Fall 2015 Preview!

Preview by Zanibas

Komori Yui (Suegara Rie) thought she had enough troubles with the six Sakamaki vampire brothers after her throat all the time. Without any escape from their mansion (or personality), Komori has even more troubles with the entrance of four more vampires who hail from the Mukami family–Azusa (Kishio Daisuke), Kou (Kimura Ryouhei), Ruki (Sakurai Takahiro), and Yuuma (Suzuki Tatsuhisa). Ten attractive vampires now chase her blood in this second season of bad-boy vampires overpowering one human girl!

I don’t usually outright pan shows in a preview, but Diabolik Lovers is infamous as a show that has some of the worst characters an anime can have. The main character is mind-bogglingly helpless and unable to take action—even by anime standards—and the male cast has personalities that are flat-out abusive and selfish. Most people genuinely excited for this show are usually only looking forward to the seiyuu and character designs, with maybe some hope that this season will focus more on the story rather than flat-out power fantasies. There is hope on both these fronts; all the seiyuu from last season have reprised their roles, along with some significant new additions such as Kimura Ryouhei. Additionally, the director and series composition staff are different this time around, while keeping the same character design staff. Maybe things will get better for a show that could be called worse than Twilight, but considering the significant hurdle the first season presents, I would only recommend this show to fans of the visual novel. For anyone else, I recommend reading Cherrie’s post on the first episode of last season (plus the comments) if you want a better impression of what this show is about.

Preview by Passerby

If you’ve never heard of Lupin, that must be a crime in itself. The original Lupin III manga by Kazuhito Katou aka Monkey Punch debuted in 1967, itself inspired by Maurice Leblanc’s novels about the gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin. The manga and its many anime adaptations stars Arsène Lupin’s grandson, himself a thief who travels the world stealing things, uncovering mysteries, and being a general rapscallion. This slightly delayed 2015 edition (distinguished by Lupin’s blue jacket) features Arsène Lupin III (Kurita Kanichi) and his trusty partners, the crack shot Daisuke Jigen (Kobayashi Kiyoshi) and stoic swordsman Ishikawa Goemon XIII (Namikawa Daisuke), capering around Italy, all the while chased by the indefatigable inspector, Zenigata Koichi (Yamadera Kouichi) and occasionally partnering with Lupin’s on-and-off-again love interest/rival/ally Mine Fujiko (Sawashiro Miyuki). Even though we’re in the Mediterranean this time, Lupin will no doubt be getting up to his usual mischief again.

The original Lupin III caused a stir back in its day for being rather adult for a cartoon, relatively shameless as it was about its titular protagonist’s violence and philandering. In modern times, though, it has garnered a well-respected reputation both in Japan and abroad, perhaps partially because of the involvement of eventual Ghibli directors Takahata Isao and Miyazaki Hayao. In particular, The Castle of Cagliostro, Miyazaki’s first feature film, has achieved cult status. Lupin III (2015)‘s director, Yano Yuuichirou, is no slouch either, with several significant titles under his belt. Even if you aren’t interested in Lupin III‘s pedigree, a hardboiled crime drama with a playful comedic edge may be just the kind of adventure you’re looking for this season. It’s a fun formula that has stood the test of time, and a certain level of entertainment value is guaranteed.

Preview by Stilts

Studio Gokumi is adapting the light novel series originally edited by Studio Gokumi, and written by occasional Studio Gokumi scriptwriter Koysau Hideaki (Yuruyuri). Lance N’ Masques stars Hanabusa Youtarou (Yamashita Daiki), a young man who is part of the last remaining order of chivalric knights in the 21st century, the Knights of the World. While fighting the mysterious Knight Lancer, Youtarou (who himself uses a lance) must protect his identity by wearing a mask. One day he meets a small girl named Kidouin Makio (Ozawa Ari), and after finding out she lives alone, decides to watch over her.

It’s hard to shake the feeling that a light novel series which has only been published since December of 2013, and which hasn’t netted a manga adaptation or any other signs of significant buzz, is only getting an adaptation because of its creator’s ties with Studio Gokumi. Which doesn’t mean it’s bad—Studio Gokumi has yet to produce a truly bad anime, and I’ve seen nearly everything they’ve done. What it does mean is that Lance N’ Masques hasn’t penetrated far into the English-speaking anime world, so I wasn’t able to get my hands on the source material. From what I’ve seen, the art is adorable as hell, with a definite Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi feel—which is no surprise, since that series’ illustrator, Shino, also worked on these books as well. I also caught some talk of love and justice (ai to seigi no!) in the promo, which never fails to give me a Sailor Moon vibe. I have a feeling it’ll be equal parts fluffy gags and occasional action, and will probably lean more idealistic than not, but take that with a sizable grain of salt. After all, I thought the same thing of Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru (also done by Studio Gokumi), and look how that turned out. We’ll have to wait and see what this one is like.

Preview by Passerby

The original Black Jack was the creation of legendary manga auteur Tezuka Osamu (father of Astro Boy, Japan’s Walt Disney, is kept cryogenically frozen in a basement in Akiba). The titular Black Jack, with his distinctive scars and shock of white hair, is definitely one of the most recognisable faces of the subculture. Black Jack was not a card game, but rather an unlicensed surgeon (i.e. quack) who performed miraculous procedures in exchange for exorbitant (but ultimately fair) prices. He also goes around punishing evil, brooding enigmatically, and generally making the medical profession look a lot cooler than it has any business being. If Batman had decided to clean up Gotham by going to med school instead of by punching criminals while dressed as a bat, he would be Black Jack. Young Black Jack, though, is not a Tezuka Osamu creation; it’s of a relatively modern vintage, written by Tabata Yoshiaki. As one would not be surprised to know, it’s a prequel of sorts, about a younger Hazama “Black Jack” Kuroo (Umehara Yuuichirou) when he was still a med student. He’ll probably still be the same brilliant, scalpel-wielding maverick even then.

Every popular character seems to eventually get a spin-off starring a younger version of him or herself. There will be a young Sherlock Holmes, a Robin Hood Jr, a Superboy. And they will almost invariably be exactly the same people except with a slighter build and a higher tenor. It’s standard fare. If you enjoyed the original, you’ll go for this version for more of the same, perhaps with fresher dressing. One of the interesting angles of Young Black Jack for the modern audience, though, is that the younger Black Jack would have lived in the 1960s, so we may be getting something along the lines of a period piece (woohoo, Vietnam War. What a great time it was). Even without, the medical thriller (yeah, thriller) will provide plenty of entertainment. Tezuka Osamu was actually medically trained, so his stories were always relatively informed, but he never let reality get in the way of making Black Jack crazy awesome. If Young Black Jack intends to emulate that success, then it’s already heading in a good direction.

Preview by Stilts

Based on DeNA’s Hacka Doll news app (yes, you read that correctly), Hacka Doll The Animation is a series of 10-minute shorts animated by studio Trigger. The news app delivers a customized feed based on simple questions the user answers upon first launch, and further customizes based on the user’s activities. It filters news into areas such as anime, manga, cosplay, games, light novels, seiyuu, and more. The anime personifies the app’s customization engine as three Hacka Dolls: The personal entertainment AI and main navigator Hacka Doll #1 (Takagi Miyu), the anime expert Hacka Doll #2 (Okuno Kaya), and the knowledgeable otaku Hacka Doll #3 (Yamashita Nanami).

There’s no question that this anime is being made to promote DeNA’s smartphone app, and continues Trigger’s puzzling descent into shifty short-form anime. (Hey, no judgment from me—you gotta pay the bills somehow. I’m just bitter ’cause I want more Inou Battle.) Yet it’s still Trigger, which is why the promo videos look more stylish and lively than a glorified advertisement has any need to be. I have no idea what the anime will actually be about, though I’d guess light comedy, ’cause I can’t imagine trying to promote an app with grimdark drama. The three main Hacka Doll seiyuu are all Wake Up, Girls! alumni, so it should come as no surprise that they’re singing the theme song, and that it (and they) are kawaii as all get out. There are some office workers, a frumpy girl who uses the app… I’m grasping at straws here. All I can say is that, of the many thinly-veiled marketing efforts disguised as entertainment I’ve previewed—and there have been a lot—this one seems less cynical than most. It’s still an advertisement, but maybe Trigger can imbue it with enough character to make it an ad worth watching.

Preview by Zanibas

Airing simultaneously with reruns of season two in the same time block, Horie Yui’s brainchild, Miss Monochrome, continues with its third season. Our colorless idol continues her journey to become a top idol, along with her usual supportive manager (Fujiwara Kenji).

As the number of seasons of Miss Monochrome rise to Teekyuu levels, making a statement each season on its merits grows repetitive. Not much changed from season one to two, and not much will change for future seasons. Fans of the concept should expect nothing different from season three. Although the comedy is a bit weak by short standards, fans of Horie Yui’s personal project may see some growth from Miss Monochrome, who might strike something big this season. Although I recommend other shorts to fill your time, there isn’t anything especially bad about the series, and it may be worth it as a quick way to fill your time.

Preview by Takaii

With a trend of more and more short format shows appearing as we go through the year, Kagewani is no exception. Literally meaning “shadow crocodile,” the show’s premise is based around mysterious creatures called Uma suddenly appearing and attacking humans indiscriminately. Given only a keyword of “kagewani”, biologist Banba Sousuke (Tomokazu Sugita) begins his search to find the truth behind the phrase, as well as the origins of monsters that have suddenly appeared. The show will be airing in the well known “Ultra Super Anime Time” block, alongside other shorts like Miss Monochrome S3 and Wakaba Girl, the latter of which is continuing on from the summer season.

