Fall 2011 Preview!
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Another year of anime is drawing to a close, but not before the long-awaited fall season. While the number of shows pales in comparison to the 43 offered in spring, the quality of the 25 new titles is a lot higher. There are numerous sequels and spiritual successors: The third and final season of Shakugan no Shana, studio GONZO’s big return with a new Last Exile eight years later, the prequel to Type-Moon’s Fate/stay night, and more of our favorite squid girl, Ika Musume. In addition, we have plenty of original series, including a new Gundam and two noitaminA shows by BONES and Production I.G. Equally impressive is the fact that many of which are slated for two-cour. Anime fans everywhere should be excited. I know I am.
Note: I purposely left out Digimon Xros Wars: Toki wo Kakeru Shounen Hunter-tachi and Cross Fight B-Daman from this preview because they’re targeted towards younger audiences. If you’re interested in either, feel free to check out their official sites.
As a quick reminder, each entry is divided into two paragraphs:
- A brief introduction to the series and its premise, often with the starring cast of characters.
- My impressions, expanding on the plot and highlighting specific aspects that interest me.
The overall impressions at the very end categorize the shows in a way that should help you decide what to watch.
Disclaimer: Regular readers of the site probably already know that my tastes are fairly diverse, but a quick look at MyAnimeList should give everyone else an idea of my sixteen or so years of history with anime. With that in mind, please be aware that I’ll often watch mediocre and even controversial series for the sake of variety, or simply so that I can make an informed judgment at the end. However, I would only recommend such shows if you’ve seen something similar, enjoyed it to a certain degree, and know what you’re getting yourself into. I still have my usual genres, so it’s usually not too difficult for me to decide what to watch based on premise, art style, production, and cast (a big one for me) after going through some source and/or promotional material. For the purpose of this preview, I’ll try to identify what appeals to me about each series, in hopes that it will help you determine if it coincides with your own tastes.
By no means does this list reflect every single anime series that is going to be aired, though it’s meant to be as comprehensive as possible. Shows that stray far from the anime norm or are deemed oriented towards younger children are omitted, so check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air times, and Fansub Wiki’s page for who’s tentatively subbing what.
Technical Note: The list is ordered by the date and time that the shows premiere. The links in the schedule will take you to a series’ corresponding entry and the “Top” links on the right will bring you back. You can also use the back/forward buttons in your browser to jump between links you’ve clicked. All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
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| HUNTER x HUNTER 10:55 NTV (10/2) |
Tamayura ~hitotose~ 09:00 AT-X (10/3) |
Chihayafuru 24:59 NTV (10/4) |
Busou Shinki Moon Angel –:– PSN (9/22) |
Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi 2 25:05 TVS (10/7) |
Bakuman. 2 17:30 NHK (10/1) |
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| Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 17:00 MBS/TBS (10/9) |
Kimi to Boku. 25:30 TX (10/3) |
Maken-Ki! 25:05 TVS (10/4) |
UN-GO 24:45 CX (10/13) |
Shakugan no Shana III (Final) 25:30 MX (10/7) |
C³ -C Cube- 23:30 AT-X (10/1) |
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| Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle 17:30 NHK (10/2) |
Shinryaku!? Ika Musume 26:00 TX (9/26) |
Mashiro-iro Symphony 26:00 TVA (10/4) |
Guilty Crown 25:15 CX (10/13) |
Last Exile -Ginyoku no Fam- 26:00 CBC (10/7) |
WORKING’!! 23:30 MX (10/1) |
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| Mirai Nikki 23:00 Niconico (10/9) |
Persona 4 the ANIMATION 25:30 MBS (10/6) |
Fate/Zero 24:00 MX (10/1) |
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| Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai 25:55 TBS (10/6) |
Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!! 25:00 tvk (10/1) |
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| Ben-To 26:20 TVA (10/8) |
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| Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon 26:58 MBS (10/1) |
* Jump to OVA/Movies.
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Konami’s Busou Shinki “Multi Moveable System” (MMS) action figure line is being adapted into an anime that will be available on the PlayStation Store. The franchise already has two PSP games based on it, the second of which comes out this month (Busou Shinki Battle Masters Mk.2). In the “Armament Goddess Moon Angel” anime, the figurines are still figurines except some are fully self-aware. The story itself revolves around a young boy named Tsubasa (Inoue Marina), who yearns of becoming a Shinki Master one day. On his way home, he comes across a damaged Shinki in the trees, Arnval Mk.2 (Asumi Kana), who fled from her pursuer Strarf Mk.2 (Chihara Minori) for unknown reasons. He takes Arnval in and fixes her, only to get caught up in a huge conspiracy involving Shinki. The actual Busou Shinki figurines come with a code that grants owners access to the free massively multiplayer online (MMO) game where they can “raise” their Shinki and battle against other Shinki owners. There are numerous Shinki out there, all voiced by prominent female seiyuu. In the anime, these battles appear to take place in Tsubasa’s world, providing something very similar to other “mecha musume” shows like Strike Witches and Infinite Stratos, albeit on a much smaller scale. Given the short 5-min episode duration, I’m not too sure what to expect from this PSN anime. It looks to be primarily for fans of the figurines. I do like the high-speed aerial battles seen in the first episode that was pre-aired online (see PVs below), so I may check back for more of those. It’s not really much of a commitment when the episodes are so short.
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Our favorite squid girls returns for another season — this time with a lot more doubt about an invasion right in the title. This sequel probably needs little introduction, but in case you weren’t reading RandomC last year (shame on you), it’s a comedy about a squid girl, aptly named “Ika Musume” (Kanemoto Hisako), who comes to surface with grandiose plans of conquering mankind for polluting the ocean, only to wind up working at a beach hut run by the Aizawa sisters, Eiko (Fujimura Ayumi) and Chizuru (Tanaka Rie). A lot of the actual humor comes from the fact that Ika Musume is completely harmless and ends up being the victim of her own naivety more often than not. Together with the support cast of Nagatsuki Sanae (Itou Kanae), lifeguard Arashiyama Gorou (Nakamura Yuuichi), and American extraterrestrial researcher Cindy Campbell (Nabatame Hitomi), there’s never a dull day at the beach. I was pretty excited about the first season last fall, and while many people didn’t share the same enthusiasm initially, that quickly changed when they got a healthy dose of Ika Musume. Structured as a few mini skits per episode, Diomedea’s adaptation really got viewers buzzing with their dialogueless shorts on “Mini Ika Musume” — so much that bonus episodes about her were created for the BD/DVD release. It was a statement to how the series can combine slapstick humor with a sentimental touch, which worked really well with all the cuteness seen in Ika Musume’s character. All the key staff members from season one are back, with director Mizushima Tsutomu now overseeing the entire project while Yamamoto Yasutaka actually directs it. I don’t expect too much to change, seeing as season one more or less adapted pages right out of the manga, so we can probably expect more of the same comedic and heartfelt moments. When the formula worked as well as it did last fall, that’s hardly a bad thing.
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The shounen manga about manga is back with a second season, picking up where things last left off with Mashiro Moritaka (Abe Atsushi) and Takagi Akito’s (Hino Satoshi) dreams of getting their work serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump. Motivated by his promise with his middle school crush/aspiring seiyuu Azuki Miho (Hayami Saori) and the mangaka path left behind by his late uncle, Moritaka continues his struggles in the manga industry as an artist for the unorthodox stories that Akito writes. The first season entailed their entrance into the manga industry and the struggles with other young mangaka, and concluded with the first big step of their careers — the serialization of their Detective Trap series. The fairy tale-like story doesn’t end there though, as more challenges arise in the pursuit of their dreams. Despite the manga’s popularity, I never got past the first couple of episodes last fall, so there’s little reason for me to get into Bakuman now. I was somewhat intrigued by the setup where Miho agreed to marry Moritaka if they both succeed, but when it turned out to be just a plot device that’s rarely revisited, my interest waned. Still, I can see the series’ appeal to younger viewers, as it encourages them to pursue their dreams. It also provides a unique inside-look into the cutthroat manga industry and touches upon a romance element between Akito and Miho’s best friend, Miyoshi Kaya (Yahagi Sayuri). The only problem is, it has a very strong shounen vibe to it (being serialized in the real WSJ and all) that my older jaded self doesn’t really care for. Those who watched and enjoyed the first season will probably be able to tell you about all of Bakuman’s good points though. Takaii did cover the first season, so if anyone’s going to cover this sequel, it would be him.
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At first glance, the anime for Minase Hazuki’s fantasy novel/manga looks like BakaTest, thanks to the same studio, director, and character designer. The premise for C³ (Cube x Cursed x Curious) is similarly outlandish too, with the existence of “cursed tools” known as “Worse” that make Yachi Haruaki’s (Kaji Yuuki) everyday school life anything but normal. His overseas father has a knack for finding these items, which contain huge amounts of negative emotions that can manifest into a human consciousness. If allowed to amass more negative feelings, the Worse can become a demon and curse its owner and everyone around him. One day, Haruaki receives a one-meter black cube — a torture device found in an old castle basement — that has already awakened as a blue-haired girl named Fear Kubrick (Tamura Yukari). She asks him to help lift her curse and starts living with Haruaki and Muramasa Konoha (Chihara Minori), another Worse whose curse has already been lifted. Other characters and organizations familiar with the cursed tools get involved, including Haruaki’s class president Ueno Kirika (Kitamura Eri). The idea of cursed items had me thinking this would be a darker series, but the ability to change between their original forms and beautiful young girls quickly dismissed that idea. The story starts off with a naked Fear stealing senbei since she lacks common sense (see promo video #2), so it looks to be more of a romantic comedy with a supernatural twist. Granted, there’s an action element to go with “fallen” Worses and organizations that have different stances toward the cursed tools. Haruaki gets drawn into the scuffles — sometimes wielding Konoha in her previously cursed katana form — providing an interesting blend of school life and fantasy. I’m anticipating something similar to Kore wa Zombie Desu ka as far as the dark-fantasy aspect goes, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering how surprisingly enjoyable it was. I get the feeling that C³ will be better than it seems, but I’m still not expecting too much from it.
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In a season with a good amount of sequels, we also see the continuation of the family restaurant comedy, Working. The premise is a simple one, centering around high school student and self-proclaimed lover of all things small and helpless, Takanashi Souta (Fukuyama Jun). He agrees to work at Wagnaria because of how adorable his petite senior Taneshima Popura (Asumi Kana) is. Soon after getting hired, Souta realizes how unusual his coworkers are, from his carefree manager Kyouko (Watanabe Kimiko), androphobic coworker Mahiru (Fujita Saki), and katana-carrying floor chief Yachiyo (Kitamura Eri), to the kitchen staff members, Hiroomi (Kamiya Hiroshi) and Jun (Ono Daisuke). Things get even more hectic when the freeloading Yamada Aoi (Hirohashi Ryou) shows up, making a day at the restaurant anything but routine. As with most comedies, most of the humor comes from the interactions between the characters, such as Souta’s attempts to help Mahiru overcome her fear of men without getting killed in the process. The pre-airing left me with a feeling of nostalgia, given the year and a half that’s passed since the first season, and provided plenty of the lighthearted moments that I’ve come to know the series for. We have a new director and screenwriter helming the sequel, but so far there hasn’t really been any questionable change in direction. With the premise already established and A-1 Pictures still behind the production, I don’t anticipate things will deviate too much either. If the first episode was any indication, the source material will be the deciding factor anyway, so if you’re looking for a clean comedy, then look no further than Working. I know I’ll be checking in on the family restaurant regularly.
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A light novel prequel to Type-Moon’s Fate/stay night was written by Urobuchi Gen (Madoka Magica) after the anime finished airing, and now it’s getting a full two-cour anime of its own produced by ufotable. Taking place ten years before, Fate/Zero unveils the truth behind the Fourth Holy Grail War, where Emiya Shirou’s foster father Kiritsugu (Koyama Rikiya) battles against six other Masters and their summoned Servants in an attempt to claim the legendary relic that can grant any wish. The chalice has gone unclaimed in the last three wars in Fuyuki City and Kiritsugu is fully intent on claiming it now, summoning the same Saber (Kawasumi Ayako) from the seven classes of deceased warriors. Another Master, Kotomine Kirei (Nakata Jouji), summons Assassin but lacks a sense purpose in partaking in the war. That all changes when he meets the coldhearted and unrelenting Kiritsugu and perceives him as a sworn enemy. The prequel centers on Kiritsugu and Kirei, the latter of whom still has a prominent role in Fate/stay night. What I find so intriguing about this part of the story is how it warps my image of certain characters, particularly Shirou’s father from whom he inherited the “Hero of Justice” mentality, and changes my understanding of various things that happen in the fifth war. This includes Tousaka Rin’s father Tokiomi (Hayami Shou), the Master of the Archer-class Gilgamesh (Seki Tomokazu). The only other familiar face among the Servants is Gilgamesh, but even that should be enlightening since this is the first time Saber fought against him. Compared to the fifth war, this one comes off a lot darker and cutthroat with its willing participants, so I’m already looking forward to that change in mood. I can’t wait to hear the soundtrack either, since Kajiura Yuki is composing the music. I’m already getting some good Kara no Kyoukai-like vibes just thinking about ufotable x Kajiura Yuki. After the watching the Unlimited Blade Works movie last year, I’m ready for some more of Type-Moon’s Fate.
