With the temperature dropping (finally), it can only mean one thing: it’s time for the fall season of anime! And when a new season starts, it can only mean one thing: it’s time for Random Curiosity’s Fall 2017 Preview! The preview that tries its best to find the gems of the season while giving you ample information to make an informed decision on what to spend your valuable time on. This season is chock full of sequels as well as your typical fare of 4-komas, romances, idol shows, and romcoms. And if you thought I was joking about sequels (or continuations, I don’t discriminate), we have Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2, 3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season, Osomatsu-san 2, and Himouto! Umaru-chan R just to name a few. Alongside all of those we also have an adaptation of a prequel (and sequel) to the popular “hero” show Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru, an adorable slice-of-life that combines anime-tropes with maid cafes in Blend S, a painfully accurate description of a point in time most if not all online gamers experience in Netojuu no Susume, and last but not least the return of our guilty pleasure cooking show Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara. Overall, not too shabby of a season, even if it is a little heavy on the sequels.

As a quick reminder, most entries are divided into two paragraphs:

  • A brief introduction to the series and its premise, often with the starring cast of characters.
  • The writer’s impressions, expanding on the plot and highlighting specific points of interest.

This season we’ll continue with our Expectation Levels—not! We’re changing things up, and since I’m not on the reliably shady council, I’ll let Stilts explain:

This season we’re tweaking things slightly to reflect how the expectation levels were actually being used. Trying to anticipate how shows are going to turn out is a mug’s game, so what are we actually trying to say? How excited we are for each, of course! So we’re renaming them Excitement Levels, and will use a simplified rubric of four levels + Established for shows of 40 episodes of more. For more information, still check out the Overall Impressions section at the bottom, which includes an expanded explanation of each category and a list of all shows by excitement level.

 

Disclaimer: Back in ye olde year of 2012—which is a joke that’s starting to wear thin, since that was half a decade ago—previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Since none of the current writers have his Terminator-like focus and/or masochism, we’ve divided everything up among our staff (Cherrie, Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, and Zephyr) in order to maintain the quality of this preview. We will try to point out what appeals to us in each series, in the hope that it will help you determine if it coincides with your tastes.

Disclaimer #2: Please note that this list does not reflect all the series airing this coming season. It is meant to be as comprehensive as possible, but omissions have been made for shows that stray from the anime norm or seem to be oriented toward young children. Please check out MOON PHASE for complete listings, syoboi for specific air times, and Fansub DB for a list of potential sources for each series.

As the most senior writer on the staff (no point in it really, just felt like saying it), I have to honestly commend the entire RandomC Family for doing a fantastic job at getting things done each and every season. Our newest writers have been going above and beyond the call of duty and I appreciate it from the bottom of my broken and jaded heart. As per usual, thank you to our boys Divine and Xumbra for taking care of all the hard encoding work, Zephyr for doing his usual prep work behind the scenes, Stilts for being a big (literally, since he’s a giant) dummy who cracks the whip since I don’t like being mean, Cherrie for handling the logistics, formatting, setup, pictures, and catching whatever fell through the cracks, and all of the other hardworking writers who filled the post up with awesome content. Without our team this would have been impossible and you guys rock. And per usual, for those of you looking for a more Enzo-centric point of view, check out the LiA fall preview where you can find an honest second opinion.

Last but not least, thank you to each and every one of you, the readers who support Random Curiosity. You are some of the most enthusiastic, patient, and loving people out there and if it weren’t for you, we’d all probably just be wasting away in some cubby talking to ourselves about why we wanted to flip our tables after that last episode of Gamers. You make all of this worth it and interacting with you in the comments is one of the best things about this whole setup. Thank you so, so much for being a part of the community and allowing us into your lives and I hope you’ll continue to let us back in the years to come 🙂


TV Series


Technical Note: The chart below 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
Animegataris
22:00 MX (10/8)
UQ HOLDER! ~Mahou Sensei Negima! 2
24:00 MX (10/2)
Black Clover
18:25 TX (10/3)
Konohana Kitan
20:00 AT-X (10/4)
Just Because!
21:00 AT-X (10/5)
Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou
21:30 AT-X (10/6)
Time Bokan: Gyakushuu no San-Okunin
17:30 ytv (10/7)
Imouto sae Ireba Ii.
22:30 MX (10/8)
Osomatsu-san 2
25:35 TX (10/2)
Sengoku Night Blood
23:00 MX (10/3)
URAHARA
20:00 AbemaTV (10/4)
Ou-sama Game The Animation
23:30 AT-X (10/5)
Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series
22:00 AT-X (10/6)
ClassicaLoid 2nd Season
17:35 NHK (10/7)
Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau
23:00 MX (10/8)
Netojuu no Susume
25:40 MX (10/9)
Juuni Taisen
23:30 AT-X (10/3)
TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION
22:30 MX (10/4)
Inuyashiki
24:55 CX (10/12)
ROBO MASTERS THE ANIMATED SERIES
22:30 WOWOW (10/13)
Code:Realize ~Sousei no Himegimi~
20:00 AT-X (10/7)
Himouto! Umaru-chan R
23:30 AT-X (10/8)
Wake Up, Girls! Shin Shou
26:05 TX (10/9)
Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara
24:30 MX (10/3)
Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken
24:30 AT-X (10/11)
DYNAMIC CHORD
25:58 TBS (10/5)
Dies Irae
25:05 MX (10/6)
Houseki no Kuni
21:30 AT-X (10/7)
Gintama
25:35 TX (10/1)
Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte Kara
25:00 MX (10/3)
<GARO> -VANISHING LINE-
25:35 TX (10/6)
Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2
22:30 MX (10/7)
EVIL OR LIVE
25:41 MX (10/10)
Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru -Washio Sumi no Shou-
25:55 TBS (10/6)
3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season
23:00 NHK (10/14)
Infini-T Force
25:59 ntv (10/3)
Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru -Yuusha no Shou-
25:55 TBS (11/17)
THE IDOLM@STER SideM
23:30 MX (10/7)
Two Car
24:00 AT-X (10/7)
Blend S
24:30 MX (10/7)
Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2nd Season
25:00 MX (10/7)
Mahoutsukai no Yome
25:30 MX (10/7)
Kekkai Sensen & BEYOND
27:08 MBS (10/7)
Gintama | 銀魂 ポロリ篇Top
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/gintama/
Animation: Bandai Namco Pictures Premiere: October 1, 2017
Genre: Action, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 25:35
Episodes: 12 Station: TV Tokyo (TX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation

Preview by Choya

Shinsengumi Officer #90078, reporting in to notify our loyal followers of this troublesome news. It’s been a few months, which means there’s yet another season of Gintama. After raking in the money from a live-action adaptation and video games for the PS4 and the widely successful PS Vita, we continue to be overwhelmed by the adventures of Sakata Gintoki (Sugita Tomokazu) and his friends Shimura Shinpachi (Sakaguchi Daisuke), Kagura (Kugimiya Rie), and their dog Sadaharu (Takahashi Mikako). In a world where swords are outlawed by our alien overlords that rule over feudal Japan, these mercenaries make their living doing odd jobs as hired hands for Yorozuya while they avoid the wrath of the police, rebels, assassins, their overbearing landlord, and the fourth wall. If you find these miscreants, please report them to the Shinsengumi where we will act in a rude, mean-spirited manner towards them. Also, if any Kewpie reps are reading this inquiry, a sincere thank you for all of the work you’ve done. We cannot thank you enough, and owe you the world. I would give you every yen this series has made, but my creator Sorachi-sensei has spent it all on bananas.

For real though, it’s exciting to see Gintama returning for more. As one of the last series remaining of the 2000’s era of Shonen Jump, the manga has been hinting at its impending end. With the movie doing well and the video game announcement, Gintama is riding higher than ever, and it’s reassuring that the series is still doing so well after all these years of causing ire among media watchdog groups, parents, and politicians. Admittedly, I haven’t kept up with it as much as I should, but it is a funny anime that can still strike a good balance between its comical stories and its serious arcs. According to TV guides, this upcoming season will cover some of the previously un-adapted chapters, presumably being the light-hearted comedic chapters that were skipped over to get to the more serious arcs. If this is a more comical Gintama season, it will be a nice breather to segue into the final arc, but some serious episodes wouldn’t be unwelcome. Either way, I’m wondering how this season will turn out with the manga’s finale coming close.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Established
UQ HOLDER! ~Mahou Sensei Negima! 2~ | UQ HOLDER! ~魔法先生ネギま!2~Top
http://uqholder.jp/
Animation: J.C. Staff Premiere: October 2, 2017
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 24:00
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @uqholder_anime or #uqholder

Preview by Zaiden

It’s the Year 2086, and the world has greatly changed since magic became widespread. After getting attacked by a bounty hunter, Tota Konoe (Takakura Yuka) discovers a truth about the terrible incident that claimed the lives of his parents. Two years prior, when he stood at the doors of death, Evangeline A.K. McDowell (Matsuoka Yuri) saved his life by transforming him into a vampire. Once he becomes aware of this fact, she invites him into her secret organisation known as ‘UQ Holder,’ a fellowship comprised of immortal beings. Join our ragtag bunch of eccentrics who just won’t die as they become caught up in a struggle that could threaten to destroy the entire world.

I can’t have been the only one who felt upset about the Negima manga’s abrupt ending, so I’m sure people will be glad to know that UQ Holder is a spiritual successor that should tie off many loose ends. That said, the story should still be accessible to newcomers, since the cast is different, for the most part, meaning it mostly concerns the adventure of immortals. No knowledge of Negima is required to enjoy this series, though some might be needed to appreciate occasional throwbacks. However, J.C. Staff may be opting for a worrying approach. UQ Holder is a distinct work in its own right that Akamatsu Ken runs as a standalone series, yet Negima 2 is being forced into the title. On Suzuki Youhei’s record as director, I was rather skeptical of his adaptation for Danmachi: Sword Oratorio. Hopefully that was just an attempt to climb a steep learning curve, because with Negima frequently receiving the short end of the stick, UQ Holder surely deserves a more comprehensive adaptation. Anyway, expect a series packed with action, craziness, and the power of friendship overcoming extraordinary odds!

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show UQ HOLDER! ~Mahou Sensei Negima! 2~ Promotional Videos ▼

Osomatsu-san 2 | おそ松さん 第2期Top
http://osomatsusan.com/
Animation: Studio Pierrot Premiere: October 2, 2017
Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 25:35
Episodes: 12 Station: TV Tokyo (TX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @osomatsu_pr or #おそ松さん

Preview by Choya

SHEEEEEEEH! Another season about these pesky sextuplets!? In the first season of this Osomatsu-kun sequel/reboot, we followed the lives of the grown-up Matsuno brothers as they cope with their quarter life crises by getting into as much mischief as they can. The brothers spent a majority of the first season tackling employment, love, gambling, and drinking the only way they can: through sheer mayhem. Osomatsu (Sakurai Takahiro), the leader of the brothers, has a hard time reigning in his other fellow sextuplets, the suave and chivalrous Karamatsu (Nakamura Yuuichi), the avoidant cat-lover Ichimatsu (Fukuyama Jun), the idol-otaku Choromatsu (Kamiya Hiroshi), the bishounen lady killer Todomatsu (Irino Miyu), and the eccentric Juushimatsu (Ono Daisuke), as he joins them in their journey to put growing up on hold. Along the way, they are smitten by their childhood friend Totoko (Endou Aya), are caught up in the schemes of the Francophile trickster Iyami (Suzumura Kenichi), and dine-and-dash from an oden cart owned by Chibita (Kokuryu Sachi), who all join the Matsuno brothers in acting out of their own self-interest.

The first season was a wildly hilarious re-imagining of the series, with all of the characters from the 60’s and 80’s anime caught up in the wackiest scenarios imaginable. Whether the brothers worked together towards a common goal of ruining somebody’s day or sabotaged one another for their own benefit, the show was consistently funny throughout its run. The last episodes of the series made me anticipate the second season since we were left on two of the craziest episodes. As Osomatsu drove a wedge between himself and his other brothers who had ended up getting jobs without him, he gathered everyone together for one last hurrah in a baseball game against aliens that got them catapulted into space. Preview summaries I found say that they’ll show how the brothers return to Earth, but does that mean they will be in the same place they were in the episode before, with everyone but Osomatsu getting promising jobs? How hard of a reset button did they put on the brothers? Will they all be back at the house, or will Osomatsu find a way to hang out with his fellow brothers while they’re away making something of themselves? I am looking forward to finding out already, zanzu!

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Takaii Excitement Level: High
Black Clover | ブラッククローバーTop
http://bclover.jp/#index
Animation: Studio Pierrot Premiere: October 3, 2017
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 18:25
Episodes: 51 Station: TV Tokyo (TX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @bclover_pr

Preview by Zaiden

Asta (Kajiwara Gakuto) and Yuno (Shimazaki Nobunaga) were raised as foster brothers, having both been abandoned at the same church. Soon after, it becomes apparent that Yuno was a natural genius when it comes to magic, whereas Asta has to make up for his lack of aptitude through intense physical training. In spite of these differences, they make a promise to compete to become the next Wizard King, a title rewarded to the most powerful grimoire user in a generation. When their grimoires manifest at the age of 15, Yuno summons one with a four leaf clover, widely considered to be one of the best available. Meanwhile, Asta is left with nothing. That is, until a rogue wizard makes an attempt on Yuno’s life, fearing the young boy’s magical potential, and the true extent of Asta’s powers are uncovered. To protect Yuno, Asta summons a grimoire bearing the five-leaf clover, as well as a dark and heavy sword that can negate magic. Such an occurrence may change the course of the Clover Kingdom, as Asta regains his chance to vie for the position of Wizard King.

Black Clover is an action-packed series that hits the ground sprinting at full pelt, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Studio Pierrot has taken charge. When you look at Yoshihara Tatsuya’s work as director, a list which includes Longriders and Muromi-san, his comfort zone seems to be slice of life, and his projects that do not fall within that category tend to lose focus of their overarching goal, as seen with Yoru no Yatterman and Arve Rezzle. That said, Black Clover should actually compensate for this shortcoming, because the heavy emphasis on action + Asta wanting to be Wizard King should keep Yoshihara-san from getting off track. If you dislike conventional shounen storytelling, you might want to give Black Clover a pass. It’s guilty of drawing inspiration from just about every recent action shounen on the block, so while that might prove entertaining to some, it certainly doesn’t offer anything new to old hands in the genre.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Sengoku Night Blood | 戦刻ナイトブラッドTop
http://anime.senbura.jp/
Animation: Typhoon Graphics Premiere: October 3, 2017
Genre: Romance, Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 23:00
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @senbura_info or #戦ブラ

Preview by Takaii

Sengoku Night Blood is the adaptation of the hit otome mobile game of the same name. Taking place in a parallel universe on a world called Shinga, the story thrusts you straight into Shinga during their Sengoku or Warring States period. In the world of Shinga, there was a mysterious woman known as the Himemiko who was able to unite a race called the Gekkazoku (made up of vampires and werewolves) with the humans who shared the planet with them. This peace was short lived, though, as the Himemiko mysteriously disappears, but not before predicting the appearance of woman similar to herself from another parallel universe (you, the player). A woman who, besides sharing her unique ability to empower and heal the Gekkazoku with her blood, would be able to bring peace back to the world of Shinga.

I’ll be honest with you: the more I dove into the story and background of Senbura, the more I started to really get into groove of the universe it was trying to create. Unlike another show that happens to also be based on a mobile/browser game by a certain 3 letter Japanese company that focuses on the same era and that I had high expectations for but have been subsequently let down by, Senbura looks likes it might have not only the story but the manpower and support to become everything I hope it can be. Mind you, this is just based on how polished the mobile game is, but with seven factions to pick from, and an average of four members per faction, who represent the various political factions during the Sengoku Jidai, all of whom are voiced, and have their own unique storylines? Sounds like ample content to cherry pick from to create a fantastic story that can be then adapted into an anime! I will put in my word of warning: there isn’t a whole ton of information out except a few PVs and the vocal cast. However, and this is solely based on how much content exists for the thing, I think it’d be tough for a show like this to be bad and at worst I can’t imagine it being anything less than good. And in the best case, we’ll hopefully be treated to a show that focuses on a popular time in Japanese history with a bit of fantasy to turn it into a fun time for all!