Seeing how there isn’t a lot of information released on this show, let me dive into some conjecture here. We have a short format show that’s trying to pull the horror/suspense angle, it’s being directed by a director with only one show under his belt (luckily it’s a show based on Japanese ghost stories, Yami Shibai), and is brought to us by a completely brand new studio named Tomovies. All of which would lead me to believe it’ll be maybe good at best. In my mind it sounds really difficult to create a sense of suspense and panic with only seven or so minutes to work with. However, the show has one saving grace, and that would be its seiyuu. The lead is held by the fantastic Tomokazu Sugita (Kyon from Haruhi, Ragna from Blazblue) with Okiayu Ryotaro (Akio in Clannad, Scar in FMA: B) as his co-star, two people who I’d do almost anything to get the chance to see and/or hear. Overall though, this show is on some pretty rocky ground with short format and horror being put together. Hopefully it’ll manage to make something of it!

Preview by Zephyr

It is the near future—an age where humanity has advanced to the point where it colonized the moon. Despite the many global changes resulting from our technological advancement, war has remained the sole constant, with only the method of waging it changing over time. No longer are soldiers deployed en masse, their roles now delegated to giant weapons known as “Heavy Objects.” Standing at over 50 meters and plated with armor capable of withstanding nukes, war has become a series of battles between these 200,000 ton monstrosities, and the winner decided the moment one’s Object ceases to function. Based on Kamachi Kazuma’s (Toaru Majutsu no Index) light novel series, Heavy Object will focus on Barbotage Quenser (Hanae Natsuki), a student hoping to become an Object mechanic. His arrival leads to a meeting with Object pilot Brantini Milinda (Suzuki Eri) and the revelations of a grim truth behind the wars they fight.

While our world likely won’t end up the way it’s depicted here, there’s no denying that the world of Heavy Object is an interesting one. The backdrop and chivalrous combat are reminiscent of lauded series such as Last Exile and So-Ra-No-Wo-To, the story seems rife with potential plot twists and serious developments, and the light novel’s first few chapters have a lot of the detail and terminology that sci-fi fans tend to love. Toaru Majutsu no Index fans may be disappointed that we’re not receiving a third season instead, but given that Heavy Object is made by the same creator, I’d reason that some of the things we loved about the former will carry over. That said, adaptations are always a tricky business, and both J.C. Staff and director Watanabe Takashi (Freezing, Shakugan no Shana, Slayers) have had their share of hits and misses. On the basis of premise and pedigree alone, it’s a safe bet that Heavy Object will be worth a watch, but its consistency and potential to be something more could very well boil down to whether this ends up being a one or two-cour show.

Preview by Zephyr

After a year and a half, Noragami returns with a second season in Aragoto. Once again led by director Tamura Koutarou and produced by BONES, the series continues the story of various Shinto gods in modern day Japan and their dealings with ayakashi, emotional fragments capable of possessing humans. Wielding shinki weapons made from the souls of dead humans, the gods remove ayakashi from the near shore, the part of the world where humans reside. Having acquired a new shinki in Yukine (Kaji Yuuki), the still shrine-less minor god Yato (Kamiya Hiroshi) returns as the series’ main protagonist, along with their friend Hiyori Iki (Uchida Maaya). The second season will adapt the popular Bishamon arc—exploring the god of combat, the stories behind her many shinki, and the dark past that binds her and Yato.

Considering the popularity of both its source material (over two million copies sold!) and the anime adaptation, it was inevitable that Noragami would receive a sequel. And here it is—returning with a story that focuses on one of the series’ more notable characters, while promising to also be more serious than its predecessor. The fact that the first season ended up more enjoyable than expected bodes well for Aragoto, and I’m looking forward to the continuation of a series that managed to combine a heartwarming story with gorgeously animated action sequences, the occasional comedic interlude, hints of romance, and a large dose of the supernatural. Kamiya Hiroshi stealing the show as Yato only helped, as did a rocking soundtrack from Iwasaki Taku. While this isn’t a must-watch in the sense that it’ll be a masterpiece, Aragoto’s a sure bet as any to be one of this season’s better shows.

Preview by Cherrie

A direct sequel to the series that aired in 2012, K RETURN OF KINGS continues where K left off. If you haven’t seen the original series, I highly recommend watching it before starting this one. For some quick background on K though, it’s a story about seven clans who reside in Japan with supernatural powers (set by the clan’s “Kings”). There are laws and rules in place that govern their world, but balance is thrown off when one of the Kings is killed, and the main character, Isana Yashino (Namikawa Daisuke), is blamed for his murder. This is the basis for the first season of K, and K RETURN OF KINGS (as the name suggests) continues with the search for the White clan’s King. The Red and Blue clan return with their own agendas after the events at Ashinaka High School, and we’ll also be introduced to a new clan joining the party, Jungle (the Green clan). There was also a movie released in 2014 called K MISSING KINGS which might serve as a good supplementary watch if you’re looking for more context as to what happened between season one and two.

It has certainly taken a while but K is finally returning with a season two, which I’ve been expecting for some time now. It was an original anime at the time with a strong list of seiyuus backing it up, and they’re all returning to reprise their roles with the same staff as well. Season one was slow to ramp up, but it was well worth the ride seeing how characters were connected and the history behind the clans and Kings. I would expect K RETURN OF KINGS to be similar in feel and animation (that hue definitely irritated me a bit) with new characters and clans thrown into the picture. Thus, I highly suggest checking out the prequel before proceeding with the sequel. You’ll get a better idea of what to expect plus context for this season.

Preview by Takaii

In a world that’s been ravaged by aliens known as Festum, there lies a small island called Tatsumiyajima that’s managed to avoid most of the aliens’ aggression. Without falling to their attacks like other major cities, the island’s citizens live out their everyday lives in peace thanks to a sophisticated cloaking shield. However, this all changes when a Festum stumbles upon the lone island and begins assimilating anyone and anything that attempt to strike back. With everything on the line, the island’s defense group ALVIS launches a counterattack that literally transforms the island into a battle station, and in turn unleashes their trump card — the mechas known as Fafner. As the battle wages on, an unlikely hero in the form of Makabe Kazuki (Ishii Makoto) appears to pilot the first Fafner, as his childhood friend Minashiro Soushi (Kiyasu Kohei) guides him from mission control.

I’m not sure how I got this show again, but forgive me for I have still not watched it! I’ve been told it’s one of the better mecha series out there and I will get to it, one day. This second season is a continuation from the first cour which aired last winter. And while it’s tough for a non-mecha fan like myself to comment on the premise or the characters, I can say I’m still genuinely interested in what the series has to offer. With a huge cast of characters that all seem to fill their niche, amazing attention to detail on the Fafner designs, and the choice to use death as a way to create a enriching wartime story, there was a lot to draw in new viewers. For the returning ones, XEBEC is still handling the production, with director Habara Nobuyoshi and writer Ubukata Tow reprising their roles. And like I said last time, this seems like a nice present for veteran viewers, but for those just discovering the series it might be a bit difficult to jump in without catching up on the previous material.

Preview by Zanibas

The mystery-solving series Kindaichi is back again for a 2015 adaption, after its 2014 adaption resumed the story after 14 years. Kindaichi Hajime (Matsuno Taiki), genius detective, is back on the case. With his trusty assistant Nanase Miyuki (Nakagawa Akiko), the duo set out to solve cases that once again elude the Tokyo police. For the mystery anime that was the mystery manga before Detective Conan, the mysteries surrounding murder, theft, and revenge are just waiting to be solved.

Having previewed the last season in 2014, current fans of the series should already be familiar with what to expect. Although translation barriers for the original material prevent many from entering the series, most long-time fans are satisfied with the 21st century adaptation thus far. Toei has done a decent job maintaining the original look of the series without looking too outdated, but the series’ strong point continues to be its story and the resulting character development from our main duo. Again, prospective fans may find the length and lack of translation for the 1997 material discouraging, but for people looking for a supplement to their mystery repertoire, Kindaichi isn’t a bad choice to pursue.

Preview by Takaii

After a meteorite group known as Invertia struck the earth over a century ago, humanity was brought to the point of extinction. Of those who survived, some gained the ability to control something called “Mana” and in-turn gained immense powers. Fast forward a hundred years and you have a world where six major powers each control their own academy and wield their power by sending their best to a yearly battle tournament called the Festa, which is held on the floating city of Rikka (also referred to as Asterisk). It’s a tournament where the victor(s) can have any wish granted. That said, the story actually follows a fellow named Amagiri Ayato (Tamaru Atsushi) and his search to find his older sister who went missing over five years ago after transferring into a school on Rikka. Ready to do whatever it takes, he makes the plunge and transfers into the same school.

When I finished all the source material I could find, I remember the first thing that popped into my mind was, “Is this going to be another ballad of Magical Jesus?” But after giving it a little more thought, I think this show and its concept have a lot more to offer than what meets the eye. Even with a few similarities, like various schools that are lead by the world’s major powers and a power gap between proficient and non-proficient magic users, I personally enjoyed how the story focuses a lot more on the characters and their relationships with each other instead of trying to be as flashy as humanly possible. Luckily, there is a system in place to give us action whenever the story deems fit, since the option to duel any person at any time is always available so long as both parties agree (sort of like a Shokugeki). And as an added bonus, the show is jam packed with staff that have all worked on shows just like this! So if you want a fun show to watch that brings out some fancy looking magic within a school environment and gives us a protagonist with a little more tact than the rest, this show should definitely be on your radar!