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Minato Soft, creators of Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de, are getting another one of their adult visual novels adapted. Released for PC in 2009, “Love Me Seriously!” is set in high school like most eroge are, except all the female members in a tight-knit group of friends are descendents of warriors and know how to fight. The story follows second-year Naoe Yamato (Kamiya Hiroshi), who’s hung out with three guys and three girls since he was kid. Their group of seven is referred to as the “Kazama family” after its leader and Yamato’s best friend, Kazama Shouichi (Konishi Katsuyuki). Along with Kawakami Momoyo (Asakawa Yuu), Kawakami Kazuko (Tomonaga Akane), Shiina Miyako (Hyousei), Morooka Takuya (Suzumura Kenichi), and Shimazu Gakuto (Kusao Takeshi), not much has changed in the group. However, things start to when they’re joined by two female transfer students, Mayuzumi Yukie (Gotou Yuuko) and Christiane Friedrich (Itou Shizuka), and the guys have to do their best not to lose out to the warrior-bred girls. If this is anything like Kimiaru, I’m not expecting much outside a romantic comedy with a warrior-type spin. It was a decent series but falls in line with most of the formulaic aspects of the genre. Not a bad thing by any means, but nothing to write home about either. In Majikoi, it looks like they intend to milk the fighting aspect to help differentiate it a bit, which could work if the promo video is any indication. The script is being handled by Takayama Katsuhiko as well, who’s no stranger to this kind of show with Bakatest, Asoiku, and Soremachi under his belt. He also has experience outside this genre, which includes ef – a tale, Ga-Rei -Zero- and this season’s Mirai Nikki. The entire cast from the eroge returns for the anime too, without the aliases they use for their adult line of work. The only thing to keep in mind is that the fan-service will be pretty high (i.e. probably nudity on AT-X), seeing as the show’s been turned down by a broadcast station in Nagoya. I’m tempted to check it out just to see some of studio Lerche’s work, but it won’t be very high on my priority list with all the better offerings this season.
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Sunrise is teaming up with Dengeki Bunko to produce a light novel-based anime that’s been said to be “impossible” to adapt. Known as “Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere”, Kawakami Minoru’s school battle fantasy has a deep-rooted and fairly convoluted premise. In the distant future, mankind has to suddenly abandon “Tenjou” (lit. heavens) and return to the Earth, where the only inhabitable place left is “Shinshuu” (Japan). To cope with the lack of space, they create an alternate dimension to live in called “Jusou Sekai”. To find a means back to Tenjou, they attempt to relive the Earth’s history as transcribed in the “Testament”; however, a war later breaks out in Shinshuu and destabilizes the alternate dimension, causing it to come crashing into the real world. The various countries come pouring out, fighting over the limited space of “Kyokutou”. In present day, the Testament suddenly stopped transcribing the Earth’s history at 1648 A.D., causing the countries to fight over their own interpretations on what happens next. Some believe it’s the end of the world; others try to carve a new future. The parallels to our history add a nice twist, as the last recorded information in the Testament is the end of the Thirty Years’ War. Most of the world’s confusion comes from mention of Westpalia, not knowing that the peace treaty was signed there. Kyokutou is in the middle of a medieval war, but the story’s stage is Musashi, the eight-ship independent nation in the skies where students of Ariadust Academy try to settle the cross-national dispute on their own. We follow the carefree yet charismatic Musashi sub-ruler/student council president Aoi Toori (Fukuyama Jun) and fellow sub-ruler/automaton Horizon Ariadust (Chihara Minori). The huge cast is brimming with big names, such as Sawashiro Miyuki, Koyasu Takehito, Ono Daisuke, Inoue Marina, Saitou Chiwa, Koshimizu Ami, and Yuuki Aoi. Despite the fairly grave premise, the promo material suggests otherwise, so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store with this massive undertaking. The amount of terminology is daunting, but judging from the intro videos, Sunrise has put a lot of effort into making this project succeed. A second season is already scheduled.
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YuYu Hakusho creator Togashi Yoshihiro’s other renowned manga sees a remake ten years later, this time with a new studio, staff, and cast. To produce this Weekly Shounen Jump series, Madhouse is working with director Koujina Hiroshi, whose previous works together include Rainbow, Majin Tanten Nougami Neuro, and Kiba. In Hunter x Hunter, we follow the adventures of a young boy named Gon Freecss (Han Megumi) who aspires to become a Hunter after learning that his presumed-to-be-dead father Ging is still alive and one of the best in the world. He sets out on a journey in search of his father where he meets and befriends other aspiring hunters, Killua Zoldyc (Ise Mariya), Leorio (Fujiwara Keiji), and Kurapika (Sawashiro Miyuki) during their Hunter Exam. Very few people can pass this grueling exam to be officially recognized as an elite individual who specializes in finding treasures, exotic creatures, and other rare items, but together they face that challenge and many others, including Hisoka (Namikawa Daisuke), another aspiring Hunter. Hunter x Hunter has been running in WSJ for longer than Naruto and Bleach and nearly as long as One Piece, but hasn’t seen the same kind of never-ending adaptation despite the good reception of the 62-episode TV series and 30-episode OVA produced by Nippon Animation. The original work has also been praised for being a shounen series that sets itself apart from other WSJ titles with its plot and characters. There’s less emphasis on battles and more on the developments. All of that sounds good to me, but I never got into the manga or the anime, so I’m a bit indifferent about this remake now. I do like the cast that’s been brought in to replace the original one, even though existing fans probably wanted to hear the same voices they’re accustomed to. Personally, I’m not looking for an anime of this kind to get into, but it’s worth taking a peek if you are. It’s friendly to any newcomers since it starts from the very beginning.
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Sunrise is on a bit of a tear this season with three offerings, the second of which is an original series about a high school student named Daimon Kaito (Asanuma Shintarou), who together with his childhood friend Itou Nonoha (Shimizu Kaori), stumbles upon a supposedly unsolvable maze beneath his school. It turns out to be a “Philosopher Puzzle” created by a mysterious organization known as “POG”, who makes would-be challengers stake their lives to try and solve it. Kaito manages to do so and obtains the Orpheus Bracelet hidden in the maze, earning him the “Phi Brain” recognition — the first step towards solving the “Puzzle of God”. Together with others Phi Brains, Sakanoue Gammon (Fukuyama Jun), Cubic G (Miyata Kouki), and Anna Graham (Yukino Satsuki), they wage a puzzle battle against POG to uncover the truth about the organization and the Puzzle of God. The premise and promo videos remind me a lot of the psychological thriller Cube, where different people from all walks of life are put into a deadly puzzle game to test how smart they are. Sunrise appears to be going for the same riveting approach with this series, which is slated for two cour like most of their original works usually are. I’m not completely sold on the visuals and am somewhat deterred by the arrogance seen in Kaito, but still feel that this will turn out a lot better than it seems. It’s reminiscent of Kaiji with the gambling replaced by puzzles, so I’m anticipating the same kind of nail-biting, thought-provoking entertainment. The series is airing on NHK after all, a broadcast station that generally only features anime that have an educational element to them. I’m not sure what to make of Satou Junichi as director though, since he’s better known for his work in slice-of-life series such as ARIA, Tamayura, and the recent Ikoku Meiro no Croisée. Regardless, Sunrise’s original anime are always worth keeping an eye on.
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Slice-of-life fans rejoice, the four-part OVA by the ARIA staff is back with a TV series. For those who haven’t seen last year’s OVA, Tamayura revolves around first-year high school student Sawatari Fuu (Taketatsu Ayana), a.k.a. “Potte”, and her everyday life in her hometown of Takehara, Hiroshima that she recently moved back to after five years. With the help of her childhood friend Hanawa Kaoru (Asumi Kana), she’s able to befriend Okazaki Norie (Iguchi Yuka) and Sakurada Maon (Gibu Yuuko). Together with her new friends, Fuu rediscovers her hometown through the finder of a Rollei 35S camera left behind by her late father. As with most shows of this genre, the premise is relatively simple. The characters don’t face any serious challenges and there isn’t much of an overarching story. Instead, the focus is on giving us glimpses of the small things in life that we ought to appreciate more. ARIA had the uncanny ability to give the viewer a more positive outlook on life and the staff behind its anime has created something very similar with Tamayura. With Fuu, there’s often a sentimental aspect attached as well, especially when she tries to find out where her father took his photographs. She’s also very timid and innocent just like Mizunashi Akari, providing a refreshing view on just about everything. There isn’t anything particular about the OVA episodes that stood out to me, but in a day and age full of shows about violence, I consider a cute and heartwarming series like this a godsend to balance them out. This type of show is far too uneventful for most viewers and isn’t very interesting to blog, but it is pleasing to watch. It’s like anime for the soul.
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Now here’s something you don’t see every day — a clean slice-of-life comedy with five teenage boys and no BL/shounen-ai undertones. “You and I” follows the everyday lives of four childhood friends — twin brothers Asaba Yuuta (Uchiyama Kouki) and Yuuki (Kimura Ryouhei), honor student Tsukahara Kaname (Ono Yuuki), and effeminate Matsuoka Shun (Toyonaga Toshiyuki) — and their half-German transfer student Tachibana Chizuru (Irino Miyu). It covers their time in high school where they’re soon joined by Shun’s petite admirer Satou Masaki (Satou Miyuki), and features flashbacks showing how their friendship’s developed since kindergarten. J.C. Staff and Sora no Woto director Kanbe Mamoru has been tasked to bring female mangaka Hotta Kiichi’s adolescent comedy to life with two 13-episode seasons, the first of which starts this fall. The early parts of the manga reminded me of Sasameki Koto, both in terms of style and the laid-back humor. Flip the genders of the five girls and one guy and take out the underlying yuri element and we have the basis for Kimi to Boku. The similarities end there though, as the type of humor is more in line with Ouran High School Host Club where the characters will poke fun at one another like only guys can. As with most slice-of-life comedies, the interactions between the distinct character personalities drive most of the humor. Yuuta is the good-looking outspoken leader who keeps the group together, Yuuki is the cool nonchalant mirror of him, Kaname is the straight-edged brains, Shun is the token girlish pretty boy, and Chizuru is the energetic newcomer. The end result is fairly enjoyable for both female and male audiences alike, especially those who want a down-to-earth school comedy that doesn’t revolve around romance. I wasn’t planning to watch this adaptation, but now I’m considering following it when I have time.
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After some plagiarism trouble that put her career on hiatus, Suetsugu Yuki returned with an original concept for her award-winning josei manga. Sixth-grade Ayase Chihaya’s (Seto Asami) only dream is to see her one-year-older sister become a top model. She’s a tomboy with no aspirations of her own, until the bullied transfer student, Wataya Arata (Yoshimasa Hosoya), tells her of his dream to become the best karuta player in Japan. In one game against him, Chihaya is astounded by the concentration and speed the traditional card game can be played with and becomes fascinated with it when Arata notices her potential. Chihaya’s elitist friend Mashima Taichi (Miyano Mamoru) soon joins them and they form an unexpectedly profound friendship. Unfortunately, Chihaya’s newfound happiness is short-lived, as they go their separate ways following graduation. She continues playing alone believing that she’ll see Arata again. Four years later, she’s reunited with Taichi in high school. They find out Arata quit karuta after returning to his hometown, so they create a karuta club in hopes that he’ll play with them again. I didn’t know what to make of this series at first, but after reading a bit of the manga, it’s gone from a show that I wasn’t even considering to one that I’m really looking forward to. In a game of listening, memorization, and reaction time, it’s interesting to see Chihaya excel at it because of her remarkable hearing ability. The most captivating aspect are the characters themselves, who are able to overcome their personal problems and insecurities through the game. Chihaya’s the forgotten child in the family because of her sister’s modeling success, whereas Taichi is under constant pressure from his mother to be the best at everything. Then there are the questions surrounding Arata, who suddenly quits karuta despite being a national champion in grade school. Amidst all that, there are even signs of romantic interests developing around a very beautiful Chihaya. In some ways, the style is reminiscent of Kimi ni Todoke. It’s good to know Madhouse has 25 episodes to work with, because I see this as the sleeper of the season.