Watching This:Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Show Sengoku Night Blood Promotional Videos ▼

Juuni Taisen | 十二大戦Top
http://12taisen.com/
Animation: Graphinica Premiere: October 3, 2017
Genre: Action, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 23:30
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @12taisen or #十二大戦

Preview by Passerby

Every twelve years, twelve competitors fight in a secret tournament. Each competitor embodies one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac, from the Rat down to the Pig, and each holds a special black gem signifying their participation in this competition. Otherwise, there are few other rules. It is a fight to the death, a battle royale where only one can stand at the top. All weapons are allowed, any methods are permitted, and it is a brutal conflict requiring alliances and betrayal, heroism and deceit. The prize for victory: the granting of a single wish. Each participant has their own reason for entering, and each has their own feelings about the wholesale slaughter of their peers, but each will have to fight all the same. So it has been every twelve years. But this is the twelfth tournament of this kind. For such an ominous occasion, what will go differently, and what will go wrong?

A generational tournament involving mythological figures with wish-granting magic as the prize may sound awfully like something from the Fate franchise, or at least require collecting Dragon Balls. I… can’t really refute that. Sitting in a locked drawer somewhere is a first draft titled Junni/taisen. The reason you should keep paying attention, though, is that the original Juuni Taisen (Twelve Wars) light novel was written by Nisio Isin, the author of the Monogatari series, and if you’re familiar with his past works you can immediately guess that there’s going to be more to Juuni Taisen than meets the eye. A supernatural death tournament full of psychological twists is right up his alley, and while the promotional material we’ve seen for the anime has been action packed, I expect it will be the cast of quirky and complex characters that will really drive the show. Still, it’s best not to draw too many assumptions from Monogatari; Juuni Taisen will be a very different adaptation, starting with an entirely different studio and staff. Bit of a mixed bag there: director Hosoda Naoto has a spotty record, but he’s accompanied by the veteran Murai Sadayuki on series composition, and for music we have Shiina Gou, whom you may remember from the Kyousougiga soundtrack (inter alia). Plus, this season has been billed as only the first, so if Juuni Taisen is good, we can be assured there will be plenty of it.

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Juuni Taisen Promotional Videos ▼

Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara | 食戟のソーマ 餐の皿Top
http://shokugekinosoma.com/
Animation: J.C. Staff Premiere: October 3, 2017
Genre: Comedy, School-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 24:30
Episodes: 2 cour Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @shokugeki_anime or #shokugeki_anime

Preview by Zaiden

After ending on a high note with the Stagiaire Arc, who else is ready for the third plate of Shokugeki no Souma? Yukihira Souma (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu) and his friends are back for another season, with their sights set higher than ever. At the Moon Banquet Festival, Souma looks to challenge Teranori Kuga (Kaji Yuuki), a member of the Elite Ten and a specialist in Sichuan cuisine. However, at this time, a dark figure from Erina’s past intrudes upon campus. How will Souma and the Polar Star Dormitory face up to their greatest challenge yet?

I’m sure most people are already familiar with the amazingly creative dishes, exciting cooking showdowns, and over the top foodgasms that Shokugeki no Soma has consistently brought to the table across two seasons. But I’ll provide a brief summary of the premise for those who don’t know why people are so hyped. Born the son of a chef at a family diner, Yukihira Souma’s dream has always been to eventually surpass his father and inherit the restaurant. One day, his father closes shop after getting called up to a new job. But before leaving, he offers Souma a new challenge: to graduate from the elite culinary school, Toutsuki Academy. However, there’s a catch: only 1% of students who enroll ever graduate! Against the flow of conventional wisdom, watch how Souma uses unorthodox but creative methods to overcome trials and tribulations. The good news is that the third season is showing no signs of slowing down, with the Moon Banquet Festival being Souma’s first challenge against a member of the Elite Ten, and the Central Arc framing them as antagonists. My hype levels are reaching unprecedented levels, because I know that the third season will be a complete blast!

Watching This: Cherrie, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Show Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara Promotional Videos ▼

Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte Kara | お酒は夫婦になってからTop
http://www.osakefufu-anime.jp/
Animation: Creators in Pack Premiere: October 3, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:00
Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @osakefufu or #お酒は夫婦になってから

Preview by Stilts

Based on Crystal na Yousuke’s web manga of the same name, Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara is a story of slice-of-life Yoidere (Drunken Dere) love. It stars Mizusawa Chisato (Kitamura Eri), a superbly skilled and normally reserved assistant manager in her company who, unbeknownst to her coworkers, likes to drink alcohol and becomes super cute when she’s drunk! This is a secret she shares only with her husband Mizusawa Sora (Ichiki Mitsuhiro), her unflappable husband who is always coming up with cocktails for his wife to try. With a catchphrase of “Shifuku~!”, enjoy this cocktail comedy of a lovey-dovey husband and wife.

The formula is pretty simple: start with serious/awkward Chi-chan running into some mild trouble during her day (often at work), then she loosens up at home with a new cocktail made by Sora, and then she gets super cute and lovey-dovey. Rinse, repeat, battle through the hangovers. The key selling points are: 1) drunk Chisato being kawaii, and 2) a new cocktail recipe every bit. The former (and the romantic married life, which is underrepresented in anime and thus appreciated) are fairly boilerplate, and a little one note; there’s only so much you can do with the limited space of a 10-page web manga, and it shows. Hopefully the anime will be able to expound on that. As for the cocktails, it’s fun getting to learn about new drinks from the comfort of your home, since asking at the bar can be nerve-racking. My main caveat is that you’ll likely need to be excited for both aspects for this show to have a chance at working, because neither feels strong enough to carry the series on its own. I’ll be watching, but then again, I’m a lush. More of a beer drinker, but still! I gotta support my fellow lush. Shifuku~!

Watching This: Choya, Stilts Excitement Level: Average
Infini-T ForceTop
http://www.infini-tforce.com/
Animation: Digital Frontier Premiere: October 3, 2017
Genre: Action Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:59
Episodes: 12 Station: Nippon TV (ntv)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @infini_tforce or #アニメITF

Preview by Passerby

Kaido Emi (Kayano Ai) is not exactly what you’d call a people person. She shows little interest in either work or play. She’s cold to everybody around her. Despite her asocial apathy, though, Emi is granted great power: a pencil that can grant any wish. A bizarre sort of Holy Grail, perhaps, but it’s the real deal. She could have used it to defeat world hunger. Or maybe solve the mysteries of the universe. Or maybe just good old fame and fortune. But, she does nothing, until one day Emi is caught up in the robbery of a convenience store and her life is threatened. In her desperation she wishes for a hero that will save the day, and four respond to her plea: Gatchaman (Seki Tomokazu), Tekkaman (Sakurai Takahiro), Polymar (Suzumura Kenichi), and Casshan (Saitou Souma). Together they form the Infini-T Force, and do what heroes do: battle evil everywhere.

I couldn’t get my hands on the Infini-T Force manga, but that may not have been very informative anyway because apparently this anime will diverge from the manga and take the premise in an original direction. There’s also going to be an Infini-T Force movie coming February next year, so what we’re getting this season could be about any manner of things. So instead I’ll point you downwards to the PV, and urge you to have a look at it before we continue. Done? Looks like a videogame, doesn’t it? Yeah, it’s the kind of thing Digital Frontier does. As you may have been able to tell by the summary, Infini-T Force is the kind of big crossover story that would make for an interesting videogame (i.e. every other fighting game, the Super Robot Taisen) franchise), made to celebrate Tatsunoko Production’s 55th anniversary. Each of the featured heroes are the title characters of their older IPs, and enjoyment of Infini-T Force will probably hinge on your enjoyment or knowledge of those earlier works. It also helps if you enjoy the tokusatsu genre in general, which these Japanese masked heroes call cousin. I expect Infini-T Force to mostly be an action romp; director Suzuki Kiyotaka doesn’t have too much experience in that role, but has plenty of experience with 3D animation, so that’s what he’s probably there for. If nothing else, it’ll be a nostalgia trip, to see some very old characters looking very modern indeed.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average
Show Infini-T Force Promotional Videos ▼

Konohana Kitan | このはな綺譚Top
http://konohanatei.jp/
Animation: Lerche Premiere: October 4, 2017
Genre: Slice-of-Life, Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 20:00
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @konohana_anime or #konohana

Preview by Takaii

In a fantasy world where youkai and humans coexist with one another, there is an inn called Konohanatei that serves all kinds of patrons. Run by foxes, this inn services anyone and everyone as they make their way through. From gods to humans who have gotten lost on their way, the foxes who run the inn strive to provide service befitting of a god. Within this whimsical world exists a young wild fox named Yuzu (Oono Yuuko). Found by a priestess at a young age, she is brought to Konohanatei to not only work but discover what it truly means to interact and understand others.

There isn’t too much you can say about Konohana Kitan’s story, at first. It revolves around the trials that Yuzu (our “main” character) faces as she tries to integrate into a new lifestyle while learning how to be a proper host at a respectable hot spring inn. With a bunch of other fox girls to help teach her the ropes, you have some that are super nice and some that are rather harsh (in an adorable doting older sister kind of way). Sounds like typical fare, right? Except, as soon as you finish the first chapter, you realize that there’s something hiding underneath. And that something is the heartwarming situations that Yuzu brings to the story. As someone who’s out of touch with the way society operates, her innocence combined with just enough common sense will have you wondering why real life can’t be like this. Situations like someone politely saying let’s hang out more (out of obligation) are returned with a heartfelt thank you and the eyes of an adorable fox who can’t wait to get to know you better. If you were to make a comparison to real life, it’s the train of thought that the way society behaves is learned and not instinctual—an idea that, put into practice, tugs at your emotions way more than you may like to admit. I don’t think there’s a better studio than Lerche to grab this one, because while staff may matter more than studio in how a show turns out, when a studio has made some of my absolute favorite shows (AssClass and Kuzu no Honkai come to mind), I don’t feel bad about giving them a thumbs up since they have a knack for collecting the right people. If you’re looking for a show that has some strong Spirited Away vibes but adds a new element, look no further than Konohana Kitan!

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Konohana Kitan Promotional Videos ▼

URAHARATop
http://urahara.party/
Animation: Shirogumi x EMT Squared Premiere: October 4, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 20:00
Episodes: 12 Station: AbemaTV
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @urhr_pt or #urhr_pt

Preview by Stilts

Brought to you by Crunchyroll and Chinese video sharing website Bilibili comes the adaptation of Crunchyroll’s PARK Harajuku: Crisis Team! webcomic. Three high school girls, Sudou Rito (Haruna Luna), Watatsumugi Kotoko (Iwami Manaka), and Shirako Mari (Uesaka Sumire), are putting together a limited-time shop called “PARK” in Japan’s famous Harajuku district. The only problem is that the great cities of the world are being destroyed by aliens from another planet, and their next target is . . . Harajuku! Only the trio of treasure-seeking shop girls can hope to save the district’s famed culture from theft and/or destruction. Do they have what it takes to become members of the PARK Harajuku: Crisis Team?

We have another odd duck here, and in more than just premise. Crunchyroll with a producing credit for a source material they own is unusual enough, as is everything that’s going on with the story (and Haruna Luna is a seiyuu now?), but the animation in particular is worthy of mention. It’s certainly unique—and I don’t just mean in the Harajuku fashion way. Watch the promo video. See what I mean? The animation is soft and cartoony, and colorful in a way that’s both bright and filled with pastels. It still has a weird premise, of course, with aliens trying to steal culture and only shop girls able to save the day, because where’s the fun in the army getting to do it? It’s almost like a magical girl series, if the magical girls were much, much sillier. Yet don’t let my bemusement confound you, because I’m not hating on Urahara. More like, it’s an odd duck. “Stylish” is the way I’d put it, and if you bounce off that style—much like Harajuku’s street fashions themselves—you’ll probably bounce off the entire show. Me, I’m bouncing hard, but I don’t hate what it’s going for, and I’ll even admit to some curiosity. For all the unique things Urahara is doing, maybe its story will be unique as well. Stranger things have happened.

Watching This: Zaiden Excitement Level: Limited
TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATIONTop
http://tsukipro-anime.com/
Animation: PRA Premiere: October 4, 2017
Genre: Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 22:30
Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @tsukipro_anime or #プロアニ

Preview by Takaii

This one is going to be weird for our typical previews, as we’re about to dive into some history about where this show is coming from, but trust me it’s worth it! So, TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION is a new idol project show debuting this season. With hefty competition already out there (like UtaPri) and newcomers with shows coming over the horizon (Idolish7 woo!), what makes a show like TSUKIPRO stand out? For starters, this anime is actually based on a real talent agency that focuses on their 2.5D brand. By creating characters that are brought to life by their seiyuu, the company is actively creating idols and units completely virtually. Through the use of social media, drama cds, and constantly updating art, the minds at TSUKIPRO have taken it a step up from your typical idol groups that find their homes in mobile games. In addition, their units cover a wide range of themes and genres. In the anime’s case, we’ll be seeing the units SOARA, Growth, SolidS, and Quell. SOARA and Growth have a lighter tone while talking about things related to life, while SolidS and Quell have heavier, more powerful music that tries to focus on more mature topics.

The anime itself will be covering the lives of the members of SOARA, Growth, SolidS, and Quell as they venture out and try to handle all the stress, drama, and other complications that occur when you’re living that idol life. Essentially, if you’re looking for an anime about idols that has a solid foundation to draw from as well as ample music to listen to once you find the unit of your choice, you can’t really go wrong with TSUKIPRO. In the worst case, you’ll at least have something to fill your time with as you wait for your choice of idol/rhythm game to get an anime adaptation. However, with everything I’ve seen thus far, I don’t think this show will disappoint so long as your expectations are in the right place.

Watching This: Takaii Excitement Level: Average
Show TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION Promotional Videos ▼

Just Because!Top
http://justbecause.jp/
Animation: Pine Jam Premiere: October 5, 2017
Genre: Drama, School-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 21:00/td>
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @justbecause_jp or #jb

Preview by Stilts

From newbie director Kobayashi Atsushi and scriptwriter (and original creator of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo) Kamoshida Hajime comes an original series animated by fledgling studio Pine Jam. Just Because! follows a group of students in the second semester of their third year of high school. It’s that time of the year when graduation is fast approaching and everyone is coasting to the end, which was these students’ plan as well—until he came home. Izumi Eita (Ichikawa Aoi) was their classmate in middle school, and he’s returned for the first time in four years, at this peculiar time. It has stirred up feelings in the students who were preparing for their high school lives to end.

From the author of Sakurasou, this is definitely going to be one of those high school drama anime. I wouldn’t read too much into Kamoshida-sensei’s involvement though, at least content-wise—because if this were truly a Sakurasou-esque anime, I would be losing my shit. I mention drama mostly because of the promo videos and the entire construction of the premise/cast, which is rife with dramatic potential. Not high drama, though; more the minor (but important at the time) drama that happens in your last year of high school. Cast, content, and most of the staff are question marks, for this is an original series without much of a pedigree, which is odd. That leaves it with plenty of potential to surprise, and I wouldn’t be overly shocked if it does; I have a mildly positive feeling about this one. But not so much as to unflinchingly suggest it, for there are too many questions unanswered. Keep an eye on it, and if a high school melodrama full of emotions sounds appealing to you, give it a try. This could delight.

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Guardian Enzo, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Just Because! Promotional Videos ▼

Ou-sama Game The Animation | 王様ゲーム The AnimationTop
https://kingsgame-anime.com/
Animation: Seven Premiere: October 5, 2017
Genre: Horror Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 23:30
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @kingsgame_pr or #アニメ王様ゲーム

Preview by Pancakes

In a desperate attempt to get away from past suffering, Kanazawa Nobuaki (Miyano Mamoru) transferred to a distant high school far from the troubles of his old life. Shutting himself off from others and afraid of making friends, Nobuaki valiantly remains a loner until one day he decides to take a chance and start anew. Unfortunately for him though, that day would prove unfortunate. In the middle of Nobuaki’s brave awakening, everyone receives an email from one ‘Ousama’, detailing a set of conditions for students to fulfill in 24 hours—or suffer punishment. Everyone of course thinks it’s a joke, but Nobuaki knows better. You see, Ousama and his game was the very thing Nobuaki wanted to escape, for this game is no laughing matter. Once the Ousama game starts there is no quick end, and for all participants involved their lives are very much on the line.