Preview by Takaii

Blending the idea of magic with the modern world, Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry is a story of individuals known as blazers who have the ability to manifest their souls as weapons and utilize magic known as noble arts. These blazers have the overarching goal of becoming a Mage-Knight—someone who’s mastered both their device and their noble arts—and seven academies exist to train and certify them. There are rankings from A to F to categorize one’s strength and affinity to magic. In enters Kurogane Ikki (Osaka Ryota), one of the few F-ranked students. Repeating his first year because of low test scores, his life completely changes when his new roommate ends up being an A-ranked princess named Stella Vermillion (Ishigami Shizuka). With a rocky introduction of accidentally walking in on Stella changing, the two begin their school-life together by ending up in a magic duel to determine who’ll be the one in-charge.

Okay, so if you thought that this show was going to be your typical magic-high-school-swords harem show, you wouldn’t be wrong. It has a bunch of that, but with a slightly different take to it. Instead of tossing us all the cliché moments you’d normally get, we’re given a sense that the story ain’t got no time for that and instead blows right past all the little things. Our protagonist Ikki is totally the definition of a chivalrous knight, except his head isn’t stuck up his butt and he’s pretty sensible. The best girl Stella comes off as a tsundere except doesn’t beat around the bush about things that most would (you have to love that “JUST DO IT” attitude). You also might have caught that I put romance in the genre because well, this show has some of that too! And not your typical one hundred chapter build up romance, but the more spontaneous boy-meets-girl and stuff starts to happen after ten chapters kind. Which probably stems from the whole underdog mentality that you’ll quickly discover plays a large part in how the story gets you hooked onto it. Overall, I think this show will be a fresh breath of air for those of you looking for a fantasy-esque type show that has all the typical tropes, but takes itself just seriously enough to keep you from losing focus.

Preview by Passerby

Following on from Winter’s Tsukimonogatari, Owarimonogatari is the latest iteration of the Monogatari Series. Our familiar protagonist is once again the (very) adolescent Araragi Koyomi (Kamiya Hiroshi), who would just be a normal kid fretting about university entrance exams if not for his bond with vampire Oshino “Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade” Shinobu (Sakamoto Maaya), which made Araragi into a half-vampire himself. There were times when he wasn’t the main character, though, and Owarimonogatari goes back a bit in the continuity to fill in the gaps about what Araragi was doing while he was off-screen and, perhaps more importantly, turns the focus onto the closest the Monogatari series has to a villain: the enigmatic Oshino Ougi (Mizuhashi Kaori). What is she? Or was it ‘he’? How did Araragi Koyomi get involved with this being? And is he going to regret doing so?

The Monogatari series has been doing its thing for some time now, but for those of you who are new to the franchise, there’s plenty of reason to consider getting into it (and if you do, start at Bakemonogatari). The highlight of the Monogatari series is definitely wit, both a cleverness in the turns of its story (which brim with references to folklore) and in the banter between its wide cast of interesting characters (which brims with very difficult to translate wordplay). That means it’s quite ‘talky’, something which I don’t usually approve of in anime, but the writing is strong enough to carry the show, helped along by an abstract visual style intended to keep the eyes from getting bored. It’s unlikely that Owarimonogatari will detract from this formula—the staff has changed little—but it should be noted that unlike previous iterations Tsukimonogatari and Hanamonogatari, Owarimonogatari is not going to be a movie-length feature, but a full TV series. I suppose it’s the ‘End Story’, after all, so it deserves more thorough treatment, but then again, it’s probably not really going to be the end per se, since there’s quite a few volumes of novel left to adapt, including the much belated Kizumonogatari. Regardless, Owarimonogatari is where the overall myth arc of the Monogatari series comes to a climax, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing it on the screen.

Preview by Passerby

The Utawarerumono (roughly, The One Being Sung) game franchise originally received an anime adaptation back in 2006, and this season it is receiving a sequel of sorts in the form of Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen (The False Mask), perhaps to coincide with the new game that is being released. It starts much the same as the first series: a young man (Fujiwara Keiji) wakes to find himself in an unfamiliar, snowbound land. He comes under attack from dangerous fauna, but is rescued by a young girl named Kuon (Taneda Risa). She is possessed of animal ears and a tail, but this does not appear to be unusual to her. Kuon names the amnesiac Haku, and so begins their journey in a mystical land that may well be on the cusp of war.

Though Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen is a game adaptation, for our purposes it may as well be an original. The game and the anime are being released at pretty much the same time, which is an interesting (and confident) choice. On the one hand, with the anime being ‘fresh’, it’ll suffer less from the source-was-better-itis that fans often diagnose in adaptations. On the other hand, they could well be playing the game and watching the anime side-by-side, which may just make the source-was-better-itis more virulent. It all depends on the content of the anime, and Itsuwari no Kamen holds the more informative cards close to its chest for now. I wasn’t sure that the original Utawarerumono even needed a sequel, but here we are all the same. What new angle will Itsuwari no Kamen bring? The strongest part of the original really was the world building, constructing an intriguing setting with a unique, fantasy north-east Asia flavour (especially based on Japan’s indigenous Ainu people). Maybe they’ll spend some time on that again. In any case, they’ll probably do something to ease in the new viewer, since it’s been a good nine years since the first anime, but the full experience will probably still include watching the original. Even if you haven’t, though, Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen may still be worth your watching. It looks pretty good, and will probably fill your epic fantasy quota of the season quite nicely.

Preview by Passerby

Now, for something completely different. Not much is known about the substance of Kowabon other than its website tagline going, ‘there are cameras everywhere in the world. Those “eyes” have seen the world you do not know,’ and a self-described theme of ‘Bondage x Stylish Horror’. No, I don’t know what that means, either. I’m guessing that they’ll be deriving horror from feelings of paranoia, from the sense of there being a hidden malevolence under our mundane world. The most interesting thing about Kowabon, though, is its use of rotoscoping, tracing over live-action footage to create an animated look, or alternatively, to give animation a ‘realistic’ look.

These days, rotoscoping is usually used in anime as an animation shortcut, often (and perhaps unfairly) sneered at by the discerning fan. Here we have Kowabon, which uses it heavily and deliberately in its visual style. It certainly does create a very different aesthetic to your average anime, perhaps creating that surreal atmosphere that can make for effective horror—perhaps deliberately pushing into the uncanny valley. Alternatively, it’s just a gimmick. Some may recall Aku no Hana as a psychological thriller of similar technique (though also to mixed reception). If anything, Kowabon looks like it’s going to push that angle even harder. Where will they go with it? It’s hard to say at this point, based only on a PV featuring music that sounds like a J-Pop massacre of Eye of the Tiger. But it’s certainly going to be a unique beast in its own way. And it’s also going to be a short, so it won’t take a lot of time to check it out.

Preview by Cherrie

The highly popular series, Shingeki no Kyojin (which originally aired in 2013), gets a paraody spin-off series this upcoming season. This parody is also based on a manga by the same name, but written and illustrated by Nakagawa Saki (not the same mangaka as Shingeki no Kyojin). If you haven’t seen the original series, in a nutshell, it’s about giant human-eating titans that surround the only walled city with what’s left of humanity inside. The main story follows a teenager by the name of Eren (Kaji Yuuki), his adopted sister Mikasa (Ishikawa Yui) and his good friend Armin (Inoue Marina). The three of them attend school together and train to become cadets one day to venture beyond the walls. This parody series is focused mainly on the time that the three main characters spend in junior high school (hence the series name). All the same characters from the original series (e.g. Annie, Levi, Reiner, and Jean) return with all their original seiyuus also reprising their roles.

With such a popular series like Shingeki no Kyojin, I’m not surprised that it’s getting its own parody spinoff; I’m probably more surprised that it’s taken this long. The manga that this spinoff is based off of actually started serializing in 2012, so there’s plenty of content for the anime to use. I’ve never understood why serious anime get parody series as spinoffs – even if it’s not made by the original mangaka, it still doesn’t fit into the mood of the story for me. Nonetheless, this parody looks like a good chance for the audience to learn more about the characters, see them in incredibly cute chibi forms and of course, pump us up for the second season next year! The production is also top notch for our little (literally) heroes, and given that the threat of the titans is still real, it’s like re-watching the first season from a comedic point of view.

Preview by Passerby

Peeping Life is actually a fairly significant media franchise, and not the low-brow voyeurism that its name might suggest. They were a series of shorts by Comix Wave Films (they produce Shinkai Makoto’s films. Yeah.) that would pop up now and again in Japanese theatres, comedy pieces that have a distinctive style courtesy of director Mori Ryouichi, who used a mixture of stop motion, improvised acting and deceptively simple CGI to make a commentary on the inanity of everyday Japanese life. This time, for the small screen, Peeping Life will also be drawing on intellectual property owned by Tatsunoko Productions and Tezuka Productions, which means it’ll feature some of Japan’s most beloved characters. So even if you aren’t drawn in by the gentle comic stylings of Peeping Life, you may still be entertained by familiar faces from Yatterman (which got another show earlier this year), Black Jack (which is getting a spin-off prequel this very season) and Astro Boy (which… you all know Astro Boy, right?).

The Japanese actually have a word for the kind of comedy that Peeping Life is: datsuryoku-kei, or ‘ennui-style’. It’s slow, mostly dialogue, and focuses on the little details of life that are sometimes overlooked but kind of silly when you get down to it. It’ll probably be the same kind of observational humour as slice-of-life/comedy/4-koma hybrids like Nichijou, but without the over-the-top acid trip—almost a theatre of the absurd, but without as much meditation on existentialism. Or maybe there is, who knows? With a bunch of pretty big (and decidedly fictional) personalities being thrown into the mix, there’s certainly room for Peeping Life to get a bit wilder for TV. More likely, though, it’ll follow familiar lines. If you’ve been exposed to Peeping Life before, you know what to expect. If you haven’t, then this may be the time to give it a try, especially if you’re looking for short, comic sketches and a unique rendering of normal Japanese life and mannerisms every week.

