Winter 2009 Preview!
Sorry this took so long to get written up – leaving for a week set me back a week in terms of working on this. Regardless, the new year is upon us and with it is another new season of anime. Since this isn’t a spring or fall season, there are relatively fewer new offerings, but that still leaves around 24 major titles, not including the kiddie shows and some long-running shows. As usual, I’ll try to watch the first episode of most shows within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows), and what I list here are the chances of me actually blogging something based on my initial impressions from promotional material. However, even if I list the chances for a show as good or guaranteed, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stick with it for more than a few episodes.
By no means does this list reflect every single anime series that is going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and Fansub Wiki’s Winter 2009 page for who’s tentatively subbing what.
Technical Note: All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.
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RIDE BACK http://www.rideback-anime.jp/ Premiere on January 11th, 2009 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 24:00 Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Sundays at 10:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, MyAnimeList, syoboi RIDE BACK is a very intriguing story about a time of great political turmoil in the not-so-distant future, but it focuses on a girl who was raised as a dancer and is attending a university. She accidentally gets involved with the Rideback club – Ridebacks are a cross of motor bike and mecha – and puts her dancing skills to use on a Rideback just as things start to erupt politically. The original manga is very good, and I’m really looking forward to this anime adaptation that’s being done by Madhouse and Digital Frontier and has Mizuki Nana in the lead role. Trillian is just as excited about this series as I am and might be blogging this instead of me since I have a fairly busy Sunday schedule. Odds I’ll Blog This: Good |
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Hetalia Axis Powers http://hetalia.com/ Premiere on January 24th, 2009 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 25:52 Airtime in U.S. (EST, GMT-4): Saturdays at 11:52 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, MyAnimeList, syoboi It’s hard to describe Hetalia Axis Powers as anything but cute. Based on a popular webcomic, the series follows the adventures of the male personifications of various countries of the world, including the cowardly Italy and hard-working Germany, in a comedic parody of history (not always WWII-era and not always the Axis side). Studio DEEN is animating this, and each episode is only five minutes long, so it might be worth watching as just a quick dose of humor. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
Note: This is a rather long and fairly comprehensive list of January shows. Much much more after the jump, including a bunch of promo videos.
TYTANIA – 01
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「ケルベロスの戦い」 (Keruberosu no Tatakai)
“Battle of Kerberos”
Based on the novel series by Tanaka Yoshiki of Legend of the Galactic Heroes fame and produced by the same director/studio that worked on its OVA comes the new anime “space opera” TYTANIA.
Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka – 02
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「あかね色のアプローチ」 (Akane Iro no Apuroochi)
“Madder-Red Approach”
Episode at a Glance:
As per her father’s instruction, Yuuhi moves in with Junichi and Minato in order to assess this new fiancé of hers.
Mouryou no Hako – 01
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「天人五衰の事」 (Tennin Gosui no Koto)
“Five Death Omens of an Angel”
First Glance:
Adapted from the novels by Natsuhiko Kyougoku, Mouryou no Hako (Box of Evil Spirits) involves a series of gruesome, dismemberment murders, in a myterious, riddle-filled story that begins with two girls.
KUROZUKA – 01
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「安達原」 (Adachigahara)
“Adachigahara”
First Glance:
A tale told over hundreds of years, KUROZUKA follows Minamoto Yoshitsune (Kurou) as he embarks on a journey to the end of time with a beautiful, mysterious woman after she transforms him into a vampire.
ef – a tale of melodies. – 01
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「ever」
“ever”
First Glance:
A SHAFT sequel that really needs no introduction, ef – a tale of melodies. seemingly continues where ef – a tale of memories. left off, except this time the story revolves around some of the other characters.
Skip Beat! – 01
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「そして箱は開けられた」 (Soshite Hako wa Akerareta)
“And then, The Box was Opened”
First Glance:
Based on the popular 2002 shoujo manga of the same title, Skip Beat! brings us a love story about a girl’s dedication to her childhood friend in his pursuit to become a star, who turns out to be a huge egotistical jerk that’s been using her as a free servant.
Macademi Wasshoi! – 01
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「なんか女の子出てきちゃったんですけど」 (Nanka Onna no Ko Dete Kichattan Desu Kedo)
“Um, But a Girl Came Forth”
First Glance:
In what looks like a mash up between Zero no Tsukaima and Negima comes Macademi Wasshoi!, an adaptation about a high school boy named Hasegawa Takuto who’s ordinary in every way (appearance, grades, athletics), except he attends a secret, unmarked Magician’s Academy after school.