Horror shows are always a blast, they either spectacularly fall apart at the seams or become top notch thrillers, and you never know which is more likely. In this regard Ou-sama Game has all the necessary components: a mysterious game of death, a bunch of unsuspecting (i.e. hilariously stupid) participants, and the one poor sucker who knows what’s going on—it’s basically the new Danganronpa or Another. The only concerns here are all the glaring warning signs. We have a very inexperienced director in Sasaki Tokihiro, a producing studio in Seven which has never ventured far outside of smut/hentai material, and a source novel which starts stumbling badly after the halfway mark. And that’s before getting into this being an adaptation of Ou-sama Game’s sequel. It’s hard denying this looks more Mayoiga-esque train wreck than success story in the making. As pure popcorn entertainment there’s no doubt Ousama Game will perform well, but until it showcases its narrative chops it’s probably best hedging those bets on this being the next thriller masterpiece.

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Pancakes, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Show Ou-sama Game The Animation Promotional Videos ▼

DYNAMIC CHORDTop
http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/DC/
Animation: Studio Pierrot Premiere: October 5, 2017
Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:58
Episodes: 12 Station: TBS
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @anime_dc or #ダイナミックコード

Preview by Takaii

Another otome-game sourced anime, Dynamic Chord looks to be the next big thing in its respective anime space. However, with stiff competition this season from other shows aiming to also be the next big thing, does it have something to help it stand out from the crowd? Amazingly, I think this show might be able to overcome the hurdle with just how much content it has. Looking back, one of the biggest flaws of anime that come from games is a sloppy adaptation of the story. In Dynamic Chord’s case, I was blown away when I realized that each of the units that the story focuses on has their own entire game! Under the “DYNAMIC CHORD” agency and music label, each group has their own style of music and related life problems that you would get to experience as the player. I also know that quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality, but without a sufficient amount of material to go off of it can be tough to create enough “story” to adequately grow and develop your characters.

For some specifics about Dynamic Chord as an anime, it looks like the story will be revolving around four different groups as they try to put on their best performances. We have reve parfait, a progressive rock group; Liar-S, a rock band with a lighter style that still captures the intensity of the genre; KYOSHO, the group with lots of flare and just as much emotion when it comes to their performances; and last but not least, apple-polisher, a group focused on a younger demographic that combines elements of both the dance and rock genre. As we watch the lives of these bands progress, we’ll be in for an experience full of highs and lows as they try to figure out just what it takes to be a successful band.

Watching This: Takaii Excitement Level: Limited
Show DYNAMIC CHORD Promotional Videos ▼

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou | 少女終末旅行Top
http://girls-last-tour.com/
Animation: White Fox Premiere: October 6, 2017
Genre: Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 21:30
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @girls_last_tour or #少女終末旅行

Preview by Pancakes

The world is over, civilization is dead. Yet amidst the ruins of mankind’s post-industrial decadency, Chi (Minase Inori) and Yuu (Kubo Yurika) carry on the struggle of living. From the back of their NSU Kettenkrad, the two girls wander about, in search of no destination aside from the latest attention-grabbing curiosity or the likeliest location of the next day’s meal. Such a forlorn existence is not without its moments though, whether it be tasting a brand new food, experiencing music for the first time, or stumbling across a fellow wanderer in search of their own meaning of life. In a world without purpose, every little ray of sunshine helps these forgotten girls keep soldiering on.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is a funny one to categorize. At face value it looks a lot like Blame! gone dieselpunk moeblob, yet in reality functions more like Non Non Biyori or ARIA—or maybe Sora no Woto with zero action. This is very much your “healing” slice of life—there is no grand plan to save the world, no greater purpose to Chi’s and Yuu’s actions, no answers for the past. SSR is just the story of two girls exploring a ruined world one day at a time. It’s easy to think such a concept would fail badly, but due in part to Chi and Yuu, SSR makes it work. The two girls have a wonderfully warm and humorous chemistry, buoyed by Yuu’s enthusiastic love of anything edible and Chi’s embarrassingly cute fear of heights. Couple this with their persistent questions on purpose, meaning, and life, and SSR yields a hefty amount of philosophical food for thought underneath its barebones exterior. The key however, as with similar healing series, will be execution. These stories can quickly grow boring if improperly handled, and with a novice director in Ozaki Takaharu sitting in the big chair, it’s a shot in the dark what show we receive. Provided SSR can avoid the usual genre pitfalls, it has everything needed to be this season’s dark horse.

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou Promotional Videos ▼

Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series | キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- the Animated SeriesTop
http://www.kinonotabi-anime.com/
Animation: Lerche Premiere: October 6, 2017
Genre: Adventure, Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 22:00
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @kinonotabianime or #キノの旅

Preview by Zaiden

From Studio Lerche comes the remake of a timeless classic, deeply loved by many. A traveler named Kino (Yuuki Aoi), and a motorrad named Hermes (Saitou Souma). Inseparable partners in their journey of a lifetime, these two share in epic adventures across lands unknown. They see human nature for what it truly is, while witnessing the rise and fall of civilisations. When the time comes, will you keep faith or lose hope in humanity?

For newcomers who are interested, your thinking could be challenged by harrowing accounts presented throughout this series. Kino no Tabi is a collection of philosophical parables, each portraying the beauty and ugliness in human nature, while offering commentaries regarding various modes of society. Some celebrate the power of kindness and compassion, while others bemoan in despair at what we are. Fans of the original series should expect some hefty changes, because the production staff has been entirely revamped. As a director, Taguchi Tomohisa remains a big question mark, with his previous televised works only being Sousei no Onmyouji and Persona 4 The Golden ANIMATION. Whether we’ll see better or worse is difficult to determine. Some of you may even be asking if Kino no Tabi needed a remake. Living up to its previous instalment is no mean feat, and any skepticism is quite understandable. But only time can tell.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: High
Show Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series Promotional Videos ▼

Dies IraeTop
http://diesirae-anime.com/
Animation: ACGT Premiere: October 6, 2017
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:05
Episodes: 11 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @diesirae_anime or #dieirae_a

Preview by Zephyr

Labeled an “urban fantasy battle opera,” Dies Irae is an adaptation of the 2007 visual novel of the same name. Starting at end of the Second World War, the story focuses on a group of Nazi officers calling themselves the Longinus Dreizehn Orden. Wielding monstrous powers, they ruthlessly demolish both sides during the Battle of Berlin, using their souls to conduct an unknown ritual before fading into the annals of history. In the present day, high schooler Ren Fujii (Toriumi Kousuke) finds himself recovering from a brutal fight with his best friend Shirou Yusa (Maeda Takeshi). As Ren attempts to return to his daily routine, he is besieged by dreams of gruesome murders and images of a bloody guillotine. As if echoing his dreams, a series of inexplicable, violent events begin to happen around the city, culminating in the sudden reappearance of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden. To protect all that he holds dear, Ren chooses to fight, oblivious to the madness and carnage that await him. The series will be directed by Kudou Susumu (Ghost in the Shell: ARISE, K, Mardock Scramble), with script and series composition done by original creator Masada Takashi.

As one of the more popular and best rated series on VNdb, Dies Irae is a series that many visual novel readers likely know about already. Its recent Kickstarter and localization has only added to its popularity, and it’s fitting that its anime adaptation arrives just months after. As someone who’s going through the novel right now, I can say that Dies Irae deserves much of its accolades, through its dramatic action scenes and a cast of characters whose sense of morals are warped beyond recognition. Adding an epic soundtrack and 30-50 hours of plot-heavy reading adds icing on a packed cake, though the latter guarantees we won’t get everything with this adaptation. (I’ve read they’ll focus on Marie’s route with the addition of some content from the others.) Despite the omission of great moments from other routes, there’s much to get excited about from the source material alone, and the presence of the original creator should alleviate some of the issues that come from changing mediums. One should come in with the expectation that the series will inevitably push you toward reading the source material however.

Watching This: Cherrie, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Show Dies Irae Promotional Videos ▼

<GARO> -VANISHING LINE- | 牙狼<GARO> -VANISHING LINE-Top
http://vanishing-line.jp/
Animation: MAPPA Premiere: October 6, 2017
Genre: Action Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:23
Episodes: 12 Station: TV Tokyo (TX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @anime_garo or #anime_garo

Preview by Stilts

The third Garo anime series by MAPPA premieres this fall. The story is set in a prosperous metropolis called Russell City. Even as the city celebrates its prosperity, a conspiracy that threatens to shake it to its core begins to move. A man named Sword (Seki Tomokazu), the Makai Knight with the title of Garo, protects the city from Horrors that possess humans, fighting in secret. One day, he finds a clue to the plot: the words El Dorado. As he begins to investigate, he meets a woman named Sophie (Kugimiya Rie), who is searching for her missing older brother who left her with but one clue: the same words of El Dorado. With Sword having also lost his younger sister in the past, the two feel a connection, and they begin to work together to find the meaning in those words.

The Garo series and MAPPA are back, and if you’re a fan, you probably don’t need me to tell you whether to watch. For everyone else, Vanishing Line sounds like it could be a compelling action/mystery. It also has all the signature style of a MAPPA anime, with the dark palette and attention to detail that make for a good blend between artistic and pulpy. Expect the horror, drama, and demonic folklore of Garo to come into play, as well as the epic stature that’s lifted up the franchise. Garo anime can be really good, though with newbie director Seong-Hu Park on the job, who knows what we’ll get—which is always the danger, and a perk, of alternative timeline stories like Garo employs. Speaking of, if you haven’t watched a Garo series before, this third alternate setting provides another opportunity to jump on board. Hopefully it will keep the venerated franchise chugging right along like always.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average
Show <GARO> -VANISHING LINE- Promotional Videos ▼

Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru -Washio Sumi no Shou- | 結城友奈は勇者である -鷲尾須美の章-Top
http://yuyuyu.tv/
Animation: Studio Gokumi Premiere: October 6, 2017
Genre: Fantasy, School-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:55
Episodes: 6 Station: TBS
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @anime_yukiyuna or #yuyuyu

Preview by Stilts

The first of two Yuuki Yuuna series airing this season, Washio Sumi no Shou is an adaptation of the prequel light novel, and the TV broadcast version of the three movies that have already aired (Tomodachi, Tamashii, and Yakusoku). The story takes places two years prior to the events of the original series, in year 298 of the Era of the Gods, and it follows a trio of elementary school-aged heroes who are tasked with an important mission. Washio Sumi (Mimori Suzuko), Nogi Sonoko (Hanazawa Kana), and Minowa Gin (Hanamori Yumiri) are heroes, and they must fight the Vertex, a mysterious enemy that is attacking Shinju-sama, the god-tree that protects Shikoku, the last place in the world that’s still habitable. What they don’t know is that this fight will cost them more than they could have ever imagined—in ways that viewers of the original series might be able to guess.

Washio Sumi no Shou is a prequel to the Studio Gokumi original series Yuuki Yuuna, and if you’ve watched that, you know something of what will happen. For the uninitiated, it starts out as slice-of-life + magical girls + monster-of-the-week, and then it gets . . . dark. Quite dark. We meet some of the prequel characters in the original, most importantly Washio Sumi, so viewers of that will be able to guess some of what will transpire here. The real trick is that, first, viewers of the original series are predisposed to care about Sumi at least, which I know makes me want to watch despite the drama to come. Second, this is only one of two 6-episode Yuuki Yuuna series airing the season, with the other a sequel—and that’s where my attention truly lies. The original season was good up until the ending, which was polarizing. Can the sequel make good on the series’ promise? Perhaps, but I have a feeling the groundwork to be laid in Washio Sumi no Shou will be necessary. If you haven’t seen the original series, I highly suggest watching it, either before the season starts or all in a marathon once this prequel concludes. It’s not a perfect series, but it’s better than anyone expected at the time. Hopefully this will be as well.

Watching This: Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru -Yuusha no Shou- | 結城友奈は勇者である -勇者の章-Top
http://yuyuyu.tv/
Animation: Studio Gokumi Premiere: November 17, 2017
Genre: Fantasy, School-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:55
Episodes: 6 Station: TBS
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @anime_yukiyuna or #yuyuyu

Preview by Stilts

The second of two Yuuki Yuuna series airing this season, Yuusha no Shou (Hero Chapter) is the sequel to both the Washio Sumi no Shou prequel and the original season. Information is frustratingly scarce for this sequel, but I’ll do my best. The original season took place in the year 300 of the Era of the Gods, and it followed the members of the Sanshu Middle School Hero Club, a group dedicated to helping those who request their help. Only that’s not all Yuuki Yuuna (Terui Haruka), Tougou Mimori (Mimori Suzuko), Inubouzaki Fuu (Uchiyama Yumi), and Inubouzaki Itsuki (Kurosawa Tomoyo) did: they also transformed into magical girls in order to battle the Vertex, a mysterious enemy that is attacking Shinju-sama, the god-tree that protects Shikoku, which is the last place in the world that’s still habitable. Joined along the way by Miyoshi Karin (Nagatsuma Juri), the girls fight in battles much more harrowing and costly than they ever could have imagined, and come out the other side irrevocably changed, if not quite broken. But it’s not over yet.

While I’m excited for the Washio Sumi no Shou prequel because I enjoyed the original and want to see what came before, it’s the sequel that truly has my attention. The ending of the first season was the part I was most unsure about, and as time has gone on I’m less and less sure it was a wise move. I may not be operating with all of the necessary information, though. Where before I wasn’t sure I wanted more Yuuki Yuuna because the story seemed finished, the more I think about it the more excited I get to see if Studio Gokumi can bring the story to a truly satisfying close. With so little information, and only six episodes for the sequel, I don’t think there’s any option for newcomers to enter the franchise with this one; watch the original and the Washio Sumi prequel, in either order, before this airs. Which I heartily suggest you do, because while Yuuki Yuuna wasn’t a perfect story, it was one of the most interesting, exciting, colorful, and unexpected shows of its season. It was a total dark horse, a show near the top of my “I Wish I Had Blogged It” list, a dark magical girl heroes story that drew from plenty of genres without getting lost in them, most of the time. I’m excited, and hopeful, to see what Studio Gokumi has in store.

Watching This: Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Time Bokan: Gyakushuu no San-Okunin | タイムボカン 逆襲の三悪人Top
http://www.ytv.co.jp/timebokan/
Animation: Tatsunoko Production Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Comedy, History Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 17:30
Episodes: 13 Station: ytv
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @timebokan_3aku

Preview by Choya

This is the second season to the current reboot of the 1975 classic anime Time Bokan, one of Tatsunoko’s pivotal anime that eventually lead to the widely successful Yatterman series. In this iteration, a junior high student living in the present time named Tokio (Wakayama Akihisa) is suddenly made a member of the 24th century’s Space-Time Administration Bureau. Immediately, he learns that the history he has learned in textbooks is wrong, and there is a more interesting version of history. In this new version, the peerless beauty Cleopatra is actually the comedy duo of Cleo and Patra, and Momotaro is more of an ogre than an ogress. Together with his teammate Karen (Kito Akari), they use the 24 Bokan Mecha to search for the True History.

My exposure to Tatsunoko anime has only been through Yatterman, Casshern, and their crossover fighting game with Capcom, but this reboot looks like it would be a fun watch for those who love the whimsical spirit of the older Time Bokan, or who actively followed Time Bokan 24. It’s also a joint co-production with Level 5, so for those who follow Inazuma Eleven or Yo-kai Watch, you’ll be in for a treat by seeing what they add to the classic Tatsunoko anime. It does skew toward a younger audience, but if you’re a fan of the original series or are young at heart, this sequel is aiming to have the same whimsy and fun you’d expect from Tatsunoko.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average
Show Time Bokan: Gyakushuu no San-Okunin Promotional Videos ▼

ClassicaLoid 2nd Season | クラシカロイド 第2シリーズTop
http://www.classicaloid.net/
Animation: Sunrise Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Music Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 17:35
Episodes: 12 Station: NHK
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @nhkclassicaloid or #クラシカロイド

Preview by Passerby

Surprise sequel time! From this time last year, it’s ClassicaLoid, and from the looks of things it’s business as usual. The ever-suffering Otowa Kanae (Komatsu Mikako) is still housing a bunch of oddball freeloaders styled after classical composers. Beethoven (Sugita Tomokazu) and Mozart (Kaji Yuuki) certainly seem to be musical prodigies back from the dead, but they’re actually ‘Classicaloids’, and the special ‘mujik’ they perform have incredible powers beyond the ken of mortal men, up to and including summoning giant robots. Because that’s what music does. Now, even more ClassicaLoid are joining in the madness, including Wagner (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu) and Dvorak (Suwabe Junichi as a hippo. Yeah). There’s plenty of fuel for the fire, and hopefully it won’t burn the whole neighbourhood down.