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It was only a matter of time before we saw another fan-service-filled school-battle anime. In Maken-Ki’s take on the idea, Ooyama Takeru (Maeno Tomoaki) enrolls at Tenpi High, an all-girls school that recently turned co-ed. His dreams of a garden of beautiful girls are quickly shattered when he realizes the students there learn how to control special powers called “Elements” using magical weapons known as “Maken” and engage in regular duels with one another. Takeru is no exception to this form of education, but he’s stuck without a Maken for a while because none are suitable for him. He winds up living in a dorm with his childhood friend, Amaya Haruko (Shitaya Noriko), his self-proclaimed fiancee, Kushiya Inaho (Nomizu Iori), and a mysterious girl who considers him an enemy, Himegami Kodama (Yahagi Sayuri). On Haruko’s recommendation, Takeru ends up joining the “Maken-Ki” club that works with the student council to resolve problems around the school. The premise has a lot of parallels with FREEZING; replace the Volt Weapons with Maken and the dimensional invaders with a perverted harem lead and we have Maken-Ki. I found the manga provides a similar form of entertainment, except the focus is more on school life than fighting. Takeru’s backstory about his mother leads to some decent character growth (e.g. his “Blood Pointer” ability) and the story picks up when the mercenary unit Venus transfers to Tenpi, claiming that someone is trying to revive the eight-headed dragon, “Yamata no Orochi”. All the while, a lighthearted air is maintained with all romantic comedy-type developments. The fan-service in the manga was relatively tasteful with no nudity and only the odd panty shot during battles, so my main concern is the added emphasis on it seen in the promo video. In all likelihood, this will quickly degenerate into an anime that was produced solely to milk that aspect. The goofier character designs suggest as much, so I’m not expecting much in the way of depth.
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In Palette’s 2009 adult visual novel, we have yet another story where a male lead is surrounded by beautiful girls because a school recently turned co-ed. Uryuu Shingo’s (Mizushima Takahiro) Kagamidai Academy is in the process of merging with the neighboring town’s prestigious all-girls school Yuihime Academy (a.k.a. Yuijo) due to financial difficulties in the area. In preparation for the merger, he and his younger stepsister Sakuno (Gotou Mai) are chosen to take part in a testing phase where they attend classes at Yuijo. There, Shingo finds himself in a test class with the principal’s daughter and model student, Sena Airi (Ono Ryouko), who’s opposed to the merger and uses her influence to make it difficult for guys to get accustomed to the school. However, self-styled maid Ange Nanatsu Sewell (Ichimura Oma) and third-year Amaha Miu (Rikimaru Noriko) help Shingo fit in. He later stumbles upon Airi’s secret and causes her to open up to him and the others, thus beginning Shingo’s new school life at Yuijo where romance is in the air. There isn’t much to be expect from the premise itself, except maybe Airi’s thrifty lifestyle that goes against her image and the addition of male-hater Inui Sana (Yoshida Mayumi), so the potential lies in the characters themselves and the relationships that develop. Unless an omnibus format is employed, I can’t see there being any profound developments either. Even with Airi as the main love candidate, the romance will likely beat around the bush until the last couple of episodes. Realistically, all I can hope for is something that’s built up better than Hoshikaka and closer to Fortune Arterial. There are always subtle aspects I enjoy in VN adaptations, but the end result is almost always mediocre at best. I am however cautiously optimistic about the direction Manglobe takes Mashirio-iro Symphony. The closest thing they’ve produced is Kami nomi, so I’m curious to see if the studio can make all the difference in the world.
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Three years after the spin-off adaptation of Atlus’ Persona 3 PlayStation 2 role-playing game, Persona -trinity soul-, we have a more faithful one on the latest iteration, produced by AIC ASTA and directed by Angel Beats/Kami-sama Dolls’ Kishi Seiji. The protagonist — now officially named Narukami Yuu (Namikawa Daisuke) — moves to the rural town of Inaba and stays with his police detective uncle Doujima Ryoutarou and six-year-old cousin Nanako. Shortly after his arrival, a series of murders take place where bodies are found hanging from television antennas, and a rumor begins to spread about a “Mayonaka TV” program where you can see your other self in the reflection of a television set on rainy days. Looking into the rumor, Yuu and his new friends, Hanamura Yousuke (Morikubo Shoutarou), Satonaka Chie (Horie Yui), Amagi Yukiko (Koshimizu Ami), get pulled into an alternate TV world where monsters known as Shadows roam about. They’re forced to confront their Shadow Selves and awaken their “Personas”, summoned beings that they use to investigate the murders and their connection to this other world. The game’s other cast members are present, namely Tatsumi Kanji (Seki Tomokazu), Kujikawa Rise (Kugimiya Rie), Shirogane Naoto (Paku Romi), and the mysterious bear-like creature, Kuma (Yamaguchi Kappei). I was introduced to the very first Persona game back in 1997, but never actually got into the franchise itself. Still, I’m familiar with the common elements in the games and actually enjoyed watching Trinity Soul, making it hard to ignore a faithful adaptation of a title with a 90% Metacritic score. I may not be looking forward to it as much as fans of the game, but the high school setting with mysterious deaths, creepy rumors, and Personas piques my interest all the same. The cast, character designs, and promo videos look awesome, plus the series has been confirmed to be two-cour, which should be ample time to adapt the story in full. It may be hard to believe, but this is a video game adaptation that shows a lot of promise.
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Loners making friends with loners — that’s the idea behind Hirasaka Yomi’s light novel “I Don’t Have Many Friends” (a.k.a. “Haganai”), which spawned two manga and now an anime. It starts with transfer student Hasegawa Kodaka (Kimura Ryouhei), who’s treated like an outcast because of his delinquent-like appearance. One day, he stumbles upon his ill-tempered classmate Mikazuki Yozora (Inoue Marina) happily talking to her imaginary friend. Realizing Kodaka’s just as much of a loner, Yozora creates the “Rinjin-bu” (i.e. Neighbor Club) to make real friends and forces him to join. Before long, they’re joined by other outcasts at St. Chronica Academy: An arrogant school idol, Kashiwazaki Sena (Itou Kanae), an effeminate junior hoping to become a “real man”, Kusunoki Yukimura (Yamamoto Nozomi), and a BL-obssessed genius, Shiguma Rika (Fukuen Misato). Yozora later recruits their ten-year-old genius teacher/nun Takayama Maria (Iguchi Yuka) to be their club advisor, and somehow Kodaka’s middle school sister Kobato (Hanazawa Kana) winds up as a member too. Thus begins Kodaka’s comical school life with his new friends. On the surface, the setup is quirky and the original illustrations by Buriki remind me too much of Denpa Onno to Seishun Otoko. A closer look at Yozora’s selfish ways and her knack for getting everyone caught in her pace reveals the highlight of the series though — Yozora bumping heads with Sena to the point that they want to kill each other. Their terrible personalities are so similar that they get along sometimes, which is funny because they’re completely oblivious to it. Most of the humor comes from exemplifying their horrible social skills in club activities that mimic what “real” friends do together (e.g. playing video games). Casting Marina and Kanae for the lead roles is a bit unexpected, since they’re not as much of a shoo-in as Yuka for the loli-nun role, but I’m looking forward to hearing those two flip out and act all smug. The all-star female cast and production by AIC Build are the biggest appeals of this adaptation, so I can already see this being one of the more “clever” comedic offerings this season. Definitely worth checking out.
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If there was any doubt about there being an audience for forbidden love between guys, a second season of Junjou Romantica creator’s “World’s Greatest Love” after only a one-cour break should suggest otherwise. Targeted toward female audiences, Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi entails the publishing company endeavors of 25-year-old Onodera Ritsu (Kondou Takashi), who’s reunited with his high school boyfriend, 27-year-old chief editor Takano Masamune (Konishi Katsuyuki), when he leaves his father’s company to prove that he can make it as an editor on his own. He ends up working for Masamune in Marukawa Shoten’s Emerald department specialing in shoujo manga, and the forbidden feelings from high school begin to resurface. Ritsu is thrown into further confusion by Yokozawa Takafumi (Kenyuu Horiuchi) from the finance department, whom Masamune had a physical relationship with in university. I didn’t watch a single episode of the first season and I have no intention of watching any of the second one, but I did bite the bullet and delve into the manga to get a first-hand impression of exactly what the series entails. As I mentioned back in the Spring 2011 Preview, it’s a genre I had no business looking into. There were some comedic aspects in and around the Emerald department that felt as commonplace as any other romantic comedy, but the primary focus is always on Ritsu’s relationship with Masamune. Quite frankly, I don’t see the appeal in this semi-serious depiction of a same-sex relationship, even if it were on the lesbian side of things. I can enjoy the yuri version if it’s used in the gag sense like Yuruyuri or only lightly touched upon like Aoi Hana or Sasameki Koto, but that’s the extent I care to see even when they’re all girls. In any case, those with fujoshi interests need not look any further — the second season is here.
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The fantasy/romance series that I’ve come to know J.C. Staff for is back with a third and final season. The 24-volume light novel completed its nine-year run this month and the anime is following suit. A lot has happened since Sakai Yuuji (Hino Satoshi) first met the “Flame Haze” Shana (Kugimiya Rie) and learned that he’s merely a Torch, a figment of his former living self. He still possesses a treasure known as the “Reiji Maigo”, which renews his “Power of Existence” every night. Along with the Lord of the Crimson Realm, Alastor (Ebara Masashi), and fellow Flame Hazes, Wilhemina Carmel (Itou Shizuka) and Margery Daw (Nabatame Hitomi), Yuuji and Shana continue their fight against Bal Masqué, a group of Crimson Denizens who aren’t concerned about the balance in the human world and use the Power of Existence for their own purposes. Led by Sydonay (Miyake Kenta), Hecate (Noto Mamiko), and Bel Peol (Oohara Sayaka), they attempt to carry out a “Grand Order” plan that requires Yuuji’s Reiji Maigo, in which the God of Creation and their founder, Sairei no Hebi, has been reborn. I’ll be quick to admit I have very mixed feelings about Shakugan no Shana. While I can appreciate the impressive visuals and profound plot, the latter is often too needlessly convoluted just like To Aru Majutsu no Index. When the anime is spread over six-plus years, it’s even harder to put all the developments into a proper perspective. For that reason, it’s not a show that I particularly want to cover. Regardless, I fully intend to watch it to get some closure on the 50+ episodes that I’ve seen already. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up, including those surrounding the love triangle between Yuuji, Shana, and Kazumi (Kawasumi Ayako), so it’s now or never for just about everything. Knowing that all the subplots will wrap up in some way is probably the most reassuring part of this third series. Don’t get me wrong; Shakugan no Shana will likely go down as a pretty epic trilogy. It’s just really taxing on someone like me who will try to pick up on every little detail if I choose to cover it.
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After Nyanpire last season, GONZO is back from the dead with their first notable production in the past three years. It’s been eight years since they produced their original retro-futuristic series Last Exile and now they’re back with its successor, subtitled “Fam, The Silver Wing”. The main characters in this new story are a young girl named Fam Fan Fan (Toyosaki Aki) and her navigator Giselle Collette (Yuuki Aoi), members of a group of sky pirates. The setting is a place known as Grand Lake, where the Ades Commonwealth is subjugating the world with its overwhelming military strength for unknown reasons. Opposing them and on the brink of annihilation is the Kingdom of Turan, whose princesses Millia il Velch Cutrettola Turan (Kayano Ai) and Liliana il Grazioso Merlo Turan (Sawashiro Miyuki) one day catch sight of a small vanship named “Vespa” weaving through the enemy fleet and avoiding gunfire. Piloting it is none other than Fam, who has set her eyes on their ship and wants to steal it. Before long, they get caught up in the war and the gaze of Ades’ supreme commander, Luscinia Hafez (Okitsu Kazuyuki). It remains to be seen whether this is intended to be a direct sequel to the 2003 anime, but some familiar faces and names are among the cast — Alister Agrew (Kuwatani Natsuko), Tatiana Wisla (Kitamura Eri), and Dio Eraclea (Noda Junko). There’s also mention of a mysterious power called “Exile”, which I presume will be different this time around. I still haven’t gotten through all of the first anime but I do have renewed interest in doing so with Ginyoku no Fam just around the corner. Even without finishing it, the promo material and the sound of Aki and Aoi using new voices in the lead roles have me pretty set on getting right into this latest iteration. The key staff members — director/screenwriter, composer, character designer — are all back too, which gives some hope that GONZO might make a comeback as the studio it once was. I’ll watch this for a throwback to GONZO’s better days alone, but I do love the retro-futuristic world and high-speed aerial battles that come with it.