Preview by Samu

It’s back! The sports phenomenon of 2014 is returning for its second season, and it’s only going to get more popular from here on out. If you’ve been living under a rock or haven’t got into sports anime just yet, Haikyuu!! is the best place to start. The Weekly Shonen Jump series is commonly heralded as the spiritual successor to the massively popular Kuroko no Basuke, but the fact of the matter is Haikyuu!! has actually surpassed Kuroko’s peak sales and popularity; never underestimate the power of fujoshi and the appeal of emotional sports story! The same staff are returning for this second season, so the near-perfect adaptation is set to continue without missing a beat. For those unaware, the story is about two middle school rivals, the energetic, pint-sized spiker Hinata Shouyou (Murase Ayumu) and the scornful, gifted prodigy Kageyama Tobio (Ishikawa Kaito). Both of them want to be the best volleyball players in Japan, but just as they promise to defeat one another in the future, they end up in the same high school team, and have to work together to become the unbeatable setter-spiker duo.

It should be no surprise that I have nothing but love for Haikyuu!! It’s not only my favourite sports anime, but one of my favourite anime, period. Few series successfully capture the youthful energy and silliness of teenage boys, but mangaka Furudate Haruichi manages it in a fairly realistic manner. Unlike Kuroko no Basuke, there are no superpowers here – all the players have their strengths and weaknesses and have to come together if they hope to win their matches. The first season mainly focused on introducing the many quirky players of Karasuno, showing them in their first major tournament of the year. What followed was spectacularly smooth animation, heart-racing adrenaline rushes, and characters with their hearts on their sleeves, screaming their way to victory. Being a fan of the source material, I fully expect the second season to deliver everything the first managed, and then some. As the manga has gone on, the storytelling and the intensity of the matches have only improved, and that will reflect in the material covered this season. There’s still plenty of memorable characters to be introduced, whom manga fans will be highly anticipating, and I’m sure anime viewers will fall in love with them as well. Expect training arcs, new teams to face off with, and old rivals returning to push Karasuno to the edge. I’d say ‘sit back and enjoy the ride’, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll be jumping from your seat and pumping your fist in the air as soon as the characters step onto the court.

Preview by Samu

“The sustenance of life, is on the battlefield.” With a catchphrase like that, you can expect Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans to embrace the thrill and devastation of war. But once you delve deeper into what kind of story Tekketsu no Orphans is aiming to tell, it promises to be a troubling yet potentially rewarding experience. 300 years have passed since the “Calamity War” between Earth and Mars. Since then, Mars has successfully been terraformed and colonized by humanity. However, even after three centuries, the inhabitants of the red planet still seek independence from Earth’s corrupt rule. Augus Mikazuki (Kawanishi Kengo) comes from the Martian city of Chryse, and is part of a group of orphaned children who work for the Chryse Guard Security. Their duty is simple: protect the Martian Princess Kudelia Aina Bernstein (Terasaki Yuka), who is leading the fight for freedom against Earth’s military organisation, Gjallarhorn. Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans is set during this war for independence, when the child soldiers of Chryse Guard Security are abandoned by the adults, left to fight as decoys. The lives of the orphans then lies in Augus’s hands, as he encounters the legendary mobile suit: the Gundam Barbatos, which may have the power to shift the balance of this treacherous war.

It’s always big news when a new Gundam series is announced, and there’s plenty of fanfare when it comes to Tekketsu no Orphans due to the staff involved. It should also be noted that no prior experience with the Gundam franchise is required for this one, as this is set in its own standalone universe (PD – Post Disaster). When it was revealed that Nagai Tatsuyuki (Ano Natsu de Matteru, Honey and Clover II, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun) and Okada Mari (Hanasaku Iroha, Nagi no Asukara, Zetsuen no Tempest) were the director and series composer, respectively, there was an immediate divide in opinion. Okada Mari may be one of the most prolific screenwriters in modern anime, but her emotional and occasionally melodramatic writing style is lamented by some. However, one thing is for certain: it’s going to be an interesting viewing experience. It may be an emotionally-charged shambles or a new Gundam classic. As someone who enjoys Nagai’s directing and who has major respect for Okada Mari’s best works, I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. The last time these two worked together they produced two classics: Toradora! and Anohana. Gundam may be a different beast altogether, but many of the beloved Gundam shows are heavy on the emotions and dramatics, which is exactly what Tekketsu no Orphans will deliver plenty of.

Preview by Samu

Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan, originally published on Aplix’s Comic Metero web platform between the years of 2012 and 2014, finished at only 2 volumes. This complete web manga is set for an adaptation directed by Yanase Takeyuki (Himegoto), who is also the chief animation director and character designer, with Murakami Momoko (Million Doll, Minami-ke Tadaima) writing the scripts. Neither are particular famed for their work (Yanase seems to have more of a history with hentai anime), but having the director in charge of the animation and designs may result in a more well-rounded final product. As for the story itself, Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan is a seinen comedy all about Hakone (Ono Saki), a hot springs fairy who has awakened from her many years of dormant rest to find herself in modern-day Japan. During her sleep, however, her outward appearance has changed to that of a little girl, which helps her on her quest to cooperate with the locals as she tries to regain her fairy powers.

The premise sounds harmless, but there isn’t much of a grab unless you’re in the mood for a comedy about a powerless entity in the form of a twin tailed loli. If Hakone were anything but a little girl, perhaps I could take the premise more seriously, but when it’s so abundantly clear that the series has been created for a very specific niche audience, I can’t help but be irked by what could come of this. There are far too many examples of young girls in anime exploited in this way that makes for uncomfortable and troubling viewing, but there’s also famed series like Yotsuba& that perfectly capture the daily life of a little girl. While I’m sure Hakone-chan isn’t anywhere near the same level as Yotsuba&, I do hope its approach to the story isn’t too dissimilar. If that is the case then hopefully Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan will turn out to be a sweet little show with the perfect dose of laugh-out-loud moments.

Preview by Zephyr

After a brief hiatus, EMT²’s Ameiro Cocoa returns with a second season in Rainy Color e Youkoso!. Originally conceived as a digital manga with Japanese and English text/audio, Ameiro Cocoa debuted as a series of two minute shorts in the spring, and focused on Aoi Tokura (Shimono Hiro), a college freshman who suddenly finds himself working at the Rainy Color Café. This is a story of his interactions with its frequent customers and the hectic life he now leads. The original staff and cast (including Miyano Mamoru and Hirakawa Daisuke) will reprise their roles in this new iteration, with the results of an ongoing crowdfunding campaign determining if additional cast members will be added.

Considering its premise, e-manga background, and short length, this was a series I didn’t have much expectations for. Despite this, I still found myself disappointed at the series’ first season, and one could argue that the series’ short length ended up being its saving grace. The interactions between its characters are unoriginal, the content itself uninteresting, and there are few things of value to discuss as a result. The expansion of the series’ length from two to ten minutes will expand on the series’ content and make it a better watch, but that doesn’t say much considering its lackluster debut. I’d be hard pressed to recommend this to anyone but the most ardent of anime-viewers.

Preview by Takaii

From Cool Kyoushinja, the creator of the amazing I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying, comes another show based off another of his 4-komas. Komori-san wa Kotowarenai (Komori-san Can’t Decline) stars Komori Shuri (Uchida Aya) and her two friends Nishitori Megumi (Ozawa Ari) and Neigishi Masako (Naganawa Maria), and the story revolves around Komori being a little too kind for her own good. Usually focusing on how she accepts nearly any request given to her (except for some really dumb ones, courtesy of Megumi), we get a close up look at the good and bad that come with having an “I love to help others” type of attitude. From the benefits like gaining a ton of knowledge and skills, to the downsides like getting stuck doing things for everyone except yourself, there’s rarely a dull moment watching Komori and friends go through their everyday lives.

With the synopsis out of the way, let me just say that I absolutely loved the source material for this show. Coming from the same person who created another one of my favorite shows, it has all the same things that made his other works so enjoyable. Besides hitting all the typical slice-of-life elements, there’s always just enough genuine character interactions that make each and every chapter worth reading. Be it Megumi trying to express her gratitude to Komori or Masako dropping the line “you guys are my first two friends” in such a nonchalant way because she’s trying to escape the embarrassment of expressing her feelings, it’s this special sauce that makes the content that much more enjoyable. In terms of staff we have Artland handling the reins with character designs taken care of by Kuniyuki Yurie (Denki-Gai). Overall, I think we have a great setup for what should be a fantastic slice-of-life if you’re into the genre. That and how can you go wrong when it’s a Cool Kyoushinja work?

Preview by Samu

In a season filled with sequels, reboots, and spin-offs, there are only a few original anime on offer. Comet Lucifer is one of those few. Produced by 8bit – the studio behind IS: Infinite Stratos, Grisaia no Kajitsu, and Tokyo Ravens – it tells the story of Amagi Souho (Kobayashi Yuusuke), a young boy whose hobby is collecting rare crystals for his own amusement. As it so happens, Comet Lucifer is set in a world called Gift, where the land is covered in blue crystals called gifdium. On this fantastical planet resides the crystal mining town of Garden Indigo, where our protagonist one day wanders into a mine and happens upon an underground lake. That’s when he first meets Feliua (Ohashi Ayaka), a strange red-eyed, blue-haired girl, unlike anything he’s seen before. Everything about this girl is a mystery, but their meeting is seemingly a product of fate, set to bring upon an adventure that Souho could never have anticipated.