ClassicaLoid was certainly… something. It certainly went out of its way to stand out, with its classical music focus, its bright aesthetic, and its non sequitur premise. For the most part, though, it was a comedy, perhaps of a slightly surreal bent, driven mostly by its eccentric cast. The titular ClassicaLoids are all larger-than-life caricatures of their historical namesakes, which provides plenty of opportunities for hijinks even before we factor in whatever whacky, magical thing they’re able to do with their music (all arrangements of classical compositions). They lend themselves more to a series of episodic comic sketches, much in the way of, say, Gintama, which was to be expected as the director for the first season was Fujita Yoichi. Notably, he’s stepping back into a supervisory capacity this season. Instead, the director’s chair will be filled by Umahiki Kei, and this will be his first project in that role. This staff shuffle may signal a change in tone for the show; the first season never really delivered well on a coherent overarching plot even though there were signs of one, and this second season may be shifting the focus there now. Whether it does or not, it will likely still aim for plenty of laughs and plenty of music, so if you enjoyed that the first time around you can do so again now.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average
Code:Realize ~Sousei no Himegimi~ | Code:Realize ~創世の姫君~Top
http://coderealize-anime.com/
Animation: M.S.C. Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 20:00
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @cr_anime

Preview by Pancakes

Alone and downtrodden, the young Cardia (Hayami Saori) lives her days near London in agonizing solitude. Banished to the confines of an abandoned mansion due to the deadly poison flowing through her veins, Cardia’s only human contact is her father, who bluntly tells her to give up any dreams of love and friendship. That is, until that father goes missing one day. Seemingly abandoned, Cardia is almost ready to give up all hope, when a contingent of Royal Guards intent on capturing her break into her mansion. Normally, securing a girl would be simple for such men, but the guards run into trouble when the equally unexpected appearance of the thief Arsene Lupin (Maeno Tomoaki) upsets their plans. Rescuing Cardia, the unabashed Arsene dashes off with her while promising to help his reluctant companion locate her missing father and get an explanation for her poisonous touch. Travelling to London to begin their search, the unlikely duo will soon discover, though, that Cardia is far more special than meets the eye.

Well boys and girls, say hello to your next visual novel adaptation. From the imagination of none other than Idea Factory (Mars of Destruction, anyone?), Code:Realize is pretty much the Japanese take on Victorian themed romance. We have steam era Britain, the woeful maiden with more potential pretty boy suitors than time, and everything from vampire hunters to Frankenstein references. In effect, your usual female-targeted (i.e. otome) romance. Those enjoying this style of show will find a lot to like here, particularly the chemistry between strong-willed Cardia and ever-confident Arsene, and Code:Realize’s eclectic male cast. With Strike the Blood’s director Yamamoto Hideyo helming the ship, a good all round show is certainly not out of the question. While visual novel adaptations are almost always a hit or miss thing, so long as Code:Realize uses the scalpel in place of the axe when it comes to its story, there’s no reason to expect it being anything but a fun little romance adventure.

Watching This: Cherrie, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Show Code:Realize ~Sousei no Himegimi~ Promotional Videos ▼

Houseki no Kuni | 宝石の国Top
http://land-of-the-lustrous.com/
Animation: orange Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 21:30
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @houseki_anime or #宝石の国

Preview by Passerby

In the future, life as we know it is wiped out by meteor strikes. Instead, the Earth is inhabited by a race of sentient, humanoid, silicon-based lifeforms called Houseki – Gems. They number 28, are essentially immortal, and embody the lustrous beauty of the stones they are named after, which makes them prized as decorations by enigmatic Moon dwellers who descend to Earth to hunt the Gems for trophies. Thus the Gems are always on defence, organising themselves into a structured society in which every person has a specific role, be it fighting directly or supporting those who do. Phosphophyllite (Kurosawa Tomoyo) is the youngest of the Gems, and wishes to fight the hunters from the moon, but is categorically terrible at it. Instead, he is assigned to catalogue an encyclopaedia, for there is much that the Gems do not know beyond what they can use in combat or medicine. It is in this capacity that he meets the pariah of the Gems, Cinnabar (Komatsu Mikako). It is a meeting that will change the lives of all those on the planet forever.

Elephant in the room: Houseki no Kuni (Kingdom of Gems aka Land of the Lustrous) is a CG anime. 3D models on 2D backgrounds. I know this can often be a dealbreaker for some fans, which I understand because I usually prefer traditional animation over whatever the kids are having fun with these days, but for Houseki no Kuni it might actually work out. Not only is Studio Orange generally skilled at CG, but there may be an aesthetic advantage here. Even competently executed CG can sometimes lead to an uncanny valley effect when character don’t look or move quite like you’d subconsciously expect them to, doubly so if you’re used to how 2D shows usually are. But everything in Houseki no Kuni can be a bit uncanny. The world is not quite like the one we know, and all life on it has become alien. The titular Gems have human faces, but biologically they are not anything akin to us. Houseki no Kuni straddles that blurred line between fantasy and sci-fi, presenting a detailed vision of the future that is, nonetheless, far removed from anything we can comprehend. This dichotomy extends far into Houseki no Kuni. The story is grounded in human motivations like survival, fellowship, and discovery, but the aesthetic is almost surreal, and is littered with unexplainable Buddhist imagery. It’s all fascinating, and while there’s no lack of interesting shows this season, Houseki no Kuni is definitely up there.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Houseki no Kuni Promotional Videos ▼

Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2 | ラブライブ!サンシャイン!! 第2期Top
http://www.lovelive-anime.jp/uranohoshi/
Animation: Sunrise Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: School-Life, Music Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 22:30
Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @lovelive_staff or #lovelive

Preview by Takaii

For those of you out of the school idol loop, Love Live School Idol Project is one of, if not the most popular school idol shows out there. Revolving around the school idol group known as μ’s (pronounced Muse), the story followed their rise from common school girls in season one all the way to world renowned idols in season two. Building off of the success of the show (and the wildly successful mobile game with multiple versions for various regions), we were given Love Live Sunshine!!. Sunshine is a spin-off show that takes place one year after μ’s claimed victory at the Love Live Championships, and it follows the original’s formula pretty closely, with a few tweaks when it comes to interpersonal relationships between members. This upcoming season is continuing the story from where we left off, and I don’t think I could in good conscience recommend watching Season 2 unless you’ve experienced the first season. That said, for fans who’ve been waiting to see Aqours find some damn success, it looks like it’ll be now or never.

Not much to say here except I’m hoping the story kicks into gear since we’ve tackled all the interpersonal problems last season. We have Sunrise once again handling the adaptation and all of our favorite girls reprising their roles. With a bunch of new songs set for release and the rising popularity of the Aqours girls in real life, I’m expecting so much more than what we were given during the first season. Hopefully the surge in popularity and official retirement of μ’s funnels all Love Live fans together! Side note: For those of you who haven’t watched the original Love Live series (μ’s), don’t force yourself if you want to catch up to Sunshine quickly. The first season did a good job at highlighting some key points of the original and for the most part, the girls are all unique enough from their predecessors. I still wouldn’t mind a μ’s cameo though.

Watching This: Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2 Promotional Videos ▼

THE IDOLM@STER SideM | アイドルマスター SideMTop
http://imas-sidem.com/
Animation: A-1 Pictures Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 23:30
Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @imas_anime or #sidem

Preview by Passerby

There are many idol anime franchises these days, but few compare to the heavyweight champion IDOLM@STER. Now, with mobile games on the rise, the female demographic pumping new money into all quarters of the entertainment industry, and experiments in ‘male’ idol shows popping up every season, it’s time for The IDOLM@STER to throw its hat into the ring. Six years after the original, and two after Cinderella Girls (and forgetting Xenoglossia entirely), we have SideM. That is, basically the same thing, but with guys. The production studio is 315. Their idols number 19. Some are veterans of the business. Some have a different sort of music background. Some have never had anything to do with singing and dancing on stage at all. They come from all walks of life, but now they share one goal: nothing but the very top.

I guess this was a long time coming. If I were to be cynical, I would say they’re simply following the money. Male idols sell, so it’s time to sell them, and THE IDOLM@STER is well poised to use its domineering market position to push SideM. As far as anime goes, though, THE IDOLM@STER has always been free of cynicism, with each iteration taking pains to be genuinely worthwhile shows. The original was a surprisingly solid slice-of-life with a dash of character drama. Cinderella Girls went so far as to deconstruct and reconstruct the idol industry (in the most positive way possible). SideM could well bring a third, fresh angle to the genre. There’s been a shakeup in the staff again; while there are many familiar names, including Sugawara Yukie and Ayana Yuniko on writing duty, previous episode directors Kuroki Miyuki and Harada Takahiro are now in the full director role. I’m not too worried about what’s new, though, but what stays the same. Switching to a male-dominant cast is simply a matter of demographics (you’ll know if it’s your thing) and it’s not like male idols have never existed on THE IDOLM@STER before. The old staff are still hanging around in other capacities, so production shouldn’t be a concern. But the glaring weakness of Cinderella Girls still remains: the cast is too damn big. Even the original strained under 14 idols, and Cinderella Girls, being based on one of those social games with dozens of collectable characters, definitely buckled a bit despite their best efforts. SideM is from the same stock, so I hope they have a game plan for their huge cast. I’m optimistic, still; THE IDOLM@STER has always been the best of the idol anime genre, and the SideM niche shouldn’t present much difficulty for it.

Watching This: Passerby Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show THE IDOLM@STER SideM Promotional Videos ▼

Two Car | つうかあTop
http://twocartv.jp/
Animation: SILVER LINK. Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Sports Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:00
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @twocartv or #2car

Preview by Stilts

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Silver Link is bringing us an original anime about competitive motorcycle sidecar racing. Yes, motorcycle sidecar racing, that venerated sport about racing with motorcycles, but with two people. Our stars: Miyata Yuri (Koga Aoi), the girlish, cool-headed driver who works the accelerator and brake, and whose household runs a guesthouse. The other: Meguro Megumi (Tanaka Aimi), the boyish, impulsive passenger who uses acrobatic skills and body weight to handle corners, and whose household runs an inn. They’re classmates, and complete opposites who butt heads and argue all the time, but they complement each other well during races. Together they’ll race other motorcycle sidecar teams from all over Japan, each with their own opposing traits to liven things up.

What a strange idea. If you told me Silver Link’s 10th anniversary anime was going to be about motorcycle racing—and not just that, but motorcycles with passengers!—I would have believed you, because that’s the least weird thing anime/the world has thrown at us lately. But it wouldn’t have been my first guess. Motorcycle sidecar racing is an odd premise, and the “each team has opposing traits” thing smacks of contrivance, but this is a sports anime, and admit it: sports anime get your blood going. Even if they’re not your genre, you know you’ve gotten into at least one! What little information is available makes it hard to recommend (or not), but sports stories work so well in anime that it’s hard not to give it a try, if only for a lack of sports options this season. If you need to scratch that itch, maybe give this a chance.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Average
Show Two Car Promotional Videos ▼

Blend S | ブレンド・STop
http://blend-s.jp/
Animation: A-1 Pictures Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Slice-of-Life, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:30
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @blend_s_anime or #ブレンド・S

Preview by Takaii

Based on a 4-koma, Blend-S is an anime that revolves around the guys and girls who work at a maid cafe called Cafe Stiles. A maid cafe that, like most good maid cafes, revolve around a unique theme. Except in Cafe Stiles’ case, the theme is that all the maids have some sort of stereotypical anime trait. Yes, you heard me right, every girl has a stereotypical anime trait. With five different personalities to pick from (sadistic, tsundere, imouto, oneesan, and idol), Cafe Stiles tries its best to cater to the widest range of customers.

Okay, as sarcastic (or not, since text doesn’t always express emotion well) as that intro might have sounded, I’m actually really excited for Blend-S. As one of the bloggers here who really enjoys 4-komas that make the jump into the land of anime, this is the show that I need in my life right now. With a simple premise of having a unique maid cafe combined with every combination of anime trope you could ask for, the possibilities for this show are limitless. However, just like any good 4-koma adaptation, you need more than just a good idea for a fun show, and I think Blend-S’s characters will be what propels this show from decent to fantastic. Because if the adaptation is even remotely close to what little source material I was able to find, I can’t help but think that this show will be one of the best slice-of-life’s of the season. The main character (or at least the first one we’re introduced to) sets the story up by being unable to find a job due to her natural RBF (resting b**** face). However, she happens to cross paths with the owner of Cafe Stiles and ends up being offered a position that fits her perfectly—portraying a maid with sadistic tendencies. The thing is, her personality is far from what she needs to portray. Alongside her are the other girls (plus another guy) who round out the spectrum, with some being far better at their job than others. Toss in A-1 Pictures heading the charge and some fantastic looking art that manage to capture the essence of the source material, and I think we have all the ingredients for a great show. I’ll be watching Blend-S—come watch it with me!

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Stilts, Takaii Excitement Level: Average
Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2nd Season | 鬼灯の冷徹(第弐期)Top
http://www.hozukino-reitetsu.com/
Animation: Studio DEEN Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 25:00
Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @hozuki_anime or #鬼灯の冷徹

Preview by Zaiden

In the depths of Japanese Hell, there lurks an effective administrator at the heart of a bureaucratic system, infamous for his demonic efficiency. Feared by his subordinates and superiors alike, our coolheaded Hoozuki (Yasumoto Hiroki) pulls the strings from the background, as he spends every waking moment trying to resolve Hell’s numerous problems.

We live in a modern era, where many anime series seem to be rehashes of the same old thing. It is here that Hoozuki no Reitetsu stands out for being unique, though it is a rather acquired taste. If dry humour and Asian folklore are your cup of tea, don’t spare a moment to put this on your watch list! A key thing to note is that the studio has changed from Wit to DEEN. Though DEEN has a generally unfavourable track record going against it, recent works like Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu and Kabukibu! are positive examples that help rehabilitate its poor reputation. The director chosen to preside over production, Yoneda Kazuhiro, might not have many series under his belt, but considering he oversaw the production of Akatsuki no Yona, I’m confident that any resulting adaptation should remain faithful to the manga.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: High
Mahoutsukai no Yome | 魔法使いの嫁Top
http://mahoyome.jp/
Animation: Wit Studio Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 25:30
Episodes: 24 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @mahoyomeproject or #TVまほよめ

Preview by Zaiden

Hatori Chise (Tanezaki Atsumi) is sold into slavery. Not just by anybody, but by herself. Abandoned by her male kin, and subsequently witnessing her mother commit suicide, anyone can tell this is the story of a girl who had lost all hope and the will to live. Yet she is offered a final lifeline when her freedom is bought by a non-human called Elias Ainsworth (Takeuchi Ryota), an ancient magus known as ‘The Child of Thorns’. After he takes her in as both his apprentice and bride to be, how will Chise’s life change from here on forth?

An adaptation of Yamazaki Kore’s fantasy manga, Mahoutsukai no Yome is no outlier from her trademark style. On top of showcasing gorgeous art, Yamazaki-sensei’s works tend to heavily incorporate literary themes, imparting greater depth to her stories. However, that’s not where the distinction ends. What sets Mahoutsukai no Yome apart from everything else is how it uniquely integrates Nordic folklore and culture, with the Japanese style of storytelling we’ve all come to love. The result? World-building that simply cannot be paralleled. When you throw magic into the mix, and loveable characters that get extensively fleshed out, it’s almost like there’s nothing this series can’t do. However, it’s not all good news. Although Studio Wit possess considerable reputation, their choice of director could be a cause for concern. It has been a while since Naganuma Norihiro directed, his last work being Yowamushi Pedal Movie. Even then, his portfolio of Blood-C: The Last Dark and Hiyokoi cannot be described as impressive. Simply put, his experience with directing televised projects is minimal. That said, I’m relatively optimistic about how the adaptation will go. Mahoutsukai no Yome could very well be anime of the season, or even the year!

