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Ahhhh summer. Traditionally thought of as one of the weaker seasons, I for one think we have another excellent crop of anime ahead of us. But then again, what do I know – we all know I have terrible taste! There’s something to be said for looking at the numbers though, and this season is bringing us an astonishing 36 new series, rivaling the swiftly passing spring season. There is once again a wide variety of anime to enjoy. On the sequel front we have the third season of Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, a reboot of the venerated Rozen Maiden series, and more of everybody’s favorite perverted onii-chan (next to me) with Monogatari Series: Second Season. Notable adaptations include the award-winning fantasy novel Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi, magical girl manga and Fate/stay night spin-off Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and another fantasy novel adaptation in Uchouten Kazoku. There’s not a lot of original material, but holding down the fort are the darkly mysterious Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou and the bishie swimmers of Free!. This is Random Curiosity’s Summer 2013 season preview! Hey, it’s hot outside, wouldn’t you rather stay inside and watch some anime? Well read on to find out what you should watch!
As a quick reminder, each entry is 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’re once again bringing back our Expectation Levels in an attempt to help you decide what to watch based on how excited we are about each individual show. We couldn’t leave well enough alone though, so in an effort to give ourselves even more ways to screw up, we made some changes to the expectation levels we used. For more on this, including our definition of each level, check out the overall impressions section at the very bottom. We’ve also included a list of all shows organized by expectation level, just to make things easier.
Disclaimer: Way back in the days of yore (of last year), previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Unfortunately, none of the current writers are nearly as awesome as him, so we’ve divvied up the preview portion of this post among six writers (Kairi, Seishun, takaii, Zanibas, Zephyr, and yours truly, Stilts) in order to try and match the high-quality and objective impressions you’ve come to expect. Similar to what Divine did in the past, we will also try to identify what appeals to us in each series, in hopes 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 in regards to shows that stray from the anime norm or seem to be oriented towards young children. Please check out MOON PHASE for complete listings, syoboi for specific air times, and Fansub Wiki for a list of potential subbers for each series.
Finally, I’d once again like to thank everyone who worked on this preview. Government scientists are still trying to unravel the secrets of how Divine managed to do these all by himself, but we assume black magic was involved, because it was hard enough for all of us to make it in time. (Okay, actually we’re getting pretty good, but it’s still a lot of work!) Aside from those who wrote previews, here’s what everyone did:
- Cherrie, Kairi, and Zephyr took care of the information gathering (links, air dates, episode lengths, series/movie/OVA lists, etc).
- Seishun and our tech guy Xumbra encoded the PVs.
- Cherrie gathered and cleaned all the images.
- Stilts, Zanibas, and Zephyr formatted the post and made sure everything was working properly.
- Stilts finished everything up by proofreading, editing, and double-checking the entire post (like three times!).
Last but not least, we’d like to thank you, the readers. I know that most of you have already sped past this, but for those of you who took the time to read everything, you get my heartfelt thanks for continuing to read and support us. Actually, everybody else gets that too, they just don’t know it. Suckers!
Technical Note: the list 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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Preview by Seishun For those who have seen the first season, you know the basic premise – this is a historical action series set in the Warring States Period of ancient China, right before the formation of the Qin Dynasty. This military epic follows the adventure of Shin (Morita Masakazu) – a war orphan who aims to become the world’s greatest general, and Ei Sei (Fukuyama Jun), an adolescent King of Qin who intends to bring peace by subjugating the land through war. Sei’s efforts to unify China were met with resistance, both within the palace and from belligerent neighbors. The first season depicted the unlikely cooperation between Shin and Sei that led to the young prince’s ascension to power – but his position is still unquestionably precarious at this stage. Season two starts with a one year leap into the future – Shin is now a general commanding a 300-man squad, and following the unfortunate demise of the General Ou Ki (Koyama Rikiya), the State of Qin remains under threat from all sides. This is a grand and bloody war epic of the kind we rarely see in anime these days, and the first season was simply superb in its portrayal of military strategy and the brutality of war. Speaking as someone who has read a good portion of Shi Ji (Records of the Grand Historian), I have a bit of a soft spot for war stories in China, and a fictional take by a Japanese manga-ka was something that piqued my interest right away. Hara Yasuhisa has certainly done his homework, and the epic tale that he has woven together in Kingdom captures the essence of the warring states era extremely well. Studio Pierrot has more than 70 episodes to work with in this adaption, and the cast is huge, with the likes of Kugimiya Rie, Hikasa Yoko, Suwabe Junichi, and Morikawa Toshiyuki among its seiyuu ranks. This series is definitely worth your time if the premise interests you, but it is also one that requires patience and attention to detail. You might have to look elsewhere if the typical one-cour resolution is what you’re seeking.
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Preview by Stilts This summer brings us the third season of the 4-koma inspired shorts about two siblings who don’t look anything like their ages. Miyagawa Atsushi (Okiayu Ryotaro) is a 180cm 11-year-old who looks like an adult, while his 17-year-old sister Atsumi (Kugimiya Rie) is 137cm and looks like a child. This discrepancy between people’s assumptions and reality leads to comedic misunderandings galore, including misguided crushes, trying to make an onee-chan into an imouto, and the frequent intervention of the police. Run, Atsushi, run! Each episode is three minutes long. I’ve watched the past two seasons of Recorder to Randoseru, and I feel like its brand of comedy works well in the short format. There’s not a lot of meat to the story, but the setup provides fertile ground for some decent jokes, and most episodes got a chuckle out of me at least. The downside is that at three minutes each, if a joke falls flat, that’s it for that episode. I always enjoyed the Atsushi-focused episodes the most, since the discrepancy between his maturity and appearance is a lot more pronounced, and because it’s funny to see him get hauled off by the police for playing with his friends. I mean, we’ve all seen a short girl before, right? (I know I have.) Still, at about thirty minutes per season, this is an easy show to try out. If you wouldn’t mind a quick snack between the rest of your anime, give this one a try. It’s pretty funny.
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Preview by Zanibas A bibliophile, Harumi Kazuhito (Sakurai Takahiro) decides to be a hero and takes a bullet for a novelist, Natsuno Kirihime (Inoue Marina). Unfortunately, this leads to his death, but fate is kind and reincarnates him…as a dog. Considering the alternative, such a fate is relatively good despite the accompanying disability of not being able to read. This is how the tale of the abusive scissor-wielding Natsuno and her slave-dog Harumi begins, as they face off comically against, well…anything. Books will be swung at people, scissors will be used to threaten, and of course a wide range of supporting cast will appear to make Harumi’s life miserably exciting. Cuticle Tantei Inaba should definitely be a triggering flag in considering this anime. Though this show should have less focus on a hair fetish and more on abuse, the two give off the same sort of ridiculously abusive comedic vibe. Sakurai and Inoue will do a great job giving the show the proper energy it needs, especially with their experience with these archetypes. However, most of the main production staff is untested–director Takahashi Yukio as well as character designer Satou Youko lack experience in their roles. Matsuda Akito is a bright spot in the staff, having composed the music for Chuunibyou and Baka to Test under the name Nijine. However, the ultimate say in quality all depends on how GONZO handles this project–though they have produced well-animated comedies such as Strike Witches and Saki, recent history places doubt in expecting the same high quality. Hopefully GONZO can redeem itself this year with this comedy, for the premise definitely gives it potential. The plot is so out there that anything can happen! After all, when you cast Inoue Marina in a domineering position, great comedy is bound to happen in some shape or form.
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Preview by Kairi Hinata Ema’s (Satou Rina) father, the renowned adventurer Hinata Rintarou, is remarrying. His new wife, an apparel designer by the name of Asahina Miwa, has 11 sons. In order to stay out of her parents’ way, Ema decides to move into Sunrise Residence with her new brothers. After the initial discord, she finds that life in a household full of men leads to complications as romance begins to bud. I’m more than a little apprehensive about this series. Pre-Amnesia, I would have stood up for Brains Base and said that their track record for great adaptations more than made up for any misgivings in a show’s premise, but that’s no longer the case. Still, while I’ve never been a huge fan of reverse harems, at the very least the source material for Brothers Conflict is not a game; this series is adapted from a novel, which gives me the impetus to sit out the first few episodes and see what’s going on. Perhaps after the rather slow year Brains Base has been having, they can do something interesting with this premise. Even so, my hopes are not too high, and I can see quite a lot of shoujo clichés being set up already. Harems survive on the strength of the love interests (and to a lesser extent, how good a protagonist we have), and so far we’ve not been given too much to think on. At the very least, if the series steers clear of cages, it’ll definitely be better than a certain other show, which is always a plus.
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Preview by Stilts The slap-stick, world saving comedy short series is back for another season. A long time ago the demon lord Satan Rchimedes wreaked havoc over the world, until he was sealed by the hero Creation and peace returned. One thousand years later, a new hole suddenly appeared on the surface of the world, and demons poured out. In order to stop the world from plunging into darkness, the King called on the hero’s descendants to fight back…all 75 of them. (After a thousand years, it was hard to narrow it down any further.) So began the adventure of the incompetent Hero No. 45, Alba (Shimono Hiro), and his sadistic palace guard/traveling companion Ross (Nakamura Yuuichi). Oh, and the petite young girl Ruki (Kayano Ai), who is…the demon lord herself!? Hilarity ensues as they stumble across far-ranging plots, get thrown into jail, battle erratically competent demons, and tsukkomi until the world is saved! The first season of this show was a pleasant surprise, as it was genuinely funny nearly every week – and considering the show is about 95% comedy, it’s a good thing it was! A lot of the comedy centered around Ross being hilariously sadistic towards Alba, or Shimono Hiro using his deluxe tsukkomi skills to play straight man to the entire ridiculous world. Really though, nearly every character that appeared had their amusing quirks, from the cool lolicon Rudolf (Nakata Jouji), to the tsundere in the big suit of armor Hime-chan (Kato Emiri), to useless demons like Ein Januar (Sakurai Takahiro) and his masochist talking cat best friend Lortelia Michelajul (Ueda Youji). What most surprised me was that there’s actually a bit of plot and intrigue in this series, even if the 3-minutes-per-episode runtime does prevent us from getting pulled in too deeply. That’s okay, though – this is slap-stick comedy done right, and it doesn’t work if you’re taking it too seriously. Fortunately, nothing about Senyu. is serious, and it’s all funny. With the same cast and crew on for the second season, I expect more of the same, so if you’d like a short dose of humor every week, I suggest you go try out the first season now. I have a feeling you’ll go away smiling.
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Preview by Zanibas The 16th and 17th centuries for Japan were years of great internal struggle. The country was well into the Sengoku era, with every daimyo struggling to expand and defend their provinces. Hara Tetsuo, author of Hokuto no Ken, brings us the Sengoku tale of two lifelong friends in the story Doudou!! Naoe Kanetsugu – Maeda Keiji Sakegatari. Naoe Kanetsugu (Namikawa Daisuke) plays an important role in the Uesugi clan as an important retainer for the daimyo and strategist. In Kyoto, Naoe meets a lifelong friend, Maeda Toshimasu/Keiji (Satou Takuya), a master fighter on the bloodied battlefields. Together, they work under the Uesugi banner to expand the clan’s glory, but also to both rise in its ranks and cement the deep friendship they share. As with most Sengoku adaptions, history fans and those looking for action will find their fill here. Tetsuo’s style of storytelling–manly plot filled to the brim with heroic sacrifice and endurance–will translate to this work easily. Such storytelling will be complemented with GAR-quality animation, as Tetsuo (who is personally supervising the animation) is armed with a studio that’s well-versed in producing Sengoku-type works such as the Hakouki series. Namikawa Daisuke should also do well–though his skill in being North Italy in Hetalia is admirable, his history of performing “cooler” roles should lead to a good performance. If you’re looking for a good old fashioned tale of two men whose bond is unbreakable by even the sharpest blade, then perhaps Doudou is a good match this summer.
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Preview by Takaii Tamayura is the definition of a slice-of-life if there ever was one. Directed by the well-known Satou Junichi of ARIA fame, More Aggressive is the third installment of Satou’s attempt to create a “healing anime”. Focusing on the life of Sawatari Fuu (Taketatsu Ayana) and her friends and family, Tamayura’s niche falls on the focus it places on Fuu and her love of photography, which she inherited from her late father. By using photos as a means to share stories and memories, Tamayura adds a welcome layer of complexity to a somewhat standard formula. If you’re like me, then you’ll love this third addition to the Tamayura franchise. Sure I may be a bit predisposed towads anything in this genre, but I really enjoy slice-of-life that get you really emotionally involved. In Tamayura’s case, I can’t help but love it when you have a story about friends who are not only learning about each other, but through trials and hardships are learning about themselves as well. That and I’m a sucker for any show that has something really sad (Fuu’s dad for example) that the plot will touch on at just the right moments to tug at your heart. Tamayura’s original OVAs were the very first thing I ever covered here on RandomC, so if anything, give it a shot as homage to one of the senior writers here on the site!
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Preview by Stilts Brought to us by KyoAni subsidiary Animation Do, this summer will be spent in the pool with the boys of Free! The story stars Nanase Haruka (Shimazaki Nobunaga), a boy who has always loved to swim. After emerging victorious in an elementary school swim meet alongside his friends Tachibana Makoto (Suzuki Tatsuhisa), Nagisa Hazuki (Yonaga Tsubasa), and Matsuoka Rin (Miyano Mamoru), they all go their separate ways. Fast forward to high school, and Rin suddenly appears to challenge Haruka to a match–but not before he shows off his overwhelming swimming prowess! Rising to the challenge, Haruka gathers Makoto, Nagisa, and their new comrade Ryugazaki Rei (Hirakawa Daisuke) to form the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club and defeat Rin! Ahhh, the anime so hyped that the internet thought it made it happen. (It didn’t) Let’s try to ignore the hype for a minute and look at this show objectively. From all of the promos we’ve seen, the animation looks gorgeous, which is par for the course for a KyoAni production. The seiyuus are all experienced, and most of the staff have impressive resumes as well. The real question is what they show will be about. Some people think it will be straight fujoushi bait, but I don’t think so – while KyoAni will occasionally make use of fanservice, they tend to be very respectful towards their characters, so I doubt they’ll use it any more than the premise deamnds (which, to be fair, will probably be a lot). From the premise + the promos + long experience with KyoAni, here’s what I would go in expecting: moe bishie sports anime. The promos show the characters acting like they’re straight out of K-ON! or Tamako Market, the premise hints towards a strong competitive element in the challenge from Rin, and let’s face it, those are some pretty good-looking character designs (those abs! So jealous). If you don’t want to watch a show full of shirtless guys, you may not enjoy this, but I have a feeling there will be more going on than just that. What remains to be seen is whether KyoAni’s subsidiary can do what KyoAni themselves hasn’t been able to in a while – transcend their usual “above average” offerings and give us something truly great.