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The supermarket battle for half-price lunch boxes is on in this light novel adaptation. Touted as a youthful serious/gag action series for commoners, Ben-To depicts a rambunctious story revolving around high school student Satou You (Shimono Hiro), who goes to a supermarket one day to buy a half-price bento box, only to get knocked out and have it taken from him. When he wakes up, he finds that the only things left are a dried-plum onigiri, which he happens to bump into his classmate Oshiroi Hana (Yuuki Aoi) over. Unbeknownst to You, he’s stepped into a warzone where high school and university students from a nearby dorm battle like wolves over cheap food. He later finds out about this from Yarizui Sen (Ise Mariya), a.k.a. “The Frozen Witch”, who invites You and Hana into her “Half Price Association” that competes for lunches. Other characters join the mix, including You’s university cousin Shaga Ayame (Katou Emiri), a.k.a. “Beauty of the Lake”, her friend Inoue Asebi (Taketatsu Ayana), his class president Shiraume Ume (Kayano Ai), the former HPA president Kaneshirou Yuu (Miyano Mamoru). How an idea like this even comes up is beyond me but there’s no doubting its originality. Ben-To takes an everyday thing like buying marked-down food and turns it into a free-for-all bloodsport. The mere thought of that is outrageous and I really didn’t think it would interest me, but the promo videos do look kind of cool with the over-the-top depiction. I presume the comedic aspect isn’t too shabby either, since I can’t see the fighting being the selling point when it’s based on a light novel. There’s no disputing the cast though, as David Production brought together one hell of a group for a comedy. Hiro is perfect for these type of slapstick roles and I’m already liking what I hear from Mariya and Emiri as the heroines. The production quality is also better than I imagined, so as long as the material entertains, I can see myself getting into this show.
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Sunrise is back with an all-new Gundam series, taking place in a new Advanced Generation (A.G.) timeline. For the first time ever, the story will cover a “One Hundred Year War” that spans three generations of characters. It begins in A.G. 101, where mankind has immigrated to space for hundreds of years now and are in a state of peace. An overwhelming Unknown Enemy (UE) suddenly appears, destroying the space colony Angel and marking the start of the war — later known as “The Day the Angel Fell”. In A.G. 108, seven-year-old Flit Asuno’s colony Ovan is attacked by the UE. His mother is killed and entrusts him with an AGE Device containing blueprints for a savior — an ancient mobile suit known as “Gundam”. He spends the next seven years studying engineering on the colony Nora and manages to complete the Gundam with other engineers. In it is the AGE System, allowing it to evolve with the pilot over time based on battle data collected. Not too long after, UE comes to attack Nora and Flit boards the Gundam to fend them off, something that mankind hasn’t been able to do in the past fourteen years. First off, I actually like the modern-retro look of this series, since it takes me back to the franchise’s roots. What’s most impressive is the scope of the series, starting with Flit and his childhood friend Emily Amonde, and continuing on with his son Asem and grandson Kio (seen in the promo art). The AGE System is an adaptive system that is registered with Flit, but the AGE Device holds the key to allowing his descendents to use it as well. Since it evolves, it’s highly likely that the Gundam the series starts with will be the same one Kio inherits and uses in A.G. 201 (barring any upgrades). The scale of the story is comparable to the entire U.C. timeline but contained within a single series — one that’s been suggested will run for a full year (i.e. four-cour). The mere thought of that is enough to get a longtime Gundam fan like myself excited, even when the promo videos only show the first major arc where Flit joins the crew of the Earth Federation battleship, Diva. Much like Gundam 00, I also like the idea of mankind uniting against a common alien threat. This is easily one of my most anticipated shows.
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Panic survival meets future premonitions in Esuno Sakai’s “Future Diary”, which completed its 5-year 12-volume manga run last December. Asread, a studio that’s been fairly quiet, is bringing us what will likely be a faithful adaptation over the next six months. The survival game begins when Amano Yukiteru (Togashi Misuzu), a lonesome self-proclaimed bystander who writes down everything he sees in his cellphone’s diary, learns that his imaginary friend Deus Ex Machina (Wakamoto Norio) is actually the God of Time & Space. Deus grants Yuki’s cellphone the ability to reveal future events and he is overjoyed about it; however, that changes when he finds out he’s going to be killed by a serial killer. His classmate and stalker Gasai Yuno (Murata Tomasa) ends up saving him, after which Yuki learns that Deus is playing a sick game to determine his successor, where he, Yuno, and ten others must use their future diaries to kill one another. The key to doing so is finding out the other participants’ identities. Having been credited for the first kill, Yuki becomes the target of the ten others and finds himself relying on Yuno to survive. This is probably one of the most anticipated new shows and kind of crept up out of nowhere with its relatively late addition to the lineup. The use of cellphones in a game is similar to Eden of the East, except there’s a much more sinister feel to Mirai Nikki’s take on it. There’s no concept of time travel, but the participants can change the future depending on their actions — often in the form of split-second decisions. Furthermore, the diaries only record a limited scope of information, such as how Yuki’s only shows stuff that happens around him but not to him, whereas Yuno’s only gives her 10-min updates on Yuki, befitting of the stalker she is. Together, their diaries are able to complement the other’s weaknesses; however, there’s added suspense over whether Yuki can really trust Yuno. She appears sweet and innocent on the outside, but is crazy enough to both kill and die for Yuki. Her diary also poses the ultimate threat to Yuki, since it always knows what he’s doing. I’ve purposely refrained from reading too much of the concluded manga so that I can be surprised at every turn. I like what I saw in the short OVA released last year, so I have every reason to believe this is one of the season’s must-watch shows.
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The noitaminA time slot has two original series lines up, the first of which is inspired by 20th century novelist/essayist Sakuguchi Ango’s detective story, “Meiji Kaika Ango Torimonochou”. BONES is working with Gundam 00 director Mizushima Seiji and Fullmetal Alchemist screenwriter Aikawa Shou to bring us this venturous project, which is set in a post-World War II era where detectives no longer have a place due to an intelligence agency run by the “Media King” Kaishou Rinroku (Miki Shinichirou). However, there’s an underside to how Rinroku is able to solve a lot of cases and “The Last Great Detective” Yuuki Shinjuurou (Katsuji Ryou) intends to bring it to light. Shinjuurou distanced himself from society so people who don’t know who he is refer to him as “The Defeated Detective”. Those who do and are aware of his deductive abilities acknowledge him with respect though. He’s accompanied by a beautiful yet mischievous boy named Inga (Toyosaki Aki) and together they solve cases despite society’s negative view on them. It’s a little hard to tell where this modern take on Sakuguchi’s novel is headed, but I’m leaning toward diving into it blindly considering the studio and staff involved. I’m always up for a detective series and it sounds like there’s some bad blood in the rivalry between Shinjuurou and Rinroku. The latter’s daughter Rie (Yamamoto Nozomi) compounds society’s negative view on Shinjuurou, and there’s also public prosecutor Koyama Izumi (Honda Takako) and chief prosecutor Hayami Seigen (Irino Miyu) to take into account. The setup seems geared towards a conspiracy involving Rinroku and potentially some underhanded dealings that led to his success. There are also questions surrounding Inga and why he’s so attached to Shinjuurou. An episode 0 featuring their backstory will be released in theaters, but hopefully some of that will come into the series too. Either way, UN-GO warrants some looking into.
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It’s not often we get a noitaminA series that’s two-cour, let alone an original one by Production I.G featuring the director of Death Note and the screenwriter of CODE GEASS/Macross Frontier. Guilty Crown’s story begins in 2029, when Japan turns into an anarchy following the outbreak of the “Apocalypse Virus”. An ultranational armed organization known as GHQ intervenes and subjugates the country, stripping it of its seat in the Commonwealth and leaving its people with only the perception of peace. Ten years later in 2039, high school student Ouma Shuu (Kaji Yuuki) tries to spend his days peacefully by distancing himself from society, but that all changes when he runs into an Internet songstress whom he admires, Yuzuriha Inori (Kayano Ai). Inori is a member of the “Undertakers”, an underground resistance group trying to liberate Japan, and part of a sub-17-year-old group led by Tsutsugami Gai (Nakamura Yuiichi). Shuu gets drawn into their fight because he possesses the “Power of Kings” in his right hand, which allows him to extract weapons from the “Void” within a person’s body. An original Production I.G anime in the noitaminA time block isn’t a hard sell, especially when there’s a beautiful soft-spoken songstress in a revealing dress begging the main character to “use her”, so I was already on board even before I knew what Guilty Crown is about. Granted, it’s even better knowing there’s a military element with robots, theme songs by Supercell, and character designs by Redjuice. There’s so much to be excited about from a production standpoint, including the support cast of characters voiced by Hanazawa Kana, Taketatsu Ayana, Koyasu Takehito, Kotobuki Minako, Endou Aya, and Sakaguchi Daisuke. The promo videos look amazing and I love the fantasy element that Shuu’s power brings to the fight to liberate Japan. The Macross-like songstress part is just icing on the cake with Yuiichi voicing Gai. I love blogging original anime and Guilty Crown looks to be the original anime of the season.
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Technical Note: OVAs are sorted by the date they are released. For series that have multiple episodes coming out over the course of the season, please refer to the Notes column for additional dates. More information on each OVA can be found on their respective websites, including promotional videos in some cases. Movie premiere dates are not included since they don’t mean a whole lot to viewers outside of Japan. DVD/BD movie releases are however. This list is likely incomplete and will be updated as more titles surface. If you notice anything missing, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail me directly.
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10/05 | The Prince of Tennis: Best Match | テニスの王子様 ベストマッチ http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/tenipri-best/ |
Airing on TV Tokyo at 25:50. |
| 10/07 | Kaibutsu Oujo OAD 3 | 怪物王女 OAD第3弾 http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/kaibutsu/ |
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| 10/08 | Deadman Wonderland OVA | デッドマン・ワンダーランド OVA http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/shop/sp/shop_sp_167.html |
Unaired episode bundled with manga vol. 11. |
| 10/19 | Rio -RainbowGate- OVA http://riorainbowgate.com/goods/dvd.html |
Bundled with BD/DVD vol. 7. |
| 10/21 | VitaminX Addiction Act.3 http://www.d3p.co.jp/vitamin_x_addiction/ |
Final Act. |
| 10/28 | Carnival Phantasm 2nd Season | カーニバル・ファンタズム 2nd Season http://www.typemoon.com/products/cp/ |
12/32: 3rd Season. |
| 10/28 | Hakuouki Hekketsuroku OVA Series: Toudou Chapter 薄桜鬼 碧血録 OVAシリーズ 藤堂編 http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/rondorobe/anime/hakuoki/ |
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| 10/29 | Hidamari Sketch SP http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/hidamari/ |
Airing on BS-TBS at 25:30. 11/05: Episode 2. |
| 10/29 | Queen’s Blade OAD | クイーンズブレイド OAD http://queensblade.net/index.php/qb_ova |
Bundled with the Premium Visual Book 1. |
| 11/09 | Yozakura Quartet ~Hoshi no Umi~ Ep. 3 | 夜桜四重奏 ～ホシノウミ～ 第3弾 http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/yozakura/ |
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| 11/12 | Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Ep. 4 | 機動戦士ガンダムUC 第4話 http://www.gundam-unicorn.net/ |
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| 11/17 | Seitokai Yakuindomo OAD | 生徒会役員共OAD http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/seitokai/ |
Bundled with manga vol. 6. |
| 11/23 | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira: file.03 | ひぐらしのなく頃に煌 file.03 http://www.oyashirosama.com/web/kira/ |
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| 11/23 | Tales of Symphonia THE ANIMATION Sekai Tougou-hen Vol.1 テイルズ オブ シンフォニア THE ANIMATION 世界統合編 Vol.1 http://ova-tos.com/ |
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| 11/25 | Eiyuu Densetsu Sora no Kiseki THE ANIMATION Vol.1 英雄伝説 空の軌跡 THE ANIMATION Vol.1 http://www.sora-anime.com/ |
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| 11/25 | Hakuouki Hekketsuroku OVA Series: Hijikata Chapter 薄桜鬼 碧血録 OVAシリーズ 土方編 http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/rondorobe/anime/hakuoki/ |
Final episode. |
| 11/25 | Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo | 星を追う子ども http://www.hoshi-o-kodomo.jp/ |
BD/DVD movie release of Shinkai Makoto’s latest film. |
| 11/25 | IS Infinite Stratos Encore: Koi ni Kogareru Rokujuusou IS＜インフィニット・ストラトス＞アンコール 「恋に焦がれる六重奏」 http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/is/ |
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| 11/25 | Saiyuuki Gaiden Vol. 3: Houga Chapter | 最遊記外伝 第参巻 萌芽の章 http://saiyuki-gaiden.com/ |
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| 11/30 | kiss x sis OAD Ep. 6 http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/kiss_sis/ |
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| 11/– | Kono Otoko, Uchuujin to Tatakaemasu. | この男子、宇宙人と戦えます。 http://www.konodan.com/ |
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| 12/10 | Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi ODA | いつか天魔の黒ウサギ ODA http://www.itsu-ten.jp/ |
Bundled with LN vol. 9. |
| 12/21 | Hidan no Aria OVA | 緋弾のアリア OVA http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/aria/ |
Unaired episode incl. with BD/DVD vol. 7. |
| 12/21 | Toradora! Bentou no Gokui | とらドラ！ 弁当の極意 http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/toradora_bd/ |
OVA episode incl. with BD box set. |
| 12/– | R-15 OAD (10) | R-15 (10) http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/shop/sp/shop_sp_177.html |
Bundled with LN vol. 10. |
| Fall 2011 | Holy Knight http://www.cammot.jp/ |
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| s.CRY.ed Alteration | スクライド オルタレイション http://www.s-cry-ed.net/ |
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Suffice to say, it’s a great season to be an anime fan — hectic as hell to be an anime blogger. Even if I quickly rule out the romantic comedies and the pure comedies — many of which are good — I still have too many shows up for consideration. For now, I’m only committing to Guilty Crown and Gundam AGE. Others that I’m heavily leaning toward are Fate/Zero and Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon. That doesn’t mean shows like Mirai Nikki, Last Exile -Ginyoku no Fam- will go uncovered though, as some of the other writers have already expressed interest in them.
