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I can’t believe a year has already passed since I last wrote a preview introduction. I love spring; not only because it brings us warmer weather, but it’s one of my favorite anime seasons, and it marks the anniversary for a handful of writers here at Random Curiosity. This April we welcome back a ton of sequels to everyone’s favorite series. We have newly announced sequels after last year’s successful prequels (Nisekoi:, Sidonia no Kishi: Dai-kyuu Wakusei Sen-eki), and some series with long-awaited sequels (Digimon Adventure tri., Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku). There’s also a good combination of new (Kekkai Sensen, Shokugeki no Souma) and old (Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season) adaptation favorites. And if none of that tickles your fancy, you still have completely original anime (Plastic Memories) to look forward to. Regardless of what your preferences are, I don’t doubt that you’ll find something that catches your eye this season. After a mediocre winter season, I’m so pumped for spring! Bring on all 46 shows!
As a quick reminder, most entries are divided into two paragraphs:
- A brief introduction to the series and its premise, often with the starring cast of characters.
- The writer’s impressions, expanding on the plot and highlighting specific points of interest.
This season we’ll continue using our Expectation Levels. Remember that these reflect our own subjective excitement level for each show, and do not necessarily reflect how shows will pan out. For more information, check out the Overall Impressions section at the bottom, which includes an expanded explanation of each category and a list of all shows by expectation level.
Disclaimer: Back in the ancient era of 2012, previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Unfortunately, none of the current writers are as crazy awesome as him, so we’ve divvied them up among our staff (Cherrie, Passerby, Samu, Stilts, Takaii, Zanibas, and Zephyr) in order to maintain the quality of this preview. We will try to point out what appeals to us in each series, in the hope that it will help you determine if it coincides with your tastes.
Disclaimer #2: Please note that this list does not reflect all the series airing this coming season. It is meant to be as comprehensive as possible, but omissions have been made for shows that stray from the anime norm or seem to be oriented toward young children. Please check out MOON PHASE for complete listings, syoboi for specific air times, and Fansub DB for a list of potential subbers for each series.
Once again, thank you to the entire RandomC staff for helping out with this preview. Also, for anyone looking for a second opinion, feel free to check out LiA’s Spring preview, completely written by Enzo himself. Finally, a special thanks to all of you for your continued support of Random Curiosity. We say this every time, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Thank you.
Technical Note: The chart below is ordered by the date and time that the shows premiere. The links in the schedule will take you to a series’ corresponding entry and the “Top” links on the right will bring you back. You can also use the back/forward buttons in your browser to jump between links you’ve clicked. All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.
* Jump to OVA/Movies.
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After a brief break, everyone’s favourite series of five minute shorts about a mismatched couple muddling through their daily life returns! Tsunashi Kaoru (Tamura Yukari) still has trouble giving up her booze and smokes, and her otaku husband Hajime (Suzumura Kenichi) still can’t wean himself from the internet, but they manage to get along royally. They get along so well, in fact, that they’re about to have a kid! Suitably, this new spring season is also a new chapter in their lives. And it’s also interesting that two such contrasting characters like the Tsunashis are actually creating offspring. Doesn’t it make you even slightly curious about the result? The first run of I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying was one of the best short-length anime of 2014, being an adult yet charming series, sweet enough to rot teeth without sacrificing its mature edge. Director and screenwriter Nagai Shinpei did a good job remixing the messy folio of Cool-kyou Shinja’s 4-koma into something coherent. Yes, the shorts were still mostly a series of comedy sketches, but when put together they provided a clear sense of progression and character development. All this to tackle a subject matter rare in anime: married life, like a less dramatic CLANNAD ~AFTER STORY~ delivered in five minute bites. More broadly, Danna ga Nani o Itteiru Wakaranai speaks of a shared humanity between people of all shapes, and that people are pretty funny. Hey, it’s only five minutes every week. Watch the first season and watch this one. It’s a low investment for high returns.
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Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machibatteiru, or Oregairu, makes its triumphant return this spring. While some people may say that sequels never manage to grab the spark that made the original so good, it’s hard to think that a show this off-base wouldn’t be able to hit a homerun with its rather unique premise. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch a show where the entire cast of characters each has some kind of serious character flaw? Self-centered, egotistical, manipulative, lazy, and a complete hatred of anything involving seishun or youth only brushes the surface of what characters like Hikigaya Hachiman (Eguchi Takuya) and Yukinoshita Yukino (Hayami Saori) bring to the table. Toss in Yuigahama Yui (Touyama Nao), who rounds out the other two by being somewhat normal, and you have the loveable trio that make up the Volunteer Service Club. A club that, in the eternal words of Yukino, exists for her to help all the lost lambs of the world. For those of you who don’t know, I covered the first season of this show, and I enjoyed a lot of it. The characters are all a bit quirky in a strange way, but not to the point where you can’t stomach them (except for maybe Zaimokuza, but I think he’s designed to be like that). The story technically revolves around Hachiman as he struggles against his daily high school life, but Yui and Yukino both get their fair share of story time. If I had one complaint, it would have to be the studio change to Feel from Brain’s Base. Not necessarily because I have anything for or against either studio, but with how well Brain’s Base did with the first season, it would be a shame if Feel somehow managed to screw it up. That said, Feel has managed to not completely botch things, and with Oregairu having an established track record as a good show, I think we can have a little hope that things will end up being okay.
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Based on the 4-koma manga of the same name, Re-Kan! centers around Amami Hibiki (Kido Ibuki), a polite, low key, and slightly air-headed girl who can see ghosts and supernatural phenomena. The story follows her in her daily life with both her regular friends and otherworldy beings. This is a 4-koma slice-of-life adaptation that, of the four facets of slice-of-life, leans most on comedy and atmosphere. The comedy: good. What I read of the manga made me chuckle in a low key manner that’s in line with Hibiki’s personality. The atmosphere: light-hearted and warm. Any potential horror in the premise is dodged in favor of spirits that, while occasionally grotesque, are largely benign. As for the plot: no signs so far. Granted, we only read so much of the source material for these previews, so it could ramp up later on, but I’m not counting on it. I’m neither especially excited nor pessimistic about this series. It looks solid, competent, but not a world beater. If a low key slice-of-life comedy sounds like your thing, give this one a shot. Go in with moderate expectations and I bet it will be pleasant.
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Eight years after the StrikerS anime, the Nanoha universe is finally returning to your living room with ViVid. Takamachi Nanoha (Tamura Yukari) and Fate Testarossa (Mizuki Nana) are still around, but it’s their adopted daughter Takamachi Vivio (Mizuhashi Kaori) that’s taking center stage. Set four years after the ‘JS Incident’ of terrorist attacks in StrikerS, Vivio is now a fourth-year elementary student at St. Hilde Academy of Magic. Vivio has learned how to transform into her adult form at will, and has received her own Device—Sacred Heart—from Nanoha, in exchange for promising to never use either for mischief. That’s when a mysterious magical fighter claiming the name of an ancient Belkan ruler appears and targets Vivio. For those new to the magical girl game, you might not realize that Madoka wasn’t the first time Shinbo revolutionized the genre. Nanoha’s wrinkle was to add military to magical girls, and turn the battles into explosion-filled sci-fi/magical slugfests that are less about the power of love, and more about nuking your enemies into friends (trope!). The Nanoha series was giving us Fate-style combat before Fate/stay night had an anime that was worth a damn, and it’s what Prisma Illya has always been trying to be. StrikerS all but killed Nanoha anime, but the ViVid manga proved its foundations were still good. If you watched the first three series, and enjoyed the first one and A’s, watch this—from what I’ve read and heard, it’s a return to form. For new viewers, this is the easiest point to jump in, since a new protagonist is taking over. I do have some concerns about the main staff, who have few credits to their names, but I’m going to watch it anyway. Nanoha is exactly the kind of fantasy-action I love, filled with badass martial arts, uplifting characters, and more explosions (trope!) than you can wave an Intelligent Device at. If you like explosive magical combat—and don’t mind lolis, though they grow up when it’s time to fight—watch this. Watch it, watch it, watch it! Now I just hope they can do an old stalwart justice.
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Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? takes place in the city of Orario, commonly known as “Dungeon” for its huge underground labyrinths. Adventurers, supported by gods and goddesses, flock to Orario to seek honor, adventure, and maybe even love. Bell Cranel (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu) is a newbie adventurer who dreams of having a fateful meeting with a pretty girl. One day during an adventure, he’s attacked by a dangerous minotaur, but before it could finish him off he’s saved by a top-class adventurer named Ais Wallenstein (Oonishi Saori). He falls in love with her at first sight, and aspires to reach her level. Later, Bell finally meets a god of his own—Hestia (Minase Inori), the failed “lolita god” who doesn’t have even one follower, and who quickly falls in love with Bell. This is a magical-fantasy-action-harem anime based on a light novel with a Matsuoka Yoshitsugu main character (déjà vu!). While recently I mean that as a slam, I’m a little excited about this one. As an author of fantasy adventurer stories myself, this is certainly in my wheelhouse, and I’ve long affection for J.C. Staff romcoms. The premise seems shallow, though, as a disconcerting number of light novel plots tend to be, with all the focus on wish fulfilment-style harem antics instead of anything of substance. I was surprised that Bell’s god, Hestia, appears to be the leading lady—and that, despite her title as the “lolita god”, she’s actually quite busty. The staff is heartening though, with people in key positions having plenty of experience both in general and with J.C.Staff productions / romcoms in particular, led by director Yamakawa Yoshiki (Hatsukoi Limited, Little Busters!). This is hitting a lot of tropes I like, but it’s not giving me reason to think it will transcend them. If you’re a magical-fantasy-action-harem fan, this one looks more encouraging than some. I just have my doubts on whether it will be able to draw in a wider fanbase.
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How does one explain the Suzumiya Haruhi franchise to the uninitiated? Based on a light novel by Tanigawa Nagaru, the original Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu took 2006 by storm and arguably influenced an entire generation of Japanese popular media. Its relatively simple premise—a normal high school life masquerading a world of the supernatural—belied some clever writing and an almost absurdist comic style that in anime is rarely replicated. Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu, however, is nothing at all like that, since it takes the central conceit of the Disappearance arc, in which supernatural elements never existed, and runs heavily with it. Our main lead Nagato Yuki (Chihara Minori) is but a shy young girl who is definitely not an alien cyborg interface, and she heads the Literature Club whose only other members are her close friend Asakura Ryouko (Kuwatani Natsuko) and secret crush Kyon (Sugita Tomokazu). Together they… well, they don’t do much of anything. Which is sort of the point. The conclusion of the Disappearance story was that a more peaceful world is necessarily less interesting, and Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu is the natural extension of that. So while the parent Suzumiya Haruhi—animated by Kyoto Animation—was urban fantasy, the spinoff Nagato Yuki-chan—animated by Satelight, and with a different set of staff—is just urban. Don’t expect most of this anime to have any complex causal paradoxes or witty internal narration. In likelihood, only dedicated fans of the franchise (though they be legion) would feel compelled to follow this alternate-world slice of life fantasy. It is, in essence, fanservice, especially for fans of Nagato Yuki and her unrequited love. It’s an excuse for familiar faces to go out of character and just indulge in fluff for a while. Sure, some semblance of plot may rear its malformed head in time, but that’s secondary to Yuki starring in her very own ‘what-if’ rom-com to appease the shippers. That’s a fairly targeted audience, but even that niche may be pretty big.
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While I don’t personally enjoy all these shows that take their source material from things that have little to no story, Vampire Holmes seems to be skirting this by combining two really popular things: vampires and One of the Greatest Detectives to live in my imagination. Being adapted from a somewhat popular mobile game, this show focuses on a character named Holmes who lives in London. Except he doesn’t want anything to do with mystery solving, and makes a living as a private detective even though he doesn’t want to be one. All of which is exasperated by his ability to always solve any case he’s been given without any rhyme or reason. So of course, it makes sense that London’s police force tasks him with the duty to search for vampires hiding through the city. After trying to find as much information as possible about this show and rereading the things I did find, I’m still not sure I understood what I read. You have a show that’s staged in London and is pulling on a lot of popular themes that originated from there, except in this context it feels like someone had ideas on a board and threw darts to decide what they wanted to do. Maybe the smartphone game does the story justice, but seeing how the app refuses to run on my phone, I’ll never be able to find out. For those who are still interested, the show is slated to air as five minute shorts, so if you do take the plunge, it looks like you won’t have to invest too much time!
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Shokugeki no Souma follows the title character, Yukihira Souma (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu), a boy whose dream has always been to become a full-time chef in his family restaurant, and one day surpass his father in his own field. However, as Souma graduates from middle school, his father announces that he’s closing down his restaurant to cook in Europe. Fortunately, this doesn’t stop Souma. Instead, it drives him to attend Totsuki Culinary Academy, a famous high school where out of all the students, only 10% graduate. It’s a place filled with famous faces, as well as those destined for success in the culinary field. It’s a school built around its hierarchy, where battles are fought to judge who is superior, and the students are never given a moment of rest, as they are constantly put through gruelling trials in hopes of attaining their cooking dreams. There may not be any swords or magic in Shokugeki no Souma, but make no mistake, at its core this is still a Weekly Shonen Jump battle manga. Anyone who mistakes this as a straight-up cooking anime will be in for many surprises along the way. The battles between the aspiring chefs are bursting with action and packed with details that will inspire you to try and replicate their lavish dishes. I’ve been following the manga since the beginning of its serialisation, and it’s proven itself to be one of the best weekly reads. Another major attraction to the series is its fanservice and how well it is done, and I say that as someone who dislikes the typical ‘ecchi’ shows that we get every season. But Shokugeki no Souma is smart, incorporating it through over-the-top foodgasms that never fail to be outrageous and hilarious. And the best part about it? Equal opportunity fanservice! It’s not just the girls whose clothes burst from excitement, but the guys as well. It’s refreshing, and doesn’t exclude any particular demographic from enjoying their favourite characters in provocative positions as they drool over their new favourite dessert. If you’re looking for an unorthodox battle anime, you should give this a shot. And if you’re looking for hilarious softcore porn, you could probably check this out as well.
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Mamiya Sakura (Inoue Maria) is sick and tired of ghosts. They just won’t leave her alone since the day she started seeing them after disappearing in the woods many years ago. To date, her powers haven’t really been of much use, though it does help her bond with fellow ghost-spotter Juumonji Tsubasa (Kimura Ryouhei), a childhood friend. That changes when fellow classmate Rokudou Rinne (Ishikawa Kaito) finally starts attending class, entangling Mamiya deeper in the supernatural, where sometimes a little money is involved. Perhaps the most recognizable name attached to Rinne’s production would be Takahashi Rumiko, original creator of works such as Inuyasha, Maison Ikkoku, and Urusei Yatsura. For her name to appear on an anime once again after many years is a big deal, considering how she’s one of the most prolific mangaka of all time. However, Kyoukai no Rinne as a story seems to have received a mixed reception in its manga form. After watching the PVs, there is reassurance to be had. Brains Base is doing an excellent job with the art, keeping it both updated for modern standards and retaining the nostalgic style that Takahashi is known for. The seiyuu are well-trained veterans as well. What really hangs in the balance is whether director Sugawara Seiki can do this justice. With limited experience in a full directorial role (D-Frag!), this high profile work will absolutely define his future career. Fans of Takahashi, be sure to check out this adaptation and cross your fingers. If the execution falls flat, at least fans will be able to enjoy the nostalgic feel that is connected to many a fan’s first anime.
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The Japanese education system, to hear people tell of it, is a merciless taskmaster, focused on rote learning and gruelling memory tests. New teacher Kagami Junichirou (Kamiya Hiroshi) is here to revolutionise the Japanese high school. Before he was a teacher, he was just some nerd, mulling at home and blogging about anime and all that generic nerd stuff. However, before he was just some nerd, Junichirou was actually an unparalleled genius celebrated in the scientific community, but for allegedly pathological reasons, he lost all his motivation. Not wanting to see Junichirou languish at home, his sister Suzune (Matsui Rena) signs him up to work as a physics teacher. But teaching high school science is boring. Junichirou instead takes it upon himself to guide his flock to finding something worth learning themselves. His methods are unorthodox, but he gets results. A maverick like Kagami Junichirou may just be what is needed to revitalise Japan’s next generation. Another season, another anime about some otaku at some high school. Why are so many anime set in high schools, anyway? One theory is that high school is the last chance for dreams and imagination before Japanese society stomps it out of you. Fittingly, Denpa Kyoushi, based on a manga by Azuma Takeshi, is about chasing dreams, and regaining that burning passion of youth. So while the premise may look awfully like Mahou Sensei Negima without the magic, Ultimate Teacher is not just your average high school harem comedy. It is a celebration of individualism in a highly collectivist society, a social commentary that becomes increasingly important as modern Japan seems to slide further back into its old nationalistic lines. It also doesn’t hurt that Denpa Kyoushi is good fun. Kagami-sensei teaches a lot of quirky characters with quirky problems, and this show adheres closely to its core philosophy: to be interesting.