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Preview by Stilts A new military school girl anime is coming at us courtesy of Gainax. Due to her father moving away for work, high schooler Yamato Yura (Makino Yui) has transferred to the beautiful Stella Women’s Academy. As soon as she arrives she meets Kashima Sonora (Sawashiro Miyuki), a third-year who recently became the head of a club for military survival games known as C³. (Don’t worry, they use airsoft and BB guns.) Other members include the part-Japanese Hatsuse Karila (Kayano Ai), the G36K-wielding Mutsu Honoka (Saito Chiwa), the really short Hinata Yachiyo (Yonezawa Madoka), and Kirishima Rento (Nishizaki Rima), whose family owns a Japanese sweets shop. What I like about this series: the premise and the art. The premise has a definite Girls und Panzer feel to it, with its combination of military-style action and sports-like competition giving us all the fun of people shooting each other without the bloodshed or character deaths. The character designs are cute as well, which gives credence to their tag line of a story about high school girls “who look super good in mini-skirts”. (No arguments here.) Things I’m not so sure about: the studio and the staff. Gainax is animating this, and while they’ve created some excellent original series in the past, they’ve suffered a lot of talent drain as many of their best people left for studios like Trigger. Their adaptations have historically been a bit shifty too, though the promotional material I’ve seen so far has looked good. The staff is an unknown factor, headed up by a newbie director in Kawajiri Masayoshi (Kawajiri who? Exactly). Other considerations: with a source manga only one volume long, its unsure how much material they’ll have to work with, though there was another two-volume manga that came out before that which they could dip into. The premise seems solid, so if Gainax can pull out some of their old magic, this could very well be a good series. Cute girls playing military games sounds like fun to me, so I’ll be tuning in. We’ll just have to wait until it airs to see what kind of show we’re getting.
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Preview by Stilts Hope’s Peak Academy is a high school for very special students. To graduate from Hope’s Peak essentially guarantees success in life, but graduating is not easy. Upon being brought to the school, fifteen elite high school students are told by the talking bear Monokuma (Ooyama Nobuyo) that their graduation hinges upon committing a murder. The only way to graduate is to kill one of their classmates and not get caught. If the other classmates figure out the identity of the killer, only the killer is executed, but if they fail, the killer graduates while everyone else is killed. Fifteen students enter, and only one will graduate. Who will it be? Killing games are always fascinating, thanks to the twists they introduce on the old “kill people” plot. Comparisons with shows like Mirai Nikki and BTOOOM! are inevitable, but with Dangan Ronpa the focus is not on what the characters do when they’re given special tools and told to kill each other, but what they do with only their preexisting skills and abilities. For that reason the choice of using elites was a good one, as it promises interesting conflicts as their individual quirks, abilities, and eccentricities collide. The emphasis on discovering who commits each crime is what especially piqued my interest though, as it takes a detective drama basis and then jacks up the stakes. Also, there’s the simple fact that known, named characters will die – nothing interesting can happen until bodies start turning up! What will happen to any bonds that are forged once the number of classmates starts getting low? This is a game adaptation, which always gives me pause, but the staff looks solid, the animation passable, the character designs unique, and above all else, the premise has me interested. This is a killing game, people – if that’s your kind of thing, tune in. Just prepare to see blood, and plenty of it.
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Preview by Zanibas Rozen Maiden is back desu! First, let me give warning upfront–given that this newest series has no title to show that it’s a third season (such as Träumend and Ouvertüre), this is not necessarily a continuation of the original animated series. It is unclear on what this new series will entail. The website indicates that university Sakurada and middle school Sakurada are present in the series, implying that both 2002 and 2008 manga elements will be present in a hybrid mix. How that will happen is unknown. Those of you who are not yet engaged or caught up with the Rozen Maiden should wait until we learn whether it’s safe to enter this series without watching the previous seasons. Since the exact nature of how the show will proceed is unknown, the best synopsis I can give is as follows: Sakurada Jun (Sanada Asami and Ohsaka Ryota) must deal with several animated life-like dolls made by doll maker Rozen. The first doll that Sakurada encounters is Shinku (Sawashiro Miyuki), who helps Sakurada in dealing with the dolls, as well as unraveling the mystery behind their creation and purpose. Most of the cast from previous seasons have reprised their roles, and judging from their performance in previous seasons, the cast definitely will not disappoint. Most of the staff assigned to the show are experienced enough, with the possible exception of director Omata Shinichi, but his excellent work with Sankarea is a promising sign. ALI Project and Annabel will pair up once again to perform the OP and ED respectively (like they did in Another) . With Studio DEEN’s recent work coming out with fairly good production values, I have confidence that this adaption will be one to please both incoming fans and those who have been dying for more doll-vs-doll interaction. If you enjoy the premise of an all-out magical brawl between characters, all of whom are seeking the truth to their battle, I recommend giving this show (another) shot. Though complications with the 2002 manga still lurk, I am sure that Peach-Pit, the original creator, has foreseen enough to avoid those complications in this latest work.
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Preview by Stilts The Fujisaki Girls Academy is known for its very proper student body, the most prominent of whom is Natsuo Maki (Akasaki Chinatsu), the calm and polite student council president who is admired by all of her classmates. On the other hand, Kurahashi Riko (Numakura Manami) is admired as well, but for being forward and boyish. Things get interesting when Riko walks in on Maki practicing kissing on a pillow. Riko is forced to keep Maki’s secret and has to join her in practicing all aspects of romance, such as holding hands and more. Did you like Yuruyuri? Then you should try this. I’ll explain: it’s a slice-of-life show, about cute high school girls, with serious yuri undertones, and it’s being made by Dogakobo. It’s practically the same thing! Okay, so there are differences – for one, the premise implies even more yuri undertones than in Yuruyuri, as the girls will be explicitly practicing romantic activities rather than only falling into them (though I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens to). Director Oota Masahiko and the rest of the staff have some good experience as well, specifically with shows like Kotoura-san and, you guessed it, Yuruyuri. This one is pretty cut and dry – if you like slice-of-life, yuri, and/or Yuruyuri, check it out. It has the pedigree to be great, so all that remains is to see whether they can pull it off, and with Dogakobo at the helm, I think they will.
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Preview by Zephyr Originally the of brain child of composer Agematsu Noriyasu (Elements Garden) and game designer Kaneko Akifumi (Wild Arms), Senki Zesshou Symphogear returns for its second season. Armed with new character designs from Fujimoto Satoru and a new director in Ono Katsumi, Symphogear G brings with it the continuation of the fight against the “Noise”—alien entities that decompose humans into carbon upon contact. Tachibana Hibiki (Yuuki Aoi), Kazanari Tsubasa (Mizuki Nana), and Yukine Chris (Takagaki Ayahi) make their return as well, wielding the only power capable of stopping them: song powered armor derived from relics known as Symphogears. Having watched the first season, I must say that the sequel brings with it mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s always nice to have more Mizuki Nana (new songs and an acting role!), and the original series really hit a lot of the right notes with its over the top action/fighting scenes. On the other hand though, the first season had a tendency to really hit and miss with the execution and direction of its plot. To this end, the director switch seems like it’s a good decision, but the general expectation for me stays the same—this is a series that won’t appeal to all audiences. From my viewpoint, the great themes, inserts, and action are well worth the price of admission alone, but the fact remains that the plot likely won’t be anything special. Depending on your reaction to the latter statement, you may or may not want to watch this series—although whether or not you enjoyed the first season (a recommended watch beforehand) will likely give you all you need to know to make an informed decision.
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Preview by Zanibas Another school club anime has appeared with Nomad’s most recent production, Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku. The club in question is called the go-home club, where the activities boil down to the whims of the members present that day. Initially, student Andou Natsuki (Kido Ibuki) doesn’t actually aim to join such a club–she really wants to go home. However, the rest of the club manages to drag her in, leaving a fairly unsuspecting freshman unprepared for the antics that are about to commence. Watch as five girls whose eccentric upbringings (such as business conglomerates and martial arts dojos) cause them to have the most fun any “going home club” ever has had! Judging from the promotional art and the sketches they’ve released on their official twitter, Takahiro Sasaki has done good work in creating acceptable character designs (and created exact specifications for the schooldesks). As for everyone else, lack of experience is everywhere. Hikaru Sato has barely any experience as a director, and all the announced seiyuu are also fairly untested. Aside from Kido Ibuki, who has two roles from GJ-bu and OniAi as a main character, all the other seiyuu are basically debuting their very first anime role with Kitakubu. On the bright side it does mean potential new talent, but it also causes doubt as to the abilities of the cast. If one is looking to dabble in some school comedy this season, Kitakubu may end up filling that niche. While very unpredictable at this point, the character designs look good enough and Nomad has done some good comedies in the past with Rozen Maiden and Kyouran Kazoku Nikki. Check it out if you’re into the “cute girls doing cute things [in a club]” trope, for this show embodies it well.
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Preview by Kairi Based on the manga by Takatsu Karino, the author of Working!!, comes this everyday working life comedy about the staff at a health and welfare office. Three new hires, Hasebe Yutaka (Tatsuhisa Suzuki), Yamagami Lucy (Ai Kayano), and Miyoshi Saya (Mai Nakahara), deal with the everyday quirks of working in an office under their supervisor Ichimiya Taishi (Takahiro Sakurai). There isn’t a lot of information available for this series, but the premise sounds interesting. I’ve never seen Working!! and I’m not a huge fan of slice-of-life, but it’s not every day you get to see an anime about people who aren’t in high school. Since this is a comedy about working adults, I expect it will feature humor similar to shows like The Office, though probably not quite that awkward. The best comparison is still to the Working!! series, though – everything I’ve heard about Working!! says it’s a good slice-of-life story with likeable characters and plenty of jokes, so I would expect more of the same here. The lighthearted promos seem to back this up, so I would expect a fun (if not plot heavy) show. With only one volume of the manga to pull from, it’s uncertain how much material A-1 Pictures will have to work with, but it is A-1 Pictures, and they usually do a good job. Add all of that together and this show might just be more interesting that its light premise suggests. If nothing else, look at the Watching This list below. If so many of us are planning to give it a shot, don’t you think you should as well?
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Preview by Stilts The Keishin Academy girls’ basketball club is back for more fun on the court! Hasegawa Subaru (Kaji Yuki) was a talented basketball player who got scouted for Nanashiba High…only to find club activities suspended for a year on account of the club leader being suspected of being a lolicon. He soon finds himself This show is equal parts cute, funny, and a legitimately good sports anime. The characters are adorable, especially the main five girls, and I don’t just mean their character designs – their earnest and hardworking personalities make them impossible to dislike. The comedy flows naturally, and the first season had me laughing every episode. Yes, there’s some ecchi, but a lot of the risque material is there as much to get a laugh out of Subaru getting stuck in a compromising situation as anything else. There’s a bit of romance too, but it’s super innocent, and a consequence of Subaru being a genuinely nice and caring coach. To me though, the parts I enjoyed the most from the first season were the uplifting sports moments. From getting Airi used to being center, to switching around their positions, to helping Maho calm down on the court, the girls grew a lot as basketball players during the first season, and I look forward to seeing more exciting matches filled with friendship, hard work, and Tomoka’s perfect jump shot here in season 2. Cute, sports, funny…if any of those appeal, give this a shot. It won’t make you a lolicon, I promise!
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Preview by Stilts The story of Kiniro Mosaic begins with Oomiya Shinobu (Nishi Asuka), a slightly strange Japanese girl who loves foreigners, and actually did a homestay in Great Britain during middle school. One day, she gets a letter from Alice Cartelet (Tanaka Manami), the girl from Shinobu’s host family in Great Britain, which says that Alice is coming to Japan! So starts the Japanese/British girls comedy, which follows the lives of Shinobu, Alice, and other girls from both Japan and Great Britain. There are four attributes that make up this kind of slice-of-life show: atmosphere, characters, cuteness, and comedy. Of those, cuteness definitely reigns supreme here. Alice is small and adorable, and Shino’s ditzy act contributes a lot to not only her own, but Alice’s cuteness as well. Most of the jokes also work because of the characters’ cuteness, though several in the source material got laughs outright. The atmosphere…well, that’s also linked to cuteness too! So it’s all fuwa fuwa here, from the characters on down, and with Studio Gokumi of A-Channel fame animating, they have the experience to make this show work – and maybe even give it a dash of that relaxing atmosphere that they do so well. This is still a slice-of-life show, so it’s not going to break the bank with creativity, but it’s super cute and the story does what it sets out to do well. If you need a little more fuwa fuwa in your life, I suggest you check this one out.
