fade into obscurity.
• Terra E…: A remake of an 1980 series that was itself based on a classic manga, this is classic sci-fi as we all know and love it (or not, as the case may be), complete with powerful computer systems and psychic children. The character designs are a little simplistic for my tastes, but the sci-fi fan in me wants to watch this anyway.
• Blue Dragon: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is a game adaptation with character designs by Akira Toriyama- whatever the case, it looks a little too childish for my tastes.
• Kaze no Shoujo Emily: A novel based series about a typical free-spirited girl who ends up living with her strict aunt- why do I get the feeling it’s going to be as painfully predictable as the anime version of Les Miserables?
• Kiddy Grade Ignition: And so the Kiddy Grade movies begin…character designs aside, I didn’t have much in the way of good things to say about the series, so I’ll probably let this one slip by.
• Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma- Molders Hen: Also known as Victorian Romance Emma Season Two, this is something I’ve been looking forward to ever since I first heard about it. Emma is an excellent series, and provided second season syndrome doesn’t strike, this should be the continuation we’ve all been waiting for.
• sola: Apparently it’s about a boy who likes the sky- and that’s all I know. The character designs seem to have been ripped off from several other series but that in itself is an invitation to watch, for with its undefined plot and Engrish title, it surely has to be laughably bad if nothing else.
• Bokurano: In manga form, Bokurano is one of my favourites, and so I was overjoyed when I heard it was getting an anime- right up until I learned that Gonzo were in charge. I’m fervently praying that they don’t mess up this adaptation, although with the manga still unfinished I can see it diverging at some point anyway.
• Lucky Star: Another 4-koma based series, seemingly based on the little things that make up our day to day lives. Here’s hoping for the next Azumanga.
• Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Here it is, the show we’ve all been waiting for- Bakugan Battle Brawlers! Join generic shounen hero and his friends as they persuade you to buy cheap plastic toys by battling with them! Yes, it’s the spiritual successor to Beyblade and B-Daman, yet a part of me wants to watch and have a good laugh at how hilariously bad it will inevitably turn out to be.
• Kaibutsu Oujo: A demon princess resurrects the main character and the resulting bond means he has to fight monsters on her behalf- I’m not entirely convinced this can bring us anything we haven’t seen before but I may try it out if early impressions are favourable.
• Kaze no Stigma: Could this be the next Shana? Is that even a good thing? The character designs look quite appealing but I sense a generic story lurking behind them.
• Ookiku Furikabutte: Another sports series, this one about a baseball team. I think I can live quite happily without ever touching it.
• Kino no Tabi the Beautiful World Country of Illness -For You: It’s been a while, but at last we’re getting another Kino movie. I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to it.
• Shakugan no Shana Movie: Perhaps this movie will help impart some point to the Balle Masque organisation, but even if it’s just “heroes band together to fight powerful but previously unmentioned evil”, I’ll probably watch it just for the sake of completeness.
• AIKa R-16- Virgin Mission: An OVA about a female salvager, some high school girls…and a pair of large breasts. It looks a lot like the ocean-based version of Stratos 4 (sans fat cat), and so it can probably be passed over without loss.
• Skullman: “Skullman, Skullman, does whatever a Skull can…” Self-indulgence aside, I can’t help but laugh every time I see a picture of Skullman, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to see this, or hoping that it will turn out to be worthy.