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Show Mahoutsukai no Yome Promotional Videos ▼

Kekkai Sensen & BEYOND | 血界戦線 & BEYONDTop
http://kekkaisensen.com/
Animation: Bones Premiere: October 7, 2017
Genre: Action, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 27:08
Episodes: 12 Station: MBS
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @kekkaisensen or #kekkai_anime

Preview by Passerby

After more than two years—two years!—Kekkai Sensen is back and is now, apparently, prepared to go further. For those who missed it the first time around, New York has been destroyed! A gate to hellish parallel dimensions opened over the city and denizens of the netherworld poured forth. The superficially similar metropolis standing there now was named Hellsalem’s Lot, and a mysterious barrier quarantines it from the outside. In this isolated ecosystem, humans and demons tenuously coexist in a society of both martial law and rampant crime. But there are forces conspiring to tear down the barrier and unleash the paranormal terrors of Hellsalem’s Lot on the rest of the world, and only a vigilante group of superhumans called Libra can stop them. Dragged into this mess is freelance journalist Leonardo Watch (Sakaguchi Daisuke), and he’s no normal New Yorker. After acquiring a set of magical eyes in a Faustian bargain he and his sister, Michella (Mizuki Nana) made with an otherworldly being, Leonardo has a personal stake in uncovering the secrets of Hellsalem’s Lot, even as he is caught up in the crazy antics that are his everyday as the newest member of Libra.

I quite enjoyed the first season of Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront). The original manga by Nightow Yasuhiro was interesting in its own right, but it was also a bit of a mess. The anime adaptation managed to remix Nightow’s chaotic vision into a unique experience every episode, going so far as to introduce original characters and taking the show in a different direction from the manga, without sacrificing the stylistic flair of the source. So I approach the staffing changes for this second season with slight apprehension. Takayanagi Shigehito will be on direction and Kamo Yasuke will be on series composition, replacing Matsumoto Rie and Furuya Kazunao. While Takayanagi and Kamo have worked together before on Dagashi Kashi with commendable success, one may shy from putting them on the same tier as their predecessors. I can only assume that this staffing change signifies a change in approach; we’re done with the original characters, and now the anime will cleave closer to its source material, with more focus on the central relationship between Leonardo and his sister. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and in any case studio BONES simply does not make bad anime. It should still be safe to look forward to a new season of Kekkai Sensen.

Watching This: Cherrie, Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Kekkai Sensen & BEYOND Promotional Videos ▼

Animegataris | アニメガタリズTop
http://animegataris.com/
Animation: Wao World Premiere: October 8, 2017
Genre: Comedy, School-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 22:00
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @animegataris or #ガタリズ

Preview by Pancakes

Starting out at a new school is never the easiest thing, and first year Asagaya Minoa (Hondo Kaede) is no exception to the rule. Unsure and clumsy, little Minoa floats along the currents of high school life until her stupendously rich, uptight, and secretly anime-loving classmate Kamiigusa Arisu (Senbongi Sayaka) invites her to found an anime research club. Minoa may know next to nothing about those funky cartoons, but with Arisu’s help and many heated debates with an array of anime-obsessed upperclassmen, she quickly finds a passion for the medium we know and love. As this motley collection of anime geeks fends off the student council’s attempts to shut their club down and consistently ignores the warnings of impending world doom, they sit down and talk about what brought them together in the first place: anime.

If you’re slightly confused by that premise, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. At face value Animegataris looks to be the typical comedic club-life show. We have the lazy, recreation-focused club, several overindulgent club members, and the ever ubiquitous threat of club shutdown. Yet there’s that bit about the end of the world which sticks out like a sore thumb. I cannot shake the feeling we may be looking at another InoBato, where the initial concept cleverly disguises a different story and a swath of unexpected character development. Such a bait and switch wouldn’t even be that far-fetched, not between the obvious allusions to the Monogatari series and Animegataris’ partial origins as a promotional short for Ghost in the Shell—there’s too many “serious” tangents for it all to be coincidence. Sure WAO World is not the strongest of studios for such a production and director Morii Kenshiro’s experience is entirely in three minute shorts, but sometimes the best shows get their start from humble origins. We obviously won’t know what’s up until those opening credits roll, but betting on Animegataris being more than a simple gag comedy is not a bad idea.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Animegataris Promotional Videos ▼

Imouto sae Ireba Ii. | 妹さえいればいい。Top
http://imotosae.com/
Animation: SILVER LINK. Premiere: October 8, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 22:30
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @imotosae_anime or #imosae

Preview by Choya

This is the story about the daily life of young siscon novelist Hashima Itsuki (Kobayashi Yuusuke) and the wild adventures he has with his perfect little sister Chihiro (Yamamoto Nozomi). Along the way, he creates bonds with the genius author Kani Nayuta (Kanemoto Hisako), his troubled best friend Shirakawa Miyako (Kakuma Ai), and some insane partners from his publishers. Will his new group of friends cause his love for little sisters to waver, or will he continue worshiping little sisters as always? Regardless of the answer, our hero Itsuki is in for some wacky situations alongside his new friends.

If any of this sounds like Eromanga-sensei, you are not imagining it. From the protagonist’s sister complex being upfront to the cavalcade of goofy friends that could potentially be love interests, that’s exactly what it sounds like. However, one thing that sets this series apart from Eromanga-sensei is its author, Hirasaka Yomi, the writer behind Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, aka Haganai. That was the amusing series with two anime seasons where an intimidating-looking boy befriends a whole cast of crazy girls in a club they created for themselves. It wasn’t the most original series, but it was a lot of fun to see the scenarios they cooked up with the cast, and they really made the characters grow on you. A good chunk of my faith in the series lies in the possibility of Imouto sae Ireba Ii creating that same kind of magic by delivering a siscon novelist anime with a funny ensemble cast to help make things lively. I’m looking forward to seeing how this anime will turn out given its release is in close proximity with Eromanga-sensei, and to see if there will be more interaction between the main character and the supporting cast on par with Haganai. I do have faith that the anime will be an entertaining love comedy, so look out for Imouto sae Ireba Ii when it makes its grand debut this season!

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Stilts Excitement Level: Optimistic
Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau | クジラの子らは砂上に歌うTop
http://kujisuna-anime.com/
Animation: J.C. Staff Premiere: October 8, 2017
Genre: Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 23:00
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @kujira_no_ko or #kujisuna

Preview by Pancakes

In a world filled with endless seas of sand, there resides a small collective of people living upon the ever moving island Mud Whale. While an idyllic and peaceful community, Mud Whale’s inhabitants are split between the ephemeral Shirushi who wield a powerful psychokinetic power called Saimia, and the non-Saimia possessing Muin who govern the island due to their long lives. Never before has an inhabitant of Mud Whale seen a human being from outside the island, but that all changes one day when the community stumbles across an abandoned island eerily similar to their own. When Chakuro (Hanae Natsuki), the collective’s Shirushi archivist, helps explore this new discovery, he chances across a wounded girl named Rikosu (Iwami Manaka) who seemingly lacks any emotions. While encountering an outsider would typically be cause for celebration, this girl is just the harbinger of more to come. As Mud Whale’s inhabitants will quickly learn, the world around them is not at all what it seems.

Do you like fantasy? Is bold, colourful artwork your thing? Think traps are God’s gift to man? Well Kujira no Kora is the show for you. At its core this is your ubiquitous coming of age story complete with the well-worn boy-meets-girl setup. Chakuro starts off meek, weak, and introverted, but through his interactions and adventures with Rikosu starts coming into his own. Add in a few intriguing plot twists, a bunch of world building and good all-around character development, and you have a recipe for decent little fantasy. The concern with Kujira no Kora will be its execution. Ishiguro Kyohei is not the most consistent of directors, and with his noticeable love of style there’s the risk Kujira no Kora could sacrifice substance in favour of eye candy. Couple that with the hints of melodrama the manga and PVs ooze, and it could as easily become a cheesy, overproduced train wreck as an anime of the season contender. Nevertheless, I have my hopes up. With a stacked staff, excellent cast, and confirmed Netflix licensing (they only take the good stuff), there’s nothing stopping Kujira no Kora from realizing its full potential.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau Promotional Videos ▼

Himouto! Umaru-chan R | 干物妹!うまるちゃんRTop
http://umaru-ani.me/
Animation: Doga Kobo Premiere: October 8, 2017
Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 23:30
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @umaru_anime or #umaru_anime

Preview by Pancakes

Smart, stunning, perfect in every way, Doma Umaru (Tanaka Aimi) is the ideal image of the impeccable high school girl. At least, until the school day ends and that front room door closes. Once donning her trusty hamster hoodie, darling Umaru becomes the helicopter parent’s worst nightmare. Gaming all night and chowing through mountains of snack food, Umaru fully embraces the lazy otaku lifestyle while foisting all responsible home upkeep onto the shoulders of her loving—and overworked—brother Taihei (Nojima Kenji). While close friends Ebina Nana (Kageyama Akari) and Motoba Kirie (Shiraishi Haruka) help break the monotony and self-proclaimed rival Tachibana Sylphinford (Furukawa Yurina) keeps Umaru on her toes, for the girl with a hidden side it’s all about having fun.

Well chalk another one up for sequels I never thought I’d see. Way back in summer 2015, Himouto was the comedy to watch. It was loud, it was crazy, and it featured one of anime’s most tragic brothers in the poor, downtrodden Taihei. Himouto was the quintessential slapstick joyride with an otaku gaming flair, which for those of us who loved it looks to be thankfully back on the menu with Himouto R. All previous staff including director Oota Masahiko are reprising their respective roles, and with a large amount of source material left for adaptation, we shouldn’t be lacking when it comes to the funnies—this is a Doga Kobo production after all. The bone of contention though, as before, will likely be with Umaru. The girl has, shall we say, less than endearing behaviour at times, with Taihei often the one suffering because of it. While Ebina’s bubbly cuteness and Kirie’s spastic personality can occasionally make up for Umaru, there’s no getting around the controversial nature of Himouto’s titular character. Those familiar with Himouto know where they stand, but if you’re new I suggest giving the first season a whirl first. Given Himouto’s comedic slice of life focus, I don’t anticipate Himouto R changing the formula in any serious way.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Himouto! Umaru-chan R Promotional Videos ▼

Netojuu no Susume | ネト充のススメTop
http://netoju.com/
Animation: Signal MD Premiere: October 9, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 25:40
Episodes: 10 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @netoju_anime or #ネト充のススメ

Preview by Takaii

Netojuu no Susume, or Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life, is the whimsical story of Morioka Moriko (Noto Mamiko). A 30-year-old single ELITE NEET, the story begins shortly after she quits her corporate job and chooses to enter the neet life. Fed up with how the real world works and all the crap she dealt with working in the sales department for the past eleven years, Moriko decides it’s time to focus on 2D instead of 3D. Leaping into an online MMORPG, she creates the male ikemen (hot guy) character of her dreams as she heads out into the world as a swordsman. However, just like every newbie to an MMO environment, she inevitably gets her butt kicked by a boss and ends up sulking as she tries to figure out what to do. Luckily, a kind stranger by the name of Lily (Ueda Reina) happens to notice her and the two end up partying together as Moriko tries to get a grasp on things. After successfully clearing the dungeon, Lily ends up introducing and inviting Moriko to her guild @House Party where the rules are simple: adults only, greet each other when signing in, help others when you can, and no romances.

Sorry if that was a rather abrupt ending to the introduction, but trust me you’ll want to keep the rest of the story a surprise since it’s so damn good. Netojuu no Susume combines all the world building and sense of community you feel from playing an MMO with the trials and tribulations we all have to face as adults. Through the eyes and experiences of Moriko, we get to see how someone who’s become jaded by society deals with the aftermath of all those terrible experiences through an MMORPG. Slowly remembering that the world isn’t all bad and that for every horrible experience is an equally positive one, it feels like you’re riding a roller coaster of emotions as you get tossed from being happy one moment to depressed immediately after. And while you’re on that roller coaster, be prepared for a low key attempt at romance building, since it’s impossible to avoid in situations like this. Be it in real life or in-game, I’m sure we’ve all witnessed just how powerful bonds can become when you spend a lot of time with someone else. All in all, I think we can expect some great things for Netojuu no Susume. I for one am ready to hop in and experience the ride!

Watching This: Cherrie, Stilts, Takaii Excitement Level: Optimistic
Show Netojuu no Susume Promotional Videos ▼

Wake Up, Girls! Shin Shou | Wake Up, Girls! 新章Top
http://wakeupgirls3.jp/
Animation: Millepensee Premiere: October 9, 2017
Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 26:05
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo TV (TX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @wakeupgirls_pr or #wug_jp

Preview by Zephyr

Created as a collaboration between Avex Entertainment, director Yamamoto Yutaka, and voice talent agency 81 produce, the Wake Up, Girls! idol unit made its debut in 2013 after the selection of seven winners from an open audition. In 2014, a movie and a one-cour series gave the group their debuts as seiyuu, focusing on a fictional talent management agency called Green Leaves Entertainment. After the last of their clients quit, the agency desperately attempts to create an idol group using any potential talent in the area. After a tumultuous process, the group makes their debut, only to end up in an even worse situation as their manager runs away with their concert profits. The arrival of a second chance comes in the form of a mysterious benefactor, and through the overcoming of various obstacles, the girls begin their rise as a notable idol unit. Following in the footsteps of two sequel movies, Wake Up, Girls! Shin Shou adds a new three-member unit called Run Girls, Run! and will feature the winners of a recent Anisong Vocal Audition. In the story, the girls will be middle school students longing to become idols as the industry enters a recession. The original cast will retain their roles, but Millepensee will replace Ordet as the animation studio for the series, with Itagaki Shin (Ben-To, Teekyuu) taking over as series director and Sugawara Miyuki coming in with new character designs.

It’s been a few years since I watched Wake Up, Girls!, but I have nothing but fond memories of their debut movie and one-cour from 2014. The music was catchy, the coming together of its members a fun watch, and the series benefited from a realistic take that didn’t shy away from some of the less savory aspects behind the creation of idol groups. From what I’ve heard, the two sequel movies continued to follow much of that formula, but didn’t exceed expectations in any significant way. The arrival of a sequel with new lead staff and new character designs could be the breath of fresh air the series is looking for, and it’s important to note that the core elements of the series are intact in regards to its main cast and music producers. This is a show you should keep an eye on if you’re interested in series that revolve around idol groups, though it’s likely best if you’re at least caught up on the movie and original series to get the full experience.

Watching This: Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Show Wake Up, Girls! Shin Shou Promotional Videos ▼

EVIL OR LIVE | Top
http://evilorlive.jp/
Animation: Emon Animation Company Premiere: October 10, 2017
Genre: Horror, Thriller Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:41
Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @evilorlive or #ev‎ilorlive

Preview by Pancakes

Computers and the internet are vital necessities in our modern world, but as with all good things some people take them too far. As the teenage population turns increasingly toward the online world for escape from disillusionment and loneliness, experts establish a special rehabilitation facility to treat these cases of so-called “net addiction.” Their goal: lead these young folk back to the prim and proper path. Unfortunately for new enrollee Hibiki (Shinichiro Ueda), the day-to-day operations of the facility are not that simple. With leaving forbidden and all students subjected to the harshest of “treatment” regimens, what appears to be a centre for rehabilitation quickly turns out to be a prison in all but name. As the ignorant and naïve Hibiki will soon discover, recovering from his addiction will prove to be the least of his concerns.

Let’s get the obvious out the way: Evil or Live is an Emon (i.e. Tencent) production. While Chinese anime haven’t had the greatest time of late (*cough* Bloodivores), they are here to stay and it’s undeniable they are slowly improving with every show. Evil or Live will be an interesting watch if only for this aspect, what with the obvious Shaft influences in animation/artwork and a plot almost assuredly based off of China’s infamous internet addiction boot camps; it’s perfect anime material. In a way Evil or Live is a more conventional (and real world applicable) take on Deadman Wonderland, although whether we receive similar levels of suspenseful psychology and insidious ultraviolence is anyone’s guess. While wariness is definitely advised considering Tencent’s past performances, with a decent cast (including Uchiyama Kouki) and a story tailor-made for thriller-esque entertainment, there’s no reason to count Evil or Live down and out just yet. Given the increasing number of Chinese anime heading our way, it’s about time one finds the success it’s striving for.

