First Impressions / Series Introduction / Snapshots

TIGER & BUNNY – 01

「All’s well that ends well. 終わりよければすべてよし」 (Owari Yokereba Subete Yoshi)

All the letdowns I had from the promotional video for Sunrise’s company superhero anime were quickly washed away after seeing it in action. With a story centering around Kaburagi T. Kotetsu (Hirata Hiroaki), a veteran hero who’s deemed past his prime, the series doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously and works well because of it.

First Impressions / Hanasaku Iroha / Series Introduction

Hanasaku Iroha – 01

「十六歳、春、まだつぼみ」 (Jyu Roku Sai, Haru, Mada Tsubomi)
“Sixteen Years of Age, Spring, Still Buds”

I’m not entirely sure what I just watched. I was pretty sure that I was going headfirst into a slice of life that should look beautiful. But after I really got into things, I can say that I’m still not sure what I just watched. In the words of a Divine person I know, I’ve just been P.A. Worked. If my lame joke didn’t give it away, this is another one of P.A. Work’s works (what an odd sentence).

Season Schedule / Series Introduction

Spring 2011 Schedule

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Metal Fight Beyblade 4D
08:30 TVA TX (4/3)		 Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi
09:00 AT-X (4/11)		 Bleach
18:00 TX		 30-Sai no Hoken Taiiku
27:00 MX (4/6)		 SKET DANCE
18:00 TVA TX (4/7) 		X-Men
22:00 ANIMAX (4/1)		 Jewelpet Sunshine
09:30 TVA TX (4/2)
D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T
Bakugan Battle Brawlers Gundalian Invaders
09:00 TVA TX (4/3)		 Gintama’
18:00 (4/4)		 Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji Hakairoku-hen
24:59 NTV (4/5)		 Hyouge Mono
23:00 NHK-BS (4/7)		 Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san.
23:00 AT-X (4/8)		 Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
10:00 BSJ (4/9)
D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T
Toriko
09:00 CX (4/3)		 Fireball Charming
19:28 MX (4/4)		 Yuruani?
25:29 NTV (4/12)		 C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control
24:45 CX (4/14)		 Hen Zemi
23:15 AT-X (4/8)		 Deadman Wonderland
25:00 tvk (4/16)
D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T
Ao no Exorcist
17:00 MBC TBS (4/17)		 Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL
19:30 (4/11)		 Steins;Gate
26:05 TVS (4/5)		 Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae…
25:15 CX (4/14)		 Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi
25:05 TVS (4/8)		 DOG DAYS
25:35 TVS (4/2)
D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T
Ring ni Kakero 1: Sekai Taikai-hen
21:00 ANIMAX (4/10)		 Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai II
25:30 TX (4/11)		 Hidan no Aria
25:25 TBS (4/14)		 GOSICK
25:23 TX (1/7)		 TIGER & BUNNY
25:58 MBS (4/2)
D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T
Hanasaku Iroha
22:00 MX (4/3)		 Sengoku Otome ~Momoiro Paradox~
26:00 TX (4/4)		 A-Channel
25:40 MBS (4/7)		 Nichijou
26:20 TVA (4/2)
D K P T D K P T D K P T D K P T
Showa Monogatari
22:00 KBS (4/3)		 Tono to Issho: Gantai no Yabou
26:14 ytv (4/4)		 Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
25:55 TBS (4/14)
D K P T D K P T D K P T
Astarotte no Omocha!
23:30 CTC (4/10)		 Seikon no Qwaser II
26:30 MX (4/11)		 Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera
26:10 MBS (4/7)
D K P T D K P T D K P T
Ore-tachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai
24:30 CTC (4/3)		 Moshidora
24:15 NHK (4/25, weekdays)		 Maria Holic Alive
26:15 TX (4/7)
D K P T D K P T D K P T
Softenni
26:30 MX (4/7)
D K P T

* Others: Appleseed XIII

Legend: 0 Divine 5 Kiiragi 3 Prooof 4 Takaii Not covering/watching

Despite the horrific earthquake earlier this month, Japan’s anime industry trudges along and doesn’t miss its originally scheduled start date for the spring season. With the exception of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, the rest of the winter shows will conclude by next week, ending with Yumekui Merry on Thursday. So with that in mind, it’s time to give a quick overview of what will be covered on the site in the upcoming weeks.