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Preview by Stilts This summer brings a brand new original series from AIC. The story of Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou is about girls who solve mysterious events that occur in the world using mystical tarot cards that hold the power to read destinies. The main characters are Taiyou Akari (Kadowaki Mai, tarot card: Sun), Hoshikawa Seira (Kitamura Eri, tarot card: Stars), Tsukuyomi Luna (Tokui Sora, tarot card: Moon), and Shirokane Ginka (Tatsumi Yuiko, targot card: Temperance). That’s only the tip of the iceberg though, with many other girls set to enter the fray. Mysterious, mystical, abstract – these are the words I would use to describe Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou. Information is scarce on this original series, but the promos do a good job of enticing without explaining themselves. Start with the art and character designs, which are part moe, part abstract art, part dark. Realism clearly isn’t the goal here, but the stylized visuals all help to evoke a sense of mystic wonder that echoes throughout the series. The premise certainly hints at its fair share of mysticism with the prominent inclusion of tarot cards and destiny, while the mystery arises from the promotional art featuring the main characters with radically different appearances depending on which side of the mirror they’re on, which hints that they’ll be fighting in some kind of alternate dimension where not all is happy and pleasant. Oh, and that’s the other thing – don’t go into this expecting a happy-go-lucky adventure. The tone is not only mysterious but dark, with at least one character shedding tears over what appears to be an unconscious (or worse) friend. People will naturally draw comparisons with a certain other moe girls in a dark world anime, but please try to keep your expectations under control. The fact of the matter is that AIC has been very tight-lipped on this series, so no one really has a clue whether it will be any good or not. It is an original series though, so for that alone I suggest you give it a shot. What fundamentals I can see look promising, so all that remains is to see what kind of vision AIC has in mind.
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Preview by Stilts Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya is a spin-off and reimagining of Fate/stay night with a magical girl bent. Illyasviel von Einzbern (Kadowaki Mai) is just a normal school girl who loves her onii-chan Shirou (Sugiyama Noriaki) very much…until one day when a magical wand comes flying in through her bathroom window and starts talking! Magical Ruby (Takano Naoko) quickly ropes Illya into becoming the magical girl Prisma Illya. Now Illya has to help Ruby’s original master Tohsaka Rin (Ueda Kana) gather seven Class Cards that contain the power of Heroic Spirits of legend, cards which could destroy Fuyuki City if left unchecked. In her quest for the cards, Illya soon comes into conflict with an enigmatic girl named Miyu (Nazuka Kaori), a magical girl who wields Magical Sapphire (Matsuki Miyu) and is backed by Rin’s eternal rival, Luciagelita “Luvia” Edelfelt (Itou Shizuka). And Illya would rather just be friends! A successful reboot should take the basic elements of the parent story and either expand upon an underdeveloped facet or take it in an entirely new direction. Prisma Illya does the latter, and it does it well. A major attraction is seeing all of the familiar Fate/stay night characters and elements reimagined in a world that doesn’t hate them and want them to kill each another. Don’t get me wrong, this is actually a damn good magical girl in its own right, taking the usual formula and splicing in a little Fate-style grimness to make the magic dangerous and the action harrowing – think the first two seasons of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha and you’re not far off. The humor is also quirky and endearing in a way I don’t think I can adequately explain. Still, it’s undeniable that old Fate fans will have extra fun seeing old characters in a lighter setting. More good news: this is being animated by SILVER LINK (Baka to Test, C³, Tasogare Otome x Amnesia) and staffed by experienced SILVER LINK personnel, most notably director Shin Oonuma. Plus, pacing problems seem unlikely, because with only 13.5 chapters of the original source material to adapt (not counting its two sequal manga, 2wei! and 3rei!!), this story seems tailor made for a 1-cour run. If you can’t tell, I’m excited – this is one of those manga that I stumbled across and immediately devoured the entire thing in a single sitting. If you like fantasy, magical action, quirky humor, or would just like to see some old friends in a different setting, this show is for you. For everyone else, don’t underestimate Prisma Illya because it’s a spin-off, because it has a good story in its own right.
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Preview by Zephyr Chock full of character development, engaging dialog, thought provoking themes, and deep symbolism—SHAFT returns with its adaptation of the next chapters from Nisio Isin’s Monogatari series. Based on the Nekomonogatari: Shiro, Kabukimonogatari, Hanamonogatari, Otorimonogatari, Onimonogatari, and Koimonogatari light novels respectively, this adaptation revolves around the continued exploits of Araragi Koyomi (Kamiya Hiroshi) as he resolves new, supernatural anomalies involving Senjougahara Hitagi (Saitou Chiwa), Hachikuji Mayoi (Katou Emiri), Kanbaru Suruga (Sawashiro Miyuki), Sengoku Nadeko (Hanazawa Kana), and Hanekawa Tsubasa (Horie Yui). The cast and staff will remain the same as previous iterations, and it will be a two cour long. Need I say more? Likely the show that most viewers are looking forward to this season, the Monogatari series is something that needs no introduction. With the same staff and cast returning and an entire half a year dedicated to it, it’s going to be a darn fun ride, and likely one of the most memorable series of the year. Boasting a unique style only SHAFT can offer and a popularity not matched by many in recent memory, you just owe it to yourself to watch this series—provided that you’ve at least watched the prequel in Bakemonogatari, and preferably Nisemonogatari and Nekomonogatari (Kuro) as well. If not, what are you waiting for?
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Preview by Takaii Genshiken could probably be called “the” show that describes just what being an otaku means. With a story that focuses on what it means to be an otaku and the real life issues that come with being one, it’s actually quite impressive how after two seasons plus three OVAs, this show still has more material left to adapt. At the moment of this posting there isn’t much promotional material floating around, but when you have a giant studio like Production I.G. holding the reins to a show like this, there’s no doubt in my mind that this will be a successful sequel. Before starting on the preview, I actually had never heard of Genshiken. And after doing a bunch of research (aka reading most of the manga and watching through most of the anime), I am deeply ashamed about missing such an amazingly addicting show. I mean, not only do you have otaku just doing what otaku do, but how often do you get to see someone get blackmailed into becoming one? But the biggest draw for me was just how often I could see myself ending up in various situations. If anything, Genshiken is like an animated version of various bits and pieces of us all when we enter our otaku mode. Be it fawning over figures, having our secret fetishes, or just expressing our love for the culture itself by filling up our room with a bunch of stuff, this show is a great combination of happy memories and some of the awkward moments that come with being a closet otaku. If there was a downside to this show, it would probably be that if you’re behind (like I was), it’d be in your best interest to go and catch up. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
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Preview by Zephyr Over the course of six days, God created the world. Then on the seventh day—Sunday—God abandoned it. An adaptation of Irie Kimihito’s award winning fantasy series, Kamisama no Inai Nichiyobi is set in a world 15 years after God’s departure. It is a world where humans are no longer born and those that die continue to live on, unable to rest peacefully until tended to by people known as “Gravekeepers.” Ai (Toyosaki Aki) is one such Gravekeeper, tasked with the preparation of graves for the 47 members of her village. Things, however, are anything but what they seem, and the arrival of a boy with the same name as her father, Hambart Hampnie (also known as “The Man-Eating Toy”, Namikawa Daisuke), ultimately reveals a shocking truth. This adaptation will be produced by Madhouse and directed by Kumazawa Yuuji (Oda Nobuna no Yabou). Arguably the show possessing one of the more unique plots of any adaptation this season, Kamisama no Inai Nichiyobi seems to be brimming with potential. Mysterious elements are readily apparent within the rather bleak backstory, the PV was quite stunning, and its source material was the grand prize winner of the 21st Fantasia Novel Awards to boot. In many ways, the latter fact is reason enough to give this series a try, and it just highlights how much there is to work with here. Of course, adaptations always have the possibility of going awry, but the fact remains that I’m excited to see how things develop with this series, and how Madhouse does with a series that seems right down its alley. In the end, there just isn’t anything like a fantasy/mystery hybrid to spice things up, and Kamisama no Inai Nichiyobi fits that description perfectly.
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Preview by Zephyr From producer Hoods Entertainment comes an original series created by Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass, Planetes, Scryed). Directed by Saitou Hisashi (Haganai, Sora no Otoshimono), Fantasista Doll is a sci-fi shoujo series focused on middle school student Uno Uzume (Ohashi Ayaka)—a girl who finds herself in possession of mysterious cards capable of materializing magical dolls. Following this revelation, Uno makes a contract with them and becomes a card master. Together with her five Fantasista Dolls—Sasara (Tsuda Minami), Katya (Tokui Sora), Shimeji (Akasaki Chinatsu), Madeleine (Oohara Sayaka), and Akari (Hasegawa Akiko)—Uno fights with a variety of cards in order to protect herself and the world. One of only a handful of originals this summer, Fantasista Dolls was a series whose character designs (from debuting pixiv artist Anmi) were key to my initial attraction to the series. Further research into the plot has tempered my expectations for the series, but I’m admittedly still somewhat intrigued due to the involvement of Goro Taniguchi and Saitou Hisashi. After all, Tanichiguchi’s previous brainchild was the epicness that was Code Geass, and Saitou Hisashi has worked on quite a few series as well, although only a handful as director. Ultimately, one’s enjoyment of this series will likely boil down to whether or not you’re into watching something that is essentially a doll variant on the magical girl theme. As such, this likely won’t be a show for a fair amount of viewers, but it does have the potential to surprise due to its contributors and the general lack of detailed information at this time.
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Preview by Stilts The harem king is back for another season of perverted fun! High School DxD stars Hyoudou Issei (Kaji Yuki), a perverted high schooler who was killed by a girl on his very first date. Fortunately 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 sadistic queen Himejima Akeno (Itou Shizuka), taciturn rook Toujou Koneko (Taketatsu Ayana), ikemen knight Kiba Yuuto (Nojima Kenji), and the former-nun bishop Asia Argento (Asakura Azumi). This season brings new characters and new opportunities for Issei to get into action-packed, oppai-jiggling, clothes-shredding antics! High School DxD is the very essence of a fanservice harem show. The girls are beautiful, plentiful, and frequently naked, and Issei is the best kind of pervert, the type who revels in peeking at or groping girls, to the point that he crafts a special magical spell that strips his opponents of their clothes for that very purpose! It’s more than just that though. The action is good, the plot is present enough to keep the story from getting lost in fanservice-ville, and…there are probably other things, but I just looked at some screenshots from the first season and oh my, that fanservice! Really, what I enjoy most is the attitude – between a main character who gleefully strips his opponents and a website called haremking.tv, this show knows exactly what it is, and it isn’t going to take itself too seriously. Bonus points: if you enjoyed the first season, I think it’s only going to get better from here, because Issei only truly came into his own as a courageous battle-pervert in the last few episodes. Now we get that Issei all season long! Can. not. wait. Bring on the harem king!
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Preview by Stilts Teekyuu is a comedy sports short about four girls in a tennis club. There’s the main character (and the only sensible one) Oshimoto Yuri (Watanabe Yui), the bizarre Shinjou Kanae (Mimori Suzuko), sempai Takamiya Nasuno (Narumi Kyoko), and the perverted Bandou Marimo (Hanazawa Kana). Each episode is two minutes long. After watching the first season, my immediate reaction was “What the hell were they smoking?” Overdose on sugar, down a bunch of speed, chug a dozen energy drinks, and maybe you’ll just begin to approach the craziness of this show. Personally, it wasn’t for me. The jokes flew so fast and heavy that sometimes I didn’t even realize a joke was done until I was three jokes away. The animation is also a bit lacking. Mind you, it fits the drug-fueled tone the show is going for, but it ended up striking me as haphazard and sloppy, though I assume it’s a stylistic choice rather than studio Mappa cheaping out. In the end, with a two minute comedy short only one thing matters – is it funny? For me, it was not. Not even perverted HanaKana was quite able to do the trick. The good news is that at two minutes per episode, if absolutely anything interests you about this show then there’s little excuse for not giving it a try. Who knows, it just might be your thing!
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Preview by Takaii Based in a world where Racoon Dogs called Tanuki, Long Nosed Demons called Tengu, and Humans all coexist with one another, Uchouten Kazoku looks like a grand attempt by P.A. Works to regain its status as a legendary producer. Based off a successful novel of the same name, Uchouten Kazoku’s story focuses on a young tanuki lad named Yasaburo (Sakurai Takahiro), who besides living a fairly carefree life, is being pushed toward the mysterious truth behind the death of his father after he was presumably eaten by humans. In terms of premises, I’ll admit that Uchouten Kazoku’s doesn’t really roll of the tongue. That said, once you’ve watched the PV, it becomes clear that this show redeems everything with its choice of art style and well selected seiyuu. By going with a more cartoony style instead of a sharp and serious one, the art itself really helps sell this whimsical world where shape-shifting tanuki and crafty tengu could really exist. But when you add in the exaggerated expressions and flamboyant voice acting, it really pushes things to a whole new level. Now add in the great news that P.A. Works is producing/adapting it not from scratch but from a successful novel in Japan and it sounds like you have all the pieces for a show that could easily become one of the hottest shows of the season.
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Preview by Seishun Studio DEEN’s adaptation of Abe Miyuki’s shoujo fantasy manga is back for another season. The story centers around Inuzuka Shino (Kakihara Tetsuya), Inukawa Sousuke (Hino Satoshi), Hamaji (Takagaki Ayahi), and the living sword spirit “Murasame” (Okamoto Nobuhiko), which can manifest itself as a crow. There’s a lot of mysticism surrounding them that incorporates elements from both Shintoism and a stylized version of Western Christianity, and the cast is huge, spanning across humans, youkai, hybrids, and other supernatural beings. Shino, an 18-year old who’s stuck in his 13-year old body, is at the forefront of the drama and mystery. The first season focused primarily on the puzzling events Shino encountered as he sought to gather eight enchanted beads at the request of his guardian, Satomi Riou (Kamiya Hiroshi). There’s definitely a throwback quality to Hakkenden. Whether it’s the story or the character designs, this is the sort of series you tended to see more often back in the late 90’s. At first glance, its large cast of bishounen – and perhaps the element of shounen-ai – are probably the main attraction of this show, but there’s definitely more to Hakkenden than just that, as the action-packed drama and mystery are pretty enticing in their own rights. Sousuke is a character that especially stands out in this massive cast, and his relationship with Shino is a complex one to say the least. The revelation that there exist two versions of Sousuke – his usual kind self and a darker counterpart – is something that fascinates me to no end, and such an enigma has introduced waves of drama to both the story and their relationship. For those who are fan of shoujo fantasy, it’s very likely you’ll find something to like in Hakkenden. There’s more than enough going on here to keep me watching for another season.