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One day, out of the blue, the world was ravaged by an unknown virus, killing every infected human over the age of 13, while the children that remained were enslaved by the vampires that emerged from the bowels of Earth. Hyakuya Yuuichirou (Irino Miyu) is one of those survivors, now living underground, treated like livestock by the vampires. Along with his friend, Hyakuya Mikaela (Ono Kensho), who he grew up with in a orphanage, he dreams of one day escaping captivity and taking vengeance on all vampires. The pair come up with a plan to get to the outside world, but their attempt ends in tragedy as only one is able to make it out safely. However, once on the surface, Yuuichirou meets with the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, who seek to ally with him in order to avenge those he has lost to the vampires. I’ve had my eye on Owari no Seraph since it’s publication in 2012. It was an early hit, and it’s easy to see why, appealing to both male and female demographics with its dark content, yet charming character designs. I like to think of Owari no Seraph as the little brother to Ao no Exorcist; they’re both in the same style, tell similar stories, and run in the same magazine. I’ve not read too far into the source material, but I know that the dramatic beginning is followed by a timeskip, and a shift to a school setting, similar to Ao no Exorcist – and I’m sure the similarities don’t end there. Even though Tokudo Daisuke hasn’t done enough to judge his directing ability, Wit Studio have proven themselves with Shingeki no Kyojin, so my expectations are set pretty high for this one. Owari no Seraph is also going to be split-cour, with its second cour airing in Fall, so you can expect a lengthy story to be told over the course of 2015. If you’re a fan of vampires and dark fantasy, or if you’ve been left feeling empty since Ao no Exorcist’s anime ended, then this will be a worthy pick up.
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The harem king of High School DxD is back for a third season! This series stars Hyoudou Issei (Kaji Yuki), a shamelessly perverted high schooler who was killed by a girl on his very first date. Luckily he was resurrected as a demon by the beautiful and busty school idol Rias Gremory (Hikasa Youko). Now Issei is one of Rias’ “chess pieces,” along with the sadistic queen Himejima Akeno (Itou Shizuka), taciturn rook Toujou Koneko (Taketatsu Ayana), ikemen knight Kiba Yuuto (Nojima Kenji), the lacking-in-common-sense knight Xenovia (Taneda Risa), the former-nun bishop Asia Argento (Asakura Azumi), and the trap to end all traps bishop, Gasper Vladi (Sakura Ayane). But Issei’s harem extends beyond that, as does the danger, as Issei’s powers grow and ever more powerful villains butt heads with Rias’ team. For viewers of a certain anime-watching age, High School DxD is the gold standard of the magical-fantasy-action-harem ecchi genre. Its fanservice is as unabashed as its lead character, and the girls are increasingly okay with the harem setup—they’re competing for more of Issei’s attention, not trying for the whole pie. Add a plot that doesn’t feel vestigial—it may not be fine art, but it’s always solid, and occasionally damn good—and High School DxD deserves much of the praise it receives. It’s still firmly rooted in its genre, so you’re going to need to enjoy gratuitous breast viewings to enjoy it, but it does fantasy-action-fanservice well, and it doesn’t neglect our minds, our hearts, or our funny bones, even if its main focus is somewhere else. I feel like the second season wasn’t as strong as the first, but that’s mostly because of the plot it was adapting, not the quality of the adaptation itself. With the main cast, staff, and studio returning, if you liked the last two seasons, we already know you’ll be tuning in. If you’re new to the series, you’ve got two seasons to watch before spring begins. Chop chop!
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The year is 2115 and Japan is been split into two parallel universes: the outlaw haven known as Frontier S (Stratos), and the totalitarian 17th Far East Imperial City Management District. Caught off guard by a disease that causes humans to rot away and crumble like sand, the world is suddenly thrown into chaos, one made worse by the conflicts between both universes. As the specter of destruction looms, Tooru Kazasumi (Abe Atsushi), a student in the Management District, suddenly finds himself dragged into the conflict, setting the stage for events that could determine the fate of two universes. Based on Square Enix’s popular arcade shooter of the same name, the series revolves around an original story by Urobuchi Gen and will be produced by A-1 Pictures. At the helm will be first time director Shinpei Ezaki (episode director for Guilty Crown, Kimi ni Todoke, Shingeki no Kyojin), who will be joined by seiyuu such as Hayami Saori, Mizuki Nana, and Sawashiro Miyuki—all of whom will be reprising their original game roles. Talk about a mixed bag. On one hand, you have an amazing cast, what should be great production values, and a story by UroGen. On the other hand, it’s a series linked to an arcade game, and you have a first time director whose previous work included being the episode director for 5 episodes of Guilty Crown. It’s hard to predict what we’ll get given this combination, and I think being cautiously optimistic is the best way to go. There’s a solid sci-fi backdrop for fans of the genre, and the Butcher’s involvement—along with comments claiming at least one person will die—likely means we’ll receive a dramatic narrative that could be worth watching. The fact that the recent Shingeki no Bahamut was so well received illustrates the potential of series based on source material from other mediums, and this is the kind of series I want to be good, even if it has a lot working against it. Overall, it’s worth a watch—even Guilty Crown had a lot of potential—if only to see how they develop things here. I just hope that you’re prepared to jump ship, because this is the kind of series that could either pleasantly surprise or go downhill quickly.
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Following a one-cour break, ufotable returns with Unlimited Blade Works’ second season, which continues the events of the fifth Holy Grail War. As a direct sequel to the first, Unlimited Blade Works will resume its focus on heroine Tohsaka Rin (Ueda Kana) and fellow classmate Emiya Shirou (Sugiyama Noriaki). Having been selected as “Masters,” they wield the legendary “Heroic Spirits” Archer and Saber in the fight against other Masters, all of whom are seeking to acquire the Grail and its abilities as an omnipotent wish granting device. Brought together by circumstance, this season will reveal the bonds of fate that tie them together and bring a conclusion to one of 2014’s most popular series. Miura Takahiro will return as director for this second season, joining the rest of the series’ cast in reprising their original roles. Need I say any more? The Fate franchise speaks for itself, and the fact that ufotable’s a slam dunk in terms of production only adds to the rightful hype the series is receiving. Caster’s successful acquisition of Saber at the end of the first season means there’s a load of climactic developments waiting for us, and there’s much to be said about the twists and turns that await those watching this series for the first time. Unlimited Blade Works is a must-watch series based on production values alone, and there aren’t many words to describe how great it is to see ufotable finally give it the adaptation it deserves. It won’t ever hit the pinnacle that Fate/Zero did years back, but it will be a memorable journey in its own right, and it sets the stage for what could be the real treat: the movie adaptation of the series’ other route in Heaven’s Feel.
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In a future not too far away, androids that look exactly like humans begin to spread across the world. The android production company SA Corp created the Giftia, a new kind of android that has the most emotions and human-like qualities out of any model ever seen. However, due to problems with the technology, the androids have a service life, and once they pass that, it gets bad. For this reason, SA Corp created a terminal service in order to retrieve Giftia that have gone past their service life. Mizugaki Tsukasa (Takumi Yasuaki) is a new employee at the terminal service. He forms a team with the Giftia girl Isla (Amamiya Sora) to retrieve androids near the end of their lives. I’m an unabashed fan of Dogakobo, and a strong supporter of original anime, so since this is Dogakobo’s first original series, you had better believe I’m interested. But I temper my expectations, for expectations are the death of enjoyment, even if the fundamentals do look good. Heading up the project is Fujiwara Yoshiyuki, returning Dogakobo director of GJ-bu and Mikakunin de Shinkoukei, while the script writer/original creator is Hayashi Naotaka, best known as the scenario writer for CHAOS;HEAD, Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes, and Bravely Default. Do the character designs look a little Infinite Stratos to you? That’s because they were designed by Infinite Stratos’ original artist, okiura. Plot-wise, it looks like Plastic Memories is adopting a bittersweet stance, from a premise that promises heartbreak to promo videos with mournful music over smiling faces and worrying text. This feels like a sci-fi tragedy in the making, where earnest characters will defy the inevitable, and I don’t know if they’ll get their happy endings. It’s fascinating subject material, and something we may someday have to honestly consider. Temper your expectations, for I would expect a slow build, but I’m excited nonetheless. Just remember: as Studio Gokumi’s own first original, Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru, proved last fall, all the solid fundamentals in the world won’t matter if you don’t have a good story to tell, and if you don’t make the sometimes hard choices to tell it well. Only time will tell.
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After a successful debut, STARISH are now well-known idols. Aspiring composer Nanami Haruka (Sawashiro Miyuki) continues working with the members of STARISH on a professional and emotional level. Among those members are Ittoki Otoya (Terashima Takuma), a positive and energetic boy who loves nothing more than singing; Hijirikawa Masato (Suzumura Kenichi), a piano player taking over his family business; Shinomiya Natsuki (Taniyama Kishou), a viola player with a split personality; Ichinose Tokiya (Miyano Mamoru), the perfectionist brother of Haruka’s idol, Hayato; Jinguuji Ren (Suwabe Junichi), a flirtatious saxophone player; Kurusu Shou (Shimono Hiro), an energetic and cheerful boy with an underlying heart condition; and their latest addition, Aijima Cecil (Toriumi Kousuke), the self-proclaimed prince of Agnalolis. After a rivalry with opposing idol group HEAVENS, in an all-for-play competition, STARISH performed Maji Love 2000% and won over the crowd. But before HEAVENS could fulfil their promise and disband their group, STARISH convinced them otherwise, declaring that there are no losers when it comes to music. As someone who watched the first two seasons of Uta no Prince-sama, this is a contagious series, and one impossible to dislike. Everything is over the top, the characters are cheesy, and the romance always feels like fan baiting, but somehow it all comes together nicely and delivers something quite entertaining. I’m not familiar with the games, so I’m not sure how the anime serves as an adaptation, but I’m sure fans of the franchise will be happy to see their favourite idols animated again, no matter if the story is a continuation of the material or anime original. There’s something incredibly infectious about this series, so if you’re interested in an eccentric male idol show, Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Maji Love Revolutions might be the right one for you.
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More random! More ad-libbing! More cheap CG! That’s Tesagure! Bukatsumono Spin-off Purupurun Sharumu to Asobou for you! With the main cast of Tesagure’s random club back–including Satou Hina (Akesaka Satomi), Suzuki Yua (Nishi AsukaOgino Karin), and the poor Tanaka Koharu (Ohashi Ayaka) … and more, this spinoff marks the third season of the Tesagure! series. Meta-jokes about anime are to be had, and more tropes will be switched around by a witty group of seiyuu. To be concise, this is a 3D-CGI series whose focus is more on the ability for seiyuu to ad-lib rather than any notion of animation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since the ad-libbing itself can be hilarious at times. If you’ve seen series such as gdgd, then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Truthfully, series like these would be more suitable for radio, but end up getting a visual adaptation to fill up slots in an animation television block. Fans of the first two seasons will find the exact same material here plus some new characters, but newbies should watch season one’s first episode to see if it strikes a chord with you. If you like one ad-libbing show, you’ll most likely like them all; though with slightly different premises, they are all random, full of seiyuu having fun in casual roles.
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New York has been destroyed! It all happened so suddenly, with a gate to hellish parallel dimensions opening over the city and denizens of the netherworld pouring forth. In New York’s place is now the city of Jerusalem’s Lot, and a mysterious barrier quarantines it from the outside world. In this isolated ecosystem, humans and demons tenuously coexist in a society of both martial law and rampant crime. A vigilante group of superhumans calling themselves ‘Libra’ has taken it upon themselves to preserve the fragile balance of this technological and paranormal melting pot. But there are forces conspiring to tear down the barrier and unleash Jerusalem’s Lot upon the outside world. Journalist Leonardo Watch (Sakaguchi Daisuke) finds himself entangled in this mess, even as he tries to uncover the secrets of Jerusalem’s Lot for his own personal reasons. He may just end up being the key piece in the chaotic puzzle. Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront) is an adaptation of a manga by Nightow Yasuhiro, the man who brought us Trigun, and other things with guns in it. If you’re familiar with his work, then you probably already have an idea of the kind of sensibilities at work in Kekkai Sensen. Expect over-the-top action, sci-fi/period piece hybrids, and a conflicted protagonist struggling in a violent world. Staff for the anime is being lead by Matsumoto Rie, a relatively fresh but promising director, while BONES will be on hand to guarantee the level of aesthetic quality associated with their studio. Look forward to a spectacle of ridiculous fights and wanton property damage akin to BLACK LAGOON and Darker than BLACK (but less morally, er, black), and probably one of the stronger doses of action this season.
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Within the thriving kingdom of Pars lies the Royal Capital of Ecbatana, a marvellous city ruled by the undefeated King Andragoras III (Sugou Takayuki). There also lies Arslan (Kobayashi Yuusuke), the 14-year-old prince of Pars who, despite his best attempts, doesn’t have what it takes to one day rule as king. When Arslan is sent into his first battle, he suffers a terrible defeat, and as war ravages on, the kingdom of Pars is burnt to the ground. After barely escaping with his life, Arslan meets with his loyal servant, Daryun (Hosoya Yoshimasa), and his other companions, including their tactician, Narsus (Namikawa Daisuke); Elam (Hanae Natsuki), his young servant bought out of slavery; Falangies (Sakamoto Maaya) a strong and defiant priestess; and Gieve (KENN), a self-identified musician and rogue-of-all-trades. Together, Arslan and his loyal followers must gather an army to defeat 300,000 soldiers and free his kingdom from the rule of the torturous Silvermask (Kaji Yuki). I think it’s fair to say that Arakawa Hiromu is one of the most talented mangaka of our generation, with Fullmetal Alchemist and Gin no Saji among her famous titles. When she started her own adaptation of Tanaka Yoshiki’s classic novel series Arslan Senki, I knew it would get an anime one day. My expectations are pretty high for this one, even if there are some complaints from fans of the novels. There are bound to be differences from the original source material – especially since they are adapting the manga adaptation and not the novels – but I have every faith in Arakawa’s talent. Abe Noriyuki (Bleach, Great Teacher Onizuka, Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus) is directing this one, which keeps my hopes high, even if LIDEN FILMS have yet to deliver anything of great success. Arslan Senki will certainly appeal to fans of fantasy and historical action, as well as those who miss Arakawa’s most beloved Fullmetal Alchemist.
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When it comes to unique protagonists, Maruo Eiichirou (Murata Taishi), is one that stands out, especially in a sports series. After being inspired by his classmate, Takasaki Natsu (Kotobuki Minako), this out-of-shape honor student decides to join the Southern Tennis Club. From there his tennis journey begins, at a pace fitting to the title, that has Eiichirou applying his analytical mind to his training as he gradually progresses through many tournaments, be it through victory or defeat. Outside of the matches he also has to balance his studies, and decide whether this newfound hobby is something he wants as a career. By the end of the first season, his new coach decided that Eiichirou would only be able to reach his goals if he went to Florida over the winter break, in order to create some overseas opportunities. Even if Studio Pierrot’s adaptation of the first season was lacking in flair, it was starting to become seriously impressive near the end of its run. It’s not a best-selling manga like some other sports series out right now, but Baby Steps does justice in sticking to what it’s good at: focused development on the main characters, tying logic and reason with its matches, and keeping a nice level of realism to it all; never relying on superpowers to get Eiichirou to win his games. I’m also a fan of the blossoming relationship between Eiichurou and Natsu, and I look forward to seeing where they go from here; having two people that inspire one another to do better makes this a romance head and shoulders above so many others. One issue with the first season was how lackluster the animation and art was at times, and since the staff and studio are the same, that likely won’t change much. Baby Steps deserves to look better in order to match its high quality content, so I hope Baby Steps 2 steps up in that regard.
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Based on the rhythm video game developed by Geechs and Sanrio, Show By Rock!! is the first late night anime targeted at older males and adults to feature Sanrio characters. The story is set in Tokyo Midi City, a place where those who command music control everything, and where the inhabitants form bands and compete to be on top. The anime starts with Cyan (Inagawa Eri), a white gothloli catgirl who dreams of becoming a musician. One day she’s scouted by the president of a music agency, where she meets ChuChu (Uesaka Sumire), an honor student rabbit girl; Retoree (Numakura Manami), a net geek dog girl; and Moa (Sakura Ayane), an alien(?) sheep girl. Together they form a band called Plasmagica, and compete against rival bands to be the best of the best. There’s a lot to be optimistic about here. This is a Sanrio property, and not only does Sanrio know how to create unique (if not always ground breaking) characters, they’re very careful with their brands, so you can rest assured that they’re going to shovel money into this anime to make it a success. There are five bands that have been confirmed as appearing in the anime so far, including three girl bands (the generic school girl main characters of Plasmagica, the Japanese-inspired rockers of Tsurezurenaru Ayatsuri Mugendan, and the middle school student council members of Criticrista) and two boy bands (the Visual Kei band Shingan Crimsonz and the elegant bishounens of Trichronika). That means there are plenty of characters for everybody to like, and the character designs are vivid (if a bit overwrought), proving that Sanrio is still the master of kawaii. Oh, and everybody has animal ears, for some reason (why not?). The anime will have an original storyline, which is good because taking a video game plot and translating it directly into anime is a fraught enterprise. I doubt this show will be for everyone, but if you like kawaii and/or bishie characters, and Japanese pop music as well, this is aimed squarely at you. I have no idea if BONES, helmed by director Ikezoe Taahiro, will be able to create a new smash hit, but even if it goes down in flames, I’m sure it will look good doing it.
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Ameiro Cocoa is a simple slice-of-life that focuses around the chance happenings of a handful of people meeting at a certain spot (The Rainy Color Cafe), who are all brought together through the power of a simple cup of cocoa served on a cold and rainy day. You have your typical cast of guys, consisting of the feminine one, the insanely suave ikemen, the normie, and an older fellow who’s like your rich uncle who does whatever he wants. If that short synopsis didn’t grab your attention, don’t worry; it didn’t do much for me either. This anime is based off an e-manga that’s released through a mobile app, so I didn’t expect much to begin with. I did spend the money to read (listen?) to the first chapter, and I walked away unimpressed. The story wasn’t anything to call home about, but what really irked me was how I spent $1.99 for maybe 8 or 9 pages of manga. The one thing that impressed me was how much the creators invested into making their work accessible to people outside of Japan. Not only did you have the ability to flip between Japanese or English on the fly, but they had a full and legitimate English voice cast! That was definitely a high point among a ton of low ones. So yeah, I don’t have high hopes about this one. While the voice cast felt strong and the source material seems suited to become somewhat popular, I don’t think it’s enough to create a fun slice-of-life that’ll keep me coming back every week.
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Previously released as a series of movies from 2013-14, Ghost in the Shell ARISE returns with a six part TV broadcast. This iteration will include the original four movies, adding two more chapters to the end to set up for the recently announced Ghost in the Shell (2015) movie. The original ARISE staff and cast will carry over, with Kazuchika Kise (Key Animator for Escaflowne and Evangelion 1.0 + 2.0) as director, Ubukata Tow in charge of series composition, and Sakamoto Maaya as Kusanagi Motoko. Set in a separate universe from the other Ghost in the Shell franchises, ARISE’s story focuses on World War IV’s immediate aftermath. Amid political turmoil, calls for postwar concessions, and trials for war crimes, a series of murders and bombings hit Japan, prompting the involvement of Public Security’s Daisuke Aramaki (Juku Ikkyuu) and the military’s secret 501st Unit. As a series of seemingly unrelated threads begin to tie together, Aramaki encounters Kusanagi for the first time, setting in motion a series of events that would eventually lead to the creation of Public Security Section 9. As a die-hard Ghost in the Shell fan, the announcement of a new 2015 movie came as a pleasant surprise. Its relationship to the ARISE franchise however, ultimately dampens some of the excitement. That’s not to say ARISE wasn’t worth watching, but it hardly held a candle to the franchise’s previous iterations. The missing orchestral hand of Kanno in particular loomed large, combining with character designs that took some getting used to and the rehash of old scenes to make ARISE a far cry from the masterpieces that were the 1995 movie and Stand Alone Complex. There’s still a lot here though, and at its core ARISE is still a Ghost in the Shell franchise. It covers the questions surrounding the meaning of being human, addresses the positives and negatives that come with the evolution of technology, provides a post-cyberpunk sci-fi backdrop that few other series have, keeps the nostalgic cast of characters (albeit in different circumstances), and ties together a generally solid plot-line. The addition of two more chapters might bring this series closer to the franchise’s other iterations, and it’s worth a look if you’re either a sci-fi or Ghost in the Shell fan, especially if you haven’t watched ARISE yet in any form.
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Making its return to screens all around the world, Kiniro Mosaic is a welcome addition to anyone who fancies the slice-of-life genre. Revolving around the lives of Oomiya Shinobu (Nishi Asuka), Alice Cartelet (Tanaka Manami), and their close group of friends, the story focuses on their day-to-day lives as they do what typical middle school girls do. From hitting up festivals to studying for exams, this show could be used as a dictionary definition for the genre. What makes it stick out from the crowd is the unexpected way all the characters come together to form something special. Here’s a quick tl;dr from the first season: Alice’s family hosted Shinobu in Great Britain when she was younger. While the two weren’t able to communicate with each other, it didn’t stop them from having loads of fun, and in turn inspired Alice to learn Japanese. Fast forward to the present where the situation is flipped and Shinobu is hosting Alice in Japan, and I’m sure you can see where things are headed. If you haven’t already noticed, I absolutely love this show. It’s first season was an unexpected surprise, and I expect no less from season two. With its mix of characters that range from the extremely reserved Ayaya (Taneda Risa) to the intense and energetic Karen (Touyama Nao), there’s always something grabbing your attention, even if the story isn’t. But if there’s one thing I think this show does well, it’s how it handles Shinobu and Alice’s relationship, and how it’s able to portray the feeling of two “true” best friends. This is definitely going on my “things I will watch” list, and I hope it makes it on to yours as well! Just make sure to watch season one before diving into this one, or a lot of the little quirks that end up being the base for a majority of the story might fly past you.
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Ace of Diamond’s 75-episode run ends this season, but fans of this hyperactive baseball series won’t be short of content for long, as the second season begins the very next week. Ace of Diamond tells the story of Sawamura Eijun (Osaka Ryota), a spirited pitcher who moved from Nagano to attend Tokyo’s elite Seidou High School. Once there, he has to prove himself among a crowd of gifted players, showing why he should not only be included in the final team, but one day become the ace. Among those players is his confident rival for the ace position, Furuya Satoru (Shimazaki Nobunaga); the calm all-rounder, Kominato Haruichi (Hanae Natsuki); and their gifted catcher, Miyuki Kazuya (Sakurai Takahiro). After rigorous training, the team was almost able to reach their goal of getting to Koshien. They failed at the last hurdle, and the third year students have now left the team so it’s up to the remaining players to take the helm and prove they are worthy of Seidou’s famous name. I’ve only ever seen a second season starting straight after the first a few times, and even still it’s been for shorts or long-running franchises, so when the news of Ace of Diamond: Second Season was released, I was shocked and thrilled all at once. 2014 was a fantastic year for sports anime, and while Ace of Diamond was on the lower end of the selection, it never failed to be an entertaining watch. The characters are loud, the action is impactful, and seeing the first and second years now trying (and failing) to make a mark is proving to be an interesting final arc to its first season. Sawamura has been on one hell of a journey, and for so long I believed we would never see any more of it adapted. Thankfully, I was wrong. I hope Ace of Diamond: Second Season delivers the same quality that the first season maintained, and I’m confident it will.
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Teekyuu is a comedy sports short about four girls in a tennis club. There’s the new club member and eternal tsukkomi, Oshimoto Yuri (Watanabe Yui); the bizarre and insanely stupid Shinjou Kanae (Mimori Suzuko); the airheaded rich girl Takamiya Nasuno (Narumi Kyoko), and the super pervert from Kansai, Bandou Marimo (Hanazawa Kana). It follows their daily antics, some of which even related to tennis. Each episode is two minutes long. Teekyuu is a frenetic, frantic, kinetic, and utterly bizarre comedy that typifies the old adage that comedy is subjective, even more so than everything else. Personally, it’s not for me; my reaction has always been “What the hell are they smoking!?” Overdose on sugar, down a bunch of speed, chug a dozen energy drinks, and maybe you’ll begin to approach the craziness of this show. The jokes fly by so fast that sometimes I don’t realize a joke was over until we’re three jokes away, and the jerky animation, while fitting for the series’ tone, leaves me with nothing positive to grab a hold of. But that’s me, and after receiving four seasons and a spin-off—not an easy feat, even if a season of shorts isn’t a lot of animation—this show is apparently striking some funny bones. If highly energetic and zany comedies are your thing, pick up an episode and give it a shot. At two minute per episode, you have little to lose if anything at all about Teekyuu interests you.
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This spin-off of Teekyuu—which itself has a fourth season airing at the same time—centers around the daily life of Takamiya Nasuno (Narumi Kyoko), the exceedingly airheaded member of the Kameido High School tennis club and a rich girl who tries to solve all her problems with money. It will follow the antics of herself and her friends. As a spin-off of Teekyuu which is written and drawn by the same author and artist, you can safely judge whether you’ll want to watch this on whether you enjoyed the original. Personally, Teekyuu has never been for me. Read the its preview for details, but in short: it’s zany, highly energetic, precipitated on the actions of insanely stupid characters, and the jokes fly by so fast that my eyes glaze over and the episode ends long before laughter can bubble forth. But comedy is the most subjective realm of fiction, and just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean you won’t think it’s hilarious. Takamiya Nasuno Desu! should be more of the same, so if you enjoy Teekyuu, here’s more for you. Everyone else, try Teekyuu if there’s anything here that’s striking your fancy. Otherwise this one can be safely skipped.
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Ichinomiya Eruna (Kimura Juri) enrolled at Mikagura Private School for only one reason: its advertising material featured a cute girl wearing a cute uniform, and she was smitten. But Mikagura is not your typical boarding school. Academic ability seems not to be an entry prerequisite. There are only cultural clubs (i.e. no athletics), and all students are required to join one. And instead of managing these clubs with a sensible school budget, resources for specific clubs are distributed based on the tried and true method of gladiatorial combat! Unknown to the outside world, traditionally each club sends a representative to do battle with unique powers, and the results of these contests determine the treatment of the clubs. Eruna is somehow roped into participating, even though she’s only a clumsy girl with little to her credit but cheerful energy. What kind of strange school life awaits her? The Mikagura School Suite was originally a set of Vocaloid songs that inspired a light novel series, and has since spun off into a manga, this anime, and all the usual stops on the adaptation train. That’s a very similar success story to MEKAKUCITY ACTORS (and, to a lesser extent, Black Rock Shooter), and indeed one can imagine that Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyou is riding in the wake of its forerunner. Both franchises are also similar premises, featuring high school students with peculiar personal circumstances wielding special powers. SHAFT’s production featured a rather convoluted plot, though, while Doga Kobo’s attempt looks, on first blush, more straightforward. That’s a good thing, because I suspect that one of the key reasons that MEKAKUCITY ACTORS ended up in the disappointing state it did was because it wasn’t really sure what to do with itself. Hopefully Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyou can improve on its predecessor, since music videos are still one of the more interesting adaptation sources. It’s definitely what sells this show as more than just another anime about high school kids with superpowers.
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Four girls. One club. Brass instruments. Moe everywhere. Kyoto Animation is at it again. The story opens with Oumae Kumiko (Kurosawa Tomoyo) attempting to join the brass band club at her high school. The good thing is that her fellow classmates Katou Hazuki (Asai Ayaka) and Kawashima Sapphire (Toyota Moe) are already part of the club. The bad thing is that former classmate Kousaka Reina (Anzai Chika) is also part of the club. Ever since a certain event at a music contest in middle school involving both of them, the relationship between Kumiko and Reina has been strained. The story unfolds from there, as the euphonium-wielding Kumiko attempts to resolve her past with trumpeteer Reina, while also contributing to the significantly large brass band club. With moe fanservice, big band music, and symphonic bonding, Kyoto Animation is going with a combination that they know their audience can’t resist. Comparisons to K-ON! are inevitable, for better or worse, but Kyoto Animation is doing what they do best, with a production team and budget that shows their commitment to the fanbase that sustained them early on. Besides having excellent staff such as director Ishihara Tatsuya (Nichijou, Haruhi) and character designer Ikeda Shoko (Haruhi), music composer Matsuda Akito is also on stage. His work on Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou and Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! have been quite good, but Hibike! will be his real breakout title if done well. Judging from the promo video, he’s off to a good start. The nostalgia from the video made me listen to Cowboy Bebop’s soundtrack, a link that I’m sure Kyoto Animation is fully aware of. With this potent combination, I highly suggest viewing the first few episodes either for the excellent character designs or the great music; there is production value oozing from this show which would be a shame to miss.
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In Feudal Japan, life has never been that easy for a samurai. Having to deal with an outdated hierarchy system that literally takes the value out of their lives, things haven’t been much better since aliens have landed and shook things up. With everyone’s lifestyle changing, one of the biggest changes that’s occurred is the public ban on swords. And let’s be real – what good is a samurai if he’s not allowed to have his sword?! In comes Sakata Gintoki (Sugita Tomokazu), the main character who’s good with a sword but not much else. Deciding that working a typical day job isn’t his thing, he decides to become a freelancer for whatever work comes his way – so long as the pay’s good. Except the pay usually isn’t and the work always seems to be a little odd. For all the viewers out there (like me) who haven’t watched Gintama, this might be the chance to get off your butt and start catching up, since this seems like a really funny show. Something about its humor combined with some really spot on awkward moments make for a really enjoyable watch. And for the veterans out there, one of my other friends told me to say this: “No, they’re not trolling us this time.”
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The world is corrupt! Society is decaying! There is only one solution: murder! In Triage X, the staff of the Mochizuka General Hospital are by day normal (though voluptuous) medical professionals, but by night, they kill people. First do no harm? Ha! No, these doctors and nurses have a much more proactive approach. Thus they have formed the vigilante assassins ‘Black Label’, which seeks to excise the ‘cancers’ of society, wicked individuals immune to the law. Mikami Arashi (Akabane Kenji) is the newest member of the organisation, and also a high school student, because Japanese high school students make the best assassins. His duties are many: prove himself to his partner and schoolmate Kiba Mikoto (Kondou Yui), brood on his dark backstory, and ride around on a motorbike shooting people and inflicting property damage. In the name of justice! That’s a Hollywood pitch right there. If your first impression of Triage X is that it’s simply Akame ga Kill, but trading in some blood and gore for more tits and arse, then your first impression is correct. A second impression, though, may reveal a deeper truth—Triage X is actually riveting social commentary! No doubt a fan of both predator drones and the Mossad, mangaka Satou Shouji (he also did HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD—does it show?) knows how to fix our broken plutocracies: with a cleansing programme! Extra-judicial killings with no independent oversight are simply panacea like that, and humanity inherently trusts scantily dressed nurses on motorcycles to be our moral guardians. Spread the word, everyone—we’ve found the answers, and they’re in fanservice-driven action anime. So, yeah, anime can be art, peoples. We’re going to run with that until we drop.
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The gentle giant, Gouda Takeo (Eguchi Takuya) is as friendly as one can be, but is extremely unlucky when it comes to love. Any girls that Gouda takes an interest in end up falling for his handsome friend, Sunakawa Makoto (Shimazaki Nobunaga). Despite their uneven looks, the two remain good friends. One day, Gouda stops a molester and saves Yamato Rinko (Han Megumi) from an unfortunate morning. Naturally, Gouda falls for Yamato. Will trends repeat themselves again, or will Gouda finally receive reciprocal love as an unlikely romantic comedy protagonist? Having seen many a romantic comedy, the setup for this show is definitely fresh. Gouda, with his big build and large lips isn’t really mainstream appealing, but his character sure is a riot. From the promotional videos, I can’t help but laugh and feel good whenever I see Gouda act in his awkward and kind ways, not in a sense of mockery, but in a sense of, “he’s a good guy.” Such a setup opens up a lot of possibilities for the show, and with two-cours planned, I can’t wait to see the romance unravel. I trust Madhouse to fund this properly given their good run of shows, coupled with the fact that a good staff and seiyuu lineup is in the works. Eguchi, Shimazaki, and Han are all excellent veterans in their respective roles, but Eguchi stands out the most, considering how Gouda could very well be the deepest voice he’s done so far. The source material is rated fairly highly, and with Asaka Morio onboard as director, who helmed esteemed works such as Cardcaptor Sakura, Chihayafuru, and Nana, there’s more reason to be optimistic. I’m already on board as a romantic comedy fan, but others should check out the series as well if you’re looking for a mixup in the romantic comedy genre.
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Back in 2011, car-maker Subaru (or rather, its parent Fuji Heavy Industries) partnered with Gainax to make a magical girl anime. Why? Who knows. Science has not even begun to explain it. What we do know is that the result was Houkago no Pleiades, a set of four short original internet animations that was localised to the anglosphere as Wish Upon the Pleiades. Together they were hardly longer than a normal episode of anime so the plot was a bit moth-eaten, but this season’s full TV remake should expand to fill in those holes. The conspicuously named Subaru (Takamori Natsumi) is just your normal high school girl until one day she discovers that her friend Aoi (Ohashi Ayuru) is part of a secret club of magical girls. Their purpose: to gather ‘Engine Fragments’ so that they can send an alien back to its home in the Pleiades star cluster. Subaru eventually becomes involved in this endeavour, and also with the enigmatic Minato (Kuwashima Houko), who seems to be connected to the powerful artefacts they are collecting. Let’s make some points clear first: ‘Subaru’ is what the Japanese call the Pleiades cluster, the staves/brooms/whatever the girls fly around on make automobile noises, and they’re out to collect pieces of an engine. Let none doubt Fuji Heavy Industries’ hand at work here. Yet, for what is ostensibly an overt marketing effort, Houkago no Pleiades is relatively benign. The original web series was, in general shapes, a legitimate magical girl anime, even to the point of being slightly generic. It earned Divine’s approval back in the day, so they must have been doing something right. Spring 2015’s full-length remake could well extend it into a substantial piece in its own right, especially if it builds on the stargazing motif and puts some more work into the hinted romance. From previews, Gainax seems to have put the corporate commission to good use to produce some rather pretty aesthetics, and director Saeki Shouji has, inter alia, the acclaimed FLCL on his resume. Anime has promoted sillier things than cars, and the corporate sponsor doesn’t necessarily preclude a show from being good.
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The twelve members of the Chinese zodiac are an exclusive club, having not changed for much of human history. However, in the 21st century, one being hopes to become the 13th member. Meet Nyaa-tan (Murakawa Rie), a cat from astrology hoping to move up in the world, zodiac style. While mooching off the hospitality of human Amato Takeru (Shimono Hiro), Nyaa-tan fights and befriends various members of the zodiac, working her way closer to that tight-knit pantheon. Anime CGI is notorious for getting a bad rap. Problems with framerate, the uncanny valley, quality, or clashing with 2D animation continue to be common complaints. However, Etotama may be the serious step that anime CGI needs towards acceptance. Though its 3D chibi nature may initially deter viewers, a closer looks reveals a remarkable attention to the CG component. A colorful palette accompanied by a high frame rate, makes this show distinct from its competition, bringing it closer to current standards of 3D animation in film and mainstream 3D. Whil this gives Etotama more of a kid’s show feel, the fanservice and language suggest otherwise. If you don’t mind 3D CGI and are looking for some mindless action, I suggest checking out Etotama; with the aforementioned bonuses combined with an excellent seiyuu cast including Murakawa Rie, Ozawa Ari, Chida Maaya, and Shimono Hiro, this might become the surprising dark horse of the season.
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Premiering in the Noitamina programming block this spring is a MAPPA original series, Punchline. Little is known about the series so far, save that it follows Iridatsu Yuuta (Inoue Marina), a boy whose spirit has separated from his body. He’s joined by a colorful cast, including the bright and spacey idol Narugino Mikatan (Amamiya Sora), the sketchy gyaru spirit medium Chichibu Lovera (Tomatsu Haruka), the online game-playing NEET Hikitani Ito (Kotobuki Minako), and the genius inventor who loves her grandfather, Daihatsu Meika (Kugimiya Rie). The slogan for the anime: “Once he sees underwear, humanity is destroyed!?” There’s not a lot of information available about this original, but I can give you some impressions, chiefly drawn from the promo videos. The animation has a Kill la Kill / THE ROLLING GIRLS feel to it, more “cartoony” and kinetic than the anime norm. There’s definitely some ecchi going on here, since all the previews features panty flashes, along with that tagline (oh my). Staff-wise, director Uemura Yutaka is light on experience, but script writer Uchikoshi Koutarou is a successful scenario writer with many visual novels and other games to his name. It’s apparently been hinted at by the staff that Komuro Tetsuya—who is the most successful music producer in Japanese history—was selected because the anime has a strong music connection, but if so, they’re burying the lead, because I didn’t see any of that in the promos. So far everything is light and color without context. If the context is good, this could be an interesting show, but I have no idea right now. If you’re a diehard fan of anything I’ve mentioned, you might want to jump in. For more casual viewers, I’d probably wait to hear the reactions to the first episode or two, to see what this anime is actually about.
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Urawa no Usagi-chan is an original anime designed to advertise Urawa City in Saitama, Japan. It includes eight anthropomorphic girls representing the stations in the prefecture, all of which have “Urawa” in their names. These include: Takasago Usagi (Seto Asami), Kamikizaki Tokiwa (Akesaka Satomi), Numakage Ayako (Okubo Rumi), Bessho Kojika (Kubota Miyu), Tajima Sakura (Taichi You), Saido Midori (Tojo Hisako), Ooyaba Minami (Watanabe Keiko), and Mimuro Misono (Tamura Nao). Lie to me, Japan. This is an anime explicitly and blatantly created to advertise a city, and I can barely muster enough interest to finish this sentence. This is the wrong way to do it. If you want to advertise your city, do something like Rinne no Lagrange and pay to set an anime in your city (Kamogawa … look, I even remember!) rather than making your city the story itself. This is a moe slice-of-life anime, and who knows, it could be good. The character designs look pleasing enough, and there are some decent seiyuu for a new studio and new staff (glad to see Log Horizon’s Minori getting more work), though director Ishibashi Miysuyuki apparently has experience in other mediums. But I’ll never watch it, because they’ve flagrantly revealed their intentions, and blatant advertisements only work when they’re very short. Lie to me, anime industry. Otherwise I won’t give you the benefit of the doubt, no matter how kawaii your moe anthropomorphized train stations are.
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Nisekoi is back with its second season. It tells the story of a yakuza’s son, Ichijou Raku (Uchiyama Kouki), being forced into a fake relationship with a gangster’s daughter, Kirisaki Chitoge (Touyama Nao). But it’s not that simple, as Raku’s unrequited love, Onodera Kosaki (Hanazawa Kana) is brought into the mix, along with transfer student Tachibana Marika (Asumi Kana), and Chitoge’s bodyguard, Tsumugi Seishirou (Komatsu Mikako). Last season ended with the Romeo and Juliet play, but left everything open ended, as Raku and Chitoge’s fake relationship continues. But Raku still loves Kosaki; she still loves him; and Marika remains the lovestruck fool she’s always been. Nisekoi: will bring the story forward as the characters move up a year, and a fresh batch of first years arrive, including Kosaki’s little sister, Onodera Haru (Sakura Ayane), Haru’s close friend, Fuu (Koiwai Kotori), and a foreign assassin, Paula McCoy (Numakura Manami). The first season of Nisekoi adapted the majority of the material that always had twists and plot revelations to keep the pace going. But anyone who is familiar with the manga will know that this is the point where it will shift into a girl-of-the-week storyline, especially as more characters are introduced and the harem continues to grow. There’s a fair bit of content to adapt – most of which has been branded ‘filler’ by manga fans – but it will be interesting to see how SHAFT plays their cards. Obviously there shall be plenty of head tilts and black bars, but I’m keen to see whether they instead decide to focus on the more story-driven arcs still to be adapted, as opposed to including all the one-off encounters that Ichijou has with each of the girls. Either way, fans of the characters will get their fair share of pleasure when their favourites make appearances, and that’s what will be the main selling point for Nisekoi:. We all have a favourite that we’re rooting for, and that’s part of the fun, even if the chance of any outcome being reached just yet is slim to none.
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After a one year break, Sidonia no Kishi returns with its much anticipated second season. Continuing from the events of the original, Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki (the Battle for the Ninth Planet) returns to a universe where humanity finds itself in an existential fight against aliens known as the Gauna. Having seen the solar system devastated by these mysterious creatures, humanity now resides on enormous “seed ships,” one of which—the Sidonia—is the main focus of this story. As one of humanity’s remaining survivors, pilot Tanikaze Nagate (Osaka Ryota) wields the legendary mechanized unit known as the Tsugumori, leading the fight for survival as the species’ best and last hope. Returning for this season are the entire cast and staff, with the exception of director Shizuno Koubun, who will be replaced by former assistant director Seshita Hiroyuki. Having picked Sidonia no Kishi as best Sci-Fi of 2014, it goes without saying that I’m excited for its sequel. Combining a post-apocalyptic future with conspiracies, mysterious aliens, mecha combat, and genetic engineering makes this a series rife with genre staples, and the story comes together with an atmosphere, execution, and style reminiscent of older sci-fi classics. It’s exactly these kinds of series that I feel we could use more of, and it’s no wonder that Sidonia’s been critically acclaimed by the likes of Hideo Kojima and other industry figures. The fact that the source has been almost completely translated and officially released in English is yet another testament to the series’ reach, and although the 3D CG still needs some work, those willing to brave the occasional janky animation will find a lot to like from what will likely be one of the best sci-fi series of 2015 as well.
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The Saint Seiya franchise continues with another side story adaptation, this time focusing on an original story involving certain saints that wore the powerful Gold Cloths that tower over the silver and bronze cloths. The story will focus on the the Gold Saints that died during the clash between Athena and Hades in the 20th century, painting an original story that is independent of any of the manga material thus far. Of certain saints to note there is Cancer (Tanaka Ryoichi), Pisces (Nanba Keiichi), Capricorn (Kusao Takeshi), and Gemini (Okiayu Ryoutaro), to name a few. Intrigue, assassination, and betrayal have corrupted the ranks of those with a soul of gold, but even after the 20th century, those clashes continue. Newcomers to the Saint Seiya series should definitely not start with this adaptation, considering how much prior knowledge it assumes of the viewer going in. Having had to do some extensive research, viewers should be acquainted with the Battle of the Twelve Temples and the history leading up to the 20th century before embarking on this original plotline. For those who can make sense of the storyline though, Soul of Gold should be an interesting side-story peek into the upper echelons of Athena’s knights. Even though the show is designated as an original net animation, the production itself looks alright, judging from the PV and the first episode. Check this out if you’re looking for a closer look at the expanded universe of the Saint Seiya canon; it’s a quick investment with what looks to be an interesting plot involving some of the most cunning characters of the series.
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One day, Yamada Ryuu (Osaku Ryota) fell down a flight of stairs and lands on Shiraishi Urara (Hayami Saori), accidentally locking lips. After that embarrassing incident, Yamada quickly realises something has gone wrong: he’s swapped bodies with her! Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo is set in a school where seven student witches reside, each with magical powers that can only be activated with a kiss. In order to track down the other witches, delinquent Yamada and ace student Shiraishi, along with the outgoing Miyamura Toranosuke (Masuda Toshiki) and supernatural believer Itou Miyabi (Uchida Maaya), reform the Supernatural Studies Club. What follows is a mystery tale with so many kisses that you’ll never be able to keep track of who has locked lips with who. After a successful live action adaptation, Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo finally gets an animated counterpart. I can promise anyone who is unfamiliar with the series you’re going to be in for some fun with this one. In a way, this is proving to be a great season for equal opportunity fanservice, but whereas Souma is sexually provocative, Yamada-kun deals its fanservice in kisses – and plenty there shall be. You can expect nearly every character to kiss one another at some point – it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy and a girl, two boys, or two girls, or a group of three or more. Most of the time it’s played for comedy, though there is room for some real romance to blossom between these characters. But behind all the kisses, comedy, and romance, there is also a serious mystery storyline that I fear may not be told in a one-cour adaptation; unless we get another season later on, I fear Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo may finish before it’s truly begun. Putting that aside, this should prove itself to be an entertaining anime with so many shipping opportunities that viewers will be left spoiled for choice.
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Trigger is back with an adaptation of the sci-fi novel series Ninja Slayer. This cyberpunk ninja action drama is set in the near-future city of Neo Saitama. It follows Fujikido Kenji (Morikawa Toshiyuki), a salaryman whose wife and children were killed in a ninja turf war. In a brush with his own death, Fujikido is possessed by an enigmatic ninja soul known as Naraku Ninja, who transforms Fujikido into “Ninja Slayer”, a grim reaper devoted to killing all ninjas in his own personal war of vengeance. Trigger knows action; I don’t think it’s contentious to say that. Kill la Kill was rightly beloved for its action, and Ninja Slayer’s promo videos have a definite Kill la Kill / Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann feel to them. These ninja are colorful, giving them an almost sentai/power suit feeling, and the action is decidedly over-the-top. And bloody. Did I mention the blood? Ninja Slayer is not a story that shies away from carnage. Trigger may have been a good decision for this show, because, while the stakes are certainly dire (someone’s going to die every time, often multiple someones), the carnage is so ridiculous as to not seem serious, even when there are certainly consequences for individual characters. Over-the-top action and blood-filled carnage—if that’s your idea of a good time, check this one out. It looks interesting, just prepare yourself, because there will be blood. Lots of it.
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Studio 8-Bit’s adaptation of the Grisaia trilogy comes to a conclusion with the arrival of with its final chapter in Grisaia no Rakuen. Rakuen will be a direct sequel to the series’ second chapter (Grisaia no Meikyuu), which will be a one-hour special airing one week prior. In this final iteration, Kazami Yuuji (Sakurai Takahiro) finds himself suddenly detained due to suspected ties with an international terrorist organization. Amid rumors that the organization has arrived in Japan with a weapon of mass destruction and the imminent closure of Mihama Academy, the cast find themselves caught in a complex game of politics and espionage, one with direct ties to the organization behind Yuuji’s clandestine activities. As the net closes and time begins to run out, the girls of Mihama come together in an attempt to rescue the man that changed their lives and helped them overcome their respective traumas. No longer content to let the world take everything from them and armed with the help of an individual named “Thanatos,” they begin their fight, determined not to let any organization or country get in their way. The staff and cast from Kajitsu will reprise their original roles for Rakuen. As someone who played Grisaia no Kajitsu and enjoyed it, I found myself disappointed at 8-Bit’s adaptation of Kajitsu last fall. Key parts were left out or altered in an attempt to fit all five heroine routes within one cour, leaving an incomplete story for those that didn’t play the novel and only partially alleviating novel players’ desire for a faithful adaptation. It can’t be denied that there was a certain appeal to the series despite this, and it’s likely that the adaptation of Kajitsu played a role in Sekai Project’s wildly successful Kickstarter. With the official VN translations set to arrive in the near future though, it may be better to wait and play the VN at this point. Kajitsu’s modified ending does set up nicely for Meikyuu, but with the two final chapters being truncated to an hour long special and a likely one-cour series (the VN’s were 10-30 hours each), my hopes aren’t high for anything more than “decent” here.
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The title of this series comes from the conjunction of two Japanese words which mean narcissistic and masochistic (naru and doma). These are the two defining characteristics of our main protagonists, Hagito (narcissistic) and Kei (masochistic). Based on the first manga by Kometokaite Meter, the series currently runs on a free manga app for smartphones (along with four other titles), and has received an anime adaptation. This is a comedy story that features Hagito and his antics with Kei. There are also other characters that appear and each have their own quirks that make them unique. Asides from Hagito suffering a lolita complex, there’s an overly strong woman, a stylish stiff and a Debby-downer in their group. The material is very short and brief on this one. This is an anime adaptation that features a lot of firsts for the cast and staff working on Narudoma. The studio is still relatively young, but it has a few shorts and names under its belt with a familiar director of theirs, Onaka Takeshi. The seiyuus for Hagito and Kei will be MAX (a video game commentator) and Miyazaki Atsushi; both new to the world of anime voice acting, with MAX performing the opening sequence as well. Without a proven track record, it’s hard to create expectations for the show, but with no expectations comes a chance for the staff to prove themselves. As for the actual plot of Narudoma, I would say that the humor is targeted more towards older audiences with some boys’ love thrown in. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you find yourself watching some atypical anime comedy.
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One year after Robot Girls Z, Toei returns with a new iteration of the series that re-imagined robots from various mecha series as beautiful girls. Now a series of six monthly shorts, Robot Girls Z+ will herald the return of Team Z as protagonists, with the original cast (Honda Mariko, Minase Iori, Aranami Kazusa) retaining their roles as girls based on the Mazinger franchise. Joining them will be new antagonists in the form of Team G, Team LOD, and Team Go, all of whom are based on robots from the Mazinger vs. Getter Robo films. Z+ will once again revolve around Team Z’s attempt to prevent other groups from achieving domination over Photon Power Town and the revolutionary power source it possesses. The series will not be a true sequel, as it will flesh out characters and background stories of the characters from the BD/DVD specials instead. When it comes to comedy shorts in general, hit or miss is the name of the game. I personally didn’t find Robot Girls Z that enjoyable, but there’s a decent amount of people who did like the series, and this is one of those series where you give it an episode or two to see if it’s down your alley. The fact that there’s a dozen seiyuu in the cast gives the series a diversity you won’t see often, and there’s a certain nostalgic charm for Mazinger fans, but there isn’t much else. The fact that it’s only airing once a month only takes even more steam out of things. Robot Girls Z+ is certainly not a must-watch, especially compared to some of the other shows airing this season.
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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 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.
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This year marks the 15th anniversary for the Digimon franchise and to celebrate, Toei Animation is releasing a sequel to the original popular series. That’s right, it’s not a spin-off, but a sequel that brings back all the first generation characters. Digimon is an anime that I feel needs no introduction, but here’s a quick synopsis for you anyway: Digimon Adventures started off with seven children that were transported to the Digital World as “The Chosen Ones” to save the world from evil. They were each partnered up with a Digimon of their own, and through many trials and enemies, learned to work together and evolve their Digimon to reach their maximum potentials. Digimon Adventures tri. picks up six years after the original series ended and brings back the cast as teenagers. This will be another adventure series of how they (once again) fight off evil and bring peace to the Human and Digital World. Digimon Adventures tri. is a difficult show to evaluate without getting personal and subjective. On one hand, I’m skeptical of it doing well because of how Sailor Moon Crystal (also produced by Toei) is performing, and its demonstrated that returning seiyuus are not always for the best. I’m also on the fence about the new character designs, because Uki Atsuya has a distinctive style that may or may not work in the anime’s favor. However, despite all the precautions I have, I can’t lie – Digimon is a guilty-pleasure of mine. I’m a diehard fan of the original series, and after re-watching it several years ago, it definitely holds a special place in my heart. I’m hyping the series up for myself more than I should, but I’m trying to take everything with a grain of salt. This can be a childhood dream come true…or another disappointment. But who am I kidding, Digimon Adventures tri. tops my must-watch list this season!
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| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 02/28 | Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin I – Aoi Hitomi no Casval 機動戦士ガンダムTHE ORIGIN I 青い瞳のキャスバル http://www.gundam-the-origin.net/ |
Episode 1 of 4. |
| 03/06 | Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu OVA | 昭和元禄落語心中 与太郎放浪篇 OVA http://www.rakugo-shinju-anime.jp/ |
Bundled with LE manga Vol. 7. |
| 03/10 | Hitsugi no Chaika OVA | 棺姫のチャイカ OAD http://chaika-anime.jp/ |
Bundled with LE novel Vol. 12. |
| 03/10 | High School DxD New OVA: Oppai, Tsutsumimasu! | ハイスクールD×D New OVA http://www.haremking.tv/ |
Episode 13. Bundled with DX.1 light novel. |
| 03/10 | Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo OVA | 山田くんと7人の魔女 OVA http://www.yamajo-anime.com/ |
Episode 2 of 2. |
| 03/11 | PERSONA3 THE MOVIE #2: Midsummer Knight’s Dream 劇場版ペルソナ3 #2 Midsummer Knight’s Dream http://www.p3m.jp/ |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 03/13 | Dragon Ball Z: Kami to Kami | ドラゴンボールZ: 神と神 http://www.dragonball2013.com/ |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 03/13 | Strike Witches Operation Victory Arrow Vol. 2: Aegean Umi no Megami Operation Victory Arrow vol.2 エーゲ海の女神 限定版 http://w-witch.jp/ |
BD/DVD Release. Part 2 of 3. |
| 03/18 | Free! Eternal Summer OVA http://iwatobi-sc.com/ |
Bundled with BD/DVD Vol. 7. |
| 03/18 | Shingeki no Kyojin Movie 1: Guren no Yumiya 劇場版「進撃の巨人」前編～紅蓮の弓矢～ http://shingeki.tv/movie/ |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 03/22 | Aki no Kanade | アキの奏で http://animemirai.jp/akino.html |
Part of Anime Mirai 2015. |
| 03/22 | Happy ComeCome | ハッピーカムカム http://animemirai.jp/happy.html |
Part of Anime Mirai 2015. |
| 03/22 | Kumi to Tulip | クミとチューリップ http://animemirai.jp/kumi.html |
Part of Anime Mirai 2015. |
| 03/22 | Ongaku Shoujo | 音楽少女 http://animemirai.jp/ongakushoujo.html |
Part of Anime Mirai 2015. |
| 03/25 | Sidonia no Kishi Movie | 劇場版「シドニアの騎士」 http://www.knightsofsidonia.com/news_movie.php |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 03/25 | Trinity Seven OVA | トリニティセブン OAD http://trinity-7.com/ |
Bundled with LE manga Vol. 11. |
| 03/26 | Senran Kagura: Estival Versus – Shoujo-tachi no Sentaku 閃乱カグラ ESTIVAL VERSUS -少女達の選択- http://senran.tv/news/ |
Bundled with Senran Kagura: Estival Versus PS4/Vita game. |
| 03/27 | Yama no Susume: Kabette Kowakunai no? OVA ヤマノススメ 壁って怖くないの？ OVA http://www.yamanosusume.com/ |
Episode 13. Bundled with BD/DVD Vol. 7. |
| March 2014 | Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai After | 百花繚乱 サムライアフター http://hyakka-ryoran.net/news/news.php |
Episode 2 of 2. |
| 04/03 | Gintama (2015) OVA | 銀魂 (2015) OVA http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/gintama/index2.html |
Bundled with LE manga Vol. 58. |
| 04/03 | Nisekoi OVA | ニセコイ OVA http://www.nisekoi.jp/ |
Episode 3 of 3. |
| 04/09 | Shingeki no Kyojin Gaiden: Kuinaki Sentaku | 進撃の巨人 悔いなき選択 http://aria-blog.webn.jp/kuinaki/ |
Episode 2 of 2. Bundled with LE manga Vol. 16. |
| 04/13 | Grisaia no Meikyuu | グリザイアの迷宮 http://www.grisaia-anime.com/news/index00660000.html |
Grisaia no Rakuen Prequel. |
| 04/17 | Magi: Sinbad no Bouken OVA | マギ シンドバッドの冒険 http://www.project-magi.com/sinbad/ |
Episode 4 of 4. Bundled with LE manga Vol. 6. |
| 04/22 | K MISSING KINGS http://k-project-movie.jpn.com/ |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 04/24 | Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji OVA | オオカミ少女と黒王子 OVA http://www.ookamishojo-anime.jp/ |
Bundled with LE manga Vol. 12. |
| 04/25 | Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei! OVA Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤ ツヴァイ! [2wei!] OVA http://anime.prisma-illya.jp/ |
Bundled with LE manga Vol. 6. |
| April 2015 | Kurage no Shokudou OVA | クラゲの食堂 OVA http://bookclub.kodansha.co.jp/product?isbn=9784062838795 |
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| 05/02 | Cardfight!! Vanguard Movie: Neon Messiah 劇場版 カードファイト!! ヴァンガード ネオンメサイア http://vanguard-movie.com/neonmessiah/ |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 05/15 | Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso OVA | 四月は君の嘘 OVA http://www.kimiuso.jp/ |
Bundled with LE manga Vol. 11. |
| 05/22 | Hozuki no Reitetsu OVA | 鬼灯の冷徹 OAD http://www.hozukino-reitetsu.com/oad/ |
Episode 2 of 3. Bundled with LE manga Vol. 18. |
| 05/27 | Suisei no Gargantia ~Meguru Kouro, Haruka~ 翠星のガルガンティア～めぐる航路、遥か～ http://gargantia.jp/ |
Episode 2 of 2. |
| 05/27 | Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199: Hoshimeguru Hakobune 宇宙戦艦ヤマト2199 星巡る方舟 http://yamato2199.net/about/story_a.html |
BD/DVD Release. |
| 05/31 | Frame Arms: A Violent Struggle | フレームアーム A violent struggle http://www.kotobukiya.co.jp/product/product-0000001595/ |
Bundled with Kotobukiya Frame Arms model kits. |
| 06/02 | Gekijouban Aikatsu! Idol Katsudou! | 劇場版 アイカツ! アイドルカツドウ! http://www.aikatsu-movie.net/ |
BD/DVD Release. |
I think it’s fair to say that there’s a lot to look forward to this season regardless of what your tastes are for anime. After what seems like a long winter (because winter never seems ends up here in the North), and some mixed impressions of last season, I’m pleased with what awaits us in April. Some shows that personally catch my eye are obviously Digimon Adventure tri. and Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season, but I’m also anxious to see some new adaptions like Owari no Seraph and Ore Monogatari!!. I’m a true believer that fall and spring seasons generally come with the best premieres for what the year has to offer, so I hope I’m right. I’ll be watching more than I anticipated and I hope everyone else does too!
Onto the rundown. Our rubric remains the same, with the five main expectation levels, ranging from High to Low, plus Niche and Established for special cases. Hopefully this guide will help those of you with limited time understand which shows to try first, based on our preliminary examination of the show’s staff, seiyuu, and source material.
Note: Lists are sorted in alphabetical order.
The Rundown:
High expectation shows give us reason to believe they have the makings of a very good series that should appeal to the widest audience in their given genres. If you consider yourself a “casual” fan who only gets your toes wet every season by watching the “best” shows (i.e. popular ones that generate the most buzz), then these are the ones we feel you should keep an eye out for. We’re also expecting good things from these shows, so if they fall short, disappointment is understandable.
- High Expectations: Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season, Hibike! Euphonium, Plastic Memories, Sidonia no Kishi: Dai-kyuu Wakusei Sen-eki, Shokugeki no Souma
Moderately High expectation shows are ones that came close to joining the High expectation crowd, but missed out due to one or two elements that gave us concern. The series underpinnings are generally strong, but there is just something that keeps us from putting all our hopes and dreams on these shows. They still have most of the makings of very strong series, so if you watch only the “best” shows but want more than what the High category provides, keep an eye out for these as well.
- Moderately High Expectations: Ace of Diamond 2nd Season, Arslan Senki, Baby Steps 2, Gunslinger Stratos, Kekkai Sensen, Ore Monogatari!!, Owari no Seraph, Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
Moderate expectation shows, also known as “True Moderate”, don’t provide any immediate indication that they’ll be amazing in retrospect. This is often the case with shows that fall into one of anime’s overused plot devices, which most people, particularly self-proclaimed critics, will perceive as mediocre at best. However, in many of our experiences these shows still provide a great deal of entertainment and may turn out a lot better than they appear. They’re good for “regular” fans who are aware of all these tropes and don’t mind seeing them used in different settings. Personal tastes come heavily into play, so your mileage will vary.
- Moderate Expectations: Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken 2 Sure-me, Denpa Kyoushi, Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka, Etotama, Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture, Grisaia no Rakuen, Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic, High School DxD BorN, Kyoukai no RINNE, Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku, Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu, Ninja Slayer From Animation, Nisekoi:, Punch Line, Re-Kan!, SHOW BY ROCK!!, Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo
Moderately Low expectation shows don’t seem to be aspiring to much, but it’s hard to call them bad exactly. They might focus on senseless humor or fanservice, but there’s often at least one element that elevates them above other members of their genre. Once again, personal taste comes heavily into play with these shows, because if they’re part of one of your favored genres then chances are you’ll enjoy them no matter what. Just don’t expect them to break the bank with originality.
- Moderately Low Expectations: Houkago no Pleiades, Rainy Cocoa, Robot Girls Z Plus, Triage X, Urawa no Usagi-chan
Low expectation shows don’t seem to be striving for much and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fanservice. That doesn’t mean they’re the bottom of the barrel and shouldn’t get any consideration, but simply that you need to keep in mind what kind of show it is. Generally only “avid” fans will be interested in seeing what these have to offer, because they’re already watching all the better shows.
- Low Expectations: Nar Doma, Takamiya Nasuno Desu!, Teekyuu 4, Tesagure! Bukatsumono Spin-off Purupurun Sharumu to Asobou, VAMPIRE HOLMES
Niche shows break away from the norm by being slower-paced, extremely dark/grotesque, or even controversial. In most cases these shows are oriented towards older audiences or those who feel that anime has become far too repetitive and want something different. Shows of this category tend to be highly under-appreciated, but can turn out to be hidden gems for that very reason. Includes some works oriented toward younger audiences.
- Niche: N/A
Established shows are generally long-running manga/anime series, geared towards younger viewers who are already fans of them. A commonality is that they all air early morning on weekends or well before midnight on weekdays so that “normal” people can watch them. They aren’t very dependent on expectations, but a love for never-ending shows and a willingness to get into all the material that’s out if they’re completely new to you. Shounen series fall into this category, hence why we treat them differently.
To Watch:
-Denpa Kyoushi
-Digimon Adventure Tri.
-Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka?
-Hibike! Euphonium
-Kyoukai no Rinne
-Lupin III (2015)
-Ore Monogatari!!
-Shokugeki no Souma
-Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
I’m so excited for this season~
Thank you, Random Curiosity!
been waiting for this thank you!
I’ll be watching Fate, Plastic, baby step, owari, yahari for sure
I’ll try the rest to see if I will enjoy them
RIP real life…
So many animes to watch this Spring. UBW, Sidonia and Nisekoi on my top 3. And there’s High School DXD.
Triage X better not suck. It should be the Highschool of the Dead successor I hope it is. The manga is not dead compared to HotD, so that is promising. It better not turn out to be like Maken-ki.
Otherwise, also looking forward to Dungeon ni deai, Fate UBW continue, Highschool DxD, Nanoha Vivid, Lupin and Digimon!
I’ve pretty much given up on a second season HotD…
There’s no material for it to even be made.
Yeah- apparently the writer has a bit of a problem with finishing things.
Personally I think its a case of the author not knowing where to take the series. He’s no Robert Kirkman.
Looking like a great season for sequels, so many I can barely think about any new shows.
Nanoha ViVid is probably the top for me. Sad to see some jabs at the third season in the preview for it, StrikerS was just as good as anything else!
I dunno about that. The first season was still the best, the second was equally good (could have been even better) until the way-too-easy monster shoot-fest finale, and StrikerS had some problems. It wasn’t bad, per say, but it wasn’t as good as the others, and it certainly did stall Nanoha anime for a while.
It still had some awesome moments, though. Like when (spoiler alert) Nanoha does the Dungeon Bypass (trope!) to get at Quattro? *chills* Still such an awesome moment. Fear the White Devil, bitches, for she will befriend you to hell!
Interesting, a’s usually seems like the fan-favorite, though I can see where you’re coming from.
StrikerS did start out a little slow, but once it got going it really worked. A lot of it just hit me the right way though, like going all-out with the magic military theme. And who could say no to Subaru.
Either way, we both agree that it’s hard to complain about more Nanoha on TV. Movies and manga spin-offs have been alright in the meantime, but seeing everything in action can’t be beat.
Let me strike a compromise: the first episode of A’s was the best.
(Also, for the record: long before Madoka revolutionised anything, we had Princess Tutu, and even Darker than BLACK II. Because all fiction is derivative.)
Nanoha StrikerS outsold the first two seasons by a good amount, I dont think you can really say it was the reason new seasons never materialized.
That aside, its been a long eight years and I am looking forward to a Nanoha series that actually has an animation budget.
@Passerby
Agreed; the first episode of A’s was awesome. Seeing Nanoha get her ass handed to her so thoroughly, and in such a pulse-pounding battle, was like the best of season one’s fights on juice. It just stumbled a bit later on.
And did Shinbo have anything to do with Princess Tutu or Darker Than BLACK II? No? Then don’t be a cheeky monkey! *comically smacks Passerby with a large fan*
I kid, I kid. Of course all fiction (all ideas, really) are derivative (steal like an artist, etc, etc). I was just talking about the magical girl genre and Shinbo, and I’m fairly certain he only turned it on its head twice. Which is better than most people manage by a long shot.
@Stilts
I listed two dark magical girl shows! They’re totally relevant.
I’ll be one to say I did quite like Strikers once it started going.
From a stalling perspective, wasn’t the source material in Nanoha Force the big thing in that regard rather than Strikers? Haven’t heard the best commentary about that one, especially in Japan. Last I heard it was on indefinite hiatus too.
Nanoha Force is basically StrikerS but exaggerated. StrikerS took the cool concept of Military SciFi Magical Girls but had some shoddy execution. Fortunately, it was still ultimately an entertaining product.
Force basically took its cool premise and executed it so horribly it turned off its fanbase. There were fears that it might have killed the Nanoha franchise, due to the fact that ViViD was getting lukewarm reception back then. Nanoha INNOCENT may have revived it somewhat but that remains to be seen.
Now that I think about it, I want to see an adaptation of INNOCENT rather than ViVid but I’m not going to complain that we have a new Nanoha anime in a long while.
Since we’re talking for the record, I liked all the Nanohas. While StrikerS was flawed in some ways that made it a less than perfect experience, I still enjoyed watching it. I also get irritated at people who think Madoka “modernized” magical girls with more mature themes and darker experiences. Just… no. Nanoha did that years ago, but without the “I will psychologically scar my viewers for life just because I’m evil, come at me bro” attitude.
Anyway, I am eager to watch Vivid, but I worry about it, because this is the first time a Nanoha series has been an adaptation rather than an anime-first situation. They’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and the character I most want to see doesn’t come to prominence until some distance into things.
If TV-tropes to be trusted first ‘real” dark mahou-shoujo show was Shamanic Princess
Any season with many manga adaptations and original anime and less LN adaptations is always guaranteed to be good.
Last season seemed pretty dead in regards to quality and quantity of anime. Looks like spring isn’t just a time for nature to return in full force; Anime is doing it also!
Just realize everything I want to see comes in Friday.
Souma, Nagato, Vivid, Pick up girls in Dungeon.
Oh boy…
People, stop listing Dream Creation as the animation studio. It’s a prodctioncompany. Seven is theanimation studio for Danna Nani same as for S1
Fixed.
A few surprise for Winter 2015 – I never expected to finish Absolute Duo and Cross Ange, and I was surprised to see how KanColle bombed it’s run. Still, quite the finish for most of my on watch list (save for Military!, which I never watch after the first ep.)
And now…
ShortListing Spring 2015 – the mechanical edition
Continuation
World Trigger
Shoukyuu no Fafner EXODUS
Must Watch
Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season
Sidonia no Kishi: Dai-kyuu Wakusei Sen-eki
3-episode trial:
Plastic Memories – Looks promising, but the character interaction for the manzai routines looks cringe-worthy.
Digimon Adventure tri. – It’s been a long time since I’ve watched anything from the Digimon franchise (last one was Frontier), hopefully this one return to its roots.
On the fence
Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken 2 Sure-me (and I need to catch up with its prequel, maybe?)
Gunslinger Stratos – Another Urobuchi started story… This time a whole lot more uncertain without the mecha for a lure…
Ninja Slayer From Animation – Oh Trigger, your animation never disappoints (it’s insanely good looking)
Blog-Watch
Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture
Arslan Senki
…Better hope I didn’t miss anything this time…*cringes*
Digimon and Fate. That’s really it for me.
Too. Much. Anime.
Too much anime to watch.
All I know it that
SnS, Digimon, Kekkai Sensen, OnS, and F/S have absolute priority.
please god don’t let toei animation ruin digimon adventure, don’t let them ruin the childhood of many
Guess I will take a look on Duel Master to see if, the series is any good and Digimon I have to watch (hopefully it ain’t Digimon X-cross bad).
I also need to watch the “plot” heave Highschool DxD 🙂
Over all their is a lot of good anime this season.
2015 for Amamiya Sora is like what 2009 was for Tomatsu Haruka.
The three I know I’m watching for sure:
Oregairu – Loved Hikigaya’s twisted monologue and warped view on society. Loved the Hikki x Yukino banter. Looking forward to various scenes from the LN this season.
Sidonia no Kishi- Loved the first season. Can’t wait for more.
UBW – Can’t really go wrong here. Looking forward to ufotable’s eye-candy.
Others that I think have the potential to hook me in:
Plastic Memories, Shokugeki no Souma, Arslan Senki, Ninja Slayer, Kekkai Sensen, Gunslinger Stratos, Dungeon, Kyoukai no RINNE
Ghost in the Shell – Probably need to start watching the rest of the franchise first.
Grisaia no Rakuen – I should probably skip this and read the VN first (like that’s ever going to happen with my current VN backlog)
looks like a NICE HAND FULL of ACTION shows are coming our way in spring at least….
but that doesn’t really matter…WHY??? Summer baby… this SUMMER!!!!!
can you say “PRISON SCHOOL”!!!!!????? FU@K YEAH!!!!!!!!!! I’m devoting all my energy to will MADHOUSE to pic it up…please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please!!!! x3
thanks fo da previews, can always count on u guys!
I think I’m only looking forward to Arslan Senki.
GINTAMA :D!!!
This season has turned out more promising then I expected with sequels like Diamond no Ace, Baby Steps, Nisekoi
and so many new series that I’m already pretty hyped up about like Arslan Senki and Oremonogatari
as well as series like Kekkai Sensen, Owari no Seraph, Kyoukai no Rinne that I am intrigued w/.
One thing I am slightly worried about though is that I’m seeing some possible seiyuu miscasts that might hurt my enjoyment of shows…like Eguchi Takuya sounds like he’s really forcing that deep voice in Oremonogatari and Kaji Yuuki as Silvermask in Arslan Senki (when I heard him in a PV…it just felt like a miscast). Hopefully, the shows will eventually prove me wrong though.
Given how this last season has fared for me, the return of Unlimited
BudgetBlade Works and second season of Yahari Ore no Seishun alone give me hope for the Sprint 2015 season. I’m also on board for HS DxD S3 if for no other reason than to help wash away the memory of this season’s harem LN adaptations.Haven’t had a chance to take a close look at the rest of the season’s offering, but no doubt I’ll add at least a few other shows to my tentative watch list.
—————-
@Takaii: “…but with how well Brain’s Base did with the first season, it would be a shame if Feel somehow managed to screw it up.”
Gah! Don’t jinx it! I’ve been looking forward to a second season of Oregairu since the first season ended. Even picked up the LN and read it to the extent translated.
I’m so sorry, but how they’re going to explain Mimi’s return??? In Adventure 02, she moved to New York because her parents were afraid that more monsters would appear in Japan. I also think that the writers wanted to write off Mimi, but that’s just my impression. They’re just gonna say that she’s back to Japan for her studies and decided to live there for good, leaving her parents in the US?
(Seriously though, you got to admit that Mimi’s role in season 2 was just to be a cameo, at least compared to the other original digi-destined.)
One more thing… are they gonna include Davis (Daisuke), Yolei (Miyako), Cody (Iori) and Ken along the way? It doesn’t mention that the newcomers will appear… but considering that it will happen 6 years after the first series, when Adventure 02 happened only 3 years after it, it would sound dumb to NOT include these four as well. I mean, by reading the synopsis, Adventure 02 “happened” already.
I think Mimi’s departure to NY is a small detail in the whole grand scheme of what they’re trying to do with the new Digimon. I don’t think continuity between the first/second seasons and this third one will be huge. It might be a one-liner that explains how they all end up in the Digital World again.
I don’t see a mention of the new characters from season 2 added onto the cast yet. They might join up later on? One of the things about Digimon is that kids around the world are impacted and I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up as a cameo or later in the season. I’m biased so as long as the original 8 are there, I’ll be happy. I also think the complexity that they added later on the digivolving aspect might make it difficult for the season 2 characters to reappear. The different levels of rookie to champion to ultimate etc. is easy to understand, but having to explain why you can evolve into two different champions with a different device is odd. Hmmmm… you never know though. They might get a totally different device in total.
I’m more interested to see if this story is going to be a more mature version of Digimon because now the kids are teenagers. Hoping that the story will be slightly more complex rather than the villain-of-the-week approach (even though I can imagine some of that earlier on). And more ships! Lots of ships! But obviously that’s not why I’m watching it… >_>
you’re not watching it for the ships?? come on be honest with yourself 😛 haha but all jokes aside really looking forward to tri; goodness did we as fans need this. My favorite season is tamers but the original 8 digidestined still have a place in my heart. here’s hoping this season delves deeper into the dark ocean, demon, and dagomon that were brought up in season 2 and then uhmm let’s see..NEVER BROUGHT UP AGAIN!!! :))). Hopinng for a more mature story…the art sort of seems to be setting that tone
Sorry for the misprints. It’s a bit uncnvinient to print from portable PC.
One more question: your argument about Strikers being death to Nanoha anime, could you even give a facts? Yes, it had backslash on the Westbut not in Japan. Hell, it sold twice more than A’s. It’s more aboutstudio gettiung tired of it. The one Japanees fans dislike is Force, not StrikerS.
Ah, my bad then. I assumed that was the case because of the large gap and the fact that StrikerS wasn’t (in my eyes) as good as the previous ones. I wasn’t even aware that it had any kind of backlash, I was just saying that off my own impressions.
I do know that Force stopped serialization (unless I’m mistaken again, and that was something else), so at least we’re getting an adaptation of the good one!
Yes, Force was put on hiatus becase readers critizised ot and author himself decided to take a long break and fixthe plot somehow.
Force was potential gem however Tsuzuki is bad writter when coming to “try” and “dare”
Keeping my eyes on these three:
– Ore Monogatari!!
– Digimon Adventure tri.
– Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo
Digimon’s sequel is more of a “what-if” IF the characters from 02 never came to be.
regarding that what if digimon stuff , is that true ? where did you get the information ? because toei animation didn’t release many information about digimon tri
It’s not true. That was nothing but speculations from some people that probably turned into a rumor. The people working on Digimon Tri themselves have confirmed that Adventure 2 is canon and Tri is a follow up of it. We don’t however know if any of the Digidestined (or whatever it’s called in Japan) from Adventure 2 are going to play a big role in the new series with the exception of Kari and Takeru of course.
MY SURE BALL WATCHLIST:
Yamada and the 7 Witches — the ova made me crack many times as much as i watch it.
Nisekoi — chitoge x raku passenger here
Kiniro Mosaic S2 — more ayaya is more ayayamazing…
Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku — the return of my logical god.
Ore Monogatari!! — i can relate to the guy protagonist.
Hibike! Euphonium — kyoani fan… nuff said.
Plastic Memories — Mashiro fan here… *That broomstick*
Re Rumiko Takahashi: “For her name to appear on an anime once again after many years is a big deal”
Inuyasha: The Final Act aired in 2010, so she’s not even been off the air for five years. Not really a long time. Contrarily, there was an eight year gap between Ranma 1/2 and the first Inuyasha anime kicking off, so this is actually a far smaller amount of time.
New Sidonia S2 PV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK1jlQNcmns
*Sees PV jogging back to manga lane proper*
Oh boy, how are they going to explain Izana’s mechanical arm after what they did for the S1 finale…
…This alone should be entertaining all by itself.
Polygon adding the Blame teaser was cruel though. I’m still hoping for a full adaption of “Killy walks across the solar system”
Personally I’ll pick up five shows to watch weekly and then maybe one or two more some time into the season after a good number have episodes have aired, if its popular.
Shokugeki no Soma is the main dish of the season.
Stilts: You really don’t know DanMachi yet? 🙂
In the fan circles of action fantasy harem romcoms, DanMachi is one of the _big_ shows. Therefore I’m not surprised that JC is allocating a first-rate team to it. Its main strengths are the _awesome_ characters and their interactions. The MC Bell Kranel is one of the ‘naive’ kinds, but at least he’s far from useless. Mild correction from the summary: First, he meets Hestia, the busty loli goddess. It is the symbiosis between gods/goddesses living in the world of the mortals that causes both to create “Families” (sort of guilds), sending the mortals on adventures, helped by the gods/goddess’s “graces”. And on a visit to the dungeon, Bell is rescued by completely OP “Sword Princess” Ais, falling for her bigtime.
For fans of colorful characters and their antics with each other, this show is a total treat. It’s less about huge dramatic dungeon questing, it’s about establishing the flock of girls around MC Bell and his goddess Hestia, and to tell about their antics with each other. The MC is naive, but likable, Hestia is flat-out _awesome_ and the only loli that I absolutely adore (she is incredibly endearing in her Deredere mode), and there are half a dozen other girls he’ll get to know fairly quickly who are all amazing in their own rights.
Haters of the genre should stay away, fans are in for a total treat. And with the god/goddess living among humans setting, I have to grant this show some thumbs-up for originality, too.
Definitely going to watch this.
Alas, I don’t get to go beyond anime very often, and if I do, it’s to manga, not light novels. (Mostly it’s to other novels and/or American TV, though it’s still largely anime). I’m not even doing a good job of keeping up my anime blogger bona fides, much less catching source material ahead of time! So yeah, it’ll be all new to me.
This will be the first season in a long while where, thanks to time issues, I won’t be picking up any new shows. While a lot of them look interesting and a there are few I’m excited for (Arslan, DxD, and Sidonia), overall it doesn’t feel like much of a loss to wait until the season’s over (and I have more time) to pick up the good ones.
And now for my weekly five minutes of hate: What is this “Grisaia no Rakuen” anime you speak of? There is no anime adaptation of Grisaia no Kajitsu; in fact there has never been an anime adaptation of anything from the Grisaia franchise. We fans of the series have always been waiting for what could only be an amazing adaptation of one of the best VN’s ever. Anything else is clearly the product of an especially deranged mind. [sobs quietly in corner]
Now you understand the pain of Tsukihime fans. And somewhat the pain of Fate fans before UBW came out.
What in the world are you talking about? Grisaia no Kajitsu anime was aired Oct 5, 2014 to Dec 28, 2014 with 13 complete episodes with few special episodes released. Where you been lol…
I believe the point he was trying to make is that the adaptation was so bad that he does not consider it as having existed.
It wasn’t to bad. IMHO they made good job with first 3 eps and Makinas arc. And decent job with Amane, although the ending was less realistic and they butched Kazuki’s characterization. The main problem was lack of time. You’re exaggerating Meikyuu and Rakuen length in your post cause Maikyuu is 90% fandisk: afterstories and bonus routes just don’t need to be adapted at all. I still ythink that 50-60 min is not enough to adapt Yuuji’s backstory but even 10 eps is more than enough for Rakuen adaptation.
The general estimate was approximately how long many people took to complete all the content (VNDB tends to be a good estimate), so depending on who you are, how fast of a reader you are, and how much of the total content you choose to go with, the length will vary as noted, and I left a large range with that in mind.
Even on the lower range of that estimate and assuming not everything is required, a one-cour will likely cut out a decent amount stuff, Rakuen less than Meikyuu of course due to format, which leaves stuff to question in regards to what will be left out. The fact that a decent amount was already altered/cut from Kajitsu leaves me wary and that’s not without even considering the additional content/bonus routes/after stories, which do play a part in the overall scheme of things as complementary material that helps the story.
I’m not saying that I hated Kajitsu or that I believe Meikyuu/Rakuen won’t be worth watching, but more of erring on the side of caution in terms of what to expect, and noting that with the translation of the source incoming within 2-3 years tops (Kajitsu’s already coming officially by the end of this year), it may be prudent to hold off on a potential piecemeal version of the trilogy and instead opting to play the source.
@hihihihi If you’ve watched the *cough*anime*cough* of Tsukihime, then you can somehow relate to his sarcasm, otherwise it might pass off for you as innocent ignorance. Basically, chances are the adaptation might be so bad that fans might actually ‘cut their wrists’ in utter frustration or even worse, repressing their memories that an adaptation even existed in the first place.
As Zephyr and R_Jaeger said, the adaptation of the first one was so disappointing (especially with its decent start getting my hopes up) I’d rather forget it exists entirely. Yeah, there’s a slight chance they’ll do better with the sequels, but there’s no way in hell I’ll watch it until after I’ve read the source material.
In the order in which they are presented in this preview:
Definitely Watching:
Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken 2 Sure-me
Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
Shokugeki no Souma
Plastic Memories
Ore Monogatari!!
Ninja Slayer From Animation
Maybe Watching:
Denpa Kyoushi
Kekkai Sensen
Arslan Senki
This season has potential but is not overflowing with abundance either. At worst I can also work on my hefty backlog.
Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu
Plastic Memories
Kekkai Sensen
Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture
Lupin Sansei
Digimon Adventure tri
They look interesting now but we will see who will survive the challenge of not sucking like rest of the season.
GINTAMA!!
it’s easily my most anticipated show this summer.I literaly screamed in joy when they anounce their comeback!.With a combined powers of a great comedy and very deep, heart renching drama this has beaten all other shonnen shows (yes,Iam taking about you naruto and one piece).This has been done by a Genius and no other! Thank you Gorila sensei Thank you Sorachi Hideaki!
Wow so many promising anime entering this season! Looks like we’re in for a most pleasurable ride!
None of these have any initial interest for me.
That’s odd because there’s something for anyone on that list as far as genres go.
This is what I am doing for shows:
My watch list unless they really bad:
Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
Owari no Seraph
High School DxD BorN (yes it will be not the best but it will be really funny)
Digimon Adventure tri.(my childhood may die, but I will be there for the ride and it can not be worse then the G-force remake)
Give a try list
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka
Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu
Gunslinger Stratos
Kekkai Sensen
Triage X
Ninja Slayer From Animation
Only because I know a friend will ask, though I hope they prove me wrong:
Plastic Memories (yet another AI love story, do these get old for anyone else)
Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku (see above but replace AI with Supernatural)
Etotama
You should check out the Yuki chan anime. I follow the manga and am up to present date and think its fantastic.
Hikki!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You mean Batman? 😀
of course vivio’s rival has to be another girl sarcasm after all otaku would vomit if it was a boy. sigh look at sakura and syaoran’s relationship in cardcaptor sakura were otaku whining about how they got together? no how about tart and bu-ling from Tokyo mew mew? nope. it just seems shallow and arrogant to think the only way male fans can enjoy a magical girl show now is to have pander to what the author thinks they would like in this case yuri all the time even if it’s with kid characters.
New season is coming. With a lot of shows from Winter ending and only a handful of carryovers, I’ll be picking up a lot of titles. I counted 28 shows I’ll be watching next season. The ones I’m looking forward to the most are:
FSN UBW2: Doesn’t need anything else. Hyped for the continuation.
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka or just DanMachi: Fuck Yen Press for their awful localized English title for this. It’s very misleading. It doesn’t help that sites like Crunchyroll and ANN keep using it.
Anyways, I love its setting. It’s a fantasy world but it relies on different RPG mechanics like Levels, Stat parameters(STR, AGI, DEX), Loots, Potions, etc. Bell is an excellent protagonist. Naive but very kind-hearted and is very straightforward. I can pretty much see why they picked Matsuoka to voice him even though he’s not my first choice. And Hestia is love, Hestia is life. You can’t go wrong with an oppai loli goddess. I liked what I saw in the preview so my expectations are high.
Shokugeki no Souma: Started the manga when it just started getting serialized. It’s a cooking battle manga no doubt but it’s an enjoyable read. Lots of food porn with a dash of softcore fanservice from the reactions of people eating the food. Combined with the excellent art of Tosh and it’s a feast in the eyes. It also has a great ensemble of characters, with the main character Souma being the best one. And of course the neverending debate on who is the best girl, Megumi or Erina. Both sides will surely garner more fans. Pretty excited for this.
DxD B(utt)orN(ipples): That PV#2, nuff said. Props to Kaji Yuki for singing that so well.
Oregairu 2: Brain’s Base’s curse of not doing sequels beside Natsume rings true as we get Studio Feel for this but aside from that, a definite must watch sequel. More 8man, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama.
Other shows that I’ll be watching:
Arslan Senki
Baby Steps 2
Grisaia no Rakuen
Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo
Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic
Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku
Hibike! Euphonium
Triage X
Ore Monogatari!!
Ninja Slayer From Animation
Punch Line
Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken 2 Sure-me
Re-Kan!
Nisekoi:
Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu
Sidonia no Kishi: Dai-kyuu Wakusei Sen-eki
Kyoukai no RINNE
Denpa Kyoushi
Owari no Seraph
Gunslinger Stratos The Animation <- add this as you can see it on the official website
Plastic Memories
Kekkai Sensen
Picking up too much, time management, no life, etc.
I translate the original title of the series from its Japanese name which is: ガンスリンガー ストラトス.
I know the website translates that to GUNSLINGER STRATOS -THE ANIMATION- but that’s not what Japanese sources would say is the official title. I often confirm that here: http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/3719/time which is the Japanese schedule used for broadcasts.
In comparison, something like Fate/Stay Night is clearly written out in English and can’t be translated differently. This is why our previews will include the “Translated Title” followed by the “Japanese Title”. If there’s only English offered, there’s only one name. Hope that clarifies things =)
What can be more official than the official website of the anime that shows the title clearly as “Gunslinger Stratos The Animation” when you visit it? AniDB, ANN and MAL uses it as well. Also, it’s a clear distinction from the game title which also goes by the same name, as you can see in its logo on the game official website: http://gunslinger-stratos.jp/gs2/
It’s the same with Devil Survivor 2 and Persona 4. Their anime titles has “The Animation” attached to it to distinguish them from their games. Devil Survivor 2 is デビルサバイバー２ but it’s more known as “Devil Survivor 2 The Animation”. P4A and P4GA are ペルソナ4 and ペルソナ4 ザ・ゴールデン but they’re more known as “Persona 4 The Animation” and “Persona 4 The Golden Animation”. Both display those titles in their official websites and are even used here in RandomC. So what makes Gunslinger Stratos different? It’s inconsistent and incorrect display of information.
Thanks for the preview girls and guys of RC
Planning to watch:
Plastic Memories
Kekkai Sensen
Teekyuu 4
Takamiya Nasuno Desu!
Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku
Ore Monogatari!!
Saint Seiya Soul of Gold
Robot Girls Z Plus
Italian Lupin
New Digimon
Like always I probably won’t watch most shows as they air, even more so this season as there’s a lot of shows I want to take the time and watch with my siblings (Saint Seiya, Lupin, Digimon, etc)
I’m planning to watch Amaburi but haven’t yet, so the last Kyoani show I watched was Free! and it was a pretty good sports show. Though I didn’t see much point in a second season and didn’t watch it. While chara design isn’t a factor of whether I’ll watch/like a show or not (except if it’s Mitsudomoe as my eyes literally can’t stand it), my biggest complaint with Free was the chara design.
I’m not interested in Euphorium, but I have to say I’m very happy they finally moved away from the Keion/Tamako/Chuuni/Free sameface.
ZOOM ZOOM IYAAN!!!!
Sigh. Lots to be excited for, but where’s my Shoujo? Thanks for the write up as usual. <3!
Ore Monogatari!! <3
First Thoughts:
Ninja Slayer From Animation – Retro Vibes Anime 70-80ies feeling (from the 0:45sec Promo). A animated Manga. But perhaps this is also a part of the Promo gag. I dunno if i want to watch an EComic Book of ‘murica style
Arslan Senki – read like a Copy of Akatsuki no Yona, with Army of from Madan no Ou to Vanadis. But it seems its focus is more on Action
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka – seems like it catch my Style of Animes i love to watch. Lets see my 3 Episodes test. Looks promising
High School DxD BorN – I will watch this. Well First it must pass my 3 Episode test. Is the balance still good with Fan-Service (No light hentai please) and Story like the past 2 seasons? Will we see again the Fight with the Red and White Dragon?
Gunslinger Stratos – catch my interest because of the Characters style. I dunno. Let’s see
Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season – Looks like Ufotable only exist to create Fate/Stay night Animes. All story was born from Carnival Phantasm… but i admit, they make about dam good one
Plastic Memories – seems like a Anime with many Feelings.. An Android capable of Emotions nearly on dieing. Perhaps we will see many heartwarming feelings, you should prepare tissues just in case
Show by Rock – It trigger my MOE Sensor to the max. Let’s see. But what was Fantasy world for us in my past (Record of Lodoss War as example), the Virtual World is the world for the current Generation?
Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture – I am curious in how good this is. i hope they give our Lt. a good Seiju Voice Soul. As if she is alive. Even if the is only a real Human Brain in a Android Body
Hibike! Euphonium – for the K-On bonus and Music. Let’s see. I just we get more then a K-On 2.0 with Tubas…
Seems like this is my first impressions of the new Animes
btw, Triage X. The English Peoples spell this alone X as “cross”. Try google translations voice system
Shame on me, but I hope I will be able to watch Digimon, without watching its prequel. Yeah, I’m more of Pokemon fan and haven’t watched any digimon episodes. I’m also surprised about popularity of owari no seraph, I expected it to be more popular and more people would be eager to watch it. I’m manga reader, so I’m not objective here, but guys why don’t you want to watch it? 🙁
I don’t know how much you’ll need to know about the original Digimon to watch this sequel. It is a direct sequel (6 years later) but the staff behind it is different so who knows if they’ll totally change it up or not. They may re-explain everything and you can quickly catch up. It’ll be nostalgic for old viewers but being a new viewer means that you can experience everything for the first time and that’s just as exciting =)
I’m excited for Owari no Seraph! Looks like something right up my alley ~
I started to love Digimon because of pokemon!! (it was also playing on tv right afterwords in the Saturday morning cartoon period)
It’s like a what if Pikachu could talk kind of segway, but then after you get into it, you realize the plot and chracters are really really interesting. I would really recommend watching Digimon, it’s deep. 😀
Oregairu season 2, Fate UBW Season 2, Highschool DxD season 3, new Saint Seiya…this is going to be a great season.
As someone who still likes the original Fate TV anime by Studio DEEN, this comment hurts so much.
Ahaha! Sorry about that, but while I actually enjoyed the original Fate/stay night DEEN anime, I was forced to admit that it did basically nothing for the fandom, and the action was nothing like what Seven Arcs did with Nanoha, much less what Silver Link has been doing with Prisma Illya and ufotable with Fate/Zero and UBW. It was a decent introduction to the Fate arc (for me), but it just doesn’t hold a candle to the others, and never got my pulse-pounding properly.
But Nanoha S1 and S2 is 2004-2005 while F/SN by DEEN is 2006. It still was earlier.
Looks like a lot unoriginal garbage mixed in with a few possible gems…thank goodness the weather outside will be nice!
Agreed (other than UBW).
This season sucks hard, compared to Winter which had an amazing lineup. Summer is looking a bit promising though.
In YOUR opinion.
No shit sherlock it’s in my opinion. I didn’t quote that from an encyclopedia.
Let’s not start this here please.
Opinions are opinions. No need for the snark, nor the additional retorts.
“modern Japan seems to slide further back into its old nationalistic lines”
based on what? according to who?
you need qualify such statements for even a modicum of credibility.
Well, it’s only an anime preview, so I’m not going to spend time discussing politics (though I’m tempted; I have to use my degree), but if you’ve been paying attention to the news you’ll know that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is not, that Abe has been pushing for increased militarisation, that there is a move to redraft the Japanese constitution (which was, if you recall, originally imposed upon them by the US after the War), that this new constitution could contain ‘obligations’ Japanese citizens owe to the state.
This is all in the context of continuing tensions both domestically and regionally, with belligerent rhetoric being provoked over a bunch of islands, continual disparity within a culturally homogenous society, and troubling private and public revisionism of the WII history, including about the Nanking Massacre, ‘comfort women’, and the entire casus belli.
We can never be certain what will become of Japan, which has been in recession for decades and growing and is growing fidgety. But one can certainly chart some lines.
Must watch
Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
Tenpa Kyōshi – He Is an Ultimate Teacher
High School DxD BorN
Gintamaﾟ
Gintama IS a very funny show. Funny episodes include:
– the Dragonball parody episode
– the funeral episode
– the Jackie Chan cameo episode
Souma’s surname is misspelled here.
Yukihara => Yukihira
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=16344
Fixed.
The Dungeon LN series will have an official English translation. Vol 1 is already out; Vol 2 is due in April.
I might pick that up. I was unsure about watching the anime as I haven’t read the material yet. It does look erm interesting lol.
lucky 13. As in 13 shows i picked from this list.
Looking forward to “Punchline” (as well as “Kaitou Joker”‘s 2nd season) – but I’ll keep an eye on “Kekkai Sensen” and “Ninja Slayer From Animation”. Concerning “Digimon Adventure tri.”: I still need more informations…
All I need is Gintama and Digimon Tri and I’m good for the season!
The only things I’m interested in right of the bat are Vivid (I’ve only seen the movies but still), Fate/Stay night [Unlimited blade works], Hello! Krino Mosaic since I loved the first season and Digimon Adventure Tri because Digimon is a classic and I will always go back to it.
you are in for a treat with vivid. you may be extreamly confused though as you have not watched StrikerS and a good chunk of the initial cast hell even Vivio is from StrikerS.
Wow, this year’s Spring lineup is massive. But it’s curious to see that anything related to Haruhi Suzumiya franchise is now not solely under the discretion of Kyoto Animation. The Yuki Nagato spin-off will be adapted by Satelight, so fans of the original might not get used to or even like it. But having said that, Satelight has been known for their glorious art style and consistency. Rather, the moe factor might be lacking, and it may be Satelight’s first attempt at making a moe genre anime.
To further my point, it is increasingly common for sequels or spin-offs to employ a different studio compared to the original. Therefore, I guess it is also no surprise that ViVid is adapted by A1-Pictures, while the previous three were done by Seven-Arcs. For this particular instant, since it is A1-Pictures, I guess we could say that it can definitely not be too bad given A1-Picture’s fantastic track record in recent years. Take Shigatsu for example, their first foray into the LN romance school-life adaptation traditionally viewed to the stronghold of J.C. Staff. They definitely did not disappoint.
I always say this, but pay more attention to the staff, not the studio. Especially A-1 … while some studios have stronger personalities (you can usually safely judge SHAFT or KyoAni as a studio), A-1 has almost no consistent staff, so it all comes down to who is working on a particular anime.
It is a shame Seven Arcs didn’t get ViVid though, since they’re still doing good work with Dog Days”.
Looks like feel has given oregairu a make-over. brain base didnt give oregairu it’s all in the art and animation department so it seems that feel has decided to up the ante a little
STILTS PLS BLOG ALL THE HAREM ECCHI COMEDY DXD N STUFF TY
I-I’M NOT THE ECCHI WRITER! AND I’LL THINK ABOUT IT!
My freaking GOD! What a season this would be!
A lot of the heaviest hitters in the anime business is going all out, and I like it!
My watch list
-Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works- For the first time in Type Moon History, Emiya Shirou is not in the background of his promotional wallpaper!
-Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid- call me a lolicon if you must, but i am stoked at this one! The manga shows us the fine and gentle arts of making friends with overwhelming fire power!
-Grisaia no Rakuen- 3 words: Incest is WINCEST.
-Sidonia no Kishi: Dai-kyuu Wakusei Sen-eki- The best girl is here! Hell yeah!
-Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture- I’ve been a fan of Ghost in the shell for years. This one is a god send.
-Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu- Quite nice to see my favorite girl getting her very own series.
-Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka- I always wanted to read the novel, but since it’s not available in english, I’ll make do with the anime
-High School DxD BorN- Hyoudo Issei is some one that every man asspires to be! Definitely my most awaited anime of the season! OPAI TO THE MAXXXXXXXXXXX!
This season start with a BANG!. My most awaited anime Digimon Tri, Sidonia no Kishi, Denpa Kyoushi, and High School DXD. why they aired in the same season? Just Why???? even though i’m in the middle finishing my college and looking for job. If this trend continue maybe i really am destined to become a NEET for sure. 😀 *LOL*
Well let’s skip that aside. But, heck this season is a treat for anime lovers like me. It’s filled with excitement, nostalgia, and importantly entertainment. I can’t really count how many anime show i will watch. The 4 show i mentioned is the anime i will be watching every week. Other than that i’m not sure. The review just make me more confused.
For Gintama and Fate i already watch the movie and they are good, not sure if the anime is as good as it is. I’ve heard about Shokugeki no Souma, but never bother to check the manga. maybe it’s a good time to check the manga before the anime started airing.
For the other show? let’s start the season with 3-episode rule.
CHERRIE PLEASE DO DIGIMON KTHX.
Lol! Heavily considering it =) It all comes down to air date/time and whether or not I have conflicting shows T_T
DIGIMON! WHAT!
I’m actually speechless in a good way. Digimon is one of the few shows that I actually really enjoyed the dub of and its was one of my minor obessions. I’m so excited for this! It also was one of my gateway anime (the other being cardcaptor sakura) where I learned that anime can be dark, complex, and have characters that I can get emotionally invested in. I’m really looking forward to it and also curious about how they’ll Show Spoiler ▼
. I never thought a Digimon adventuers sequel could ever happen so this just makes my day.
Thank you as always to the RC staff for the amazing preview!!!<3
Also, I was wondering if anyone from RC is attending Anime Boston? It'll be my first time at an anime convention! I've been following RC for years now, so it'd be really cool to meet up. 😀
Oh I just wanted to add, I actually got chills watching the promo because of the OP. 😀
I want to 🙁
Takaii!! Come! It’ll be an honor to meet you ^o^
;__;
They confirmed awhile back that the epilogue and 02 are both still canon with the epilogue being the foundation for Tri (as in there are hints for Tri in the epilogue). We also know little else about it outside of its name, character designs, OP and insert songs, and the fact that Show Spoiler ▼
ouch that Ranma snub burns like a kettle of hot water. >.<
I find the lack of mecha anime this season (except for Sidonia) disturbing…
Oh well, there’s new Nanoha and Digimon. I can’t say it’ll be too boring.
I think that’s because mecha anime is more costly to produce right? It’s easier and cheaper for them to do school life shows than mechas in space etc
True, and those shows also have a bigger cash out than mecha anime. Smaller investment, bigger profit.But still, it sucks to have next to none this season.
Perhaps they should not overdoing it with Mecha Shows, like the US or Western Market do with these Ego Shooters. Call of Bruty and Flowerfield. if you just keep trowing these kind of things, the fans will get Fat and begin to dislike them, because they lose their special something
or the Studios, can take a nice change to create something different for once and a while. Not always drawing Car Tires for their rest of Anime Life (i use the Shirobako example)
as it was said, if you wanna Mecha Show. go to Sunrise… As if they only do mecha show at best…
I agree with you, I enjoyed Aldnoah Zero and Fafner this season. Fafner episode 9 was AMAZING with the animation, it must have cost Xebec a fair bit. If the studios have a story, they should just go all in and create something special. People would respond to it.
Or you can watch older mecha shows
Damn, Digimon PV doesn’t reveal much….but the feels when I hear “butterfly” being player.
Obviously meant played =.=
I scribbled down a bunch of shows, 1/3 of which I may even finish, but only one got me really excited: a new season of Oregairu.
Hikki’s dead fish eyes, Yukinon’s cold comebacks, ahhh, I can’t wait!
Oh yeah, Nisekoi, Nagato, Nanoha, Denpa Kyoushi, Sidonia, Plastic Memories, Yamada, Hibike!, and Ore Monogatari also have me excited. A lot of these I know because I’ve read the manga, so I’m going to temper my excitement with the knowledge that adaptations can really, REALLY suck sometimes, in spite of excellent storytelling (or excellent art in place of excellent storytelling). I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
I have so many shows that I’m hyped for that I’m going to be really down if half of them aren’t good.
The Nagato chan artwork is closer to that used in the manga. I’ve seen people complain about it for some reason lol.
I read through the comments, and was surprised to not see anyone else mention this, so…
Watching the trailer/PV for Plastic Memories is giving me strong Blade Runner vibes. I doubt there will be as many shootings, but the idea that someone has to pick up, or run after, the expired androids seems more than a little similar.
PTW:
Grisaia no Meikyuu
Grisaia no Rakuen
Kyoukai no Rinne
Gintama’ (2015) – If the Shogun *beep* Arc gets animated this might be the best Gintama yet.
Arslan Senki (TV) – LIDENFILMS,Bleach’s Director,Makoto Uezu,Very Low Expectations
Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki
Hibike! Euphonium – KyoAni,Band anime
Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) 2nd Season – Low Expectations.Hopefully better than 1st cour,though will probably be just as average as S1.
Kekkai Sensen – Bones, Kyousogiga’s Director, Trigun’s Creator, Might actually be good going based on PV2, High Expectations
Teekyuu 4 – Crack S4.
Shokugeki no Soma – Epic Food Wars,Foodgasm.
Owari no Seraph – Wit Studio,Sawano Hiroyuki
Nisekoi:,
Plastic Memories
Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken 2nd Season
Punchline – Looks generic but MAPPA.
Ore Monogatari!! – Watching on a whim,Madhouse,Shoujo with Male Protagonist
Lupin III (2015)
Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo (TV) – LIDENFILMS,12 episodes,Suddenly Low Expectations
Houkago no Pleiades (TV)
Denpa Kyoushi (TV)
Digimon Adventure Tri. – Nostalgia.
Ninja Slayer From Animation – Trigger,Very Low Expectations,Ninja KLK
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku – Highest expectations for despite studio FEEL.
Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku
Spring seems way more promising than Winter.
“Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka” the novel is surprisingly good, will follow!
This is exciting. Many, many heavy hitters with high expectations this spring. I’m personally looking forward to Shokugeki no Soma, Arslan Senki, Kekkai Sensen, Dungeon and Owari no Seraph. Sequels not to be missed are UBW season 2 and Oregairu.
We’re in for a real treat this time round. 🙂
Definitely Watch :
Arslan Senki hoping for this Anime to have a long episode
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka
Owari no Seraph
Shogugeki no Soma
Baby Steps S2
Diamond no Ace S2
Fate Stay Night : UBW sequel
Can’t Wait for this Anime to be release , Thanks for the Updates Randomc ~! This season have lots of Expectation Battle , Betrayal , Sports and Trust , Rivalry , Hopes – most of this have conquered in this Season
gonna watch first 3 episodes of all these animes but im probably only gonna drop 1 or 2 realistically
New:
Kekkai Sensen
Arslan Senki (I will miss the animation and character’s designs of 1990s OVA series, but Arakawa Hiromu is great mangaka so I can endure it)
May be:
Ore Monogatari!! (first chapter of this manga was funny)
Kyoukai no RINNE (Takahashi Rumiko is great but her works look better with old animation)
Other:
Gintama
Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
Baby Steps 2
… I don’t think I’ll follow this ”Haruhi” animation. While I adored Nagato in the alterate universe, I don’t think any studio should ever animate the franchise instead of Kyoto Animation, but I don’t think they ever will again now that they wanna focus on properties they actually own. These characters just do not look anything like how they should.
To be fair it doesn’t matter who animates the material. The Nagato chan manga is still the same regardless. It has quite a good/fun story and is well worth watching for any Haruhi fan out there. Though Kyoani not animating this to me suggests they’re probably done with the franchise.
Lots of good stuff this season.
Arslan
Highschool DxD
Shokugeki no Souma
Fate Stay Night
Digimon Adventures Tri
Plus a bunch of others
Having watched the digimon movies again recently I’m pretty psyched for Tri!
Only waiting for archer vs shirou becuz im gucci. Rest sucks.
Omg! HOw will they do the anime girl voice when you are already in an anime ?! Doesn’t that mean they all have anime girls voices?!
They should have just let HanaKana voice her.
8man’s head looks a bit better compared to Brain’s Base. For the women characters I like Brain’s Base more, they Feel a bit closer to the novels with Brain’s Base than Feel.
There are loads of good series this season. Though it’s YGO Arc V Season 3 / Part 2 I’m still hyped the most. It’s Kingdom all over again with it not getting limelight ;; oh well.
Will definitely watch: HS DXD BorN
High Chance of Watching: Oregairu Season 2, Digimon Adventures Tri
Watching if I had Time: Denpa Kyoushi, Souma, DanMachi
HS DxD Will always have some oppai ready for me so no Prob about that. If you wish to read some small spoiler then I’m gonna put it here:
Show Spoiler ▼
I’m so excited with the comeback of Daichi and his friends… So I wonder if they are no longer called chosen children… well they are no longer children.
I didn’t see Digimon on the chart. What day of the week is it on? Does anyone know?
If it’s not up on the schedule, then the air date has not been announced yet. You can always check the official website for announcements. We’ll update this preview as we hear of news and updates.
Sequel
Sequel
Sequel
zzzzzzzzzzzzz
more sequels
when will this sequel cancer stop ?
I’m all up for Kekkai Sensen and Shokugeki no Souma and perhaps Lupin Sansei and Ore Monogatari!!
I was tempted with the new Digimon, but I still did not forgive S2 after all these years and since they made canon with this new flick, I’ll drop it like it were a boiling hot kettle.
A number of sequels I’m looking forward to: Kiniro, FSN, Oregairu, DxD, Danna ga Nani itteiru, and Nisekoi. I’ll probably pick up a few others as well, but I should have a decent amount of stuff to enjoy already.
Lol’d when I saw that DxD PV with Issei’s theme song.
Lots of my favorite animes.
Will be watching all this:
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka
Shokugeki no Souma
Denpa Kyoushi
High School DxD BorN
Nisekoi:
Grisaia no Rakuen
And must watch no matter what:
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
ahem, excuse me, must do this:
HELL~~~~~~YEAH~~~~~~~~!!!!
*thud* *dies of overdose touching orgasms*
(Possible) Minor Grammatical/Spelling Errors (1):
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I’m sorry if this looked like I was being a know-it-all or something along the lines. I just really wanted to help out by pointing out any typos, even for just this post! If there are any more I find reading through the rest, I will make sure to leave another comment.
Man, i feel so sad by what anime have become 80% of these shows are about little girls or school girls just being moe.
how sad…
(Possible) Minor Grammatical/Spelling/Punctuation Errors (2):
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Only 3 shows:
Fate
Kekkai Sensen
Gintama
GINTAMA IS BACK!!! i dont need anything else.
even though i liked nisekoi, Oregairu and digimon in the past, im not interested in these sequels..
might give a chance to Arslan senki tho.. and owari no seraph sounds interesting but i heard is fujoshi bait…
Are Ninja Slayer and Re-Kan both shorts then?
Re-Kan is definitely not. It’s scheduled to be a full anime – http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/3697/time
Ninja Slayer has little information right now but so far, it looks to be a full anime as well. This will get updated closer to the premiere date – http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/3736/time
My only definite’s are Ghost in the Shell, Sidonia and maybe Triage X for giggles. Although I might give some of the more genre bent shows an episode or two.
There are lots of must-watch on that list (Fate, Sidonia, Arslan ,etc) and some that seems worthy to check (Kekkai Sensen, Plastic Memories, Gunslinger Stratos, etc) but only one that make me yell reading this list: DIGIMON ADVENTURE!!!
Top of must-watch indeed!
And let us Start:
@Dungeon thing Anime 01:
Warning! Do not Touch until you saw Episode 1
Show Spoiler ▼
@Admins here
are these kind of Appetizers still okay. i try now to hide them in Spoiler tasks, until you have time to write
Now it is the right Link, sorry
I’d wait until the respective posts are out. We’re covering all the shows you’ve discussed now so you can comment there when the posts are out, rather than commenting 5-10 times on the same post.
Congratulations, this Anime passed my 3 Episode testing, and must say i am impressed. The Godness really did surprise me. I was thinking she will do more of “ecchi” jokes, but no. Her words was really impressed
I am in your care, dear Anime-san
Tis high time for Gintama on Random :'( It’s such a great series.
@Denpa Kyoushi
Sorry, this wannabe Teacher, has no Manners like our Koro-sensei
Sorry, this Anime is a bit to late. Koro-sensei is now my ideal Picture of Teachers for this New Style of Teaching, and also Koro-sensei has manners. Not a Neet like this wannabe one
Where Koro-sensei has Flaws that make him Human and one of us. This Genius fallen from the Sky Wannabe Teacher is to egoist of his own, at the Start. His manners keep me away from him
the truth: I was only able to watch him, until this Girl on the roof punch him in the Face. Welcome Soul mate
@Arslan Senki
Yes, it seems a interesting Anime. About the Persians (Magi universe). This show is about the latent Racism again. All other then themselves are just lowlife, Animals. But even in today, Money is Power, not many chanced since them. They are still hold as Work Slaves
Well, let’s see the 2 other Shows
@High School DxD BorN
Oppai!!!! Seems like the Show still know what made it Strong. Oppai jokes and Ecci fan-service that know his limits
1/3 passed
@Show by Rock
Well, did you check up the CG before airing? The Symbiosis do not work. As if you doing an modeling clay Animation CG Sequence trowing into the Anime. It feels like an foreign object. And in not giving them a mouth, do not make it better
I do hope, they fix that. These Clay alike or Plastic alike CG Style. It is heavy Uncanny Valley for me
Yes, this TRON alike World, is a nice idea. But the Jumps from TRON World and Anime World, well how should i put it in words.. Feels strange Part A and Part B, clue together with force
and the voice of the Instrument… Welcome Shirobako… somehow 🙂
With Shirobako wisdom now, i think this Clay alike CG Sequence was there to add the Merchandise faction.. Oh well, lets see
@Ore Monogatari!!
You looking for:
Slice-of-Life + Friendship + Voice that fit to Character + Love + calmer pacing
Then this Show is for You!.
1/3 Pass with Honor
@Houkago no Pleiades
Magic-Girl Anime, with pretty Pictures and Background Arts. Sorry, not my Style of Anime
But here a Tip for your Sound Worker, do not let these “High tech Broom” swift gear, where there is no Gear at all… I mean, she stared right with full speed Motorbike as her Broom (Sound). All right, but the other Girls Flying and you hear the Sound of switching gear, where you see no Video Feedback at all.. Let at last flicker their Broom light a bit
Spoiler:
Show Spoiler ▼
@Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture
Um, well.. You knowShow Spoiler ▼
Ep 02:
Show Spoiler ▼
2/3 Failing so far
Conspiring here conspiring there conspiring everywhere. it is impossible to keep track who is who.. No this Anime is really off track in the Highclouds
I give up. This show is hard to follow and understand for me. i begin to get headache
Okay after calming down, i try to explain why i do not follow this Show or has my problems with it
in the past GITS Anime there was Action Fights, in real world with Cyborg support and other Mechas, Cool Cyber-war Effects and such. But here, in these 2 Episodes is is so packed with Conspirator, that my Head blow off. To much and to less action to let off some Steam
I dunno, in how you love your GITS, but these was my favorite points of being Fanboy. But here these 2 Episode are nothing. A world filled with Ice, no Human warmth anymore the only Person that had a blink of Humanity was our MC, “Her ghost are telling to do it!” this was a first glimmer of Humanity Soul, in this entire World of Technology where Humans are worthless. Even the Massacre did not rise anything in their hearts, business as usually. War Dogs as Special Police officers, cold hearts bloody Killers well they kill just other Cyborgs. So in a basic look, this World is full of Robots that are thinking they are Humans. Do some Peoples exist with real Human brains? Or did they all Upgrade all with tech stuff and such, and lost their Soul underway? No this World are heartless, full of Steel. This World is beyond having a Humanity Future. only the Strong Robot survive
Ep 03:
Show Spoiler ▼
Ep 04:
Show Spoiler ▼
But i do not like these Memories manipulating things. Are their Brains really that Easy to manipulate? Are all of these Humans in reality Cyborgs? Machines that have an Human AI?. What happen with the Human Brain?
I hope the next Episodes has nothing more with Memories alternation in their Story. What is real? What is fake? Is this all a Dream? is this an Illusion? Then why do you spin the Story, if you in the end turn out as Fake? This conspritation things are to much overboard for my Gusto
So this Anime here, is for Long time Hardcore Fans. More an Omake, as you know anything knew about our Major
@Triage X
Well, as if they try to copy High school DxD Girls with their Boobs um sorry, Oppai’s. But failed. Triage X Female do not have Boobs or Oppai’s, these are just Helium Balloon shaped as some kind of Boobies. Because with this things, they would fall over or break their spine. Perhaps Queens Blade came near this here
or sorry, well for the Story. It is not a nice move if only the Male hide his Face and the Females do not care. Well they really just use the Females here for Service to trow their Anime onto the Fans
Look only if you find High school DxD oppai’s flat as wood, or found High school of the Dead not satisfied enough. oh and of the We shoot Bad Peoples aka Yakuza Story of course…
or their Director or someone in charge of the Char designs, is a US Boy.. “They are to small.Add more Flesh!!” sounded in creation progress for the Females
@Knights of Sidonia 2
Dear Animation Studio, can you please give your Humans the ability to breath Air in the Sequence? as Example, the Old Men was talking with this Girl, while watching the Mecha get moved and the Alarm Sound ringed(the Engineer Old Men and Goddess). But why they hold their breath the entire scene? 🙂 If you want to do accurate Animations, give them little Chest movement of breathing Air. Would ya? 🙂
The 2nd Season has also an new OP Song, that i find myself better fitting for this Fighting scenery. Even if it remind me of a Military prise March Song.. Well in a case it is true.
Show Spoiler ▼
Ep 02:
I only say “Nice Message Chair!!” 🙂
2/3 passed without problems
@Punch Line
Well, where Episode 1 was Nice and aggresiv in his own Way, and own Humor
the Episode 2 lost it on the Way, it was nearly the opposite of Episode 1 Flow
in Short: What are the strength of Punsh Line? Pantsy shoots? Well, if Highschool DxD would only sell themselves with the “Big Opais”, they would lost long ago to Triage X. Because Triage X has the to big even for Opai” boobies
I hope they switch in Episode 3 the balance. We do not need an Anime to show only Shut ins. And do not the Boy was looking for something?
Episode 1: 8/10 (Pantsy and Action)
Episode 2: 5/10 (For what i am watching this?)
Nothing to watch this season we have to wait for digimon. sad story 🙁
Nothing to watch this season we have to wait for digimon. sad story 🙁
Looking forward to & awaiting summer season preview 🙂
Anyone know when it is coming out?
It’s the last week for the spring 2015, how come summer 2015 preview is not out yet? O.o