Watching This: Pancakes Excitement Level: Limited
Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken | 僕の彼女がマジメ過ぎるしょびっちな件Top
http://majimesugiru-anime.jp/
Animation: Diomedea x Studio Blanc. Premiere: October 11, 2017
Genre: Comedy, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 24:30
Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @shobicchi_anime or #shobicchi

Preview by Pancakes

In an ordinary school in an ordinary community there exists the ever ordinary Shinozaki Haruka (Ichiki Mitsuhiro). His grades are nothing special and his social life is rather dull, but golly gee wiz does Haruka have a knack for putting his quirky friends in place with a witty retort or two. He’s just that kind of guy. Too bad for Haruka that his ordinary crush-turned-confession involving class rep Kousaka Akiho (Yuuki Aoi) blossoms into something far from natural. Akiho, you see, is a seeker of the truth. The sexual truth. Possessing a ravenous lust for the most kinky of information, Akiho quickly proves more than the sexually inexperienced and easily embarrassed Haruka can handle. With a brocon-obsessed sister Kanata (Yagi Yuki) and a sexually aggressive childhood friend Ariyama Shizuku (Takeda Rarisa Tago) only making matters worse, Haruka finding an ordinary high school romance has never looked more impossible.

Stop the presses, cancel the deliberations, we have our anime of the season right here. What, don’t believe me? Just look up the official title translation. No competition. Boku no Kanojo is just the latest racy romcom money printer to see adaptation, although unlike its more “honest” brethren (ex. Kiss x Sis) the title and synopsis are simply distractions for what this show really is: Seitokai Yakuindomo 2.0. Hentai, ecchi, blatant fan service? Left to the imagination I’m afraid, for in Boku no Kanojo it’s all about sexual innuendo, pun-based quips, and hilariously creative bits of humour. In a way this is a tamer, more romance focused Shimoneta, with visual fan service traded for dirty jokes and ridiculous situations. How well it works will largely be up to personal taste considering the subject matter, but with Yuuki Aoi voicing Akiho and Diomedea well acquainted with these types of shows, a half decent romcom is not out of the question. Provided Boku no Kanojo can actually stay funny and not let off the gas, this could very well be one of fall’s bigger surprises.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Show Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken Promotional Videos ▼

Inuyashiki | いぬやしきTop
http://www.inuyashiki-project.com/
Animation: MAPPA Premiere: October 12, 2017
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:55
Episodes: 11 Station: Fuji TV (CX)
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @inu_noitamina or #inuyashiki

Preview by Passerby

Inuyashiki Ichirou (Kohinata Fumiyo) has lived a hard life. He’s 58 but, ravaged by disease, looks like a man twice his age. He has a normal nuclear family, but struggles to support them on his meagre salary. His wife is busy with work, and his children do not respect a decrepit geriatric like him. His only companion is his dog. To top it off, he gets hit by an alien spacecraft and dies. In the aliens’ defence, this wasn’t their intention, and in an effort to cover up their mistake they go out of their way to fix up Inyashiki with a cyborg body. Unfortunately, the only chassis they had on hand was a combat mecha, so that’s what he gets. So Inuyashiki finds himself rebuilt, faster, stronger, but also distinctly mechanical. He decides to use his new found robot powers to help other people, as that is what makes him feel human.

The Inuyashiki manga is by Oku Hiroya, the same who did Gantz, and many of the same sensibilities are in play. It’s a gritty story rife with sex and violence (and occasionally, sexual violence), and with something of a sadistic authorial streak in its undercurrents. What makes it interesting, though, is the protagonist, who is an old man (or at least, a middle-aged man who is inexplicably old). Anime seems a medium most comfortable when set in high schools and starring adolescents, which we can’t fault it for too much as old men usually don’t have the kind of youthful vigour needed for hijinks and adventure. When Miyazaki made Howl’s Moving Castle, making an old lady a dynamic protagonist was a conscious challenge. For Oku Hiroya, his central senior is a cyborg, so that basically solves itself. A crime-fighting geriatric may end up being unintentional comedy, but Inuyashiki is in good hands, with Satou Keichi (Gantz:O, Tiger & Bunny) directing, Yabuta Shuhei (Shingeki no Kyojin) overseeing the 3D animation, and Seko Hiroshi (Mob Psycho 100) doing the writing. The violent subject matter may not be for everyone, but someone’s certainly put a lot of effort into making sure it’s good.

Watching This: Cherrie, Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Show Inuyashiki Promotional Videos ▼

ROBO MASTERS THE ANIMATED SERIESTop
http://anime.robomasters.com/
Animation: DandeLion Premiere: October 13, 2017
Genre: School-Life, Sports, Sci-Fi Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 22:30
Episodes: Station: WOWOW
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation

Preview by Choya

Based on the RoboMasters competition hosted by Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI), the anime will focus on an original story about fictional college students who are inspired to take part in the competition that pits two teams of robots against each other. The show follows students such as Tantan (Yamashita Daiki), and Shou (Lynn) as they prepare their robots to take part in the tournament. Will they walk away victorious, or will they need to go back to the lab to perfect their fighting machines? Who will win the cash prize and a chance to work at DJI, and who will take a trip down to the repair shop to fix their broken pile of scrap that was once a battle robot? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s smashing them against each other in the ring!

There aren’t many details on what Robo Masters The Animated Series will be like. What we do know is that it is a co-production between the Japanese 3DCGI company Dandelion Animation Studio and the China-based drone company DJI, is based on real-life RoboMasters events, and the animation will be a mix between 2D characters and CG robot battles. This might send some red flags if you aren’t a fan of CGI animation or commercial tie-ins. In fact, with the little information we have about the characters and setting, it likely exists as an advertisement for the real RoboMasters tournaments. Nonetheless, it could appeal to you if you have heard of the RoboMasters tournaments, want to see a more battle-oriented version of Robotics;Notes, or are an enthusiast of robot fighting league material.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited
Show ROBO MASTERS THE ANIMATED SERIES Promotional Videos ▼

3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season | 3月のライオン 第2シリーズTop
http://3lion-anime.com/
Animation: SHAFT Premiere: October 14, 2017
Genre: Drama, Slice-of-Life, Sports Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 23:00
Episodes: 22 Station: NHK
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @3lion_anime or #3月のライオン

Preview by Zaiden

It might not be the right time of year, but our wait is finally over. March Comes in like a Lion once again, and Rei Kiriyama’s (Kawanishi Kengo) journey through life continues exactly where we left off. Following Shimada’s (Miki Shinichiro) defeat to Souya (Ishida Akira) in the Lion King Tournament, Rei’s resolve to rise from his slump and forge ahead is fiercer than ever. No longer alone, with Shimada’s shogi tutorial group providing friendship and emotional support, Rei puts aside his feelings of inadequacy and spends happy days with Akari (Kayano Ai), Hina (Hanazawa Kana) and Momo (Kuno Misaki). However, an apparition of misery looms over the Kawamoto sisters. Hina is deeply unhappy with her school life, and a dark figure from their past comes back to haunt the girls. The Kawamoto sisters will need Rei more than ever, so in their time of need, can he find the strength to protect their smiles?

I love how 3-gatsu simultaneously is and isn’t about professional shogi. It’s about people, and their connections to others through the game. Pulsing throughout the story, you can feel emotional conviction in Umino Chica’s characterisation, colouring every fictional life it touches with deeper meaning. SHAFT is making a triumphant return to the helm, though as of writing this preview there is no information to suggest that famed director Simbo Akiyuki will reprise his role as director. Now, some of you might have been put off by the odd pacing in season one. But hear me out! I promise that SHAFT had their reasons. The next arc spans a good portion of the manga, and would have greatly suffered from being split in half. To see it come to life may be the crown jewel for 3-Gatsu, and considering how the production staff seems relatively unchanged, I have incredibly high expectations for how things will work out.

Watching This: Passerby, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Show 3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season Promotional Videos ▼

Dia Horizon | ディア ホライゾンTop
http://portal.dia-horizon.jp/
Animation: Premiere: October 2017
Genre: Fantasy Airtime (GMT+9):
Episodes: Station:
Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Join the conversation @dia_horizon or #ディアホライゾン

Preview by Stilts

From the mad scientists at Square-Enix comes Dia Horizon, a brand new multimedia franchise that consists of a newly released smartphone game, a webmanga, a web novel, an ONA series, and of course, this anime. The story has to do with fate, destiny, freedom (or lack thereof), and two souls sharing one death in two lives. Basically, the story is a cipher for now, save that it’s chock full of the particular fantasy aesthetic that Square-Enix is known for. More will reveal itself as time goes on.

This is the kind of preview I specialize in: original series with little information. Even then, this is an edge case! The “plot synopsis,” such that any exists, comes from the cryptic word crawl on a promo video, and past that all we have is a few snatches of character art and a smartphone game that’s in Japanese. It’s giving definite vibes of high fantasy, with that signature Square-Enix aesthetic, i.e. overly designed costumes, armor plates slapped on willy-nilly, swords and magic, and a soupçon of magitech, or at least it looks like there’s a mechanical walking castle in one of the promo images. Past that it’s anybody’s guess, save that there appears to be a male (likely heroic) main character and a heroine who’s saddled with some unfortunate fate (here’s your princess-type). The staff is promising an ambitious work, which throws up all sorts of red flags, and “a heartrending story of the wavering feelings of adolescence,” which furthers my high fantasy assumption. Beyond that though, we’ll just have to wait and see. Square-Enix and co are being tight-lipped on this original series, so if your interest is piqued I’d suggest making time for the first episode and then going from there.

Watching This: Panckes, Passerby, Stilts Excitement Level: Average
Show Dia Horizon Promotional Videos ▼


Short Series List


Technical Note: As of the Fall 2016 Preview onward, short one-cour series that are being broadcast with irregular duration times (under the 24 minute per episode norm) have been separated from the main preview into their own section. This is to account for the increasing number of short series and to allow for ease of viewing for those who have a preference for one type of series over another. While the list should be complete, there are short series that have been announced very close to the start of a season, in which case they may not have made it onto the list. If you notice an anything missing, incomplete, or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail Zephyr directly.

Air Date Title Series Synopsis
10/02 Omiai Aite wa Oshiego, Tsuyoki na, Mondaiji.
お見合い相手は教え子、強気な、問題児。
omitsuyo.w-anime.com
AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Watch this show about
A student/teacher taboo,
Or just Google ‘porn’.
10/03 Cinderella Girls Gekijou 2nd Season
シンデレラガールズ劇場 第2期
http://cingeki-anime.com/
AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Cinderella Girls
Getting more chibi antics.
Pack your insulin.
10/04 Ame-con!! | あめこん!!
http://www.rainycocoa.jp/anime/
AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Cute boys and coffee
Return for a fourth season.
Just three too many.
10/04 Oretacha Youkai Ningen | 俺たちゃ妖怪人間
http://youkainingen-bem.com/
AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
A gag spinoff of
An old show, where three youkai
Wish to be human.
10/06 Taishou Chicchai-san | 大正ちっちゃいさん
http://mebius-anime.com/
AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Japan, 1912
Full of fighting and intrigue
Also, shounen-ai.
October 2017 Love Kome: We Love Rice 2nd Season
ラブ米-WE LOVE RICE- 第2期
http://love-kome.com/
AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia
Idols aplenty
But anthropomorphised rice?
Well, that’s different.

OVA / Movie


 

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 or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail one of us directly (Stilts, Zephyr).

Release Date Title Notes
09/13 Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen – Prologue Sakura to Futatsu no Kuma
カードキャプターさくら クリアカード編 プロローグ さくらとふたつのくま
http://ccsakura-official.com/
Bundled w/ LE manga Vol. 3.
09/13 Tenchi Muyou! Ryououki 4th Season OVA | 天地無用!魎皇鬼 第四期
http://tenchimuyo4th.com/
Episode 4 of 4.
09/15 Seitokai Yakuindomo* OVA | 生徒会役員共* OVA
http://king-cr.jp/special/seitokai2/
Episode 7 of 7.
09/20 Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon OVA | 小林さんちのメイドラゴン OVA
http://maidragon.jp/
Bundled w/ BD/DVD Vol. 7.
09/27 A-Channel: Nabe o Tabeyou | Aチャンネル 鍋を食べよう
http://www.a-ch.jp/
Bundled w/ BD Box Collection.
09/27 Kabuki-bu!: Oogiri – Chiyocolate-gassen
カブキブ! 大喜利「ちよこれいと合戦」
http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/kabukibu/
Bundled w/ LE BD/DVD Vol. 2.
09/27 Natsume Yuujinchou Roku OVA | 夏目友人帳 陸 OVA
http://www.natsume-anime.jp/
Episode 1 of 2.
09/27 Sword Art Online Movie: Ordinal Scale
劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -オーディナル・スケール-
http://sao-movie.net/
BD/DVD Release.
09/30 Gekijouban PriPara: Minna de Kagayake! Kirarin Star Live!
劇場版プリパラ み~んなでかがやけ! キラリン☆スターライブ!
http://pp-movie.com/
BD/DVD Release.
09/30 THE IDOLM@STER Prologue SideM -Episode of Jupiter-
http://imas-sidem.com/
10/04 Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujouou-hen OVA | 青の祓魔師 京都不浄王篇 OVA
http://www.ao-ex.com/
Bundled w/ manga Vol. 20.
10/18 Yoake Tsugeru Lu no Uta | 夜明け告げるルーのうた
http://lunouta.com/
BD/DVD Release.
10/18 Yoru wa Mijikashi Arukeyo Otome | 夜は短し歩けよ乙女
http://kurokaminootome.com/
BD/DVD Release.
10/25 Genocidal Organ | 虐殺器官
http://project-itoh.com/genocidal_organ/bddvd/
BD/DVD Release.
10/25 Granblue Fantasy The Animation OVA
GRANBLUE FANTASY The Animation 第14話
http://anime.granbluefantasy.jp/
Bundled w/ BD/DVD Vol. 7. Episode 14.
10/25 Natsume Yuujinchou Roku OVA | 夏目友人帳 陸 OVA
http://www.natsume-anime.jp/
Episode 1 of 2.
11/01 BLAME! | ブラム!
http://www.blame.jp/
BD/DVD Release.
11/01 Free! -Timeless Medley- | 劇場版 Free!-Timeless Medley-
http://tm.iwatobi-sc.com/
BD/DVD Release.
11/02 To Love-Ru: Trouble – Darkness OVA | To LOVEる -とらぶる- ダークネス OVA
http://www.j-toloveru.com/
NOTES
11/17 Gekijouban Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry | 劇場版フェアリーテイル -DRAGON CRY-
http://gaga.ne.jp/FT.DC/
BD/DVD Release.
11/25 Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism OVA | 武装少女マキャヴェリズム OVA
http://machiavellism-anime.jp/
Bundled w/ LE manga Vol. 7.
12/17 Yakiniku-ten Sengoku | 焼肉店センゴク
https://ganma.jp/g/anime/sengoku/
Comic Smart GAMNA! Website Stream.
12/26 Hajimete no Gal OVA | はじめてのギャル OVA
http://hajimete-no-gal.jp/
Bundled w/ LE manga Vol. 5.
12/31 Tantei Opera Milky Holmes: Arsene Karei naru Yokubou
探偵オペラミルキィホームズ アルセーヌ 華麗なる欲望
http://milky-holmes.com/news/2017/11/18/2792
Dec 2017 Nekopara OVA | ネコぱら OVA
http://nekoparaova.com/
Kickstarter Funded Release.

Overall Impressions


 

I’m not sure why some people get so hyped for the fall season, but I (Takaii) for one have found that I get the most tired of watching anime around this time in the year. Maybe on a molecular level my body realizes that I should be out in the fields, harvesting crops before the winter hits? Luckily though, this fall season seems to have picked a really good number of shows to bring more life to. Sure, it may not have the “top-tier” offerings that are usually reserved for warmer times of the year, but I think this season may provide a lot of stability for those looking for shows that give them what they already know they like. And as an offshoot of having so many sequels, it gives watchers who may have missed these shows originally a pretty good reason to go back and catch up!

But enough of that—onto the levels! As previously mentioned, we’re changing the rubric this season, so I’ll let Stilts explain:

To coincide with renaming our rubric as excitement levels, we’re simplifying the levels. There will be four main ones: High, Optimistic, Average, and Limited, as well as Established for series that have already aired 40+ episodes or have been previewed three times or more. Our hope is to get away from clustering levels around the old Moderate and Moderately High, and to make it easier to go to the top and bottom of the scale—after all, we’re not saying those shows will be bad, just that we’re really excited or not much excited at all. Exciting things can be flawed, and unambitious things can still be fun! Or that’s the hope. We’ll see how it goes.

