It’s that time of the year again: the start of the summer season! Summer isn’t as big as spring or fall – there’s about two-thirds as many shows premiering compared to this past spring – but there are still several exciting titles to talk about. As usual, I’ll watch the first episode of most shows within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows), and what I list here are the chances of me actually blogging something based on my initial impressions from promotional material. However, even if I list the chances for a show as good or guaranteed, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stick with it for more than a few episodes.

By no means does this list reflect every single anime series that is going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and Fansub Wiki’s Summer 2008 page for who’s tentatively subbing what.

Technical Note: 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.

Ultraviolet Code044
http://uvcode044.jp/
Premieres July 1st, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 22:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 09:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Remember the movie Ultraviolet from a couple years back? This is the anime version of that. If you don’t remember or haven’t seen the movie, then Wikipedia has a good summary of it. The anime’s story sounds somewhat similar to that of the movie, with the killer female lead protecting a younger male in a vampire-filled world, though in the anime, the guy being protected is older than his movie counterpart. I suspect this’ll be heavy on the action and light on the story, though with director Dezaki Osamu and voice actress Paku Romi on board, it can’t be too bad.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Ultraviolet Code044 Promo Video ▼

Sekirei
http://www.sekirei-tv.com/
Premieres July 2nd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 23:30
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 10:30
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Sekirei is one of the series generating the most pre-season excitement, partially because it comes from a fairly well established manga, and partially because there’s been a lot of promotional material for it. The story involves a worthless guy who failed his college entrance exams but one day has a beautiful and buxom girl suddenly fall out of the sky on top of him. The girl chooses him as her master, and they subsequently get involved in a battle royale with other fighters. The manga has a lot of fanservice and nudity to go with all the action, and if the PVs are any indicator, it looks like the anime version will follow suit. I’ve generally heard pretty good things about this though (I’ve personally only read a couple of chapters), and it’s also being worked on the same Seven Arcs team that did Inukami! and all three Nanoha series, so this might be something that might be worth tuning in for.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Show Sekirei Promo Videos ▼

Slayers REVOLUTION
http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/slayers_revolution/
Premieres July 2nd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:20
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 12:20
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
After over 10 years off the small screen, Lina Inverse and company are back, with the same cast (including old favorites Hayashibara Megumi and Ishida Akira) and J.C.Staff crew. This time, the story starts off with them getting involved with a case of stolen treasure and a new character/animal named Pocota. Unfortunately, I think I may not be qualified to blog this show because, although I’m familiar with the general story and characters, I’ve only actually seen bits and pieces of past Slayers series over the years. I’ll be considering this or Sekirei, and the decision will depend at least partially on if this is possible to follow without deep knowledge of past series (and I suspect it will be but you never know).
Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Show Slayers REVOLUTION Promo Video ▼

Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (Someday’s Dreamers)
http://www.sora-mahou.com/
Premieres July 2nd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 26:40
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 13:40
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto is a title some of you probably know better as Someday’s Dreamers. Natsu no Sora (Summer Skies) is the next story set in this world where mages are employed to handle special requests from people. It focuses on a country girl who has quirky magic abilities (everything magical she does results in sunflowers in some way) and how she ends up in Tokyo for training to become a mage. I should note that this a Kobayashi Osamu directed series, and if you watch the animated bits from the Anime-TV program, it’s pretty clear that his style is a heavy influence on the show’s design. Basically, if you didn’t like BECK or Paradise Kiss, then this might not be for you either. As for me, I’ve read a little of the manga and found tthe story somewhat interesting, but I don’t think it’ll be more so than Sekirei or Slayers, so those will get priority come July 2nd (meaning I might still watch this, but odds aren’t great that I’ll blog it).
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto Promo Video ▼