If there’s a show you really want to see covered at RandomC, please let me know in the comments and I’ll take it into consideration. As usual, I plan to watch a lot more shows than I have time to cover, so I’m somewhat flexible on what I cover. It just has to be on my shortlist below, broken down into days. (Good or higher blogging odds; underline means guaranteed.)
- Sun: Mirai Nikki, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE
- Mon: Kimi to Boku., Shinryaku!? Ika Musume
- Tue: Chihayafuru
- Wed:
- Thu: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Guilty Crown, Persona 4 the ANIMATION
- Fri: Last Exile -Ginyoku no Fam-, Shakugan no Shana III (Final)
- Sat: Fate/Zero, Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, WORKING’!!
As for the categorized series breakdown, see below. Note: The lists are in alphabetical order.
High expectation shows give me reason to believe they have the makings of a very good series that should appeal to the widest audience in their given genres. If you consider yourself a “casual” fan who only gets your toes wet every season by watching the “best” shows (i.e. popular ones that generate the most buzz), then these are the ones I feel you should keep an eye out for. I’m also expecting good things from these shows, so if they fall short, disappointment is understandable.
- High Expectations: Fate/Zero, Guilty Crown, Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, Last Exile -Ginyoku no Fam-, Mirai Nikki, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Persona 4 the ANIMATION, Shakugan no Shana III (Final)
Moderate expectation shows don’t provide any immediate indication that they’ll be amazing in retrospect. This is often the case with shows that fall into one of anime’s overused plot devices, which most people, particularly self-proclaimed critics, will perceive as mediocre at best. However, from my experience, these shows still provide a great deal of entertainment and may turn out a lot better than they appear. They’re good for “regular” fans who are aware of all these tropes and don’t mind seeing them used in different settings. I like sifting through these since romantic comedies are among them. Personal tastes come heavily into play, so your mileage will vary.
- Moderate Expectations: Ben-To, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Busou Shinki Moon Angel, C³ -C Cube-, Kimi to Boku., Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle, Shinryaku!? Ika Musume, UN-GO, WORKING’!!
Low expectation shows don’t seem to be striving for much and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fan-service. That doesn’t mean they’re the bottom of the barrel and shouldn’t get any consideration, but simply that you need to keep in mind what kind of show it is. Generally only “avid” fans will be interested in seeing what these have to offer, because they’re already watching all the better shows.
- Low Expectations: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!!, Maken-Ki!, Mashiro-iro Symphony
Niche shows break away from the norm by being slower-paced, extremely dark/grotesque, or even controversial. In most cases, these shows are oriented towards older audiences or those who feel that anime has become far too repetitive and want something different. Shows of this category tend to be highly underappreciated but can turn out to be hidden gems for that very reason. Includes works oriented toward female audiences.
Established shows are generally long-running manga/anime series, geared towards younger viewers who are already fans of them. A commonality is that they all air early morning on weekends or well before midnight on weekdays so that “normal” people can actually watch them. They aren’t very dependent on expectations but a love for never-ending shows and a willingness to get into all the material that’s out if they’re completely new to you. Shounen series fall into this category, hence why I treat them differently.
- Established: Bakuman. 2, HUNTER x HUNTER
Last but definitely not least are the series that I’m not sure what to make heads or tails of yet. Expectation-wise, they fall somewhere between moderate to high due to that unknown factor and are potential surprise hits of the season. If their premises sound interesting to you, I’d say they’re worth checking out.
- Potential Surprise Hit: Chihayafuru
September 20, 2011 at 7:09 pmClick
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Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai! Guilty Crown! Fate/Zero! Mirai Nikki! Persona 4! Working;! Last Exile! I know it’s a season late, but I’ve always wanted to say this, “THIS IS THE BEST SUMMER EVERRRRRRRR!”
Anyways, yeah, huge expectations this season.
September 20, 2011 at 7:12 pmfragb85
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Its been awhile since there has been so much hype in a single season. Other than Guilty Crown, Persona, Fate/Zero and Gundam, its difficult to decide what else I want to watch.
September 20, 2011 at 7:38 pmClick
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I highly advise that you try out Mirai Nikki. However, I’d avoid the source material if I were you; it’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that you definitely do not want to get this series spoiled for you.
September 20, 2011 at 10:17 pmLuxorcist
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Thanks for the warning.
September 20, 2011 at 7:22 pmDdadain
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Oh, so much to watch.
September 20, 2011 at 7:22 pmr0llchan
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wow, too many interesting anime to watch. :D
September 20, 2011 at 7:23 pmrasone0104
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i ve been waiting for this for so long.
goodbye slightly crappy summer anime hello epic fall anime!!!
September 20, 2011 at 7:25 pmjrj
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Divine, thanks for the awesome work!!! I really appreciate all of your efforts :)
Guilty Crown will be my top pick as well, and great it is 2-cour :)
AGE looks good except for maybe the gundam design… but I guess it will grow on me eventually.
Can’t wait for the fall season now, seems like we have a solid season lining up :3
September 20, 2011 at 7:25 pmMatt
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Was Zero no Tsukaima Kessakusen delayed? I still see it on Fansubwiki.
September 20, 2011 at 7:29 pmDivine
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I don’t know about it being delayed, as I never saw it listed for Fall 2011 to begin with. I have it down for 2012.
September 20, 2011 at 7:33 pmdxb_blackwolf
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I don’t think they were ever going to air it this season. I’m pretty sure that they’re re-airing previous episodes of the three seasons for the fall in preparation for the last season that’s coming 2012.
September 20, 2011 at 7:33 pmSerapita
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At least we can have more ZnT since the author had a successful operation last month. I was so shocked when he stated that the operation had 30% chance of success.
Now the only thing left is JC to not shake up the series more than they already had…
September 20, 2011 at 7:37 pmMatt
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Thanks for the response. It looks like I didn’t have my facts straight.
September 20, 2011 at 7:42 pmdxb_blackwolf
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Just made sure. ZnT Kessakusen isn’t the 4th season, it’s just the re-airing of the past three seasons like I said.
September 20, 2011 at 7:32 pmCroos
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I been looking for that to. But I heard rumorsa that it was moved to Month?, day?, 2012.
September 20, 2011 at 7:43 pmMatt
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Yeah. Apparently “Zero no Tsukaima Kessakusen” that’s airing this October is just old material, like dxb_blackwolf said. And the real fourth series will be called “Zero no Tsukaima F” and will air another season. I hope I haven’t misled anyone by bringing up Kessakusen.
September 20, 2011 at 8:35 pmricz
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I heard fall 2012
so yeah one more year
September 21, 2011 at 1:04 pmdollssoulkirie
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It was mentioned by the author himself that the fourth and final season won’t be aired till after he releases the last volume of the novels.
September 20, 2011 at 7:28 pmAir
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daaaammmmnnnn… full schedule
September 20, 2011 at 7:30 pmCroos
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Well my thoughts when I played Busou Shinki is that, I always get a “Sky Girl” feel. Still don’t know how the anime + the battle will be like. My guess, like what you said, Infinite Stratos + Strike witches.
September 20, 2011 at 7:31 pmdxb_blackwolf
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Boku wa Tomodachi had an awesome manga. Isn’t it a little underrated.
Also, the new Gundam seems to be very infamous. I seriously hope it’s good.
Btw,I read what you said about Fate/Zero but I still couldn’t figure out whether or not it’s important for me to have watched Fate/Stay night. All I want to know is whether it’s going to have an independent story from Fate/Zero so I could watch it.
September 20, 2011 at 7:54 pmDivine
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It’s a prequel, so it’s not necessary to watch Fate/stay night first. You will appreciate Fate/Zero more if you’ve seen FSN though.
September 20, 2011 at 7:31 pmNhelraios
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Ugh. a bit overwhelmed by all this shows airing.
For now:
P4 The Animation – Hell yeah! been waiting for this
Guilty Crown – as some people said: the new flaship of RC this season
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon – plot sounds interesting
Working!! – one of the best SoL out there, who wouldn’t watch the sequel? also that Poplar :3
Ika Musume – SHINRYAKU!SHINRYAKU!SHINRYAKU!SHINRYAKU!SHINRYAKU! IKA-MUSUME KYUN
Thanks for this post Divine. Really appreaciate the work you’ve put into this.
I wonder if there’s a reason why Guilty Crown is at the bottom of the list lol.
September 22, 2011 at 1:19 pmDivine
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As per the Technical Note, the shows are listed in the order they premiere. Guilty Crown happens to be the last new show to air, hence why it’s at the bottom of the list.
September 22, 2011 at 4:13 pmNhelraios
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Oh, Thanks. How did I miss that one? D:
September 20, 2011 at 7:31 pmZero
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#1 Guilty Crown
#2 Fate/Zero
#3 Last Exile
#4 Persona 4
#5 Gundam
Everything else: meh.
September 20, 2011 at 10:16 pmKixmachina
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That’s the exact lineup I plan to watch as well! :))
September 20, 2011 at 7:31 pmthe_rev
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looks like divine and the rest of the crew will be really busy this fall XD
September 20, 2011 at 7:33 pmJason Isenberg
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Holy crap…this season is LOADED! Well it definitely makes up for the summers season
September 20, 2011 at 7:36 pmsealouse
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Man what’s with Manglobe? I thought they usually produced smart anime. Well I guess every studio has to make a romantic school life comedy at some point. Also no SHAFT again?
September 20, 2011 at 7:39 pmNhelraios
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Yeah I noticed too, I think they got their hands full in the Bakemono sequel which is coming out this January.
September 21, 2011 at 6:00 amvirox
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Doesn’t SHAFT produce Hidamari Sketch this season?
September 22, 2011 at 4:27 pmNhelraios
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I dunno lol, though i’ve heard of a 4th season coming.
September 20, 2011 at 7:37 pmBass
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Guilty Crown has been on my radar for ages now and realizing that it’s 2 cour is just crazy. Hopefully it’s a hit and with 2 season’s worth of episodes, the story better not tank.
That said, I am really excited for it haha
September 20, 2011 at 7:38 pmSerapita
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At first I didn’t have much expectation for this season but after reading this I think I’m going to watch like 70% of the show.
And finally Tamayura is going to be a TV Series!
September 20, 2011 at 7:40 pmDelwack
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wow, this season looks like it’s going to be awesome.
I’m looking forward to see if they’ll do a good job with Persona 4. The gameplay was excellent, and the story was great. It’s a very character-driven game, so I expect a lot of good character development along with the supernatural/physiological murder-mystery elements. It should be pretty good if the execution is done right.
I loved Last Exile, I really, really hope they can do another series that does the first justice. I (every few years) go back and watch the original last exile, it’s actually aged pretty well and tells a good story with well-developed characters.
I’m also looking forward to seeing how Shana will wrap it up, especially with all the rage I’ve heard through the grapevine about the differences between the anime and light novels (which I haven’t read). I think Shana is a little lighter on the exposition side compared to index (or at least handles it slightly better), and I think that little bit of depth is what originally drew me to the series. It helps that the main character is actually pretty intelligent when it counts.
The anime originals look like they’re going to be very strong this season.
This is going to be a very strong season for what (in my opinion) has already proven to be an exceptionally strong year. I’m really looking forward to it.
September 20, 2011 at 7:40 pmMonks
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Hmm, with so many sequels this season, I’m a bit worried about how many of these I’ll be able to watch. Shows like Fate/Zero or Last Exile sound fairly interesting, but not having seen the originals makes me hesitant. The same could be said of Blood C this season, as a show that looks good but has me worried about jumping in the middle of a story.
That said, thanks again RC overlords for the preview. These are always a big help in figuring out what shows to look into.
September 20, 2011 at 7:45 pmClick
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Since Fate/Zero is a prequel and Last Exile’s new incarnation revolves around new characters, I’d say that you don’t need to have seen their anime predecessors. The same goes for Blood C, which seems to take place in a different universe.
Anyways, while I can’t fully recommend the anime version of Fate/Stay Night, try to watch the original Last Exile if you can find some time on you schedule. You won’t be disappointed.