Hopefully this new guide will help those of you with limited time understand which shows to try first, based on our preliminary examination of each show’s staff, seiyuu, and source material. Failing that, it’ll give you another reason to laugh when we get all hot and bothered about a show that ended up being no good.

As usual, these levels were arrived at by our regular (and reliably shady) “anticipation excitement council,” which still consists of Passerby, Zephyr, and Stilts. While they’ve gone to great lengths to consider multiple viewpoints and not get swept away by their own proclivities, these aren’t predictions, and shouldn’t be taken as such. Take these with a grain of salt.

Note: Lists are sorted in alphabetical order.

 

The Rundown:

High excitement shows are the ones we’re truly pumped about. These are the shows we want to watch the most, and which we think have a good chance of being exemplars of their kind—or at least come close. Shows in this category might be sequels to excellent anime, adaptations of highly regarded source material, projects with stellar pedigrees, or even originals that just light up our minds. They don’t have to be perfect, but they do have to feel like something special. If you consider yourself a “casual” fan who only gets your toes wet every season, then these are the shows we feel you should most keep an eye on.

Optimistic shows are ones that we’re hopeful will be really good, and which we have good reasons for thinking that. The series underpinnings of these are generally strong, with a lot to suggest in each of them, but with one or two elements that give us pause and keep our enthusiasm from boiling over. They still have most of the makings of very strong series, though, and many stellar anime will arise from this category. If you’ve exhausted all the High shows, or want to delve deeper into your favored genres, check out these as well.

Average excitement shows look middle-of-the-road to us. They could be good or they could be bad, but they don’t provide much immediate indication that they’ll be amazing in retrospect. This is often the case with shows that are firmly ensconced in their genres’ tropes, or which overly rely on some of anime’s overused plot devices. It can also apply to shows that seem deeply flawed, with elements that could make them amazing, but with so many potential pitfalls that we’re not getting hyped up. However, in many of our experiences these shows still provide a great deal of entertainment and may turn out a lot better than they appear. Personal tastes come heavily into play, so your mileage will vary.

Limited excitement shows are ones that we simply aren’t all that excited about. They often don’t seem to be striving for much, and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fanservice. Other times they’re doing the same thing we’ve seen a thousand times, with few mitigating signs that they’ll rise above their tropes. That doesn’t mean they’re the bottom of the barrel and shouldn’t get any consideration, but simply that they’re not doing a lot to suggest themselves. Keep in mind what kind of show they are, though, and you might find something you enjoy amid this cohort.

Established shows are any series that have aired for more than 40 episodes or have been previewed more than three times. This can include anything from never-ending shounen and decade-spanning dramas to that quirky comedy that keeps getting renewed for season after season. The only commonality is that they’ve aired a lot of episodes, and that they’re the kind of show that most viewers will want to catch up on all the previous content before watching the new. Spin-offs and remakes don’t automatically qualify, since they’re considered new series.

108 Comments

      1. Fomite friend, we’ve had an IRC channel since early RC ages (#randomc at rizon), but clearly new people don’t want to come there anymore and we’re left with a small group of regular users that gets even smaller with time. Discord is where the majority wants to hang out now. If you wish to join us on IRC, feel free though.

        brajt/gusto
  1. Actually quite a few series I’m at least willing to check out this season based on the info.

    And I’m guessing the “Mahou Sensei Negima! 2” addition to UQ HOLDER! is simply to get attention given the far more recognizable “Negima!” name.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    1. Actually “Mahou Sensei Negima 2” was added to the title when the series switched from weekly to monthly, not by the anime. It may be an attempt to try and shift the series into more a linear sequel given that UQ Holder hasn’t been as big a seller, but it can’t be blamed on the production committee – it’s the manga publisher.

  2. A new season, another fantastic preview. Good job, as always!

    As someone who knows the UQ Holder manga, I can’t even begin to wonder how come the marketing crew chose to spoil one of the biggest developments in the story right in the cover. Probably to showcase the links to Negima. Which makes me think the adaptation is going to rush through or cut off parts of the manga (sounds bad, but given the original material, I can understand the desire for a pragmatic adaptation).

    And Houseki no Kuni looks like the anime answer to Steven Universe.

    Mistic
    1. I’ve heard some criticism about Akamatsu making UQ a Negima sequel, especially in the latest chapters. They say not only does it alienate brand-new readers unfamiliar with Negima, but that he missed the chance to start a fresh, all-new work; that he’s using the Negima brand to grab attention for his new series.

      zztop
  3. Dies Irae basically have 4 routes, each have only 1 ending. Rea and Marie is considered the true route. Yes, it does not have a single recognized true route, but either one of these two route can be safely considered as a true route.

    Dies Irae is top on my watchlist. But I’m very worried about the studio adapting them. Don’t let the school premise fool you though, as a VN player I can say confidently that they won’t be spending too much time on school live. Marie route is good and all, especially the ending, but Rea route still got the best ending for me though Show Spoiler ▼

    . Even though I’m excited for the anime, I’m still kinda anxious regarding the studio, it’s not very well known to produce top quality anime. I’d be heavily disappointed if this flopped, because the VN is very good. I you could I’d recommend you to check out the VN, you can get it from steam. Just make sure to search a walkthrough before playing ( a spoiler free one of course) to get the best enjoyment of the VN.

    danes256
  4. The series I’ll watch for sure:

    – Hoozuki no Reitetsu (2nd season)
    – Kekkai Sensen & Beyond (2nd season)
    – Love Kome: We Love Rice (2nd season)
    – UQ Holder!: Mahou Sensei Negima! 2

    And the ones I’ll keep an eye on – not knowing if I’ll watch them for sure:

    – Animegataris
    – Juuni Taisen
    – Osomatsu-san (2nd season)

  5. Thanks, these preview really save me every season!

    really hyped for this season, with monsters like Gintama, 3-gatsu and mahoutsukai this is hopefully going to be a great season.

    But wait, Just Because story comes from Sakurasou author? I guess I need to tune down my expectation a lot, if I remember correctly Sakurasou ending (the LN one) was pretty garbage. Well, Himura Kiseki character design will save the day.

    youkai
  6. Another year another preview where the scores look like video game reviews. Call me when you guys decide to stop using this horrible scale you seem so intent on using. If nearly everything is ‘average’ or higher, your scale is wrong.

    Tarage
    1. We’re not scoring them. We haven’t seen them. How can we score something we’ve never seen? We’re saying how excited we are for them. Also, the main four excitement levels (it’s a new scale this season) map out into almost a perfect bell curve, which seems pretty fair to me.

      1. Two reasons: (1) We try not to be cynical. As Passerby says below, we’re anime fans, which means we’re generally optimistic about anime, and RandomC writers in particular try to cultivate that attitude. Anime is supposed to be fun, right? (2) We try not to shit on someone’s favorite anime. It’s the same reason why we prefer to damn with faint praise. If you have quibbles about the actual verbiage, then I trust you to read between the lines and see what the third of a four-level system means.

        Oh, and (3) Because we spent a bunch of time discussing the wording, eventually got tired of it, and just went with what we had. And then we replaced the fourth one with Limited at the last second anyway.

    2. “If nearly everything is ‘average’ or higher, your scale is wrong.”

      Not necessarily. Depends on how you’re looking at it. If you look at this season as the whole universe, then yes, the scale is wrong. But if you look at this season as a sample, then no, the scale is not necessarily wrong. Maybe the sampling was done wrong. The point is, if nearly everything is rated as good, it just shows a bias on the editors’ choices (maybe they just left out shows that didn’t suit their tastes…).

      ZL
    3. Average is in the middle, but I would think that as anime fans we’re generally optimistic about anime. More so overall, at least, than other things of average excitement like, say, getting my tax return or popping bubble wrap.

  7. As always thank you guys so much for all your hard work! So, what am I looking at this season? Well:

    Defintely:
    Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara
    Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte Kara
    Dies Irae (The token RC season preview convinced me to bump up my interest show)
    Mahoutsukai no Yome
    Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken

    Will Check Out:
    Just Because!
    Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou
    Houseki no Kuni
    Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau
    Netojuu no Susume
    Inuyashiki

    Maybe/Wait and See:
    UQ Holder
    Juuni Taisen (The token RC season preview convinced me to try show)
    Ou-sama Game The Animation
    Animegataris
    Imouto sae Ireba Ii.
    EVIL OR LIVE

    I will watch Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series, Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru -Washio Sumi no Shou-, Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2, 3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season, and Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru -Yuusha no Shou- if I can get through the original series first.

    That is a lot, I know. But, it all does look interesting. However, with a fulltime job and a class I’m taking noline I will probably not be watching all of it. We’ll see.

    GoukaRyuu
  8. Sequels
    Yuuki Yuuna S2 (S0? S0.5? Not sure what to call this since I already watched the movies)
    Love Live Sunshine S2
    Hoozuki no Reitetsu S2
    Himouto Umaru-chan S2
    Wake up Girls S2
    Kino no Tabi

    Definitely interested
    Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte Kara
    Konohana Kitan
    Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

    Interested
    URAHARA
    Dies Irae
    Two Car
    Blend-S

    Will give an episode
    Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken (I got bored with the manga, but then again I don’t think SYD’s manga is nearly as good as the anime so maybe the same magic will happen)
    Mahoutsukai no Yome
    Animagataris
    Imouta sae Ireba Ii
    Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau

    This season is looking really promising. Counting sequels this ties for most shows I’ve wanted to check out

    Arche
  9. Not so much anime for me this season. I’m excited for :
    > Inuyashiki : A depressing tale of a cyborg grandpa. The manga is completed so I’m sure they will do a full adaptation.
    > Shokugeki no Soma season 3 : It’s a perfect time for food anime after Isekai Shokudou have just ended. This time there will be more epicness.
    > Yuuki Yuuna season 2 : The first season is awesome and Washio Sumi movies are good.
    > Love Live Sunshine season 2 : MORE ZURA! MORE YOUSORO!

    Will check out for Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau. A colorful fantasy world and maybe has good drama. Reminds me of Nagi no Asukara.

    One Pinch Man
  10. Considering only a few anime from previous season that I finished/continue to watch, I won’t pick up a lot of anime this season.

    Definitely watch:
    Shuumatsu Shoujo Ryokou
    Sangatsu no Lion 2nd Season
    Blend S

    Maybe will watch:
    Mahoutsukai no Yome (might just read the manga instead of watching the anime)
    Kuni no Tabi
    Houseki no Kuni
    Evil or Live
    Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau
    Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2nd Season

    raxar
  11. Thanks for the preview…but No mechs this season…..kinda sad ..at least ill get to see some umaru-chan and few interesting series but kinda hate that a big chunk this year season more or less bout idols….. few im@s or love live will do but kinda not my cup of tea…sidenote: robomaster might.be interesting but not kind of mech im looking for

    Gargar
    1. Generally speaking mech anime is much more expensive to produce than your typical general school life show. I’m guessing studios just didn’t feel inspired by what was on the table this season to be able to invest in it.

      Lyfe
  12. -Kekkai Sensen S2
    -Mahoutsukai no Yome
    -Dies Irae (I have no faith in it, but I just want to see how bad it gets and the cast animated.))
    -Shokugeki S3
    -Inuyashiki
    -Kino Journey
    -Yuuki Yuuna S2
    -Saredo Tsumibito
    -Juuni Taisen
    -Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shojo Bitch na Ken
    -Houseki no Kuni
    -Dia Horizon
    -Ousama Game
    -Shoujo Shuumatsu
    -Vanishing Line
    -Infini-T Force
    -TwoCar
    -Classicaloid 2
    -Time Bokan 24 S2
    -Fate/Apo
    -Altair
    -Guru Guru
    Movies (whenever they’re available)
    -Heaven’s Feel I
    -Godzilla
    -Girls und Panzer

    PLEASE, consider reading the Dies Irae visual novel even if the anime is bad. The anime is a great chance to introduce this great story and characters to more people. But I don’t want Dies’ name to be dirtied by a bad anime. As can be seen by my avatar, I LOVE Dies. So I only wish that the adaptation doesn’t fuck up

    bassgs435
  13. -Kekkai Sensen S2
    -Mahoutsukai no Yome
    -Dies Irae (I have no faith in it, but I just want to see how bad it gets and the cast animated.))
    -Shokugeki S3
    -Inuyashiki
    -Kino Journey
    -Yuuki Yuuna S2 (Already watched the prequel movies thanks to fansubs. Love them.)
    -Juuni Taisen
    -Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shojo Bitch na Ken
    -Houseki no Kuni
    -Dia Horizon
    -Ousama Game
    -Shoujo Shuumatsu
    -Vanishing Line
    -Infini-T Force
    -TwoCar
    -Classicaloid 2
    -Time Bokan 24 S2
    -Fate/Apo
    -Altair
    -Guru Guru
    Movies (whenever they’re available)
    -Heaven’s Feel I
    -Godzilla
    -Girls und Panzer

    PLEASE, consider reading the Dies Irae visual novel even if the anime is bad. The anime is a great chance to introduce this great story and characters to more people. But I don’t want Dies’ name to be dirtied by a bad anime. As can be seen by my avatar, I LOVE Dies. So I only wish that the adaptation doesn’t fuck up
    Repeated my post to add some details and delete Saredo Tsumibito from the list because it’s been delayed to next spring

    bassgs435
    1. I might. Honestly my to-watch list is always slightly disconnected from reality—I always put more shows than I know I’ll watch, and I sometimes skip ones that I have a sneaking suspicion I will. Black Clover shows some promise, didn’t reach out and grab me, but I still might check out the first episode. Also depends on what I might blog, which I have no idea on as of now.

  14. No mecha show? For shame anime studios. Meanwhile the video game industry is having a mecha resurgence with the Zone of the Enders coming back out of nowhere, Aegis Rim, A Certain Magical Virtual-On… what a disappointed. Like every season there will be shows worth checking out but the lack of mecha genre is bugging me.

  15. I really hope UQ Holder turns out well after the repeated failures of adapting the Negima manga. The image and Negima 2 in the title makes it seem like they’re focusing on the part of the plot that’s more directly tied to the Negima plot, which gives me cause for skepticism. There’s no way to get to that part of the story without skipping a whole bunch of stuff beforehand, and I actually enjoyed the various forms of immortality on display before diving back into the Negi plot. Besides, the various Negima anime never got close to the rushed ending of the manga, so it’s not like there’s a huge anime-only crowd who needs to see what happens next.

    Among the sequels, I’ll watch Love Live and Umaru.

    I’ll likely watch
    Dies Irae
    Blend S
    Shuumatsu Shoujo Ryokou
    Imouto sae Ireba

    and play the rest by ear.

    SK
  16. Why does it feel like I’m the only one excited for the LLS! sequel and The IdolM@ster Side M anime at the same line with Infini-T Force (Hoping this will be the underrated gem for me!) and Blend-S (Could be Is This Order a Rabbit?’s sister right away)? Heh, me with some quirky taste of anime.

    Also, I’ll check out Mahotsukai no Yome, Dies Irae, UQ Holder and the sequel of Himouto! Umaru-Chan, since they’re growing my interest on it!

    I hope these anime will be enough for me to last the whole fall, especially Onoda (YowaPeda) and his crew will arrive for a 4th ride in the winter.

    jeffyplaysandwatchs
    1. Oh don’t worry, plenty of people are super hyped for Love Live Sunshine Season 2. Just don’t mind the gloomy “Nothing good this season” “It’s all sequels” “Nothing worth watching” etc posts, you see them on every season post on here. Wait until the lucky staff member who’ll cover the show posts, you’ll see the fans.

      I’m hyped for Good Smile taking my money for the Ruby & Dia Nendoroids out at the end of the month too. I love these. 🙂

      Lyfe
  17. this season seems curiously lacking in excitement/hype compared to other seasons.. guessing because of the lack of any big, ‘blockbuster’ names / series (original or adaptations).

    at least at face value, this season’s rather uninspiring new/non-sequel series & glut of sequels rather kills my excitement.

    here’s to hoping we get a sleeper hit or unearth a hidden gem..

    grayne
    1. @this season seems curiously lacking in excitement/hype compared to other seasons

      To you. Sequels are made because of demand. Somewhere out there many, many, maaaannny people are celebrating the return of some of these shows.