When it comes to original anime, it’s difficult to predict how the finished product will compare to your expectations. When Comet Lucifer was first announced and the music video was released, and I thought this was going to be a magical, colourful fantasy adventure. It was only a few months later when more details were revealed that I realised my initial expectations weren’t exactly correct. As it turns out, Comet Lucifer is a mecha show, equal parts sci-fi and fantasy. Based off the promotional material, the world designs are still brimming with imagination, with Garden Indigo looking like something out of ARIA as opposed to your typical near-future Japan setting. Part of me wishes there wasn’t any giant robots involved, as this could have been a vibrant, fun-loving fantasy where anything could go. But Comet Lucifer was a mecha show all along, which may be a sign that it could be more like a harem-less Infinite Stratos. But at the same time it has some Eureka Seven vibes, so perhaps it will channel that sort of youthful energy and make the best of its interesting and fantastical world.

Preview by Passerby

Imagine if fantasy was real. Such is the world of Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou, a Japan of the 1960’s where all manner of supernatural phenomena have become completely mundane. Aliens, mutants, cyborgs… magical girls—superhumans (the titular ‘choujin’) and the foes they fight all coexist at the same time. There’s no real unifying element between them and no masquerade that they’re dedicated to uphold, so it’s up to the Japanese government to try to bring order to chaos (because government intervention is always so welcomed). Hitoyoshi Jirou (Ishikawa Kaito) is an employee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as a member of the ridiculously named Overpopulation Research Laboratory, better known as the Superhuman Bureau. The Bureau’s agents, often superhumans themselves, publicly have the job of seeking out superhumans and bringing them under the oversight and protection of the Bureau. In practice, though, Jirou is probably going to spend most of his time getting into a lot of ludicrous fights.

I do personally enjoy fantasy-boiling-pots like Concrete Revolutio, something that could easily be a comic book setting, a universe where Superman can credibly have a fight with the Incredible Hulk. The tag-line of the PV is, ‘fight against reality and make fantasy the victor,’ and there is definitely a sense of imagination going a bit crazy (hopefully in a good way) in the production. You’ll notice the very colourful palette used in the backgrounds and character designs, which is an unusual choice for what could otherwise be a gritty action show—‘psychedelic’ may be an apropos word here, or maybe they’re simply not going to take themselves all too seriously. And wasn’t this supposed to be the 60s? That’s an interesting time to set the story (woohoo, Cuban Missile Crisis. What a great time that was), creating something of an anachronistic alternate history. I am reminded somewhat of Samurai Champloo, not in substance but perhaps in style, as a period piece that isn’t really. That all looks fairly promising, and the staff, animation studio included, is also mostly the team of the original Fullmetal Alchemist (also UN-GO), which is a good thing (though screenwriter Aikawa Shou has a worrying lack of self-restraint when he goes original). There’s no lack of action shows this season, sure, but Concrete Revolutio is definitely one to keep an eye out for. Original series can surprise with an unexpected flair.

Preview by Guardian Enzo

The hype machine is off the charts for One Punch Man – the series which, more than any other, will define the success or failure of the Fall season for many. Why the massive buzz? It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t love ONE’s manga, Madhouse has produced more great anime than any studio in the last few years, Natsume Shingo is a fine director and the previews have been jaw-dropping (as well as suggesting the show could run for quite a while). The expectations are probably unrealistically high, but we may as well indulge ourselves – this season needs something for the audience to get excited about.

I‘ve read some of the manga, and I agree that it’s unique and vastly entertaining. But I’ve resisted the preview screening so far because I really want to go into the season fresh. It’s hard to describe OPM, really – it’s a story about a superhero so overpowered his life is basically dedicated to finding a challenging opponent, but it’s a lot more – intensely satirical, introspective, and quite dark at times. It’s a singular and intoxicating mix of elements, and I think there’s a chance this series could be a very big hit both in Japan and in the West (where its themes should find a natural audience). Yeah, One Punch Man could be a bust, just like any new series could – but not only would that be a crushing disappointment, it would also be a huge surprise.

Preview by Samu

After a full year, World Trigger is coming to an end, only to be replaced by an original-anime spin-off entitled World Trigger: Isekai Kara no Toubousha. The first season followed the story of the underpowered protagonist, Mikumo Osamu (Kaji Yuuki), the eccentric and childlike Neighbour, Kuga Yuuma (Muranaka Tomo), and the kind-hearted yet inherently gifted Amatori Chika (Tamura Nao), as they formed an unlikely team of Border agents in hopes of protecting Earth from the monsters that spill from the other dimensions. Across the 50 episodes we’ve seen the trio improve and grow together, advance through the Border system, and even engage in the deadliest Neighbour invasion to date. However, the original story hasn’t focused much on the ‘other worlds’ of World Trigger. The details of this spin off may be limited, but going by the promotional material and the characters designs of the new anime-only characters, it seems like we may be heading into the other dimensions this time around. If that is the case, it should be an good opportunity to explore the foreign cultures, worlds, and civil wars going on whilst the main characters are training for their own mission.

Having blogged the first cour of the World Trigger anime, and continued to watch it since, my opinions on the adaptation have shifted from my initial expectations. I should have seen it coming when Toei Animation were set to produce it, given their recent track record of lackluster adaptations. However, I went in with an open mind, but still ended up disappointed. Thankfully, as time has gone on the quality of the art and animation has become bearable and we’re now adapting the interesting parts of the manga. But as they are nearly caught up, this spin-off is essentially serving as a placeholder for the original story to continue at a later date. This could just end up a skippable filler arc, but it may be worth checking out to see if World Trigger: Isekai Kara no Toubousha makes use of the imaginative foreign lands that the first season never got the chance to explore.

Preview by Passerby

Ayano Academy is not just a run-of-the-mill high school. It specialises in producing stars for the world of show business, with a particular emphasis on the varied industries of music. Standing out in this elite institution is the Kao Kai, the three top students of the Musical Department, who are so esteemed that they have a personal class that they teach themselves: the Star Frame class. And our five protagonists are… not these honoured individuals. No, Hoshiya Yuuta (Hanae Natsuki), Kuga Shuu (Maeno Tomoaki), Nayuki Tooru (Ono Kensho), Tengenji Kakeru (Hosoya Yoshimasa) and Tsukigami Kaito (Arthur Lounsbery) sit firmly at the bottom of the barrel. Each, for personal reasons, have academic problems but each also dream of being big musical stars. It does not seem that they have much chance of getting accepted into the exclusive musical department, until one day they catch the eye of one of the Kao Kai. With the power of this patron, will these five be able to see their dreams through?

Considering the popularity and resilience of the idol anime genre (and the profitability of selling music to monetise your shows), I suppose it’s only a given, on the balance, that more ‘male-idol’ variants are emerging. And, yes, High School Star Musical really is an idol anime at heart, still much about the singing and dancing and chasing your dreams, though perhaps draped in the more sophisticated dress of professional musical theatre. Musical theatre is a grueling business, what with having to sing and dance and act all at once, and it may be interesting to see if they’re going to attempt to accurately portray the kind of sweat and tears that these kids are going to need to shed. High School Star Musical seems to bill itself as a comedy, though, so perhaps it aims for something lighter and softer. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that; it could do just as well being good, clean fun (and, of course, there will also be plenty of comely young men prancing about). If you enjoyed Uta no Prince-sama but thought the female cast was too large, this is the show for you.

Preview by Stilts

JK means joshi kousei (high school girl). Meshi generally means cooked rice or meal. Thus, JK Meshi! is a story of high school girls engaging in cooking adventures! Those girls are Igarashi Ruriko (Tokui Sora), Asahina Ryouka (Fujita Nao), and Saeki Reina (Hara Natsuko). This will be a short-form anime.

Coming with a relatively late announcement for the fall season, JK Meshi is going to be about high school girls cooking. I assume. To say information is scarce on this anime is like saying the ocean is a bit wet. I’m working off one sentence and a piece of promo art here. It’s said to be a short, and I’ve heard a five minute run-time mentioned. It might be CG animated, as the aforementioned single piece of promo art gives off that feeling. And that’s all I’ve got. High school girls. Cooking. If those are among your favorite things (especially the cooking), check it out. Even if it’s no good, at least you won’t have to waste much time to find out.

Preview by Zanibas

Hailing from the influential gag manga and anime Osomatsu-kun, the story continues after 27 years. It revolves around a group of sextuplets from the Matsuno family, whose mischievous deeds did not outgrow their former 10-year-old selves. Now grown up from their youth, the Matsuno brothers get into all sorts of trouble even as adults, with all the brotherly quarrels and scheming that come with it. Ososmatsu (Sakurai Takahiro), Karamatsu (Nakamura Yuuichi), Ichimatsu (Fukuyama Jun), Choromatsu (Kamiya Hiroshi), Todomatsu (Irino Miyu), and Juushimatsu (Ono Daisuke) continue to be high-energy in what was a one-shot chapter turned anime.

The airing of the series coincides with what would have been Akatsuka Fujio’s 80th birthday. Akatsuka, having won both the Shogakukan and Bungeishunjuu Manga Awards, has had a considerable influence on gag manga, where his secondary characters have considerable recognition with Japan’s older population. The production staff is something to get excited about as well. Studio Pierrot, which produced the late 1980’s run of the series, has returned to animate the 2015 offering. Gintama director Fujita Yoichi is helming the production, guiding an all-star cast of seiyuu that includes Ono Daisuke, Fukuyama Jun, Kamiya Hiroshi, Endou Aya, and more. The series looks to be a wacky and faithful successor to Akatsuka’s work, blending both the art style of the original manga with updated visual improvements for the 21st century. I encourage people who love gag manga to check this show out. With the resurgence of rebooted franchises, Osomatsu-san is an interesting peek at 1960’s gag manga culture, with its characters all grown up.

Preview by Stilts

After two seasons and a few OVAs, one of the current kings of the cute-girls-doing-cute-things genre is back! Yuru Yuri San☆Hai! continues the story of Nanamori Middle School’s Goraku-bu (lit. Amusement Club), which includes four girls: The presence-less Akaza Akari (Mikami Shiori), the whimsical Toshinou Kyouko (Ootsubo Yuka), the sensible Funami Yui (Tsuda Minami), and the Yui-sempai-obsessed Yoshikawa Chinatsu (Ookubo Rumi). They frequently cross paths with the members of Nanamori’s student council, including the tsundere pun-master Sugiura Ayano (Fujita Saki), the kansai-ben nosebleed sufferer Ikeda Chitose (Toyosaki Aki), the polite and feminine Furutani Himawari (Mimori Suzuko), and the cheerful baka Oomuro Sakurako (Katou Emiri). They’ll continue their funny, fluffy slice-of-life adventures, with a spritz of yuri to spice things up.

Yuruyuri is a cute-girls-doing-cute-things series, and the cute things they’re usually doing is silly gags and banter. The Amusement Club is a flimsy excuse to get all the characters in one place after school without real club activities getting in the way, but it’s not like Yuruyuri is the first show to use that tactic, and hey, it works. This is a comedy/cuteness slice-of-life, though I feel it lives or dies on its comedy. Divine loved the previous seasons, whereas I merely enjoyed them. “You merely enjoyed them, Stilts? You act like that’s a bad thing!” Not at all. The comedy is solid, and with eight main(ish) characters plus a bevy of family members for each, there are so many possible intersections that at least a few of the jokes are liable to tickle your funny bone. Add onto that the yuri shipping (my favorite pairings are Himawari x Sakurako, and Chitose x delusions), and you have an enjoyable, adorable slice-of-life comedy. If you haven’t started the series yet, you’ve got some catching up to do!

Preview by Zanibas

After a six year hiatus, long-running series Atashin’chi returns to Japanese television for plenty more gags. Starring in this casual slice-of-life is the Tachibana family, headed by the housewife (Watanabe Kumiko). With her two kids Mikan (Orikasa Fumiko) and Yuzuhiko (Sakaguchi Daisuke) and her husband (Ogata Kenichi), the four of them always have an adventure, even in the confines of their own home and town.

As a manga that was serialized in one of Japan’s largest newspapers for 17 years, Atashin’chi has earned a staple place in daily Japanese life. Portraying the typical Japanese household and their stereotypes has been important in the show’s continued popularity domestically. However, beyond those expectations and the gag comedy lies a long-drawn characterization of each member of the Tachibana family, each with their own quirks, worries, and hopes. With the same production staff and seiyuu, not much will change, but for viewers, that is probably a good thing. Although the nostalgia may be lost on some viewers, the continuation of this series is an important signal in how gag manga and family portrayals such as in Atashin’chi continue to be a staple part of Japanese culture.

Preview by Stilts

Is it a sequel? Is it a spin-off? Yes to both, sort of. Hidan no Aria AA stars not the titular Kanzaki Aria (Kugimiya Rie)—the S-ranked assault butei (armed detective) who gained fame for apprehending criminals in both Europe and Japan, and who is now studying abroad at Tokyo Butei High School—but lowly E-ranked assault butei Mamiya Akari (Sakura Ayane), a first-year girl who looks up to Aria. Akari wants to form an Amica (Italian for “friend”) pairing with Aria, so she can train under her for a year. But as an E-ranked butei, it doesn’t seem like she has a shot. Akari is determined to be paired with Aria anyway!

Among the Kugimiya-Rie-as-main-heroine-of-a-high-school-harem sub-genre—of which there are several by this point—Hidan no Aria is … I’m not going to mince words. It’s at the bottom. Toradora was better, Shakugan no Shana was better, Hayate no Gotoku! is a classic (and better), and even Zero no Tsukaima was more enjoyable, shifty anime-original ending notwithstanding. Having watched the first season, I was surprised Hidan no Aria got greenlit for a sequel. Not that it’s bad. It’s a fairly standard action-harem series, where its main sin is that it doesn’t stand out. Aria is the same wrathful loli tsundere for which KugiRie is known, without the complexity of other roles. And when an antagonist was revealed to be a descendant of Arsene Lupin, I started comparing it to Lupin III, and it came up lacking. But could this season be different? Rather than starring Aria, Tooyama Kinji (Majima Junji), and Kinji’s harem, the main character is Akari, in a Soul Eater NOT! or To LOVE-Ru Darkness kind of move. I checked out the manga, and my feelings are mixed. The old Hidan no Aria flaws remain (Ex: They are way to casual with firearms) and it can’t lean on the familiar cast (Aria excepted) to entertain, but it’s no longer a paint-by-the-numbers harem series. And here’s an odd fact: Apparently this story happens in parallel to the plot of the first season, which is … odd. Wouldn’t Akari have come up in conversation at some point? Overall, I’m willing to give it a shot again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it fails to exceed its serviceable but forgettable predecessor.

Preview by Stilts

Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) fans are in luck, because this season features not one, but two additions to the venerated series. Both, however, are gag anime, so I hope that’s what you were looking for. Hokuto no Ken: Ichigo Aji (Straberry-Flavored Hokuto no Ken) adapts the gag manga drawn by Yukito Imouto and written by Kawata Yushi. It mainly follows “Holy Emperor” Souther (Ginga Banjou) and his craaaazy hijinks, such as him trying to become friends with Kenshirou (Konishi Katsuyuki), demonstrating his party tricks, getting impersonated by Rei (Toriumi Kousuke) during his iconic moments, inserting himself into parts of the series where he doesn’t belong, and getting repeatedly stabbed in the leg every time he climbs the pyramid’s staircase. Ouch!

This is a gag anime based on the Fist of the North Star series, and I probably don’t need to go on any further. If you’ve watched the original and are pining for some more from your favorite characters with a new attitude, this is made for you. I understand the appeal—this is exactly why I enjoyed Carnival Phantasm so much. I just haven’t seen the original series, so my interest is precisely zero. For fans, I do think this could be fun—I don’t know why, but I’m getting a Thermae Romae feel from it? (I have no idea if that’s valid.) It’s just a fairly binary choice. Seen the original, check this out. Haven’t seen the original, you probably didn’t read this preview anyway.

Preview by Stilts

Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) fans are in luck, because this season features not one, but two additions to the venerated series. Both, however, are gag anime, so I hope that’s what you were looking for. DD Hokuto no Ken 2 Ichigo Aji+ is the second season of the super-deformed flash anime series DD Hokuto no Ken. It’s set in the year is 199x, and mankind was not engulfed in the flames of nuclear war. Join the characters from Fist of the North Star as they enjoy a peaceful life in modern day Japan. This season, the action has shifted to the academy. Except to see the existing cast, such as Kenshiro (Tachibana Shinnosuke) the convenience store worker, Raoh (Ichijou Kazuya) the factory worker, and Toki (Seki Tomokazu) the wracked-by-illness NEET. But you can probably also expect to see Souther (Namikawa Daisuke), who’s the star of this season’s other Hokuto no Ken series, Hokuto no Ken: Ichigo Aji.

I’ll say the same thing I said about the other Hokuto no Ken series—this is a gag anime based on the Fist of the North Star series, and I probably don’t need to keep talking. This is aimed squarely at fans of the franchise, the people who will know Hokuto no Ken well enough not only to know who the heck these super-deformed characters are, but to get a kick out of seeing them. A combination of nostalgia, seeing beloved old characters with a new attitude, and decent gags are what makes a series like this fun, but since I lack the qualifications for the former two, I’ll once again abstain. If you’re a fan of the original series—and especially if you enjoyed the previous DD Hokuto no Ken two years ago—this series is for you. If not, there’s nothing stopping you from diving in, you just might be bewildered if you do.

Preview by Stilts

Based on the light novel of the same name, Ore ga Ojou-sama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken is the story of a lone boy in a school full of ignorant, sheltered rich girls. In a hidden school surrounded by mountains, there’s a school completely cut off from the outside world (no internet, no cellphones—it’s even hidden from Google Maps). Here, high class ladies are educated to become the ideal yamato nadeshikos. But in recent years, more and more graduates have been unable to cope with the modern world after graduation, and are becoming hikikomoris. It’s time to inoculate the girls against commoner culture, and Kagurazaka Kimito (Tamaru Atsushi) is the vaccine. Kidnapped and enrolled in the school because he’s utterly average (and because they think he’s gay with a muscle fetish), Kimito is their “Commoner Sample,” there to teach the girls about the real world, and to get them used to men, in a safe environment. And Kimito has to play along, because if they find out he isn’t really gay, they may decide to protect the girls’ purity by alternate means—namely, castration. (That sound you’re hearing is all men everywhere crossing their legs in sympathy.) Now Kimito just has to survive the attentions of these out of touch ojou-samas, with his lil Kimito on the line!

“How do I make my main character not bang the bevy of beautiful girls who are always crawling all over him?” That’s the eternal conundrum of light novel authors. Making him claim he’s gay with a muscle fetish under threat of castration is a pretty good solution! As for all the sheltered rich girls, their ignorance can be cringeworthy (and even annoying) at times, though generally it’s pretty funny, especially since Kimito occasionally gets the better of them with his knowledge (and outrageous lies) about the “commoner world,” which is fantastic. With veteran Silver Link director Jinbo Masato (Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya) heading up the adaptation effort, the anime looks gorgeous from the promos. Plus, the likely lead haremette Tenkuubashi Aika (Serizawa Yuu) is giving me a serious Chiwa from OreShura vibe, which is great for me! (Chiwa5evar! …Takaii knows what I’m talking about.) Comedic sociopathy (trope!) and unfortunate implications abound, but as far as harem romcoms go, I feel like fans of the genre need to give this one a try, even those fans who are getting pickier (like me). If nothing else, it’s trying to do something a little different, even if it remains firmly routed in the genre’s best (and worst) traditions.

Preview by Passerby

In a collaboration between game company Rejet, music group Elements Garden, and music company Avex, Dance with Devils is… Twilight: the anime musical? 16-year-old Tachibana Ritsuka (Akaneya Himika) was just a perfectly normal high schooler (such as they are in anime), living a peaceful life with her mother, until one day she becomes entangled with the (uniformly handsome) denizens of the abyss: devils. Now her world has been turned upside down by the enigmatic (but distinguishably eligible) young men that form the student council of her school. The diligent Kaginuki Rem (Saito Souma) is the president (and a devil). The charming Sogami Urie (Kondou Takashi) is the vice-president (also a devil). The haughty Nanashiro Mage (Kimura Subaru) is the secretary (a devil too, who’d have thought). The aloof Natsumezaka Shiki (Hirakawa Daisuke) is the treasurer (a fallen angel, which we can probably count as a devil). Together with the stoic Tachibana Lindo (Hatano Wataru), Ritsuka’s brother (not a devil, but a devil hunter, to spice things up), these five bachelors of conveniently assorted personality types vie for Ritsuka’s attention. Throw in some talk of a ‘forbidden grimoire’ with the power to TAKE OVER THE WORLD! and we have a dark fantasy romance plot in the making.

If all of that sounded like Diabolik Lovers, playing this very season, then, yeah, Rejet made that too. I must admit that I initially dismissed Dance with Devils as yet another standard reverse-harem thing with a requisite supernatural twist, targeted at young women seeking escape from banality into mediocrity. This is before I found that Dance with Devil sings, which immediately elevates it to awesome. We have anime with music, about music, and even about musicals this season, but an actual musical? That’s a compelling hook. It also doesn’t hurt that Dance with Devils looks and sounds pretty good, with a faux-opera (specifically, Faust) aesthetic that has the potential to metamorphose into something outright Transylvanian if we need to get dark. Combined with seasoned shoujo writer Konparu Tomoko on series composition, there really is more substance to Dance with Devils than may appear on first blush. Did I mention that they sing? I hope they stick with that. Musicals are hard to do, but when done well they really are something special. If nothing else, there is a unique amusement to people suddenly breaking out into song.

Preview by Takaii

From the creator who brought us Ai Mai Mi comes a show called Fushigi na Somera-chan, which focuses on the daily life of Nonomoto Somera (Nakaya Sayaka) and her friends. What makes Somera special is that she wields magical powers and can use the strongest kenpo known as Nonomoto Mahou.

Besides that, I wish I could give you a longer synopsis, but there hasn’t been much revealed about the show’s story! What I can give you though, is a general idea of the manpower behind the show, and what we should expect. Most likely a short format show, we have director Imazaki Itsuki rolling over from his work on Ai Mai Mi, where this time around he’ll also be handling the script, production, and character design. In terms of studio we have Dream Creation of I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying fame holding the reins, and for vocal work we have Nakaya Sayaka (a former AKB48 member) providing the voice for our main character Somera. Overall, the vibes I’m getting from this show seem to be pretty positive overall. Based off of what I’ve seen from Choboraunyopomi’s other works (Ai Mai Mi and its sequel), every episode can be wildly different. Luckily, if you think about it as a short format show, it probably means we’ll get a lot of jokes in a typical slice-of-life environment, except in this case there’s going to be some magic and robots involved. And who knows, maybe that’ll be enough to make it worth a watch?

Preview by Zanibas

Set in Asahikwa, Hokkaido, Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru is this season’s new mystery series. Kujou Sakurako (Itou Shizuka) has the skills to examine bones for important clues, and uses this to help solve various cases around the city. She is accompanied by her boyfriend Tatewaki Shoutarou (Enoki Junya), an average high schooler who helps Kujou case to case. Together they make the typical mystery-solving duo, focusing on the bones of victims to solve the cases that no one else can.

From a personal standpoint, I’m super excited for this series. The art for this show looks excellent thanks to Itou Akira’s work, both with its amazing backgrounds and detailed shading. Although not much information has been released, Kujou Sakurako looks like a promising lead character, both in terms of her eccentric detective personality and with veteran Itou Shizuka doing a great job as her seiyuu. However, at the same time, the production staff have a lot to prove with this series. TROYCA, although experienced in producing Aldnoah.Zero, has much to prove in their first independent work as a studio. Director Katou Makoto has just as much to prove with his limited experience, having only worked on a handful of shows in secondary positions. Despite these warning signs, I am optimistic from the trailer that this show can end up as a star for this upcoming season. From the premise, I would say that fans who liked Gosick will enjoy this series as well—both are mystery series that rely on their likable and competent female leads while simultaneously developing the main duo’s relationship. I am crossing my fingers that TROYCA and Katou can hit it big with their first real production. It’s definitely worth seeing the first few episodes to see what they can offer as a new studio and director.

Preview by Stilts

An adaptation of the light novel of the same name, Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai is set in a world where a war against witches and wizards has been raging for 150 years. Lately, the balance of power has finally shifted from magic to guns thanks to the efforts of the Inquisition, which has been steadily cracking down on the threat posed by magic users. Kusanagi Takeru (Hosoya Yoshimasa) is enrolled in the Anti-Magic Academy, an academy that specializes in training inquisitors. Only, since Takeru is absolutely abysmal with any weapon except for a sword, he’s been relegated to the 35th Test Platoon, nicknamed the “Small Fry Platoon,” a collection of self-centered failures with personality problems and no teamwork. But the 35th is in luck, because the ultra-elite pistol master Ootori Ouka (Ueda Reina), who has already been working as a witch hunter (now temporarily demoted), has just been transferred into their squad. With her help, can they overcome their weaknesses and become a stronger platoon?

I’m a little excited about this series. When I first started reading about it, I was getting a Kuusen Madoushi Kouhosei no Kyoukan vibe, only not nearly that bad. Then I started reading the source material, and it’s looking solid. Every main character is twisted or broken in an interesting (and occasionally amusing) way. And sure, our male lead might inexplicably insist on bringing a sword to a gunfight, but fortunately that doesn’t make people treat him like a hotshot—he’s a reject like the others. It’s Ootori Ouka who’s the hotshot. Then there’s talk of Inquisitions, which had me worried. Only the Inquisition isn’t supposed to burn all the witches (because they know some magic users don’t want to be villains), so it feels more like a throwback name. It has its share of tropes, some of which made me roll my eyes, but the premise has some promise, and I really enjoyed the characters. Which is the key—eccentric characters can make any story fun. It’s still a magical-fantasy-action-harem anime, but it might have a little breakout appeal. If a gun-totting, spell-casting action series animated by Silver Link and helmed by the director and writer of Binbougami ga! sounds like a good time to you, I suggest you give the 35th Platoon a shot.

Preview by Zephyr

Produced by A-1 Pictures and led by Kanbe Mamoru (Elfen Lied, So-Ra-No-Wo-To), Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider comes in as the newest addition to the noitaminA lineup. One of ten books from Mori Hiroshi’s S&M (based on the main cast’s initials) mystery novel series, The Perfect Insider was Hiroshi’s debut novel, and winner of the first Mephisto Prize in 1996. The story revolves around Saikawa Research Lab member Saikawa Souhei (Kase Yasuyuki) and the daughter of his mentor, Nishinosono Moe (Tanezaki Atsumi). Having met by chance during the former’s vacation, the two suddenly stumble upon a corpse, the mysteries of which give way to a serial murder investigation. Rounding off the staff are Oono Toshiya (Gatchaman Crowds, Tsuritama) on series composition and Kawai Kenji (Fate/Stay Night, Ghost in the Shell, Mobile Suit Gundam 00) as the series’ composer.

Considering recent lack of mysteries in general, Subete ga F ni Naru comes as a series worth keeping an eye on purely for its genre. The fact that it’s based off an award-winning novel written by the man behind The Sky Crawlers only helps its case. It’s not every day that such an adaptation receives the production backing of a large studio and a staff with such notable works behind them. Almost all the series listed above have been lauded or discussed extensively on RandomC, with a few (So-Ra-No-Wo-To, Tsuritama) being personal favorites. Kenji Kawai’s epic compositions promise to set the perfect atmosphere for a series such as this, and the expectations are sky high for a series that seems every bit as intriguing as the original creator himself. Considering he was once a mangaka, scientist, and a professor, that’s saying something, and here’s hoping that Subete ga F ni Naru continues the streak of award-winning novels (Shin Sekai Yori was one) carrying over as superb anime series.

Preview by Samu

This time last year saw the rebirth of the famed Garo franchise, with MAPPA’s Garo: Honoo no Kokuin, a story of witches, knights, and priests, set in a world unlike our own. Afterwards, a second season and a movie (due June 2016) were announced. However, if, like me, you were expecting to continue the journey of Leon and Alfonso this season, you may have to wait until the movie comes around. This second season, entitled Garo: Guren no Tsuki, is less of a sequel and more of an alternate setting. The basis of the Makai knights is still the same, but the location, the characters, and even the art style are completely different. Garo: Guren no Tsuki is set in Japan during the Heian Period, meaning we’re more likely to see emperors and samurai than the European-inspired witch hunts of Honoo no Kokuin. It was originally claimed that we were getting a female protagonist in Seimei (Park Romi), a Makai priest of great power with a love for strange things, whose past is shrouded in mystery. However, it’s just as likely that Seimei’s pupil, Raiko (Nakayama Masei) will play an equally pivotal role in the journey ahead.

Part of me is disheartened that we won’t get the same characters returning, but on the other hand I’m glad that everything will be fresh and hopefully this time around more people will jump aboard the Garo train. If you missed it last year, now is your chance to give this fantasy epic a shot, especially if you’re intrigued by the historical Japanese setting. It’s difficult to gauge how Garo: Guren no Tsuki will turn out, due to how little plot details have been revealed, but it was the same situation last year and my expectations were exceeded, so it wouldn’t a stretch to assume the same again. I hope the the promise of a female protagonist wasn’t a red herring, since she’s my main draw going into this; I hope she’s a well-written, important figure who can carry the story. But even if she isn’t, this still promises to be another entertaining addition to the Garo franchise.

Preview by Zephyr

“Hey, you said you wanted a little sister, right?” Following his father’s departure overseas, first-year high school student Toujou Basara (Nakamura Yuuichi) suddenly found himself living with two beautiful step-sisters in Naruse Mio (Asai Ayaka) and Naruse Maria (Fukuhara Kaori). Secretly the future Demon Lord and her succubus protector, the two try to force Basara into a master/servant contract, only to end up with Basara as the master instead. As it turns out, Mio is caught in the middle of a power struggle between demons, and Basara vows to protect them. Fending off both powerful demons and the hero tribes that find her a threat to societal stability, Basara is thrust into increasing dangerous and erotic situations—the centerpieces of this “risqué battle action” series. The first season saw our cast fend off Zolgear, an ambitious demon aiming to become the ruler of the Demon Realm, with the second season picking up immediately afterwards. Joining the staff is Uetaku Sumio (Angel Heart, R-15), who will co-write the script with the original series’ writer, Yoshioka Takao (Elfen Lied, High School DxD).

As someone who usually avoids series with ecchi as their main selling point, Shinmai Maou no Testament ended up being a series that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. It is a magical-fantasy-action-harem-ecchi series through and through however, so there’s bound to be a gratuitous amount of fan-service, but the action scenes were actually a sight to behold at times, and it was actually quite fun seeing Basara just blow through enemies with his special abilities. A strong soundtrack helped things along, setting the foundations for an actual plot—which while average when compared to the typical series, ended up surprising for a series of this nature. It’s arguably one of the better ecchi series as a result, so it’s great for those that like the genre. For those who are unsure, I’d say your initial reaction to the premise will likely determine whether or not it’s your kind of show.

Preview by Stilts

After a year and a cour, the cute-girls-doing-cute-things series that’s obsessed with all things caffeine is back with a second season. Is The Order A Rabbit?? stars five friends whose names even allude to caffeinated drinks: The excitable, bubbly, and air-headed Hoto Kokoa (Sakura Ayane, a pun on “hot cocoa”), the tiny and cool Kafuu Chino (Minase Inori, from “cappucino”), the tough and militaristic Tadeza Lize (Taneda Risa, from “Thé des Alizés” tea), the spacey and quintessentially Japanese Ujimatsu Chiyo (Satou Satomi, from “Uji matcha” tea), and the ordinary but dignified Kirima Sharo (Uchida Maaya, from “Kilimanjaro” coffee). The series revolves around the café Rabbit House, where Kokoa and Chino live and work (Lize works there too), as well as their friends, their friend’s cafés, and the idyllic town they live in.

This is an easy preview to write, because almost nothing has changed since last season. The cast is the same, the staff is the same, and the studio is the same, though WHITE FOX is being joined by Kinema Citrus on animation, which should change precisely nothing. This isn’t a series that changes a lot itself, being one of the most pure slice-of-life shows you’re going to find. “Idyllic” is the word I would use for it, or perhaps “fluffy.” Not much changes, it’s relaxing, and there’s little drama, and that’s why it’s enjoyable (or piss boring, if that isn’t your sort of thing). This is a slice-of-life show for slice-of-life fans—I don’t see it having the crossover appeal of more popular fare, because it’s just so damn committed to being fluffy and harmless. The only strange part is Tippy (Kiyokawa Motomu), a talking rabbit that becomes fridge horror (trope!) when you learn more about him. But aside from that, it’s all good, pure slice-of-life fun. If you’re a fan of the genre, tune in.

Preview by Samu

Owari no Seraph returns for its second cour after a three-month break, continuing right where the story left off. The series follows Hyakuya Yuuichirou (Irino Miyu), a survivor of an unknown virus that ravaged Earth, killing everybody over the age of 13. Yuu, along with his fellow orphan, Hyakuya Mikaela (Ono Kensho) were captured by an army of vampires and taken underground for several years. However, Yuu managed to escape from the city, whilst Mika was left behind and turned into a vampire. Years later, Yuu ends up re-integrating into what remains of human civilisation, attaining his own cursed demon weapon and joining the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, seeking revenge against the vampires who took everyone he held dear. However, once on the battlefield, he encountered the now-vampirised Mika, who tried to stop him from being consumed by his quest for vengeance.

Having blogged the first cour of Owari no Seraph, my expectations for the series have fallen since its first (and strongest) episode. If you’re looking for something particularly original, then you’re likely to be disappointed. Owari no Seraph embraces nearly every shonen battle trope and runs with them. You can expect friendship power-ups, tsundere sidekicks, a boneheaded protagonist, and pretty much any other cliché you can come up with off the top of your head. However, the art direction is striking and lovely to watch, especially the watercolour backgrounds, which make it seem like the characters are living inside a series of paintings. Funnily enough, whenever the focus is more on the vampire side of the conflict, I find myself much more interested. It’s possible that the morals of this war between humans and vampires aren’t as black and white as they originally appear. Yuu may be simple-minded, but there’s a fascinating deuteragonist in Mika, who struggles with being born a human and now cursed with vampirism – caught in a conflict he seeks to abolish. If you missed out on the first 12 episodes and are in the mood for a classic shonen battle anime with vampires, bishounens, and tsunderes, then now is your time to catch up before the second cour is under way.

Preview by Stilts

This original anime is part of a three-part (so far) multimedia franchise launch. The story is set on five artificial islands. There’s the island of Bhikkhuni (female monks), on which the PlayStation Vita game is set; there’s the island of Siren, on which the free-to-play microtransaction social game is set; and Mermaid, on which the anime is set. (Also, there’s two others.) Billed as a “beautiful girl sexy battle action anime,” Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid starts when Tokonome Mamori (Izawa Mikako) is transferred to artificial island Mermaid. Once there, she’s attacked, only to be saved by an also-newly-transferred girl named Shikishima Mirei (Iguchi Yuka). But the enemy doesn’t stop, and when they’re cornered, Mirei kisses Mamori, and Mamori turns into a sword.

Valkyrie Drive is what you get when you combine Soul Eater with Senran Kagura, with weapon transformations by way of Sakura Trick. (Plus probably some Ikki Tousen in there somewhere.) Why do I mention Senran Kagura? Why, because Senran Kagura’s original creator Takaki Kenichirou is, and I shit you not, serving as the “enormous breasts” producer for the Vita game! (Yes, that’s a job title someone has. You jelly?) I’m not going to pretend this is fine art—this is bouncing boobs, gratuitous lesbian kisses, and equally-gratuitous fantasy action. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be bad, as long as you know what it is going in. Kaneko Hiraku—who also did Maken-Ki! and Seikon no Qwaser, which seems appropriate—is directing for ARMS, so you can’t fault them for not getting the right man (and the right studio) for the job. It’s unclear who exactly the “enemy” they’re fighting is, which is the biggest potential weak spot I’m seeing. That and the mood—Senran Kagura works because it’s cheerful and silly, and other booby fighters work because they’re too over-the-top to take seriously, but if Valkyrie Drive tries to play its ridiculous premise straight, it’ll slide into cringeworthy pretty quick. But as long as it’s something we don’t have to take too seriously, it could be fun.

Preview by Stilts

Ani Tore! EX (Anime de Training) is an exercise and diet anime being produced with the help of Earth Star Entertainment, the company behind anime such as Teekyuu and Makura no Danshi. Ani Tore! EX follows five women who are aiming to become idols, so they do different exercise routines to get in shape. Some examples: Push-ups, sit-ups, back extensions, dancing, yoga, stretching, core exercises, and Tai Chi. The five women: Hoshi Asami (Itou Miku), Higuchi Eri (Waki Azumi), Saotome Shizuno (Komaki Miyu), Tachibana Shion (Naganawa Maria), and Hiraoka Yuu (Takao Kanon). The anime is set to premiere on October 12th, this year’s Health and Sports Day.

If I was looking for diet and exercise advice, I wouldn’t turn to anime. Most diet and exercise advice is crap anyway, but I wouldn’t expect the rare gems to appear in anime form. With Makura no Danshi, I could understand who is was aimed at, even if the idea of “watching” something like that wasn’t appealing to me in the least. (Not even if it had been changed to cute anime girls, ’cause cute anime boys just aren’t my bag, baby.) For this, I can only imagine it’s a combination of YouTube demonstration videos (“This is how you do this exercise!”) with some kind of social pressure incentive (“Let’s all do this together now! Ganbare!”). Kind of like when you promise to exercise with a friend so the social cost of waffling on them makes you actually do it, you know? If the exercises they show are actually done correctly, then no harm done I suppose. I just wouldn’t build your exercise routine off of what cute anime girls are doing.