September 20, 2011 at 7:43 pmReianz
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Thanks for the comprehensive list of the season previews as always Divine! =D!
September 20, 2011 at 7:43 pmDer Fur Shur
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For me this Fall we be Guilty Crown (of course), Un-Go, Chihayafuru, and Persona 4
September 20, 2011 at 7:48 pmyour avin a laugh?
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Hopefully Studio Gonzo can bounce back with Last Exile.
September 20, 2011 at 10:17 pmKixmachina
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I sure hope so! I really love Last Exile. I hope Fam the Silver Wing doesn’t disappoint its predecessor!
September 20, 2011 at 7:49 pmXziled
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finally, my waiting for someone to pick up on the light novel series ben-to has payed off after first reading a review of it on randomc more than a year or two ago and scrounging around for info about it.
this shall be an awesome fall season with all these nice sounding shows being aired.
September 20, 2011 at 7:52 pmcybersteel
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Well I don’t care anymore. I’m gonna watch everything. And I apologise because I was wrong about there being no Hana Kana in Guilty Crown. Thanks for the preview makes me more excited for the upcoming season.
September 20, 2011 at 7:56 pmMyKotoShi
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Watching:
Show Spoiler ▼
Interested:
Show Spoiler ▼
September 20, 2011 at 8:02 pmYanDaMan263
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Fate Zero!!!! YES!!!!
September 20, 2011 at 8:02 pmMatt
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Awesome overview, and your analysis is right on. What I see differently:
- Haganai (the fanservice is seriously god-tier; I’d call it “high”)
- Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon (complicated setting results in easy adaptation decay; I’d call it “medium”)
- Majikoi (the manga shows it can be adapted well and the humor doesn’t rely on H; I’d call it “medium”)
September 20, 2011 at 8:07 pmWaterDragonDogMan
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Shakugan No Shana III is a show I’ll definitely be watching, though I’m a bit skeptical on how well it’ll be made. There’s only two other shows that caught my attention, which are Mirai Nikki, and Guilty Crown, however, like all animes, I might drop one or two of these if I find their story’s, and character progressions to be poorly executed. Overall, this is a bad season for me. The majority of these animes just look like crap, though I can attest that my younger, 12-year old self would have loved them :/ Unfortunately I haven’t been 12 for six years, so I’m quite a bit more harsh on the ingenuity of these types of things now XD
September 20, 2011 at 11:49 pmTitanium
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You have a very close-minded way of approaching anime then. I’m excited for Boku Wa Tomodachi ga Tsukanai (I guarantee this’ll get popular), Guilty Crown, and a lot of other random ones out there. Also, don’t stray too far from ecchi bc some actually do have good stories… just sayain.
September 21, 2011 at 8:32 amWaterDragonDogMan
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Rather, I have experience with watching anime, and know how the business goes. I’ve been watching anime my entire life, and started watching online over 6 years ago. I know what these companies release to the public, I’ve gone through it all, and so I have a pretty good idea in what some of these anime have in store. Granted, there might be an anime I’d enjoy on this list that I’m not giving a chance, but I’d rather take the chance of not seeing it, than having to watch a slew of shit along with it.
September 20, 2011 at 8:09 pmHrmmm
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Definitely going to sink into Gundam, Persona, Mirai Nikki, and Guilty crown. Hoping for the best!
September 20, 2011 at 8:14 pmHrmmm
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On that note I hated F/SN. But…. I hear F/Zero _might_ be better so I’ll look into it.
1. Guilty Crown
2. Gundam
3. Persona
4. Mirai Nikki
5. Working!
September 20, 2011 at 8:30 pmfragb85
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We most F/SN, myself included, didn’t like the F/SN anime either. The fact that it was adapted by Studio DEEN doesn’t help it much. You’d best just play the VN with the english patch for a better experience.
Fate/Zero on the other hand is hyped because of all the staff behind it. Written by Gen Urobochi(Madoka), music by Yuki Kaijura(also Madoka) and animated by UFOTable(Kara no Kyoukai movies). With a high-powered staff like that gives high expectations.
September 20, 2011 at 8:47 pmKob264
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+ Fate/zero has a much darker setting and plot than Fate Stay Night and the fact that you kind of know what will happend, but not how makes it interesting from the start.
In FSN the story is Shiro’s, In Zero the story is the 4th war itsef.
September 20, 2011 at 9:19 pmXziled
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and to add to that, the characters from fate/zero are a whole lot more interesting than the characters from fate/sn, and imo more memorable scenes than the original
September 20, 2011 at 8:13 pmLoL
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Fate, mirai nikki, last exile, working, shana. So much win.
About maken-ki, don’t lose your time doing a first episode review, and I would add, don’t lose your time watching it. I read it some weeks ago and when I finished it I was like “give me back my lost time, dammit”. It was the first time I felt like that after reading a manga, and I have read very crappy mangas. It knocked me out.
September 20, 2011 at 8:14 pmNoub
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I
AM
EXCITED.
Gundam, Fate, Shana, and Guilty Crown for sure
September 20, 2011 at 8:18 pmoliviaven
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Shana and Guilty Crown,
Music by supercell awesome as always, cant wait :D
September 20, 2011 at 8:20 pmAlien
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GUILTY CROWN & UN-GO (and more… but those are the 2 i’m most excited for!)
September 20, 2011 at 8:22 pmricz
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Shana
Guilty Crown
Fate/Zero
Persona 4
September 21, 2011 at 5:16 amricz
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The anime that I will try is
C³
Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!!
UN-GO
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
Mashiro-iro Symphony
Ben-To
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
Trials in the sky
September 20, 2011 at 8:27 pmhinata
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odds ill watch naruto: guaradamnteed
September 20, 2011 at 8:29 pmKob264
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Not that it maters, but… Fate/zero isn’t new, The novels are from 2006-2007, before Madoka.
Well, that doesn’t change the fact I can’t wait for it.
September 20, 2011 at 8:31 pmKob264
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Unless you meant FSN’s anime, them my mistake
September 20, 2011 at 8:30 pmChloesong
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Yes! It came out! :D
Thank you for the season preview Divine!!!!
The first promo video for Bento had me literally laughing in surprise. All that for a half-price bento? I didn’t consider watching it before, but I’ll probably watch it after seeing here on RC.
The story for Mirai Nikki seems really interesting.
Lots of promising shows this season.
Looking forward to:
-Guilty Crown
-Un-go
-Mirai Nikki
-Bakuman
-Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
September 20, 2011 at 8:32 pmYs10
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MajiKoi also has a top class set of voice actors. As long as it adapts the VN well, it will be astounding. Still hoping they decide to not follow any of the romance routes and go for the “Family” one instead.
September 20, 2011 at 8:35 pmxxxholicwing
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I’ll watch:
*UN-GO
*Guilty Crown
*Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
*Persona 4
*Fate/zero
Maybe:
*Phi Brain
*Seikai-ichi Hatsukoi 2nd Season
Dunno about Hunter X Hunter since I’ve watched the anime a long time ago and with this remake, I don’t know if I’ll watch since it’s very long. Maybe i’ll watch it when I’m not really, really busy.
September 20, 2011 at 8:36 pmshinkirou
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shana finally, hope it follow the LN series rather than put in filter as it is the final series (hope it is not disappointing). about the busou shinki , i kinda confuse, as i recall episode 1 already air which 5 min long and it stated in the blog that tomorrow they start airing. so the previous episode is aod or ova ? can someone help me to clarified this? and i wish they have do persona 3 rather than persona 4.
September 20, 2011 at 9:24 pmDivine
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As mentioned in the entry for Busou Shinki, that was a pre-airing of the first episode online. I included the entire first episode in the PVs for it.
September 20, 2011 at 8:36 pmSheapy
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Sooooo many anticipated animes. If you’re going to watch Mirai Nikki, you can read into the manga a bit, but don’t read too far or towards the ending. Spoils wayyyy too much and tbh Show Spoiler ▼
.
September 20, 2011 at 8:40 pmThe Fading Moon
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Thanks for this preview. I am in love with what’s coming out. I am gonna check out/watch
Guilty Crown,
Gundam AGE,
Shakugan no Shana III (Final)
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon,
Fate/Zero,
Last Exile,
Boku wa tomaodachi,
mashiro iro symphony
OH AND SOMETHING FOR S-CRY-ED I was like Woahhh
Is there anymore information about the S-Cry-ED OVA?
I am looking around on that link and some of it is a bit odd.
September 20, 2011 at 8:42 pmSceptile
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Looking forward to Guilty Crown, Fate Zero, and Persona 4 quite a lot.
Sorry to dash your hopes, but I really have low expectations for Mirai Nikki. Though, my expectations are colored by the sour taste the manga left.
September 20, 2011 at 8:43 pm0927123
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A typo on ‘Biriki’ should be ‘Buriki’. Started reading the manga for Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai and found the character illustrations similar to Denpa, lo and behold they are from the same illustrator!
Good line up for the fall definitely!
Get ready for Yandere goodness with Mirai Nikki!
September 20, 2011 at 8:44 pmRyougaZell
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Seeing as Guilty Crown and Gundam Age are already guaranteed to be blogged, I can only wish for Persona 4 and Fate/Zero to join this ranks.
September 20, 2011 at 8:47 pmFaye
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There’s sooo much to look forward to this season. What I’ll definitely be watching: Persona 4 the Animation, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi S2, Bakuman S2, and Working’!!. New series: Kimi to Boku, Un-Go, and Guilty Crown. And thanks to this preview, I might check out Mirai Nikki, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai and/or Chihayafuru. I was looking forward to this post and it did not disappoint~ Thank you, Divine!
P.S. After the end of G00, I’m not sure how much I want to get into Gundam Age. I’ll wait to see fandom’s/critic’s reactions :)
September 20, 2011 at 8:48 pmFaye
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P.P.S. Please blog Persona 4! :D
September 20, 2011 at 8:47 pmokitakarin
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Please please make reviews on Hunter x Hunter, Mirai Nikki, Guilty Crown and P4!!! >w<
September 20, 2011 at 8:50 pmIrational Promise
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Thanks for this Divine <3
I've been super excited for this season and after seeing what OVAs are coming, I'm even more excited. <3
Watching:
-Bakuman S2
-C Cube
-Working 2
-Fate/Zero
-Kyoukai no Senjou no Horizon
-Phi Brain
-Kimi to Boku
-Chihayafuru
-Persona 4
-Haganai
-Sekaiichi Hatsukoi 2
-SnS 3
-Last Exile
-Gundam AGE
-Mirai Nikki
-UNGO
-Guilty Crown
September 20, 2011 at 9:00 pmAshen
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So many potentially amazing shows this season. I don’t even know where to start.
Gundam AGE, Guilty Crown, Un-Go, and Persona 4 are absolutely ones I’ll see; Future Diary, Chihayafuru, Kimi to Boku, Deadman Wonderland and Tales of Symphonia: Sekai Tougou-hen’s OVAs, Busou Shinki Moon Angel, and Fate/Zero all sound stellar too. Ben-to, Phi Brain, Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai could be good too.
Jeez Laweez. This is a metric ton of shows, way more that caught my eye this season than last. Very glad to know Random Curiosity will be blogging most of these.
September 20, 2011 at 9:04 pmbrainbreeze
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PERSONA 4!!!!!!!!!!!
nothing else matters…nothing!!
September 20, 2011 at 9:07 pm…
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Do I need to have played the Persona series to be able to enjoy Persona 4?
September 20, 2011 at 9:22 pmfragb85
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Nope. The Persona games are mostly stand alone. At best Persona 4 has a couple of references to Persona 3. Also don’t bother with Persona: Trinity Soul, since its been bumped to non-canon.
September 20, 2011 at 9:32 pmPeepQ
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Most likely not. I’ve only played the 3rd one but i don’t think it’s a sequel to the game or anything.
September 20, 2011 at 10:02 pm…
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Thanks guys. I’ll be watching it then :) I’ve heard many good things about the games and have always been curious what they were about. I really do need to get around to playing them sometime.
September 20, 2011 at 9:11 pmJusuchin (Military Otaku)
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Looking forward to Last Exile. Actually doing a marathon of last series. Retro-futuristic look? Hell yeah. Steampunkish elements? We need more of these.
September 20, 2011 at 9:11 pmGuardian Enzo
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UN-GO will be the best show on NoitaminA this season. Remember where you heard it first.
It’s a packed season, no doubt, though it seems as if things are spread out a bit better this this season. Saturday looks like the craziest day for me – one place or another I’m almost sure to blog four shows.
Maybe it’s time for me to finally try and like a Gundam series. There’s a first time for everything, right?
September 20, 2011 at 9:19 pmfragb85
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Word of advice: Enjoy Gundam for the mecha porn. Story and characters, are secondary in a Gundam series because most of the time it ranges from bad to okay.
September 21, 2011 at 9:12 amZreon
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I disagree. Well, to be fair I think it depends a lot on which Gundam series you’re watching. I think they range from really bad to really great.
September 21, 2011 at 11:02 amGhostalker
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I’ve watched:
- Gundam Wing
- Endless Waltz
- Gundam 00
- Gundam 00 S2
- Gundam SEED
- Gundam SEED Destiny (and Final Plus)
- Gundam SEED C.E. 73
- MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War
- MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079
- MS IGLOO: Gravity of the Battlefront
- Char’s Counterattack
- Gundam 00: A Wakening of The Trailblazer
- Gundam Unicorn
- 08th MS Team
In my experience, the lowest score I’ve gave them is 6/10 (fair) for the IGLOO OVAs and as high as 9/10 (great) for Gundam 00 and UC.
Gundam being *MECHA PORN* – for me I don’t think so, I guess it all depends on the viewer’s perspective, I for one like the Gundam shows for their stories, action is only secondary to me. If Gundams are just mecha porn I don’t think Gundam will even reach 30+ years old now, as a whole Gundam always brought very interesting themes and concepts about Humans as they migrate to space.
September 21, 2011 at 9:21 pmfragb85
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Its simply my perspective. I’ve watched nearly every Gundam including UC. None of them have wowed me me in its plot and characters. I’ve always found something wrong with it. I can rant about what’s wrong with each series really.
I still stand by my description that Gundam is mostly mecha pron. Gundam has largely been about selling its GunPla model kits. But its damn good at it too. I may have hated Gundam 00 plot and characters, but it had by far the best mecha action in recent memory. I liked it just for that.
September 20, 2011 at 10:32 pmMichael
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Enzo, definitely try to blog Kimi to Boku. Your coverage of No.6 (faintly similar vibes) was incredibly mature and a fun read and i know you’d be the perfect one to blog it (either on RC or on your blog :P)
September 20, 2011 at 10:39 pmGuardian Enzo
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Michael, if you read my own fall preview you know that I’m strongly inclined to blog that one, just on principle. In other words, it’s about bloody time we had an anime with that premise or one like it. Not having read the manga I just don’t know if this is the right one yet.
September 20, 2011 at 10:44 pmMichael
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Enzo:
I read it, but i wasn’t sure if you were fully committed to it. Yes i definitely agree it’s high time for a show like it. Thanks for the reply.
September 20, 2011 at 11:54 pmSeishun Otoko
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Would love to hear your take on Gundam AGE. Gundam series rarely disappoints and once you’re sucked in, there’s no going back ;D
September 21, 2011 at 10:50 amGuardian Enzo
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Well, so far in my Gundam experience I’ve only gotten as far in my opinion as the “sucked” part… ;-)
I confess, what interests me most about AGE is the Leiji Matsumoto-like character designs.
September 22, 2011 at 3:29 amSeishun Otoko
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If it’s old school character designs that interest you, you might enjoy the very awesome Gundam Unicorn OVA. A very retro look coupled with modern animation quality and excellent story-telling.
Not sure which Gundam series killed the franchise for you, maybe you just needed to hop on the right one :P
September 20, 2011 at 9:14 pmGray Fullbuster
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What, how could you left out Digimon Xros Wars? It’s one of the best shows that aired this past year.
And I dont think its for younger people, its the first series that i see blood (well only 2 episodes)
Not to mention Mervamon and Lilithmon, lots of fanservice with those 2. :P
September 20, 2011 at 9:14 pmSuppa Tenko
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Last anime season wasn’t very appealing to me. The only show I watched throughout was Tiger and Bunny and that wasn’t even part of the “season”. Spent most of my time watching Kamen Rider and writing essays -_-. Hopefully this season will be as good as last year with all of those good shows.
September 20, 2011 at 9:18 pmLectro Volpi
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I will without a doubt watch Shakugan no Shana (I expect something big, please) and Ika Musume (no is not an answer).
The rest looks good but I am in the shadows, I will let you guys check it out first and then think over it.
September 20, 2011 at 9:21 pmMMBinNC
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Wow I like the Maken-ki manga, but wtf is with the art for the anime?
September 20, 2011 at 9:23 pmInoriDisward
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Wow, there’s a lot of fantastic anime coming out this season!!! I’ll definitely watch:
1. Guilty Crown
2. Un-go
3. Persona 4
4. Last Exile: Flam The Silver Wing
5. C Cube
6. Ben-to
7. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
September 20, 2011 at 9:25 pmXziled
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i feel like im the only one all hyped up more for ben-to than the other shows like last exile and fate/zero D:
also an 11 minute short episode has been subbed for tomodachi :)
September 20, 2011 at 9:30 pmDivine
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That’s the OAD episode bundled with manga volume 7. I had it listed in last season’s preview.
September 20, 2011 at 9:49 pmXziled
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i didnt notice that, thanks for the heads up though
September 20, 2011 at 9:30 pmOmega
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Yes!! It’s here!!!
My Must Watch List:
Series:
C3
WORKING’!!
Fate/Zero
Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!!
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
Mashiro-iro Symphony
Shakugan no Shana III
OVA:
IS Infinite Stratos Encore: Koi ni Kogareru Rokujuusou
Carnival Phantasm 2nd Season
And the MOST i’m looking forward to is none other than: Eiyuu Densetsu Sora no Kiseki THE ANIMATION Vol.1
KIV(s):
Maken-Ki!
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
Guilty Crown
September 20, 2011 at 9:40 pmKentaiyoshimi
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I’m most excited about Fate/Zero. Back when I first found out about streaming anime on Youtube, I marathoned FSN. I remember liking it so much that I searched the web for anything FSn related, and discovered Fate/Zero. Since then, I have been hoping for an anime adaption of it.
As for the others, I’m not really aware of the hype surrounding many of the series. I will be watching Guilty Crown and Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon not so much for the hype, but for the fact that these two series seem genuinely interesting. Of course, I will be following RC just to see if there are other series worth picking up mid-season.
For now, my list is:
-Fate/Zero
-Guilty Corwn
-Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
-P4
-Last Exile
Looking forward to the blog posts very much.
PS. Is it strange to have no shows airing on Wednesdays? Or has it always been like that?
September 20, 2011 at 9:42 pm-blacksheep
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there’s so much good shows this season i don’t even know how i can keep up watching all of them..
my watch list for this coming season: Bakuman 2, Mirai Nikki, UN-GO, Ben-To, C Cube, Chihayafuru, Guilty Crown, Hunter x Hunter, Gundam AGE, Kimi to Boku, Persona 4, Phi Brain, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, Ika Musume, Tamayura && probably Sekaiichi Hatsukoi 2.
September 20, 2011 at 9:49 pmKelfistan
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I pray to “The Divine one” that Winter Season 2012 must suck, or else I won’t be able to carry all these 2-cour shows!
List of Anime to Watch:
TBA
September 20, 2011 at 9:49 pmdeafvader
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Hmmm, i watched busou angels epsiode 1 already. think it has been out for a while now
September 20, 2011 at 9:54 pmneepsocks
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Most excited I’ve been about a new season and quite some time.
September 20, 2011 at 9:58 pmSkins Thunderbomb
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Shakugan no Shana and Bakuman are definites for me, with a few others on the interested lists. :3
September 20, 2011 at 10:08 pmBaby Choo Choo
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Shinryaku
Working
Fate/Zero
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
Phi Brain
Maken-Ki!
Persona
Ben-to
Guilty Clown
Looks like I’ll still be wasting a ton of time in the foreseeable future. My body is ready.
September 20, 2011 at 10:12 pmXin
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Sweet!! Thanks as always Divine!
Man, what a season…lots of sleep to be sacrificed this Fall.
September 20, 2011 at 10:14 pmMichael
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Will Watch:
Ben-To
Mirai Nikki
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (Wasn’t going to, but Divine your confidence in this has given me a good reason to watch it.)
Kimi to Boku (Blog this one DEFINITELY!! You or Enzo, doesn’t matter to me :D)
Guilty Crown
Maybe:
UN-GO (11 episodes and noitaminA? Hopefully it wont end up like No.6)
Persona 4
Fate/zero (Do i have to watch Fate/stay night? God i couldn’t finish the 5th episode it was sooo boring!)
Yeah and i normally watch 1 or 2 animes each season. Expanding my viewing scope :D
September 20, 2011 at 10:14 pmZaku Fan
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High hopes
Shinryaku!? Ika Musume – They did change from the manga at the end of the last season. Not sure how it will pan out this season, but Ika is easy enough to watch.
WORKING’!! – If there’s more Yamada, its an automatic win. If there’s too much punching, it becomes a loss
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai – Looks to be a fun series based on character interactions and a look on things friends do. Pretty safe and somewhat hard to screw up
Mirai Nikki – Battle Royale with team battle of wits. Serious horror show looks like.
Persona 4 the ANIMATION – Never played the game but it seems interesting enough and looks to be another where horror is played seriously.
Think can be good
Tamayura ~hitotose~ – If it follows the first series, it will be slow enough to simply watch the episodes on a per month basis
Fate/Zero – The first series was slow and i only finished the storyline using the movie. Wondering how this will go. The view of perspectives should be interesting.
Ben-To – Should be fun for the first 3 episodes, after that it’ll depend on whether there’s anything more to it than a funny premise. Probably some team tactics on running interferance or poaching lower popularity stuff while the rest scrabbles for the high popularity stuff.
Not expectating much
Guilty Crown – Seems generic unless the plot is really interesting
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle – Guessing it will collapse from too much explaination regarding answers to puzzles or if it goes the reverse, just the final answer and no method to reach it alienating viewers. Still has a chance of being interesting
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon – Kind of silly that if you can build flying ships, you can’t build floating cities unless the reason only Japan is left is more convoluted. Looks like its very likely to trip itself with too much to say.
Chihayafuru – Probably it will go for the more realistic stuff but if its Saki style over the top, it would be fun
Shakugan no Shana III (Final) – First season ok, second season so-so. Probably watch this when its ended
September 20, 2011 at 10:17 pmSaya
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Oh I just realized that you post the shows in order of their air date. Convenient. I hate that all the shows that I’m most excited for are airing later than earlier.
Right now I am set for:
- Guilty Crown, redjuice<3 and Supercell already make it a must watch.
- Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
- Fate/Zero
- Kimi to Boku., I really wonder what a show about 5 guys will be like. I never minded watching cute girls but this might appeal more to me. I'd love if the comedy is on ouran level.
- Persona 4 the ANIMATION
- Mirai Nikki
- Shakugan no Shana III (Final)
I'll probably try out
- Ben-To
- C³ -C Cube-
- Chihayafuru
I still need to finish Ika and Bakuman's first seasons too. ._.
September 20, 2011 at 10:20 pminnerchihiro
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Well, for me Guilty Crown, Tamayura, Ika Musume, and Shakugan no Shana are a must.
Guilty Crown – my most anticipated after watching that commercial. Holy shit.
Tamayura – I loved the OVA, so I can’t wait for Hitose.
Ika Musume – Love this show. Enough said.
Shakugan no Shana – Waiting to see how this madness ends. :D Nearly forgotten season 2 though.
Possibilities include Fate/Zero, Kimi to Boku, Mirai Nikki, Chihayafuru, and Persona 4.
Fate/Zero – Never LOVED Fate/Stay Night, but enjoyed it decently and was always a Saber fan so… maybe.
Kimi to Boku – Very curious about if an all boy cast can not come off totally gay.
Mirai Nikki – Heard so much about the manga…
Chihayafuru – Divine’s prediction that it could be good has my attention.
Persona 4 – …Character designs look cool!
Can’t wait for the season!!
September 20, 2011 at 10:23 pminnerchihiro
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By the way, the banner looks crappy. Get the high res!! http://gallery.minitokyo.net/view/549477
September 20, 2011 at 10:26 pmLuxorcist
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YES THANK YOU!
…Crap that’s high res.
September 20, 2011 at 10:48 pmDivine
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Only if you clean it for me innerchihiro. :P
September 20, 2011 at 11:29 pmGorillafunk
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I disagree! Bring back the s;g banner! haha =)
September 20, 2011 at 11:32 pmGorillafunk
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I’m actually really excited for Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon.
September 20, 2011 at 11:44 pmcybersteel
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Nah this is better. Features Inori.
September 20, 2011 at 11:59 pmSeishun Otoko
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Wow, that’s a very good picture, Cybersteel
September 21, 2011 at 12:15 amMrRei
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or get one from the site itself..
like this
http://www.guilty-crown.jp/commons/images/keyvisual3.jpg (change the number of keyvisual[1-4])
They’ve hidden the link of the bg images and wallpapers, but it’s definitely already uploaded somewhere. I’ll try to look via IP trace (I can’t find anymore via DNS) for them. If I find the same one as the banner, I’ll post a link.
September 21, 2011 at 12:53 amSaya
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Here’s a rough clean of the picture. I cbs doing it properly. http://i53.tinypic.com/1zx5tw3.png
But yeah, you should seriously use the Inori one some time in the future Divine~ I was actually going to suggest it but the others beat me to it :P
September 21, 2011 at 12:55 amcybersteel
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That’s where I got the picture from. You can’t use it as a banner as is that’s why I edited it so that it could fit my site.
September 21, 2011 at 1:03 amMrRei
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I actually found where the official images are, but it’s on a secured Sony music server. Access denied all the time even with a Japanese proxy (that was expected though).. LOL I give up :p
September 21, 2011 at 1:17 amcybersteel
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@MrRei I stopped trying a long time ago. If you do find them let me know k?
@Saya what did you use to clean that pic so fast. The fastest I could do was 8 hours.
September 21, 2011 at 1:35 amSaya
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aharhar it was actually a cheat clean :X that’s why it didn’t take long. Show Spoiler ▼
If I could find my tablet’s pen I could have actually redrawn things properly, but doing it with my mouse made me kind of want to give up fast. If Divine wants to use it he’ll just to try and minimize the fail areas when he crops it :P I figure the only thing people really stare at in the banner are their faces anyway.
September 21, 2011 at 1:53 amcybersteel
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Hey Rei how about this?
September 21, 2011 at 2:23 amMrRei
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Yeah.. I’ve found that. But what I was really looking for was the wallpapers. There’s a wallpaper directory but access was denied. :(
September 21, 2011 at 3:20 amcybersteel
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I used view page source rather than DNS server lookup. Yeah access denied. Maybe we need an IBM 5100 to let us through?
September 21, 2011 at 3:36 amcybersteel
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Ok I googled at Japanese google and I think they say they have not uploaded them or something? I’m not that good at reading but its good enough for Galges.
September 21, 2011 at 3:40 amDivine
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This is good enough. I’ll tweak it a bit. Thanks Saya!
September 21, 2011 at 7:43 aminnerchihiro
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Hmmm, well, if you’re interested in alternatives, you should check these out.
http://browse.minitokyo.net/gallery?tid=53959&index=3
http://www.zerochan.net/GUILTY+CROWN?q=guilty+crown
http://www.animepaper.net/gallery/pictures/anime/guilty_crown
However, an image like that is likely to see a clean version hit the net sometime soon. I shall post if I see it. :)
September 21, 2011 at 3:46 pmHrmmm
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I still don’t understand why you don’t just use the other GC banner you had before :X Was it the resolution as well? I thought it looked pretty damn good and, if memory srves me correctly, considerably better quality than the current one =P (props to Saya for the hardwork though)
If it was from resolution Innerchihiro has links to better quality ones
If it was from ego that doesn’t let you re-use old banners then nothing can be said xD
September 20, 2011 at 10:22 pmLuxorcist
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Guilty Crown, Gundam AGE, Mirai Nikki, P4, Boku wa Tomodachi, Shana III, Last Exile, Fate/Zero.
And here’s where the banner came from, if anyone’s wondering. I couldn’t find a higher res version. Anyone?
http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/991709/brown_eyes-brown_hair-closed_eyes-guilty_crown-mul
September 20, 2011 at 10:29 pmTN
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I haven’t watched Anime since Gundam 00 Second Season ended. Gave up Anime because I felt everything thereafter was lacking what I wanted in a show.
Now, looks like I will be back to watch 4-5 shows this season! I cannot wait as my Anime roots are coming back :)!
September 20, 2011 at 10:40 pmLegion
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Persona 4, Guilty Crown and Fate/zero for me.
And a new s-CRY-ed? Sign me up.
September 20, 2011 at 10:59 pmTiresias
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Fate/Zero. God knows how long I’ve waited for it to be adapted into anime form.
September 20, 2011 at 11:03 pmPure Lion-O Heart
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About Maken-Ki. In which chapter of the manga is the Blood Pointer ability revealed (preferably by name; I don’t really count a brief, unexplained glimpse as a reveal).
September 20, 2011 at 11:05 pmAscended1
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I know it takes an absurd amount of time making this preview. Thanks for all the effort! We really appreciate it.
September 20, 2011 at 11:11 pmcaptain_KLAC_marvelous
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you got kidding me really so much of gundam age really one vid can describe this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzIhpLy6cZA indeed age gundam imight a bomb or fingerpoke of doom for gundam.
oh please bring back our GS era to SAVE_US_GS.
as for rest hmm ok look i’m hook on ika musume s2,Maken-Ki!, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, ben-to & Mirai Nikki
those 5 i’m looking to see.
September 20, 2011 at 11:12 pmRayyy
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Lots to watch. So excited for this season.
Top 5 on my list:
1) Guilty Crown
2) Gundam
3) Shana III
4)Fate/zero
5) Working’!!
September 20, 2011 at 11:35 pmMrRei
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Must have been hard to get this up along with the other shows this week.. Appreciated Divine! :D
Wow a lot of good shows this season.. Looks like I won’t be able to hold back for a marathon. I’ve been excited enough about Guilty Crown already (they have a great site design as well).
September 20, 2011 at 11:40 pmbullrogg
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I LOVE FALL. UNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
September 20, 2011 at 11:42 pmewok40k
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I am going to play safe and take the sequel/prequel route:
1.Shana III
2.Fate Zero
3.Persona 4
4.Working!!
5.Ika musume 2
That already is a handful to watch, and i hope there will be at least one new star show similar to Madoka or Stein’s Gate…
September 20, 2011 at 11:42 pmSeishun Otoko
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Thanks again for the very comprehensive season preview, Divine. You’re the best!
I’m trying to cut down on my anime consumption this season but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be an easy task. Will definitely be checking out (1) Gundam AGE, (2) Guilty Crown, (3) Last Exile Ginyoku no Fam, (4) UN-GO, (5) Fate/Zero, (6) Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, (7) Mirai Nikki and (8) Shinryaku!? Ika Musume. So that’s eight on top of Mawaru Penguindrum and IdolM@ster which I have grown so fond of over the past two months.
Persona 4, Phi Brain and Kimi to Boku seem interesting enough and I have a feeling I’ll succumb to blog recommendations pressure eventually. I’m on the fence with Shana. The second season was very hard to swallow and I was on the verge of pulling my hair out by episode 10.
September 20, 2011 at 11:44 pmnivlek
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My list of anime to watch this season… TOTAL OF 13+!! From most anticipated to least:
1. Guilty Crown (Due to all the publicity from RandomC)
2. Fate/Zero
3. Shakugan no Shana III
4. Gundam AGE
5. Busou Shinki Moon Angel
6. Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
7. Working!!
8. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
9. Last Exile: Gingyoku no Fam
10. Shinryaku! Ika Musume
11. Persona 4
12. Mirai Nikki
13. C^3
Will consider the rest, but the above 13 are what I think I’ll be sticking to for the whole semester :D
Good season, thanks for the preview!
September 20, 2011 at 11:50 pmJason
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Based on the pictures alone the only ones that interest me are Gundam AGE, Persona 4, and Fate/Zero. Guess I’ll have to wait and see what others think about the rest of the shows once the season starts before I decide whether or not to pick them up.
September 20, 2011 at 11:55 pmThe Moondogg
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Divine, is Busou Shinki really only 5-min? I thought that the first episode was a preview….
September 21, 2011 at 12:22 pmDivine
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I believe so, but I’ll need to double-check when it actually starts airing.
September 21, 2011 at 12:06 amRelic
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I read all the boku wa that’s out a little while ago by chance and loved it… Now it’s an anime in a few weeks!? That’s freaking sweet!!!! Oh man how f*cking lucky can you be? It’ll be good! I look forward to Boku wa and persona, those are ones im psyched for but the season it’s self looks to be of really good quality. I’ll probably watch a good 3/4 of it. Tamayura and boku one and all the slice of life piqued my interest as well. Guilty crown too looks darn good. Hell it ALL LOOKS GOOD!
September 21, 2011 at 12:20 amSpinarakk
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Not really surprised at the lack of anticipation for Majikoi as no one seems to play VNs it seems. Absolutely loved the game and the anime should be good if they would just follow the game and not rely on fanservice.
September 21, 2011 at 12:22 amAK-47
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HOW is this possible Kimi to Boku is an all male anime without the rump rangering and lets kill each other because our junk is to small?
September 21, 2011 at 1:01 amfishell
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What is the difference between prequel and sequel?
September 21, 2011 at 1:08 amSaya
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Sequels come out after the original and tell what happens after, they’re just continuations of the main story.Whereas Prequels also are released after the original but they tell the events that happened BEFORE the main story. I hope that makes sense.
September 21, 2011 at 1:42 amdeafvader
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prequel does not necessary before the original. E.g. The prequel of The Two Towers was The fellowship of the ring. but the fellowship was the original (maybe the hobbit)
September 21, 2011 at 1:15 amOlo
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Thanks a lot again for compiling this list – I’m always looking forward to it. Lots of interesting shows this time, can’t wait. :-)
September 21, 2011 at 1:15 amGhostNPC
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The main character of Persona 4 will always be Charlie Tunoku.
September 21, 2011 at 7:00 amRyougaZell
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Beware the power of the Galactic Punt Charlie!
— ‘Uh… we get experience points out of that?’—
September 21, 2011 at 1:36 amAnna
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Shakugan no Shana 3? Idk… the season 2 was kinda lame. I think I’ll watch fate/zero or any of others.
September 21, 2011 at 1:51 amBakanekokun
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O_O I haven’t been this excited since the original release of Code Geass nor hyped when Fate/Stay came out in 2005/2006….Yes, this has awaken me. The line-up is awesome. Can’t wait for Fate/Zero, final chp of Shana, and Guilty Crown are the top three for me!
September 21, 2011 at 1:55 amEB
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Man, I still remember when the Summer preview came out–I read it, compared it with other previews, checked the Fansub Wiki, and on a whim checked what said wiki listed for Autumn.
I no longer cared about the Summer preview.
Man I’ve been waiting for this season. From most to least:
Fate/Zero: Been waiting for this for years. Absolutely love Urobuchi Gen’s take on the Holy Grail War. And best of all, it’s not Studio Deen (I might never forgive what they did to the Fate/stay night anime).
Shana III: More Shana is always welcome, and knowing some of the developments of the later novels, I can hardly wait to see two seasons of build-up deliver.
Guilty Crown: Everything I’ve heard about this makes me want to see it, and it only misses the top because F/Z and Shana are well-established (to me).
Mirai Nikki: Love the source material, though asread animation scares me after Minami-ke.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Source material seems very popular, and I’ve been wanting something along these lines to fill the OreImo void.
Persona 4: Again, source material is well-loved, and the trailers are very stylized. Definitely want to see what happens.
Last Exile: Although it seems like a desperate ploy for a flailing studio, I am very curious what Gonzo will do with more Exile.
Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere: Not sure what to make of the plot, but the trailers have me interested.
Un-Go: Mystery series are always welcome, especially the ones that aren’t solved by savant-level Golden Fairies or NEETs (both of which I enjoyed, just not for their mysteries).
C3: I’m assuming this will be like either Kore wa Zombie Desu ka or a Shana-clone type series. Either way, it’s something I’m interested in seeing.
MajiKoi: It’s ranked in the top 25 on VNDB, so the story has to be good. Whether it adapts well is another matter, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
Bakuman 2: I enjoyed Bakuman, though not as much as I’d hoped. Still, I’m invested now, so I’ll watch season 2.
Ben-To: The premise is absurd, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s sufficiently over-the-top that I want to see it play out.
Gundam AGE: I don’t really care for the generation gimmick, and I preferred Gundam being about human wars. Still, any Gundam has potential.
Phi Brain: Characters and art are bland, but I do enjoy puzzles. If it has Kaiji-like suspense, that’s good enough for me.
All that plus Penguindrum and I’m looking at a very busy Autumn.
As always, thanks Divine for all the work you put into these things. I imagine it can’t be easy, especially given how busy things have been lately. I definitely appreciate all your hard work.
September 21, 2011 at 2:06 amkgfj
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Why so little love for hunter x hunter?? I thought it was really legendary, I still remembered how I faithfully sat in front of TV at 16.00 everyday, watching it with huge grin on my face.
And yeay for gundam!! Looks really refreshing, really can’t wait!!
Guilty crown looks super promising, so does persona 4. Torn between watching the new Fate series, because I could never enjoy fate stay night no matter how hard I tried :(
September 21, 2011 at 2:14 amfrost
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please gundam age see episode is story
September 21, 2011 at 2:24 amn0216332
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Ika Musume
Hunter X Hunter
Shakugan no Shana III
Guilty Crown, Working!!
Fate/Zero
Chihayafuru
Gundam AGE
Guilty crown and HxH are the one im looking forward to the most, even tho i have already seen HXH like 4 times >:D
September 21, 2011 at 2:24 ammutio
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God damn, Last Exile – finaly a sequel! I was waiting so many years for that, hopefuly it can compete with the first series which was absolutely amazing. Fate/Zero is interesting too, even though you know how it’ll all end^^
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