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Preview by Zephyr From the studio that helped create Baccano!, Durarara!!, and Oregairu, comes the adaptation of Kodama Yuuki’s vampiric supernatural comedy, Blood Lad. A unique twist on the typical vampire stereotypes, Blood Lad focuses on the exploits of Staz (Ohsaka Ryota), one of the more powerful district bosses of the demon world. Unlike his vampire kin, Staz harbors little interest in human blood, preferring instead to indulge himself in Japanese culture. One day, a human girl named Yanagi Fuyumi (Nomizu Iori) suddenly finds herself in the demon world—and in his territory no less!—and naturally, Staz seizes the chance to interact with an actual Japanese female. Their meeting is cut short though, as the arrival of a trespasser on his turf draws him away, and ultimately leads to Fuyumi’s death. Led partially by his intent to visit the human world, Staz promises to bring Fuyumi—now a wandering ghost—back to life. That is, assuming he doesn’t forget that her corpse now lies in a cabinet on top of his Playstation… Having read the first chapter to get a glimpse of the series, I must admit that I’m interested in how Blood Lad ends up. While the use of vampires as a storytelling element isn’t particularly novel, the series manages to take many of the stereotypes and throw them out the window, creating something that is novel. Combine that with an exceptional amount of comedy—typically of the deadpan variety—and you have a show that looks like it’ll give a lot in terms of entertainment value. Sure, it probably won’t be the pinnacle of comedies, and likely doesn’t possess an “amazing” or “epic” plot, but the aforementioned elements, the fair reception the manga received, and the rather notable art style from Kodama Yuuki bode well in terms of making Blood Lad a show worth trying.
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Preview by Stilts William Twining (Eguchi Takuya) is a young noble so intelligent that he could be considered a national treasure (his words). One day he learns that his uncle’s business has gone bankrupt and his family house has been cleared out by debt collectors. With his plans for his future thrown into disarray by the school fees that need to be paid ASAP, William goes through the house looking for anything he can sell. He and his family’s butler Kevin Cecil (Fukuyama Jun) end up finding an underground room left by one of William’s ancestors, and upon breaking in he accidentally summons a demon. Grand Duke of Hell Dantalion (Terashima Takuma) tells William that he [William] is a descendant of Solomon, and that gives him the right to choose the substitute ruler of Hell while Lucifer rests. From then on the life of the ultimate realist is interwoven with the supernatural worlds of Heaven and Hell. After sampling the source material, I was left with a good impression of this show. The source is well-written and well-drawn, and the characters are quickly established as both funny and interesting. I especially liked William, who has that particular kind of noble arrogance that gives him both a flaw and depth, as well as giving him some comedic potential. Also, anyone who calls bullshit on someone claiming to be a demon gets points in my book! This is definitely shoujo, as they were tossing out some BL-teases right off the bat, but it looks like it’s good shoujo because the plot got my attention. I do wonder why William doesn’t just pick a candidate at random and be done with it, but the fact that I’m honestly curious is a good sign. Bonus points: Dogakobo is animating, which is a studio that has been impressing me lately, and director Kon Chiaki has one of the most impressive resumes I’ve seen all season. All signs are pointing in good directions for this one, so if you’re looking for a little shoujo anime then definitely give this one a shot.
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Preview by Stilts The Capturing God is back, and facing a challenge unlike any he’s attempted so far (in real life, at least). Katsuragi Keima (Shimono Hiro) is an accomplished gal-gamer who has been capturing the hearts of real girls with the help of his adorable Let’s get this out of the way: I’m a long-time fan of the manga, which is very, very good, and after watching the first two seasons of the anime I’ll definitely be tuning in for this one as well. That said, I have a number of concerns about this adaptation, and they all stem from the production house, Manglobe. The title tells me that they’re planning to skip a lot of the source material to get to the immensely popular Goddess Arc. Now, animating the Goddess Arc is great news – its popularity is well deserved, as it’s probably the best arc in the manga to date, but there are still plenty of good stories between it and where Season 2 left off, some of which are directly related to the Goddess Arc itself! This smacks of Manglobe’s treatment of Hayate no Gotoku, where they took excellent source material, cherry picked the parts they wanted to adapt, and then did an only “okay” job of animating them. I don’t know how they’ll fit in all the necessary material to still do the Goddess Arc justice, but I very much hope they do, because it would make for some truly excellent television. We’ll just have to hope that my cynicism is unfounded, and that Manglobe can deliver all the things that make The World God Only Knows so great.
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Preview by Stilts After a lackluster middle school life, 15-year-old Kuroki Tomoko (Kitta Izumi) knew her chance would come when she entered high school. Influenced by all the otome games she has played, Tomoko thought she would be popular…or not. Turns out that reality is a lot different than her otome games, and far less kind. Confronted with three more years as an unsociable loser, Tomoko takes a long, hard look at herself in the mirror, and she isn’t happy with what she sees. The story follows Tomoko as she sets out to improve her social status, make friends, and have the fulfilling high school life she so badly wants. As much as it pains me to say this about a show I know many are looking forward to, this one didn’t strike me. Tomoko is very, very awkward, and while I feel like the original author was trying to mine that for comedy, it all fell flat to me. The art does seem to have improved in the transition to anime, though it’s still a bit subpar for a 2013 show, and the character designs aren’t particularly attractive. Then again, they’re not supposed to be – Tomoko probably wouldn’t be having so many problems if she was cute! (Though she probably would…she’s pretty hopeless.) Tomoko definitely isn’t your normal protagonist – she’s awkward and not particularly likeable, though that doesn’t stop her from being relatable and sympathetic – so if you like to watch shows that are out of the ordinary, this might be up your alley. Bonus points: it sounds like relatively new seiyuu Kitta Izumi was the perfect choice for voicing the useless Tomoko. In the end, humor is subjective, so if any part of WataMote sounds good to you then don’t let me stop you from giving it a try! I expect you’ll be able to tell whether you’ll enjoy it or not fairly quickly.
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Preview by Zanibas Running with Japan’s specific interest in agriculture, Gin no Saji explores the topic via slice-of-life. Hachiken Yugo (Kimura Ryouhei) is a high school student confident in his studying abilities. Despite failing the prefecture entrance exams, Hachiken is determined to get into a great college by enrolling in an agricultural school, hoping to graduate top of his class easily. This plan is completely crushed by the cruel reality of agricultural life, coupled by Hachiken’s inability to turn down a request for help. Together with his fellow schoolmates, Hachiken adjusts from the city life to the country while discovering the aspirations and troubles of his fellow peers. Moyashimon would be the first point of comparison to keep in mind. Both are slice-of-life comedies that focus on a young student adjusting to rural life, often with a down-to-earth reflection of each character’s aspirations. Such a setup definitely serves as a laid-back premise to casually sit back and enjoy each week. The original story comes from Arakawa Hiromu, author of the well-known Fullmetal Alchemist manga. Though fantasy steampunk to slice-of-life agriculture is quite the jump, Arakawa’s experience with FMA should prove fruitful here. Of the seiyuu to look out for, Kimura Ryouhei definitely is on that list, having voiced Kodaka in Haganai and Akira in Eden of the East. Director Itou Tomohiko, known for directing Sword Art Online and Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin, should prove a valuable asset for the show. Despite the polarized reception to SAO’s plot, Itou did well with the material he was given, and I expect a good showing here as well. If you’re interested in a casual show that focuses on a less-explored aspect of Japanese society, this is one show to check out.
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Preview by Takaii Originally starting as a game from the RPG-maker Idea Company and published stateside by the people at NIS America, Choujigen Game Neptune (or Hyperdimension Neptunia) is a new series based off the game with the same name. The story revolves around the constant war that occurs in a world known as the “Gameindustri”, in which four goddesses rule over their specific countries and try to protect their “share”, which is the source of their power. After countless battles and drastic changes in share which devastated all parties involved, these goddesses and their younger sisters decided to form a peace treaty in order to protect both their world and their share. If that first paragraph sounded like a cheesy attempt to make an anime based off of video consoles, you’d be completely spot on. Hyperdimension Neptunia the game was an attempt to personify the seventh-gen consoles by giving them a whole new “moe-tan” aspect (essentially ripping off all those cute console-tan’s!). With each goddess and region representing a specific console (Neptune of Planetune/Sega, Noire of Lasation/Sony, Blanc of Lowee/Wii, and Vert of Leanbox/Microsoft), you can see how a game with this many references could end up being really good or really bad. Now, if you’ve never heard of this game, you’re probably not like me and are always ready to purchase any NIS America game without waiting for the reviews. In terms of gameplay, it was one of the worst games I’ve ever played, except that while I played it I had a feeling it would have been a lot better as an anime. Lo and behold, a few years later and it looks like my wish will be granted! With David Production behind the production and animation, I’m really hoping that this adaptation will get rid of the sour taste that the game left in my mouth.
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Preview by Zanibas “Heroes with innate powers don superpowered suits to clean up a ‘MESS'” is basically the premise of Gatchaman Crowds, Tatsunoko Production’s latest work. When high-schooler Ichinose Hajime (Uchida Maaya) joins the ranks of the Gatchaman, an organization assigned to protect earth from extraterrestrial assault, she rocks the boat more than anyone expects. In particular, Hibiki Joe (Namikawa Daisuke) and Tachibana Sugane (Ohsaka Ryota), both longtime veterans of the organization, are in awe at what Ichinose can do–she does things that no one has seen accomplished in the history of the organization. The story will follow these three and their efforts to fight off the mysterious organization called MESS, while also focusing on how Ichinose deals with the sometimes romantic interests that Hibiki and Tachibana have for her. Though based on the Gatchaman franchise that has existed in Japan since 1972, the show itself stands alone, and as such, anyone interested can jump right in. The first thing to notice is the art style–Tatsunoko Productions, having produced the original series in 1972, seeks to combine the old franchise with a more modern art style, specifically the sharp art style that has influenced shows such as C-Control and Yozakura Quartet. Second, the seiyuu lineup looks promising. Uchida Maaya (Rikka from Chuunibyou and Rea from Sankarea) and Ohsaka Ryota (Maou from Maou-sama and Haruto from Valvrave) are both rising seiyuu whose voices fit their parts, with Namikawa Daisuke providing a supporting hand as a fellow lead. Hirano Aya will also be joining via a supporting role, voicing the self-proclaimed leader of the G Team, Paiman. Lastly, we should expect some interesting things from this show with Nakamura Kenji directing this work. With C, Tsuritama, and Mononoke under his belt, we can safely expect some sort of experimental twist in presentation here. For those of you looking for a modernized superhero show with a touch of that Nakamura flavor, this is one show to look out for this summer.
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Preview by Stilts It’s the Great Era of Detectives, and the girls of the detective team Milky Holmes are back for more Phantom Thief-capturing adventures. In the future, the use of superhuman ability granting “Toys” has led to a boom in both crimes and the need for Toy-using detectives to bring criminals to justice. The famed Opera Koyabashi runs the detective agency Milky Holmes, staffed by four star detectives: Sheryl (Mimori Suzuko), Nero (Tokui Sora), Elly (Sasaki Mikoi), and Cordelia (Kitta Izumi). This season brings two fresh additions to the team, Kazumi (Terakawa Aimi) and Alice (Itou Ayasa). Watch as these cheerful and energetic girls pursue crime wherever it takes place! This is the third season of the Milky Holmes series, and this deep into a franchise it’s always hard to suggest it since starting from the beginning is such a daunting proposition. If you’ve already been watching this series, then you already know whether you’re going to keep going or not, so let me tell you why the rest of you should (or should not) give it a shot. Milky Holmes has a narrative simplicity that I almost want to call childish, but not necessarily in the pejorative. It strikes me as a show for a slightly younger fan, a teenager who would appreciate the cute character designs and the amusing (and occasionally risque) humor while not being bothered by the relatively simplistic plot. The Toys are also a reliable if not terribly unique way to throw some interesting magic-type abilities into the fray. Perhaps best of all is that this is a series that has survived for three seasons and is being animated once again by J.C.Staff, who are nothing if not consistent. What I watched of previous seasons didn’t exactly tickle my fancy, but then again I’m a bit outside their target market. If you like the idea of cute girls solving crimes with some simplistic humor and a generally lighthearted and cheerful atmosphere, give this one a shot! Or better yet, go catch it from the beginning, because there’s a lot of Milky Holmes where this is coming from.
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Preview by Zephyr Following in the footsteps of the OVA from last summer, studio GONZO brings us the complete adaptation of Seo Kouji’s Kimi no Iru Machi. Translated as “A Town Where You Live,” the story focuses on brand new high school student Kirishima Haruto (Hosoya Yoshimasa). Before the year begins, a girl named Eba Yuzuki (Nakajima Megumi), whose father is acquainted with Haruto’s own, moves into his house in order to attend the same high school. Forced to live with a girl he never agreed to let stay, Haruto simultaneously finds himself dealing with the hidden feelings for his middle school crush, Kanzaki Nanami (Takao Yuki). Thus begins Haruto’s high school life—one filled with complications even before it starts. Having enjoyed the two episode OVA, Kimi no Iru Machi was one of those series I was hoping would ultimately get an actual adaptation. Lo’ and behold, here it is, and I’m admittedly quite eager to see how things turn out, as the OVA merely gave a glimpse into the story. Still, as much as I’d love to recommend this as the romance show to keep an eye out for this season, I’m hesitant to do so. Director Yamauchi Shigeyasu’s recent work on Yumekui Merry left much to be desired, and I’ve also heard rumblings from the readership of the source material about various developments that may make you tear your hair out. In a way, the fact that there’s been such an outburst is a good thing—it signals that there’s something worth getting riled up about in the first place—but at the same time, it’s something that could potentially leave an immensely sour aftertaste. I’m cautiously optimistic regardless, considering how much potential the OVA seemed to have, and would still recommend this as worth a watch for fans of the romance and drama genres. Aspiring viewers will likely do well to prepare themselves beforehand for some potential “WTF” moments.
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| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 06/17 | Fairy Tail OVA | – フェアリーテイル OVA http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/fairytail/index2.html |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 38. Episode 5. |
| 06/18 | Magical Star Kanon 100% OVA | マジカル☆スター かのん100％ http://kaminomi.jp/kanon/ |
Bundled with Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai manga vol. 22. |
| 06/19 | Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!: Kirameki no… Slapstick Noel 中二病でも恋がしたい! 煌めきの… 聖爆誕祭 http://www.anime-chu-2.com/ |
Episode 13. Bundled with BD/DVD vol. 7. |
| 06/19 | Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!: Depth of Field – Ai to Nikushimi Gekijou OVA 中二病でも恋がしたい！DEPTH OF FIELD ～ 愛と憎しみ劇場 http://www.anime-chu-2.com/ |
Episode 7 of 7. Bundled with BD/DVD vol. 7. |
| 06/20 | Rescue ME! OVA | れすきゅーME! OVA http://satellite4.sakura.ne.jp/PDW/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 3. |
| 06/20 | Ro-Kyu-Bu!: Tomoka no Ichigo Sundae OVA | ロウきゅーぶ！智花のいちごサンデーOVA http://www.ro-kyu-bu.com/ |
Bundled with PSP video game. |
| 06/21 | Kotonoha no Niwa | 言の葉の庭 http://www.kotonohanoniwa.jp/ |
BD/DVD release. |
| 06/21 | Space Battleship Yamato: The Movie | 宇宙戦艦ヤマト http://yamato2199.net/ |
BD/DVD release. HD remaster. |
| 06/25 | Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai! OVA | パパのいうことを聞きなさい！OVA http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/papakiki/ |
Bundled with light novel vol. 13. |
| 06/26 | Busou Shinki OVA | 武装神姫 OVA http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/busou/ |
Unaired episode bundled with BD vol. 7. |
| 06/26 | Gintama Movie: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen | 銀魂 新訳紅桜篇 http://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/gintama/ |
BD release. |
| 06/28 | One Piece Film Z | ワンピースフィルム Z http://www.onepiece-film.com/ |
BD/DVD release. |
| 07/02 | Ark IX | アークIX http://lanove.kodansha.co.jp/9906/19508.html |
Bundled with Limited Edition light novel vol. 2. |
| 07/03 | Ao no Exorcist Movie | 劇場版 青の祓魔師（エクソシスト) http://www.ao-ex.com/ |
BD/DVD release. |
| 07/05 | Seitokai no Shukujitsu | 生徒会の祝日 http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/shop/sp/shop_sp_220.html |
Bundled with Limited Edition novel. |
| 07/10 | Kara no Kyoukai | 空の境界 http://www.karanokyoukai.com/ |
BD Re-release with all 7 chapters. |
| 07/24 | Corpse Party: Tortured Souls | コープスパーティー Tortured Souls http://corpse.jp/ |
Bundled with limited edition game. |
| 07/24 | Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge Movie 劇場版 HUNTER×HUNTER 緋色の幻影（ファントム・ルージュ） http://www.hxh-movie.jp/index.html |
BD/DVD release. |
| 07/24 | Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 1: Hajime no Monogatari 劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ 始まりの物語 http://www.madoka-magica.com/ |
BD/DVD release w/ Movie 2. Movie 1 of 3. |
| 07/24 | Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 2: Eien no Monogatari 劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ 永遠の物語 http://www.madoka-magica.com/ |
BD/DVD release w/ Movie 1. Movie 2 of 3. |
| 07/26 | Ghost in the Shell: ARISE | 攻殻機動隊ARISE http://kokaku-a.com/ |
BD/DVD release. Episode 1 of 4. |
| 07/26 | Mirai Nikki: Redial | 未来日記リダイヤル http://www.future-diary.tv/info/ |
Bundled with new manga volume. |
| 07/26 | Kidou Senshi Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden | 機動戦士ガンダムAGE MEMORY OF EDEN http://www.gundam-age.net/memory_of_eden/ |
Recompilation of series with extra footage. |
| July 2013 | Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? OVA | 問題児たちが異世界から来るそうですよ? OVA http://mondaiji.tv/ |
Unaired episode bundled with Limited Edition light novel vol. 8. |
| 08/06 | Minami-ke OAD | みなみけ OAD http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/minami/ |
Bundled with manga vol. 11. |
| 08/07 | Naruto Shippuden: Blood Prison Movie | 劇場版NARUTO-ナルト- ブラッド・プリズン http://www.naruto-movie.com/ |
BD/DVD release. |
| 08/08 | Yowamushi Pedal OVA | 弱虫ペダル OVA http://www.maql.co.jp/special/pedal/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 29. |
| 08/16 | Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san OVA | 波打際のむろみさん OAD http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/muromisan/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 9. |
| 08/16 | Fairy Tail x Rave OAD | フェアリーテイル x レイヴ OAD http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/fairytail/limited39/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 39. |
| 08/19 | To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness OVA | To LOVEる -とらぶる- ダークネス OVA http://www.j-toloveru.com/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 8. Episode 2 of 3. |
| 08/20 | Kamisama Hajimemashita OVA | 神様はじめました OVA http://mikagesha.com/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 16. |
| 08/21 | Star Driver THE MOVIE | スタードライバー THE MOVIE http://www.stardriver-movie.net/ |
BD/DVD release. |
| 08/23 | Ah! My Goddess OVA | ああっ女神さまっ OVA http://www.tbs.co.jp/megamisama/megami1/ |
Bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 46. Episode 3 of 3. |
| 08/28 | Little Busters! OVA | リトルバスターズ OVA http://litbus-anime.com/ |
Unaired episode. Must have purchased all nine Limited Edition BD/DVD volumes. |
| 08/28 | Suisei no Gargantia OVA | 翠星のガルガンティア OVA http://gargantia.jp/ |
Bundled with BD box. |
| 08/28 | Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymon no Kiseki 劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録 エンデュミオーンの奇蹟 http://www.project-index.net/ |
BD/DVD release. |
| Summer 2013 | Sukitte Ii na yo. OVA | 好きっていいなよ。OVA http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/sukinayo/ |
Unaired episode bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 11. |
| Summer 2013 | Tonari no Kaibutsu-Kun OVA | となりの極道くん OVA http://www.tk-anime.info/ |
Unaired episode bundled with Limited Edition manga vol. 12. |
Thanks to my taking this past season off and deciding the perfect way to recharge was to write half the preview myself, I’m actually in a good position to give an overall impression this time. To my eyes, this season looks good, perhaps even great, but it likely won’t shake the foundations of the anime world. With a lack of original series and only a few highly anticipated adaptations or sequels, it doesn’t feel like anybody is swinging for the fences this time, even if many shows look good when considered individually. Fortunately that means there are still many shows to potentially enjoy, so while I imagine some of you will take it easy this summer, I for one will be watching just as many shows as I usually do (my free time!!). Ahh well, such is the blogger’s life.
Onto the list. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we made a tweak to our expectation levels in an effort to introduce more granularity into the system, and hopefully give you a better idea of where each series stands in our minds. We now have five expectations levels (plus two specialty ones), with the inartfully named Moderately Low and Moderately High joining the party.
We arrived at these levels by convening our seasonal (and reliably shady) “anticipation council,” consisting of Zanibas, Zephyr, and myself, as well as Kairi and Takaii whenever we could tie them down long enough to get their opinions. As usual, while we’ve tried to be as objective as possible, we’re still squishy human beings who make mistakes and get freaked out when Titans appear, so don’t take these as unassailable truths. Note: The lists are sorted in alphabetical order.
Stilts’ Happy Fun Corner 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/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi, Monogatari Series: Second Season, Uchouten Kazoku
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.
- Moderately High Expectations: Blood Lad, Free!, Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou, Gin no Saji, Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen, Love Lab, Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist, Rozen Maiden, Servant x Service, Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu
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: Danganronpa Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei The Animation, GATCHAMAN Crowds, Genshiken Nidaime, Gifuu Doudou!! Kanetsugu to Keiji, Hakkenden -Touhou Hakken Ibun- Season 2, Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou, Kiniro Mosaic, Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS, Senki Zesshou Symphogear G, Senyuu. Season 2, Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!
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: Fantasista Doll, High School DXD NEW, Kimi no Iru Machi, Recorder to Randoseru Mi, Tamayura ~More Aggressive~
Low expectation shows don’t seem to be striving for much and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fan-service. 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: BROTHERS CONFLICT, Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation, Teekyuu Season 2
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 works oriented toward female 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 actually 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.
- Established: Futari wa Milky Holmes, Kingdom 2
Nothing really jumps out at me. I might have a lot of sampling to do…
Free! You know you want to.
Some pretty good shows coming out. I look forward to it.
Excellent work as always! Kaminomi and Monogatari are the two I’m looking forward to most.
I am proud to say that I will be watching High School DxD Season 2… ALL HAIL OPPAI!
Ohohoho… I’m very much looking forward to DxD too. Rias sempai & Akeno sempai <3
I knew that you will be watching the series as well
I’m also looking forward to the second season, though do you think Issei is going to achieve Balance Breaker and take the main role before the season ends?
I’m disappointed in the lack of mecha this season but I know I’m going to watch
High School DxD
Hakkenden
Kami-sama
and Teekyu! though only after the entire season is finished.
Is Seishun going to join Stilts as our resident pervert writer >:{D>
Here’s to hoping it will fill the gap that Hyakka Ryouran will leave!
High School DxD New, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya and Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen are my most anticipated shows of the season. Although I think DxD is just one step above of the rest!
Allllll Hailllll Oppainia!!!!
For Free!, the character for Miyano Mamoru is spelled as Matsuoka “Rin”
Ninja-ed.
Eh, Guess ill only be watching 4-5 shows >.>
Summer lineup doesn’t look too hot.
I know that feeling bro.It’s like the anime studios are trying to force you into watching all girl loli crap. There are some good shows sprinkled in, you just have to search through all the moe lol.
So… they move all the hype over to American Summer blockbusters?
Fate Kaleid Ilya is a must watch!
Bro-con + loli + twincest(err… clonecest?) + Fate/Stay Night characters = win
Though no servant characters as off now except loli Gil…
If you like the first season of DxD as well, the second season is a must…
Oppai Dragon Song
Show Spoiler ▼
Hm… If this song ever plays I’m setting as the ringtone for some of my friends.
Hopefully it will be sung like a Showa Era Kamen Rider theme.
Click click zoom zoom iiiiiyyyyyaaaaannnnn~
Now you shouldn’t spoiled it for the rest who haven’t read the manga.
So Takaii is definitely going to blog Free!, right? He did promise! 😛
THANK YOU to Kairi, Seishun, takaii, Zanibas, Zephyr, Cherrie, Xumbra, and of course, Stilts for these previews!
That’s what we’ve been trying to get him to do (amongst other things…). Haha.
And you’re welcome. 😛
I assume one of those things includes watching Shingeki(“This guy…”):P
That was one of those things, yes. Lol.
I won’t watch it until he does. >:3
Not at all Aerie, though I’ve not been much help lately. T-T
Thank you!
I love Anime so much. Can’t wait for these shows to start up
lots of moe(or lolis as some of you might put it) shows this season.
HSDxD: Winner of Best Ending of the Year(2012), will it happen again? :3
Agreed. 🙂 Too much Loli posters in my mind right now … 🙂
Well Gifuu Doudou!! is there to balance out all the magical girl shows with pure GAR. The dude who made Fist of the North Star created it so I expect shirts exploding and generally epic manliness.
I certainly hope so and preferably one that is done by Stylips – those girls packed some pretty awesome moves 😉
Though, It’s too bad Ishihara Kaori and Ogura Yui are no longer part of the group T__T
Stilts, It’s not spring anymore 🙂
I mean in Disclaimer 2 on top. 🙂 BTW, great job everyone for putting up this preview. It’s OVAs galore! Looking forward to papakiki , minami-ke, mirai nikki and fairy tail ova and oads.
I need to sample this season much more because it feels a bit short on my expectations. But you never try ,you’ll never know right?
Thanks, fixed.
GATCHAMAN Crowds, huh? That might be fun. I’ll be honest, I have never heard of Tatsunoko until a certain awesome fighting game hit the Wii: Tatsunoko vs Capcom. This is when I learned about the studio, their LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG history and their series, including Gatchaman. (Ken, Jun and Joe were playable in Ultimate All-Stars) Furthermore, I got my hands on one of their latest works, Karas, and it was great. So today, tatsunoko gets my attention more often. I don’t know if the original Gatchaman characters will be referenced or cameod, but it’s still nice to see after all these years, after Casshern Sins and the Yatter-Man remake.
I did not see anything resembling Gatchaman, but maybe the poster just doesn’t show it.
More Monogatari is always a good thing. Blood Lad could be fun. I’ll give the new Fate/ a try because right now my expectations are so low that I might just be pleasantly surprised. I hadn’t even heard of Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi before now but it sounds like it will be worth a look.
You can smell the romance in the air for summer, soo many romances lol. Hope there are some kind of echhi in it
GIN NO SAJI! YES!!!
So excited!
Arakawa Hiromu herself grew up in a farm (her family owned a cow milking farm) so she really knows the ins and outs of agricultural life. I love the manga’s realistic yet eccentric presentation, so I’m really looking forward to the anime. 😀
Can’t wait to seem some Tamako goodness <3.
I am in this season for Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya. It will be up to you people, as bloggers, to convince me if anything else is worth watching.
I can’t imagine who doesn’t want to see Illya-chan,
Fate VN Spoilers:
Show Spoiler ▼
Summer may not be a srong season, but I do think there is quite a few shows to look forward to… I even think this line-up is better than last year. I’m actually really looking forward to it!
Blood Lad is one of my favs mangas… I’ll watch this! Monogatari Series and maybe more two animes… I need to decide yet.