      Lyfe
    2. The Dies anime exists because Light had a crowdfunding campaign in a Japanese site years ago and they surpassed the target goal. So, yeah there’s excitement for that considering people were willing to back a crowdfunding for it

      bassgs435
  18. I’m really excited for this upcoming season. Some shows in particular include Just Because, 3-Gatsu no Lion, Wake Up Girls, Kujira, Imouto sae, Two Car, and Kino’s Journey, just to name a few. Most of my anticipated anime are mainly because they’re pretty. I hope that their story is intriguing enough to make me want more.

    In particular, I’d like to focus on Kino’s Journey here. This is one anime that I’m really looking forward to. I never read the novels before, so when I heard that it was getting a remake, it really made me interested. I’m reading translations of the novel, and I gotta say, the story is really nice, though it made me think of a few things about Kino (not spoilers per se, but thought provoking questions). Is Kino a good person? Does Kino care about her life? (she seems kind of apathetic) Is Kino broken?

    I’m curious to know if anyone of you has actually seen the original Kino’s Journey anime. If so, then I’m sure that Yuuki Aoi as the lead VA here is very meaningful to you. I personally haven’t seen the old anime or the films, but I did look up her profile. I’m NOT going to spoil anything here, but to put it simply, having her as the lead VA is very significant.

    I’m also very much looking forward to Just Because. I heard about it as the brain child behind the artist of Tawawa on Monday and by the author of Sakurasou, so I’m curious as to how the collaboration will go. I still haven’t seen Tawawa on Monday, but I do know that the artist has also done work in SAO Alternative:GGO. I think that she works on the manga. Sakurasou has been established here on this blog, so I won’t go into detail other than that it was definitely a wonderful anime that I think everyone should go watch. I just hope that Just Because will exceed my expectations.

    Seeing Sangatsu no Lion get a new season so quickly is great. I definitely love Rei’s growth throughout the series, so a second season is definitely a good thing. I really hope that the art isn’t lacking in the first few episodes. For a series like this, I don’t think a drop in quality would be much appreciated (looking at Konosuba 2, but it made the series more funnier).

    Anonymous
    1. The crucial reason can be found in the change from Expectation Levels to Excitement Levels. When we’re trying to guess how good a show will turn out (Expectation Levels), we have to consider all the different ways it can go wrong, which incentivizes hedging our bets. No one wants to say “This is a sure thing!” and it turns out terrible, right? So we kept hedging, and we ended up with huge consolidation around Moderate and Moderately High (because we are optimistic fans by nature). That made the levels less useful. This became especially clear last preview when we had trouble placing any shows in High, because there were good reasons to doubt every show.

      Excitement Levels don’t have to worry about that. The framing is inherently subjective. We’re not saying “This is a sure thing!”. We’re saying “We’re super excited about this!” That comes with an understood “…because it looks like it’ll be really good!”, but not promising that a High show will be phenomenal (or a Low show will be shit) gives us wiggle room to more freely give shows those rankings.

      We also wanted to soften the blow of the lower levels, because I’m still traumatized about Sakurasou getting a Low back in the day (I almost didn’t blog it because of that!), and who wants to say “I expect nothing from this show”? So we changed it so that the lowest ranking is now saying “We’re not excited about this,” which doesn’t mean it’ll be bad, just that they’re not doing a lot to suggest themselves.

      Also, we found we weren’t getting a lot of use out of Low and Moderately Low, so having four levels seemed better. Considering we were pretty close to a bell curve this time (still tilted slightly high, but not nearly as much), that seems to be working so far.

      Probably a more detailed reason than you were expecting, but there you go 🙂

  19. Will definitely watch:
    Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2 – YES! YES! YES! OH MY GOD, YES!
    *ahem* Has it been a year since I last saw Aqours? It feels like it’s been longer. Anyway, while I’m getting over my regret of not watching their first actual live (“Step Zero to One”), I’m just glad to see them back. And the first thing I want to know is whether Aqours won that regional qualifier back in season 1. (Or did the Blu-Ray versions of the episodes already establish that?)

    Will try out (“three-episode rule” applies):
    Two Car – If only for the joke that the main girls’ club adviser/mentor(?) is voiced by Shinichiro Miki (a.k.a.: Initial D‘s Takumi Fujiwara). Maybe he could teach the two to inertia drift with a motorcycle sidecar… And thanks to that joke, I’m now looking forward to seeing fan-made anime vines/anime cracks of the show’s racing scenes(?) set to Eurobeat music. (Though enjoying the show on its own merits would be good, too.)
    Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou / Girls’ Last Tour – Cute girls in a post-apocalyptic world? I’ve seen something like this before (except with zombies), but sure. Well, it’s either this or…
    Kino no Tabi / Kino’s Journey – Now I dunno if I should watch the older version or think of this as a reboot with better animation a-la Space Battleship Yamato 2199. OK, maybe that was too high a standard, but I seriously hope it’s the latter option.
    Netojuu no Susume / Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life – So this is like Netoge no Yome except for older working folk (who decided to leave their corporate s**thole). Also, plus points for Mamiko Noto.
    Boku no Kanojo ga Majime Sugiru Shobitch na Ken – Looks like the other requisite “guilty pleasure” anime of the season. Also, Aoi Yuuki diving into another comedy anime series after Aho Girl. XD

    Shorts, OVAs and other miscellaneous stuff:
    Cinderella Girls Gekijou Season 2 – More Mika, Ranko, Anastasia, Rin, and Uzuki? Eh, why not?
    Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon OVA – From what I heard/read, it’s a Valentine’s episode? I’m probably gonna get another EXTRA THICC sugar high just from seeing Kanna the dragon loli again…
    Nekopara OVA – Noble (Lost Pause), you magnificent son of a gun! That said, can this OVA pack three games’ worth of story (about a guy who opens up a pastry store with his catgirl companions and little sister) into an hour-long OVA? Probably not, but I’d still like to see them try.
    Granblue Fantasy The Animation OVA – Obligation watch, though I’m not sure if this isn’t the OVA with Djeeta instead of Gran (which I already watched).
    Hajimete no Gal OVA – Also an “obligation watch,” though manga fans might want to steer clear.
    – New episodes of Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2202: Ai no Senshi-tachi / Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love. (Hopefully, as episodes 3 to 6 had lots of “Holy s**t!” moments.)

    I was just expecting to watch one show this season–Love Live! Sunshine!! season 2–but (again) ended up with more stuff to try out… Bonus points if there’s gonna be something from this season (or even the previous season/s) that I might pick up midway through.

    Incognito
  20. I still remember Zephyr’s Muv Luv posts, particularly this one https://randomc.net/2012/06/13/muv-luv-extra-unlimited-alternative-overview/
    If Dies Irae, although already 10 years old, is the next best thing, then I’ll be sure to listen. I would like to start another VN.
    I hope that this upcoming anime adaptation does a better job in promoting the game than the Rewrite anime that made me completely lose interest. I couldn’t even watch the 2nd season.
    Would be great if you could blog the first episode as I would love to read your impressions

    boingman
    1. I dunno, these ex-Nazi’s from WW2 villains in Dies Irae are becoming very boring for me, so i do not have hopes for watching this “again”…

      I do not want to point fingers, but these stuff is overused.

      Worldwidedepp
  21. I was visited some anime website and there is anime called “My Catastrophic Girlfriend”. Did anyone have information about this anime (cause I couldn’t get any result from google it)?

    Topboy
  22. Thanks for the preview, everyone!

    Watching for sure: Mahoutsukai no Yome, Inuyashiki

    However, before everything else, I’m going to binge-watch the hell out of Boku no Hero Academia S2, starting next Saturday. xD

    scampjot
  23. I can’t help but feel underwhelmed by what they’ll no doubt do with Shokugeki no Soma Season 3. If we only get 12/13 episodes and they cover the Moon Banquet arc along with Central, we’ll probably get a lot of rushing and an awkward ending. For the sake of pacing and the quality of the adaptation they really do need like 24 episodes.

    Lyfe
  24. I JUST checked out the list of shows yesterday, this timing… Anyway, the majority of the shows seem like a miss for me. Either the plot seems ridiculously contrived, following the practice of seeking uniqueness so fiercely that their content is reaching, the plot is continuing from a series I don’t or haven’t watched, or the plot seems fine/good but just isn’t my cuppa tea.

    I’m probably just watching Black Clover and giving the 3 ep treatment to a handful of shows.

    Serrompalot
  25. My pick

    Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series

    Dies Irae

    Code:Realize ~Sousei no Himegimi~

    Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen – Prologue Sakura to Futatsu no Kuma

    Inuyashiki

    EVIL OR LIVE

    Kekkai Sensen & BEYOND

    Mahoutsukai no Yome

    Just Because!

    Infini-T Force

    Juuni Taisen

    UQ HOLDER! ~Mahou Sensei Negima! 2~

    K
  26. Be sure to watch the prequel episode to SideM called 「THE IDOLM@STER Prologue SideM -Episode of Jupiter-」on Sept 30th. A week before the actual SideM anime goes on air.

    The summary is about what happened after Jupiter left 961Pro and what lead them to join 315Pro.

    Japan is already doing early screenings for this prologue episode and THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE. (And tears have been shed.)

    Kurea
  27. OH MAI GODDDDDD <3 The Ancient Magus Bride!!! 24 eps!!! It was like forever waiting for every new OVAs TT,TT finally a TV episodes <3

    My established list are of course: LL Sunshine s2, Kekkaisen s2, Shokugeki Souma s3…and the rest, some of them seem pretty promising like GARO ^^

    onion warrior
  28. I like how I saw the cast which then led me to read the description for “Houseki no Kuni” again haha thanks Mikakoshi

    For now besides 3-lion S2 (yay more Kawamoto!), I’m interested (but not fully invested as usual) in:
    Just Because – well, just because, and I like final school year drama
    Blend S – because I miss WORKING!! hehe
    Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte Kara? – reminds me of Bartender but with all the hangovers and comedy lol I’m not that fond though just interested in the drinks
    Houseki no Kuni – I totally didn’t notice it’s 3D on 2D. It’s done so well. Also, the awesome female cast, and I could do with a “human futuristic” scenario of gem-carved girls

    [Thanks to all the bloggers for doing all of this up, as usual. If not for you guys I’ll be searching tons of websites to make the above decisions every season.]

  29. Mediocre season.

    Mahou Tsukai no Yome is the only interesting looking anime this season, and maybe Ou-sama.

    Shokugeki no Soma is a given, but I’m reading the manga so nothing will be surprising to me.

    Inuyahsiki manga was alright, but its not as good as Gantz. Shame they stopped scanlations at the climax of the story.

    YanDaMan
  30. Gintama already starting the season right, on sunday the 1st.

    If Silver Link does not make Eurobeats for Two Cars Ill be heavily disappointed

    IDK about this Kino no Tabi, just shy of 15 years old (anime wise)

    Goukenslay
  31. Haha, glad I’m not the one one knowing how a bit dry this season looks. Which is okay because I can play catch up with shows I haven’t seen yet! So basically catch-up season! \o/

    Jason D Isenberg
    1. It looks like they took the cheap way out to try and sell the Dia Horizon smartphone game. That has to suck for people hyped for a fantasy series from Square-Enix. To me, a 5 minute show with cute CG characters wouldn’t make me want to play a videogame of the same name, it’s lazy.

      Lyfe
  32. Already 7 (7!) shows on my list off the bat, with potentially more following:

    Kekkai Sensen & BEYOND
    Mahoutsukai no Yome
    3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season
    Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara
    Inuyashiki
    Dies Irae
    Kino no Tabi -the Beautiful World- the Animated Series

    This will be a great season, better than last season for sure.

    Shrubbery
  33. @Black Glover

    Oh boy, i think i saw something alike Naruto. just with Sasuke the genius boy and Naruto the hard Working Guy with his well known secret inside him…

    Oh well, Part 1 so lala. passed, but i hope the other 2 are better

    “You are born a loser!”.. as if such hard words from complete strangers can hurt someone. Do strangers tell the truth? or you trust more the ones you know? Oh come on

    Well, can work as first Episode. But it hurts

    Worldwidedepp
  34. @Konohana Kitan

    it is not the same Desk like “Did you order an Rabbit?” or other kawaii lovely anime. But for it first episode it looks promising to walk the same path

    Episode 1 of 3 passed, this anime stay on my “keep an eye on it” list

    Worldwidedepp
  35. @Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru

    When i read the Info about the Anime it sound like Knight & Magic, just without the mechas and just focus on weapons

    Sure in Knight & Magic the Mechas was important, but it was not all that keep it alive.. Well, let’s see what they bring into the 1st Episode

    Worldwidedepp
  36. @Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

    While reading the info, i think it could work. But for an OAV or at last 3-5 Episodes. Because Planetarian is something similar.. But it dunno, and entire Season of Slice of Life without real destination? Just survive the day?.. This is not Akira… or as if Fist of the North Star just wander forever in a desert, without meet anyone

    Well, i have my doubts, not about the quality.. No about the length of this travel.. “please watch next time again, how the girls find food and survive an Day”

    Well, lets see

    Worldwidedepp
      1. As someone who knows nothing about the show, I think it’ll probably be a smaller scale Walking Dead type episodes with focus on the two characters day to day survival until something happens. Because you know, something ALWAYS happens in these shows to devastate you.

        Lyfe
    1. Thanks for that recommendation. I loved Planetarian, not so much the tragic parts because you know.. nooooooooo for a certain character. I expect a devastating twist during that series too LOL.

      Lyfe
  37. @ahoutsukai no Yome

    I got Hooked in a instant. I have also an hidden part inside my heart when it comes to Nature and things.. and here we see “Nature’s magic”

    Also the calm pacing has the right speed so far for me.. Lets watch the other 2 ones. But right now this anime won my curiosity

    an orphan, that wanted to end her life found a meaning in her life?.. Let’s see

    Worldwidedepp
  38. My List after the 3 Episode rule:

    – Black Clover, still 50/50
    – Konohana Kitan, won me over because of their cuteness
    – Ballroom e Youkuso, i jumped the Train after introducing the new Partner
    – Kino no Tabi (2017), still 50/50. All is resolved with an Bang? (Guns)
    – Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou, “not knowing can be a blessing!”. my Guts are telling me what my heart not want to see. Pacing is good
    – Blend S, its like Working, just an “upgrade” and not about tiny girls fetish (but still 2 casts missing)
    – Mahoutsukai no Yome, old World Magic, Nature Screenshots, calm pacing (so far). i got hooked
    – Himouto Umaru-Chan R, I loved their humor and still like it
    – Animegataris, some kind the “adult” approaching of Anime Daisuki fans. Dwell in past memories in today’s language
    – Children of the Whales, still on watching List… But more 30/70.. The Drive of their Dark Past did not ignite the fire inside me (so far)

    Watching from afar (aka Episode 5 rule):
    – Netojuu no Susume

    Animes that i would trow into the Snake pit:
    – Evil or Live, Internet addiction Boot camps in an TV Anime… Wrong target audience

    So far this is my Fall 2017 Watch list, perhaps some here and there Animes could join or get dropped

    Worldwidedepp
  39. @Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso – Episode 02

    I am sorry, if i use an old Anime entry. But the old ones are looked for posting. So i hope you dont mind it here

    Are we only allowed to “copy” Original Music from famous old classic musicians, that are long dead? Or are we allowed to give this Music our own piece of heart? Sure, in this case it was only a “play accuracy” concert. But what say against someone, to “transport” the Music into Today?

    Music is alive. It is alive in your Heart, in your Mind, in your Soul. Should not Life allow things to evolve. Is it not against Life itself, if we stand still in the Future to play things from the Past?

    The Music was awesome, but the time and place was wrong. But that was not her intension from the start. She just wanted to reach the audiences heart. And see Own them. That matters for now

    Now look (well they are some sort of Stage Performance, too) and hear to their own Style:
    first the “old original” Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZWTi_WE7Qg
    and now the new one “own modified one”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVH1Y15omgE

    See, Music is alive, and not just copied over the thousands of years.. Are you not want to be the next Mozart or just the Master Copy player?

    Worldwidedepp
  40. Slowly some Animes are about to reach their End, are there any sighs of “New land” on the Horizon? What kind of Islands are we about to find? (New Animes) or do we found some “new India” Islands ahead? (2nd Season or continue Animes from previous Seasons)

    Worldwidedepp

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *