Category: Season Preview

We’re now just two weeks away from the new season, so it’s time for another preview! This summer is filled with plenty of new adaptations along with several sequels including fan favorites Zero no Tsukaima and Higurashi. In fact, I think the only new show this season that is not based on a manga, game, novel, or previous anime is CODE-E. Anyway, before we get started, a few notes. As usual, I’ll watch the first episode of most shows within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows), and what I list here are the chances of me actually blogging something based on my initial impressions from promotional material. However, even if I list the chances for a show as good or guaranteed, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stick with it for more than a few episodes.

By no means does this list reflect all of the anime that are going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and AndrewLB’s Summer 2007 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.

Technical Note: All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.

Moetan http://www.ink-chan.com/ Premieres July 8th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 25:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 12:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Moetan was originally an English language study aid aimed at teaching otaku by using game and animated related phrases. It included gems like “When I fell in love with the her, I thought that the girl was my stepsister. I bet if I had known she was my real sister, I would not have fallen in love with her.” and “My friend found the picture I was hiding, so I tricked him by saying I have a sister that is a primary school student” and “All guys who like small breasts have large ones themselves.” Of course, there’s no guarantee that phrases like those are going to make it into the anime, but I think this show has the potential to be hilarious in so many different ways if executed correctly. Popular voice actress Tamura Yukari will be taking the lead role, and I’ve heard her English isn’t that bad, so I’m quite excited to see this. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed

Baccano! http://www.baccano.jp/ Premieres July 26th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Baccano! is a show that intrigues me quite a bit because it has such a wide and diverse cast of characters. Although the back-story involves a group of alchemists who received a liquor of immortality from a demon in the 1700s, the main story takes place in America in the 1930s during Prohibition and involves those alchemists along with mobsters, thieves, terrorists, delinquents, murderers, and even a ghost. Having such a large cast probably wouldn’t work so well for a short series, but if this manages to be longer than 13 episodes, I think it could be a lot of fun. The trailer certainly had plenty of energy and music, and interestingly enough, several of the key staff positions (director, character designer, series planner, sound director, and music composer) all worked together in the past on Koi Kaze. In any case, I’m looking forward to this quite a bit. Odds I’ll Blog This: Good

Note: This is a rather long and fairly comprehensive list of the shows coming in July. Much much more after the jump, including the torrent link for promotional material.

Spring season is just around the corner, and there are a lot of new shows starting up. Before we get started, a few notes. As usual, I’ll watch the first episode of most shows within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows), and what I list here are the chances of me actually blogging something based on my initial impression from promotional material. However, even if I list the chances for a show as good or guaranteed, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stick with it for more than a few episodes. As it stands, Tuesdays and Sundays have a ton of promising shows, but I have to ultimately make a decision on what to and not to follow.

By no means does this list reflect all of the anime that are going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and AndrewLB’s Spring 2007 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.

Technical Note: All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.

Darker than BLACK -Kuro no Keiyakusha- http://www.d-black.net/ Premieres April 5th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:25 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:25 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo Darker Than BLACK is the show that will be replacing CODE GEASS in the Thursday late-night timeslot. It is being produced by BONES and shares much of the same production team that worked on Wolf’s Rain. Oh yea, and did I mention that Yoko Kanno will be composing the music, the opening song will be performed by abingdon boys school, and the ending will be by Rie fu? The story here revolves around a guy with special powers who works as a Contractor and is supported by an emotionless girl and the Hell’s Gate that appears in Tokyo. They’ve released a ton of promotional material on the official website, and it all made me quite excited about this show. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed

Lucky Star http://www.lucky-ch.com/ Premieres April 8th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 24:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 11:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo Lucky Star is a 24-episode Kyoto Animation work for spring and summer seasons to be directed by Suzumiya Haruhi director Yamamoto Hiroshi. It’s based on a humorous 4-koma, but I would assume that the episodes will have a story of some sort, much like Azumanga Daioh. Lucky Star centers around an athletic but lazy girl named Konata who loves anime and games – she’ll be voiced by Hirano Aya. If we want to draw some more Suzumiya Haruhi parallels, I find it ironic – perhaps intentional on KyoAni’s part – that Chihara Minori is voicing the quiet girl who doesn’t show emotions. In any case, I’m looking forward to a great comedy series by Kyoto Animation since I have a lot of confidence that they’ll do an amazing job with whatever they animate. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed

Note: This is a rather long and fairly comprehensive list of the shows coming in April. Much much more after the jump, including the torrent link for promotional material.