… Please note that this schedule is tentative. More after the break.

Season Preview / Series Introduction

Spring 2011 Preview!

In light of the earthquake and tsunami that Japan is still recovering from, most shows were postponed for a week. As a result, the premiere dates listed in this preview are likely to get pushed out by at least a week. Some series’ homepages have already reported new start dates, which I’ve highlighted below by writing the date in red. You can expect more dates to be updated in the upcoming weeks.

…

Please read: The start of the spring 2011 season marks the one-year anniversary of my tenure heading Random Curiosity. Looking back, it’s been a rather ambitious year that was never short of sleepless nights, so I’d like to believe that I’ve taken things in a positive direction after the site was about to shut down. It definitely hasn’t come without a cost though, as I haven’t taken a proper day off and have even used my vacation days to work on season previews and year-end posts. As such, I’m contemplating taking the entire season off to unwind and recharge. The idea is to take one season off and then ease my way back into things in summer.

Unfortunately, it comes at somewhat of a bad time given how busy this season is, but the other writers will still be covering a handful of shows on a regular basis while I’d be shifting to a more administrative role. I know some people are going to see this as an opportunity to help, so I want to make it clear that I’m not looking for any more writers since I’m happy with the reliable ones I currently have. I’d only make an exception if you’re an avid anime fan with a lot of dedication, good writing skills, insightful input, and fairly fluent Japanese so that you can cover raws on my behalf. If this sounds like you and you’d like to help contribute, please e-mail me.

At the moment, I’m just heavily considering taking a break or risking overworking myself, hence why nothing is marked as a guaranteed blog. If you feel opinionated about it either way, feel free to share your input in the comments. As always, I’ll be reading.

* This preview will be kept at the top for the next while, so be sure to scroll past it or check the Recent Entries on your right for new posts.

First Impressions / Nichijou / OVA/Movie / Series Introduction

Nichijou – 00

「日常」 (Nichijō)
“Everyday”

Slice of life is basically split into two parts, comedy-based and ..not comedy-based. I’m not a huge fan of “not comedy-based” types. People argue that there aren’t “points” to slice of life. I disagree. A good slice of life always has a point somewhere. Nichijou however, is a comedy-based slice of life, so this discussion is moot.

First Impressions / OVA/Movie / Series Introduction

Houkago no Pleiades – ONA

GAINAX’s unusual joint anime project with Subaru makes its debut on YouTube, and the only real connection to the Japanese car manufacturer is the Pleiades star cluster that its name and logo are based upon. (Subaru is the Pleiades’ name in Japanese.) Much like the later promo videos suggested, this is actually a magical girl anime at heart, in the more traditional sense than SHAFT’s offering this season.

First Impressions / FRACTALE / Series Introduction

FRACTALE – 01

「出会い」 (Deai)
“Encounter”

After director Yamamoto Yutaka made a big fuss about putting his career on the line with this original anime project, the start of Fractale may come off a whimper to most. For me, the immersion into a fantasy world and the visual introduction to what I’ve read about has me looking forward to what’s in store, with the only real disappointment being that the series doesn’t look anything like the promotional art.

First Impressions / Hourou Musuko / Series Introduction

Hourou Musuko – 01

「おんなのこって なんでできてる？ ～01＊Roses are red, violets are blue～」 (Onna no Ko-tte Nande Dekiteru?)
“Girls, What Are They Made Of? ~01*Roses are red, violets are blue~”

On the surface, it seems like the uplifting calm palette and art style of Hourou Musuko will tell a tale of happiness, life, and a little bit of love. While the latter two might still be true, happiness is nowhere near to be found for the protagonists in this series, leaving only a growing desperation for acceptance.