Scarecrowman
http://www.vap.co.jp/scarecrowman/
Premieres July 3rd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 23:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Thursdays at 10:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi
Scarecrowman is a series about a scarecrow who gets put away in a barn, and because of a lightning storm, he gains the ability to move. He thus starts a new life making and repairing toys and stuffed animals. I wasn’t sure if this belonged on this list since it’s completely CG, but it’s still technically an animated series. Likewise, the description makes it sound like it’d be a kids show, but it has a somewhat late night timeslot, so I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s also airing on Thursdays, so I likely won’t watch it in light of Macross Frontier and all the other new titles coming Thursdays.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Seiyou Kottou Yougashiten (Antique Bakery)
http://www.antique-anime.com/
Premieres July 3rd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:45
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:45
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Known in English under the title Antique Bakery, the newest noitaminA series is about a group of men who work at a small bakery and the various people they meet. It’s a very character driven story, and it’s worth noting that this has some shounen-ai elements because the main pastry chef is gay. That being said, it’s nowhere near Junjou Romantica levels or anything. In any case, I have no doubt that this will be a quality show since it’s airing in the noitaminA block, but it’s not a series I’m particularly excited about. I may watch the first episode just to hear popular duo CHEMISTRY sing the OP and ED.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Hidamari Sketch X 365
http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/hidamari/
Premieres July 3rd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:25
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:25
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Summer is also bringing the return of Hidamari Sketch, the slice-of-life series about four girls who are attending an art school together. SHAFT and Shinbou Akiyuki are once again in charge of this, so the quality could turn out really good, or if they’re rushed, it could be almost nonexistent (I doubt that’ll be a problem this time around). I honestly still haven’t watched the original series though, and it’s unlikely that I’ll get a chance to do so before this one airs, so I probably won’t be watching this either.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Show Hidamari Sketch X 365 Promo Video ▼

Strike Witches
http://s-witch.cute.or.jp/
Premieres July 3rd, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:20
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:20
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Strike Witches is a title announced a long time ago, but it ended up only getting a short OVA release early last year. With the similar series Sky Girls having aired last year, Strike Witches is finally becoming a TV anime too. The story takes place in a world with magic and a threatening mysterious force, and a set of special girls have been given Striker Units – which are mechanical leg attachments that happen to grant the girls animal ears and tails – in order to fly and fight. While I’m not big on the mecha musume genre and an not expecting much from this, it should be noted that Gonzo is again lowering the barrier for the English-speaking audience by announcing that this will be streamed on crunchyroll and YouTube, just like they did with the recent Druaga and Blassreiter series. The other thing this series has going for it is a strong cast featuring the likes of Koshimizu Ami, Saitou Chiwa, and Tanaka Rie.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Strike Witches Promo Videos ▼

Tetsuwan Birdy DECODE (Birdy the Mighty DECODE)
http://www.birdy-tv.com/
Premieres July 4th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 25:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Fridays at 12:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Tetsuwan Birdy, aka. Birdy the Mighty, is a sci-fi manga title from the 80s that got remade a few years ago and is still running in Weekly Young Sunday magazine. Both versions involve a female space investigator who accidentally kills a human teen while trying to capture a criminal, and she’s forced to join his mind with her body in order to keep him alive. She can thus change between his body and hers, and she has to live in his normal life while capturing intergalactic criminals on the side. It’s a pretty action packed series and the anime version will be directed by Akane Kazuki of noein fame. I liked what I read from the manga (both of them), so this might get a watch if I find that I have time on Fridays.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Tetsuwan Birdy DECODE Promo Videos ▼

Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo
http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/yakushijiryouko/
Premieres July 5th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:30
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Saturdays at 11:30
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
As the title the Bizarre Case Files of Yakushiji Ryouko might imply, this romance action series is about a female investigator who has both brains and beauty, and along with her male partner, she takes on supernatural cases. Having not gotten a chance to read the novels or manga that this anime will be based on, it’s hard for me to get excited about this show because the premise seems very run-of-the-mill. Nothing about it sticks out except for maybe the fairly attractive character designs and the fact that Kuwashima Houko voices a character (not the title one). Still, this is one of the only two Saturday shows premiering (the other Telepathy Shoujo Ran), and since I have an open slot with Da Capo II SS now done, there’s always a possibility I’ll end up considering blogging this.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo Promo Video ▼

Zero no Tsukaima ~Princesses no Rondo~
http://www.zero-tsukaima.com/
Premieres July 6th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 24:30
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Sundays at 11:30
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
If you’ve been coming to Random Curiosity for a while, Zero no Tsukaima is a series that probably needs no introduction since I’ve blogged both the first two series. You may also remember that, particularly towards the end, I wasn’t too happy with the second series and had questioned whether I would want to watch a third one. Well that time has finally come, and the decision is still up in the air. The third series will feature Louise and Saito going back to Albion to search for the fairy with mysterious powers (aka. Tiffania), and apparently Saito’s rune disappears as well. My issue with the series currently is that I know that the anime adaptation has completely ruined any semblance of the novels’ overarching story, and while that doesn’t necessarily prevent the anime adaptation from being good in its own right, the second series proved to be rather lackluster. Add to that the fact that this is airing on the same day of the week as CODE GEASS, and I’m less inclined to devote the time to blog this. In short, if the second series had been better, I’d mark this as guaranteed, but as it stands, I’m taking a wait-and-see approach with the first few episodes.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Show Zero no Tsukaima Promo Videos ▼

Natsume Yuujin-Chou
http://www.natsume-anime.jp/
Premieres July 7th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Mondays at 12:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Taking Vampire Knight’s timeslot on Mondays on TV Tokyo is a series about a boy who is burdened with the ability to see spirits. He inherits a book from his grandmother containing the names of many different spirits, and though he’s able to control them using their names, he wants to return those names so that the spirits go away. In theory it’s an interesting tale mixing creatures from traditional Japanese folklore with a boy and his loneliness, but in practice (at least based on the manga), it failed to hold my attention. Your mileage may vary depending on how much you like stories about youkai. The anime version also has some of the same staff – including director Oomori Takahiro – as Baccano!, so it’s in good hands and might turn out better than expected.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Natsume Yuujin-Chou Promo Video ▼

MISSION-E
http://avexmovie.jp/lineup/mission-e/
Premieres July 7th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Mondays at 12:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
The sequel to CODE-E is here, and it takes place five years after the end of the first series. That means everyone has grown up, and in the case of the main character Chinami, have become rather badass. Or at least, that’s what I thought when I watched the action-packed promo video. I admittedly haven’t seen CODE-E past the first couple of episodes (and have no immediate plans to do so), but the action looked to be a wide departure from the deliberate pacing of the original series. MISSION-E will involve Chinami using her powers on behalf of a group whose goal is to adapt people with TYPE-E abilities into society, all while going up against an organization with a different philosophy. The PV has me curious enough to watch the first episode, but I still doubt it’s a series I’d want to follow, if for no other reason than because I don’t have the background on it and don’t feel compelled to be (i.e. none of my friends thought CODE-E was an amazing show that I was missing out on).
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show MISSION-E Promo Video ▼

World Destruction ~Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin~
http://wd.sega.jp/anime/
Premieres July 7th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:30
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Mondays at 12:30
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
To go along with Sega’s upcoming release of the Nintendo DS game, Production I.G is animating an adaptation of World Destruction. The story is takes place in a world where humans are ruled by beastmen, and the main character – the kind of teenager who wonders if what’s going on the in world has anythiing to do with him – encounters a girl who’s being hunted and is part of a group called the World Destruction Committee. This girl possesses something called the Destruct Code which gives her the power to destroy the world, and so she and the main character embark on a journey. It sounds like standard RPG fare, and I know I’ve poo-pooed animes connected to games like this in the past, but actually I think World Destruction could turn out to be pretty interesting. The trailer certainly made it look at least halfway decent, and what really draws me in is the musical score which, at least for that trailer, appears to be the same as the game’s. There’s also some pretty good voice talent going into this, including Sakamoto Maaya and Miyano Mamoru as the two main characters, so I’ll probably prioritize this over the other new Monday offerings.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Show World Destruction Promo Video ▼

Koihime†Musou
http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/koihime/
Premieres July 8th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Based on a game released last year, Koihime Musou takes place in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms world, but instead of smelly old men, all of the famous people are pretty young girls (save for Diao Chan who’s going to be voiced by Wakamoto Norio). The anime will supposedly have a story different from the game, but, other than the fact that it’ll focus on Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, everything I’ve read has been vague as to what that story will actually be about. The nearly all-girls aspect sounds gimmicky, but I’ll try to keep an open mind until I see what the Dogakobo team behind Myself; Yourself can produce.
On a side note, I wanted to use this image from Megami for the image at left, but I decided it wasn’t representative enough of the series…or is it?
Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
http://www.nogizaka-haruka.com/
Premieres July 10th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 26:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Thursdays at 13:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
The Nogizaka Haruka character of the title is a popular, intelligent, and beautiful girl, but she has a secret: she loves anime and manga. This secret gets discovered one day by the male lead, and the story involves him keeping that secret and getting closer to her in the process. I’m cautiously optimistic about this series because, although I haven’t had the best of luck with blogging romance comedies, I’ve heard some good things about the novels that this is based on, the animation quality by Studio Barcelona looks fairly solid on paper, and Mamiko Noto is voicing Nogizaka Haruka. That still might not be enough for me to make room for this series alongside Macross Frontier on Thursdays, but like most shows on this list, it’ll depend on how good the first episode or two is.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Mugen no Juunin (Blade of the Immortal)
http://mugen.kc.kodansha.co.jp/
Premieres July 13th, 2008
Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 24:00
Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Sundays at 11:00
Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, syoboi
Blade of the Immortal, or Mugen no Juunin in Japan, is a manga that’s been ongoing for fourteen years about a swordsman during the Edo period who – in order to atone for his sisters death – cannot die until he kills 1000 evil men. I think this is perfect for an anime adaptation since the story flows very well through all the action and bloodshed (though not to the gory degree of Shigurui), but the big red flag about this series is that it’s being produced by Bee Train. I’ve yet to have a good experience with them, and the fact that the particularly bad parts of Tsubasa Chronicle’s anime adaptation come to mind when I think of them makes me less inclined to want to follow this, especially in the long run. Still, the promo videos looked fairly good, so maybe there’s hope yet.
Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Show Blade of the Immortal Promo Videos ▼

Note: As you might have noticed above, I’ve taken a little different approach this season for the various promotional material by featuring streaming versions with their respective entries. Hopefully that will let you be able to understand better what I’m talking about whenever I refer to my impressions of promotional material, without having to go to the hassle of downloading an extra set of videos.

The list above has the 19 major series premiering in July, and like I said at the top, it doesn’t include the kiddie shows or the two that have already premiered (Telepathy Shoujo Ran and Ikkitousen Great Guardians). And before anyone asks, shows like the next Nodame Cantabile, Gundam 00, and Toradora aren’t premiering until Fall season, so please check the dates on ANN Encyclopedia or AniDB first.

As for this summer season, there’s nothing really I’m hugely excited about this time around, but I think some of the above titles – like Slayers, World Destruction, or Nogizaka Haruka – could turn out to be solid shows. I had three series end from the spring season, so I’m looking to pick up three, maybe four new ones, and those might be a good place to start. Divine has also expressed interest in shows like Strike Witches and Hidamari Sketch X 365, so even if I don’t choose to blog something, he might.

As always, comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome.

104 Comments

  1. Dang, I was thinking Tora Dora and Shiner Dark would come out this season, but nothing particularly stands out for me :\. Guess I’ll just stay tuned to the blogs to see what I might like.

    frubam
  2. Booo, looking forward to Toradora, but I guess I can wait till fall. I really liked the first season of Zero, but as you said, the 2nd season was kind of lame. I really hope the 3rd can surprise me.

    Whim
  3. about “Zero no Tsukaima ~Princesses no Rondo~”
    right now i feel the same way i felt when i was watching promo video of code geass R2…
    Saito loses his Rune power , ~> lelouch loses his geass (this what all thought before it was released)
    well anyway it will workout of couse… and im 110 % sure that he will get his power back
    looking forward to third season of zero no tsukaima

    Apalo
  4. Well, the only information I think you’ll need to know about is the ending of Try for Slayers Revolution, which should be easy enough to find (http://kanzaka.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page is a good resource). Most of the time the seasons were kind of stand alone with only a little bit branching between the three. The story line for Revolution is supposed to be Anime-original too. I hope you do blog this one, but no pressure. 🙂

    Ally
  5. From what i see… This summer season isn’t too much huh 😛

    Blog Slayers omni… I think it’ll be the first non ecchi centric comedy this year :).
    I vote for Slayers o/
    Lina Inverse > all.

    ps: No Guaranteed this time 🙁

    Airas
  6. after reading the Blade of the Immortal manga and praying for an anime based off it, i have to say I feel like I’ll be disappointed if I watch the anime. After watching the promo video I feel like the animation really doesn’t capture the beauty of the manga’s art style, which is pretty neat and unique.

    monica
  7. I thought Shina Dark was out this summer too.I was looking forward to ToraDora also but seeing that it was only announced that it’ll be in production a few months ago,it probably won’t be shown at least till winter this year if we’re lucky.The only thing that really has my interest in this seasons list are ZnT and Slayers Revo. The rest looks boring, but I’m willing to look at some first episodes and maybe find good ones that aren’t well known.

    tabs05
  8. Allthough Sekirei isn’t а Gonzo’s project, the character design seems similar to Witchblade and Dragonauts. WB was about boobs, Dragonaut was completely about boobs … now Sekirei is just fanservice. Boring ;(

    hermit
  9. Opps, forgot about Sekirei.Now that series is a must see and hoping it doesn’t stray too far off from the manga.It’s a shame that they don’t get all the girls shown though but then again it’s probably coz the manga is still fairly young.

    tabs05
  10. hmmm i think that Slayers REVOLUTION, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu and World Destruction ~Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin~ well be pretty good. Man…… i can’t wait for nodame cantabile season 2 to come out……

    ULTRA MAN
  11. This season looks promising. I’m at least slightly interested in about half of them.

    It’ll be interesting to see how Strike Witches turns out. The OVA was a lot like the Sky Girls OVA (worse, if anything), and we all know how that ended up..

    hylarn
  12. Wow this season looks loaded. Love the summer previews as always, but it would be amazing if you could also put the number of episode per season up if they are known.

    Other than that keep it up! Loving the blog

    Fumika
  13. Thanks as always, Omni. Our tastes never seem to coincide (I don’t know how you can say good things about Sekirei, another of the billion or so “worthless guy has bosomy girl fall into his life” shows), but I always appreciate your previews to let me know at a glance what I might be interested in.

  14. Decloaking from Lurker mode.

    Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi’s ending left a bad taste in my mouth too, but I’m still going to religiously follow it for my favourite Pink-Haired Loli Tsundere Void Mage.

    Hopefully you decide to pick up on it ^^;

  15. What, Lina Inverse? The chaos itself? The girl who only brings destruction and pain? THAT Lina Inverse? 😛

    Anyways, there aren’t really any familiar shows for me this summer. ZnT I know, the 1st season was good, the 2nd just bad in my eyes. I’ll probably give the third season a try and see how it’ll turn out (good, how many seasons yet? Turned out to a money merchandise show like Shakugan no Shana..).
    Ultraviolet Code044 has an interesting art, but the story kinda turns me off.
    Two shows I’m sure I’ll watch are Hidamari Sketch X 365 (I loved the first show) and Sekirei as the manga is said to be good and the story seems funny as well.
    Series I’ll check are Koihime†Musou (obvious as based on a visual novel), Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (like the art + story seems interesting) and maybe World Destruction ~Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin~.

    All in all this summer season offers no spectacular titles like the current one with Macross Frontier or Code Geass R2. The most known series are I guess ZnT and Slayers.
    I think it’ll turn out like this season where I watch 3 series. Personaly I’m even fine with that, as I don’t like to watch too much, but instead like to deal more with what I watch.

    @Omni
    It would be nice if you add besides air time and more info etc. also the production studio. I dunno how you handle shows, but for me it’s also important who makes the show.

  16. frubam you won’t see Shina Dark until Winter 09 at the earliest (I’m guessing it will be Spring 09), SHAFT are obviously doing Hidamari Sketch X 365 for Summer and for Fall they have ef – a tale of melodies.

    Westlo
  17. Nope ef sequel is Fall/October, the manga doesn’t really have a good stopping point atm (and the material out so far doesn’t even get it close to one…) so it’s good that it’s getting pushed back.

    Westlo
  18. Worlds Destruction, Nogizaka Haruka, Sekirei
    and maybe ZnT3 😀
    well since there is no more Tokyo Revelations of Production I.G i want
    to watch thier next anime so i’ll be watching Worlds Destruction.
    Nogizaka Haruka looks nice! and yup! that girl is an Otaku and
    i want to see whats going to happen to her secret. Sekirei got me
    when i just saw the trailer and maybe this is going to be my
    very first anime fanservice which i’m going to watch so lets just see 😀
    and lastly ZnT3, well i’ve just watched the half of both 1 & 2 seasons
    and maybe i’ll try watching it fully in its 3rd season since i’m kinda
    missed voice of Shana and Yuuji XD ( hope there could be a 3rd season of SnS)
    well i hope you could blog them!

    k0na-yume
  19. Oh, i originally said i wouldn’t specifically check out anything this season, but I forgot Strike Witches is gonna get release simultaneously by Gonzo w/subs, so I’ll probably check it out by showing support. Hopefully, it’ll be as good as Sky Girls was(which i did decently enjoy).

    frubam
  20. We’re looking at ripped dresses here: Sekirei; We’re looking at cute loli-loli action here: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, We’re looking at moe-moe moments here: Zero no Tsukaima 3: Princess no Rondo.

    Rakuen
  21. I didn’t know Slayers would be airing so soon!
    I’m looking forward to it!Come to think of it it’s exactly what I need:
    Fantasy, lots of magic and lots of comedy!

    Other than that, World Destruction sounds good (loves Sakamoto Maaya & Miyano Mamoru).

    Thx for the info!

    Yukiruchan
  22. Yay, new preview list~

    Absolutely positively going to watch Antique Bakery(though, according to ANN’s page for the series, the OP and ED…are the same song…?), and, beyond that, Natsume looks good. The character designs for Haruka are adorable and the premise sounds cute…but for some reason I can only picture the show as being really, really bad. But maybe I’ll give it a try anyway.

    Story
  23. This is kinda sad that the best new show this summer is Slayers from the early 90’s. I guess Japan media companies is like American media companies with no innovation and remakes of old franchises with done to death plots. I have a prediction that with shows like Kanokon and this season Sekirei three seasons or less from now there will be uncut sexual intercourse on Japan anime television shows if there is not a censorship crackdown anytime soon because going by the preview videos of Sekirei what else can they do with these types of shows other than uncensored sex if they want to keep the ratings and money coming in which makes me anticipate what next season show will make Kanokon look like a prude compared to it. I wonder if Scarecrowman will be like Mr.Stain which I did enjoy. World Destruction looks good and Antique Bakery might be a interesting story like Gravitation was and I hope people didn’t have to see the earlier anime Slayers shows to understand the plot of the new show because I have only seen about four of the whole series. Zero no Tsukaima have always seem like a inferior version of Negima to me so I probably will not watch it but a must see for me is Sekirei for this season not for the overdone typical plot but for how far will they go on Japan network TV without it turning into a Hentai show. But I will probably watch one of each of these new shows to try it out if I have the time because that is how I found Druaga, Golgo 13, and Kyouran Kazoku Nikki last season. Finally thank you Onmi and company for this blog and the video previews of the new season because there is not a lot of English anime blogs that have up to date information and links all in one place like this one has it is definitely appreciated.

    Roger
  24. Awwww, this season doesn’t seem to kick hard…. I have a bad feeling about this. Except maybe some of them that look interesting, the whole thing seems messed up. I dunno, maybe next season will be more intersting

    Agito
  25. I probably check out:

    Antique Bakery (as I have no problem with Shounen-ai and I like the mangaka’s other works)
    Sekirei (just checking out for the sake of checking)
    Slayers REVOLUTION (why not?)
    Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo (the character design appeals to me and I am a sucker for good character designs)
    World Destruction (look interesting~)
    Koihime†Musou (just want to see how it goes…)

    However, this season doesn’t really have a strong title. I probably end up following one of these titles and keeping some of the rest for the day that I am really bored out.

    Kaitune
  26. Season 2 certainly was unsatisfying in lots of areas for ZnT, but that pic you have for the third season pretty much sums it up, missed Louise and ready to see her and Saito back in action again.

    zanshun
  27. People are rather uninformed about Sekirei..yeah it has fanservice and big boobs but its a really good story so long as they follow the manga and don’t mess it up like Rosario+Vampire. Good thing GONZO isn’t doing it.

    Man0warr
  28. I’m watching Natsume Yuujin-chou just because the Baccano! staff is behind it.
    World Destruction for Mamoru Miyano and Maaya Sakamoto.
    I’m willing to give Antique Bakery a shot. I don’t mind BL but I heard it’s more slice-of-life comedy than anything.

    I’m kind of glad that the summer season isn’t too strong though, since I still have so much from the spring season to catch up on. 😀

    Asa
  29. Honestly, I found that except for Zero anime there might not be anything good at all. And Zero could end sucking. Anybody knows if they’ll make it be 26 episodes or they’ll make it again 13 episodes long?

    sacchi
  30. hmm…none of the shows really grab me right now. I’ll just wait around and watch out for what peoples say about show when there out. frankly i’ve watch little of what came out this spring and there are a few more i’d like to check out ^^

    fatalblue
  31. Sekirei is a manga series, a ongoing series.

    I follow it and so I am not going to bother with the anime … there is no moment on the manga that the anime can use for a ending, also the manga is ecchirific but manga fanservice is going to be better that the anime due to censorship (nipples in the manga, no nipples in the anime).

    Drakron
  32. Boring season is boring…

    Well, there are some somewhat promising series.
    – Natsume Yuujinchou – I was first attracted by Brains Base and Takahiro Omori, but then I got my hands on the first volume of the manga and thought it was quite entertaining. With the right OST, the adaptation of chapter four could be wonderful.
    – Birdy the Mighty Decode – Kazuki Akane, Saeko Chiba, etc. Sadly I’m totally unfamiliar with the source material, so I’m really only here for the names and could end up disappointed.
    – Antique Bakery – bring on the next Noitamina show.
    – World Destruction – I wish I had more reasons than just “Production I.G. and Maaya Sakamoto”…

    That’s… about it?
    At this rate I might as well check Sekirei too, even though it’s the type of series I’d never touch during a normal season. Seven Arcs seems to have the budget to animate the fights so that they’re actually exciting, and the cast is more than appealing (I could also finally get a chance to listen to Hayami Saori in a significant role), therefore I’ll at least try the first episode and see if I can get past the excessive fanservice.

    Katapan
  33. well i think there are a lot of great shows these season but i think that zero no tsukaima it’s like we do’t know if they’ll do a great season or theyll screw like the season 2

    David
  34. Seems a somewhat low key summer season, but those shows I am interested in:

    Ultraviolet Code044 – Seems to have some potential. I can’t say much for the Ultraviolet movie (which looked pretty horrible, Milla Jovovich or not), but if they make it dark and edgy, it might be the angstsy, blood-n-sword vampire actioner that Blood+ should have been.

    Slayers REVOLUTION – The original series was pretty fun when it first came out. I’ll probably catch this if only for the nostalgia factor.

    Tetsuwan Birdy DECODE (Birdy the Mighty DECODE) – The concept seems interesting, and the character designs have caught my eye. Let the space and gender-bending hijinx begin.

    Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo – I’m a sucker for stylish noir shows (which is why I’m enjoying Daughter of Twenty Faces at the moment). The character designs are pretty easy on the eyes too.

    World Destruction ~Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin – It’s Production I.G, so that alone makes me want to check it out for the production values. The concept itself seems a bit weird, and I’m wary of anime shows tied in with video games (seeing how uneven Tower of Druaga was just recently). The soundtrack seems pretty dramatic but then those annoyingly cute creatures pop up out of nowhere to break the mood.

    Mugen no Juunin (Blade of the Immortal – The manga was awesome, so I have to check this one out. The animation seems to get the job done, though I might have preferred the same studio that did Shigurui (all the gruesome blood notwithstanding). I believe Bee Train was also responsible for Amatsuki, a show I kinda enjoyed, so we’ll see.

    KaminaLives
  35. I’m going to kiss rear end and say that this was put together better than ANN. I’ve always heard the name Hidimari Sketch, but didn’t look at anything about it until now. I’m an action man, but I’m a sucker for slice-of-life as well.

  36. kool world destruction and sekirei shuld be pretty kool loved the ,manga to sekirei and the game trailer t world destruction was good. Anyway thought Batman gotham knight would be on this list tho even tho i dont know if it classify as anime even tho japanese animators behind it.

    googleman
  37. Please please please make it so that Blade of the Immortal doesn’t suck, it is my second favorite currently published manga (after Berserk).

    Why does it have to be Bee Train? 🙁

    steelman
  38. Don’t care about any of these shows besides World Destruction ~Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin~
    the trailer was great I thought and I’m all for Maaaya :]
    So I’ll definitely watch that but ZnT is like eh……
    I dropped it after the first season and I did get around to watching the second season
    but it didn’t leave such a good impression so depends on how much time I have to spare.

    Hei
  39. Slayers is probably the biggest thing out of this season for me. Lina is back! “The bandit killer’ “The dragon spooker” “The enemy of all that live!” haha, just too many good memories with it. Looking forward to seeing how this season goes and having the spells upgraded with some new graphics will be nice. Considering that this had to be one of the first anime series I ever saw, no doubt will be following.

    Not that sure about Zero though. After that second season there isn’t much excitement at all there. Hopefully it turns out alright, but won’t have high hopes.

    Have actually enjoyed Telepathy Shoujo Ran from the first couple episodes aired. So that’ll be a solid part of it. Will give a wait and see kind of strategy to the rest of this season.

    FlareKnight
  40. Maybe “Antique Bakery,” maybe “Natsume Yuujin-Chou” and “Mission E,” maybe World Destruction.

    I don’t know why. I thought that “Monochrome Factor’s” potential (due to the spice of gayness) had been ruined due to the “lets beat the other guy up” card being pulled.

    I personally have nothing against gay male characters when done well. But the f####try of “wussy /nobody male leads” animu and “sexy females only” animu need to be fought against.

    Lord Octane
  41. sekirei and zero no tsukaima are the only two that makes me wanna watch it.

    This title Natsume Yuujin-Chou is so similar to death note.based on the summary that omni put up.

    i’m a bit suprised slayers came back after ten years, do u think there’s a possibility that inuyasha might come back after the manga ended(hope not).

    Not alot of good animes this summer.

    homosexual anime themes are growing nowadays.

    i hope they make more action comedy anime in the fall.

    I’M NOT A RAPIST IN REAL LIFE JUST TO LET YOU KNOW. JUST WANTED PUT A NAME NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN HERE.

    Omni thnx a bunch for the summer preview man i can always count on you on previews.

    Rapist!
  42. @Omni

    I am not so much an anime fan as I am a fan of animation in general. So, it took me a while to realize that I have been depending largely on you, for the past year and a half, to keep me current in anime. Actually, I think I come here because you include scans with resolutions that are higher than other bloggers’. Hehe, the girls of Code Geass, for instance, are worth the extra pixels and you usually know which frames are most worth “revealing.” :p

    Although our tastes are not the same–and I may be missing out on some interesting anime simply because you are not blogging them–I think I will continue to depend on this blog to help me figure out what anime I will bother to check out.

    Based on your preview, I am expecting not to be interested in anything the next season will have to offer; so, I hope you will be able to find something worth blogging. I mean, I did not originally intend to watch True Tears, but I decided to check it out because of your blog, and came away impressed by the little story. And I learned of Code Geass when you began promoting the second season earlier this year. 😀

    Thank you for your Random Curiosity.

    The Hand of Guren
  43. Thanks for the preview Omni!

    Hmm…I guess the only ones I would probably follow from the get-go is Slayers (which from the looks of it will be a gag-based original story and won’t include the serious plot from part 2 of the light novels which was never animated) and Mahou Tsukai and that’s it. D; I’m really hoping Strike Witches will be interesting and have substance, because Sky Girls turned out to be a total bleh for me in its entirety.

    I hope some of these series will be a pleasant surprise, because the only two shows that have captured me right now is Macross and Geass…

    tau-tau
  44. Nothing here besides Blade of the Immortal really piqued my interest. And I’ve known about that for a while. A lot of it either sounds woefully generic (Strike Witches, World Destruction, Ultraviolet) or flimsy in premise (like Nogizaka…being an anime fan is a bad thing in Japan? WTF?).

    I’ll probably watch Sekirei for the tits, while catching up on older series.

    gigantor21
  45. I’m gonna give Blade of the Immortals a shot but only one real reason. Kō Ōtani is doing the music. Haibane Renmei had one of the best soundtracks of an anime ever. I can only hope that this one will have a good soundtrack.

    taka
  46. Well, I already knew for a couple weeks what I’m watching.

    Slayers Revolution – One of the first anime shows I ever watched eight years ago so I’m very excited for a new season.

    Strike Witches – Something about the show interests me.

    Zero no Tsukaima – Good first season. Okay second season. Third season may be good or bad – just depends. I’m not giving comments until I watch it and since I heard good things will come in the third season.

    Might check out if I have the time – Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (looked over the chinese translation of the manga and the novels) Koihime†Musou and Sekirei (read some chapters).

    strawberryheaven
  47. Sekirei: I haven’t read the manga, but it sounds like a stereotypical ecchi harem comedy with some “action” and “super powers” added in.
    I wonder how this will turn out.

    shogun22
  48. I love the Blade of the Immortal manga so I’ll definitely give the anime a shot. I’ll probably also watch Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, World Destruction ~Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokunin~, Slayers and Sekirei if I have the time.
    I’m slightly disappointed that it was Bee Train who picked up Blade of the Immortal though, especially after Omni’s comment xD!

    PYROtechnic
  49. Five fucking pages of comments and not a single one on Kana Hanazawa cuteness and cute voice…
    Disappointed in you people.

    As for me, it will be Natsume Yuujinchou (Brains Base = automatic WIN) and Ryoko’s Case Files (the novels are written by Yoshiki Tanaka – author of the Legend of Galactic Heroes, therefore, it is also automatic WIN).
    And, of course, Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto – I just love Kana Hanazawa’s voice.
    If the anime adaptation of Sekirei isn’t censored, I’ll also give it a try.

    Windspirit
  50. EVERY time i check your previews, i be praying to see “Black Lagoon” third season……………..guess I’ll keep dreaming.. lotta boring SHIAT!! unhappiness sets in

    BROOKLYN otaku
  51. will watch some of these series according to your reviews, and yeah though ZnT season 2 ed kinda made me mad, i still gotta watch it, to know why he lost his signa or soemthing….

    and looking at the Preview for Mission- E , i was like wth the whole convept of the series changed like its all action now, aww ill watch it still, but i hope it mixed, and the guy is still there…

    Chimasternmay
  52. I love supernatural! And I’ve gotta say I love your blog. Keep up the good work and posting. I’ve been watching it since day one and I’ve just become a fantatic since them. I’ve seen every supernatural episode and I’ve watched them more than once. I think you should keep writing about the show –this is the last season! That makes me sad but the end will be good! I hope Dean lives, at least. He’s my favorite character. Anyway, good luck!

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