Though there may not be much going on this and next week as we celebrate the new year, things will get busy again once the Winter 2007 season kicks off. Before we get started on all the upcoming shows, a few notes. I am once again not specifically saying what I am and am not going to watch. As usual, I’ll watch the first episode of almost every show within certain parameters (in other words, probably not the kiddie shows like Pokémon or Pretty Cure). What I will say is what the odds are of me blogging a show. However, even if chances are good that I’ll blog the first episode of a series, that doesn’t mean I’ll stick with it for more than that. Certain days of the week – Thursdays and Saturdays – have always had too many interesting shows, and I have to ultimately make a decision on what to follow and what not to. Because I have so many shows that are continuing from the fall, there can only be so many new series that I can afford the time to pick up.

By no means does this list reflect all of the anime that are going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and AndrewLB’s Winter 2006/2007 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.

Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora http://www.kyoshiro-sora.net/ Premieres January 5th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 13:30 Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-5): Thursdays at 23:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo You may remember me talking about it earlier this month and the Kannazuki no Miko connections that it has. That alone is enough to get me to watch it, but Megami magazine spreads like this or this don’t hurt either. The story is about a girl named Shiratori Ku who has a dream about a prince and then actually meets that prince in real life. Somewhere along the line they’ll likely work in plenty of fanservice/semi-yuri and mecha action. I’m honestly trying to keep my expectations low so that I don’t disappoint myself in case this doesn’t live up to KnM’s legacy. It’s just a shame that KOTOKO isn’t doing the OP or ED, which are apparently being handled by CooRie and Ceui, respectively. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed

Venus Versus Virus http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/vvv/ Premieres January 11th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:55 Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-5): Thursdays at 11:55 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo This show is about two girls who fight demons called Viruses. The girl with the eyepatch Lucia runs an antique shop called Venus Vanguard, hence the show is named Venus Versus Virus. The commercial for it – the one from the end of Rozen Maiden Overture – shows some pretty good looking animation courtesy of Studio Hibari, and it gave me Karin and Black Cat vibes for whatever reason. For what it’s worth though, VVV has some of the same staff as Tsuyokiss – director Kimura Shinichiro, character designer Agata Yoshimi, and Yamada Yasutomo in charge of series composition. Under different circumstances (ie. Thursdays without CODE GEASS, Kanon, and potentially Nodame Cantabile), this would get pretty high odds at getting blogged, but since this is airing on Thursdays, I can only say it’s got a decent chance. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent

Note: This is a rather long and fairly comprehensive list of the shows coming in January and February. Much much more after the jump.

The Fall 2006 Season is just around the corner, so it’s time for a preview of what’s coming. But before we get started, a few notes. I am once again not specifically saying what I am and am not going to watch. As usual, I’ll watch the first episode of almost every show within certain parameters (in other words, probably not the kiddie shows like Pokémon or Rockman). What I will do here is say what the odds of me blogging the show are. However, even if chances are good that I’ll blog the first episode of a series, that doesn’t mean I’ll stick with it for more than that. Certain days of the week – Thursdays and Saturdays – have always had too many interesting shows, and I have to ultimately make a decision on what to follow and what not to. This season isn’t quite as bad as the previous Spring one, but it’s close.

By no means does this list reflect all of the anime that are going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and AndrewLB’s Fall 2006 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.

Lovedol ~Lovely Idol~ http://www.avexmovie.jp/lineup/lovedol/ Premieres October 2nd, 2006 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:30 Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-5): Mondays at 11:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo This season’s Navel-related show, with original character designs by Nishimata Aoi of SHUFFLE! fame. It sounds like this might be another Lemon Angel Project girls-becoming-idols type show, but there’s some major voice talent signed on for this: Nakahara Mai (she’s in everything), Chihara Minori (Yuki from Suzumiya Haruhi), Nogawa Sakura (Nemu from DC), and Gotou Yuuko (Mikuru, Kaede, Nanami…). I think that alone makes this a must-see. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed

Sumomomo Momomo http://www.tv-sumomo.com/ Premieres October 5th, 2006 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 26:40 Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-5): Thursdays at 12:40 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo If I had to describe the manga this show is based on quickly, I’d call it a martial arts series crossed with a good deal of lolicon. For examples, I point you to Exhibit A and Exhibit B (probably NSFW). Basically, the story involves a guy who is the heir to a fighting style, but has no interest in it, and a very strong loli girl who wants to have his children. Hilarity ensues. I’ve been looking forward to this series ever since my friend introduced me to the manga. It also helps that Hirano Aya is in this too. Odds I’ll Blog This: Good

Note: This is a rather long and fairly comphrehensive list of all the shows coming in October. Much much more after the jump.
Updated 9/22/2006: Bakumatsu YouTube video link fixed; Added Super Robot Wars OG Divine Wars, History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi, and Soukou no Strain entries.

Next week marks the start of the Summer 2006 season, so it’s time for another preview. What the last couple of seasons have taught me is that I’ll watch the first episode of almost every show within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows). So instead of specifically saying what I’m going to watch and not going to watch, I’m going to outline my initial thoughts here most of the shows based on preliminary information and trailers. In addition, I’m adding a line about the chances of me blogging the first episode with at least screencaps and some impressions, if not a summary. Keep in mind this list does not quite include everything, and in particular does not have the two WOWOW series Taiyou no Mokushiroku (which appears to be a short) and Kemono Zume (which isn’t starting until August and doesn’t have much information to go on right now). Finally, even if chances are good that I’ll blog the first episode of a series, that doesn’t mean I’ll stick with it for more than an episode. Certain days of the week – Thursdays and Saturdays – have always had too many interesting shows, and I have to ultimately make a decision on what to follow and what not to. This season fortunately doesn’t have the insane number of new shows that Spring did, but we’ll see how it turns out.

Note: All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thurday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.
By no means is this list complete, these are just the series I watch/am planning to watch. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and AndrewLB’s Summer 2006 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.

	FLAG http://www.flag20xx.net/ Premieres June 16th, 2006 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Every Other Friday at 12:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Every Other Thursday at 23:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo A camerawoman follows around a mobile suit group in a not-so-far future setting with global strife. This is a mecha series, but it has a little similarity to current geopolitical situation. I’m not a big fan of the character designs, though the premise and the fact that this is a mecha series has me interested at least a little. Technically the first episode of this show has already aired, and the second episode is due in a few days, but it’s on Bandai Channel, which is a premium service. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
	Night Head Genesis http://www.nighthead-genesis.jp/ Premieres June 17th, 2006; Regular Airing Starts July 29th, 2006 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 11:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo Two brothers with psychic powers on the run. I watched the trailer on the main site, and it looked rather horror supernatural. Personally though, I doubt this is my type of series. Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
	Honey and Clover II http://www.hachikuro.net/ Premieres June 29th, 2006 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:45 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:45 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo The series that needs no introduction, this is the continuation of the highly popular series from last year, meaning the return of Morita, Takemoto, Hagu-chan, and all the others. This time around, the series will only be 13 episodes. I’m most looking forward to a lot of good music by Suga Shikao and Spitz. What’s more, this season will feature background music by the popular acoustic guitar duo DEPAPEPE, which makes me doubly excited. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed

Note: All times are given in a 24 hour format, using what I call relative day time 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.

By no means is this list complete, these are just the series I’m planning to watch. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing and AndrewLB’s Winter 2006 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.

A brief run-down on my choice of shows:

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