This season looks interesting… And there’s a lot of magical schoolgirl anime here, how exciting! Monogatari definitely tops my look forward to list though, and I’m pretty excited about Gatchaman Crowds and Dangan Ronpa. Should be a fun season, looking forward to it.
somehow, having “moe” and “bishie” next to each other doesn’t make any anime logical sense…
on the other hand, it’s business as usual with all the more diversity in this summer cour, my only serious must look would be Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi.
the carry overs (from last season):
-Shingeki no Kyojin
-Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince (the surprise from last season)
The most promising (for me):
-Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
“The 3 episode rule” applies here (for me):
-Gin no Saji
-Free
Tell that to KyoAni. It looks like they’re going to try!
There is no 3 episode rule with Silver Spoon. You will watch it and you are gonna love it! ;p
As a comedy lover I think I’ll have my fill very nicely this season!
Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation
Best of the season!!
All girl school, girls club, magical girls, girls tennis club, girl and her dolls….. I could go on. As usual most shows are fixated on one gender. With plenty of fan service I’m sure. Not my cup of tea. Good thing there are still a couple series that look interesting. Bring on Blood Lad.
Kimi nu Iru Machi! I love that manga! Finally its getting an anime.
HS DXD s2 is great too.
First off, as always, thanks for the tremendous amount of work on the season preview! I don’t know how you guys do it…
Is it just me, or does this seem to be the season of sequels? By my count, out of the 36 new shows 14 of them are sequels! Wow!
You’re welcome. 😛 It’s crazier when you think of how Div used to do it all himself though, heh.
As for the other tidbit, yeah… it’s one of those odd seasons where there’s a lotta sequels, but few shorts and original series. Generally it means you know what you’ll get with a lot of the series as a result though.
Been looking forward to this preview all month. Thank you!
P.S. The MAL link for Free! currently links to the commercial page, instead of the anime page: http://myanimelist.net/anime/18507/Free!
Fixed
Definitely looking forward to Gin no Saji. The manga is done very well–lots of unique characters and Arakawa humour.
automatically drop Kimi no Iru Machi
come to me:
– Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!
– HS DXD 2
– Fate/Kaleid
– Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
From Summer listings –
Seriously watching amd top priority – Monogatari II / Rozen Maiden / Kami nomi 3
Second priority list – Stella High (If this turns out to be another GuP entertainment, it’ll move up) / Fate Illya (I see Saber I see Rider)
Watching for fun – Symphogear (despite watching the 1dt season) / Servant x Service / Neptune Hyperdimension
I think that’s just about it. All this on top of the current ongoing anime
Re: Gin no Saji
Wow, anime just got weird for me in strange ways. I went to an agricultural school too! As far as I’m concerned there’s now an anime of everything.
Re: Free
Come now, I must insist that Nichijou and Hyouka were more great than above average. For those who think otherwise we must agree to disagree…and then pistols at dawn.
3 seasons and BONES doesn´t make anything??I really hope they prepare something for Fall.
And is really correct the information about Gintama BD??This early?
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%8A%87%E5%A0%B4%E7%89%88-%E9%8A%80%E9%AD%82-%E6%96%B0%E8%A8%B3%E7%B4%85%E6%A1%9C%E7%AF%87-%E9%80%9A%E5%B8%B8%E7%89%88-Blu-ray/dp/B00C8WS2CQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371781723&sr=8-2&keywords=%E9%8A%80%E9%AD%82+%E6%96%B0%E8%A8%B3%E7%B4%85%E6%A1%9C%E7%AF%87
DVD’s been out for a bit though.
True inded,thanks man
@Stilts @Ghost_Zephyr
Senki Zesshou Symphogear G Promotional Video is actually the first season which aired last year.
Working on it.Thanks for the catch.EDIT: Fixed.
Still the same one you uploaded
Cache refreshhhh
Sure to watch
1. Senyuu. Season 2
2. Senki Zesshou Symphogear G
3. Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou
4. Monogatari Series: Second Season
5. High School DXD NEW(The awesome part only)
6. Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen
Gonna try
1. Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou
2. Danganronpa
3. Rozen Maiden(Didn’t watch the first two ;c)
4. Love Lab
5. Servant x Service
6. Ro-kyuu-bu! SS
7. Kiniro Mosaic
8. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
9. Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
10. Fantasista Doll
11. Blood Lad
12. Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist
13. Choujigen Game Neptune
14. GATCHAMAN Crowds
YOU MUST REALLY TRY DANGAN RONPA!!
THE EPIC COURT TRIAL IS JUST EPIC!!
Don’t worry about it. Its not a spoiler since it just a demo.
everything with cute girls on it for me, thank you :9
Totally watching TWGOKIII, High School DxD New, KnIM (Just to re-witness the worst part of the manga and see the reactions), Blood Lad, Rozen Maiden (Finally!), Monogatari (I fear all the compressing) and Prisma Ilya. This is my preliminary list at least.
Will be watching Free depending on the amount of manservice. If there’s too much I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.
This summer looks unusually better than usual
Looking forward to Gin no Saji, Kamisama Inai, Uchoten Kazoku and Servant x Service
One thing I noticed is the expectation levels are pretty different from what I expected
if someone covers Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui they might want to touch on how 4chan users bought a massive amount of the first volume and the results of them doing so
Stilts going back to cover any series?Kami nomi(…) maybe?
Ufufu, you’ll have to wait and see ; )
He is “ufufu-ing” a lot lately. I think he has something up his sleeve!
It would definitely be weird if you’re not the one covering High School DxD.
No offense Seishun.
Ufufu is from Dangan Ronpa.
You fool 😛 He’s obviously coming back for the Highschool DxD. Do you even need to ask, eh?
If I remember correctly, Highschool DxD was one of the first if not the first series he covered here on RandomC. I’m pretty sure that he’ll come back for it, but I may be wrong. Don’t hold me on that.
The reason why Stilts became a blogger was because, he wanted to blog Horizon S2 since Randomc drop S1 in the beginning.
HDxD was just a coincidence to him that he blogged it.
What Croos said. The only (as close as anything can be) assured series I will cover is Kyoukaisen, because who else could do it anyway? Everything else is up in the air : )
hmm looking on summer 2013 batch yet on my radar watching list
all in on
DxD s2
blood lad
symphogear s2
ro-kyu-bu s2
might check
Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA
Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu
could be got 6 summer 2013 anime to see as long plan scke got on them do well.
Posted up the poll guys =)
My list:
1. “I can see the ending.”
2. “Sorry, I stuttered.”
3. “Why come to an agricultural school?”
4. “You’re not interested in little sister maids?”
5. “Not my fault I’m…”
6. I forgot any quotes from Rozen Maiden
7. “Weren’t you supposed to be dead?”
A few more catch my eye that’ll I give a chance
I got all of them except #5 :_:
Number 5 is Not My Fault I’m not Popular.The Watamote anime, the manga is insanely wierd, but good ;p
6. I forgot any quotes from Rozen Maiden
“I’m not junk!” -Best Doll Suigintou
Looks like this season is going to be another fun ride to hop on again. Time to clear up my hard drive!
I’m puzzled, how is Genshiken only have moderate expectations. Its Genshiken!
s/b does
Surely, there must be more people out there that rejoiced upon hearing about a new season of Genshiken, right!!
I’m guessing many readers are too young to remember Genshiken “The Otaku Bible”
Well i just watched the first two seasons of Rozen Maiden, I have to admit i really liked it even if the 2nd season diverges from the manga its still fairly enjoyable, Im super curious on how the Rozen Maiden (2013) will be like the PV seriously seems like its going to make it a reboot, wish I knew
It seems that I won’t be bored this summer too
Highschool DxD as Moderately Low?
MODERATELY LOW?
I’m sorry, did I miss something? Or did people at RC not like that the girls were actually not abusive, the other male character wasn’t useless, or that the MC actually had a spine and wanted sex and a harem? And that there was a plot?
Not enough “ECCHI BAKA IT-IT’S NOT LIKE” and mindless fanservice for you fellas?
Did you only play the first Neptune game Takaii? The sequels made DRAMATIC improvements.
I never played the sequels. I may now though! 🙂
Oh gee thanks for enormous Dß that makes to search more easily!!
Traditionally, it is true that summer season anime is kind of weak But this year, fabulous…
Gonna hang out with SAT but these anime makes me crazy……
Why won’t they just animate Fate/Hollow Ataraxia instead of a spin-off manga.. =(
The ones I’ll watch for sure:
>Monogatari – The expected star of the season so let’s hope it lives up to all the hype but more importantly,it’s reputation.
>Highschool DxD NEW – Fun guilty pleasure that I’m sure Stilts or Seishun are going to make even more fun.
>Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi – After the unexpected goodness that Crime Edge turned out to be this season,why wouldn’t one try something that gives off similar vibes.
>Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen – Liked the previous 2 seasons but I hope this 3rd one will come to a conclusion.
>Kimi No Iru Machi – I started the manga when it was around chapter 120 and I loved it.While still ongoing these days it’s not nearly as good but the anime probably won’t even get to the boring parts.Sadly my enjoyment will automatically be cut in half due to the fact that I already know what happens & remember it too well,unless the studio does a really good job adapting it.
The ones I’m gonna try out for 3 eps(more or less):
>Blood Lad
>Danganronpa Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei The Animation
>Servant x Service
Then there’s that one that I might watch out of curiosity for the reviews,discussions and to much lesser extent,the show itself – Free!
Monogatari is back, happiness :3
Hm,I thought Brother’s Conflict was coming out in the PSP game but I guess in anime too~??
Anyways, Im looking forward too Free!,Blood lad, Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist, Monogatari series, others.haha
seen the PV’s, trailers for some of them 🙂 Cant wait XD
Hmmm… it is a rare season where I am really not looking forward to any show…
Still, gonna try a few:
Highschool DxD – for PLOT and BACKSTORY… nuff’ said
Kami nomi zo shiru sekai – can’t stop seeing new ways of use of gaming knowledge in the real world
Watashi ga Motenai… – for a main character that ISNT cute at all!
C3-bu – in hope of getting as pleasant surprise as GuP
Rozen Maiden – I actually wanted to watch the original series for a while now, now we get a retell I just might as well watch the new version
Monogatari Series – I haven’t actually watched previous series, but after hearing so much
praise I’ve decided to jump onto bandagon
Genshiken – because it is fun to watch other otaku at play
bonus:
while not intending to watch it by myself, I am sure to get roped into watching Free! by my otaku imouto…
You should give a shot,I think the entire franchise is a bit more hyped up than it deserves and might not be for everyone(then again I find a lot of shows overhyped) but it’s a real treat to those who fall for it.I still need to watch the Nekomonogatari movie until this will air myself.
I already know what series I’m looking forward to. (besides the obvious choice)
Brothers Conflict
Monogatari Second Season
Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
Uchouten Kazoku
Blood Lad
Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!
Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation
GATCHAMAN Crowds
Might start watching Kaminomi again because of the Goddess Arc.
(; ﾟдﾟ)
(つд⊂)
(; ﾟдﾟ)<…
Kirigiri-san kitaaaaaaaaaa \(゜∀ ゜ )ノ♥
TV anime scene looks tough this season. Glad I’ve been saving up some stuff to watch cause for the first time in about 3 years it looks like I’m gonna need it.
Shinobu!
nice monogatari season 2 .. xD
Not much comment about Kingdom?
It’s a great series and extremely underrated. I hope those who read my preview snippet – probably not many – gives the show a chance. I love the first season and Fukuyama Jun’s performance as Ei Sei was terrific 😉
I did, and I greatly appreciate the fact that you did one. I didn’t think anyone besides Enzo on RC’s staff had watched season one, so it’s nice to see someone else did- it’s a seriously underrated series. Season 2 is off to a great start, too.
i just watched today Seishun and agree it’s an amazing series
shame for how underrated this series are,chinese history theme looks not very popular well for viewers and plus i think this series has lack of advertisement that’s why not many people aware the existence of this anime
@Kite
The CGI in season one also put a lot of people off, I think. I saw a hell of a lot of people dropping it because of that when it started airing, but it’s more or less gone now in season 2.
For me:
– Makai Ouji
– Free!
– Hakkenden
– Danganronpa
– Brothers Conflict
– Blood Lad
– Kamisama no Inai no Nichiyoubi
– WataMote
Continuing: Shingeki no Kyojin, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S
I’ll be looking forward to Tamayura the most
Let see
Tamayura ~More Aggressive~ (Will watch)
Ro-kyuu-bu! SS (Definitely watch)
Monogatari Series: Second Season (Definitely watch)
High School DXD NEW (Will watch)
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen (Definitely watch)
I will also continue watching Majestic Prince & Railgun S.
And also can’t wait for Toaru Majutsu no Index: Endymon no Kiseki.
I feel like Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen will going to have 24 Episode.
too much moe crap…
Boukoku no Akito OVA’s been delayed till September. :/
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-06-21/code-geass/akito-the-exiled-no.2-added-cast-september-delay-revealed
Welp. There goes that… -_-
Thanks RandomC for this detailed preview 🙂
hm this will be a boring season.
if this keeps on there will be only fanservice shows in the future.
idk, why this change to all out moe, fanservice, zero story, girls fkn everywhere?
is this the new trend for anime?
“Is this the new trend of anime”? …where have you been?
One thing to note: Oreimo episodes 14-16 will be streamed on the official site on Sunday August 18, 2013.
http://www.oreimo-anime.com/stream/
Yeah.
Monogatari only thing that interests me.
Index Movie… FUCK YEAH!!!
something to keep me interested while I wait for Season 3.
Interesting mix though personally I wouldn’t call it a strong line up compared to the last few seasons. A few random comments:
– Monogatari Series: Second Season: Oh… hell… yes! One of my very favorite series. Expectations: Stratospheric
– Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Not a mahou shoujo fan, but a pretty big FSN fan so definitely watching. If done right, this should be a fun ride. IMO, Carnival Phantasm had some bad moments along with the good so tempering expectations a bit. Expectations: moderately high.
– Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi: Interesting plot + acclaimed source material + good visual presentation = definitely on the watch list. Expectations: High – hard not to with that pedigree.
– High School DXD NEW: Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Bride’s conclusion leaves a large ecchi void, and HS DxD is up to the challenge of filling it. Read all the LNs, and IIRC, the next three LN volumes (03-05) after where Season 1 left off were pretty good, fun reads. This series knows what it’s about and isn’t afraid to embrace that. Expectations: ECCHI and better than Season 1 (except for the ED).
– Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu: IDK… I liked GuP a lot, but honestly do not have a good feeling about this. Will give it a shot nonetheless. Expectations: Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.
– Blood Lad: Not sure I would call this a “unique” twist on the vampire theme compared to something like Karin, but has potential. Like Hataraku Maou-sama, I suspect success will greatly depend upon superior execution. Expectations: Moderate.
– Gifuu Doudou!! Kanetsugu to Keiji: Definitely a history/Sengoku fan, but not a fan of the character styling at all. :< JMO – if others love the designs then to each his/her own. Potentially excessive GAR plot elements not helping either. Expectations: regrettably, low.
– Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou: Not sure "kind" is the word I'd use to describe his fate. Guy loves reading to the extent willing sacrifice his own life to save an author only to be reincarnated as a "slave" dog (unable to read of course) which is owned by the very same scissor-wielding sadistic author he saved!? To me that sounds like something out of Greek Mythology hell. Natsuno's character design reminds me a lot of Sarasvati. Expectations: None. Going to pass on this one.
– Teekyuu Season 2: “Each episode is two minutes long.” O.o I assume that doesn’t include the OP since that would leave like 30-40 seconds for the “story.” Wasn’t planning on watching until I read Stilts’ colorful description. I’ve got two minutes to spare so why not? Expectations: WTF!?
Everyone love Girl from Anime,right?If it’s not the case then you’re no OTAKU :3
Hiya, just letting you know that the Shingeki no Kyojin OVA has apparently been rescheduled to December.
Source
And about the Summer Anime… well, there were 1 or two titles that caught my interest, but nothing too awesome, I suppose.
Thanks for the post, everyone!
Haaaa. From OVA to a sticker and 3D card. Dang. Taken off.
Will surely see:
prism Iliya – fuck yes have been waiting YEARS for this. If people are going to trust the promos, a lot of people are in for a surprise~
Danganronpa – because source material is freaking awesome. I am kind of surprised that there’s no big hype for this, considering this might be next season’s Steins;Gate/Madoka/MiraNikki/ShinsekaiYori in terms of popularity.
Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi – purely because this sounds so weird incomprehensible that it might be brilliant.
Danganronpa peaked my interest ^^ I don’t know much about the source material – but from what I’ve reseached, it looks like a Battle Royale/Ace Attorney (I love that game by the way! and Professor Layton >_>) sort of mix. I love mystery, I don’t mind murder… as long as it’s not straight up horror, I’ll give it a try. Like Crime Edge this season ^^
Gifuu Doudou!! Kanetsugu to Keiji : Hara Tetsuo was the artist of Hokuto no Ken, Buronson was the author.
Let’s be honest guys, Gainax has lost its “old magic”. That said, I’ll be sure to check out their new show.
There do seem to be a lot of potential hits, though. Especially for a summer season.
I’m most likely to look at the new Hiromu Arakawa show. Hopefully noitaminA gives it the time it needs to tell a story instead of rushing it.
Gainax lives on in Dansai Bunri, and Muromi-san, and eventually something Trigger does will actually have a Gainax feel to it. They have indeed tanked beyond the likely possibility of return, but their influence over the industry is so profound that there will always be a few shows here and there that reflect it.
MAy I say thank you for putting up another summer preview. It really helps me a great deal on my pre-season expectations.
If I may give an addition to this, It would be to add the main anime demographics to the genres. While shoujo is (mostly) added when it is a shoujo show, it’s not indicated if a show is shonen, seinen or josei. I think (but I could be the only one on this) this would add too the completeness of the preview, since soem people might orientate on a specific anime demographic.
As for the season, it seems to be a season where I would probably need to watch a couple of the first episodes and need to keep myself to the 3 episode rule of judging. Lot’s of possible hidden gems here, but we’ll see what comes of them
I’m psyched about Gin no Saji. A sleeper hit. One of the funniest and the MOST educational manga I’ve ever read. The adaptation’s gonna rock!
Summer is looking pretty good I might say, even thought I’m realy IRL, I cannot stop watching animes.
My watchlist
Sure to watch:
1.BROTHERS CONFLICT
2.Tamayura ~More Aggressive~
3.Ro-kyuu-bu! SS
4.Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu
5.Love Lab
6.Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen
7.Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation
8.Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
9.Monogatari Series: Second Season
10.High School DXD NEW
Will try:
1.Senki Zesshou Symphogear G
2.Free!
3.Kiniro Mosaic
4.Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou
5.Uchouten Kazoku
6.Monogatari Series: Second Season
7.Genshiken Nidaime
8.Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
9.Fantasista Doll
10.Blood Lad
11,Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!
12.Rozen Maiden
*even thought I’m really IRL, I cannot stop watching animes.
– Sorry, forgot to check my grammar.
Oh noes, the lolis are taking over the summer season D:! So many all girl shows that I was starting to get disappointed because I’d have nothing interesting to watch.
I knew it’d be real hard to top the season going on right now, but come on, Loliception everywhere.It’s like this is the anime studios way of taking a break and letting their hair down.
But then I forgot that Silver Spoon has an anime coming out :3.I read a little of Blood Lad, but it didn’t hook me into reading more.I read the Highschool DxD manga, but I skipped the anime because it was short.Now that it has a second season I’m going to watch the first while I can and see dem boobs .>. I never finished watching Katanagatari so I’ll probably pick that back up.
I’ve never read Genshiken, I know it has a lot of doujins >:3 and I’ve read a lot of them myself lol.I’ll probably pick it up.
I feel like this season is like a bowl of little papers with words on them where you put your hand in to see what you get.
Sigh, my fate is sealed, I fear I have no choice! I’m watching everything just because there’s mostly nothing but LOLIS and MALE HAREMS! I might as well pick up and watch Madoka too while I’m at it since I skipped that as well.
There’s some sequels to stuff I skipped too, so I might as well watch that too, my time is all gone now T-T
Don’t you worry sir,when you’ll be watching some of (NSFW by the way) this & that,lolis will be the last thing you’ll think of.
I think that will definitely get dem lolis off my mind >.<
What’s wrong with lolis? Lolis are good. Cute unreal girls doing really cute stuff.
I can’t help but be excited for Choujigen Game Neptune, I really liked the games (even the first game with that terribad gameplay). Still, it’s kind of a shame Tsunako isn’t doing the anime’s artwork.
Gatchaman? Any relation with this badass trailer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LVKaIFxQa98
Gatchaman Crowds, Uchouten Kazoku, and Gin no Sajin for sure this summer; Free and Brothers Conflict are gonna be my guilty pleasures, as I’m sure they’ll be for many ladies.
Like most avid anime watchers, I’ll be trying to keep up quite a bit of the series airing, but I probably will fail to do so. Hopefully, this summer season will be booming with excitement since this is usually the weakest season of the year, but this season shows promise with lots of great sequels. Though, the series that aren’t showing sequels seem very enticing. I can’t make up my mind on what to see. I guess I’m going to have to watch through most of them. Not like most people, I don’t follow the three episode rule. I try to give a series as much as time possible until I finally discard it. Series like OreShura rewarded viewers who stuck it through. Hopefully most of the great series here will have we hooked from the start, but I doubt all the good series being released this season will have me right from the get go. I may have to power through a few episodes before some steam gets rolling. First world problems. There’s so much any anime too watch that I don’t know if I can watch them all.
When I say good I mean series good series that are not in the High or moderately high expectation level. There may be good series that people don’t expect to be great series, but maybe in the end if I stick with them long enough.
so much slice-of-life….
well i still got monogatari second season, HS DXD, and Prisma Illya
Hhmmm nothing interests me except Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya….no big project coming up?
brothers conflict has a pv out now
Added, thanks!
Alot of these shows seem to be catered more to a female audience which sucks for me cause theres not much to watch this summer, all these shows about cute moe girls just arent my cup of tea at all, with that being said there are about 2 shows that i will check out
Rozen Maiden Desu~ Suiseiseki desu~
Lolis, Magical Girls, Dolls and lots and lots of fantasy…
Not a bad haul 🙂
Danganronpa Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei The Animation
Rozen Maiden
Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist
Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation
High School DXD NEW
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
Fantasista Doll
Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoub
Senki Zesshou Symphogear G
Ro-kyuu-bu! SS
Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou
Monogatari Series: Second Season
Only Uchouten Kazoku and Servant x Service stand out for me. Will stick to the Gin no Saji manga instead of the anime. I’ve grown tired of the empty dialogue of the OverratedGatari series, so I’ll skip on that. Gatchaman Crowds might get a chance if I find time, simply for the nostalgic value (if any). The rest look like they’re targeted at kids, pedophiles, hikkis, or a combination of the three.
My planned schedule for this season:
– Monogatari Second Season: Been following the Monogatari series from the beginning so count me in here. Still a shame we’re getting this before the movie.
– High School DxD New: Who can resist the harem king, Hyoudou Issei? And from what I’ve heard, things are about to get really good for this series.
– Blood Lad: Looks pretty interesting. And humorous. That’s usually enough for me.
-Fate/Kaleid liner Prism Illya: I’m a big fan of Fate/Stay Night and this looks like a fun spin-off.
– Kimi No Iru Machi: I’m a fan of the series, though I’m still unsure if I’ll follow this if only because I’m not sure exactly where they’ll end it. I have an ideal place in my mind of where they should end the adaption, but if it’s one course I’m not sure if they’ll actually be able to cover it.
– The World God Only Knows Season 3: Just started getting into this series. I’ve heard good things about the Goddess Arc so that has me excited, though I’m disappointed that we’ll be missing some great conquests along the way. Hopefully Manglobe is able to make up for it somehow.
As for the shows that are carrying over from the last season:
– Railgun
– Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Definitely watching Kami-sama Inai and Dangan Ronpa , as well as Kitabuku(that’s the one about the going-home club….I think I spelt the title wrong =P)
Also thinking of watching Kimi no Iru Machi , Blood Lad , Brother’s conflict and that one with the dog and the scissors. Not sure which of these possibilities to go for though….I have time to watch about 5 anime , so with 3 definites I need 2 more.
Advice , anyone?
So many great anime this season… Only to be reminded that I’m going on vacation this summer.
I also bought the game Hyperdimention Neptune, and yes the game play was horrid, but the main reason I bought it was to hear Melissa Fahn’s voice again (she voiced Neptune in the eng dub). I think the anime can only be better.
I’m also looking forward to the third season of Kami Nomi cause I really want to see the goddess arc animated, though I have trepidation for the same reasons as you.
Also that pic for Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi made me think it was a spear. It was only when I watched the trailer that I realized it’s a shovel. First time I’ve ever seen someone use a shovel as their primary weapon.
seems like a good season!! 🙂 Will definitely watch Kamisama no inai nichiyoubi, Gin no Saji, Kitabuku katsudo kiroku and Tamayura.
To the writers who spent the time writing the previews and searching for info: THANK YOU ^ ^
This got to be the darkest season in MY anime watching history! I don’t even that sure on what to watch.
– Might see Fate/Kaleid since i read the manga (though I like 2wei more)
– Might see Symphony Gear G but with much reluctant since season 1 ending feel like a good enough closure to the story.
– Might glance at Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen just to arouse my interest on the manga which i severely lack so far (third times the charm, right?)
– Develop a traumatic (yet hillarious) hatred on Kimi no Iru Machi due to the manga, so no…
– Might have a quick mindless glance at Highschool DXD (for fanservice)and Monogatari Series: Second Season (for just being the old wacky and weird Shaft)
– Indifference on slice of life, might only see Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu for the annual Gainax Ending Hunt (weird habit, i know)
– And a big NO for the entire Bishi/Shoujo category and most of the Moe type as well. Just NO.
A well detailed preview as always… 😉
So far, there’s only one series from that list I’m sure I’ll be watching: “Danganronpa”. Different, intriguing… and most of all, special
Definite:
Servant x Service, Blood Lad, Gin no Saji, GATCHAMAN Crowds, Kimi no Iru Machi (What can I say, I’m a fan despite its many flaws)
Maybe:
Danganronpa, Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi, Uchouten Kazoku
A bit quieter this season for me, but I’m fine with that.
i watch Fate/Kaleid only for Gilgamesh
hurry for Drei!!!!!!!!
New PV for Uchouten Kazoku.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-06-21/uchoten-kazoku-anime-tv-ad-aired-with-milktub-opening
Cool beans, added and thanks for letting us know 😉
Dangan Ronpa should be amazing if it’s not rushed – seriously, it’s crazy, enjoyable, intelligent with many clever plot twists. Not to mention that the characters are simply amazing and unique. 😀
With only around 5 new shows that got my attention at the moment, and only a 1 or 2 classes in the university, it looks like this summer I’ll have a better chance to catch-up with my growing backlog/wishlist. Not that it’s a bad thing either.
Though knowing myself, I’ll probably pick a few more to watch..
Anyway, thank you everyone for doing the preview! ^^
One the one hand, GAINAX finally has something that ISN’T a failed, standard shonen adaptation, and looks slightly better.
Finally a season I can sink my teeth into!
I’ve got 6 shows locked right off the bat. No more having to settle.
this season’s full of hit-or-misses…look at all the moe-moe posters…geez…
definitely watching gin no saji…rest’ll have to wait and see
Glad i wasn’t the only one who noticed. I swear there are more moe shows with each passing season. One day there will be nothing but moe anime each season.
Sooo… this summer will be all about gravekeepers?!, officewokers?!, and farming?! …great!!
Looking forward also to another season Shaft’s
pornversion of Hyouka, I always feel compelled to watch that.The comeback of Genshiken is good but without Madarame and the boys, I don’t know…
And Ilya always complains about not having a route on F/SN, so going to watch her show of course.
Some are quite interesting but kinda skeptical about it, like the girl with scissors (gonzo?), the death game (Seiji Kishi on another game adaptation, tsk!), a hip vampire (10 episodes?) and free (…i don’t know this shiitz).
I guess Railgun and Attack on Slideshow will fill the fantasy sci-fi action that this season is lacking. Overall pretty lackluster season IMHO, but I think it is much better than having some huge expectations and getting disappointed in the end.
Thanks! For an awesome informative seasonal preview/review guys. Keep it up!! : )
too many shows that I want to watch
unexpectedly looks pretty nice. there are some anime from the spring season that went above and beyond my expectations and i feel like i’ll miss them (namely yahari) sorely ):
Hmm.. Will watch Monogatari,Rozen Maiden, and Blood Lad
Probably watch: Danganropa, Gin no Saji, Makai Ouji, Kami-sama no inai Nichiyoubi, Uchouten Kazoku, Gin No Saji,and probably… Free
Looks like summer season is quite enjoyable for me :3
Yes, Monogatri is back !!! They haven’t said anything new about Kizumonogatari though.
Generally, all signs point to it coming Q4 2013 in theaters. Hopefully.
Q4 2013 seems highly unlikely unfortunately…
The second season is going to run for the rest of the year and Shaft has already announced the 3rd Madoka movie for autumn 2013. Would be a pleasant surprise for sure, but I’m not holding my breath.
You guys are horrible with that expectation list.
I CALL IT NOW! BLOOD LAD WILL BE THE MOST POPULAR ANIME OF THIS SEASON.
Also too much yuri shit. I don’t mind shoujo being there. Girls watch anime too, so guys shouldn’t be the only catered to all the time, but there are WAY too much anime with all female casts this season. I hope lots of em fail hard, so this idiotic trend can slow down. I mean some are OK like that military music one, and nichijou, but this is too much.
BLOOD LAD will dominate this season.
Also, lower your expectations for the monogatari series already. Raise Gatchaman up one while you’re at it, because the production looks amazing.
It sucks if the expectation list isn’t to your liking, but again keep in mind it’s the deliberations of three people who assign variable expectations to a large number of shows…who are also human. Shows assigned low expectations can sometimes be the dark horse of the season, while others assigned high end up flopping under the weight of broken reality. We’re only offering such expectations as a relatively conservative starting gate for what people with limited resources should investigate. If anything ends up wow’ing us better or worse, we’ll let everyone know.
While your other statements are up to debate another time, I do defend that Monogatari still needs to placed high. Even if one doesn’t personally like the show, it’s undeniable to place it high due to its consistent production values and the sheer fact that it currently places first on the popularity poll by a fair margin. Placing it any lower would be denying the obvious to a ridiculous extent.
P.S: The military music one – Sora no Woto.
Blood Lad probably lacked the usual shounen vibe that’s spirited and colorful. It reminded me of Zombie Loan and Soul Eater, which started as great but lacked luster midway.
Anime can rise and fall, but moe? Moe never changes….
Ooooooooooooooooh!
I do agree
@stilts
Your preview about Watamote has decreases my expectation.
Keep your preview spoiler free.
When I watch Kaminai PV soundtrack,its remind me about Shinsekai yori.
Well, good thing MJP lasts a while, else we’d have no mecha show to watch for summer, and that would suck. Can’t wait for Valvrave’s finale and second season.
That aside, a bit too much school life and sequels IMO, but enough good looking shows to make this summer season appear above average… for now.
I guess I should start watching the Fate series now to keep up with the releases.
It’s a great joy to see Fate/Kaleid Prisma Illya being considered in the High Expectations bracket. Its manga series were a legitimate surprise. It’s funny without being too all over the place and hit almost all the right notes. There were plenty of quite serious and intense moments too for anyone who dismisses this as a half-assed, light-hearted spinoff (Which almost all of my friends have done).
It’s gonna be a fun ride and I’ve been a fan of Silverlink anime so I’m sure that my confidence is answered.
The second season of Monogatari will still own not just this season, but also the entire year. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse but from what I’ve seen from all the source material of all this future series Monogatari’s comes out on top. The hanekawa-focused story of the first act was a marvel to read in terms of how its narrative was woven and executed. Senjougahara was also more fleshed-out here (And her developments were quite staggering). Araragi’s absence will also be something the viewer can look forward to since it will make a unique viewing experience.
All in all, not just this season, but the entire year has been a little bit stale in terms of anime. But at least this season is better than the last so we’ve got more to look forward to.
This season will be better than the last?
Sorry if I’m shocked, but I don’t think you’re watching any of the shows coming out right now are you?
Unless you prefer moeblob shows, I guess…
This season might have a lot more “questionable” shows than the last but to compensate for that it has more shows to attract my interest. I only got to catch up on 5 shows of the last season (while usually I could wtach around 15 shows in average per season. Well, it is in conjunction with the fact I’m cutting back this year but it doesn’t mean I would miss the most interesting entries of the bunch), while this season I’m sold on 8 shows, each of which looks like it can be the show to remember at the end of the year award. (Given how vague Fall season seems).
Simply put, I think it’s the most optimistic season of the year and that’s a good thing.
New High School DxD season?
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Yeah, one fucking year, but it’s finally here!!! But no Ophis, no Loki, no Sairaorg… so sad.
This season looks pretty good to me. There are 13 titles I’m interested in. -SIGH-
I was hoping Dog Days S3 would come this summer… but it did not. 🙁
Anyways, just wondering which shows are carrying over from spring season? Railgun and Attack on Titan… and I thought someone said Majectic Prince. Any more?
moe killing the industry
I 80% agree with that statement.
I’ll watch for sure: Gin no Saji, Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
I haven’t decided if I’ll watch: Blood Lad, Uchouten Kazoku
HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! HighSchool DxD season 2!!!!!!!!!!
MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!!!!!! Monogatari Season 2!!!!!!!!!!!
And Kami returns, good!
The others…. bah!
Monogatari… ¿¿¿¿¿¿2 COURS????
Please, somebody, Somebody knows if High DxD New is two cours too? You all can make one poor guy very happy!!!
This season I’ll be trying out:
Senyuu 2
Gifuu Doudou!! Kanetsugu to Keiji
Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu
Danganronpa
Servant x Service
Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
Blood Lad
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!
Gin no Saji
Neptunia
I will probably end up dropping something as I go through the season. In all honesty I want to get through some of my backlog, especially a few animes I bought at Otakon last year and still haven’t watched.
Thanks for the preview.
What! No space opera? No further sequels of Horizon? Booooooo.
I’m waiting for it too. Someday!!
This is one of the greatest season INDEED
The World God Only Knows, Monogatari and Blood Lad For The Win!!
High School DxD is the I’ve enjoyed the most since Nisemonogatari so of course this is a guaranteed watch.
My watchlist priority would be Uchuten Kazoku, Gin no Saji, C3-bu, Monogatari, and Kiniro Mosaic. Also will try Free, Servant x Service, and Watamote.
Unlike last spring, my watchlist will be spread along the whole week. Huh.
Also, there’s re-airing of Kara no Kyoukai this season. Too bad there’s no Paradox Spiral, but still curious how they will split those movies into 1-cour show.
Disappointing season for an Action enthusiast, especially since the current season is so good 🙁
About Genshiken… I read that this third season is skipping some of the source material. I was wondering whether it would be a better read in manga than it would watching the anime?
I thought they said Sailor Moon was coming this summer… =(
Got delayed.
So many shows I want to watch and so little time..
I can see why it’s a bit weak in the year. Still got some great shows to watch, it’ll get me to catch up with some animes I missed.
To me, Servant x Service and Uchouten Kazoku is the only ones I feel interested enough to watch.
I get too annoyed to watch anime adaptations of light novels and mangas I already like for some reason….
so many good choices, but what to choose first T^T cries
Side note: Stilts do you know if Trigger is releasing any anime series for this upcoming season?
Not this season, no. Hopefully soon!
They have a series they’re working on, but no air date yet.
seeing the poster, i thought WATAMOTE is your ordinary boring highschool girl anime. but darn, when i started reading the manga, i CAN NOT stop!!! weird comedy stuff– WATAMOTE FTW!
I’d heard a rumour that Prisma Illya will only have 10 episodes. Will need to confirm, but not sure how I feel about it.
It does kind of make sense, since the first Prisma Illya manga is only 10+ chapters long, and if Silver Link wanted to animate Zwei as well (Drei is still ongoing after all) , it’ll end off with a cliffhanger that will piss off a lot of viewers for sure.
*foams at mouth*
im supposed to be studying this semester D:
why did the ones I would watch only come this season and not the last one…
OBAMABASEDGOD IS BACK TO BLESS YOU ALL WITH HIS THOUGHTS ON THE UPCOMING SEASON.
THIS SEASON LOOKS WEAK IF YOU TAKE A QUICK GLANCE AT IT BUT OBAMABASEDGOD BELIEVES THAT IT ISN’T AS BAD AS IT SEEMS. WELL COMPARED TO MOST SUMMERS…
HERE ARE SOME SHOWS WORTH LOOKING OUT FOR :
Uchouten Kazoku
Blood Lad
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen
Gin no Saji
Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-Bu
Servant x Service
Love Lab
GATCHAMAN Crowds
Senki Zesshou Symphogear G
Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
Monogatari Series: Second Season
Genshiken Nidaime
Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
As a Type-Moon fan, ILLYA FINALLY GETS HER ROUTE!
Yeah, I know others have already mentioned it, but I think it bears saying again: way too many moe anime. That doesn’t appeal to me so those get thrown out almost immediately, which leaves me with about five other shows to even consider.
Not a very impressive season lineup to me.
High School DXD NEW saved the season for me, only show worth following so far.
You watch too much PLOT bro. Not really good to only have PLOT inside. 😀
At a glance, a lot of it is delving into the moe moe side, which has already been said a lot. I usually don’t mind, so long as the shows feel different, though I’ll definitely be skipping half of the stuff that looks like slice-of-life.
Random observation: Kami-inai’s Ai’s design looks like such a massive rip-off of Sakura from Cardcaptors. I know the design is rather generic, but this is about the closest I’ve seen to characters almost looking the same.
A LOLI SEASON IS WHAT I SEE. 😀
No need to ask…
the first anime that I’ll watch is Kaminomi, the god of harem is on act!
the second anime that I’ll watch is Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi.
I should try Love Lab, because I love Yuruyuri.
Takaii-san, please blog Ro-Kyu-Bu again.
Anyone checking out RWBY? Again, not anime, but very clearly influenced and is showing its first episode in a couple weeks.
I plan to! The voice work has been a little…well, amateur so far (no surprise, since it looks like that’s exactly what it is), but the action has been sick. For that if nothing else, I want to check it out.
Haha, true…but it is a web production, which is actually why the biggest reason I’m interested. That and I’ve been keeping up with Roosterteeth since Season 5 of Red Vs Blue.
Postponement news:
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Ilya is being postponed.
http://seventhstyle.com/2013/06/25/fatekaleid-liner-suddenly-postponed/
Mmm… that kind of just looks like the special broadcast pre-airing was postponed, rather than the official broadcast of the series itself eh.
More like the pre-air of the first episode.
Still hurts because people have been waiting for this. and just like that, POP!, postponed. Argh, so frustrating.
Wow.. Cant believe summer would be this good… Well, so long outdoor activities as there is a great anime season w8ing… 🙂
shows i will definitely b watching,
1- Monogatari Series: Second Season
2- Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi
3- Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
4- Blood Lad
5- Uchouten Kazoku
and maybe,
1- Gin no Saji
2- Servant x Service
3- Free!
at the moment i am mainly thinking “hmmmm”
the only thing that is a definite at first look is the new monogatari, i can’t wait
Only Shows I’ll be watching are Monogatari and High school DXD, with fairly high expections for High school DXD novel wise it’s this stage that the story starts getting good. May give Rozen Maiden a chance but most of the rest looks like trash to me.
Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou looks like an AIC version of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. Ah well I will be watching it anyway.
Other than that I will be watching Monogatari Second Season, Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami Hen, Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi, Rozen Maiden and Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya. Will watch GATCHAMAN Crowds, Gin no Saji and Uchouten Kazoku if I have time. Oh and of course I will continue to follow Railgun and Shingeki no Kyojin as well.
Overall a much stronger season compared to the spring season. Can’t wait!
The comments in here is pretty predictable. I’m not sure wht to think of it.
Whole lotta garbage. Looks like I’ll be swimming a lot more this Summer (and not at home watching an anime about swimming).
I have a question about the movie gintama: shinyaku benizakura hen, there is already a movie out with this name and ive already watched it but in the OVA and movie releases above the movie is there again, what does this mean? And anyway its been 2 days since it realeced and there is nothing on anime websites yet, is this just a bad joke?
Not uch of interest to me. My list:
Definitely:
Symphogear’s second season
Monogatari
Fate Prisma Illya
Maybe:
Kiniro Mosaic
Genie
I will just watch Blood Lad … Almost all of the shows this summer are stupid moe and shitty female cast animes…
Monogatari is back. That’s all I need
The first Hyperdimension Neptunia game is utter s**t as an RPG, mainly because of the combat system and lack of party members. Even I played it by skipping through most of the combat scenes.
This however was improved during Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2, and was made even better in Neptunia Victory.
Looking at the quality of animation somewhat ticks me off, as some parts are grossly exaggerated, like White Heart’s assets. Though I do hope that it will be salvaged by the humor that I loved back in the game.
Monogatari Series: Second Season
Uchouten Kazoku
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!
and mabye
Gin no Saji
GATCHAMAN Crowds
everything else can be removed to spare the anime industry of so much shame
nope more fail just those 3 are worthy to be called anime
Not enough Animes lately like Heroic Age, Code Geass or Fullmetal Alchemist.
The latest best was Gargantia, Attack on Titan, and Majestic Price. I’m sorry to say that the rest was a bit “meh”.
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